News from trip departing March 11, 2007:

Tuesday, March 13

Dean Ryan called in to report that the group is enjoying gorgeous, sunny weather since they arrived on Sunday. They had breakfast in the historic Trinity College dining hall followed by a very informative guided walking tour of the colleges that make up Oxford University. The two guides regaled them with tales of Oxford and included information about the famous Bodleian Library. The group was lead through Christ Church Cathedral. Christ Church Cathedral, founded as Cardinal's College in 1524, is featured in the Harry Potter movies which utilized its Great Hall and cloisters to represent the wizards' school , Hogwarts.

The group was headed to Stratford-Upon-Avon through the beautiful Cotswold District noting the rolling hills and sheep with their baby lambs. Stratford-Upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, is steeped in culture and history. Set in the beautiful rural Warwickshire countryside, on the banks of the river Avon, it is one of the most important tourist destinations in the UK.

The group has enjoyed many wonderful meals including a wonderful dinner at the White Hart Hotel in Dorchester-on-Thames, and are headed for the Red Lion Pub in Stratford-Upon-Avon to experience a true English pub.

Thursday, March 15

Dean Ryan called with an update to say that the group had just pulled into the beautiful Georgian city of Bath. The students were off on a walking tour of Bath with a stop at the famous Sally Lund's House as well as touring the historic Roman Baths. These baths, with springs producing about five hundred thousand gallons of water a day at 120 degrees Fahrenheit, are considered to be the best-preserved religious spa from the ancient world. It was a bit chilly today but the sun was shining so all is well and everyone is having a wonderful trip!

On the way to Bath, the group made a stop at Stonehenge, a Neolithic and Bronze Age megalithic monument located near Amesbury in the English county of Wiltshire. It is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones and is one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world.

Sally Lund's House

The group then headed to Windsor Castle, on of the Queen's royal residences and the largest occupied castle in the world.

They finished with tea at the famous Savoy Hotel which opened in 1899. Escoffier created dishes for Sarah Bernhardt, Lily Langtry, Dame Nellie Melba and the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII; Ritz instituted the impeccable service, attention to detail and innovation, which came to be the hallmark of the hotel.

Related links:

Christ Church College and Cathedral
http://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/
http://www.visitchristchurch.net/

Virtual Tour of Oxford
http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/oxfordtour/

Virtual Tour of Trinity College, Oxford
http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/oxfordtour/trinity/#

Stratford-upon-Avon
http://www.stratford-upon-avon.co.uk/

Stonehenge
http://www.stonehenge.co.uk/

Bath, England
http://www.cityofbath.co.uk/

Sally Lund's House
http://www.sallylunns.co.uk/

Windsor Castle
http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page557.asp

Savoy Hotel, London
http://www.fairmont.com/savoy