Days 15 and 16: Final Day in the UK and Reflection
26 January 2018
Our final day in the United Kingdom definitely lived up to the hype.
We began our day by heading to Westminster Abbey. This is the site of every single English coronation ever performed. While we were waiting, we were able to take some neat pictures of Big Ben and the London Eye. Sadly, Big Ben was under renovation, so we could not see it in its normal state. When we went inside, we were not able to take pictures, so I had to soak it all in. It was much like most of the other cathedrals that I had visited, but it was different because it was the burial site of many different monarchs, musicians, poets, scientists, and more. Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens, George Handel, and Queen Elizabeth I were many of the historic people buried inside. We also saw many memorials, including those of C.S. Lewis, John and Charles Wesley and Winston Churchill. Sadly, we were not able to see the "Musicians' Corner" due to time constraints, but I'm sure I'll take another look if I come back to London. When we walked outside, our tour guide made sure to point out that there was a statue of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the middle above the door!
We then walked over to Central Methodist Hall. This was definitely one of the biggest churches we visited on our trip; the place had at least four stories! We also got to see the statue of John Wesley that was originally supposed to be place in Westminster Abbey, but was denied because the dean at the time thought a tribute to him would be inappropriate in the church.
During lunch, a few of us (Jake, Callie, Tori, Caroline, and I) all rushed over to Buckingham Palace to take a few pictures. While it was a rush and it was literally a last-minute decision, it was a really cool experience to do something so rapidly that definitely paid off! We then called a quick cab that ended up being super cheap (only four pounds and twenty pence!). I definitely want to do more sightseeing if I come back to London.
After that detour, we took a quick bus ride over to the Wesley Chapel and John Wesley's House. On our way I got some awesome pictures of the London Eye! We all watched a quick video about the rise of Methodism and John Wesley's history with the chapel. Our group was then split in two and my group went into John Wesley's house first. When we arrived, I noticed the rooms were small and it was hard for our entire group to fit into each room, so some lagged behind and explored on their own. We saw all of the rooms of his house, including the rooms where he studied and where he eventually died. We even could see the graveyard in which John Bunyan and Suzanne Wesley were buried. We then went into the chapel and learned a little about different parts of the chapel. When we visited John Wesley's grave, I was surprised to know that he was buried in the same vault as other people. We then saw a small museum in the basement which had little artifacts that were important to Wesley and others in that time period.
Our last stop on our tour across Scotland and England was to Aldersgate Flame. This was the place where John Wesley learned what his mission in life would be and where his "conversion experience" took place. While the majority of us expected an actual flame at the landmark, it was still cool to be in the exact spot where John Wesley felt inspired.
After some free time and dinner, we went back to the hotel and packed for the final flight.
27 January 2018
We got through the airport and the flight all in one piece. Below are the thoughts I have about the entire trip.
I did it. I finally left the country for the first time and had an amazing experience. Starting from the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond and ending at Aldersgate Flame, this trip has been a roller coaster of an experience. I won't go into detail about everything again (that's what the blog was for!), but listening to the recap we got from our tour guide before we got to the airport definitely put things into perspective. This was definitely not an average study abroad trip. While there was a little disappointment about not seeing all of the landmarks, we got to see many different places that almost nobody else has done. I can always come back and ride the London Eye or tour Buckingham Palace, but I can never come back and sing in Evensong services or dine in a large dining hall in Cambridge. I appreciated how the trip took us through John Wesley's footsteps and how he cemented his place in history.
While I know everyone got tired of being with the same people for a sixteen day trip, I couldn't think of another choir that I would have rather been with for this trip. I want to thank Dr. Ryder and Dr. Breitenberg for putting this trip together and making it a reality. I want to thank Andy for being the best tour guide and making every stop more interesting with all of his knowledge. I want to thank Robert for being a great bus driver even through the many injuries he got on the trip. I lastly want to thank everyone else, especially the other members of my choir, for making this experience a unique one in every way.
