Our first day in London

We started our London trip at 9 am at Innsbruck airport. Then we checked in and a few minutes later we went to the gate and boarded the plane. The flight itself was quite uneventful but the touchdown was very hard. At Gatwick Airport, we had to wait at the passport control for a while and there were automated controls so you had to put your passport on a scanner and the monitor checked your face.

When we had our luggage, we took the Shuttle to South Terminal. There Mr. Meier printed out 66 train tickets for the whole week.

It was not that easy to find the correct train to London Victoria. But a few minutes later we were sitting on the right train. At Victoria station, we deposited our luggage at the Left Luggage Office.

Then we had a walk to Buckingham Palace. We took a lot of photos there. After the “photo shooting” we visited Victoria Memorial, which is right in front of Buckingham Palace. As we walked on we saw some Calvary ride by.

Also, a green important-looking Bentley or Rolls Royce was driving in to Buckingham Palace. Unfortunately, none of the royals was inside. Then we walked up Constitution Hill and at the end we saw Wellington Arch. Afterwards we walked back to Victoria Station.

There we found the right train to Lewisham but had a short “detour” to Black Heath where four of us almost got lost.  

We had to carry all the luggage to the other side of station to get back to Lewisham, there we finally took the right train to Mottingham and were welcomed be the host families. Most of them had small cars and we had a lot of luggage so that led to some minor difficulties. A funny feeling was that they were driving on the wrong side of the road. We were positively surprised that we didn’t have any language problems and understood everything.

The two teachers went to the Pub Rambler’s Rest to watch a football game MANCHESTER UNITED vs CHELSEA. Everybody else had individual evenings with the families and that’s how our first day in London came to an end.

Written by Fiona Schafferer, Carina Hueber, Julia Sauerwein

What did we do on Tuesday morning?

In the morning we got up and got us ready for the day. For breakfast we had some cereals, bread, cakes or cookies, which was very tasty.

At 8 a.m. we met the rest of the class at Mottingham station and took the train to Charing cross. From there we walked along the Thames to the Houses of Parliament, where we saw the Big Ben. We walked on to Westminster Abbey and saw many statues of former prime Ministers and Nelson Mandela.

After taking photos of all the sights, we decided to take a class picture in Front of the Houses of Parliament. Then we took a walk around to discover the area around Westminster Abbey and there we found a house which looked almost like Harry Potter’s house.

A bit later we decided to have a break of 1 ½ hours in Oxford Street so we went there by double-decker bus. We did some shopping or went to a restaurant to have lunch. When we met after our break, we took a bus back to Trafalgar Square.

At Trafalgar Square there were many street artists. We saw for example two flying Jodas. We took some pictures with him and the poor teacher had to pay the guy. Then we went to National Gallery. There were paintings by Picasso, Van Gogh and Monet. We had our packed lunch in the spring sun. It was a nice first half-day in London. 

Written by Madeleine Kaiserer, Romana Larch, Valentina Spörr

Let's talk about food

After shopping at the Camden market, we took the tube from Camden to Charing Cross. From there it was only a 10 minutes’ walk to the Italian Restaurant “Strada” were we had dinner. The Restaurant was beautiful and the waiters were really attentive and good looking. They didn´t have a huge range of food and nobody was full because the portions were a little too small, but the food itself was excellent, everybody loved it.  Setting the bill with 22 persons was a bit of a mess. We had decided not to split the bill because we were in a hurry, so everybody put their part of the money on the table. In the end, however, we were 15 euros short. Thank God, Luzia paid the rent. After this financial disaster, we went to the musical Mamma Mia.


Written by Anna Berchtold

Tower of London

Hi guys!

A while ago I flew to London with my family and now I want to tell you something about the tower of London because I find the Tower is very interesting and great to visit.

The tower of London it is a big old beautiful castle which was built in the 11^th century, all around the castle there is a big garden and in this garden there are the guardians of the tower, they are called Yeoman Warders. The Yeoman Warders are really interesting and great because they have extraordinary outfits.

The Tower of London has been open for tourists since 600 years.

In the Tower of London you can visit the famous crown jewels, the legendary ravens and much more.

