Welcome Spring 2010 Syracuse London students!!
Mark your calendars for the SPRING 2010 TRAVEL SEMINAR the evening of MONDAY 25 JANUARY. The Travel Seminar is an orientation session on all of the Syracuse London travel offered over the semester. Do make an effort to attend as you will learn loads about what we have planned and some field trip sign-ups begin on this night. Bring £10 notes as a refundable deposit to secure your place on the Friday field trips (and £5 notes as a refundable deposit on the walking tours).
Optional course-related and all school overnight field trip prices will be announced in London at the Travel Seminar. These trip fees are payable by Mastercard or Visa only.
Spring 2010 Field Trips
Tour of London to Greenwich
Sunday 24 January 2010 / This is an ALL SCHOOL field trip/ departs Faraday House at 10:30 am /SIGN-UP BEGINS WEDNESDAY 20 January at the Housing Desk at Faraday House / There is a £10 refundable deposit due when you sign up for this trip.
To welcome you to London we have organized this bus tour of our most famous historical and tourist attractions, ending at world-famous Greenwich. Home to the Meridian Line, the Royal Observatory and the outstandingly beautiful Baroque architecture of the Royal Naval College, overlooking the Thames. Greenwich has become extremely fashionable in recent years – so take the chance to lunch and shop for crafts, food clothes (and even antiques!) at the trendy and lively Old Covered Market.
Stonehenge and Salisbury
Friday 29 January 2010 / This is an ALL SCHOOL field trip/ departs Faraday House at 8:30 am / SIGN-UP BEGINS WEDNESDAY 20 January at the Housing Desk at Faraday House / There is a £10 refundable deposit due when you sign up for this trip.
Stonehenge is Britain’s most famous ancient monument and one of the world’s most astonishing engineering feats, built probably for ceremonial and religious purposes.
Salisbury is a preserved medieval city and home to the beautiful Salisbury Cathedral which dates from 1075. Its spire was built in 1330 and is the tallest in Great Britain! King John sealed the Magna Carta here in 1215.
The Curran Walks: East End Markets Walking Tour
Sunday 31 January 2010 / This is an ALL SCHOOL field trip/ Meet at the McDonald's at Liverpool Street Station at 9:45 am / SIGN-UP BEGINS WEDNESDAY 20 January at the Housing Desk at Faraday House. There is a £5 refundable deposit due when you sign up for this trip.
Discover the rich colour and texture of a fascinating district not normally seen by visitors - be the one who knows where to find London’s only 24 bagel shop! We begin the day with a guided tour of this culturally rich and vibrant area which still echoes the 19th Century when it was the established Jewish quarter and Jack the Ripper prowled its alleys.
The East End has always changed with the times. As new shops, bars and Art Galleries spring up, it’s edgier than ever! Irish, Jews, Maltese, Somali, Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities have all influenced these kitsch markets. Eat ethnic, eat organic, taste the real London - soak up the current East End buzz while you can!
Vale of the Whitehorse and Runnymede
Saturday 6 February 2010 / This is an ALL SCHOOL field trip/ departs Faraday House at 8:00 am / This trip runs in conjunction with ETS340: Reading the English Landscape / Sign up opens for all-school on Thursday 28th January / A £10 refundable deposit is required.
The Vale of the White Horse takes its name from the oldest chalk figure in Britain (going back to around 1000 BC). The Vale itself stretches from the Oxfordshire borders to the Cotswolds and is described as ‘enchanting.’ We get to the heart of the landscape—and how we are to view it and the magnificent white horse—on a walk of a couple of hours across 5,500 years of English history, before warming ourselves over a pub lunch. On our way back into London, we stop at Runnymede, famous as the site of the signing the Magna Carta by King John in 1215. The Magna Carta (upon which the US constitution is based) has been claimed as the world’s first constitution. Our interest here is in a very different hillside monument: the JFK memorial.
The Curran Walks: Jack the Ripper Walking Tour
Wednesday 10 Feb AND Thursday 25 Feb 2010 / This is an ALL SCHOOL field trip/ Meet 5:00 pm at Faraday House or 6 pm at Tower Hill Station / Sign-up begins on Registration Day, Friday 22 January. A £5 refundable deposit is required.
The tour will be led by the leading authority on Ripper history, author and ex-City of London policeman, Don Rumbelow. His famed walk takes you to the heart of Ripper Territory. Don Rumbelow is the man to whom Johnny Depp turned for help when researching his role in the movie ‘From Hell.’ Who better to guide you through this eerie East End excursion?
