Travel

Austin’s “Adventure Down Under” to the beautiful countries of New Zealand and Australia was an incredible trip. I am proud of our dozen Austin Prep students - Sophia Freeman ‘20, Sydney Newcomb ‘20, Jack Bartley ‘21, Andrew Becker ‘21, Liz Bodette ‘21, TJ Brosnan ‘21, Maxwell Clarke ‘21, Alexis DeMarco ‘21, Devin Donofrio-Ralls ‘22, Dante Filadoro ‘22, Adam Higginbottom ‘22, and Theo Rudolph ‘23 - for how they represented their school in their genuine interest in the Maori, Kiwi, Aboriginal, and Aussie cultures.

Throughout the final days of our tour, the students and I filmed clips to parodize the Disney-Pixar film “Finding Nemo.” While we didn’t find Nemo the clown fish swimming under the Harbour Bridge, singing at the Opera House, surfing on Bondi Beach, or dining in Darling Harbour, we did find our own personal Nemo: New Experiences, Marvelous Opportunities. As an educator, it is exciting to bring our students beyond Willow Street and out into the world where interacting with other people and cultures both deepens the lessons they’ve learned at school and exposes them to lessons that can’t be taught in any classroom. Students had the opportunity to actuate the Augustinian charisms that underpin Austin’s Mission through travel and learn as much about themselves as they did about the wider world on this incredible journey, in the words of Bilbo Baggins of Lord of the Rings and Hobbit fame, going “there and back again.”

What a way to cap off our 2-week adventure with a full day on our own to explore the vibrant city of Sydney.

After Mass at Saint Mary’s Cathedral, I met the students and Mrs. Filadoro in our hotel lobby with all the beach gear they’d need for our seaside afternoon at Bondi Beach. 

Our morning consisted of a walk through Sydney’s Hyde Park and Sandringham Gardens to the Harbour waterfront for a tour of the Sydney Opera House. Erica arranged for us to have a private tour of this iconic building regarded as one of the most influential pieces of architecture of the 20th century. Our guide was extremely informative as she walked us through a number of performance spaces and talked about the 2500 performances and events held at the venue each year. Our own Sydney even had the opportunity to belt out a song in the opera house - what an experience!

We then took bus 333 to Bondi Beach for a sunny afternoon. Students enjoyed shopping, having a bite to eat in a cafe, and lounging in the sand listening to the waves and watching surfers maneuver the water. 

We returned to our hotel to begin packing and prepare for our farewell dinner. En route to dinner, we walked through Sydney’s Chinatown and shopped at Paddy’s Market. After our dinner in Darling Harbour, we went for ice cream - the girls then returned to the hotel with Mrs. Filadoro, and the boys strengthened their friendships with each other and their new friends from California by going bowling and playing laser tag at a venue in Darling Harbour.

We had quite an exciting tour of Sydney today! Our morning began with a short coach ride through the Botanical Gardens to the lookout point known as Lady Macquarie’s Chair. From there, we were treated to our first clear view of the iconic Sydney Opera House and the expansive Sydney Harbour Bridge.

We drove along the harbor out to the cliffs that separate Sydney Cove from the Pacific. From the South Head, we spotted whales breaching the ocean’s surface on their migration north. It was quite inspiring!

The rest of the morning was spent on Bondi Beach. While none of us got in the water, we enjoyed shopping the market and strolling along the sand. The beach had such a great vibe that we’ve decided to return to Bondi tomorrow mid-day to soak in a little more sun and enjoy a meal on the water.

Around mid-day, we arrived back in downtown Sydney to visit the National Opal Museum and Collection. We then walked through a neighborhood known as The Rocks. This warren of streets was home to the first residential neighborhood in Sydney and also its first hospital. We walked across the Harbour Bridge (and back) and enjoyed lunch. From there, we boarded a ferry for an afternoon cruise around Sydney Harbour, taking in a number of sights from the water.

After our cruise, our guide Erica led our students out to the Sydney Cricket Grounds where we cheered the Sydney Swans on to victory over Gold Coast in Aussie rules football. This is a fast-moving game that combines the speed and athleticism of soccer with the physicality of rugby and football. When your student comes home decked out in red Swans gear - that’s why!

The students have had a relaxing and rejuvenating past couple of days. Yesterday, we made our way up the coast through Noosa Beach and Maryborough to take a ferry out to Fraser Island at Rivers Head. Students enjoyed time checking out the amenities of the resort last night and a meal at the Sand Bar Restaurant.

Today was blissfully peaceful. I met the students for breakfast on the terraces overlooking the pool at our stunning resort (for context, Prince Harry and Princess Meghan stayed here on their visit to Queensland). 

After breakfast, several students hired a fishing kit to have a go at reeling in a fish on the Great Sandy Strait. Others opted for a more leisurely morning poolside. 

Students were able to eat at one of the several restaurants at the resort for lunch - others brought snacks and other food that they purchased in Maryborough for a picnic (hamper in Aussie speak) lunch on the beach. We were pleased that none of the 200-300 dingoes that call Fraser Island home joined our picnic - these canines look cute, but as cousins of the wolf, they are cunning hunters and the apex predator in this eco habitat (and are kept off the resort by the protective barrier that encircles the property).

