LONDON/PARIS 2010 TRIP DIARY

DATELINE, FRIDAY MAY 7, LONDON
We have had a wonderful day. Arrived at London Heathrow about 30 minutes late, but our coach was waiting, and we headed out with our guide for the orientation tour of London. We then visited Westminster Abbey, which is the site of coronations and the burial spot for important British officials. Went to a grocery store for a quick (but delicious) takeout lunch and hopped on a double-decker bus for the short ride to the Belgravia Police station where we had a presentation by the Director of Counter-Terrorism. All students were well behaved so I didn’t have to leave anyone behind at the station!! Then it was our first ride on the London Tube (subway), a new experience for most of our students, but they were game for it, and we didn’t lose anyone. Checked into our quaint and very “British” hotel before heading to dinner at an upscale pizza place and a sunset ride on the London Eye, the second largest ferris wheel in the world. Truly, a great first day in London!





DATELINE, MAY 8 LONDON
Another great day in London. Lots of talk this morning about the British election and the lack of a clear majority for either the Labour or Conservative Party. After breakfast, students were off to the Imperial War Museum devoted to the history of the military, most particularly World Wars I and II. The kids are now official pros at navigating the subway system, a particularly challenging task since some of the lines and stations are closed for renovation in preparation for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Had dinner at a family restaurant near our hotel. Another good day. All students are happy and healthy.


DATELINE: SUNDAY, MAY 9, LONDON
Today it was the Tower of London, complete with a visit to the magnificent crown jewels. We also enjoyed a tour by the Beefeater Guards, who are retired British soldiers. A rigorous “audition” is required to become a Beefeater Guard, but the reward is great—a permanent “flat” (apartment) inside the Tower! Pretty nice real estate. Students were free in the afternoon to explore London and visit museums. We finished the evening with a delicious dinner at a great restaurant in Covent Garden. Remember Eliza from “My Fair Lady?” She always wanted to own a flower shop in Covent Garden. It is now full of shops of all kinds and lots and lots of street entertainers. Another great day in London.

DATELINE: MONDAY, MAY 10, LONDON
We awoke to something unusual in London—sunshine and blue skies. Lots of discussion during breakfast of the continuing election “crisis” and the efforts by both the Conservative and Labour Parties to form a coalition government with the Liberal Democratic Party.

It was a beautiful day for photos at Windsor Castle. Took a 30 minute train ride from Paddington Station near our hotel, enjoyed an educational tour from a Castle guide, and a quick lunch in the town of Windsor before catching the train back to London. Afternoon was free and then we had a nice dinner at the Rolling Stones Café in Kensington. Finished the evening with an invitation-only admission to the Changing of the Key Ceremony at the Tower of London. This solemn ceremony has taken place every night without exception for more than 600 years. We were lucky to be among the exclusive group admitted. Not bad for a bunch of “Yanks” from Florida!!

DATELINE: Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Off to St. Paul's Cathedral for a guided tour and a "hike" up more than 100 steps for a magnificent view of London. It's our last night in London so we ate typically British food -- delicious fish and chips (plus many other menu items) at a local pub near our hotel.

DATELINE: Wednesday, May 12, 2010
We awoke yesterday to the news that the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats had formed a coalition government, and the Queen had invited David Cameron to become the new Prime Minister. Students were busy reading the morning newspaper over breakfast.

Shortly after breakfast, we were off to San Pancras train station to catch the high-speed Eurostar to the heart of Paris – 2 hours and 12 minutes. What a busy day we had!

We had a little glitch at Gare du Nord rail station in Paris because the van that carries our luggage to the hotel was 30 minutes late which made us rush, rush, rush to the American University of Paris. But once at AUP, we had a wonderful lecture on French restrictions against wearing the Muslim veil in public. Then it was a guided tour of Notre Dame, a short break to relax, and then off to the the Eiffel Tower and a late night cruise on the River Seine.

DATELINE: Thursday, May 13, 2010

Today, we visited the Church of Sainte Chapelle known for its beautiful stained glass windows and the Conciergerie, known as the holding place (and torture chamber) for prisoners during the French Revolution. Its most famous prisoner was Marie Antoinette. This evening, we will have dinner in the Latin Quarter which is the university district of Paris.

DATELINE: FRIDAY, May 14
This was a free day for those staying in Paris. A day to walk along Seine, visit the Louvre, take the train to the Palace of Versailles, and eat chocolate croissants. For seven of our students, though, today was a passage back to America's finest hours on the beaches of Normandy in June 1944. They toured Omaha and Utah Beaches. They saw the locations where thousands of young Americans jumped through the foggy darkness to begin the liberation of Europe. And they paid tribute to those American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who never left Normandy and who are buried on the hilltop overlooking Omaha Beach at the American Cemetery in Normandy. Two of our students -- one a Navy cadet and the other an officer in the U.S. Army -- lowered the American flag as the mournful strains of "Taps" sounded through the otherwise silent cemetery. On this day, our students from the University of South Florida learned more about war and its consequences than they would ever learn in any classroom in America.

DATELINE: SATURDAY, May 15
Our trip is nearly over. We have seen so much and learned so much. While our students are looking forward to their homecoming in America, they are not the same kids who began this journey 10 days ago. They are now students of the world.

LONDON/PARIS News Article About USF Students Bringing Down the Flag at the American Cemetery, Normandy, France

Honoring D-Day’s Fallen
Friday, May 21, 2010 - News
________________________________________
By Barbara Melendez

TAMPA, Fla. (May 20, 2010) – University of South Florida political science students studying abroad took part in a history lesson at the American Cemetery in Normandy, France this past weekend that will resonate through Memorial Day and their lifetimes. With a multinational crowd of approximately 200 people and the solemn strains of Taps from a bugler’s horn in the background, two students – one from the U.S. Army and the other from the U.S. Navy – formed a uniformed color guard to lower two American flags.

The ceremony was held in remembrance of the World War II D-Day invasion when thousands of paratroopers leapt from above and thousands of soldiers from the sea waded ashore under heavy enemy fire at Omaha Beach. More than 2,000 Americans lost their lives after landing in the foggy darkness to begin the liberation of Europe.

“Many of those soldiers and sailors are buried at the American Cemetery in Normandy. Most of them were the same age as our USF students,” said political science professor Janna Merrick, whose class just returned from studying in England and France. “There are two flagpoles at the Normandy Cemetery. In March, I mailed two flags to the cemetery. Both flags were flown on May 14. One flag belongs to USF and the other was provided by one of the students, Bryan Hamilton, and belongs to him.” She added that it was a “powerful learning experience for our USF students.”

Hamilton, a captain in the U.S. Army described the experience as a proud moment in his life and said, “I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

Navy ROTC Cadet Douglas Pistorius also took part after a day of touring the Normandy region and visiting many sites among them the beaches that figured in the invasion.

“The ceremony meant a great deal to me,” he said. “It gave me a chance to reflect on the day as a whole and all the sites I had seen and made me really humbled to be in a place of men and women of honor. It really made me feel proud to be wearing the uniform I do as I was thanked by numerous people for the job my forefathers did and for my service.”

Merrick did not make the side trip to Normandy, but Rene Sanchez, student program coordinator in the Department of International Affairs accompanied the class through London and Paris and continued to Normandy with a smaller group of seven students.

“It was a tremendously moving experience to be able to honor their sacrifice in this way,” said Sanchez. “One woman made a point of coming up to our students and thanking them with, ‘All I can say is God bless you Americans. You saved us. Thank you.’ To which one of our students replied with a smile. ‘You saved us in 1776; we were just returning the favor.’ I think there were some true trans-national, trans-cultural, person-to-person connections made during those visits. Our two students also got a chance to meet some retired French military who were eager to shake their hands and be photographed with them.”

