July 29, 2007
We went to Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park today, where anyone can stand up on a soapbox and say anything they want to (they just can't insult the Queen). Only the stupid ever have something to say, apparently, because I listened to two men argue about the American constitution--of which neither of them knew anything, and the Americans in the crowd were laughing at their ridiculousness--and another man's agenda listed that he would argue that "equal pay for women is a fantasy" (WHAT?!) and "anything you want to argue, no matter how stupid--I can still beat you." Yes, sir, I'm sure you can. Can we just lock them all in a room together and let them duke it out, because we sure don't need to hear them!
I'm about to head to the London Eye for my final night in London, but I wanted to say this is probably my last post, unless I can grab a computer in Edinburgh or something. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you back in the States!
domenica 29 luglio 2007
Strawberries and Clotted Cream
July 28, 2007
We headed to Bath today, a refuge for the ill and a party for the fashionable for centuries. Starbucks got me through most of the morning, though I dozed for a large part of the bus ride. We pulled up just outside Bath Abbey about two hours later, where we listened to street violinists before heading into the Roman Baths.
The Celts had noticed something funny about the water around what is now Bath about 7,500 years ago--it smelled weird, looked weird, and was incredibly hot (try about 95 degrees F). They believed it was the site of Sulis, one of their goddesses, and they revered the place as sacred grounds. The coming of the Romans brought greater fame, and they built a bath over the site where the sick could be healed by their goddess, Sulis-Minerva. The place remained a site of healing until the Victorian period, when monarchs began visiting it for relaxation. Bath quickly grew in fame as a fashionable hang-out, and it's remained that way ever since.
The Roman Baths were lovely, and we saw the original bath built by the Romans, the water all green from the sulfur and the steps covered in algae. We wandered through the beautiful ruins while listening to our audioguides (narrated by Bill Bryson, of all people!), and the group finally split up for some much-needed lunch. Tricia and I had a wonderful lunch in the historic pump rooms and we tried the Spa water, which was hot and disgusting and I felt very cultured doing it.
We next saw Bath Abbey, with its beautiful fan vaulting and wonderful gravestones covering the walls. The day was absolutely beautiful, so we wandered through some open-air markets, sampling teas and cheeses and just admiring the city. We met up with some other Meredith Students at the Jane Austen Centre, where everyone was trying to buy gifts, before heading up to the Assembly Rooms with Maggie (the home of the most fashionable parties in Bath, and where Jane Austen often danced). Most were closed for a wedding, so we headed downstairs and had fun in the Fashion Museum, where we tried on corsets and hoop skirts. I wish I could post pictures, because they are priceless!
We soon realized it was close to 4:30, so we walked to Dr. Webb and John Rose's house and had tea with fresh strawberries and clotted cream in their backyard. It was so wonderful and relaxing, and we joked around with Sisters Muriel and Pat, who joined us on the trip. I'm going to miss them! The bus eventually returned, and we drove all the way home.
We headed to Bath today, a refuge for the ill and a party for the fashionable for centuries. Starbucks got me through most of the morning, though I dozed for a large part of the bus ride. We pulled up just outside Bath Abbey about two hours later, where we listened to street violinists before heading into the Roman Baths.
The Celts had noticed something funny about the water around what is now Bath about 7,500 years ago--it smelled weird, looked weird, and was incredibly hot (try about 95 degrees F). They believed it was the site of Sulis, one of their goddesses, and they revered the place as sacred grounds. The coming of the Romans brought greater fame, and they built a bath over the site where the sick could be healed by their goddess, Sulis-Minerva. The place remained a site of healing until the Victorian period, when monarchs began visiting it for relaxation. Bath quickly grew in fame as a fashionable hang-out, and it's remained that way ever since.
The Roman Baths were lovely, and we saw the original bath built by the Romans, the water all green from the sulfur and the steps covered in algae. We wandered through the beautiful ruins while listening to our audioguides (narrated by Bill Bryson, of all people!), and the group finally split up for some much-needed lunch. Tricia and I had a wonderful lunch in the historic pump rooms and we tried the Spa water, which was hot and disgusting and I felt very cultured doing it.
