Study Abroad – Page 6 – The Gatton Academy News

Harlaxton 2017: Shakespeare, Free Time and the Globe Theatre

July 19, 2017 | 2017 Harlaxton, 2017-2018, Avatars, Emily Guernsey, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Emily Guernsey

We woke up bright and early this morning, all feeling a bit tired from our jam-packed day yesterday, but ready to hit the ground running. After breakfast (with a group of young ballerinas), we headed to the classroom. It was now time for our quiz. Today’s topic: William Shakespeare and his comedy Much Ado About Nothing. Following the quiz, we brushed up on our Shakespearean history, then began to discuss Much Ado About Nothing. Professor Rutledge shared some interesting insights about the title of this play and engaged the class in a conversation about different aspects of the plot. It was really interesting to see how each of us interpreted things. At 12 o’clock, we were released from class- off to free time! The 50 of us scattered across London for the afternoon.

My friends and I decided to explore Chinatown and SoHo. After a quick tube ride, we scouted out a Chinese restaurant. We had a nice meal and followed it with some bubble tea; we tried lots of flavors, from Lychee to Butterfly Lemonade. Then it was time for shopping! We popped into lots of stores, especially those we can’t easily find back in Kentucky, like Zara and Primark. Some purchases were made and we began the trek back to the Nutford House. We made a quick stop at a pastry shop for a snack and then got ready for our evening at the Globe Theatre.

Dressed in our nice attire, we rode the tube for a few stops, then walked across Millennium Bridge to the other side of the River Thames. We entered the Globe and some of us (at Professor Rutledge’s recommendation) rented seat cushions, as we would be sitting on wooden benches for the next two hours. The theatre was packed with students and adults alike. The theatre, built as a replica of the original Globe in 1997, had three tiers of seating in a semicircle around the stage, as well as standing room on all sides. It was absolutely packed! The show began, and at first, we were all a bit confused- the play was set in Mexico, rather than in Italy as originally written. This turned out to be a great adaptation; there were colorful decorations, wire horses, fabulous dancing, and even an American police officer. The play ended around 10:30 and we headed back towards the Nutford House, making a quick stop at McDonald’s on the way.

Today was full of great new experiences! I’m sure we will all sleep soundly after running around the city all day and will wake up looking forward to the adventures to come.

By Gatton Academy

Harlaxton 2017: Jane Austen (Chawton and Winchester Visit)

July 18, 2017 | 2017 Harlaxton, 2017-2018, Avatars, Grayson Fuller, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Grayson Fuller

Today, we departed from Nutford House in Westminster to travel to Chawton Village and the city of Winchester. Upon arriving at Chawton, we proceeded to tour the cottage in which Jane Austen wrote many of her novels. After this, we toured the grounds of the Knight Estate, where Austen’s cottage was located. Following the tour of the Estate, we visited St. Nicholas Church and the adjoining cemetery. Buried here are both Mrs. Austen, Jane’s Mother, and Cassandra Austen, Jane’s sister.

Next up on the itinerary was a trip to Winchester. We arrived at Winchester Cathedral, inside which Jane Austen is interred. The Cathedral was in the process of arranging things for the Jane Austen Memorial service to be held the next day on the 200th anniversary of her death. We left the Cathedral to walk along the path frequented by John Keats during his time here in Winchester. Following this peaceful walk, we arrived at the Hospital of St. Cross and, without touring the grounds, departed back to Nutford House.

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Harlaxton 2017: Arrival in London

July 15, 2017 | 2017 Harlaxton, 2017-2018, Alexa Thompson, Avatars, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Alexa Thompson

Snoozing on the bus to Nutford House after an unbearably long travel day, our eyes peep open to see the typical red, two-tiered buses driving on the wrong side of the road. We were met with the ideal English weather: mid-sixties and drizzling. Arrival at Nutford House excited all of us immediately, as the sight of the small round windows and sunflowers sitting in a windowsill created an aesthetic scene. Little did we know, we would be here for the next week, calling it out first, but temporary, home here in England.

After having a brief moment to get luggage in our rooms and our inaugural meeting, the rest of the afternoon was dedicated to exploration. The majority of the students followed Dr. Rutledge into central London via the world-famous Tube, which we are all experts at using now. Every student followed their curiosity to the sights they so desired, ranging from Big Ben to the National Gallery to Westminster Abbey.

As classes start tomorrow, preparation starts tonight; preparation being both mental and physical. Many of us took much-needed power naps, or they were forced upon us as we dozed off while trying to study. Luckily, newly found candy bars are providing us with extra energy. Presentations and quizzes are crashing down on everyone, halting some of our adventures through London for at least the night. Harry Potter fans are hoping that tomorrow’s trip to the Harry Potter filming studios makes up for this brief pause of exploration.

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Harlaxton 2017: And We’re Off!

July 14, 2017 | 2017 Harlaxton, 2017-2018, Caleb Curry, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Caleb Curry

Wow! Over the past 24 hours I have gone from a small town in eastern Kentucky, scrambling to finish last-minute packing, to riding on a charter bus headed to the Nutford House, where we will be staying at while in London.

