Around London in 8 Destinations: The Actual Day

Warning!!  Ultra, ultra looooong post coming up with over 60 photos.  Apologies (but it was such a good day, I couldn't resist 🙂  ) The morning eventually arrived.  We were all experiencing a mixture of anxiety and exhilaration.  I had spent a night worrying whether I was pushing the chicks out of the nest too…

Published

‘Around the World in 80 Days’ Birthday Party for A8

Today we celebrated A's eighth birthday.  We had decided to throw an 'Around the World in 80 Days' birthday party (of course!).  The plan for the day was a Cheerio breakfast, opening presents with Granny in tow, pop to town to buy a watch with Grandad and Granny in Ireland's birthday money, and then spent…

Published

Around the World in 80 Days: Week Three – Typhoons, Japan and Acrobatics

The last thing we covered during week three was Passepartoute's journey to Japan and his time spent there trying to earn food to feed himself.  He sailed straight to Yokohama from Hong Kong.  Fogg was not so fortunate.  He had to catch a much smaller boat to Shanghai (which coincidentally he missed!) sailing through a…

Published

Around London in 8 Destinations: Planning Session Two

As part of their summer challenge, the three older children would need to plan, prepare an itinerary for and execute a whole day in London by themselves.  They would be required to visit 8 Victorian land sites, taking their photo outside each one.  Their smaller challenges to be completed during the four weeks of summer…

Published

Around the World in 80 Days: Week 3 – Victorian Drug Use

Fix attempts to waylay Fogg by getting Passepartoute not only drunk but drugged with Opium.  This was a good opportunity to do a bit of research into the use of drugs in the 19th century. Victorian Drug Use There were opium dens where one could buy oblivion, dens of horror where the memory of old…

Published

Around the World in 80 Days: Week 3 – Calcutta to Singapore

We spent a day learning about the geography of the route between Calcutta and Singapore.  It was interesting to go on Google Earth and track the route Passepartout and his master Mr Fogg took. We learnt about: The Bay of Bengal The Strait of Malacca Singapore Gothic Architecture Samuel Morse Fix sends a telegraph to Great…

Published

Around the World in 80 Days: Week 2 – India Part Two

Fogg and Passepartout's Journey Across India The book took us on a very detailed journey through the varying landscapes of India, and I thought it might be quite nice to show visually what Verne was describing in his book, as Fogg and Passepartout made their way across India. This took a long time and required…

Published

Around the World in 80 Days: Week 2 – India Part One

I haven't so much to write this week because all our time was spent learning about India.  Phileas Fogg traveled from Bombay to Calcutta, first by steam train, then by elephant.  This week we only read the chapters pertaining to India.  We have covered India before in our home school and I fortunately had posted…

Published

Around London in Eight Destinations: Planning Session One

Things were about to get interesting.  As part of their summer challenge, the three older children would need to plan, prepare an itinerary for and execute a whole day in London by themselves.  They would be required to visit 8 Victorian land sites, taking their photo outside each one.  Their smaller challenges to be completed…

Published