We meet for the tour at Tower Hill tube station (District/Circle Tube lines). You must be there and ready to commence the walk at 6pm sharp! If you are not sure how to get there, an escort will be departing Faraday House at 5.00 pm
Canterbury and Leeds Castle
Friday 12 February 2010 / Departs Faraday House at 9:00 am / You must sign up with Charine in the Student Life Office /A £10 refundable deposit is required.
Canterbury (of Chaucer’s ‘Canterbury Tales’) still maintains the charm of its medieval splendour. Thomas a’Becket was murdered in its famous Cathedral in 1170 – Canterbury has remained a place of pilgrimage ever since. Leeds Castle is one of the most beautiful castles in England. Built on a lake and surrounded by acres of park and gardens – home to an aviary and its’ famous free-ranging peacocks! Leeds Castle is even listed in the Domesday Book which was produced in William the Conqueror’s reign in 1086!
The Curran Walks: Discover Hampstead Heath
Saturday 13 February 2010 / This is an ALL SCHOOL field trip/ Meet at 10:30 am at Belsize Park Tube Station / Sign-up begins on Registration Day, Friday 22 January / A £5 refundable deposit is required.
A delightful Saturday morning jaunt, starting out in the north London enclave of Hampstead. You soak up Hampstead’s gentrified village atmosphere before exploring the magnificent Heath. You will be treated to tea and cake and taken to explore a wonderful art gallery. This walk helps you to make the most of your London experience, as we introduce you to this bijou little corner of London, a favourite with artistes and celebrities, that our students grow to love! We meet at Belsize Park tube at 10.30am.
The Curran Walks: Rebels and Radicals
Monday 15 February 2010 / This is an ALL SCHOOL field trip/ Meet 5:30 pm at Faraday House /Sign-up begins on Registration Day, Friday 22 January / A £5 refundable deposit is required
Our neighbourhood has provided a safe haven for many of history’s rebels and radicals. Join us as we walk in the footsteps of those who refused to play by society’s rules, from William "Braveheart" Wallace who fought for Scotland's independence through Karl Marx and Lenin to Oscar Wilde, our route takes in many of London’s iconic sites, including the famous law courts at the Old Bailey rounding off at Christopher Wren’s St Paul’s cathedral.
Knole, Penshurst and Dungeness
Friday 19 February 2010 / This is an ALL SCHOOL field trip/ departs Faraday House: 08:15 / This trip runs in conjunction with ETS 340: ‘Reading the English Landscape’ / Sign-up opens for all-school on 3 February with Charine in the Student Life Office / A £10 refundable deposit is required.
The two sides of Kent. In the morning we use ancient rights of way to walk the aristocratic estate of Penshurst Place, owned by the Sidney family for the last 450 years. We explore all the elements of the “country house,” including its fields, village church, walled gardens, and, of course, the building itself, with one of the few surviving medieval halls. After a pub lunch, we head to the coast and an entirely different landscape, where the land itself is still being made. Below a vast sky, the eye seems to travel forever. We climb the lighthouse (with views to France on a clear day), walk the shingle beach collecting shells, and end up in the garden of the filmmaker Derek Jarman’s fisherman’s cottage. The fifth quarter—a haunting space out of this (English) world. In your head a long, long way from London.
Dover Castle and Secret Wartime Tunnels
Friday 19 Februaray 2010 / This is an ALL SCHOOL field trip/ departs Faraday House at 9:00 am / A £10 refundable deposit is required.
Visit Dover Castle! After the Battle of Hastings (1066) William the Conqueror strengthened this key fortification. The secret underground tunnels here date back to the middle ages and played an important role in defending England during World War 2. This trip includes a tour of these tunnels which show them just as they were in WW2. You will also be able to see the spectacular white chalk cliffs of Dover overlooking the English Channel - a proud English symbol for those arriving and departing our shores. Explore Dover town - one of Henry Vlll’s Cinque Ports - part of his ‘taxes for ships’ deal.
The Curran Walks: Feisty Women of Bloomsbury
Saturday 6 April 2010 / This is an ALL SCHOOL field trip/ departs Faraday House: 2:00 pm / A £5 refundable deposit is required.
Our local area was notorious over the past century as a home for scandal. Free-thinking liberal-minded members of the intelligentsia, notably writers, flocked to Bloomsbury where they became known as ‘the Bloomsbury Set. The women of the Bloomsbury set laid down their own rules for their own lives and scandalised society by indulging in affairs with each other’s partners – they held love in much higher esteem than monogamy. Throughout the years Bloomsbury has continued to attract women of great calibre, from the educationalist Mary Ward to the poet Sylivia Plath.