Mrs. Filadoro and I joined the students on the beach and were delighted to see many of them rent kayaks and paddle boards which they enjoyed on the serene waters off sunset beach. That beach was aptly named as the sunset this evening was a great way to end the day before dinner at the Sand Bar and time out on the jetty learning about the Southern Cross and other star formations - the sky is so dark here that hundreds of stars light up the sky! 

Tomorrow, we have a longer travel day ahead of us. We will head south of Brisbane to the Gold Coast and Surfer’s Paradise. We’ll be breaking up the ride with a couple of stops along the way, including an aquarium to learn about Australian marine life.

We have made our way to the continent-country of Australia. As they sing in their anthem they’ve got “golden soil and wealth for toil - their home is girt by sea.” We sure had the opportunity to experience that today.

Our morning was a bit earlier than we had been accustomed to in Rotorua with a 5 AM wake-up call to get ready, grab a boxed breakfast, and make our way to Auckland International Airport. We cleared customs and made our way to the gate for our 4-hour flight “across the ditch” (the Aussie/Kiwi term for the jaunt over the Tasman Sea) to Brisbane.

In Brisbane, we met our Aussie Driver Jimmy and drove about an hour north to the Sunshine Coast. We arranged for students to take a surf lesson - and Mrs. Filadoro and I also hopped in on the action. We had about six surf students per instructor - Carlene and Robbie were very patient with Mrs. Filadoro and me respectively. After our tutorial on the beach, it was time to catch some waves! While we all had turns wiping out and one point or another, everyone was able to eventually get up on the board and surf their way to shore.

We are now at our hotel on the Sunshine Coast. We know we are in Australia because we ran into a trio of kangaroos (including a joey!) on our way to our rooms. The property encircles a small lagoon, and several of us are planning to walk/run around the lagoon in the morning or take out a kayak before we check out to head to Fraser Island for two days of pure paradise.

Kia Ora one final time from Aotearoa New Zealand! Aotearoa is the Maori word for New Zealand, roughly translating to the “land of the long white cloud.”

We awoke this morning for a cruise on the Duck Boat Matilda around two lakes in the Rotorua area. Our guide Shelly had quite a personality and really quacked us up (yes, pun intended) with jokes. She shared a Maori myth about the lake called the Sacred Necklace in which a young Maori girl once lost a very special jade necklace at the bottom of the lake. Throughout our ride, Shelly played some music for us to sing along (and quack along with our quakers) to. It made for a great final spin around Rotorua.

We collected our bags, stopped at a souvenir shop, and were on our way north. For lunch, we stopped in the town of Matamata. Several of the students joined me at Broadway Burger for a delicious lunch of fish and chips (served in a newspaper). Others made their way with Mrs. Filadoro for salads, smoothies, and sandwiches. From there, we were back en route to our destination: Auckland - the largest city in New Zealand and home to 1.5 million of the nation’s 5 million residents. Along the way, Erica regaled us in some commentary about New Zealand’s athletic culture and the All Blacks Rugby Team, the America’s Cup, and wildlife (most notably birds) in New Zealand. 

Before we knew it, we were in Auckland City Limits! Our guide Roger provided a driving tour of the highlights of the city including the Auckland Museum (which is also a war memorial to the ANZAC Troops), the Domain (a park/sporting area), and Auckland University. Roger and Erica are great sports fans and shared information with us throughout the city tour about rugby as Auckland is hosting a major match tonight against a team from Tonga - and we are ourselves off to cheer on New Zealand in a Rugby Union game (it is the provincial quarter finals tonight) over dinner at the Shakespeare Hotel downtown in the next hour.

Tomorrow will be an early morning wake up as we will make our way to Auckland Airport to fly to Brisbane, Australia! We have a surf lesson lined up for our Sunday afternoon - what a great way to dive right in (another intended pun) to Australia!

Kia Ora! Yesterday’s visit in Rotorua was an educational and meaningful visit and left an impression on the students not only about Maori culture but also about the power of a person to make a difference.

The students enjoyed a plentiful and leisurely breakfast of muffins, eggs, bacon, croissants, yogurts, and regional fruit (and juices). It was exciting to hear them speak about the connections they are making with the students from the other schools on our tour and their impressions about the activities we’ve participated in while here in Rotorua.

Our driver Roger brought us to a geothermal area called Waiotapu. Our first stop was at the Lady Knox Geyser. New Zealand is one of only three countries with active geysers (the US and Iceland are the other two). The Lady Knox Geyser was unearthed about a century ago when prisoners in a work camp came across a hot spring outside of Rotorua and used it for bathing and laundry. Over time, the minerals from the soap they were using worked their way into an underwater lake and - well, poof! The lake erupted and created what is now known as the Lady Knox Geyser. A staffer from the Park “induced” the geyser - and we were all thankful that we wore our raincoats and were standing just on the lip of the “splash zone.”

We spent the rest of the morning in the geothermal park. Local guides whisked us around the area pointing out various craters, mud pools, and fumaroles. Highly concentrated mineral deposits left vivid colors on the edges of some of the pools. Several of our rising juniors were quick to share the chemical symbols for these elements with our guide - no doubt Ms. Farrell will be proud of her budding chemists!

