These last few weeks in London have progressed much like these past few months, TOO FAST. At the beginning of last week I sat down and wrote a rather lengthy list of things that I still wanted to do and see in the remaining time that I have. So I have gladly been slowly making my way through the list and checking things off!
Among the many sites and shows I wanted to see, I have managed to spend multiple, long and enjoyable days exploring some areas of London that I previously had just seen in passing. One such area is SOHO, located in the heart of London's lively theatre and entertainment district. The shopping, food and art in these backstreets is unlike many other areas of London!! With vegan restaurants and fun and funky shopping on every corner SOHO proved to be a great adventure both during the day and at night! It has definitely become one of my favorite areas to go in the city.
Another area that I thoroughly enjoy in London is Camden Town. Located farther north than much of the city, the area is young, lively, and grunge. Serving as home to the infamous Amy Winehouse, Camden is best known for its extensive cheap clothing market, food and fun. I've spent many hours there on a Saturday, wandering through the multiple "shops" under an abandoned train bridge bargaining with store owners and relishing in the variety of fresh and delicious foods!
Also located in the northern part of the city is the infamous Brick Lane, a street lined with Indian cuisine and vintage clothing shops! The food is fabulous to say the least and the shops while a little expensive are always fun to rummage through. Last weekend on a trip to Brick Lane my friends and I stumbled upon a really neat coffee club hangout with British kids our age! It was really random very cool with even a live band playing in the back room and it was noon!
This weekend I am taking a trip to Liverpool with some friends to check out the city and admire the coast! Easter Break starts next week and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a sunny Easter Sunday on the beach in Barcelona! Love to all!
Friday, 3 April 2009
Friday, 20 March 2009
Spring Break
Another long one.
On February 27th Em arrived in London, jet lagged and over loaded with suitcases weighing more than her (just kidding Em) to join me for Spring break. It was great to see a familiar face and share my London experience with her! We left on the 27th and headed for Paris. We stayed in the Latin Quarter, a quieter area, street lined with flower shops, restaurants and hotels - a touristy area, but not crowded or overwhelmed with them (us). Our hotel was a short walk away from Notre Dame, the Louvre, and many other sights.
On our first day we met up with my friend Charlie, who's studying in Amiens (about an hour north of Paris via train). The three of us and Em’s guide book, Rick Steves’ Paris set out to explore; it was a beautiful, sunny day (sadly one of the few we had on the trip). Notre Dame, where "gypsies" enveloped the front square trying to sell you their mini Eiffel Tower figurines or distract you with the bells they jingled in front of your face, still didn’t distract from the beauty and magnificence of the gargoyle protected Cathedral. The interior and exterior was breathtaking to say the least. We made our way through the Latin Quarter, stopping to admire and photograph the smallest apartment building in Paris (only one doorway wide and nestled between two larger buildings). In the afternoon we went to Pere-Lechaise Cemetery and enjoyed a quiet and peaceful walk among the headstones. I know it sounds a bit morbid, but was a very enjoyable afternoon, especially away from the busy city noise. Some of the graves we saw included those of Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Chopin, grave memorials to all those who died in Auschwitz and many more. That evening we went to Montmarte (where the Moulin Rouge is located) as the sun was setting and climbed the hill to the Basilica of the Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart) just in time for the evening vespers (reminded us of The Sound of Music) and then dined in the neat Parisian village.
The next two days in Paris were colder, rainy off and on and cloudy, but that didn’t hinder the experience and majesty of being in the city at all. On Sunday we went to the Arc de Triomphe and then walked down the Champs Elysees, the premier avenue in Paris lined with upscale shopping, restaurants and coveted apartments overlooking the street. We then fought through the crowded masses of the Louvre to see the Venus de Milo, Mona Lisa (smaller than we thought it would be) and many other famous works from Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and countless others. We climbed the Eiffel Tower in the late afternoon, viewing Paris in a rainy haze and saw the magnificent light show from the base that night. Our last day in Paris we shopped!
On Monday evening we moved on the Venice. Arriving in the dark we took a water taxi to the nearest dock and then wandered the streets in search of our hotel. A city without cars, unnamed streets twisting and ending around a dark corner, and webbed with canals, it was gorgeous. The eerie quiet was comforting and serene. We only spent one day in Venice (rainy and cold) but saw a lot. Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica in St. Mark’s Square still stood radiant in the fog overlooking the Grand Canal. We wandered in and out of countless shops, making our way down the cobbled streets, most of which weren’t wide enough for more than two people to walk comfortably and across the bridges with gondolas floating below. Known for its Murano glass jewelry and countless other items crafted out of the glass, we bought some souvenirs, enjoyed the Italian cuisine and moved on.
Traveling to Florence by train on Tuesday night, we once again arrived to the Italian city in the rainy dark. In Florence we saw the Duomo Cathedral and the Accademia art gallery with Michelangelo’s sculpture of David. It was much larger and more magnificent than Ms. Walker’s slides in Art I prepared me for. The rest of the rainy day we trudged through the cobbled streets in our soaked shoes, in and out of shops, admiring the Firenze leather goods and enjoying the pizza and pasta. Once again traveling by night, we headed for Rome (our last destination) that night.
Four days in Rome was the perfect amount of time to explore the city and the weather was sunny and warm every day! While we were there we saw the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain - where we threw coins over our shoulder and wished to come back one day, the Spanish steps - ate gelatos and tried not to hum songs from the Lizzie McGuire movie, the Colosseum - wished we had watched Gladiator before we came, Roman Forum - took me back to English II, thinking of Caesar “et tu Brute”, St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican - wished I would have retained more from Fr. Porterfield’s lectures, ate and drank at the hip Campo de Fiori and wandered the streets of Rome. We walked a lot, ate a lot of pizza (which never had enough cheese and too much sauce, couldn’t believe it) and gelato, Em managing to always drip all over herself and having to throw the cone away. I on the other hand had no problem finishing mine! We stayed south of the river in the young and fun neighborhood of Trastavere, full of locals and few tourists.