Blenheim Palace and Oxford
Friday 26 February 2010 / This is an ALL SCHOOL field trip/ departs Faraday House: 9:00 am /A £10 refundable deposit is required / You must sign up with Charine in the Student Life Office
The extravagantly opulent Blenheim Palace is one of Europe’s largest palaces. Its gardens are now a World Heritage site Afterwards, we visit the City of Oxford, to see the ‘city of dreamy spires’, home of the oldest English-speaking University in the world. Renowned for its charming shops, museums, pubs and cafes, Oxford is also the location for the ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘The Golden Compass’ films. Your visit will include a guided tour of the historic Brasenose College, founded in 1509.
The Curran Walks: Winston Churchill's Wartime London
Saturday 27 February 2010 / This is an ALL SCHOOL field trip/ We meet outside the Embankment tube station at 2pm / Sign ups begin on Friday 22 January / A £5 refundable deposit is required.
Winston Churchill was recently voted the ‘greatest ever Briton.’ Although history tells us that he was not exactly top of the class in his school days, his legendary charisma and leadership got Britain through the World War 2 – earning him the enduring respect of Londoners along the way, particularly for his courage in refusing to leave the city during the Blitz. This walking tour expertly recaptures the mood of wartime London and brings to life arguably the greatest – though somewhat eccentric! – British Prime Minister of all time.
Kew Gardens
Friday 5 March 2010 / Meet at 11 am at the Kew tube station. / £10 deposit is due at sign up with Charine in the Student Life Office
Join us for a day out at the internationally renowned Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. The collections here – which include the world’s largest collection of orchids - were started in 1759 and included in Kew’s magnificent grounds are Kew Palace, built in 1631, the Great Pagoda (1762), and the world’s largest ornamental glass house.
Hampton Court Palace
Friday 26 March 2010 / This is an ALL SCHOOL field trip/ departs Faraday House at 9:30 am / A £10 refundable deposit is due at sign up / You must sign up with Charine in the Student Life Office.
If you only visit one palace, make it this one! Discover the newly-restored tudor kitchens! See the banqueting hall and great hall! Marvel at the splendours of royal antiquity!
Jewels of Paris: History Through Architecture
Thursday 8 April - Sunday 11 April 2010 / For those registered in FIA 305 SIGN UPS BEGIN AT THE TRAVEL SEMINAR: Monday evening 25 Jan 2010. This trip will open to others after a short priority time for those in FIA 305 / The price of this trip will be announced in London.
This is an optional course related trip for those in FIA 305. Ahhhh, Paris! A city never destroyed by enemies; perpetually renewing itself and rightly nicknamed “the city of light”. Paris has a perfect setting on the River Seine with its splendid monuments and landmarks, great museums and galleries, stately prospects and views and elegant squares and gardens. Add to this its lively café-life, fine cuisine, great department stores and fine specialty shops and you'll leave bedazzled by this city's true “joie de vivre”.
Over the weekend, you will experience more than a glimpse of Paris. This is an opportunity for a broad overview of this great city. We include many of the excitedly anticipated tourist attractions, but via both private coach and guided walking tour, you will be shown a Paris that leaves you with deeper impressions than the majority of casual visitors could hope for.
Thaxted and Cambridge
Friday 9 April 2010 / This is an ALL SCHOOL field trip/ departs Faraday House at 9:00 am / A £10 refundable deposit is due at sign up / You must sign up with Charine in the Student Life Office.
The day begins with a visit to the small country town of Thaxted in Essex. Thaxted is not only picturesque but is full of history. Its parish church dates back to 1340 and is reputed to be one of the best examples in the country. Cambridge has so much to offer: winding streets, wonderful architecture and punting on the River Cam. Our trip to this bustling market town includes Trinity Bridge and the "Backs". Join us for lunch at the Eagle Pub - a haunt of WWII airmen, many of whose signatures are still on the ceiling of the back room.
Istanbul, Turkey
Thursday 15 April - Sunday 18 April 2010 / This is an ALL SCHOOL field trip/ The price for this trip will be announced in London / PARTICIPANTS FOR THIS TRIP WILL BE SELECTED BY LOTTERY. YOU MUST HAVE YOUR FORM INTO CHARINE JOHN IN THE STUDENT LIFE OFFICE NO LATER THAN NOON ON FRIDAY 29TH JANUARY TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE LOTTERY. This process will be further detailed at the Travel Seminar.
Explore the magic of Byzantium and Constantinople!
The fee for this trip includes your round-trip flights from Heathrow with British Airways, three nights at the Ottoman-era Aya Sofya hotel, in the historic heart of Old Istanbul. Explore the magic of Byzantium and Constantinople – we will stay within walking distance of the bazaar, the Hippodrome and the amazing Topkapi Palace – all close to the beautiful Bosphorous sea, PLUS visits to all the major historic sites and tourist attractions of Istanbul. All guide fees, entrance fees, tours, transfers within Istanbul are included in the price of this trip.