The afternoon was when things really took off. We met a local guide from the Kohutapu Maori Lodge who greeted each of us in the traditional Maori way (face-to-face; nose-to-nose) and then provided commentary about her ancestral tribal lands as we made our way through the misty mountains into a lush, green valley. 

The tribal lands are home to the largest man-made forest in the Southern Hemisphere - and that is where the story recently turned tragic for her people. In the 1960s, the New Zealand government sold rights to lease out the land to private corporations for forestry and logging. A poor economic environment for the Maori turned worse when these companies mechanized the logging process - resulting in massive unemployment. Fast-forward a generation, and the once thriving Maori township is impoverished and suffers still from the social effects of that poverty including crime, substance abuse, and urban drift.

Our guide brought us to her hometown and to the area school where she and local students taught our tour group a haka. The haka is a traditional way for the Maori to tell and celebrate their stories - these chants, for an approximate word, are often shared at funerals, birthdays, in honor of visitors, and other special occasions.

From there, we drove out to the Kohutapu Lodge where we met the vibrant and inspiring Nadine! Nadine offered a sacred greeting to us and then introduced us to Why who taught us how to weave with flax grass. Students put their new skill to use weaving their own bracelet (or at least that was the goal!).

As the sun set, Nadine blew a conch shell and gathered us around the hangi pit where her husband Carl was about to uncover the feast that awaited us. Hangi is a traditional way of cooking by digging a pit in the ground and using hot Hangi stones (found glistening by moonlight on the riverbeds) and steam to cook the food. And what a feast we had! Chicken, pork potatoes, pumpkin, and stuffing emerged from the Hangi pit - and not long after filled our plates and then our bellies along with sides like pineapple coleslaw, salad, and fried sweet bread. The meal was topped off with a sampling of several desserts!

Nadine then shared the special story about her family’s Lodge and business. Recognizing the extreme poverty of the Maori township and embracing her call as a Maori woman (“We are warriors, and we will preserve our culture - even in a modern age”), Nadine and Carl gave up everything to open the Lodge about five years ago. They use the proceeds from visiting groups like ours to invest back into the local community. The extra food (and there is always extra food - it is a cultural expectation that a host never runs out of food!) is brought to the local schools or, on the weekends, to the elderly. Over the past five years, the couple has been able to deliver 20,000 meals to the 1,500-person township and reinvest over a half million dollars into the community with a number of different programs. Our students were really touched by this story and the positive impact that their tour had on the very community that we drove through and the school we visited that afternoon. The students eagerly helped Nadine package the remaining food and also made an additional donation to support the work that Nadine and Carl are doing to give hope to the future of the Maori.

Kia Ora! We had a packed first full day on the ground in Rotorua. Many of the students were asleep last night by about 8 PM and were able to have a solid night’s rest. We awoke to frost on the ground but also to a warm and plentiful breakfast awaiting us in the hotel restaurant.

Most of us traveled out to one of the movie sets used in the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings films. Hobbiton was such a treat! Our driver Debbie explained how a working farm was transformed into the setting that so beautifully opens and closes the films. Our guide Courtney from Canada provided lots of great commentary (and was helpful at taking some photos!) as she walked us through the set. The students also indulged me in recreating a couple of my favorite scenes from the movies, including running between a stone wall while exclaiming “I’m going on an adventure!” (That scene occurs in the first Hobbit film). The tour finished with refreshments at the Green Dragon. The fresh-baked scones by the roaring fire-place were wildly popular!

Those who were not in Hobbiton went on a walking tour of Rotorua Lake and learned about the city that we’ve called home for the past couple of days. The city has a rich Maori heritage with a number of Maori myths and legends about the land formation, volcanic activity, hot springs, and mineral deposits. While the city was (and still is) renowned for its geothermal hot springs, today, it also enjoys a reputation as an adventure-seeker’s haven. And a bit of adventuring (a theme today) is how we spent our afternoon!

We enjoyed a bit of sun atop one of the ridge lines overlooking Rotorua Lake. We arrived at our vantage point by the SkyLine Gondola, and all the students took turns winding down the hill on luge carts. 

In the evening, the AP delegation gathered in the lobby to sing “Happy Birthday” to Elizabeth and enjoy a slice of chocolate cake!  

Tomorrow, we’ll be out and about for a full day learning about the geothermal activity of Rotorua and immersing ourselves in Maori culture by dining on a hangi feast and observing several Maori dances.

Kia Ora from New Zealand. Kia Ora is how to say “hello” in the Maori language, and we are excited about the opportunity to immerse ourselves in this rich culture.

We arrived at about 5:30 AM New Zealand time and cleared through customs where we met our Tour Director Erica. We also met up with the students and chaperones from three other schools who are traveling with us. The other schools are from North Carolina, Florida, and California. In true Austin fashion, our students were quick to strike up a conversation with these other students and, as I sit in the lobby to write this blog entry, are engaged in some interactive games and conversations with these students - and about six New Zealand high school students - in the adjacent conference room.

