TRAVELING THE WORLD

Italy, England, Chile, and Australia

ENGLAND
Dear Lily, Wow Im finally visiting Stonehenge. I thought it looked so cool in pictures because of the amazing formation of the stones and also how peaceful it looked. It is a prehistoric monument that is in the middle of many other monuments. There is also about seven hundred burial mounds scattered around which made me feel a little queasy at times. It was first built as a burial mound . The stones look amazing in person yet I was a little scared they might fall at any time. Who ever made these did a good job making sure they wouldnt fall. I remember in the middle of the year when we learned about Queen Victoria in the Industrial Revolution which intrigued me to visit it. Its the worlds largest museum of decorative arts and design, believe it or not. This museum is very important, containing some of the highlights of that era. The museum didnt have as much impact on history as Victoria and Albert though. As I learned Queen Victoria reined 63 during the biggest industrial changes in history. It was founded in 1852 so it wasnt bran new but I didnt feel it was going to collapse on me like in the Stonehenge. Im about to walk in the Palace of Westminster and let me tell you, this building is not small. I remember during Y1K studying England and its government. Known as the House of Commons or House of Lord, Palace Westminster was used as the royals palace throughout history. I wish I could live in this palace! It was extremely important in the Middle Ages known as Thorney Island where Canute the Great lived. But until next time CHEERIO! -Sydney
P.S. The pastries and food are amazing here. The pies and fruit are exquisite just how my friends and I had learned this year.

ITALY
Dear Mom and Dad, Today I went to the Coliseum! Its so big! I wanted to stop by here in Italy because of all the pictures Ive seen about it. I also wanted to find out why it was built and how long its been standing. No wonder its the largest amphitheater in the world. It could hold 50,000 to 80,000 people! It was built from 70 AD-80 AD. I think that was before I was born... Because of earthquakes, stone robbers and other natural disasters it has been torn down in some areas. This is one of Romes biggest tourist attractions and Im so glad I got to take a tour of it. My next stop in Italy was the Leaning Tower of Pisa which is known for tilting to one side. This is definitely one of the places I wanted to visit before I died and am so glad I got a souvenir. Did you know that the leaning tower of Pisa is actually a bell tower ? When being built, the ground was most likely too soft on one side creating a tilt that increases bit by bit every year. I was a little scared that it was going to fall on me! Did you know during WWII the Germans used it as a observation post? They are so sneaky! Moving on, Im here in the Dolomites. Its mountain range located in the north-eastern part of Italy. These mountains looked so pretty in the pictures and I definitely wanted to hike them. During WW I, the line of Italy and Austria- Hungary ran through the dolomite's. With a national park and many other regionals parks located here, the dolomites have got it all! There are also little dolomites that are a smaller group of mountains. So what am I waiting for? Lets hike! Addio, Sydney

CHILE
Dear Maddie, Just like in Spanish Class, I decided to go to Chile in this trip. I explored Chiles Capital, Santiago, first to explore the culture and food. As I found out soon, Santiago is lined with parks and historical sites as well as theaters and shopping malls. I stopped at elegant restaurants and found myself exploring the Parque Forestal. It was quite fascinating and relaxing walking in there. Next Im going to move on to Torres del Paine National Park located in the southern Chilean Patagonia. With glaciers, mountains and rivers this is one of the best places to spend a Saturday afternoon at. Even though its quiet here, this is one of the most commonly visited parks in Chile. Guess what! Remember how many people studied and built the Easter island heads during our Flatland Project? Im finally getting to see them in person! And may I say, they are bigger than portrayed. The statues are scattered around the rim of the island. Fun Fat: The Polynesian people who were the first on Easter Island settled in the first millennium. Still cant believe my trip is more than half way over. AH here I am at Torres de Paine National Park. It consists of glaciers, mountains, lakes, rivers, and even exotic animals. I could just sit and watch the scenery all day. Lady Florence Dixie was the first to discover the three towers standing at the time which led to many others to get involved. Keep you updated! Wish you were here. Sydney

AUSTRALIA
Dear Kate, Hello from my opera house in Sydney! Did you know Queen Elizabeth II opened the famous Sydney Opera House in 1973? The Sydney Opera House is a per forming ar ts theatre located in the capital of Australia, Sydney. Dont let it fool you though, its not just for operas, I saw the Let It Be Concer t a debut to the Beatles songs of Lennon and McCar tney. I have always wanted to visit this place because it was in me and who doesnt like theatre? I also did my Flatland on this during Math Class. I saw that styrofoam cant quit match the spectacular view in per son. Next, I visited the Australian War Memorial. This is a museum recognizing people who have fought in the joined forces and people who have died/ fought in war s of Commonwealth of Australia. It opened in 1941 right af ter WW II broke out. It doesnt have a huge impact on city but lets the courageous people of Australia be recognized. Even though it wasnt watching a live concer t Im still glad I made this stop. Next was a little more interesting, the Great Barrier Reef! Did you know its the worlds largest coral reef system? Saving millions of sea creatures the reef consists of more than 2900 individual reefs and 900 islands. It is a huge tourist attraction which I found out. Coral reefs these days are being harmed by humans and other causes which is why areas like the great barrier reef are made. Protect the sea creatures! See you in a couple days! -Sydney