Live from London
by MB Farley, as published in The Valley Mirror on October 21, 2010
Greetings from across the pond! I just celebrated my one month anniversary of living in London on Monday, October 18, and it just keeps getting better. I feel like I’ve been in London for such a short time, I’m always running around and exploring something new. At the same time, it feels like I’ve been away from the Steel Valley area for ages. The time is flying by and I’m trying to make the most of it.
In the midst of my school work and London sightseeing, I’ve had the opportunity to explore Great Britain. Great Britain consists of England, Wales and Scotland, while the United Kingdom is made up of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. There is so much to see in London that it’s hard to find the time to leave, but I’m glad I did.
I had the opportunity to take a weekend trip to Wales on October 9 and 10. The quiet farmland and green countryside in western Great Britain was vastly different from the busy streets and concrete buildings that I’m used to. Traveling in Wales was amazing because I was able to experience the beauty of the land as well as explore the history of the people.
While I was there I did many things, but two of the things that I did were exceptionally special. I visited the site of a Roman Ampitheatre and Roman military barracks which dated from the year 1000. I also was able to go inside the Caerphilly Castle: a concentric castle surrounded by water that was built in the late 13th century. I felt like I was really inside a medieval castle!
This past weekend I took a day trip to Stonehenge and Salisbury, both located in England. Walking around Stonehenge is something that I’ll never forget because it is a historical phenomenon. My trip to the small town of Salisbury was exceptional as well because I was able to see an original copy of the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta, dating from 1215, is one of the first written declaration of rights in the world.
My trips around Great Britain left me in awe. In traveling in less than four hours from London, I was able to experience some of the most important pieces of history in the world.
