Monday, December 12, 2011

Quality Time in London


Our eldest daughter is a special education teacher in London.  Schools over there are on a very different schedule than schools here, in the US.

"In England and Wales, the school year generally runs from early September to mid July of the following year. Most schools operate a three-term school year, each term divided in half by a week-long break known as ‘half term’, and are structured as follows:
  • Autumn term: Early September to mid December (half term: late October)
  • Spring Term: Early January to Easter (half term: mid February)
  • Summer Term: Easter to mid July (half term: late May/early June)
The terms are separated by two holidays each consisting of approximately two weeks: the Christmas holidays separating the autumn term and spring term and the Easter holidays separating the spring term and the summer term. The period between the end of one school year and the start of the next is known as the summer holidays consisting of six weeks."

By design, we were in London during the Autumn half term.  On one hand, we would spend quality time with our daughter.  On the other hand, we would be sharing the transportation system with sightseeing school children and parents, jockeying to see the same sights.  Because of my wife's injury, we were handicapped.

Portcullis House and Palace of Westminster

I wasn't looking forward to sightseeing in London.  I had done most of the prerequisite sights forty years earlier.  I didn't need to see them, again.  However, I was in London with my wife.  This was her first visit to London.  I was willing to do whatever she wanted.  I would make the best of the situation.  However, I could tell, her first visit to London was not going to be a quality visit.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved


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