Blenheim Palace is one of the most beautiful places in the world. For those of you lucky enough to have visited the grounds, you have witnessed nature and architecture come together in a beautiful union. Rich in history and mystery, this palace is my favorite place on earth. From the lakes, to the rose gardens, to the butterfly garden, there is always something to see.
My first and only visit to Blenheim was when I was eighteen years old. I went for a family vacation to see where my parents lived when my father was stationed in England during the war. We stayed in a little town called Somerton in a bed and breakfast across the street from my parent's former house not far from Upper Heyford. They insisted on taking us to Blenheim and I fell in love with it instantly. It is located in Woodstock in Oxfordshire.
Blenheim is the birthplace of Winston Churchill, although he never lived there, as well as the home of the Duke of Marlborough. Shakespeare stayed in the bridge and preformed here occasionally during his time and on a more recent note, part of the movie Entrapment was filmed at Blenheim. Should you have a chance to visit the palace, stop by the Kings Arms Pub for a meal...you must try the potatoes. (I've heard my parents talk about the “potato pub,” as they called it, for 28 years.) Click the links below for more information on Blenheim and it's origins.
Links:
The official Blenheim Palace website: http://www.blenheimpalace.com/
To take a virtual tour of the palace: www.bbc.co.uk/history/society_culture/architecture/launch_pan_blenheim_palace.shtml
To read a history of the palace: victoriahinshaw.com/blenheim.html
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
College Credit for Traveling the World
While I was in college, I stumbled upon one of the best experiences of my life. It was just before my last semester at Community College while visiting one of the four year colleges I was considering attending. I walked in towards the end of May for a tour of the campus. My temporary advisor happened to be located in the same building as the language department so that is where we started...and subsequently ended. I fell in love with the department from the moment I walked through the door. As we talked more, I noticed a poster on the wall for study abroad. I didn't say anything at first, after all, I could never spend an entire semester overseas....right?
Conversations continued and I became more and more drawn to the poster. As I strained to read the small print, I heard the secretary mention the summer abroad program, so I stopped her and said, “Did you say SUMMER abroad?” She knew I was interested. I had the same sparkle in my eyes she had seen all too many times. I listened in disbelief as she told me that the program would consist of a three and a half week stay in the south of France, weekends are free to the students to do as they please, classes are for two hours a day, bi-weekly excursions after class to experience the culture, and the only thing I had to pay for, other than my tuition, was my flight. I was stunned. I asked when the next trip was scheduled since the deadline had long since passed for the upcoming summer. She directed my question to the department head, who informed me that she had had a cancellation for the upcoming summer program that week and had not been able to fill the spot.
I went directly to the computer lab and logged on to the internet to price flights, and to my astonishment, I was able to find a round-trip flight for less than $500.00. I was ecstatic at this point. Almost a month in Europe for under $500.00! My tuition was covered by scholarships, my room and board paid for by the college, and I all had to come up with was the cost of the flight and any extra travel or shopping I wanted to do! So off to Europe I went. It was amazing. I spent two weekends in Paris, one weekend in Italy, one weekend in Barcelona, and I have more stories, pictures, and memories than any one person should be allowed. I had the fortunate experience of learning about the French language and culture first hand, and all the while earning seven semester hours of college credit. It was the experience of a lifetime...so I went again the next summer too!
There are so many colleges out there that offer programs just like this one. Some may be better priced, some may be worse, but the main objective is to learn and have one of the greatest experiences of your life. Go to your local colleges and see what opportunities they may have. Use the internet as a resource to pricing flights and finding the right program for you. But whatever you do, give this a shot. Dare to explore the world and who you are. You will learn more in a few weeks than you ever thought possible. It doesn't matter what your majoring in, language and culture courses are always a plus for employers. I am currently working in executive management in the medical field with a degree in Foreign Language! (Yes, I changed my degree because of this program, and it was one of the best decisions of my life!)
Click the post name to link to the original article on Xomba!
http://www.xomba.com/college_credit_traveling_world
Conversations continued and I became more and more drawn to the poster. As I strained to read the small print, I heard the secretary mention the summer abroad program, so I stopped her and said, “Did you say SUMMER abroad?” She knew I was interested. I had the same sparkle in my eyes she had seen all too many times. I listened in disbelief as she told me that the program would consist of a three and a half week stay in the south of France, weekends are free to the students to do as they please, classes are for two hours a day, bi-weekly excursions after class to experience the culture, and the only thing I had to pay for, other than my tuition, was my flight. I was stunned. I asked when the next trip was scheduled since the deadline had long since passed for the upcoming summer. She directed my question to the department head, who informed me that she had had a cancellation for the upcoming summer program that week and had not been able to fill the spot.
I went directly to the computer lab and logged on to the internet to price flights, and to my astonishment, I was able to find a round-trip flight for less than $500.00. I was ecstatic at this point. Almost a month in Europe for under $500.00! My tuition was covered by scholarships, my room and board paid for by the college, and I all had to come up with was the cost of the flight and any extra travel or shopping I wanted to do! So off to Europe I went. It was amazing. I spent two weekends in Paris, one weekend in Italy, one weekend in Barcelona, and I have more stories, pictures, and memories than any one person should be allowed. I had the fortunate experience of learning about the French language and culture first hand, and all the while earning seven semester hours of college credit. It was the experience of a lifetime...so I went again the next summer too!
There are so many colleges out there that offer programs just like this one. Some may be better priced, some may be worse, but the main objective is to learn and have one of the greatest experiences of your life. Go to your local colleges and see what opportunities they may have. Use the internet as a resource to pricing flights and finding the right program for you. But whatever you do, give this a shot. Dare to explore the world and who you are. You will learn more in a few weeks than you ever thought possible. It doesn't matter what your majoring in, language and culture courses are always a plus for employers. I am currently working in executive management in the medical field with a degree in Foreign Language! (Yes, I changed my degree because of this program, and it was one of the best decisions of my life!)
Click the post name to link to the original article on Xomba!
http://www.xomba.com/college_credit_traveling_world
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
England: London
The first chance I had to go overseas was to England. I was there about two and a half weeks. We started in London...which, by the way, is awesome! It was quite an experience to be able to go to Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Westminster Abbey, and just to be able to experience the city without being tied down to a schedule. I had the whole city at my fingertips with nothing to do but explore! This is definitely the way to go. Pick a few places you want to see, and then take a few detours getting there! The best places to eat are the ones you don't see advertised and the ones that are off the main roads. Try some of the local pubs, but don't forget to check out the Hard Rock Cafe...it is "The Original"! The underground is a great way to travel...it is the only place I've been with a subway that felt somewhat safe! Just don't forget to "mind the gap"! Last but not least....go to Harrods!!!! Just remember to allow yourself the entire day. I went in and got lost for about 3 hours....part of which was spent shopping! Everything you could ever need can be found at Harrods, from groceries, to clothes, to jewelry, to banks, to furniture....you name it, they've got it! Just be prepared to do nothing else but shop for the entire day! One more thought, one of the main things that popped out to me when I first arrived was the flowers. The colors are so vivid and the smells are fantastic. Take some time to just observe the flowers, even if it is just walking through some neighborhoods admiring the scenery! You'll be glad you did.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Beginning my Travel Blog
As an introduction to this blog, I will be posting about many of the places I have visited and what you have to do and see while you're there. I have had the fortunate experience of visiting many cities and towns around the world including the countries of England, France, Italy, Spain, and of course, the United States. I hope everyone enjoys!
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