LONDON'S MARKETS

This city is so interesting when you have enough time to explore it. As a "normal tourist" you only see the tip of the iceberg!
Since we were there for TWO weeks we had a bit more time and so some of us went to the various markets you can find all over the city.
Just "around the corner" of our college we had two markets with quite a tradition:

PETTICOAT LANE
 http://www.londontown.com/LondonInformation/Attraction/Petticoat_Lane_Designer_Fashion_Market/82c9/

SPITALFIELDS Market     http://www.spitalfields.co.uk/markets.php

Both markets were only a few minutes walk away from the college.
The links show you much better pictures that I could take because sometimes you feel a bit stupid when you take too many pictures :)

One afternoon after the lessons I went by tube (on the Northern Line) to CAMDEN where I found a highly interesting market in an even more interesting part of London.
Here I took my own photos!
Have a look!

On Saturday morning I found my way to the other side of the city to one more market:

PORTOBELLO ROAD Street Market in Notting Hill. Unfortunately, Hugh Grant was not there :)
Of course, you have to be really strong not to buy too much, money is easily spent at these markets ...

That's all for the moment. I visited ONE more market, I'm going to tell you about it next time. I can tell you it will be highly interesting for all "FOODIES"

Keep on reading!

WALKING TOUR in the DOCKLANDS

We started our tour at one of the oldest parts of London. Maybe you know that the city was founded by the Romans and was called Londinium at that time. Here Alan is showing us the remains of the Roman town wall near Tower Bridge.

                                                                            
                                                                               Tower Bridge from beneath.

                                                                     

http://www.skdocks.co.uk/

St. Katharine's Docks was the next stop of our tour. The place is really hidden behind an ugly hotel building that you can see fromm Tower Bridge. Follow the link to see more impreesions of the area.

 We then followed the Thames path where we could get a lot of spots for taking photos. In the background you see what will be the tallest building in the European Union after it will be finished in May 2012. Follow the link to find out more.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shard_London_Bridge  

This structure is called a "draw bridge" the used to be opened when the Dockland was still used as a port. But the lock had partly been filled.

Towards the end of our tour we came through Canary Wharf which is an area that has been developed in the last 20 years and is now competing with the city of London as a new financial district.

 

At the end of our tour we came back to the Thames. Here you can see the Royal Maritime Hospital on the south bank of the river in Greenwich. We went there by foot, under the Thames!

Although our time in London is nearly over this block will be continued because there is so much more to tell you, so many more photos to show you. So, keep reading!

Kind regards,

Mrs Bird

Lessons at the College

Of course we are here to go to college and learn something. That's why here comes a description of a "normal London school day ":

1st lesson from 9.30 am to 11.00 am

2nd lesson from 11.15 am to 12.45 pm

lunch break

3rd lesson from 1.30 pm to 3 pm

4th lesson from 3.15 pm to 4.45 pm - this is for free work on the computer to prepare the presentation of 15 minutes about a topic given by the college 

Can you read and understand what's on the board? You could win a price for telling your teacher (if it's Mrs Bird)

The main topics on the timetable were:

1. Management & leadership

2. Managing people

3. Managing confrontation

4. Dealing with complaints 

5. Marketing & advertising

You may find it wonderful that lessons start so late, but you' ll have to keep in mind that travelling to college in the morning can take about 45 minutes by tube and some of us had to walk for some minutes to the tube station.

Maybe it is a bit hard to see: 
the SPAGHETTI TOWER the students had to build in three groups to test their leadership skills

Tomorrow will be one of the hardest days at school. All have been rather excited today because it is examination time!!! And on Thursday everybody has to give a presentation about a topic they could chose before going to London. - And then the course will already be finished, it is simply incredible how fast the days here are gone.


This blog has to be continued after our return to Erfurt because there just has not been enough time for everything: the college, the presentations, the sights of London, the shopping, the pubs
...

So keep on reading!

Kind regards,

Mrs Bird & HFS

London City Tour

The dragons are guarding the City of London

Yesterday it was already our 3rd day at the college, time flies! 
Every day we get so many new impressions, it's incredible. In the afternoon we went on a walking tour around the City of London with the financial district. The college is located right at the border to the City in the borough of Hackney. 
On the tour we also came across Spitalfields Market, a very narrow lane where some Harry Potter scenes were shot, we crossed London Bridge, walked along the River Thames to the Tate Modern (art gallery) and back across the Millenium Bridge.

Herr Brand, what do you think about that?!

Taking photos of  Diagon Alley (Harry Potter is everywhere)

The GHERKIN (building of a Swiss insurance company)

LEADENHALL MARKET

TOWER BRIDGE as seen from LONDON BRIDGE

 MILLENIUM BRIDGE

Paparazzi - TATE MODERN in the background

The end of the tour was at ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL

In the evening the students went to a karaoke pub. But unfortunately  :) I could not come with them because I had already bought a ticket for a "Rock Gala " of the Princes Trust in the Royal Albert Hall.

I suppose, we all had a great evening :)

More next time!

LONDON'S CALLING

Dear all,

This time in Britain I'll be sharing my experience with my students from the Hotelfachschule of the Ernst-Benary-Schule in Erfurt.

Today was their first day at college, the ECBM (European College of Business and Management) in London:

We are all living in host families while we are here.

in front of the ECBM, Great Eastern Street, London Shoreditch

Today there were some introductory lessons and all did a GOOD job with their mini-presentations. Sarah from the college seemed to be impressed by the very different kinds of experience all student brought along.

I hope we all will have a wonderful time in this amazing city and at the college.

More next time,

Mrs Bird

FAREWELL to BRIGHTON

On Friday after dinner I said goodbye to all my friends from Germany, Spain and Sweden. But I still had almost one complete day in Brighton because my flight from London Heathrow only left at 8 pm on Saturday.

So, I thought about another trip with my fabulous bus saver ticket. After my camera refused working when we last went to the cliffs I decided to go back there. Meanwhile, I had found out that it was not the camera but the spare battery that had caused the trouble.

I took the bus to Eastbourne and got off at a place called Beachy Head, from there I walked for about one and a half hour to Birling Gap and the Seven Sisters. The sun was shining and it was the perfect thing to do to say FAREWELL to Brighton.

Beachy Head Lighthouse

the tide was low in the morning

It is sad but true that the cliffs at Beachy Head are not only famous for their natural beauty ...

After I have arrived home safely I had a look at all these beautiful pictures, and I went through all materials I got from the college and thought of all these great people I met and I am definitely sure that I'm going to apply again for another teachers course after the next 24 months are over.

This is the final entry about my time in Great Britain. But for all who have enjoyed reading and looking at pictures - I ask you to check from time to time because in November our HFS class for hotel management will stay in London for two weeks and I really DO hope to inspire them to continue this blog.

Have a great time & see you soon at school.

Best wishes,

Mrs. Bird