In my opinion if you have enough time you absolutely should take a self-guided tour, there you get a little phone with headphones. On every exhibit there is a number , you have to type this number into your guide phone and then the phone tells you about the history of the attraction. I think in this way you get to know the history of London completely.

I took the tour myself and it was incredible and very interesting, although I normally don’t really like history.

Written by Lisa Göbl

Houses of Parliament & Big Ben

The official name of the Houses of Parliament is Palace of Westminster and it is located in the city of westminster at the parliament-square.

This is because it was the royal palace before the king moved to Whitehall Palace in 1529. Now the palace is home to the United Kingdom Parliament.

On 5 November 1605, some radical Catholics wanted to blow up the Houses of Parliament. But they were not successful. Guards searched the cellars of the Palace and found 36 barrels of gunpowder. Every year on 5 November people commemorate Guy Fawkes Day (or Gunpowder Day) with fireworks and bonfires.

In 1834, a fire destroyed most of the palace. Between 1840 and 1888, Sir Charles Barry rebuilt the Palace of Westminster and also added the famous clocktower that everybody knows as Big Ben. Actually, it is only the name of the biggest bell in the clock tower, which rings the hour. Big Ben takes its name from Sir Benjamin Hall, who ordered the casting of the 16 ton bell in 1856. The tower called Elizabeth tower since  2012.

The oldest preserved parts of the palace are the Westminster Hall from 1097 and the Jewel Tower, who was built in 1365.

Written by Carina Hueber

Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square is a big place which is in the middle of London. It’s the biggest square and since the Middle Ages it’s a central meeting palace. There converge three streets: the Whitehall from Westminster, the Mall from Buckingham palace and the Pall Mall from St. James’s Palace. At Trafalgar Square are often festivals like the “London Film Festival”, “Comedy Festival” or on the 17th of March the St-b Patrick day Festival. But it is also famous for the National Gallery which is the biggest building on the square.

I think we should go there because there is the National Gallery which is nice to watch for sure and the famous Nelson pillar. And it’s also a place where you can recover after a hard sightseeing tour. 

Written by Celina Feischl

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey is a large, mainly Gothic church and the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English or British monarchs. It is a place of worship owned by the royal family.
It is located in the city of Westminster next to the Houses of Parliament. The Abbey contains some of the most glorious medieval architecture in London. 
Originally Westminster Abbey was a monastery church.  It was built in the 11th century under king Edward the confessor. The two main towers were built in the 18th century.
Highlights are the coronation throne, the Poet's Corner with its memorials to William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and other giants of literature. Also the tombs of Queen Elizabeth I, "Bloody" Queen Mary, explorer David Livingstone and naturalist Charles Darwin can be found there. There are also three gardens around the church.

There are many reasons why we have to see Westminster Abbey. It’s very stunning how the church looks from the outside but also from the inside because of its unique architecture and the two big towers. I also think that the part where the coronations are held is very interesting to visit.
For sure it will be great and interesting to visit Westminster Abbey.


Written by Fiona Schafferer

Our half day in London - Nina and Lorena

Hello guys,

a few weeks ago we presented our idea for our half day in London. At first, we would like to go to London Zoo. There are 18.499 animals with 752 species and a colony of 10.000 ants. The surface of the zoo is 15 hectares. Now we have a few areas and animals for you. There is a gorilla kingdom, an African bird safari, an aquarium, a butterfly paradise, blackburn pavilion, invertebrate animals, bats, komodo dragons, African animals, lemurs, land of the lions, meerkats, otters, penguin beach, hippos, a rainforest life area, a reptile house, a spiders area, a tiger territory, tortoises and monkeys.

The entry costs is about 9 pounds. From the London Bridge Station to London zoo we have to drive with the Northern Line. We have to get out Camden Town station. It takes us 15 minutes to get there.

An additional idea is the Sky Garden.

Sky Garden has free entry we just have to book it in advance. It’s a skyscraper where you can go to the top and have a 360 degrees view over London City.

We can reach Sky Garden by foot in 15 minutes from the Tower Bridge or by bus. But we think it possible to go by foot.