On Sunday, we sadly had to leave Rome and head back to London and it was an exciting and nerve racking trip to say the least. For the next hour I felt like I was in a scene of a bad, low-budget movie. In order to catch our flight to London we had to make our way from one end of the city to the other to the train station to catch a train to the airport. Since it was Sunday the busses and trains weren’t running as often so we had to be on the 3:22 train to the airport. We lost track of time and before we knew it we were halfway across the city and it was 2:20 with a 20 minute walk back to the hotel to grab our luggage before catching the bus down the street. We made it back to the hotel quickly, picked up the luggage and headed for the bus stop; we couldn’t miss it. We were hustling down the sidewalk, our heavy luggage in tow with the bus stop in sight, 150 yards away on the opposite side of the street. I glanced back to see how far back Em was and saw the bus heading down the street toward the stop, "OH NO", we have to make it to the bus stop before it does. I take off running up the street neck and neck with the bus (roll suitcases don’t do well over cobblestones), the bus took the lead quickly (of course, did I really think I could outrun a bus). Just as I was giving up the bus gets stopped at a red light 50 yards from the stop (new hope). Next problem though is getting across the six-laned street (tram tracks and all) to the other side with no crosswalks in sight, no big deal right? I glance one direction and see no cars, it’s now or never (please let the light stay red and where is Em?). I crossed over the tracks and in between cars right behind the bus as the light turned green and made it to the stop right as the last people were pushing their way onto the crowded bus (at least 10 people and 10 suitcases over the limit). Em wasn’t far behind and thanks to the fact that the driver couldn’t get the doors closed because of the mass of people in the way, she made it on! We made it, but little did we know that our exercise for the day was just beginning. It was about a 25 minute ride across the city in the hot, packed bus full of people. We knew we were cutting it close as time ticked by. We still hadn’t bought our train tickets and it was 3:17 when we pushed our way out of the bus into the station. We stopped at a ticket machine inside the busy terminal doors and quickly bought our tickets with the electronic voice asking us “Do you realize this train departs in 5 minutes? Do you still want to buy?” YES you stupid machine, quit asking me questions and give me the tickets. We dash away from the machines and head for platform 24 (which is of course located at the opposite end) where we think the train is departing from. As we run up to the platform there’s no train on the tracks, “Oh no did we miss it, but we still have 2 minutes?!” I frantically attempt to ask a custodian who speaks no English (out loud anyway) if this train has left yet, he just smiles and points off into the distance. So we take off along the tracks to the end of the platforms (another 200 yards away, I didn’t realize train stations were this big). So apparently there are 24 more tracks lined up behind the first 24 (really great), we see a train with the words flashing 'DEPARTING to airport' above just as we’re running up. I managed to drop my coat twice during this sprint. We get to the first open door, throw on our suitcases, pull each other up just as the train starts to move and the electric door slams shut. Red faced and out of breath we made it, arrived at the airport on time and made our flight back to London where we finally knew the language!
Em spent the next week in London with me in my tiny flat, sharing the top bunk, it was a tight squeeze. We went to St. Paul’s, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, saw the musical Sunset Boulevard, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey where we listened to the choir sing the beautiful evensong, Parliament and Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, took a day trip to Warwick castle and Stratford on Avon to see Shakespeare’s house, went to a soccer game, Portabella market in Notting Hill and shopped! It was a busy week and time flew by too quickly. Before we knew it, it was Saturday and time to say goodbye. I think subconsciously I had started thinking that I was going to be heading home the same time Em did so it was hard to see her leave, but good to be back in my normal routine.
Other than that I don’t have anything else exciting to report. Six weeks left until my flight home and I know it’s going to be here before I know it. I’m going to spend Easter in Barcelona with friends in a couple weeks and may be going to Amsterdam before that, still up in the air. Otherwise, I’m enjoying my last weeks in London and the spring weather which has finally arrived! Hope all is well with everyone, I promise I’ll have pictures to share soon! Love to all!
On February 27th Em arrived in London, jet lagged and over loaded with suitcases weighing more than her (just kidding Em) to join me for Spring break. It was great to see a familiar face and share my London experience with her! We left on the 27th and headed for Paris. We stayed in the Latin Quarter, a quieter area, street lined with flower shops, restaurants and hotels - a touristy area, but not crowded or overwhelmed with them (us). Our hotel was a short walk away from Notre Dame, the Louvre, and many other sights.
On our first day we met up with my friend Charlie, who's studying in Amiens (about an hour north of Paris via train). The three of us and Em’s guide book, Rick Steves’ Paris set out to explore; it was a beautiful, sunny day (sadly one of the few we had on the trip). Notre Dame, where "gypsies" enveloped the front square trying to sell you their mini Eiffel Tower figurines or distract you with the bells they jingled in front of your face, still didn’t distract from the beauty and magnificence of the gargoyle protected Cathedral. The interior and exterior was breathtaking to say the least. We made our way through the Latin Quarter, stopping to admire and photograph the smallest apartment building in Paris (only one doorway wide and nestled between two larger buildings). In the afternoon we went to Pere-Lechaise Cemetery and enjoyed a quiet and peaceful walk among the headstones. I know it sounds a bit morbid, but was a very enjoyable afternoon, especially away from the busy city noise. Some of the graves we saw included those of Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Chopin, grave memorials to all those who died in Auschwitz and many more. That evening we went to Montmarte (where the Moulin Rouge is located) as the sun was setting and climbed the hill to the Basilica of the Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart) just in time for the evening vespers (reminded us of The Sound of Music) and then dined in the neat Parisian village.
The next two days in Paris were colder, rainy off and on and cloudy, but that didn’t hinder the experience and majesty of being in the city at all. On Sunday we went to the Arc de Triomphe and then walked down the Champs Elysees, the premier avenue in Paris lined with upscale shopping, restaurants and coveted apartments overlooking the street. We then fought through the crowded masses of the Louvre to see the Venus de Milo, Mona Lisa (smaller than we thought it would be) and many other famous works from Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and countless others. We climbed the Eiffel Tower in the late afternoon, viewing Paris in a rainy haze and saw the magnificent light show from the base that night. Our last day in Paris we shopped!
On Monday evening we moved on the Venice. Arriving in the dark we took a water taxi to the nearest dock and then wandered the streets in search of our hotel. A city without cars, unnamed streets twisting and ending around a dark corner, and webbed with canals, it was gorgeous. The eerie quiet was comforting and serene. We only spent one day in Venice (rainy and cold) but saw a lot. Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica in St. Mark’s Square still stood radiant in the fog overlooking the Grand Canal. We wandered in and out of countless shops, making our way down the cobbled streets, most of which weren’t wide enough for more than two people to walk comfortably and across the bridges with gondolas floating below. Known for its Murano glass jewelry and countless other items crafted out of the glass, we bought some souvenirs, enjoyed the Italian cuisine and moved on.