Much of the morning was spent on the road as we made our way from Auckland to Rotorua. Erica provided a great deal of informative commentary about the landscape, Maori culture, and education in New Zealand. She is a wealth of information and has already taught us several Maori words!

This afternoon, we were in and around Rotorua. 

We started with a demonstration in a jade jeweler’s shop. We learned about the stone, the symbols contained in the carvings, and the Maori myth of how jade came to become such an important stone. The students seemed the most interested in the craftsman’s (James’s) description of how jade was even used to make weapons for Maori warriors.

We then went to Velocity Valley, an adventure area that reinforced why New Zealand is considered the “Adventure Capital of the World.” Between eating a light BBQ lunch, several students opted to go for a ride on a jet boat or race one another in the aerodynamic Schweeb Racers - much to the cheers of their fellow travelers.

The afternoon also included a demonstration at the Agrodome where we learned about the importance of different livestock, namely sheep, to New Zealand. Devin was even selected from the audience to participate in part of the act.

We are now checked into our hotel and are looking forward to a well-earned solid night’s rest. Tomorrow, we’ll celebrate Liz’s birthday in style with Hobbiton, Rotorua Lake, and a gondola ride into the mountains on the docket.

Until next time —- Haere ra!

The Holocaust Memorial and Museum was very different from all the other sites we visited both in the way it looked and the way it felt. Inside the museum, it was dim and quiet, quite the solemn place to reflect a horrific event. The design of the building was something that became noticeable to me personally, starting in a light area, going into the museum, where it was dark and quiet, and exiting into the light again. A reflection on the history, of sorts: a long museum that reflected the long time in the darkness of the Holocaust. The museum showed the countless stories and happenings from this event, beginning with the shunning of the Jews, following to their persecution, to the darkest times, and the most painful. It spared no detail, no account: all evidence, all remains, all remembrances that could be found were in that museum;  and good thing they were, or else it’s quite possible the objects, and the memories they hold, would be lost in the past. The museum itself was like a time capsule: one that held the darkness and horrors of human life as well as some of the light and hope in the places one would least expect it. I hope to revisit it in the future.

-Written by Nora Lafferty

Arlington National Cemetery is a place where people come to pay their respects to those who have  represented our country in battle; a place where absolute silence is a given; a place that provides something unique - that every individual must experience.

When one visits Arlington National Cemetery, there is one thing to look out for in particular - the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Based on my own experience, I was moved the most by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - a grave that represents all of those who were lost at war and were never identified. The tomb is protected 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by expertly trained guards. These guards perform the "21 gun salute", a sacred military ritual. The utmost respect and silence is required at this time. The "changing of the guard" as well as the "presentation of a wreath" occur hourly at the tomb.

One of the most astonishing things, however, about Arlington National Cemetery were the number of graves themselves - it spooked me that so many important people could be buried in one place.

That was Arlington National Cemetery - a place that provided an important experience, one that I will never forget.

-Written by Mac Doucette

While on 8th grade trip to Washington, D.C., our class had the privilege to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial. I had not previously understood how amazing these memorials were until I actually visited them in person. This was a great experience to witness the many brave men and women who have died while protecting and shaping the great country we live in today.

All the memorials were amazing to see; however, one stood out for me.  While visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, I was able to locate my great uncle PFC James R. Pizzano’s name engraved on the granite wall.  He had given his life fighting for our country. Even more special was while I was taking a picture of his name, Mr. McLaughlin took a photo of me.  Mr. McLaughlin shared the photo with my family. Later it was placed on the Austin Prep social media accounts. My grandfather, who was PFC Pizzano’s brother got to see this special moment and I know how much he appreciated it.

I have to say this was easily the highlight of my three years at Austin Prep.  It was a very humbling and yet inspiring experience and one me, my classmates, and now my family will never forget.

-Written by Nathaniel Glionna

On our very first day in Washington D.C., we went to the Air and Space Museum. At first it was very overwhelming because it is enormous, but as we explored it, bit by bit, we really started focusing on what was in front of us and taking in that information.

In this museum, we saw huge models of planes and rockets floating from the ceiling, model pods so we could experience what it would be like if we were in space, and exhibits about the astronomers and scientists that started gathering and understanding space to what we know of it today.

There are so many things that we still don’t know about space but, in the years to come we will find out more. We can count on the Air and Space Museum to keep us up to date on what we know while still remembering the past and all of the people in it too.

This museum is really close to me because one of my relatives is in it. Her name was Harriet Quimby, and she was a pilot. In fact, she was the first American woman to earn a pilot’s license, license #37. She was also the first woman to fly solo over the English Channel. Lastly, she was enshrined into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2004. She is located in the Early Aviators exhibit wearing her iconic purple suit.

This was such a great learning experience and it is so fun. So the next time you are in Washington D.C. make sure to go to the Air and Space Museum.

-Written by Caity McCraw

The United States National Archives is home to the original Declaration of Independence and Constitution. While there, we went into the Rotunda to see the history and documents that made our colonies into a country. Any American citizen can visit to the archives to access documents from American history. There are billions of pages of text, millions of rolls of film, millions of charts, maps and other articles.  The National Archives are truly a representation of how free American citizens are. Our government trusts us with the archives of our nation.

