DAY 3: Sunday in London

DAY 3: Sunday in London

After a Sunday morning British breakfast—a buffet spread of scrambled eggs, ham, sausage, tomato, toast, cereals, potatoes, cold cuts, fruit, yogurt, juice, coffee (not quite like ours!), tea; and of course a quick glance at the morning paper (The Independent) which featured rave headlines on Danny Boyle’s amazing opening Olympic ceremony, we were off to London by 9:00am.

OK—these Real Ambassadors are becoming real travelers! A combination of bus ride, rail, and then the Tube (London’s subway), we had ten minutes to grab Starbuck’s near the Embankment station, and then walked along the Thames to base of the Tower Bridge. After a spontaneous song under the bridge, (can be seen on youtube: “Real Ambassadors Rainmakers”), everyone took a boat tour of the city as monsoon-like London showers came pouring down.

Time for lunch, which included fish and chips, sandwiches, or other quick meals before a 3 hour tour of the London Tower. Have you ever seen the Crown Jewels?! Bet you've never seen a punch bowl this big….the size of a small bathtub and made entirely of gold! Actors also filled the courtyard to help visitors imagine the past. The tour was followed by a pub dinner (at the site of an old monastery) of “bangers and mash”-- sausages, mashed potatoes, and gravy.

Returning to the hotel, a lengthy rehearsal was held along with the ironing of costumes by parents and Nurse Judy for Tuesday’s Olympic performance.

By Ed Wierzbicki

Trip Journalist

DAY 1 & 2: Greetings From London!

DAYS 1 & 2

After a buoyant send off by parents, CREC and GHAA staff, and close friends--and quite a few tearful good-byes-- the Real Ambassadors, faculty, and parents departed from the Learning Corridor on Friday noon July 27. After a smooth drive to NY, bags were unloaded and checked, and off we soared on the "red-eye" from JFK to London's Heathrow Airport. 

Arriving ahead of schedule, the plane touched down in the UK a little past 6:00am. After a short hold-up at customs, Dr. Napoleone saved the day with all the "proper" documents, and all 28 GHAA travelers proceeded to board a bus that would take us on a tour across the city of London--from the west side of the city to the east side and the Olympic site. There, everyone received "accreditation" as members of the Entertainment Team and security clearance. Wait until you see those wonderful snapshots on the security badges that must be worn at the Olympic Park.

We finally arrived at our hotel at Brands Hatch, a hotel next to a famous racing track! (Motor cycle races were happening that night!) After dinner at the hotel and a chance to swim, Diane reviewed plans for the next day, and everyone finally crashed after a long and exciting 2 days.

by Ed Wierzbicki

Trip Journalist