Here is the video I made with all my pictures from the trip! Please take a look at it and ENJOY!  Send Stan somehwere new and get travelin'!

Fourth Day in Wales

Here I am at Caerffili Castle(you would pronounce it CAR-FILY)  This castle was built between 1268-1271 AD by a man named Gilbert de Calre during the First Welsh War of Independence.  What do you think independence means?



This is what the castle looks like from the castle gate.  There was a moat, or a body of water made by man, all around the castle wall.  The bridge you see in the picture is what I used to cross into the main part of the castle.  Why do you think castles had moats around them?

This tower was used for observation.  They climbed all the way to the top in order to see which direction the enemy was coming from.  Can you imagine how many steps they must have ahd to climb?  My legs were so tired! 

This is me in the city of Caerfili.  I am at an mall.  Have you ever been to the mall?  Does yours look like this one?  What types of goods would you buy at the mall?

These three pictures are from a dam Ms. Coates and I visited.  There is a large wall built to hold water above a river.  The water is then used to provide neighboring cities with clean fresh water.  Isn't this beautiful?!  The dam is located at Cors Goch.  It has been my favorite place to visit so far.

Third Day in Wales



 St. Fagan's Museum-The Manor House.

Stan here, at St. Fagan's Museum of Welsh Life.  The museum was opened in 1948, in the grounds of St. Fagan' Castle and ground-a late 16th-century manor house donated to the people of Wales by the Earl of Plymouth.  During the last fifty years over forty original buildings from different historical periods of Wales have been re-erected in the 100-acre parkland.  They include workshops where craftsmen still demonstrate their traditional skill and their produce is usually on sale. 

Below is a historical kitchen.  Does it look like yours?  What is different?

Here's me with the livestock!  What a pig!

 Native breeds of livestock can be seen in the fields and farmyards, and demonstration of farming tasks take place daily, providing us with an insight into the rich hertiage and culture of Wales.

Here's me in front of another school!  There are so many students that have studied at this school.  They study the same subjects as you-math, science, reading, and social studies.  Which subject do you like best?  I think reading is my FAVORITE!

Later today I went here....

I'm at Tintern Abbey this evening. What a truly pretty spot. I got here as the sun was setting on this historical monastry. This was a home, a church, a school, and a farm for monks. It was also a place where the famous poet, William Wordsworth, would travel to for peace and quiet. You can't see them now, but this beautiful building had stained glass windows and a roof. It was placed next to a river that provided them with clean drinking water and you guessed it, a bathroom! The water was also used to create power with a water wheel. How old do you think this site is?

Second Day in Wales

March 12, 2012

Stanley here, at Big Pit in Wales. It is a gigantic coal mine. This behind me is just the top, the majority of the mine is underground. Today I traveled 300 feet underground and learned about coal mining. Coal mines are a series of tunnels dug underground so people could harvest the Earth's natural resouces-coal is a mineral. The miners would wake up early in the morning, walk miles below underground, and use hammers(or picks) to send coal to the surface.

What do you think coal is used for?
Did you know kids your age worked in the mines too?

Your job was to hold the doors open or closed to keep clean air underground for the miners. The miners turned off all the lights for me today so I could feel what it would have been like for a boy like me, it was VERY DARK! That must have been a hard job. All in all I'd say today was great! The states of Virginia and West Virginia have a lot in common with Wales. We also have coal mines just like these-some of them are still in use! There are global connections everywhere.

Later on in the day I went here...This here is a school!
Does it look like yours?
What is different? The same?
What do you think it would look like on the inside?
This is an old school in Blaenavon, Wales. It has since been turned into a museum, but can you imagine all the neat things you would learn here?

This here is Blaenavon Iron Works.  Here workers burn the coal to heat iron.  The iron is then poured into different shapes to make tools, wheels, even things as large as a bridge!  You guessed it, kids work here too.  They were in charge of breaking up the coke(this is a piece of coal that has had all the water taken out of it).  The smaller the pieces were, the easier they were to burn in the fire.  I don't think they got recess at their jobs either-they must have been tired!  Below are some pictures from around the Iron Works site...it was a beautiful day.

This was the big fire pit they threw coal in to heat.  These bricks have been around for over 2,000 years!

First Day in Wales

3/10/12

Good Morning from the town of Chepstow in Wales! I'm wide awake and ready for breakfast.  Yesterday I landed in London and made my way through the airport.  I rode a double decker bus from London to Wales.  The busride was 2 hours long!  I had to take a nap so I had lots of energy to tour new places. 

 

Stanley here in the city of Cardiff, the capitol of Wales.  The flower behind me is probably something you recognize-can you guess it? That's right-it's a DAFFODIL. The Daffodil flower is the national flower of Wales. They are everywhere and beautiful! Are there daffodils blooming where you live? I found these flowers right outside the museum of Welsh history.  Here are some of the cool things I found in the museum-WOW!

This is a Welsh bowman used to defend castles and land in Wales.  His bow is so big!

This kind of looks like a deer I see in my backyard, but his antlers are HUGE!

Ancient jewelry-how fancy!

WOW! So here I am at the Wales vs. Italy International Rugby pitch. What a great feeling it is-everyone here is dressed in red, green, and white. I'm right next to the Welsh flag(just like the American flag you say the Pledge of Allegiance to every morning!) The game is very exciting and lots of cheering...WE WON! Next Saturday, the team will face FRANCE for the Grand Slam Championship(that means we won every game the whoel season!) Now I'm off to grab some fish and chips...those are french fries by the way.

               

Getting Ready to FLY!

March 8, 2012

Here I am all ready to get on the airplane.  I arrived at Dulles International Airport with Ms. Coates and our group.  We are waiting to get our bags put on the plane and then find our seats.  I made sure to pack some extra snacks, a book, and a magaine to keep me busy on the airplane. 

We are leaving the United States at 10 o'clock at night.  We are then going to fly across the Atlantic Ocean before we land in London.  The city of London is located on the continent of Europe, in the country of England.  When I get off the plane, it will be the next day in Europe.  Wow!

If today is Thursday, what day will I get off the plane?
What continent do you live on?
What country do you live in?

If you were traveling a long way, what would you take with you?