Traveling to Florence by train on Tuesday night, we once again arrived to the Italian city in the rainy dark. In Florence we saw the Duomo Cathedral and the Accademia art gallery with Michelangelo’s sculpture of David. It was much larger and more magnificent than Ms. Walker’s slides in Art I prepared me for. The rest of the rainy day we trudged through the cobbled streets in our soaked shoes, in and out of shops, admiring the Firenze leather goods and enjoying the pizza and pasta. Once again traveling by night, we headed for Rome (our last destination) that night.
Four days in Rome was the perfect amount of time to explore the city and the weather was sunny and warm every day! While we were there we saw the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain - where we threw coins over our shoulder and wished to come back one day, the Spanish steps - ate gelatos and tried not to hum songs from the Lizzie McGuire movie, the Colosseum - wished we had watched Gladiator before we came, Roman Forum - took me back to English II, thinking of Caesar “et tu Brute”, St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican - wished I would have retained more from Fr. Porterfield’s lectures, ate and drank at the hip Campo de Fiori and wandered the streets of Rome. We walked a lot, ate a lot of pizza (which never had enough cheese and too much sauce, couldn’t believe it) and gelato, Em managing to always drip all over herself and having to throw the cone away. I on the other hand had no problem finishing mine! We stayed south of the river in the young and fun neighborhood of Trastavere, full of locals and few tourists.
On Sunday, we sadly had to leave Rome and head back to London and it was an exciting and nerve racking trip to say the least. For the next hour I felt like I was in a scene of a bad, low-budget movie. In order to catch our flight to London we had to make our way from one end of the city to the other to the train station to catch a train to the airport. Since it was Sunday the busses and trains weren’t running as often so we had to be on the 3:22 train to the airport. We lost track of time and before we knew it we were halfway across the city and it was 2:20 with a 20 minute walk back to the hotel to grab our luggage before catching the bus down the street. We made it back to the hotel quickly, picked up the luggage and headed for the bus stop; we couldn’t miss it. We were hustling down the sidewalk, our heavy luggage in tow with the bus stop in sight, 150 yards away on the opposite side of the street. I glanced back to see how far back Em was and saw the bus heading down the street toward the stop, "OH NO", we have to make it to the bus stop before it does. I take off running up the street neck and neck with the bus (roll suitcases don’t do well over cobblestones), the bus took the lead quickly (of course, did I really think I could outrun a bus). Just as I was giving up the bus gets stopped at a red light 50 yards from the stop (new hope). Next problem though is getting across the six-laned street (tram tracks and all) to the other side with no crosswalks in sight, no big deal right? I glance one direction and see no cars, it’s now or never (please let the light stay red and where is Em?). I crossed over the tracks and in between cars right behind the bus as the light turned green and made it to the stop right as the last people were pushing their way onto the crowded bus (at least 10 people and 10 suitcases over the limit). Em wasn’t far behind and thanks to the fact that the driver couldn’t get the doors closed because of the mass of people in the way, she made it on! We made it, but little did we know that our exercise for the day was just beginning. It was about a 25 minute ride across the city in the hot, packed bus full of people. We knew we were cutting it close as time ticked by. We still hadn’t bought our train tickets and it was 3:17 when we pushed our way out of the bus into the station. We stopped at a ticket machine inside the busy terminal doors and quickly bought our tickets with the electronic voice asking us “Do you realize this train departs in 5 minutes? Do you still want to buy?” YES you stupid machine, quit asking me questions and give me the tickets. We dash away from the machines and head for platform 24 (which is of course located at the opposite end) where we think the train is departing from. As we run up to the platform there’s no train on the tracks, “Oh no did we miss it, but we still have 2 minutes?!” I frantically attempt to ask a custodian who speaks no English (out loud anyway) if this train has left yet, he just smiles and points off into the distance. So we take off along the tracks to the end of the platforms (another 200 yards away, I didn’t realize train stations were this big). So apparently there are 24 more tracks lined up behind the first 24 (really great), we see a train with the words flashing 'DEPARTING to airport' above just as we’re running up. I managed to drop my coat twice during this sprint. We get to the first open door, throw on our suitcases, pull each other up just as the train starts to move and the electric door slams shut. Red faced and out of breath we made it, arrived at the airport on time and made our flight back to London where we finally knew the language!
Em spent the next week in London with me in my tiny flat, sharing the top bunk, it was a tight squeeze. We went to St. Paul’s, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, saw the musical Sunset Boulevard, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey where we listened to the choir sing the beautiful evensong, Parliament and Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, took a day trip to Warwick castle and Stratford on Avon to see Shakespeare’s house, went to a soccer game, Portabella market in Notting Hill and shopped! It was a busy week and time flew by too quickly. Before we knew it, it was Saturday and time to say goodbye. I think subconsciously I had started thinking that I was going to be heading home the same time Em did so it was hard to see her leave, but good to be back in my normal routine.
Other than that I don’t have anything else exciting to report. Six weeks left until my flight home and I know it’s going to be here before I know it. I’m going to spend Easter in Barcelona with friends in a couple weeks and may be going to Amsterdam before that, still up in the air. Otherwise, I’m enjoying my last weeks in London and the spring weather which has finally arrived! Hope all is well with everyone, I promise I’ll have pictures to share soon! Love to all!
