A Brief Update, Friday 7/25

Only a little more than a week to go. A week from Sunday we will be flying home and its quite amazing how quickly time has passed this summer. It seems to have passed by so much faster than last summer and with too little time to really get everything done that people want to do. However, we are off to Scotland and the great city of Edinburgh today. We are taking the train this year instead of flying like we did last year, so it is going to be a 7 hour long ride. We should be into Edinburgh Waverly Station around 8:30 or so tonight.

Last year I was looking forward to leading my first trip. From the blog last year and from student's reactions, it was one of the best trips of the whole summer for the 12 people who went (including myself). We spent the entire weekend in and around Edinburgh, though the Locurcio's did take a day trip out of the city on Sunday. This year, we arrive late, then head out tomorrow morning for a driving tour of the Highlands, overnight at Loch Ness (or near there), then more driving on Sunday before arriving back in Edinburgh on Sunday night, then taking the train home on Monday afternoon, arriving in Oxford around 11 on Monday night. The only real time we have in Edinburgh is tonight (after everything closes) and Monday morning before the train travel. Frankly I don't think its enough time to see anything besides the Castle and perhaps the Royal Mile, but I am not in charge of this year's program.

However, I did take a my History of Science students (plus 2 other students) to London yesterday for a late afternoon field trip. We left by coach (the Oxford Tube) and drove to London around 1 pm, arriving eventually at the Science Museum around 3:15. It was quite warm yesterday so the Underground was a zoo and massively crowded with delays and breakdowns. However, we did spend the afternoon in the museum. I led a brief tour around to the highlights of the museum, then let the students go explore on their own, primarly because my History of Science students had to find some sort of exhibits to talk about for their final paper due next week. After that, we left the Museum around 5:45 and headed out for a group picture.

The Tube was packed with congestion, so at one point we just got out and walked to where we were going to have dinner. Holborn to Chancery Lane, through the Inns of Court (where we saw a graduation ceremony for new barristers taking place) to Fleet St, then down Fleet St to a restaurant I have not failed to eat in during any of my trips to London. I managed to keep a tradition alive once again.

Everyone was starving when we left the museum and we were discussing dinner. I know some of them are kinda hurting for cash, but I offered up a great little restaurant, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. Historic, a haunt of both Dr. Johnson and Dickens, rebuilt in 1667 after the great fire, the students jumped on the chance to get some dinner in such a local. The food is not too expensive (nothing more than 10 pounds on the menu) and everyone enjoyed the locale and the food. It was a great meal and after 2 hours or so, we headed back to the Tube and then the bus to Oxford. We got back around 11:15. It was a long afternoon and evening, but it was a lot of fun for one and all involved. So far, many of them said it was the best experience they have had other than their trip to Ireland.

I'll take that as a great compliment.

Well I need to get my morning started. Early class today because of the trip to Scotland.

I will write more and finally post a bunch of pictures on Tuesday.

Matt