The United Kingdom and France

 United Kingdom               

                    The United Kingdom is a place I was lucky enough to have traveled to with my parents when I was in college.  Actually I did not travel the whole UK, I traveled what is known as Great Britain.  Scotland, Wales, and England make up Great Britain.  The United Kingdom is made up of Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England.  

                     The flag of the United Kingdom is actually made up 3 crosses representing the 3 patron saints of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.  The patron saint crosses are as follows, St. George, St. Andrew, and St. Patrick.  As each kingdom was united, the crosses were thus united on the flag.  England and Wales had already been united when Scotland united with it.  That is why there aren't 4 crosses. 


                      Celts, known as "Britons" to the Romans, were conquered by Julius Caesar and his Roman warriors around 43 AD.  They stayed for over 400 years.  During this time, the Romans brought a written language of Latin.  The Celts had no written language.  They also built, roads, bridges, theaters, baths, homes, aqueducts, and a sewage system.  Many of their buildings stand today, such as Hadrian's Wall, which was built to separate England from Scotland, and Roman Baths, which were for bathing of course.

                     Many inventions have come from the United Kingdom such as the first steam train, the the first calculating machine, and the game of golf.  My kids favorite invention is the sandwich created by the Earl of Sandwich.

                     This is only a tiny bit of what we learned.  If you would like to learn more about the United Kingdom some resources we used were B is for Big Ben, B is for Bagpipes, S is for Shamrock, as well as watch travel videos. 

France

                       Just as Great Britain fell to the Roman Empire, France, known as Gaul to the Romans, also was conquered by Julius Caesar and his Roman legions.  The Celtic warriors were no match for the Romans. 

                       The Romans left a legacy in France due to their great building abilities.  Today many of their structures can be found such as aqueducts, roads, walls, theaters, and arenas.

                       The Roman Empire began to fall almost 500 years after Gaul came under Roman rule.  The Franks defeated Rome and established the Kingdom of France with King Clovis uniting the Frank tribes. He was the first of the French kings.  King Louis the VXI was the last.

                        France's land and climate varies as does the cuisine.  The French regulate the names and standards for certain foods and wines.  Champagne can only be called Champagne if it is made in the Champagne region of France.  Roquefort cheese is made from sheep's milk that live near the village of Roquefort. 

                        The iconic Eiffel Tower was built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, which was in 1789.  It was actually considered an eyesore by many and was being considered for dismantling.  It was saved because it served as a radio tower.  It was designed by Gustave Eiffel.  He also designed the support structure of the Statue of Liberty.

                        Many great inventions came from France as well as great scientists, such as the Curie's and Louis Pasteur.  The first hot air balloon was created by the Montgolfier brothers.  The passengers were a duck, sheep, and a rooster. 

                        This is just a touch of what we learned.  Some resources we used were E is for Eiffel Tower, Children Just Like Me, and travel videos.