The current exchange rate for a British pound is $2. I’m going broke, and quickly too. But thanks to Villanova, some of the great things are free.

This past week, the Global Citizens and upperclassmen from Villanova rode the London Eye and took a day trip to Stonehenge and the city of Bath.

The London Eye is among the biggest ferris wheels in the world. It takes approximately half an hour to go around, and from the top, we can see Big Ben, Parliament and St. Paul’s Cathedral. The carriage is the most brilliant element. Each carriage can hold about 20 people. It’s like a little bubble room – with a heater and all.

Last Saturday, we all went to see Stonehenge, a giant stone monument built around 2000 B.C. While the prehistoric landscape was interesting to see for about 10 minutes, the more memorable part of the trip was the eccentric tour guide, Liza. I wonder how she felt as a Brit stuck in a coach (a private bus) filled with American students.

Little did we know our tour guide would discuss everything from pasties (an English-style pastry) to the chalk ground (which absorbed water way better than normal soil) to Martians (who she believed created Stonehenge).

After Stonehenge, we headed off to Bath, home to the only natural hot spring in Britain.

During the era of the Roman Empire, the Romans took over the city and built a complex site for public bathing. But the city offers much more than hot springs.

The city buzzes with tourists, street performers and Avril Lavigne-esque punk pre-teens. Liza really urged us to explore, and explore we did. We saw street performers doing crazy acts, including a man in a thong performing acrobatics and jugglers with torches.

We ate pretty much everything we saw, including chocolate from the Cadbury bakery, tea with scones and pasties. Bath was truly a treat for the senses.

Now that I’m back from the day trip, I promise I have tons of reading and homework to do. The program is more than just adventures and excursions, but I’ll explain school and British professors next time!

Cheers, Villanova!