Friday, 13 February 2009
Time's Flying
This is going to be a long one…
Dublin
As promised I’ll start with the trip I took to Dublin, Ireland, on January 22nd. I went with a group of girls from my program. We left early Friday morning on a 6:30 a.m. flight. Since it was an international flight we wanted to be at the airport plenty early, however the tube doesn’t start running until 5:30 so we had to find an alternate route to the airport. So at 3:40 in the morning we were trudging through the rain (I of course am the only one without an umbrella) to a bus stop that supposedly ran a route to Heathrow. We were standing along the road on a random side street with people wandering in and out of sight. Finally after about ten minutes our bus showed up, it slowed down, started to stop and then the driver hits the gas and speeds away. “What just happened? No worries, we’re plenty early, we’ll just wait for the next one.” Twenty minutes later another one comes, finally. Once again, another bus on the route (will be stopping according to the sign hanging above our heads) it slows down, we all are waiting there ready to jump on and then right as it looks like it’s about to stop again the driver hits the gas and flies by…what are we supposed to do jump in front of it? It was about 4:45 a.m. at this point. Another 45 minutes until the tube opens, next option, a taxi. In London there are two types of taxis, the black city taxi’s and then the non-licensed, unofficial taxi’s which run at a supposed lower rate. On our first day in the city we were informed by the local bobby (police officer) that we should never take any taxi other than the black ones, so we’re a little leery to take one of those, but of course they are the only ones in sight – six girls, pouring rain, wandering, an interesting start to our first trip for sure. We finally just walked into a Holiday Inn and had the receptionist call us a van taxi and made it to the airport in plenty of time to catch a nap and our flight.
We landed in Dublin just as the sun was rising. From overhead it looked like a small city set up in more of a grid structure than London, but very similar otherwise. We dropped our bags off at the hostel and proceeded to explore the city. It was indeed a lot like London on a much smaller scale, but different in that it was more colorful, not as fast paced, and less crowded. Dublin Castle was one of our first stops, it was beautifully preserved and not what I would have envisioned a castle to look like, reminded me more of a palace. We wandered around for the rest of the day checking out the neat shops and pubs and the beautiful Trinity College. When we returned to our hostel later that afternoon we were expecting to be in a 10-person, female room; however, when we entered our room we were surprised to find a Czech man sleeping in one of the bunks. His accent was thick and hard to understand so all we got out of his was that he was from Prague and his name was either Winnie, Willy, or Weenie – either way we quickly switched rooms and ended up having roommates from Pittsburg, PA.
The next nights and days were spent checking out the nightlife and a fun tour of the Jameson Whiskey Distillery. The Irish were fun and friendly, their favorite topic of conversation was Obama and they weren’t all short with red hair. We said goodbye to Ireland early Sunday morning, all in all it was a great trip. I would like to go back though to somewhere smaller, perhaps Galway or Killarney where there is more countryside and fewer tourists.
Snow Day in London?!
It has snowed on and off since I arrived in London but never more than flurries, or if it did snow harder it didn’t stick. So you can imagine my surprise and excitement when all of a sudden snow started accumulating everywhere! It ended up being the most snow London has had in over 18 years and it was obvious. I went outside on Sunday night to take pictures and people were everywhere, bewildered and amazed by the few inches of snow layering the streets. Taxi drivers were attempting to use newspapers and napkins to clean off their windshields (they don’t own ice scrapers here). Although the snow was still coming down when I went to bed I expected to still have class on Monday morning, but when I woke up I was surprised that the whole city seemed to be shut down. The streets were empty except for the occasional slow car inching down the still covered streets. Class was canceled for the day (of course after I made the 20 minute walk through the snow to my first class). There were kids sledding in the streets and even one woman decked out in her ski gear (skis, poles and all) making her way down the sidewalks, it was a sight to see. I stopped and talked to a family in the park for a bit who said that they hadn’t seen anything like this in London ever, no one knew how to react or respond so the entire city shut down. The front page of one of the newspaper the next morning was of a picture of a snow plow with the heading “What is That?” Another article I read talked about how they had to import salt to help melt the sidewalks and streets because they had none on hand : )
Wales
Last weekend I went on a trip to Wales. It was an all inclusive outdoor adventures trip called Preseli Venture and it was amazing! The 5 hour train ride to the Welch countryside was gorgeous. We stayed in their lodge on the coast of the Atlantic on the border of Pembrokeshire National Park – beautiful. It was snowy and cold while I was there but that didn’t hinder the experience at all. The first activity I did was called coasteering, which is basically swimming and climbing around the rocky coast and jumping off rocks. We were decked out in winter wet suits, which were quite the task to get on, but really did keep you relatively warm. The water temperature was 42 degrees Fahrenheit on the first day and 39 the next, but after the first jump (which takes your breath away) the water temperature wasn’t bad at all. I’m slightly afraid of heights but sucked it up and did all the jumps, most of them were between 12-16 feet but the last one was 25 (as high as Preseli’s insurance covered) and was quite the rush. My friends and I got a water camera and took pictures but haven’t had them developed yet, so hopefully they’ll turn out! We also went on a 5 mile hike along the coast, the sights were breathtaking - the pictures don’t do it justice. The last day we were supposed to surf but there wasn’t any wind so we kayaked in the Irish Sea instead. Once again, breathtaking and we got to hang out with some seals! Here’s the website if you want to check it out: http://www.preseliventure.co.uk/
Otherwise I’ve just been keeping busy, I can't believe I've already been here a month. Went to see the musical Chicago on a whim last night, it was interesting hearing the British try to imitate a Chicago accent, quite nasally. Took a couple day trips to Oxford and Greenwich these past weeks, they were both very neat places to explore. Hope all is well with everyone, keep me updated! Love to all!
Oh and a few of my friends saw Jude Law yesterday at the tube stop, why he was riding the tube and not with his driver I don't know, but there was paparazzi and all! I'm now on the lookout for any celebrities.
Dublin
As promised I’ll start with the trip I took to Dublin, Ireland, on January 22nd. I went with a group of girls from my program. We left early Friday morning on a 6:30 a.m. flight. Since it was an international flight we wanted to be at the airport plenty early, however the tube doesn’t start running until 5:30 so we had to find an alternate route to the airport. So at 3:40 in the morning we were trudging through the rain (I of course am the only one without an umbrella) to a bus stop that supposedly ran a route to Heathrow. We were standing along the road on a random side street with people wandering in and out of sight. Finally after about ten minutes our bus showed up, it slowed down, started to stop and then the driver hits the gas and speeds away. “What just happened? No worries, we’re plenty early, we’ll just wait for the next one.” Twenty minutes later another one comes, finally. Once again, another bus on the route (will be stopping according to the sign hanging above our heads) it slows down, we all are waiting there ready to jump on and then right as it looks like it’s about to stop again the driver hits the gas and flies by…what are we supposed to do jump in front of it? It was about 4:45 a.m. at this point. Another 45 minutes until the tube opens, next option, a taxi. In London there are two types of taxis, the black city taxi’s and then the non-licensed, unofficial taxi’s which run at a supposed lower rate. On our first day in the city we were informed by the local bobby (police officer) that we should never take any taxi other than the black ones, so we’re a little leery to take one of those, but of course they are the only ones in sight – six girls, pouring rain, wandering, an interesting start to our first trip for sure. We finally just walked into a Holiday Inn and had the receptionist call us a van taxi and made it to the airport in plenty of time to catch a nap and our flight.