We (around half of the Gatton Class of 2018) began this adventure by meeting at the Louisville airport yesterday (Friday) afternoon. We were scheduled to fly from Louisville to Dallas and have a 1.5-hour layover before our overnight flight to London, but of course we had over a 1.5-hour delay. Once our plane landed in Dallas, after our planned boarding time, our group of 56 quickly and successfully boarded the around 5,000 mile Dallas to London flight with no time to spare. This morning (Saturday) we landed in London around 11am local time (5am CST) and were greeted by chilly London weather and the aforementioned bus.

In addition to the typical things a tourist would see, over the next 3 weeks we will be studying English Literature, including works such as Persuasion, Wuthering Heights, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and various short stories and poems. Following our classes, which occur every other day, we get to go physically see and experience the places where the ideas of these works came to light, the birthplaces of the authors, and other important aspects of these pieces of literature. For months leading up to this trip, we have all been excited to travel to England together and explore everything that it has to offer, and now it is finally here!

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Greece 2017: Epidaurus and Mycenae

January 14, 2017 | 2016-2017, 2017 Greece, Amber Carroll, Avatars, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Amber Carroll

We started our day with a 7:30 wake-up call. Most of us were thrilled because this is the latest we have gotten to sleep in while on the trip (us teenagers sure do love sleep). Once the bus was packed, loaded, and ready to go, we headed off on a short journey to the ancient palace of Agamemnon. Being able to stand atop of Agamemnon’s palace was a once in a lifetime opportunity that most of us will probably never forget.

After we left the palace, it was just a short bus ride to King Agamemnon’s tomb. There, the king himself was actually buried, and for us that was absolutely exhilarating to consider. The enormity of the tomb was truly overwhelming. You can tell the tomb was old because of the smell, but what else would you expect out of a tomb that’s over 3,000 years old?

We then headed off to a clay workshop. Here, we learned how the locals make homemade pottery, jewelry, and sculptures; their work was amazing. From historic recreations to designs from local artists, the fact that everything was painted by hand was astounding. It’s fascinating to think that the same processes used by the ancient Greeks are still being utilized today. There was a specific collection of blue and gold pottery that immediately caught my attention.

Tomorrow, we will visit Hydra, a small Greek island located about 2 hours from Athens. Although this island lacks the historical significance of the other places we have visited along the way, I have personally been looking forward to Hydra this entire trip. While I have loved learning about all of the details of ancient Greece, an escape to a simple island is a welcomed change.

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Greece 2017: Sparta

January 14, 2017 | 2016-2017, 2017 Greece, Amanda Zahn, Avatars, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Amanda Zahn

Another day has passed here in Greece and my oh my how this trip is flying by! It’s hard to believe we have almost crossed all the destinations off our lists of places to see.

Today’s destination: Sparta.

Though the main event of the day was visiting the city of Sparta, our day did begin in Nafplio bright and early, per usual. By 8 am, our group had all walked to the main square in town and stood waiting outside the Archaeological Museum of Nafplion, our first stop of the day. The doors opened and, with our guide sheet in hand provided by Irene, we took some time to explore the museum and view the multitude of artifacts found throughout the Peloponnese region that are housed there. Then we loaded up the bus and headed for the main attraction of the day… Sparta!

Unfortunately, as we drove to Sparta the weather took a downhill turn and the rain began. Luckily it wasn’t cold enough for this to be snow or ice, but it did mean we could no longer visit the acropolis of Sparta. We could still go to our first stop in Sparta, though. This was the Archaeological Museum of Sparta, which houses many artifacts found around the ancient city-state of Sparta. For this museum we had a guide who told us many stories about the Spartans and the various artifacts.

To make up for not going to the acropolis of Sparta, we changed plans and also visited the Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil to spend some time learning how olive oil was traditionally produced and used throughout Greek civilization.

We then headed for a quick stop at the statue of Leonidas, the warrior king of Sparta back during the Persian wars. Since it was raining, it was a quick stop and we took a quick group photo of everyone doing their best battle cry. Finally, it was time for a late lunch. We found a nice little restaurant in town with a bakery next door so that we could have some lunch and dessert before loading up the bus and heading back to Nafplio.

With it being our final night in Nafplio, we had some free time before dinner to shop and such. Groups split off to visit the city’s quaint little shops and various ice-cream and gelato shops. I myself got gelato and I must say, it tasted like the authentic Italian gelato. So, all in all, it ended up being a good, full day of experience, despite the rain.

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Greece 2017: Delphi (from the Birthday Girl!)

January 14, 2017 | 2016-2017, 2017 Greece, Amber Carroll, Avatars, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Amber Carroll

The word “freezing” does not even begin to describe today. In fact, it was around 10-20 degrees all day. Not to mention that we were outside for a great majority of the day. However, we saw some amazing things that I do not regret seeing. Not many people can say that they have visited the Oracle of Delphoi, which contains Temple of Apollo, in person. The breadth of the oracle was breathtaking. Being frozen for about an hour was all worth it at the end.

The grounds contained an old church, an old gift shop, the Temple of Apollo, a theater, and a stadium (not to mention many cats and dogs). The ruins had the original inscription from when the oracle was in use which I found fascinating. At the museum, we had a quiz; Alex and Piper were the winners and received a prize from our tour director, Irene.