We next saw Bath Abbey, with its beautiful fan vaulting and wonderful gravestones covering the walls. The day was absolutely beautiful, so we wandered through some open-air markets, sampling teas and cheeses and just admiring the city. We met up with some other Meredith Students at the Jane Austen Centre, where everyone was trying to buy gifts, before heading up to the Assembly Rooms with Maggie (the home of the most fashionable parties in Bath, and where Jane Austen often danced). Most were closed for a wedding, so we headed downstairs and had fun in the Fashion Museum, where we tried on corsets and hoop skirts. I wish I could post pictures, because they are priceless!
We soon realized it was close to 4:30, so we walked to Dr. Webb and John Rose's house and had tea with fresh strawberries and clotted cream in their backyard. It was so wonderful and relaxing, and we joked around with Sisters Muriel and Pat, who joined us on the trip. I'm going to miss them! The bus eventually returned, and we drove all the way home.
venerdì 27 luglio 2007
Murders, Wars, and...Nuns?
July 24-27, 2007
What a week! I've been all across London these last few days, concentrating specifically on the South Bank (the location of the Globe Theatre, for all you Shakespeare nuts). The Royal National Theatre sits ponderously on the bank next to Westminster Bridge, and I ended up there twice. The Olivier Theatre, where I had seen Tennessee Williams' The Rose Tattoo, had been cleared out for the next production, that of George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan. The performance was quite possibly one of the greatest theatrical pieces I have ever seen because the spectacle was so perfect. The story followed Joan of Arc as she received revelations, rallied France to her at the end of the Hundred Years' War, and was eventually persecuted, imprisoned, and burned at the stake. The acting was by and large good, with a rather eccentric Joan and a very poor actor acting as the page, or "Egg Boy," as we all called him. It was the set, however, that set it apart. The revolving stage was used again, though in a much more ethereal manner--dead trees loomed in the foggy background, candles glinting from the base of each, and a single, distressed-wood platform stood in the center of the stage. Haunting music filled the air during key scenes, and the battle scene was absolutely flawless--music rising, stage revolving, actors fighting not with swords but with a choreographed chair dance. The best part was when the entire platform raised vertically into the air and the people climbed up it, symbolizing the scaling of the walls at Orleans. It was wonderful! Her persecution scene was difficult to take, but the burning was very artistic--the same chairs that had acted as instruments for fighting had been stacked up in front of a small scaffold, and smoke rose from underneath her until she was enveloped. All we could see as she died was her small, white-clad form falling backward into a sea of black-clad actors before being swallowed up in darkness. It was absolutely perfect!
We ended up taking a tour of the National the next day, going behind the scenes and looking at the workshops. The National has three theatres within it--the amphitheater Olivier, proscenium Lyttleton, and studio Cottsletoe. It's one of the largest theatres in the world, truly, and all its workshops are housed right there in the building. It was amazing!
I also saw the Imperial War Museum, about a twenty-minute walk from the National. It was a tough afternoon. The museum is excellent and is filled with old war machines, uniforms, artillery, film footage, everything. We wandered through WWI and WWII before participating in the interactive Tunnel Experience and Blitz Experience, which presented life in the trenches of WWI and in a house during the Blitz air raid. They were mediocre activities, though the creators had clearly been trying--it was overkill, though. The most amazing part of the museum, and by far the most devastating, was the Holocaust experience. Children under twelve are not allowed in there because it's so hard, and I've never been so angry in my life. I wanted to bring Hitler and his demon followers back from the dead just so I could beat them up! I had to leave the area because I was shaking so hard. It documents everything and has personal accounts of all the activities, even presenting a case full of victims' shoes and personal belongings that had been taken from them just before they were sent to the gas chambers. They also had a dissection table, where they performed experiments on the mentally retarded. Such innocents, forced to suffer such pain! I'm getting angry just thinking about it. I'll move on, now.