We landed in Dublin just as the sun was rising. From overhead it looked like a small city set up in more of a grid structure than London, but very similar otherwise. We dropped our bags off at the hostel and proceeded to explore the city. It was indeed a lot like London on a much smaller scale, but different in that it was more colorful, not as fast paced, and less crowded. Dublin Castle was one of our first stops, it was beautifully preserved and not what I would have envisioned a castle to look like, reminded me more of a palace. We wandered around for the rest of the day checking out the neat shops and pubs and the beautiful Trinity College. When we returned to our hostel later that afternoon we were expecting to be in a 10-person, female room; however, when we entered our room we were surprised to find a Czech man sleeping in one of the bunks. His accent was thick and hard to understand so all we got out of his was that he was from Prague and his name was either Winnie, Willy, or Weenie – either way we quickly switched rooms and ended up having roommates from Pittsburg, PA.
The next nights and days were spent checking out the nightlife and a fun tour of the Jameson Whiskey Distillery. The Irish were fun and friendly, their favorite topic of conversation was Obama and they weren’t all short with red hair. We said goodbye to Ireland early Sunday morning, all in all it was a great trip. I would like to go back though to somewhere smaller, perhaps Galway or Killarney where there is more countryside and fewer tourists.
Snow Day in London?!
It has snowed on and off since I arrived in London but never more than flurries, or if it did snow harder it didn’t stick. So you can imagine my surprise and excitement when all of a sudden snow started accumulating everywhere! It ended up being the most snow London has had in over 18 years and it was obvious. I went outside on Sunday night to take pictures and people were everywhere, bewildered and amazed by the few inches of snow layering the streets. Taxi drivers were attempting to use newspapers and napkins to clean off their windshields (they don’t own ice scrapers here). Although the snow was still coming down when I went to bed I expected to still have class on Monday morning, but when I woke up I was surprised that the whole city seemed to be shut down. The streets were empty except for the occasional slow car inching down the still covered streets. Class was canceled for the day (of course after I made the 20 minute walk through the snow to my first class). There were kids sledding in the streets and even one woman decked out in her ski gear (skis, poles and all) making her way down the sidewalks, it was a sight to see. I stopped and talked to a family in the park for a bit who said that they hadn’t seen anything like this in London ever, no one knew how to react or respond so the entire city shut down. The front page of one of the newspaper the next morning was of a picture of a snow plow with the heading “What is That?” Another article I read talked about how they had to import salt to help melt the sidewalks and streets because they had none on hand : )
Wales
Last weekend I went on a trip to Wales. It was an all inclusive outdoor adventures trip called Preseli Venture and it was amazing! The 5 hour train ride to the Welch countryside was gorgeous. We stayed in their lodge on the coast of the Atlantic on the border of Pembrokeshire National Park – beautiful. It was snowy and cold while I was there but that didn’t hinder the experience at all. The first activity I did was called coasteering, which is basically swimming and climbing around the rocky coast and jumping off rocks. We were decked out in winter wet suits, which were quite the task to get on, but really did keep you relatively warm. The water temperature was 42 degrees Fahrenheit on the first day and 39 the next, but after the first jump (which takes your breath away) the water temperature wasn’t bad at all. I’m slightly afraid of heights but sucked it up and did all the jumps, most of them were between 12-16 feet but the last one was 25 (as high as Preseli’s insurance covered) and was quite the rush. My friends and I got a water camera and took pictures but haven’t had them developed yet, so hopefully they’ll turn out! We also went on a 5 mile hike along the coast, the sights were breathtaking - the pictures don’t do it justice. The last day we were supposed to surf but there wasn’t any wind so we kayaked in the Irish Sea instead. Once again, breathtaking and we got to hang out with some seals! Here’s the website if you want to check it out: http://www.preseliventure.co.uk/
Otherwise I’ve just been keeping busy, I can't believe I've already been here a month. Went to see the musical Chicago on a whim last night, it was interesting hearing the British try to imitate a Chicago accent, quite nasally. Took a couple day trips to Oxford and Greenwich these past weeks, they were both very neat places to explore. Hope all is well with everyone, keep me updated! Love to all!
Oh and a few of my friends saw Jude Law yesterday at the tube stop, why he was riding the tube and not with his driver I don't know, but there was paparazzi and all! I'm now on the lookout for any celebrities.
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Sights to See
Since the last time I’ve posted I've been various places. From a day trip to the country, seeing some musicals, museums and a weekend trip to Dublin, I've been staying busy.
Each week I have a lecture class on Tuesday evenings that has a guest lecturer who discusses different areas of British life and culture. The following Wednesday we go on a fieldtrip of sorts to somewhere either in London or the surrounding countryside that related to the previous evening’s lecture. As the pictures I’ve sent revealed, the second trip we took was to Stonehenge and Bath. It was about a 2 hour drive to Stonehenge and then another hour on to Bath. According to our tour guide we were driving cross country – a three hour drive is not what I would usually refer to as cross country, I have to constantly remind myself how size of the country.
The weather was perfect for taking pictures in the morning at Stonehenge, located on the Salisbury’s plains in Wiltshire. I knew we were going to look at this monumental circle of rocks, but was not ready for the enormity of it all. The 5,000 year old human made structure with boulders weighing up to 50 tons was less than 15 feet away – wow. The mystery of the rationale and motivation behind creating the structure was probably the most appealing feature. Why would individuals over 5,000 years ago, drag these massive rocks from all over the country and beyond to this one spot and then arrange them in such a fashion? Anyway, it was a sight to see.