Written by Nina Streiter, Lorena Fink

Portobello Road - the world's largest antiques market

The market

Portobello Road Market is one of London’s most famous markets. The market is located in the district of Notting Hill. Today there are many pubs, restaurants and a range of communities. The market is nearly one kilometre long. You can buy everything there. From fresh food to old antiques, you will find almost anything you want.

History

In the past Portobello Road was known as Green’s Lane. The road got its name from Portobello farm which was built in Green’s Lane.
In the second half of the 19 century, more and more residential areas beagn spread around in Portobello Road. They were mostly for wealthy citizen and their servants, but for deliveres and marketeers too.
After the completion of these residential areas Portobello Road Market emerged. It was a market for fresh food only. Since 1960 antiques have been sold there too.

Why should you go to the Portobello Road Market?

Because it is one of the biggest markets in world. The road is very multicultural and full of energy and excitement. It iss et to continue as one of London’s ´must-see´ destinations.

Written by Nadine Schnitzler

Shakespeare's Globe

Background information

It is the reconstruction of the Globe Theatre which was associated with William Shakespeare. 

The Original (built 1599) was destroyed by fire in 1613. Rebuild in 1614, demolished in 1644,
Shakespeare’s Globe is based on available evidence of the 1599 & 1644 buildings. 
It was the idea of an American Actor, Sam Wanamaker. It was opened to the public in 1997. 

Where?

London Borough of Southwark – South Bank of river Themse

Contact

21 New Globe Walk, London SE1 9DT, UK 

shakespearesglobe.com

+44 20 7902 1400

What's On?

Globe Theatre Tours, Exhibitions, Theatre Productions

Plays during our visit:

• Othello: a Shakespeare play
• The White Devil: by Annie Ryan

Why it's worth visiting

Because it a historical place, and because it is associated with W. Shakespeare, who was one of the greatest writers in English language (poet and playwright), it kind of is a must-see. 

I’ve heard that Shakespeare’s plays are often complicated to understand and not very attractive to read. That’s because these plays were not made to be read but to be performed. And the way the actors perform it, you are able to understand the Middle-English because of body language and expression. Though, if we consider going, it is recommended looking up a summary in advance. 

Written by Sara Underrain

The green stamp of London

Hey, you! Hopefully, I have your attention now, so I can start telling you the most interesting facts about Hyde Park.

Basic facts

Type: Public park

Location: Westminster in London, England

Area: 625 acres (around 354 football pitches!)

Opened: 1637

Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in London and one of the Royal Parks. It contains a great number of memorials, events, statues, architectural wonders and Speakers Corner, where anybody can hold speeches about important issues.

King Henry took over the land in 1536 after forming the Church of England. He wasn’t known for his generosity, so he kept the park for himself and used it as a hunting ground. In 1637, King Charles I made the park accesible to the public. Thanks for doing that!

Speakers Corner

… was created to give the public a chance to express their views

Every Sunday, it is tradition to stand on a soapbox before starting their speeches. Members of the audience often challenge the speakers by turning the events into debates. Of course, violence is not allowed. Unfortunately, we won’t see any speech because we’re only in London until Saturday. However, a visit to London has to include a visit to Speakers Corner!

Written by Selina Ronacher

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the home of the British kings and queens. Now Queen Elizabeth II lives there with her family. The palace has 775 rooms, a cinema, a post office of its own, a swimmingpool and a huge garden.

History

John Sheffield built Buckingham Palace in the 18th century. But all the time Buckingham Palace was a normal cityhouse and its name was “Buckingham House”. In 1761 “Buckingham House” changed its hands and was bought by King Georg III. After it was enlarged, it was called “Queen’s House”. The first queen who lived in the palace was Queen Victoria, this was in 1837. But she thought that the palace was still too small and so she also made it even bigger. It became a big palace and was called “Buckingham Palace”. Since August 1993 visitors are allowed to visit some rooms in the palace.

Why should we go there?

I think it would be nice to visit the Buckingham Palace but unfortunately we cannot, because the rooms are only opened from the end of July till the end of September. I’m not lucky with that. But we can still have a look from the outside and perhaps see the changing of the guards.