I also saw the Victorian thriller Gaslight, starring Rosamund Pike (Die Another Day, Pride and Prejudice). I got a 12-pound front row seat because I was under 25, and it was wonderful! I was three feet away from the entire performance! It followed the story of Mrs. Manningham (Pike), who thought she was going mad because things kept going missing and the gaslights kept flickering. Her husband threatened to send her to the madhouse if she didn't change. He had just left for the evening when Detective Rough enters the room, quite the stranger, and says he's been watching the house for quite awhile. Seems a murder had occurred here over twenty years ago, in this very house, and the killer was never caught--the man had been looking for some famous rubies. Rough said that killers always return to the scene of the crime, and that's just what was happening. Mr. Manningham had killed the old lady twenty years ago and was back to find the rubies! He was trying to push his wife into madness so he could lock her up and take his sweet time finding the rubies. I won't tell you how they stop him, but I loved Rough, and Rosamund Pike was absolutely exquisite! After the performance we waited by the stage door, and I got her autograph and a picture with her! Snap!
On yet another note, I had tea with the nuns of the Maria Assumpta Centre today. We sat in a sun room by the garden and sipped tea and ate homemade crumbly cake, and they were all hard of hearing and teased each other incessantly. Sister Muriel is particularly witty--she's the resident gardener, and she keeps coming in with dirt all over her feet. We bought her flowery wellies as a going-away present, and I can't wait to see her wear them! I hope I'm like her when I'm older, because she's so jolly and exciting and full of life. She doesn't take nonsense from anybody, but she sure dishes out enough of it!
What a week! I've been all across London these last few days, concentrating specifically on the South Bank (the location of the Globe Theatre, for all you Shakespeare nuts). The Royal National Theatre sits ponderously on the bank next to Westminster Bridge, and I ended up there twice. The Olivier Theatre, where I had seen Tennessee Williams' The Rose Tattoo, had been cleared out for the next production, that of George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan. The performance was quite possibly one of the greatest theatrical pieces I have ever seen because the spectacle was so perfect. The story followed Joan of Arc as she received revelations, rallied France to her at the end of the Hundred Years' War, and was eventually persecuted, imprisoned, and burned at the stake. The acting was by and large good, with a rather eccentric Joan and a very poor actor acting as the page, or "Egg Boy," as we all called him. It was the set, however, that set it apart. The revolving stage was used again, though in a much more ethereal manner--dead trees loomed in the foggy background, candles glinting from the base of each, and a single, distressed-wood platform stood in the center of the stage. Haunting music filled the air during key scenes, and the battle scene was absolutely flawless--music rising, stage revolving, actors fighting not with swords but with a choreographed chair dance. The best part was when the entire platform raised vertically into the air and the people climbed up it, symbolizing the scaling of the walls at Orleans. It was wonderful! Her persecution scene was difficult to take, but the burning was very artistic--the same chairs that had acted as instruments for fighting had been stacked up in front of a small scaffold, and smoke rose from underneath her until she was enveloped. All we could see as she died was her small, white-clad form falling backward into a sea of black-clad actors before being swallowed up in darkness. It was absolutely perfect!
We ended up taking a tour of the National the next day, going behind the scenes and looking at the workshops. The National has three theatres within it--the amphitheater Olivier, proscenium Lyttleton, and studio Cottsletoe. It's one of the largest theatres in the world, truly, and all its workshops are housed right there in the building. It was amazing!
I also saw the Imperial War Museum, about a twenty-minute walk from the National. It was a tough afternoon. The museum is excellent and is filled with old war machines, uniforms, artillery, film footage, everything. We wandered through WWI and WWII before participating in the interactive Tunnel Experience and Blitz Experience, which presented life in the trenches of WWI and in a house during the Blitz air raid. They were mediocre activities, though the creators had clearly been trying--it was overkill, though. The most amazing part of the museum, and by far the most devastating, was the Holocaust experience. