Our hard working students

We are nearing the end of our program. It's hard to believe that we have been here for nearly one month, and that we will be leaving in a couple days. Here are photos of our students as they prepare their final presentations for tomorrow's class. They'll be giving Ignite presentations of their interpretation of either the Literary Gothic or Empire, based on the readings and excursions from the program.









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Vienna, Prague, and London

The group just completed 10 days of travel and excursions on the European continent. Most excursions included a lecture set up followed by a tour and reflective writing to summarize key points. Most afternoons students had free time to investigate additional museums or other highlights of the cities. We started by flying into Vienna, Austria, the home of the Habsburg Empire, visiting the Hofburg, Schönbrunn, St. Stephen's Cathedral, and Sigmund Freud's home. The first picture is the group in front of the Hofburg. The second is a writing session in the gardens of Schoenbrunn.





We travelled next by train to Prague in the Czech Republic, a bureaucratic center for the Habsburg Empire. Our visits included Hradkany, the Prague Castle complex, as well as the Kafka Museum. We also had a full day tour to Konopište, Archduke Franz Ferdinand's hunting lodge, and the Ossuary in Kutna Hora. The first photo shows the group in front of the Kafka Museum, the second at the same location, when students were recording their impressions following the tour, and the third in front of St. Barbara's, with its fabulous flying buttresses, in Kutna Hora.








Our final stop in our experiential travel was in London, where we visited Kew Gardens and Queen Charlotte (and King George III's) palace as well as the greenhouses that housed the many plants acquired by the British Empire. We also visited the Royal Portrait Gallery, analyzing the iconography of both the British Empire as well as that of the Gothic. The first photo shows Big Ben with Buckingham Palace in the background. The second photo shows a group of students on the London Eye.

Studying the Empire and the Gothic in style

Here at the manor, we are having our course meetings in the State Rooms.  These are the ornamented rooms of the manor, which are more elaborate than the plainer servant side of the manor where we are living (except for Matt).  We meet for class from 9:00-12:00, and the afternoons are spent exploring the local area.  Tomorrow is a free day for exploring all day, and students are visiting Brighton, Lincoln, Nottingham, Manchester, and Liverpool.

Rock Stars

We had a photo shoot on the grounds of the manor, and here is our group looking like rock stars.

Welcome to Harlaxton

We have arrived safely and are getting settled in. Here is a photo of the native English Bluebells in full bloom. The English Bluebell is particularly sensitive and is a protected species. Hyacinthoides non-scripta grows wild in the UK, flowering in early May. The Harlaxton fields are a national heritage site and the trails provide a sublime setting to overcome jet lag.



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Final Checklist

We are meeting at 8:45 am on Saturday at the Delta Departure desk.

Some things to be sure to do before you leave:

Measure luggage to make sure it fits. Here is the Virgin Atlantic graphic for "hand baggage".

Pack your 1 quart "liquids and gels" ziploc bag.

Call your credit/debit card Bank and establish your travel plans. Also ask about feed. 

Call you phone provider and make sure you understand how your phone will work abroad. Check the fees for calls and texts.  Remember that we will have access to wifi at the manor and at the hostels. Remember to pack chargers for your electronics.  

Make sure your emergency contact person has the "travel information" from our Bb site.  

Explain to your cats that they cannot come with you, so they must get out of the suitcase. 

(courtesy of Woodenship)

Class Meeting Monday, May 2, 6:00-8:00, Muntz 117

We will be meeting in Muntz 117 for our last American meeting before we leave for the United Kingdom (via Atlanta) on Monday, May 2.  We are meeting from 6:00-8:00 pm to begin our exploration of our courses. To prepare for this meeting, check the Blackboard course site for the course(s) you are registered for.  We will also go over any last minute questions you might have.

We will be meeting at the airport at 8:45 am on Saturday at CVG in front of the Delta check-in desks.  We will all check-in together and go through security together. "Why so early?" you ask.  Well, we are a big group, and we want to stick together, which takes a little more time than one person going through solo.  It's also for the tranquility factor. If we need to sort something out, then it is nice to have time to do so.  "Tranquility" will be our Word of the Day.

An now for your moment of Zen: Ruth is packed and ready.

Next Blog Prompt

Please post on this topic before our next meeting:

What kinds of clothing or behaviors might make a person stand out in London, Vienna, or Prague in ways that might affect the group, positively or negatively?

Previous blog prompt:

Explain what you already know about the course(s) you will be taking, and explain what you wonder about this topic.  Discuss topics in the course that seem particularly interesting to you. 

Travel light for one month: the challenge!

My colleague Ruth is SO good at packing light!  I can only dream of being as efficient as she is. You can read about her packing in her blog.  I don't like washing out clothes on a daily basis, and need a bit more space, so I will be taking one carry on suitcase (max. dimensions are 45" for length, height and depth combined), along with one personal item, a messenger bag. I have found that I have plenty of space to account for souvenirs with this system.  You could also consider a larger backpack, messenger bag, or duffel bag for your carry on suitcase, and a smaller backpack or purse as your personal item.  However, you cannot have a purse AND a personal item, so be sure your purse can fit into it!

