International life
Blog by More Than English co-owner: David Meddows
One summer, when I was 8 years old my parents took me to the Austrian mountain resort of Mayrhofen where we spent a week walking in the mountains. This experience made a big impression on me. The people, the language, the sublime mountain scenery and new foods that we’d never experienced before such as the unforgettable apple strudel. This is where my love of experiencing other cultures began and I will always be grateful to my parents for giving me this opportunity.
That passion for reaching the hand of friendship across borders is what inspires our work here at More Than English today. We love historic Ludlow: the home of More Than English in the heart of England. However, sometimes, it is very refreshing to travel and see somewhere different. This month, team members from More Than English were lucky enough to visit Russia and Ukraine.
Travel with a purpose
Travelling on business means double the pleasure, You meet much more people than when you are on holiday. Also, on the way to meetings, you pass by incredible sights. Here’s what we saw:
Kyiv captial of Ukraine
Have you ever seen a cathedral like this before? St Michael’s Golden Domed Cathedral was renovated in 1999. The outside is a stunning example of baroque style:
Moscow
Nothing can prepare you for when you turn the corner at the end of Nikolskaya street and see Red Square:
Red Square 
View from inside St Basil’s 
St Basil’s Cathedral
Next we took the incredible Sapsan train from Moscow to St Petersburg: it looks like a rocket and it goes like a rocket. Imagine that it took less than 4 hours to travel in comfort from Moscow to St Petersburg.
The famous Sapsan super train
St Petersburg
You have probably heard that St Petersburg is a beautiful city. However, nothing can prepare you for how beautiful it really is. Perhaps St Petersburg is the most beautiful city in the world and certainly it is on a scale that challenges your imagination. We cannot think of another city in the world where you can see so many fine buildings in one place.
Kazan Cathedral
The splendour does not end even when you go below ground. Here is the St Petersburg underground:
Elegant lighting 
Mayakoskaya Metro Station 
Functional & beautiful: air ventilation system 
Claire from More Than English
Food
After all of that travelling we got very hungry and tried many different foods, but there was one very simple one that we loved: black bread! It’s very filling and highly nutritious… in one inventive cafe they even used it as a bowl for soup!
Super healthy black bread 
David from More Than English
People
What links a trip to the Ukraine and a trip to Russia? There are many things but one thing above all: if you go to either place, expect a warm welcome. If you only stop for a minute to look at a map of the underground in either country, someone will offer you help. So even when the temperatures are a little low in the middle of winter, you won’t feel the cold.
The next generation of travellers
Feeling the spirit of international friendship is also a magical experience for the students at More Than English. This year our students, who live and study together on one campus, were from 17 countries: Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, UAE, Ukraine and the UK. In addition to learning to use their English in new ways our students took a step on an international journey that will continue for a life time. Now, we’re looking forward to bringing the world a little closer together on summer school 2020!