USF’s flag from the ceremony has an accompanying certificate that reads: “This flag was flown over the Normandy American Cemetery in honor of the thousands of University of South Florida Students Studying Abroad, and in so doing, promoting global understanding one student, one university, and one country at a time.”

The students were part of Merrick’s course on urbanization and comparative politics. In the days prior they heard a lecture on counter terrorism by the City of London’s Police Director and visited historic sites in and around London. They then headed to Paris for another whirlwind tour that included a lecture at the American University of Paris and stops at the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame.


The University of South Florida is one of the nation's top 63 public research universities and one of only 25 public research universities nationwide with very high research activity that is designated as community engaged by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. USF was awarded $380.4 million in research contracts and grants in FY 2008/2009. The university offers 232 degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate, specialist and doctoral levels, including the doctor of medicine. The USF System has a $1.8 billion annual budget, an annual economic impact of $3.2 billion, and serves more than 47,000 students on institutions/campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and Lakeland. USF is a member of the Big East Athletic Conference.
-USF-



________________________________________
University of South Florida
http://www.usf.edu/

LONDON PARIS 2009 TRIP DIARY

Friday, May 1: Dateline LONDON

This is just a short note to let you know that all students arrived on time and in good shape! The weather today in London is FANTASTIC!!! Thought we were still in Florida with our sunglasses and summer clothes.

Our hotel is a lovely bed and breakfast in a converted townhouse—actually two townhouses. The rooms are small, but have large windows and are very sunny. Staff are very friendly and helpful, and we’re just a 3 minute walk from the Paddington “tube” (ie subway) station.

Your kids are already seasoned “tube” riders. Took the tube to meet our guide for the “Royal Walk Tour” which included the Changing of the Guard and the interior of Westminster Abbey. Then we had lunch at Victoria Railway Station before heading back to the hotel to relax and get ready for this evening.

We had dinner in a café located in the crypt of the Church of St. Martin’s in the Field in Trafalgar Square before heading across the Thames to ride the London Eye Ferris Wheel. The sun was setting as the students boarded the ferris wheel for the 30 minute ride, and the sky was splashed with bright pink clouds.

We’ve seen and done a lot for just one day and are all tired, but it’s that “happy tired” when you’ve exhausted yourself doing something special.

Saturday, May 2: Dateline LONDON

We are all happy and healthy and the weather continues to be spectacular. Up early for a full day. First, a light breakfast in the hotel and then off to our London orientation tour on the open top bus. Perfect blue skies and a great day for photos. The students had the afternoon free, and we met for dinner at a restaurant in Covent Garden. The “garden” is not really a garden anymore, but rather a trendy boutique/restaurant area with street musicians, magicians, and much more.

Sunday, May 3: Dateline LONDON

Today, the students spent the morning at the Tower of London seeing the crown jewels and enjoying a tour given by the Beefeater Guards. The Guards are selected through a competitive audition process and then get to live inside the Tower. We had lunch at Trafalgar Square and then the students were off to museums and historic sites and a little shopping. Everyone remains happy and healthy. This is really a great group of students, and they’re making the most of every minute.

Monday, May 4: Dateline London

We were up early and off to Paddington Railway Station where your students boarded the train for Windsor Castle. It is the summer and weekend home of the royal family, and is really in fantastic condition having been renovated about ten years ago after a major fire. Late that evening, we went to the Tower of London to view the Changing of the Key ceremony. It has taken place every night for more than 700 years without interruption even during the German bombing of London in World War II. The tower is eerie at night, and there are lots of stories of ghosts. Fortunately, we saw no ghosts, but did enjoy the ceremony.

Tuesday, May 5: Dateline London

Up early again! This time for a quick tube ride to St. Paul’s Cathedral for a fantastic guided tour. The rest of the day was free until we met for a fantastic dinner in Covent Garden. Early to bed because tomorrow is a 7:45 a.m. departure for St. Pancras Rail Station where we will catch the Eurostar to Paris!

