$6.86 for a water bottle? This sounds awfully like a trip abroad to the colony capital, England. And indeed, it was. The 2025 MUS in Europe trip took three chaperones and Greenwich. The Owls departed from Memphis on Monday May 26 and arrived in Atlanta for a quick layover. The true haul began on the Virgin Atlantic flight to London Heathrow. A quick 8 hours and 14 minutes placed students in London at 6:30 a.m., filled with energy.
The first day went by as a jet-lagged blur, the tired Owls walking behind their tour guide, visiting locations such as Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, and of course, a fish and chips restaurant.
Day two was much easier to recall as the newly refreshed owls proceeded, though slightly late, to the Tower of London. There the students had the opportunity to see where the Crown Jewels were stored as well as the Medieval Weaponry Museum, followed by the disturbing site of many former beheadings. Next, the travelers left for the Shard, London’s tallest building, where they saw a skyscraper’s eye view of the city. Moreover, they had the chance to witness the rare raising of the Tower Bridge, often confused with the London Bridge, where a replica Spanish Galleon crossed. The day ended with a walk along the River Thames, seeing an exact model of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre with a straw-thatched roof and the HMS Belfast.
Day three found Owls strolling through a multitude of museums in Kensington, just west of central London. Institutions such as the Science Museum and Faraday Museum occupied our morning while a visit to the John Snow water pump amused the Owls before dinner. The post-dinner entertainment was spectacular as Owls were treated to a showing of “Wicked” at the Apollo Theatre, which has been showing the same play for over 20 years.
Day four placed students in Westminster Abbey, receiving a guided tour of the famous church. Subsequently, the Owls walked south along the Thames to the world-famous British Museum. Although jammed with artifacts from every corner of the earth, MUS students found refuge in the space next to the refreshment stall after a grueling four-hour time slot to explore.
Day five consisted of a trip to the city of Cambridge where we visited the Wren Library, Trinity College, and Kings College. The Wren Library, named after famous architect Chistopher Wren, who designed St. Paul’s Cathedral, contained rows of manuscripts illuminated by the large windows adorned with stained glass. Inside covered glass tables were documents such as Shakespeare’s first folio and Sir Issac Newton’s cane. After another consecutive day of vigorous walking, averaging around 17,000 steps daily, the Owls were punted down the River Cam; or rather, they got to go punting on the River Cam (riding on a gondola-like boat up and down the river).
Day six entailed a trip to Bletchley Park, home of codebreakers like Alan Turing who worked during World War II and the National Computing Museum. Allowed to explore the entire complex, the students were given the opportunity to visit the buildings where German encryption machines were decoded, specifically by Turing’s Bombe machine.
Later, on day seven, the Owls were presented with a wonderful tour of Christ Church College in the city of Oxford, noting its link to C.S Lewis and his story, “Alice in Wonderland.” Furthermore, students also received a tour of the Bodleian Library, one of the few libraries in the world to receive every form of media published in Britain, for free.
Traveling back to London on day eight let MUS students visit Windsor Castle and later the Natural History Museum, chock full off fossils and other intriguing exhibits about the natural world. Another brilliant play entertained the Owls that night, that being “The Lion King” at Lyceum Theatre.
The last day in London was spent traveling along the Thames, on an Uber Boat. The river bus service took the students to Greenwich and the Royal Observatory. Taking in the marvelous charting equipment as well as the telescope opened our eyes to the importance of timekeeping in historical and modern contexts. There was no shortage of clocks, especially ones that took more than five years of detailed work and research to make! Our last attraction was the famous Ferris wheel, the London Eye. Though not quite as thrilling as the Shard, it was a pleasant end to the trip with light rain and a great view.
As the weary travelers boarded their flight for their 7,026-kilometer trip back to the land of miles and feet, they appreciated the opportunity to visit so many fantastic sites in England. The Owls thank chaperones Dr. Dalle, Dr. Gadbois, Ms. McCullough, and tour guide Mr. John Lionet, for such a calm and enjoyable trip.