Vídeo de la visita a Londres 2019

Vídeo Elaborado por la alumna Rebeca Malo (2º Bachillerato) con imágenes del viaje a Londres en marzo de 2019 de la sección bilingüe del IES "Vía de la Plata" de La Bañeza (León).

PROPOSED VISIT TO LONDON

(From 23rd March to 27th March 2019)

IES VÍA DE LA PLATA

Our adventure will start on 23rd March, just as the day begins. We will take the bus to Madrid airport at 0:01 am., where we will board Flight EZY874 (Easyjet)at 07:30 am.  We will  arrive in London by 08:55 am.  A bus will be waiting for a group of students from La Bañeza and will drive us to our hostel (Clink 78) https://www.clinkhostels.com/london/clink78/

(You must be thinking: “What a short journey!!!”. The actual journey  is a bit longer and that is because Madrid time is an hour ahead of London. The very opposite will happen on our way back).

The transfer from the airport to our hostel will take about one hour (depending on traffic jams there). Once we arrive and settle down, weather permitting, we will go out and explore the area.

I strongly recommend  you to watch these videos, as they are a sort of summary of important aspects of London.

Best 10 London Sights. Long-time local resident recommends absolute best of London:

TOP 10 things to do in London 2019:

The study plan for this first trip will be as follows:

1^st DAY (Saturday, 23rd)

We will go by tube to The Tower of London (this building is associated with the Great Fire, and is also  an important aspect of the history of England). Unfortunately we won´t have enough time to go inside the Tower, but you can have a look here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8x_WtTaTBA:

• Monument. It was built to commemorate the Great Fire of London. Its height (62m) shows the distance from Thomas Farriner´s bakery in Pudding Lane. Be ready to climb by a narrow winding staircase of 311 steps.  Stunning views!
  • To know more about this landmark, follow these links.
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLElV4QbkJA (You  can learn about The Great Fire)
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8oLOf8NoKE:
• St. Paul´s Cathedral.
• Tower Bridge exhibition. It is worth stepping inside one of the most famous bridges in the world. The views of The Thames are amazing and they make this place unique: https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/

• South Bank. Strolling down The South Bank is a most amazing experience in London, not only because many of the important landmarks are there (London Eye, Tate Modern…), but because from this bank you can get a magnificent view of the North Bank and the impressive dimensions of this fabulous city. On our way we will see the City Hall on the left. The City Hall was designed by the famous architect, Norman Foster. Unfortunately,  we will not be able to go inside the City Hall, as it is closed on Saturdays. Here is a video of this giant ‘helmet’.

City Hall.

• Piccadilly Circus. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piccadilly_Circus

2^nd DAY  (Sunday, 24^th)

Tour guide (by Sandelmans New Europe) This tour not free, but you have already been charged for this activity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVYBzsFICBo

“ Walk in the footsteps of the rich and powerful on our Royal London Tour. We’ll introduce you to the personalities who ruled Great Britain, from Edward the Confessor to Winston Churchill. We’ll also take you to the buildings where they lived, worked and played, as well as where many are entombed today. This tour winds its way through the city of Westminster, home of the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.

Our unique style of history and entertainment has made us one of the most popular tour companies in the world. Our expert guides want everyone to experience London, regardless of their budget. That’s why they work on a tips-only basis. If by the end of the tour, you feel the tour was worth paying for, you can tip your guide. Our superior guides will help you get the most out of your time in this fantastic city: better guides make for better tours. And we’ve got some of the best waiting to show you their city!

The Free Tour ends at the Houses of Parliament. If you ask your guide at the end of the tour, they will be happy to offer you directions to wherever you are headed”. (Sandelmans´ Website)

We will walk near or across:

• St. James Palace, St. James Park.
• Buckingham Palace.
• Westminster Abbey.
• Houses of Parliament.
• Big Ben.
• Trafalgar Square, Nelson´s Column.
• Churchill War rooms.
• Horse Guards Parade.

After this three hour guided tour, we will travel back in time :

• British Museum. Be ready for a magic trip to far and wonderful places in time. You will be surrounded by mummies, sculptures, temples….. You can discover more than two million years of human history and culture. There are some world-famous objects such as The Rosetta Stone or The Parthenon Marbles. Don´t miss the great hall ( by Norman Foster too): https://www.britishmuseum.org/

3^rd DAY (Monday 25^th)

• Natural History Museum. In this museum you will be impressed by everything: you can see dinosaurs, whales, do interactive activities in Attenborough  studio….It´s an endless list of fun intermingled with knowledge.http://www.nhm.ac.uk/
• Science Museum. You will see Stephenson´s Rocket, the first jet engine, some of the earliest steam engines…. It also contains many interactive exhibitions. Don´t miss the gallery called “Science and the Art of Medicine”, which shows medical instruments and practices from ancient times.
• Harrods. It is one of the world´s largest and most famous department stores. It sells luxury and everyday products across 7 floors and 330 department stores. Be ready to break your money-box. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiYYue1RQC8
• Hyde Park. It´s one of the largest parks in London. It is contiguous with Kensington Gardens, although they remain technically separate. It was created in 1536 by Henry VIII for hunting. Many locals and tourists go to relax and enjoy some fresh air in its 142 hectares. You can get lost in this forest without leaving the city centre. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHDDBgr2mMQ
• King´s Cross Station. This is one of the most beautiful train stations in the world as well as one of the largest ones in Britain. The steel structure of the roof has been described : “like some kind of reverse waterfall, a white steel grid that swoops up from the ground and cascades over your head”.
• Platform 9 ¾. It is remarkable that it is probably the most famous railway platform in the world and it doesn´t even exist.  It´s the perfect meeting point for wizards to travel in Harry Potter´s adventures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4^th DAY (Tuesday 26^th)

• National Gallery. Look for The Arnolfini Portrait (Van Eyck), Venus and Mars (Botticelli), Sunflowers (Van Gogh), The Supper at Emaus (Carvaggio) and other selected masterpieces from the collection you can see on the website.  In outline you´ll be asked to explore the gallery in order to find the top works of art on display. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/explore-the-paintings/30-must-see-paintings
• Candem Town.  Candem market is a unique place in London. It was formerly a wharf with stables on The Regent´s Canal. There are over 1000 shops and stalls selling fashion, music, art and food, next to Candem Lock. “One of London´s most vibrant areas, Candem is a melting pot of alternative shops, bars, restaurants and markets, selling weird and wonderful things” (Claire O´Donnell)

5^th DAY (Wednesday 27^th)

• Bank of England. We will visit the central bank of the U.K. You´ll come across 300 years of history. Items from the bank´s collection are displayed in this museum. You can find more information in this website, especially in the part of education and museum: https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum/plan-your-visit
• Oxford Street, Bond Street… Oxford Street is 1.9 kilometres long. There are about 300 shops and restaurants, which means a huge variety of items and prices. Bond Street is “London´s home of luxury”. It is known for its wealth of elegant stores, exclusive brands and luxury goods.
• Back home. On 27th March, at five o´clock, we will go to the Airport to start our journey back home, with many new experiences and thoughts.

As Hans Christian Andersen once said: "To travel is to live" !!

….And so said Lily Allen in her song LDN (London):

“You might laugh you might frown
walking round London town”

…But she also reminds us…

“When you look with your eyes, everything seems nice
But if you look twice, you can see its all lies”

…So, it is better to go back home.