London
Background on London
The city of London is one of the most popular cities in the world. London's rich and diverse history is intertwined with many world-changing events from Queen Elizabeth and the royal family to the air raids of World War II.
During World War II, London was a hot spot for attacks from Axis warplanes. During these attacks Londoners would seek refuge in the London Underground, their cavernous train stations, that still exists today. The Underground, also referred to as "the tube", is one of the main modes of public transportation in London. If you buy a day pass, you'll be able to take the Underground to all the sites and shopping areas until midnight, when the Underground shuts down for the night.
London has a plethora of world-renowned museums. For modern art, there's the Tate, which has pieces by famous artists such as Kandinsky, Jeff Koons, and Picasso. If you're more interested in history, there's the Museum of London, Bletchley Park, and Imperial War Museum at Duxford. The Imperial War Museum has the largest aviation collection in the world, and the Bletchley Park Museum has the largest collection of cryptography related material in the world.
For sightseeing, London has all kinds of tours. There are helicopter rides, boat rides, double-decker bus tours, driving tours, walking tours, almost any kind of transportation you can think of has a tour tied into it. One of the greatest sightseeing tours is the ferris wheel tour from the London Eye. It's the biggest ferris wheel in the world, and, once at the top, you can see all of London. That's quite a lot to see!
Night Life in London is all about the pubs. There are Irish pubs, sport's pubs, gay pubs, upscale pubs, and old historic pubs. Many of us went to the oldest pub in London, the "Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese." At 600-years-old, this pub has a rich history unlike any other pub in London. It has five floors, including two basement areas, three bars, and a restaurant. The overall interior of the pub seems like it hasn't changed in the last 600 years. Whoever owns the establishment has really gone the extra mile to keep it looking and feeling like an old English pub. They even stuffed their famous, foul-mouthed, parrot mascot and keep him in the pub for historical value.
Why did we go there?
Walking around the streets of London with my friends was an experience I'll never forget.
An important part of the college experience is gaining a better understanding of the world and your part in it. Visiting London was the perfect opportunity to learn about European culture and to acquire an appreciation of our own society. Each student had his or her personal motivations for joining the trip. One student reported, "I had never left the country before I went to London, so I figured it was a good opportunity to see life outside of the USA. Walking around the streets of London with my friends was an experience I'll never forget."
Some students saw the trip as an excellent way to use the funds the University set aside for the student's academic enrichment. Traveling to another country can be expensive and requires extensive coordination. Penn State York made this possible for students though several funds and faculty coordination efforts. Another student commented, "I wanted to visit London because there is so much history. It's amazing just to see how York has developed in 200 years, let alone London in the thousands of years it has existed. It was very interesting to be able to visit another culture and to note their similarities and differences compared to our nation. It was a memorable trip that will definitely stay with me until I am once again fortunate enough to return to London."
- Brian Carr and Ryan Markle
