British Isles: In the Footsteps of John Wesley and British Authors Mount Vernon Nazarene University Hosted by Dr. C. Jeanne Serrão May 6-16, 2018 Optional extension to , Northern Ireland and Ireland May 16-23

May 6, Sunday: USA -

 Depart from John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH), OH destination London, England. Meals will be served on board.

May 7, Monday: Arrival in London | London City

 Panoramic tour of London  Highlights include Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey where Darwin, Dickens are buried, and more.  Dinner and overnight at the Queen's Gate Hotel.

May 8, Tuesday: Continued Tour of London City

 Tour St. Paul's Cathedral - its dome, the world's third largest, can be seen from many an angle in other parts of the city.  Wesley's Chapel - known the world over as the "Cathedral of World Methodism."  Wesley's Home/Museum, where he lived from 1779 until his death in 1791.  Visit Bunhill Fields, the "outcasts' cemetery,” reserved for those who refused to compromise their convictions and step in line with the Church of England.  Continue on to the Methodist Plinth, site of John Wesley's Aldersgate Street conversion on May 24, 1738.  Finish the day with tours of Westminster Central Hall, the Metropolitan Tabernacle, also known as Spurgeon's Tabernacle, and the where the crown jewels are housed.  Return for dinner and overnight at the Queen's Gate Hotel.

May 9, Wednesday: Final Full Day in London

 Visit Charles Dickens Home and Museum. The impressive collection includes paintings, rare editions, manuscripts, original furniture, and many items relating to the life of one of the most popular and beloved personalities of the Victorian age.  Exhibition and tour of Shakespeare's famous Globe Theatre.  Explore The , which houses the Rosetta Stone, Elgin Marbles, and a copy of the Magna Carta.  Tour historic homes such as John and Down House, home of and his family.

May 10, Thursday: London - Stonehenge - Cotswolds - Bath  Visit the mysterious Stonehenge.  Guided tour of the Cotswolds by a local guide specializing in naturalism.  Then across the Salisbury Plains to visit Bath, the best preserved Georgian city in Britain.  End the day in Bath for dinner and overnight at the Francis Hotel Bath.

May 11, Friday: Bath - Stratford-upon-Avon -

 Visit the Roman Baths.  Visit Stratford-upon-Avon, best known as the birthplace of William Shakespeare including a guided tour of Shakespeare's birthplace and Anne Hathaway's thatched cottage, preserved just as it was in Elizabethan times.  End the day in Oxford for dinner and overnight at the Jurys Inn Hotel.

May 12, Saturday: Oxford - Moulton - Olney - Bedford

 Engage the intellectual centers of England by traveling to Oxford, intellectual center of western civilization since A.D. 1096. Countless great people worldwide began their careers in these hallowed university halls.  Visit Christ Church College and Christ Church Cathedral.  Visit Blackwell's, Thornton's, and Waterfield's bookshops, favorites of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.  Tour The Kilns, C. S. Lewis' former home, where the Chronicles of Narnia series was written, and which now hosts a Christian study center.  Journey to Moulton, Olney, see the Newton & Cowper Museum, and head to Bedford, home of John Bunyan author of Pilgrim's Progress.  End the day in Bedford for dinner and overnight at the Swan Hotel.

May 13, Sunday: Bedford - Elstow - Cambridge - Bedford

 See the Bunyan Museum and the Moot Hall in Elstow, just outside Bedford  Continue to Cambridge, site of one of Europe's oldest and best-known universities.  Explore the cathedral city of Ely, Cambridgeshire.  Visit St. Andrews Street Baptist Church where Spurgeon once taught Sunday school.  End the day in Bedford for dinner and overnight at the Swan Hotel.

May 14, Monday: Bedford - - Sherwood Forest - Lincoln

 Head for the famous Nottingham Castle.  Stop intoSherwood Forest to see Robin Hood's great oak tree and visitor's center.  End the day in Lincoln for a three-course dinner and overnight at the Holiday Inn Lincoln.

