OBU in London #9 - July 26 (Hampton Court)

July 16 – August 14, 2018 – “The London 15” – OBU Student Abroad in London, England 

This summer, I had the privilege of spending a month in England with a group of 15 students from Oklahoma Baptist University.  Dr. Lindsey Panxhi (an English faculty colleague) and myself, along with our respective spouses, conducted a faculty-led Study Abroad that spent four weeks on the ground in London teaching OBU courses to OBU students while being immersed in the culture and history of Great Britain.  These are our stories! 

Thursday, July 26 – Hampton Court! 

On Thursday we spent a terrific day at Hampton Court!  It was still extremely hot, even at the beginning of our journey.  We picked up our train tickets at King’s Cross, then had to take the Tube to the right train station, then got the train to Hampton Court. 

Hampton was a key Tudor Palace, and we were able to visit all the State Rooms and old residences.  There were also very extensive gardens to explore, an old chocolate kitchen, a cellar, and even a working medieval kitchen.  It was a great place to explore!  We didn’t exhaust it – I still wanted to see the basement rooms and the hedge maze – so I’m looking forward to going back next year. 

A couple of cool things.

In the king’s apartments, they had medieval games laid out – board games and card games.  They looked like fun, but I couldn’t talk Vanessa into playing with me! 

The back gardens, on the North side of the Palace, were laid out in three spiral avenues that spread out from directly in front of the Queen’s chambers.  Really great design and engineering, and would have been a fantastic view for Her Majesty. 

After the Palace, Vanessa and I had lunch in a little fish & chips place run by a Mediterranean couple.  It was dirt cheap, and pretty good.  We picked up a piece of cheesecake and a donut to share for dessert – very yummy!  Then took the train and Tube back to Pickwick.

After a nice supper, we had Colloquium, and then our first minor drama of the trip.  Rachel Froebe was not feeling well at supper – sore throat, light-headed.  She was scheduled to co-lead Colloquium tonight, so it wasn’t ideal.  She is also scheduled to go to Wales early in the morning with the Panxhi’s – so there was some concern on that front too.  We suspect it is

primarily heat exhaustion, so we just sent her to bed with lots of fluids.  (She was OK to go in the morning.)   

It was another beastly hot day – 35C (95F), so the heat exhaustion was understandable.  There is no A/C in Pickwick, just one little fan in each bedroom.  When it’s really hot outside, the rooms are terribly uncomfortable.  So we have not been sleeping very well.

Mandy and Emma arrived safely in Oklahoma yesterday.  It’s reassuring having someone with the kids, although we’re grateful

Crazy Cool street busker in London square

for the friends they were able to stay with for the first week and a bit – Bandy’s for Mataeo; Zoe, Olivia Todd, and Houghton’s for Alethea; Natalie and Bandy’s for Keilani.  But now they’ll be in their own home and rooms, a bit more stable as school approaches.