From there we went on to the city of Bath. Nestled into and between seven rolling hills, Bath was a small, quaint city. It was a great change of pace from the busy London streets. The Roman Baths were neat and a little smelly. They gave everyone their own cellular phone of sorts; they looked similar to the first black, bagged car phones that were as big as a shoe. This was nice because you could walk at your own leisure through the baths listening to the British guide in your ear, muting him as you wanted. After the Baths, we walked along the river and up into the city a bit, checking out the local shops. We sat next to an elderly couple at the pub where we ate lunch. They told us they came into town every Wednesday for fish n’chips. They have lived in Bath their entire lives and were interested to hear about us. I think they were the first people I have met while abroad who did not ask me about Obama.
That evening we went to see Les Miserables at the Queens Theatre. It was absolutely fabulous. The music, the story, the acting was phenomenal. We were able to get cheap tickets in the dress circle on the first balcony, they were perfect. Just last night we went for a walk and wandered from Piccadilly to Covent Garden to Trafalgar Square and all over the West End. We ended up going and seeing Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre. It was on a whim, and was very enjoyable. At points it was hard to understand the lyrics and sometimes they were singing all at once and you couldn’t decipher one actor’s lines from the next. I’m still glad I saw it, either way.
Today I went to the National Portrait Gallery to see the Annie Leibovitz exhibit. It was phenomenal. It contained portraits that she has taken from 1990-2005. The images included a variety of portraits from Brad Pitt to President Bush and Queen Elizabeth to her personal photographs of her family and friends. If I had to choose one word to describe her work it would be "real". All of the images were so raw, no touch ups, no hiding. A lot of her work was a photo documentary of her best friend Susan who battled cancer for many years. It was a wonderful exhibit that I was so glad I had to opportunity to view.
Details on the Dublin trip to come! Missing everyone, love to all!
Each week I have a lecture class on Tuesday evenings that has a guest lecturer who discusses different areas of British life and culture. The following Wednesday we go on a fieldtrip of sorts to somewhere either in London or the surrounding countryside that related to the previous evening’s lecture. As the pictures I’ve sent revealed, the second trip we took was to Stonehenge and Bath. It was about a 2 hour drive to Stonehenge and then another hour on to Bath. According to our tour guide we were driving cross country – a three hour drive is not what I would usually refer to as cross country, I have to constantly remind myself how size of the country.
The weather was perfect for taking pictures in the morning at Stonehenge, located on the Salisbury’s plains in Wiltshire. I knew we were going to look at this monumental circle of rocks, but was not ready for the enormity of it all. The 5,000 year old human made structure with boulders weighing up to 50 tons was less than 15 feet away – wow. The mystery of the rationale and motivation behind creating the structure was probably the most appealing feature. Why would individuals over 5,000 years ago, drag these massive rocks from all over the country and beyond to this one spot and then arrange them in such a fashion? Anyway, it was a sight to see.
From there we went on to the city of Bath. Nestled into and between seven rolling hills, Bath was a small, quaint city. It was a great change of pace from the busy London streets. The Roman Baths were neat and a little smelly. They gave everyone their own cellular phone of sorts; they looked similar to the first black, bagged car phones that were as big as a shoe. This was nice because you could walk at your own leisure through the baths listening to the British guide in your ear, muting him as you wanted. After the Baths, we walked along the river and up into the city a bit, checking out the local shops. We sat next to an elderly couple at the pub where we ate lunch. They told us they came into town every Wednesday for fish n’chips. They have lived in Bath their entire lives and were interested to hear about us. I think they were the first people I have met while abroad who did not ask me about Obama.
That evening we went to see Les Miserables at the Queens Theatre. It was absolutely fabulous. The music, the story, the acting was phenomenal. We were able to get cheap tickets in the dress circle on the first balcony, they were perfect. Just last night we went for a walk and wandered from Piccadilly to Covent Garden to Trafalgar Square and all over the West End. We ended up going and seeing Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre. It was on a whim, and was very enjoyable. At points it was hard to understand the lyrics and sometimes they were singing all at once and you couldn’t decipher one actor’s lines from the next. I’m still glad I saw it, either way.
Today I went to the National Portrait Gallery to see the Annie Leibovitz exhibit. It was phenomenal. It contained portraits that she has taken from 1990-2005. The images included a variety of portraits from Brad Pitt to President Bush and Queen Elizabeth to her personal photographs of her family and friends. If I had to choose one word to describe her work it would be "real". All of the images were so raw, no touch ups, no hiding. A lot of her work was a photo documentary of her best friend Susan who battled cancer for many years. It was a wonderful exhibit that I was so glad I had to opportunity to view.
Details on the Dublin trip to come! Missing everyone, love to all!
Sunday, 18 January 2009
Shopping
Well it has been exactly one week since I have arrived and it feels like everything has been a whirlwind. Not only physically going in every direction, but mentally as well. There’s so much that I want to share, but really no cohesive way that I could share it all and still have what I’m saying make sense. So, Em gave me the idea to just choose one topic and go from there. The topic I have chosen for this posting is, as the title reveals, shopping! Sorry to all you guys who just cringed, it may be more entertaining for you to skip over to espn.com now.
I have spent the last three days (not in their entirety) shopping, not necessarily buying, more like wandering aimlessly through the four story stores, wide eyed and amazed that one whole section of one floor can be dedicated to tights. I don’t know that I can describe the style of Londoners in a brief sentence because style is what you make it here. From conservative, to hip, to off-the-wall chic, everyone looks different but still the same. But even as I say that I feel like it’s obvious that I’m a tourist and don’t categorize into any category of style - although I’m sure no one even notices what I’m wearing so it doesn’t matter : ) However, this feeling gave me the want to refine my wardrobe, so I went shopping.
I walked out of the tube onto the corner of Oxford Circus and was frozen (which isn’t a good idea considering Londoners are always in a hurry and are not afraid to slam into you if you get in their way, but I’ll have to save that topic for another posting). The store fronts rose up around me, huge and all showcasing SALE and HUGE SAVINGS – heaven! I spent the first 15 minutes in the first store, Top Shop, a young, trendy, four-story expanse, just walking and taking it all in. Once I was a little more comfortable, I started picking things up – big step I know. Soon after that I became quite confused when I realized that the sizing was different from the U.S. You can imagine my horror when they told me they didn’t carry shoes above size 8, “what do women with big feet do??” I soon realized that size 8 U.K. = Size 10 U.S. wooo! Embarrassed as I was I finally braved the dressing rooms and came out with a few items. My favorite purchase thus far has been a pair of gray boots. It seems that boots and tights are what “everyone” wears. No jeans or tennis shoes and definitely no t-shirts or hoodies, yikes, so basically my entire wardrobe.