Written by Eva Maria Haßlwanter

Brighton tour

Brighton is a seaside resort in East Sussex in England.
Brighton offers many great sights which we could visit. Therefore, it wasn’t an easy task to decide which places to visit. We hope you enjoy our decision.

When we have arrived at Brighton Train Station we just need to take a bus (apprx. 11 min) to get to our very first location.

1. Sea Life

What’s it about?

It’s an aquarium near the Brighton Beach.

Built in 1872 it features 3,500 mesmerising creatures including lovely sea turtles and magnificent sharks.

From the rescued to the rare and the mysterious (enigmatic), we’ll be able to get closer to them than ever before.

Ocean Tunnel

It’s a glass tunnel where we can pass through the sea. Shoals of fish flutter along beside you just as many other sea animals like turtles and skates.

2. The Brighton Pier

Our next stop is the beautiful Brighton Pier. Everybody can allot their time so they can stroll around the pier, and grab something to eat at different markets or restaurants.

What’s it about?

The Brighton Pier is one of Britain’s most famous coastal landmarks.

The Brighton Marine Palace and Pier is a pleasure pier in Brighton, which opened on May in 1899.
It’s a funfair with many attractions and a variety of thing to do. You can buy a wristband as an entry for different rides at the amusement park.

3. Brighton Museum & Art Gallery

It is located near the Pavilion Gardens, at the heart of the city’s cultural quarter.

Its diverse collections bring together the arts and history to tell stories about the city and the world we live in.

We would consider to look at the Spotlight Gallery “Experimental Motion” since we can relate to it, based on our school. As far as we figured it out, the entry is free, only guided tours would cost about £2.50 to £25.20. The gallery displays the story of experimental film-making in Brighton & Hove, from 1896 to the present day.

Written by Luzia Krug, Sarah Seyer, Sara Underrain

Natural History Museum

Basic facts

London’s Natural History Museum opened on the 18th of April 1881. It was built by the architect Alfred Waterhouse from Manchester and he planned it in the style of the Neoromanik.
In the museum, there are over 70 million different objects, beneath many dinosaur skeletons, fossils and some samples of flora and fauna. There are many different galleries, the Life Galleries, the Earth Galleries, the Darwin Centre and the Wildlife Garden. You will see the biggest meteorite collection of the world and in the Earth Galleries you can experience the history of the Earth.
The museum is always opened from 10am till 5:50pm, the entry is free and it’s located in the Cromwell road.

Why we absolutely have to go there!

We absolutely have to go there, because it is an exciting and interesting museum. You can discover something, learn something and try things out on your own. There are so many different objects, rooms and galleries, that there is something for everyone I think. I guess, that we would have a lot of fun.

Written by Romana Larch

British Museum

Basic facts and background information

The British Museum was founded in 1753, the first national public museum in the world. Visitor numbers have grown from around 5,000 a year in the eighteenth century to nearly 6 million today.

The eighteenth century: origins of the British Museum

The origins of the British Museum lie in the will of the physician, naturalist and collector, Sir Hans Sloane (1660–1753). Over his lifetime, Sloane collected more than 71,000 objects which he wanted to be preserved intact after his death. So he bequeathed the whole collection to King George II.

The gift was accepted and on 7 June 1753, an Act of Parliament established the British Museum.

The founding collections largely consisted of books, manuscripts and natural specimens with some antiquities (including coins, prints and drawings). In 1757 King George II donated the 'Old Royal Library' of the sovereigns of England and with it the privilege of copyright receipt.

The British Museum opened to the public on 15 January 1759 . It was first housed in a seventeenth-century mansion. Entry was free.

Why should we visit this place?

The British Museum in London is one of the world's largest and most important museums of human history and culture. It has more than seven million objects from all continents. They illustrate and document the story of human culture from its beginning to the present. As with all other national museums and art galleries in Britain, the Museum charges no admission fee. It was the first museum in the world to be open to everyone. The museum gradually grew over the next two hundred years. It has nearly six million visitors a year and is the third most popular art museum in the world.

Some of the museum's most popular and important exhibits include the Rosetta Stone (=a stone with writing carved into it. French soldiers found it in Egypt in 1799) and the Elgin Marbles (=are series of ancient Greek sculptures).