May 15, Tuesday: Lincoln - Epworth -

 In Epworth, take the Wesley walking tour which includes visits to the Old Rectory, the Wesley Memorial Methodist Church, St. Andrew's Parish Church, Samuel Wesley's grave, and John Wesley's statue.  In Manchester, see the Nazarene Theological College.  Dinner in Manchester and overnight at Novotel Manchester Centre.

May 16, Wednesday: Manchester - USA

 Return from Manchester to Columbus, OH.

OPTIONAL SCOTLAND / IRELAND: 7 NIGHTS EXTENSION May 16-23

May 16, Wednesday: Manchester - York - Whitby - Durham

 Tour York City, including York Minster Cathedral, the largest Gothic cathedral in the British Isles.  Head to the seaside town of Whitby. The ruined Gothic Whitby Abbey was the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula.  Travel north to Durham to tour the massive Romanesque cathedral where St. Cuthbert is buried.  End the day at the Marriott Hotel Royal County

May 17, Thursday: Durham - Chollerford - Gateshead - Roslin -

 See Hadrian's Wall and Housesteads Roman Fort in Chollerford.  View the Angel of the North in Gateshead.  Explore the beautiful Rosslyn Chapel.  Dinner and overnight in Edinburgh at Parliament House Hotel.

May 18, Friday: Edinburgh - Perth

 Guided tour of Edinburgh, including the home of Mary, Queen of Scots.  Explore , sitting high on Castle Rock.  Visit Princes Street, St. Giles Cathedral, the prestigious Edinburgh University, Greyfriars and the Mound.  Visit 's House, leader of the and founder of the Presbyterian Church.  End the day in Perth at the Mercure Perth Hotel.

May 19, Saturday: Perth - Ballater - Drumnadrochit - Ballachulish

 Head to Ballater and see Balmoral Castle.  Visit Drumnadrochit, site of the Loch Ness Monster Exhibition - and perhaps see the Loch Ness Monster!  End the day in Ballachulish with dinner and overnight at the Ballachulish Hotel.

May 20, Sunday: Ballachulish - Aberfoyle - Cairnryan -

 Drive along the coast towards Aberfoyle while taking in the beautiful countryside.  In Aberfoyle, engage in the Doon Hill walk - home of the faeries.  Board the ferry for the journey across the North Channel to Northern Ireland's capital city Belfast, and birthplace of C.S. Lewis.  End the day at the Europa Hotel.

May 21, Monday: Belfast - Monasterboice - Trim -

 Half-day tour of Belfast including a visit to the Titanic Museum. The world's most famous ocean- going liner, the ill-fated Titanic, was built in Belfast.  Explore Monasterboice, ruins of an early Christian settlement famous for its spectacular Muiredach's Cross, which dates back to the 10th century A.D.  Survey the Hill of Tara, an archaeological complex that contains a number of ancient monuments.  Continue to Trim and its Castle, featured in Mel Gibson's movie Braveheart.  End the day in Dublin. Dinner and overnight at the Maldron Hotel Parnell Square.

May 22, Tuesday: Full tour of Dublin

 Visit St.Patrick's Cathedral, founded in A.D. 1190 and restored in the 19th century. Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels, is buried in this Protestant cathedral.  Then see Christ Church Cathedral. Founded in A.D. 1028, it is the spiritual heart of the city and one of the top visitor attractions in Dublin.  Visit the baroque-style St. Ann's Church of Ireland, where Oscar Wide was baptized and Bram Stoker was married.  Then go to the recently-opened Stoker Dracula Museum, located within the Bram Stoker Hotel along the Clontarf seafront promenade.  Visit Trinity College Old Library, to view the extravagantly illustrated Book of Kells.  Dinner and overnight at the Maldron Hotel Parnell Square.

May 23, Wednesday: Dublin - USA

 After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the return flight to Columbus, OH.