-Written by Dan Cory 

On Friday morning, the Class of 2023 had the opportunity to meet with Senator Ed Markey’s staff. After visiting the Supreme Court Building, we headed to the Russell Senate Office Building where his office is located. Senator Markey is a Massachusetts Senator who was raised just north of Boston. Unfortunately, the Senator was away in Boston for the St. Patrick’s Day weekend; however, we were greeted by Andrew Zack and the office’s new intern, Lily. Andrew, a Legislative Correspondent, began by telling us about himself and how he became a member of the staff. He grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts and then moved to Virginia to attend the College of William and Mary. After repeatedly showing interest in government, he began interning at the Senator’s office and was hired. He currently focuses on Education Issues and Public Works, but always helps where he is needed. Both staff members were very knowledgeable about life on Capitol Hill as well as Senator Markey’s interests.

We learned about the committees Senator Markey is currently working on, which are Foreign Relations, Commerce, Science, & Transportation, Environment & Public Works, and Small Businesses & Entrepreneurship . He was the primary sponsor of 26 bills that were enacted. He currently is working on a program called the Green New Deal. Andrew explained to us what this legislation is: a plan to restructure the economy and promote clean-energy jobs to fight climate change. After we received a better understanding of the daily routine of Senator Markey, we had the opportunity to ask questions. One of the questions that was asked was, “How did Senator Markey’s Catholic education growing up help him in his career in government?” Andrew told us that he has maintained his faith as an adult and he uses it as a platform to make connections with other members of Congress.

-Written by Olivia Ferri

The first place our group visited in Washington, D.C. was the Supreme Court. It was a very interesting location to visit and was a great beginning for our trip. There was so much to see at the Supreme Court from the architecture both inside and outside the building to the inside chamber where we learned how the Supreme Court works. When we entered, there was a little museum portion of the Court where we could learn some of the history of the building itself. There was also another level of the building where the court chamber is located. Our group was able to go in that chamber and listen to a lecture provided to us by a member of the staff in the Supreme Court. After listening to the lecture, we went back through the museum portion to get a better look at the exhibits there. After all of that, we went back outside and took one more look at the building itself before heading off to Senator Markey’s offices for our meeting there. Overall, our visit to the Supreme Court was very interesting and we all learned a lot about how the court works and how the Justices work there. It was a very fun place to start off our great trip to Washington D.C!

-Written by Denley Cushing

Today marked our final full day in the United Kingdom. We traveled to the village of Windsor, site of Windsor Castle, the longest continuously-inhabited royal residence in the world. Windsor was built in a motte and bailey design shortly after the Norman Invasion and has been the ceremonial home of the Most Noble Order of the Garter since its establishment in the 14th century. In more recent history, it was the favored home of Queen Victoria after the death of her husband Prince Albert and is the weekend retreat of Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II. Americans may be familiar with the Castle as the backdrop for the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle. Students had the opportunity to walk the parapets and explore the State Rooms where the Queen hosts numerous events.

The afternoon was spent on the River Thames as we cruised from Windsor to Runnymeade. Mr. Michael McLaughlin, Head of Middle School, delivered a talk to an international audience of over 100 people at the Magna Carta Monument, a memorial dedicated to the momentous 1215 signing of the Magna Carta.

We spent the evening on campus packing our suitcases before heading to the Great Hall at Charterhouse for a closing dinner and dance - and to say farewell to our excellent ISCA counselors and our new friends from schools in the US, Argentina, Brazil, and Peru.

Taking in the sunshine, Austin students traveled to the seaside resort of Brighton on the English Channel on Thursday. Known for its Royal Pavilion, the elaborate palace designed for the merriment and mirth of King George IV, Brighton offered students the opportunity to take a plunge into the waters, play games and go on rides on the famed pier, and shop in the district known as The Lanes. Full of funnel cakes and fish and chips, students returned to the Charterhouse campus to get ready for a night in London’s glittering West End to see the musical “Wicked” at the Apollo Victoria. Students were amazed by the acting, singing, and technical elements like the set and costumes.

Students traveled to the scholarly city of Oxford. With the University’s Bodleian Library hosting 120 miles of shelved books - and growing - it was not surprising to discover that the University has produced more published authors per square mile than any other place on Earth.

Strolling past the soaring spires of the 38 colleges that comprise the University, students explored campuses steeped in history and that count 50 Nobel Prize winners, 27 Prime Ministers, and authors like Lewis, Tolkien, and Elliot among its alumni. After the walking tour, students enjoyed lunch and had the opportunity to visit the Ashmolean Museum. 

In the afternoon, students toured New College, known for its outstanding choir - though students were excited to also learn that a 19th century evergreen holm-oak tree in the cloister was featured in the fourth installment of the Harry Potter films. Students were then treated to a private tour of Rhodes House by the friendly porter Bob. Bob explained the origins of the prestigious Rhodes Scholars Program and the work of students today. At the end of the visit, he gifted a title for the Austin Prep Fr. Smith Library and Media Center to inspire students to pursue the Rhodes Scholars’ mission: to be impatient with the way things are in the world, to examine problems, and to act.

