Archive of ‘Travel’ category

Too Busy to Write!

Oh, my! I didn’t realize how long it’s been since my last post! It’s been SO busy since Grandparents’ Day (Nov. 20). Between remodeling, a fantastic Thanksgiving trip to the Christmas Markets in Germany, and the holidays, I haven’t even thought about blogging. 🙁

Here are just two of the many photos taken in Germany – these are in Cologne.

Germany 2 Germany

Now that January has arrived, life has slowed down so that I finally have time to share the amazing things happening in the world of Lower School. More to come . . .

Library of Congress Map Room

I’m a week late in posting this but wanted to share the incredible experience we had at the Library of Congress Geography and Map Room while attending the Google Geo Teachers Institute. We spent two hours behind the scenes at the Madison Building learning about and viewing incredible maps, many created hundreds of years ago.

We saw the 1507 Waldseemüller map which is the first map known to use “America” as a label for the new lands. This was based on Amerigo Vespucci’s voyages of 1501-1502 to the New World. The map was produced in 12 sheets and it represents a thin North and South America separated from Asia by the Pacific Ocean. Of the 1,000 printed, this one is the only known copy to survive.

 I wish I’d taken notes on all the maps we looked at because my memory has failed me but I was so interested in the historical significance that I didn’t catch the names of everything we saw. We were shown several maps drawn by George Washington, including one of Mount Vernon that he drew in 1766.

Another map depicted a civil war drawing of landowners near Washington, DC. It was labeled to show Union and Confederate sympathizers so that Union troops would know who to see to seek food and fresh horses. Another map showed Appomattox on the day the South surrendered to Union troops.

One of the 3-dimensional maps was created to help World War II soldiers know what to expect during the D-Day Landings.

This was a fabulous, behind-the-scenes tour! I’m so glad we had this opportunity.

A Little Vacation Time

After the BLC conference, we took a few days to travel around southern Maine and the Cape Ann area before heading back to the real world. Our first two nights were in a gorgeous Victorian bed and breakfast called Angel of the Berwicks. We’ve stayed in several B&B’s over the years but this is by far the best we’ve ever come across. Ben and Sally have a true gift – making everyone feel like a part of their family. Breakfast was scrumptious; we’ve never had a 3-course breakfast before: homemade muffins, fresh fruit, hot entree – with a different menu every morning! If you ever have a chance to visit North Berwick, Maine, we highly recommend the Angel of the Berwicks. It’s a short drive from Kennebunkport, Portland, and other beautiful areas.

Edinburgh

What a busy time we’ve had in a beautiful city! Jennifer has been a fabulous guide (she spent a year at the University of Edinburgh) and has provided us with a wealth of information as she led us around the city.

We met with Joe Marshal, head librarian of rare and valuable books collection at the University of Edinburgh. He gave an incredible behind-the-scenes tour. Imagine looking at (and being able to touch) books that are several hundred years old! We learned about the preservation process, saw Adam Smith’s personal library collection, viewed medieval manuscripts, and much more. It was an amazing experience!

The next appointment was with Dr. Fraser Hunter, curator of Roman Antiquities at the National Museum of Scotland. He gave us a tour of some of his favorite exhibits, providing us with the rich history behind each. It was very interesting to learn about ancient Scottish culture. We truly needed more time; there is so much to see in this museum!   

It’s hard to believe that our trip has come to an end. I’m eager to see my family again but this has been a fantastic journey. I’ve learned so much and can’t wait to share information with our faculty. We were lucky to have good weather a majority of the time (showers are pretty common in the UK). I’m already trying to figure out how I can get back to this part of the world!

On to Cambridge

This morning we left London behind as we traveled by train to Cambridge to meet with Starlitt Newman, a librarian at the Cambridge University Library. Before boarding the train at King’s Cross, we had to have our photo taken at Platform 9 3/4, where Harry Potter caught the Hogwarts Express.

Starr gave us a fantastic tour of more than just the library and some of their special collections. She provided a wonderful overview of Cambridge University as we walked through the streets of the town. We learned quite a bit of history as she guided us through Clare College and King’s College Chapel. It’s amazing to realize that Cambridge’s oldest college was founded in 1284!

Starr worked with the Tower Project which catalogued books published in Britain between 1910 and 1919. One of the featured author/illustrators was Arthur Rackham – illustrator of fairy tales, J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, and more.

After the tour, we explored more of the town then headed back to the hotel. Tomorrow it’s on to Edinburgh.