My Podcast on the British Museum

One of my assigned projects for my multimedia classes here in London is to create a podcast. I chose to do an informational podcast on the British Museum after visiting there the other day. I thought of it as a subject for my assignment since I am living only a block away. Here are the resources I used to create the podcast as well as a link to it. Enjoy!

References

British Museum (2010). British museum-welcome to the British museum.

Retrieved July 22, 2010, from http://britishmuseum.org/

The British museum map guide (2010). London: The trustees of the British museum.

Rudenko, P. (2010). Snowing. Retrieved July 22, 2010, from http://creativecommons.org/

Public Transport on the Thames River

Today we went on a trip to Greenwich via the Thames. I was amazed at how luxurious the public transport boat was and how efficient this system of travel is here in London.
Previous experiences I have had with boats or ferries have not been nearly as nice. The boat we were on is a catamaran called the Cyclone Clipper and it is part of the Thames Clippers' Fleet. It reminded me of sitting on an a jet airplane. The seats were similar, there were flat screen televisions, and refreshments were available to purchase. The experience was also similar to taking the tube because we made frequent stops and pickups for passengers.

This is such a nice alternative form of public transportation.

Cathedrals=History, Art, and Architecture

Cathedrals seem like such a significant part of the history, art, and architecture of England. So far I have had the opportunity to see St. Paul's (from the outside), Westminster Abbey, and Salisbury Cathedral.

As I visit each cathedral I am amazed at how much there is to take in of the history of the building and the people that were a part of its creation, as well as the people entombed there. Each one has so many stories to tell.

Today as I visited Salisbury Cathedral I learned some very interesting facts about its place in history. It has Britain's tallest spire, it has the world's oldest mechanical working clock (1386), and it has the finest of only four surviving original Magna Carta (1215).

It is an awesome feeling to step into a medieval cathedral and feel its magnificence.

Afternoon Tea, An English Tradition

Today I enjoyed my first experience having high tea in England. As a class we visited The Court Restaurant at the British Museum. It was a nice relaxing afternoon break.

I think the tradition of afternoon tea is a special part of British culture. It is unfortunate the tradition didn't really carry over to the states because it is a pleasurable way to enjoy some time mingling with friends in the afternoon hours.We had the traditional afternoon tea food items at ours. This included scones with jam and clotted cream, finger sandwiches, tea cakes/pastries, and of course tea!

Westminster Abbey

Today we went on a guided tour of Westminster Abbey. What a beautiful place! What I found most intriguing about the Abbey is the number of people entombed there, especially the fact that the people included are not only royalty, but there are also scientists, musicians, poets, generals, admirals, and doctors. Some of these famous people include Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Rudyard Kipling, John Masefield, and Charles Dickens.

I appreciated the beauty of both the exterior of the structure as well as the interior. The history and beauty in the buildings and architecture here in London is breathtaking. This is a picture I took while standing outside the Abbey today.

Gothic Architecture in London

Today we went on a London Coach Tour. We viewed a lot of interesting places from the coach and also made several stops. Some of our stops included:

• St. Paul's Cathedral

• Tower Bridge



• St. James' Palace



• Buckingham Palace

I really enjoyed and appreciated the beauty of the Gothic architecture. I love the details of the pointed arches and Rose windows that are characteristic of the time period. This picture of the House of Parliament which is located on the Thames is an excellent example of the Gothic architecture.