Written by Hannah Müller

London Demographics

Facts

• Inhabitants: 8,674 Million 
• 32 Boroughs 
• In London, it’s one hour later than in Innsbruck.
• There are a lot of surveillance cameras.
• Flight Innsbruck to London: 2 h 
• There are over 200 parks in the city.

Ethnicity 

ca. 60 % are White
ca. 18 % are Asian
ca. 13% are Black
ca. 5% are mixed for example White and Asian 

Languages

The most common main languages spoken in Greater London are English, Polish and Bengali. Bengali is an Indo-European language which is spoken in India.

Religion

Almost 4 million people are Christians, this is followed by 1.6 million people who have no religion, 1 million people are Muslims and the rest have other religions. 

History

London has a history going back over 2,000 years. In the main time, it has grown to one of the most significant and cultural capitals on Earth. The year 43 AD is regarded by most historians as the founding year of London.

Written by Valentina Spörr

Camden Market

Camden Market, also called Camden Lock, which is located in the Borough Camden is one of London’s best attractions. The market is famous for its extraordinary looking shops and for its great variety of products. Camden Market has been ranked as London’s fourth-largest attraction because there are 100.000 people visiting the stalls and shops each weekend. An interesting fact is that the market actually consists of six markets. Camden Lock market, which was founded in 1974, Stables Market, which is the biggest one, Camden Canal Market, which was destroyed by a fire in 2008, Buck Street Market, Electric Ballroom, where concerts take place and Inverness Street, which is famous for its pubs and bars.
Camden Lock isn’t only popular among tourists, even media companies like MTV or AP have their studios located in this area. Even the German TV channel RTL owns a studio there.

But what can you do in this area of London? The products sold are crafts, clothing, bric-a-brac and fast food. So you don’t have to be interested in fashion to have a nice day there. If you like to try food from around the world you’re definitely right in this area of London. In my opinion the market is definitely unusual and most people from other European countries aren’t used to markets like that but I guess that’s exactly the reason why the market is that popular. My final thought is that Camden Market is an amazing sight, which everyone who visits London should have seen.

Written by Madeleine Kaiserer

HMS Belfast

The HMS Belfast is an old maritime warship from the 2nd world war.
The ship is 187 m long, 19,3 m wide and has a total weight of 10.480 tons. The ship has space for 750 to 850 man.
The engine power is 80.000 PS/HP and gets a speed limit of 32 knots which were 59 km/h.
The warship is the biggest „light Cruiser“ from the Royal Navy. It was build from 1936 and was then launched in early August 1938.

Only one year later a mine from Germany hit the ship and it took them more than two years to built it up again. But than it came back even stronger. They improved the firepower, radar equipment and armour.

This warship later played an important role in the battle of North Cape and after World War two, the Belfast took place in combat during the Korean War from 1950-1952. 

Now the battleship lies secured in the River Themse and is part of the Imperial War Museum. You can go on board and have a look at how things used to be during war. Everything is replaced, so you can see the kitchen, the restrooms, the machine room and many other interesting stuff from the maritime life.

I visited the HMS Belfast once and i really liked it. So if you are a fan of Navy and stuff like this, you totally should go and see it.

Written by Sarah Seyer

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge is a bridge which crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London.
The construction started in 1886 and took eight years, so the Bridge was opened on 30 June 1894 by the Prince of Wales and his wife the princess of Wales. The bridge was designed by Horace Jones. It needed 70,000 tons of concrete and 11,000 tons of steel.
It is a moveable bridge and it opens when a big ship drives through. It opens as far as it is required.
The main street A100 leads over the bridge to the other side of the river.

Some facts

Total length: 801 feet
Height: 213 feet
Longest span: 270 feet
There is a reproduction in China.


Written by Nina Streiter

Cutty Sark

I would like to present you the “Cutty Sark”.

The Cutty Sark is a British clipper ship.

She was finished in 1869 and was one of the fastest sailing ships of her time.
The construction cost amounted to 20.223 pounds.
This ship was the last clipper which was built for sea trade.
In 1954 she was put on in a special dry dock in Greenwich, London, as a museum ship.
In May 2007 the ship burned down almost completely.
After the renovation the Cutty Sark was reopened on the 25th of April 2012.