Like millions of pilgrims in the Middle Ages, Austin Prep traveled to the city of Canterbury. The visit began with a boat trip on the city’s canals where students ducked under bridges as they learned about St. Augustine of Canterbury, who established what is now considered the world’s oldest school, the rise of the city in the Middle Ages, and famed residents like Christopher Marlowe. Students then explored the massive Cathedral, the seat of the Anglican Church and the location of St. Thomas Becket’s murder at the behest of King Henry II. After the martyrdom of Becket and a number of miracles attributed to him, Canterbury became one of the great pilgrimage centers of Europe, inspiring Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales.” Students admired the fan vaulting, descended into the crypt, and engaged with guides who explained the stained glass windows and ornate Gothic architecture. 

The theme of today’s visit to London could be summed up in one word: the monarchy. This was an appropriate focus for the visit as London celebrated the fifth birthday of Prince George, fourth in line to the throne.

Mr. McLaughlin and ISCA Staffer Rhian guided Austin students around the Westminster district. The group began their walk in Victoria Gardens aside the Palace of Westminster and were reminded of their tour of Parliament last week. Exiting the gardens, we passed statues of Emmeline Pankhurst of the Suffragette movement, King Richard the Lionhearted, and Oliver Cromwell. We paused inside the cloistered yard of Westminster Abbey - site of coronations, royal weddings like Prince William and Princess Catherine’s, and funerals like Princess Diana’s. We progressed up Parliament Street, site of the former Whitehall Palace, where we saw monuments like the Cenotaph, the Prime Minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street, and the Banqueting House where Charles I was executed during the English Civil War. We posed for pictures alongside Her Majesty’s Calvary at Horseguards Barracks before progressing up to Trafalgar Square for a view of the Admiralty Arch and Nelson’s Column. We then made our way up the processional Mall to Buckingham Palace in time to watch part of the ceremony of the Changing of the Guards. The officers looked sharp in their bearskin hats, polished uniforms, an smart red uniforms. We relaxed for lunch in the beautiful gardens of St. James’ Park.

In the afternoon, our royal visit continued with an outing to Hampton Court Palace, most memorable as one of the pleasure palaces of King Henry VIII. Students explored the massive kitchens and engaged with actors who were cooking a feast, paying the king’s bills, and preparing for surgery - giving an interesting perspective into life in Tudor times. In Henry’s State Apartments, students sat at the tables of the Great Hall and enjoyed a performance of Henry’s decision to marry Anne of Cleves. We also explored the richly appointed Waiting Chamber, the Haunted Gallery, and the Chapel Royal. The palace complex is extensive - students want to return one day to explore the rooms of the Hanoverian monarchs and of William and Mary. With another beautiful day in London, we ended our visit exploring the Maze, one of a number of interesting features of the 60 acres of manicured gardens that surround the palace. 

The theme of our visit to London today was icons of the city as we focused on Shakespeare and the breathtaking Saint Paul’s Cathedral. 

We began our day with a tour of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on the bank of the River Thames with Taz, a veteran member of the Company. Taz then led us in an hour-long acting workshop that explored the prologue of “Romeo and Juliet.” The students got into the warmups and an acting exercise that focused on the essential meaning of the play’s first 14 lines.

After lunch in the gardens of the Tate Museum, we crossed the Millennium Bridge (which makes an appearance in the Harry Potter films) to Saint Paul’s Cathedral. Saint Paul’s is unquestionably the defining landmark on the London skyline. The stage set for Princess Diana’s wedding to Prince Charles and the funerals of Winston Churchill and Horatio Nelson, among others, the mammoth church was designed by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London in 1666. We climbed 111 meters through the Whispering Gallery, Stone Gallery, and Golden Gallery to enjoy a panoramic perspective of London and descended into the crypt to view the tombs of Nelson and the Duke of Wellington.

Students are excited about an on-campus day tomorrow which will include the opening rounds of a squash tournament, a workshop of field hockey, and an opportunity to play cricket!

Bath sits in the Western part of Britain on the banks of the River Avon. Hot waters spring forth from the Earth, leading the Romans to build a temple and bath complex there dedicated to Minerva. Austin students explored the bath complex, the largest and best preserved in Northern Europe, and were able to peer into the past as they walked on suspended catwalks over the ruins of the Roman temple and its courtyard. Students were reminded of their Latin lessons with Mr. Chris Ayers and Mr. Roger Stone who cover the complex at Bath in their unit on Roman Britain.

As the day progressed, our group traveled further back in time to the prehistoric wonder of the world: Stonehenge. The great circle of Saracen and blue stones quarried miles away, ferried to the Salisbury planes, and positioned to align with celestial movements were awe inspiring. Students wondered about the engineering involved in transporting and arranging the stones and the purpose of the site.

With our trip to England officially half-way through, students are making friends with other ISCA participants from Argentina, Brazil, and Peru as well as from other schools in the United States. While experiencing over 5,000 years of British culture and history, it has been exciting to share these experiences with other students and faculty from around the world!