Brighton: London by the Sea
Friday 16 April 2010/ This is an ALL SCHOOL field trip in conjuction with Faraday Pride/ Coaches depart Faraday House at 9 am / You must sign up with Charine in the Student Life Office / A £10 refundable deposit is required.
Brighton is the nearest beach resort to London and many Londoners commute to this lively town for the weekend This is one of our most popular field trip. We include entrance to Brighton’s best-known landmark: the Royal Pavilion, built by Nash in 1823. It’s amazingly extravagant blend of Indian, Chinese and Islamic architecture perfectly reflects Brighton's diversity and exuberance. It is truly awesome!
The arches on Brighton’s beachfront house hip cafés, bars and clubs. Or take a walk through the Lanes, a warren of old fishermens’ cottages with specialist shops, pubs and cafés. Check out the North Lane area for vintage clothing, street fashion, records, kitsch and cafés.
Lake District
Thursday 25 March - Sunday 28 March 2009 / This is an ALL SCHOOL field trip/ The price for this trip to be announced in London / PARTICIPANTS FOR THIS TRIP WILL BE SELECTED BY LOTTERY. YOU MUST HAVE YOUR FORM INTO CHARINE JOHN IN THE STUDENT LIFE OFFICE NO LATER THAN NOON ON FRIDAY 29TH JANUARY TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE LOTTERY. This process will be explained in further detail at the Travel Seminar.
A weekend in the some of the most beautiful and rugged scenery in England. The British version of the great outdoors (which means pub lunches and nights in an 18th-century coaching inn). The activities of our small group will vary, but may include: the most spectacular walk in England—a day-long hike across dramatic ridges to the top of England’s third-highest mountain; England’s craziest road (and most remote Roman fort); wild valleys; autumn colours; stone walls and sheepfolds; waterfalls; a forest full of art; the most beautifully sited stone circle; a less than entirely reverent attitude to Wordsworth. And, of course, the lakes, tiny mountain tarns and menacing glacial fingers—we’ll be above them, alongside them, and on them. Expect to jump on the train back to London tired. Nothing more than average fitness is required.
Bath, England
Friday 23 April 2010 / This is an ALL SCHOOL field trip/ You must sign up with Charine in the Student Life Office / A £10 refundable deposit is required.
The beautiful Georgian town of Bath is the only town in England to have been awarded the distinction of World Heritage Site. It is one of the most popular destinations with students on our program. Jane Austen wrote some of her novels here, and Gainsborough established himself as a portraitist and landscape painter. The city is known for its elegant Georgian crescents and buildings and plaques highlight its eminent inhabitants from its heyday as a spa resort. The Roman Baths are the city’s most famous attraction, and this day trip includes a visit to them. You can taste the waters in the Pump room! Edgar, the first king of a united England, was crowned in Bath in 973.
Dorset: The Jurassic Coast
Friday 23 April - Saturday 24 April 2010 / This is an ALL SCHOOL field trip/ The price for this trip to be announced in London / PARTICIPANTS FOR THIS TRIP WILL BE SELECTED BY LOTTERY. YOU MUST HAVE YOUR FORM INTO CHARINE JOHN IN THE STUDENT LIFE OFFICE NO LATER THAN NOON ON FRIDAY 29TH JANUARY TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE LOTTERY / This process will be further detailed at the Travel Seminar.
This is always one of our most popular trips! It includes your stay in a beach-front hotel, a hike around some of the most glorious coastline the UK has to offer, a visit to Corfe Castle (blown up during the civil war), a trip to a sandy beach and nature reserve, a ride on a ferry and much more! All guide fees, entrance fees, tours and transfers within Dorset are included to help make this an unforgettable way to round off your UK study abroad experience!
SOC 367: Sociology of Sport
London sporting events plus an overnight trip to Manchester, England for a rugby match
These are optional course related events for students of SOC 367 and they have priority sign up for a limited time on these events. Prices will be announced in London.
FOOTBALL / TBC Tuesday evening 9 February: Fulham v. Burnley
CRICKET / TBC Saturday 10 April: Surrey Cricket
RUGBY / Friday 23 April - Saturday 24 April. This is an Optional trip for those in SOC 367: The Sociology of Sport / The price of this trip will be announced in London / Sign ups begin at the Travel Seminar on Monday night 25 January. You will travel by train to Manchester for a Sale Sharks Rugby match on Friday evening. We'll have dinner in the hospitality rooms at the stadium hosted by our club contact Nathan who just happens to be an SU alum! You will also have free time to explore Manchester after the match on Friday night and on Saturday before our train home.