I absolutely recommend visiting this ship museum, because in the ship museum you can discover what life was like on board the real Cutty Sark.

On board you can enjoy special family weekends, events and activities.

Opening times:          10.00 – 17.00 daily
Ticket for adults:       13.50 Pounds
Tickets for children:   07.00 Pounds


Written by Luzia Krug

James Bond Tour

What we have planned

Nadine and I (Eva Maria) have planned a half day for our tour to London. Discover what it takes to be the world’s most famous secret agent, as we take you on a journey to uncover some of the locations from the James Bond films, including the latest 007 film adventure, Spectre.

Procedure of the trip

The tour will start at Charing Cross, then we will walk through Westminster, the beating heart of British politics and intrigue, filled with government buildings and secret bunkers, all with secrets to tell. During the James Bond walking tour, you’ll get a chance to take lots of pictures and see familiar locations up-close and personally. As part of the tour, there will be a short bus journey, so we need an Oyster OR Travelcard (valid for Zone 1) before the start of the tour. We will pass by the secret offices of James Bond's London HQ, Universal Exports and the safe house from Spectre. Visit over 10 locations featured in James Bond films including For Your Eyes Only, Die Another Day, Skyfall and the latest Bond film Spectre. Create your own Bond moment at the locations used in Skyfall, Spectre and other Bond movies. Learn about the filming process which brings a James Bond film to life.

Hard facts

The tour will be on the 17th of March at 10:30. It will take about 2 ½ hours. And it costs around 12 pounds (14 euros). We will meet outside Charing Cross railway station that is next to the Amba Hotel and close to the National Gallery. The tour ends at Vauxhall Station. A personal guide for the James Bond tour is included. As I already said we need an Oyster OR Travelcard for the Zone 1. The James Bond Walking tour also offers private tours they cost for 20 persons 180 pounds (208 euros). And for more than 20 persons we will need to contact for a quote.


Written by Nadine Schnitzler & Eva Maria Haßlwanter

Brighton

Hello people,

first of all I have a short description of basic information about Brighton, then I will tell you about the famous and beautiful Brighton Pier.

Brighton is the hugest and the most famous seaside resort in Great Britain, it’s also a popular destination for tourists and offer lots of diverse communities, shopping areas, a lot of culture, music and a vibrant art scene. The major attraction at Brighton is the Brighton Palace Pier which is a famous spot for culture, art and music lovers and a location for many events.
Other attractions in Brighton are SeaLife or the Brighton museum and art gallery which can be found at the Royal Pavilion garden.

Brighton Palace Pier

At the pier you have many opportunities, you can visit it whenever you like and whether you like to only walk across the pier to take some photographs or whether you seek for thrill and want to ride rollercoasters and many other rides.
Also for the little ones there are different rollercoasters and climbing possibilities. 
The rides are open from 10 a.m. to mostly 7 till 9 p.m. in the evening.
As we do not want to starve while on the Pier there is a variety of different bars, restaurants and kiosks, there’s always something for anybody. No matter if you would like to try the traditional Fish and Chips or if you like an ice cream during the day.

I think we should absolutely see the Pier because of the many things we can do, so nobody can complain about boring exhibitions.
Everybody in class can spend their day in Brighton as they like and also can go for a walk, listen to some buskers or have a look at the art scene if they don’t like rollercoasters. I think we could also get some information about some events we could visit. I suppose everybody will have some fun at our stay in Brighton.


Written by Valentina Gruber

The National Gallery

The national Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in central London. There are 2300 paintings from the 13^th century to the 19^th century. The entry to the main collection is free and it is one of the most visited museums in the world. The openings hours are every day from 10 am till 6 pm except on Fridays when it is open from 10 am till 9 pm. The National art Gallery was founded in 1824 and it was planned that the Royal Academy of arts would also have a home in this building, but unfortunately, it was too small, so the Royal Academy of Arts moved to the Burlington House. Between 1872 and 1876a East Wing was built and in 1991 the Sainsbury wing. I think we should go there because there are very beautiful paintings, it has a historical background and the entry is free.

Written by Anna Berchtold