A Successful First Day in London!

After a relatively short flight over the Atlantic Ocean, the Great Capitals
group arrived in London this morning and is winding down our first day.
After our bus transfer to downtown London, the group checked into our UCL
residence rooms and left for a walking tour. Highlights the groups saw
include: Oxford Street, Leicester Square, the West End Theatre District and
Covent Garden. The 50 of us were entertained with opera singers, buskers,
open-air markets, and trying to capture as many pictures of the sights as
possible. The group has a free evening tonight to continue exploring the
area surrounding the residence and revisit any exciting sights they passed
today. Tomorrow is our first day of classes, followed by an afternoon with
some exploration of the British Museum, followed by a performance of Julius
Caesar at the Globe Theatre. In true Shakespearean spirit, we will be
standing in the "pit", where for a penny the "groundlings" (the nickname
given to those who stood in the pit) would buy access to stand and watch the
performance!

The group has also been excitedly following Wimbledon and were extremely
excited to hear about Eugenie Bouchard (a Canadian only a few years older
than the students) winning her semi-final match this afternoon! London sets
up large screens in parks around the city for public viewing and we are
planning to watch her play in the finals on Saturday. Eugenie is Canada's
first ever women's singles Wimbledon finalist, and the group is excited to
show their Canadian pride and cheer her on!

Attached is a picture of some of our students posing with the iconic red
telephone booth outside Covent Garden.

Until next time!