On Saturday we went shopping in Covent Garden. This area was bustling with small boutiques overflowing with people. Not as overwhelming as the previous days adventure. I didn’t buy anything but do want to go back to this area on a weekday when the shops aren’t so crowded. There were many street vendors displaying and selling their crafts. A lot of local families were out spending their day here, wandering from shop to shop, grabbing food at one of the many café’s lining the cobblestone street, and enjoying the street entertainers. Yesterday when we wandered through, there were crowds gathered everywhere admiring a juggler, magician, some mimes and many other entertainers showcasing their “talent”. One man was crouched under a table with his head sticking out through a dog kennel, definitely a little bizarre.
So all in all shopping proved to be quite the adventure. Definitely a flight of stairs up from Battlefield Mall! Love to all!
I have spent the last three days (not in their entirety) shopping, not necessarily buying, more like wandering aimlessly through the four story stores, wide eyed and amazed that one whole section of one floor can be dedicated to tights. I don’t know that I can describe the style of Londoners in a brief sentence because style is what you make it here. From conservative, to hip, to off-the-wall chic, everyone looks different but still the same. But even as I say that I feel like it’s obvious that I’m a tourist and don’t categorize into any category of style - although I’m sure no one even notices what I’m wearing so it doesn’t matter : ) However, this feeling gave me the want to refine my wardrobe, so I went shopping.
I walked out of the tube onto the corner of Oxford Circus and was frozen (which isn’t a good idea considering Londoners are always in a hurry and are not afraid to slam into you if you get in their way, but I’ll have to save that topic for another posting). The store fronts rose up around me, huge and all showcasing SALE and HUGE SAVINGS – heaven! I spent the first 15 minutes in the first store, Top Shop, a young, trendy, four-story expanse, just walking and taking it all in. Once I was a little more comfortable, I started picking things up – big step I know. Soon after that I became quite confused when I realized that the sizing was different from the U.S. You can imagine my horror when they told me they didn’t carry shoes above size 8, “what do women with big feet do??” I soon realized that size 8 U.K. = Size 10 U.S. wooo! Embarrassed as I was I finally braved the dressing rooms and came out with a few items. My favorite purchase thus far has been a pair of gray boots. It seems that boots and tights are what “everyone” wears. No jeans or tennis shoes and definitely no t-shirts or hoodies, yikes, so basically my entire wardrobe.
On Saturday we went shopping in Covent Garden. This area was bustling with small boutiques overflowing with people. Not as overwhelming as the previous days adventure. I didn’t buy anything but do want to go back to this area on a weekday when the shops aren’t so crowded. There were many street vendors displaying and selling their crafts. A lot of local families were out spending their day here, wandering from shop to shop, grabbing food at one of the many café’s lining the cobblestone street, and enjoying the street entertainers. Yesterday when we wandered through, there were crowds gathered everywhere admiring a juggler, magician, some mimes and many other entertainers showcasing their “talent”. One man was crouched under a table with his head sticking out through a dog kennel, definitely a little bizarre.
So all in all shopping proved to be quite the adventure. Definitely a flight of stairs up from Battlefield Mall! Love to all!
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
Finally setting in...
Hope everyone is doing well!
I thought I may have been having my first bout of homesickness yesterday, nothing brutal- don’t worry mama- but more along the lines that I finally had my first opportunity to sit back and take a breath. They had us going so fast before now that there was no time to be scared or anxious or nervous. The more I thought about it I realized that it wasn’t necessarily homesickness that I was feeling but more of an immense culture shock (probably because I was finally fully awake and caught up on sleep for the first time since I left home).
I think this culture shock stemmed from the fact that one of my expectations upon coming here was to see Londoners. Kensington is one of the richest boroughs of London and therefore inhabits many wealthy out-of-towners, who either have a second residence in Kensington, are there for a shorter length of time, like me, or have just moved or immigrated to London. On a daily basis the variety of people crowding the sidewalks and streets are not people with a British accent or those who follow along the basic pictures I had for what the British look like (basically there are no people who vaguely resemble any of the characters in Love Actually). Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that the streets are lined with tourists, but more so with immigrants from middle-eastern and eastern Europe. Anyway, not what I expected but really interesting. All the more reason to wander and explore the other boroughs and streets of the city.
My classes have continued to be really interesting, well all except “A History of Photography”- seems a little dull so far, hopefully that improves. Today my class went to the Museum of London, which showcased the History of London from the beginning to present. It was interesting and interactive. I really enjoyed their newest edition which showcased art, poems and the lives of present day homeless individuals in London. This was something I did not at all expect to be present or recorded.
I’m finished with classes for the week and am now hoping to use my free time to explore and start booking some trips to take later in the semester. This weekend my goal is to go to the theatre. Les Miserables and the Phantom of the Opera are on the top of my list, hopefully I can get my hands on some cheap student tickets!
I thought I may have been having my first bout of homesickness yesterday, nothing brutal- don’t worry mama- but more along the lines that I finally had my first opportunity to sit back and take a breath. They had us going so fast before now that there was no time to be scared or anxious or nervous. The more I thought about it I realized that it wasn’t necessarily homesickness that I was feeling but more of an immense culture shock (probably because I was finally fully awake and caught up on sleep for the first time since I left home).
I think this culture shock stemmed from the fact that one of my expectations upon coming here was to see Londoners. Kensington is one of the richest boroughs of London and therefore inhabits many wealthy out-of-towners, who either have a second residence in Kensington, are there for a shorter length of time, like me, or have just moved or immigrated to London. On a daily basis the variety of people crowding the sidewalks and streets are not people with a British accent or those who follow along the basic pictures I had for what the British look like (basically there are no people who vaguely resemble any of the characters in Love Actually). Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that the streets are lined with tourists, but more so with immigrants from middle-eastern and eastern Europe. Anyway, not what I expected but really interesting. All the more reason to wander and explore the other boroughs and streets of the city.
My classes have continued to be really interesting, well all except “A History of Photography”- seems a little dull so far, hopefully that improves. Today my class went to the Museum of London, which showcased the History of London from the beginning to present. It was interesting and interactive. I really enjoyed their newest edition which showcased art, poems and the lives of present day homeless individuals in London. This was something I did not at all expect to be present or recorded.