Austin Prep students trekked to the Warner Brothers Studios outside of London for the Harry Potter Experience. Students boarded broomsticks, navigated the Forbidden Forest, and shopped through Diagon Alley. The tour began with a cinematic overview of the Potter films - after which the screen flew into the air and revealed the front entrance to Hogwarts. When the doors opened, students found themselves in the spacious Great Hall where they viewed a number of props, including the Goblet of Fire and the House Cup Counter. From there, students explored a number of sets in the soundstage including the Gryffindor Common Room and Dormitory, the Potions Classroom, Professor Dumbledore’s Office, and Platform 9 3/4. Along the way, hundreds of costumes and set pieces and thousands of props were a true delight for fans of the films. In the studio lot, we saw Harry’s home at 4 Privet Drive with the Knight Bus, Hagrid’s motorbike, and the Weasley’s car parked outside. The final soundstage included a number of animatronics as well as the Diagon Alley set and a 1:24 model of the campus of Hogwarts. All in all, we enjoyed a magical day on set!

Our group traveled east to the beautiful town of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire for a day filled with Shakespeare! Our tour began at the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company which counts Dame Judi Dench and Sir Ian McKellen as former company members. We were escorted backstage by our guide Nikki who gave us a behind-the-scenes tour of the Theatre. We went into dressing rooms, the wardrobe department, and production booth while learning about how the RSC brings Shakespeare to life each night through its performances.

In “As You Like It,” Shakespeare writes “All the world’s a stage. And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts.” True to that line of the play, Austin students explored the streets of Stratford and visited places that would have been familiar to the Bard. 

At Shakespeare’s childhood home on Henley Street, we saw the room where Shakespeare was born and the bedroom he shared with two of his brothers. Out in the garden, actors performed Shakespearean scenes on demand: imagine, hearing Shakespeare performed outside the room where the greatest playwright was born! We walked by his grammar school and the walled gardens of the home he and Anne Hathaway purchased once he rose to fame. We also spent time in the Holy Trinity Church, the place where Shakespeare was baptized, attended services, and was buried.

Our work with Shakespeare will pick up again at the end of the week when we return to London for a workshop in the Globe Theatre on “Romeo and Juliet.”

Today’s ISCA Journey took us to Embankment Park for lunch on the Thames before an afternoon tour of the Houses of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster. We entered through Portcullis House, following the same path that MPs (Members of Parliament) use when they leave their offices to attend committee work, debates, and votes in the chambers. We met our guide Simon in the Great Hall. Home to momentous occasions like the lying in state of Winston Churchill and the Queen Mother and the coronation banquet of George IV, the Hall is the sole remaining chamber from the time of William Rufus in the eleventh century. Our followed the path of the monarch on the State Opening of Parliament, starting at the Norman Porch and Sovereign’s entrance, through the robing room bedecked with Victorian-age reminders of the qualities of monarchy, through the monarch’s gallery - truly architecture as a stage set for government - and into the House of Lords with its beautiful canopied throne. Along the way, we learned about how British government works, a discussion that carried us through the Central Lobby and into the House of Commons, home to the fierce debates of the Prime Minister. Students asked great questions about the role of the Church of England, Black Rod, and the election and appointment of MPs and Lords. Our visit was truly a look into British government at work and the importance of monarchy in that system.

In one day our group visited the fairy-tale castle of Arundel, home of the Duke of Norfolk, and boarded the historic flag ship of the British Navy made famous at Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar. What an action packed day!

The morning was spent in the quaint town of Arundel on the Arun River. Arundel Castle dominates the hilltop and is a real, working castle. After exploring the village shops and bakeries, our group entered through the castle gates and meandered through the beautiful gardens. 

We imagined how invading forces - like the Cavaliers and Roundheads in the English Civil War - might have laid siege to the keep of the castle and then stormed the keep ourself, making our way across the narrow passage between the main castle and the keep and up to the parapets to scan the South Downs. Books and photographs cannot compare to the experience of getting to climb the keep and strategize about how one besieges a castle and how one defends the keep - an exercise that students in Mr. McLaughlin’s Topics in Art History can look forward to this fall. 

Our visit to Arundel finished with a tour inside Arundel Castle. The Duke of Norfolk and his family call this palatial residence home. As Earl Marshal of the Realm, the Duke is the highest ranking member of the nobility and is responsible for such state occasions as coronations and the State Opening of Parliament. We were able to view the Duke’s library, dining room, and several more public rooms filled with masterpieces of art and pieces of British history and heritage. Guides, like the friendly Garth in the Duke’s Library, were eager to share stories with students and point out items like a Van Dyck showing the Norfolk’s almost-purchase of Madagascar and the death warrant for the Fourth Duke of Norfolk signed by Elizabeth I.

The afternoon was spent on the seaside at Portsmouth. We boarded the HMS Victory and followed in Horatio Nelson’s footsteps. Up the gangplank, we arrived on one of the gun decks and made our way to the exact spot where Nelson was killed by a sniper during the battle. We visited Nelson’s stately quarters and went into the hold of the ship exploring provisions, workshops, and the lives of the sailors who made this ship such a masterful weapon of war. One of the guides walked our group through the loading and use of one of the massive cannons.

