Well after half a semester into my junior year I have had the incredible opportunity to travel abroad and even study abroad. Quincy University has extensive programs in this area and sends people to several different countries including Spain, Italy, and in my case England. The trip is technically called the London Legal trip, but we travel not only to London but also to Canterbury. Both sites have numerous sites to visit and excellent chances to see pieces of history.
Our trip began on January 5, 2010. It started with an eight-hour plane ride from Chicago to Heathrow in London. The plane ride itself was somewhat cramped, but didn’t seem that long. After arriving in London we took the underground from the airport to St. Pancras International Train Station. We waited approximately an hour for our train to arrive, but it was well worth the wait. Once on the train, which turned out to be an express train, we were greeted by rolling country sides, brick farm houses, and fields filled with both sheep and snow. That’s right I said snow. To see a video of our trip on the express train click on the box above, but back to the snow.
We happen to be in England in, according to people we’ve talked to, one of the only years in the last twenty that it has snowed this hard. This did not damper our spirits, but instead made us that much more determined to see everything. As we arrived in Canterbury we were able to walk through the town to the bed and breakfast we were scheduled to stay at, and after walking two miles through the entire town we arrived at our bed and breakfast.
We checked in and were able to go off on our own for a little while. Sophomore Kevin Hahh, fellow Junior Hamilton Kemp, and myself set off to explore the town on our own. Having already been taught about Canterbury in our eight-week course leading up to our departure, we quickly found Canterbury Cathedral with the help of our advisor Judge Mark Schuering. After taking pictures of the entrance and other memorials (World War II memorial as well as a red phone booth and the medieval West Gate Towers), Judge Schuering made reservations for our group of eight to look around in the large and beautiful cathedral. We look forward to that tomorrow, as the church has an incredible history rich with mystery and intrigue. We also get to see the Evensong presentation tomorrow night at the large church. I have waited for several months for this trip and so far have had the time of my life simply walking around in such an historical place.
After setting up our appointment for tomorrow Judge Schuering visited Greyfriars Chapel. This was the first Franciscan Friary to be established in the United Kingdom, during the lifetime of St. Francis of Assisi himself. It was built in 1267, 43 years after the first Friars settle in Canterbury. As Judge Schuering was doing this we (Kevin, Hamilton, and myself) visited a few of the local stores, pubs, and eventually the three us of made it back to The Old Weavers, a local pub, to eat dinner with the rest of the group who had been napping to rest up after the long plane ride.
Look for more tomorrow as we take our tour of Canterbury Cathedral and explore the local cuisine and other attractions. In a few days I will be in London, and will give a full day to day update to allow everyone to get a better picture of what Quincy University’s study abroad program allows students to accomplish and experience.