I’m finished with classes for the week and am now hoping to use my free time to explore and start booking some trips to take later in the semester. This weekend my goal is to go to the theatre. Les Miserables and the Phantom of the Opera are on the top of my list, hopefully I can get my hands on some cheap student tickets!
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
Only 3 days? Feels more like 3 weeks!
I live at 6 Knaresborough Place, flat 8 in West Kensington, London, England (I had to type it all out because I still don't believe it). Number 6 is tucked in around a corner street, looking quite small from the front making it barely believable that so many people live here. The buildings of course all run together, changing color and architectural style at random. From pristine white to a dull, old, paint-chipping gray, they are all wonderful in their own way. It's hard to believe that I'm living in one of these beautiful buildings for the next four months! The inside on number 6 is much like the outside - old and dirty - but very charming as well. Flat 8 is located up 6 flights of stairs (the last one of which is narrow and winding). I would be lying if I said that the accommodations are ok, or even fine, they are really rather frustrating. I share number 8 with three other girls and the space we share is tiny. Our bunk beds are positioned in a small alcove in the back of the room (that's right, one room that serves as a 4-person bedroom, common area, dining room and pretty much everything else) because it is the darkest area. When walking between the beds my shoulders touch each top bunk, you can do the math. I embraced this dump of a room with open arms upon arrival, however, after getting the opportunity to look at everyone else's room it became obvious that number 8 is not up to par. While the other rooms have staircases, hard wood floors, floor to ceiling windows, multiple bathrooms and actual separate rooms, my lovely flat has nothing of the sort, but enough complaining right?! I'm going to love my crappy little flat because it's mine : )
Once we arrived off the plane, tired, dirty, and jet lagged we were immediately carted off to Imperial for a brief orientation and a free meal, woo! Fish and chips of course, how appropriate and much more appetizing than the airplane food. That evening we went on a pub crawl around Kensington. The stereotype that American's are loud and slightly obnoxious was quite evident when compared to the London natives at the pubs. We ended up at the Student Union basement pub (much cheaper -£2.50 a pint rather than the £3.90 at other places, thank goodness college kids are broke everywhere!) I met a few British boys who attend "university" in Nottingham there. They were very welcoming and fun to talk to and hang out with. Of the various pints I tried, Fruli's Strawberry Beer is my favorite thus far.
On Sunday we went on a coach tour around the city. We went to various places including St. Paul's Cathedral, London and Tower Bridges, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square and many other historic landmarks and more modern popular areas of the city. At the end of the tour the coaches dropped us off in Piccadilly Circus. We ate lunch and then wandered around the area for a bit before taking the tube back. As my first experience riding the underground or subway it was quite pleasant. Yesterday evening we went to a local pub just around the corner called the King's Head, it was small and local and a lot of fun. We are planning to go there from now on on Monday nights, for Quiz night, doubt we ever know any of the answers to the British lide and sport questions but it should be fun. We met some more locals (a 41 year old birthday boy named Jeremy and his bachelor friends, Dane and Paul) who we went on to another pub with before ending the evening. Not bad for a Sunday night.
Today was my first day of classes. I had a taste of History of Photography and A Tale of Two Cities with brief classes with the professors. They have planned more field trip and out of class activities than in-class lectures, which I'm very excited about. This evening I have my Musical Theatre class and then British Life and Culture, as well as the first two repeated again. I have reading homework already, but I'm really excited about getting into the school routine again. The weather was freezing and snowy on Saturday when we arrived, all of the natives were extremely annoyed, I thought it felt a lot like Chicago, so there wasn't much of a shock for me. It has become progressively warmer over the past two days though. Today it is rainy and in the 40's. I considered buying an umbrella, but it never really downpours, mostly just a constant hazy drizzle, definitely bearable. No one else carries an umbrella either, so I'm not going to do anything that attracts extra attention.
All of the Londoners are helpful and friendly. The ones I have met and had conversations with have seemed surprised with me/us though. I have been told 3 times now in my last 2.5 days that these individuals can't believe how nice we are for being American. Makes me wonder how extensive the stereotypes are - also makes me feel slightly bad for all of my bad teeth and hygiene remarks. They all seem to have lovely teeth and smell normal enough : )
Monday, 12 January 2009
First Flight
Hi Everyone!
I'm going to make my first attempt at blogging to help me stay in touch and up to date while I'm abroad. Hopefully I can keep up with updating it, but bear with me these first weeks!
I'm going to make my first attempt at blogging to help me stay in touch and up to date while I'm abroad. Hopefully I can keep up with updating it, but bear with me these first weeks!
Well my first experience flying was good overall. The plane didn't take off right at 9:05 because they had to de-ice the windows and wings (yikes, you can imagine my anxious nerves at this point). I was luckily seated next to a large group of individuals that I had met in the airport and had an encouraging and supportive crowd watching and reassuring me that I would survive (oh great, all of these people who I have to see for the next four moths are going to remember me as the girl who barfed on the plane). Despite my fears, the worst part, believe it or not, was just getting used to the plane moving while it was on the ground, my head started spinning and I of course held my breath in fear - not the best idea. I paced my breathing on the take-off and managed to be just fine after a few minutes. There were various bouts of turbulence throughout the flight but they didn't bother me at all! The seats were cramped, the food was so-so, and the movie selection was pretty good, I made it through half of Eagle Eye before I feel asleep. I slept off and on for the rest of the plane ride, so I think I probably managed to get 3-4 hours. The landing was much smoother than take-off for me, I somehow managed to fall asleep and then all of a sudden we were on the ground and in LONDON!
Going through Border control was a whole new adventure in and of itself. A long, intimidating line of important looking officers who don't smile, at all. I luckily had all of my paperwork ready and after a five minute question and answer session where every question was basically a rephrasing of "why are you here and what do you want?", my passport was stamped and I practically ran the rest of the way.
Going through Border control was a whole new adventure in and of itself. A long, intimidating line of important looking officers who don't smile, at all. I luckily had all of my paperwork ready and after a five minute question and answer session where every question was basically a rephrasing of "why are you here and what do you want?", my passport was stamped and I practically ran the rest of the way.
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