Transitioning from past to present, we boarded a ferry and toured Portsmouth Harbor. From the bow of the ship, we enjoyed panoramic views of the wide harbor dredged by hand by prisoners of the Napoleonic wars and the massive cruisers, destroyers, and aircraft carriers of the mighty British Navy. To see these modern vessels lying astern of the historic Victory were a testament to the rich heritage and long history of the British Navy.

Our group had a chance to sleep a bit later today, and with two action-packed days behind us and two more upcoming, we relished the rest. Today, we broke into groups with students from the other schools and participated in different activities like squash, fives, and cricket, drama (which Mr. McLaughlin helped out with), netball and football. At the end of the day, we gathered in the ISCA Garden where several prizes were awarded for particular skill, effort, or team spirit. Dillan was awarded a prize for Netball and Bella received recognition for all three of her activities today: squash, drama, and soccer! The day concluded with workshops on the Battle of Trafalgar in preparation for Friday’s visit to Portsmouth. One group re-enacted the battle formations with water balloons. Then, it was back in our houses for house meetings and lights out.

This morning, our group was excited to go into the capital of the United Kingdom, the great city of London. We boarded our bus with students from Our Lady of Mercy School in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and from the Colegio Peruano Britanico in Lima, Peru. As we wove through the streets of London, we caught glimpses of landmarks like St. Paul’s Cathedral, MI-6, and the new American Embassy in Battersea Park. We crossed the River Thames on Tower Bridge, perhaps the most iconic of the 214 bridges that cross the river.

Our first stop in London was the Tower of London.There were many points of interest to visit in the Tower, and we began with the Crown Jewels. The Jewels include the 140 crowns and instruments of anointing, investiture, and coronation and are a dazzling collection of 23,000 precious and semi-precious stones: many of them even have names like the 530.2 carat Cullinan I or Great Star of Africa set atop the Sovereign’s Scepter and worth 400 million pounds!

William the Conqueror built the Tower as a strategic fortress, and the White Tower (the keep of the castle) remains a London landmark and was our next stop. We saw many coats of armor and weaponry from various time periods and a chapel used by the Order of the Bath, the knights who escorted monarchs to their coronation through the seventeenth century. This part of our visit reminded us of the Tower’s role as a fortress and armory.

The Tower is perhaps most famously known for being a prison and site of execution -and our next stops kept that history in focus. We went to the site where Anne Boleyn, among others, was executed during the reign of Henry VIII. We then chatted with a Yeoman Warder of the Tower who answered our many questions about how one becomes a Yeoman and the history of the Bloody Tower - the last location of the princes of the Tower who were murdered after the death of their father, King Edward IV.

As we left the Tower, we visited the ravens of the Tower. Seven live at the Tower and have their wings clipped as it is said that should the ravens leave the Tower, the fortress will fall. The ravens are not the only animal to have taken up residence. At one time, the Tower was also home to the royal menagerie - which included a polar bear (a gift from the King of Norway) that was known to go fishing in the River Thames.

We enjoyed a picnic lunch on the Thames and boarded a boat for a cruise upriver. We saw a number of landmarks as we progressed to the London Eye. Aboard the Eye, we soared 135 meters in the air for breath-taking panoramas of London.

We returned to campus in time for dinner and the semi-final of the World Cup. It was a thrilling game with England taking an early lead. The energy on campus was electric. Croatia tied the game up in the second half and clinched the spot in the final against France during the overtime play. We had a very full day and are looking forward to sleeping in and enjoying recreation at Charterhouse during our first on-campus day tomorrow.

Our first full day on the ground took us to Winchester, the former capital of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Wessex. Before departing campus, we attended a talk on Winchester to prepare us for the sites of this important city. We disembarked at King Alfred’s statue at the base of the High Street and then walked to Winchester Cathedral, our home base for the day. 

Nathaniel and Kendall navigated the group to the Great Hall, the sole remaining structure of Winchester Castle. A round table dominates one of the walls - for years believed to be the round table of Wessex’s most famous man of myth - King Arthur. Our group “got medieval” donning costumes in the hall and spent time in the gardens for an impromptu lesson on architecture.

After lunch, the group visited the Cathedral. Construction on the Cathedral began in 1079, and the evidence of Norman architecture and later Gothic additions was clear as we explored the buttresses, vaulted ceiling, and arches: that morning lesson really paid off! Students were on the lookout for a number of points of interest in the Cathedral including the quire (the oldest in the United Kingdom), the crypt, a chair from Queen Mary’s wedding to Philip II of Spain, and the former tomb of Saint Swithun. 

Keeping with the theme of the Cathedral, our next stop was the ruins of Wolvesey Castle, the former residence of the Winchester bishops. The students split into small groups - one entering the great hall imagining they were guests of Bishop Henry, the principal patron of the palace and brother to King Stephen; the other tracing the pathway of the army of servants bustling food from the kitchens to the staging area to the great hall.

We returned to campus for a BBQ in Scholar’s Court followed by sports activities and the option to watch the semi-final of the World Cup. We’ll all be watching the Cup tomorrow as England faces off against Croatia for a spot in the finals.