Wednesday, May 6: Dateline London to Paris

Everyone showed up for the hotel van exactly on time and we were off to St. Pancras Rail Station to board the Eurostar high-speed train to Paris. It is really fantastic service. Heart of London to the heart of Paris in 2 hours and 11 minutes. We had a “mini car” assigned just to our group. That was nice. Boarding the Eurostar is like boarding an international flight. First there are the security checks and then passport control. And then it’s off at over 100 miles per hour with only twenty minutes under the English Channel (which is simply called “The Channel” by the French).

Our first day in Paris was fantastic. Weather was really beautiful! We had an “interesting” experience with the hotel van. We had ordered a minivan to take the luggage to the hotel. (I always take the “Metro”—subway—with the students to orient them to the Paris system and send the luggage along in a van.) Well…something got lost in translation because the “van” turned out to be a very small SUV. The driver argued. I kept flashing my confirmation in front of him. He stalled. I argued. We both called the van company headquarters. Finally, we stuffed all large suitcases into the van and it looked like a bunker inside with only enough space for the driver. We took a couple of small bags with us on the subway and alas, we all arrived at the hotel in good shape and none the worse for our experience.

Then we were off to a tour of Notre Dame, which also had a bit lost in translation, but who cares? We’re in Paris. Next was dinner at a typical French café and then up the Eiffel Tower. (Check out our photo at the Tower toasting our arrival in Paris. It’s only apple juice and not champagne, but it looks pretty real in the photo!) We then took a late night cruise on the Seine River so we could see the magnificent architecture of the Louvre, D’Orsay, and Notre Dame all lit up. Wow! What a start.

Thursday, May 7: Dateline Paris

Had a lecture at the American University of Paris on how Muslim immigration has impacted French politics. Basically, citizens of the former French colonies can immigrate to France with very few restrictions so the population has become increasingly multicultural. You never know what you’re going to get when you reserve a guest speaker, but this professor was really top notch and very well prepared for the lecture.

Back on the Metro to the Garnier Opera house (site of the musical “Phantom of the Opera”). We enjoyed the architecture from outside, but it was closed for visitors that day. Had lunch at the top of the largest department store in Paris—Galleries Lafayette—and then onto the open-top bus for the orientation tour of Paris.

Later that night, it was dinner at a restaurant on Rue Mouffetard, a quaint street in the Latin Quarter where the universities are located. We capped the night off by attending a typical French follies show. Seats were very close to the stage and the announcer kept welcoming the “University of South Florida” over the public address system. Pretty cool, and we’re pretty tired.

Friday, May 8: Dateline Paris

Today was a free day for all students except those taking a one-day excursion to the D Day beaches of Normandy. What an incredible experience! We saw the cliffs that some of the American GI’s had to scale with the Germans waiting for them at the top. No protection whatsoever for our troops. The seas were rough that day and so the troops were already weak from the effects of sea sickness. It was raining and the cloud cover was so thick that the bomber pilots couldn’t see the German bunkers and missed their targets. The airborne units began parachuting in shortly after midnight before the invasion, and those pilots couldn’t see their targets either so the paratroopers were dropped all over the place. The casualties were painfully high, and we saw cross after cross after cross at the American cemetery that overlooks Omaha Beach. We picked up a few stones from the beach. I chose red stones to remind me of how much American blood was shed on that beach in the cause of liberty.

Saturday, May 9: Dateline Paris

This is a free day for students. Some slept in while others were up early to get the most out of their last day in Paris. They visited museums, walked along the Seine, stopped in at the famous Shakespeare and Company Bookstore (famous as a gathering place for the "Lost Generation" of American expatriate writers living in Paris between World War I and World War II), and of course, enjoyed some French pastries.

We are tired, but happy. It has been a very successful study abroad trip, and we will board our flight tomorrow with regret that our tour is finished, but with the anticipation of seeing our friends and families at Tampa International Airport.

I would like to thank each of you for supporting your students. They are a remarkable group of young people who are good American citizens and now good citizens of the world!

Best regards,

Dr. Merrick