When we are traveling in small airplanes, my suitcase may be need to be gate-checked (read: probably not lost). Sometimes this is impossible, and it is checked through to the final destination (read: possibly lost).  Therefore, it is imperative that I have one full change of clothes and a toothbrush in my personal item, my messenger bag, just in case.  I learned this one the hard way and spent two days in Philadelphia with only my backpack (no change of clothes, no toothbrush).  I swore that would never happen again, as it was quite uncomfortable.  I put my change of clothes into a Ziploc bag and squeeze the air out so it can slide into my messenger bag easily.  Travel within Europe limits you to one item, and as we will not be in one location long enough for a lost checked bag to find us, plan on taking your personal item as your only bag for the week we spend traveling in Vienna and Prague.  Again, make sure that your purse, if you are taking one, fits into this bag.

Pack only what you really need, then see what can be removed if it doesn't fit in a carry on bag!

Your personal item (fits under the seat in front of you) should include:

• one full change of clothes (pants, shirt, underclothes, socks), compressed in a Ziploc bag or packing envelope.
• toiletries (carry on in 1- qt. plastic bag-no container over 3 oz if liquid)
• any medications you might need
• personal electronics (I advise against a computer.  They are too heavy, fragile and unnecessary.)
• charging cords and adapters, both European  and British.  Note: the voltage in England, Austria and the Czech Republic is the same: AC 230V.  In the US we have AC 110.
• http://www.travel-adaptor.com/countries/travel-adaptor-plugs/Austria.php
• http://www.amazon.com/Adapter-America-Kingdom-Grounded-Polarized/dp/B000BMC5OQ
• Here is an example of an all-in-one adaptor set: http://www.amazon.com/International-Qualcomm-Charger-Interchangeable-Reversible/dp/B01AXP24X2/ref=sr_1_9?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1454595062&sr=8-9&keywords=travel+adaptor+set+europe+uk  
• passport
• wallet
  (Have at least a bit of money in Pounds and Euros.  Use your ATM card to get additional money, but do not forget to notify your bank and all credit card companies or your accounts will be frozen!)
• pen (needed in flight for customs forms, and in class once we get there)
• journal for writing in when we have no access to computers
• smartphone (be sure to speak with your provider to be sure it will work and that you have an appropriate data plan)
• camera, if bringing one (remember, phones can be used as cameras)
• sunglasses/extra glasses/contacts
• scarf (for men and women) for extra warmth in the airplane and on cooler days
• umbrella/waterproof raincoat with hood (One is REQUIRED, both recommended)
• downloaded readings or a print out of them, if you prefer
• SNACKS! Protein (nuts and protein bars), dried fruit, and chocolate travel well and are most satisfying if we have a longer delay.  Taking snacks allows you to avoid exorbitant airport prices for food.
• Collapsible water bottle, which you can fill after you pass through the security checks.  This will allow you to avoid exorbitant airport prices for bottled water.

Your carry-on suitcase (or larger backpack/messenger bag/duffel bag) should include:

• Clothes: No more than 1 week's worth of clothing is needed, and everything should match with everything for maximum flexibility. Be sure to be able to layer for warmer or cooler days. In addition to the clothes you wear, which should be the heaviest/bulkiest:

• 1-2 pants
• 4-6 shirts (mix short and long sleeve)
• 2-4 socks (up to 7 if you have additional space)
• 2-4 underclothes (up to 7 if you have additional space)
• 1 item of sleepwear
• 1 sweater/pullover (to use as light jacket or as a layer for cool days)
• sturdy & comfortable walking shoes
• shower shoes (flip-flops) are a necessity in hostels

• a photocopy of your passport information
• laundry powder in a sandwich/snack bag for sink washing while away from Harlaxton (which has lovely washing facilities)
• lock for backpack locker in hostels
• quick-dry towel/washcloth

Note what is NOT on this list:

• NO electric small appliances (hairdryer, straightener, electric razor, etc.) - They explode, smoke, and melt when used on the different voltage.  If you must have one, then you will need a converter (not adapter), and it will not operate the way you are used to (slower, hotter) and it still might explode.  A converter converts the electricity supply of the country into what the small appliance needs.  Do not confuse an adapter for a converter!


• No large bottles of liquid products (shampoo, body wash, etc.).  They have wonderful drug stores in town, and you can enjoy visiting them.  You will need small containers (no more than 3 oz/100 gr) for travel to Vienna and Prague.


• No knives/sharp objects (see airline restrictions)

If you are interested in the different types of electricity in other countries, and what the markings on devices means, this site gives a good explanation of them, along with a listing of most countries and
what their adapters look like: http://www.theroamingboomers.com/the-ultimate-electricity-guide-for-world-travelers/.

Getting Ready

Today we had our first meeting of the group of students who will be participating in the 2016 Summer British Study Abroad.  We introduced ourselves, talked about travel plans for the free weekend, set up the course blogs, and wrote the first entry.

In a little more than 3 months we will be leaving!

Harlaxton, here we come!