We had another long day of traveling and arrived in Olympia for dinner. On the way, we stopped at a delicious bakery. Here, Irene purchased a Greek, traditional New Year’s cake. For dinner we cut the cake and the person with the coin in their piece are said to have a really lucky year; Hannah had the coin and should have a great 2017 year (hopefully we all do).

Not only was today fascinating, but it was particularly my favorite day because… dun dun dun… it was my 18^th birthday.

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Greece 2017: Thermopylae and Delphi

January 10, 2017 | 2016-2017, 2017 Greece, Amanda Zahn, Avatars, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Amanda Zahn

Waking up in the small town of Kalambaka, despite it being 6:30 in the morning, was absolutely amazing. All it took was opening up the curtains and gazing upon the breathtaking rocks of the Meteora to get me out of my morning grogginess!

After breakfast at our hotel and reloading the bus, we set off on a trip through the mountains of northern Greece. This also proved to be a breathtaking sight, as the mountains were snowcapped and absolutely massive. A real sight! All eyes were glued to the passing landscape for the majority of the ride as we all listened to our tour guide, Irene, tell us tales and stories from both Greek mythology and history.

Our first stop of the day was at Thermopylae, the site of one of the major battles between the Greeks and the Persians. We got to see where the fight actually occurred, as well as visit the information center nearby to watch a video explaining the battle. We learned about the armor and weaponry used by both sides, and observed the maneuvers utilized during the battle. After spending some time in the visitor center, we visited the monuments dedicated to the Spartans and the Thespians who refused to retreat despite their impending certain death, and loaded back onto the bus to continue our journey south towards Delphi.

Right before arriving in Delphi, we made a surprise stop at the ski town of Arachova. Our bus driver (Zafiris) did a phenomenal job of maneuvering through the extremely narrow main street of the small mountainside town, and we then ventured off for an hour in small groups to explore the town and local shops. Although it was quite cold, everyone enjoyed getting off the bus for a little and getting to see the mountainous landscape from outside the bus.

Finally, we arrived in Delphi at our new hotel, unloaded the bus, and walked as a group to dinner. After our meal, small groups split off once again to explore, do a little bit of shopping, or play cards in the hotel lobby. Now, exhausted from such a busy day, we are all off to bed to rest up for another day of adventure!

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Greece 2017: Meteora

January 9, 2017 | 2016-2017, 2017 Greece, Avatars, Emma Reed, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Emma Reed

Today we left the bustling city of Athens and headed north to the small town of Kalambaka. We loaded up the bus and were on the road by 8am. We watched as the light industry of Athens gave way to the snow covered olive trees and vineyards of the Grecian countryside. Eventually, the snow picked up and many of us were reminded of winters at home. Many of us were excited to listen to the stories our guide told us about the Persian wars and the myth behind marathons. Others of us were excited to catch up on sleep.

After an adventurous drive through the snow and a stop at a cute restaurant, we finally arrived at our hotel, the looming rocks of Meteora in the skyline. We waited as our driver took off to check out the mountain before we made the trek ourselves. After having declared it safe, our group started our journey into the beautiful peaks. I found the history behind the peaks particularly intriguing. The monks began to climb these peaks over 1300 years ago. They sought a place to be closer to god and found that unclimbable mountains did the trick. It was beautiful to see these lovely churches and houses, precariously perched on the high peaks. As the bus climbed further and further up the high rocks, we stopped at the convent of St. Stephen. As the wind whistled around us we trekked into the larger of the monasteries.

Eventually we came down these hills to the small town of Kalambaka. After a warm dinner, many of us ventured out into the cold to a small bakery down the street while others of us perused the small souvenir shops along the main drag. All in all it was a great day full of beautiful views, tasty treats, and enriching stories.

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2017 Greece Study Abroad – Acropolis and Parthenon

January 6, 2017 | 2016-2017, 2017 Greece, Amber Carroll, Avatars, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Amber Carroll

To say that our Greece experience has been unforgettable would be an understatement. After leaving on January 4th, missing our flight in Germany, and arriving to Greece on January 6th, we were already off to a very memorable start, but it didn’t just end there.

This morning we started our day with a wakeup call at 8:00 am. At 9:30 we left for a short tour of Greece. While on this tour we visited the stadium that held the first modern Olympic Games, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers, and the Running Man sculpture.

We then headed off to the Acropolis. By this point, everyone was beyond ready and anxious to see the Acropolis; this was the point in the trip I was personally looking forward to. The Acropolis was visible at every point we visited on the driving tour, so being able to walk among the ruins and majestic monuments instead of merely just looking from afar was exhilarating. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.

Peering out from atop the hill, the city of Athens seemed endless from every view. You could even see the Aegean Sea. My particular favorite view was of the Parthenon. Finally, visiting something you have seen in textbooks your entire life is indescribable and even more amazing in person.

All in all, we had a very eventful, tiring, and unforgettable day. I have high expectations for the rest of the trip—besides having to wake up at 6:30 tomorrow morning. Wish us luck!

By Gatton Academy

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