London Quiz

Think you know London? Try your hand at this online quiz from Budget Travel that tests your knowledge of one of the world's largest cities. We'll see how many of us can meet for tea at Wolseley's!

Think You Know London Quiz

Or if you would rather just not think so hard, sit back and relax with these two videos--Tourist London and How To Make a One Day Trip to London.

Start planning your one day in London. You may want to spend the day on the bus and river cruise just seeing lots of sites from the outside. Or you may want to opt to make visits to one or two. Have fun deciding!
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Wimbledon Extension

Some of you have signed up for the London extension in order to go to the The Championships at Wimbledon, the famous tennis tournament which dates back to 1877. The games are played in all white, on grass, with the world's most polite spectators...what a novelty!

Tennis legends such as Bjorn Borg, Christ Evert, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, and Pete Sampras have all graced Wimbledon's lawns. Perhaps you just might see Venus and Serena Williams...and even get their autographs! Some of the up and coming new stars to watch for are Jelena Jankovic, James Blake, and Andy Roddick.

Budget Travel magazine deemed Wimbledon one of their dream trips for 2008. We're excited you are making it your dream trip for 2009! This interactive map was for the 2008 games, but it will give you an idea of what to expect. Just how should you behave at this most auspicious event? Here's a witty guide from Budget Travel that provides all the necessary etiquette.

You can get information about tickets for 2009 at their official website. You will be getting tickets at the gate after checking online the night before. Just be prepared to stand in line and be patient for tickets...but are they worth it!
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Mona Lisa--Just For Fun!

Here is a fun YouTube video where somebody very talented from Eclectic Asylum Art uses MicroSoft Paint to draw the famous Mona Lisa painting that we will see in the Louvre in Paris.

It takes less than 5 minutes to play...so just sit back and enjoy! It is truly amazing!

How to paint the MONA LISA with MS PAINT

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Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle outside London, the largest inhabited castle in the world, is one of the homes of Queen Elizabeth II. It dates back to 1070 when William the Conqueror defeated England in the Battle of Hastings (remember the story from the Bayeux Tapestry in France?). It was originally a wooden structure until the 15th century when the current stone structures were built.

The castle complex is actually made up of several landmarks. The most well-known of these are the The Round Tower, St. George's Chapel, the State Apartments, and the Long Walk. Windsor was the site of the wedding of the Queen's eldest grandson Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly in 2008.

Many kings and queens are buried in St. George's Chapel including King Henry VIII 1547 and his favorite wife Jane Seymour 1537 (in the choir) and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother 2002(near her husband in the King George VI Memorial Chapel). It is also the spiritual home to the Order of the Garter.

You might want to print this annotated map to guide you on our tour. Or this map is good also.

This narrated video of Windsor Castle is excellent for showing the grounds and giving a bit of history. This second narrated video in addition to outside views shows views of the inside of buildings and gives detailed information on the Queen Mary's Dollhouse, a working replica built to 1/12 scale. This third video is solely about the dollhouse, has clearer pictures, but is not narrated.

You can download a free eBook from the Gutenberg Project called "Windsor Castle" by William Harrison Ainsworth (1805-1882), a fiction book about Anne Boleyn and the Tudors here. You might also check your library for the PBS 4-episode documentary "Windsor Castle." You can download the Windsor & Marlowe podcast here.
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Tour with Google Earth

If you have not experimented with Google Earth, now is the opportune time to do so. This popular and free downloadable application uses satellite images to pinpoint almost any spot on the globe. Download 5.0 from here and take a tour to see its many features.

Type in any location in the "Fly to" box and Google Earth takes you right there! You can use the controls in the upper right to zoom in to a location, tilt the image and see parts of it in 3D! I have pinpointed the locations of the trip on my Google Earth and zoom (the slide bar on the right) in occasionally to take a mini tour. It lets you know what to expect before you go.

Paris is my favorite! It clearly shows the Eiffel Tower and other points. When I tilt the image (the slide bar at the top) the tower becomes 3D.

Tip to know: Not all locations on Google Earth are as clear to view as Paris. Most of the well known places are. Lesser known places aren't as distinct such as my house...which you might like to visit if you put in my address! (or yours!) Also note that the satellite images are not live, but have been taken over the course of several years and pieced together.

This is a tool to use for any travel...we'll check out the location of our hotels when we get them and see just how close we are to sites we want to see. This will especially help you in London when you want to plan your bus route.

A new feature of Google Earth 5.0 is that you can now explore the oceans by plunging beneath the surface and viewing 3D images of underwater terrain or view images of Mars and other star formations. Of course, we won't be going to either of those places, but it sure is fun to see!

To see how to combine Google Earth, YouTube, and education, see this video about World War Two Google Earth. It includes Omaha Beach in Normandy, France where we will go.

Type in Windsor Castle to see what was described in the posting above.

WARNING!! It is addictive...allow some time for fun!
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