Kimberly Moritz BlogPosts

We leave for Paris via the Eurotrain at 7:15 tomorrow morning. What a day we had today! We tried hard to please everyone in the group for at least part of the day and I’ve no idea if we succeeded.

We began the morning with a tour of Westminster Abbey for most of us. This was my second tour of the Abbey and I found it just as overwhelming as my last visit, 12 years ago. It is absolutely amazing to walk through this 1000 year old building where kings and queens are buried, where knights have walked, where rest such incredible historic figures as Winston Churchill, Chaucer, Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and many more. It literally brings tears to my eyes, there’s just no explaining it.

Our visit to the changing of the guard at the Buckingham Palace was very cool and most of our group followed up with a ride on the London Eye, a magnificent enclosed ferris wheel with a stunning view of the city. Afterwards our group chose different tours, with some at the Tower of London, most shopping in Piccadilly Circus, and my personal favorite, six of us ventured to Harrod’s. While I did NOT purchase the £1045 pound Dior bag, I did pick up some perfume. It’s a funny thing here, despite the fact that they speak English, I swear I can’t hear them when they tell me the total price. Can’t recall at all what that cashmere pashmina cost.

A terrific dinner where we savored curry, yes, your kids are trying all sorts of new things. A bit more shopping for some of us and back to the hotel for the others. We are positively locals on the tube now, no guide needed.

Will write in Paris if possible. Our love and best to all. Linda, because I know you’re reading, will you please phone Derek and Bryna to tell them that my phone card numbers don’t work at all, but that we love and miss them? Also, please let them know that I’m writing on the blog so that they can keep in touch a bit. Thank you!

Anyone who’s ever visited London may find it hard to believe, but the weather here is fantastic. Not even a jacket needed, sunny skies, gorgeous. Yesterday was a jam packed day filled with Windsor Castle and a “Jack the Ripper” tour, among many other things. The Jack the Ripper tour took us to a different part of London, at night, and our students saw some interesting people. It’s good for us to realize that life is different. Some students embrace it while others long for home. And I ended the night glad that my own kid didn’t smack the drunk guy who thought he might enjoy the tour with us.

Today we have planned our own itinerary and it’s ambitious, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, Harrod’s, the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, and the museums. We’ll see how far we get. While some students want to pack in as much as possible, others are clamoring for more sleep. I’ve already used the “your parents didn’t pay $2400 for you to sleep in” speech and it’s only the third day.

As far as time with my son on this trip, forget about it. He’s a fourteen year old boy and scarcely talks to me–I’m getting to know the other students quite well and that’s a pleasure. I suppose if my son were glued to my side I’d have other problems, wouldn’t I? Much better that we’ve raised a strong independent young man who doesn’t need his mother.

I sincerely hope that our students understand the magnitude of everything that we’re seeing and experiencing. I somehow think the glamour or the idea of the trip is different for some than the actual experience despite the number of times that we tell them pre-trip that it’s a student tour, non-stop, lots of walking and busy. It’s no day at the beach. We’re trying to see as much of this part of the world as we possibly can, quickly.

One last thing, our trip to the Jack the Ripper tour included navigating the London Tube, subway system, on our own. Ashley, Patrick, and Becky  totally took the lead on this, navigating and figuring out the lines needed, the stops to take. Allowing your children to go on this trip just might bring them home changed somehow, stronger, more confident, independent “almost” adults. I don’t know about all of you, but you can’t put a price on that. Love to you all. Missing my husband and daughter, so am sure your children are missing you. Know that we are well and happy and squeezing every minute out of our trip. Off to Paris tomorrow morning, we’ll write when we can.