Until next time...
- Jacob Stech
Our final day in the United Kingdom definitely lived up to the hype.
We began our day by heading to Westminster Abbey. This is the site of every single English coronation ever performed. While we were waiting, we were able to take some neat pictures of Big Ben and the London Eye. Sadly, Big Ben was under renovation, so we could not see it in its normal state. When we went inside, we were not able to take pictures, so I had to soak it all in. It was much like most of the other cathedrals that I had visited, but it was different because it was the burial site of many different monarchs, musicians, poets, scientists, and more. Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens, George Handel, and Queen Elizabeth I were many of the historic people buried inside. We also saw many memorials, including those of C.S. Lewis, John and Charles Wesley and Winston Churchill. Sadly, we were not able to see the "Musicians' Corner" due to time constraints, but I'm sure I'll take another look if I come back to London. When we walked outside, our tour guide made sure to point out that there was a statue of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the middle above the door!
We then walked over to Central Methodist Hall. This was definitely one of the biggest churches we visited on our trip; the place had at least four stories! We also got to see the statue of John Wesley that was originally supposed to be place in Westminster Abbey, but was denied because the dean at the time thought a tribute to him would be inappropriate in the church.
During lunch, a few of us (Jake, Callie, Tori, Caroline, and I) all rushed over to Buckingham Palace to take a few pictures. While it was a rush and it was literally a last-minute decision, it was a really cool experience to do something so rapidly that definitely paid off! We then called a quick cab that ended up being super cheap (only four pounds and twenty pence!). I definitely want to do more sightseeing if I come back to London.
After that detour, we took a quick bus ride over to the Wesley Chapel and John Wesley's House. On our way I got some awesome pictures of the London Eye! We all watched a quick video about the rise of Methodism and John Wesley's history with the chapel. Our group was then split in two and my group went into John Wesley's house first. When we arrived, I noticed the rooms were small and it was hard for our entire group to fit into each room, so some lagged behind and explored on their own. We saw all of the rooms of his house, including the rooms where he studied and where he eventually died. We even could see the graveyard in which John Bunyan and Suzanne Wesley were buried. We then went into the chapel and learned a little about different parts of the chapel. When we visited John Wesley's grave, I was surprised to know that he was buried in the same vault as other people. We then saw a small museum in the basement which had little artifacts that were important to Wesley and others in that time period.
Our last stop on our tour across Scotland and England was to Aldersgate Flame. This was the place where John Wesley learned what his mission in life would be and where his "conversion experience" took place. While the majority of us expected an actual flame at the landmark, it was still cool to be in the exact spot where John Wesley felt inspired.
After some free time and dinner, we went back to the hotel and packed for the final flight.
27 January 2018
We got through the airport and the flight all in one piece. Below are the thoughts I have about the entire trip.
I did it. I finally left the country for the first time and had an amazing experience. Starting from the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond and ending at Aldersgate Flame, this trip has been a roller coaster of an experience. I won't go into detail about everything again (that's what the blog was for!), but listening to the recap we got from our tour guide before we got to the airport definitely put things into perspective. This was definitely not an average study abroad trip. While there was a little disappointment about not seeing all of the landmarks, we got to see many different places that almost nobody else has done. I can always come back and ride the London Eye or tour Buckingham Palace, but I can never come back and sing in Evensong services or dine in a large dining hall in Cambridge. I appreciated how the trip took us through John Wesley's footsteps and how he cemented his place in history.
While I know everyone got tired of being with the same people for a sixteen day trip, I couldn't think of another choir that I would have rather been with for this trip. I want to thank Dr. Ryder and Dr. Breitenberg for putting this trip together and making it a reality. I want to thank Andy for being the best tour guide and making every stop more interesting with all of his knowledge. I want to thank Robert for being a great bus driver even through the many injuries he got on the trip. I lastly want to thank everyone else, especially the other members of my choir, for making this experience a unique one in every way.
Until next time...
- Jacob Stech
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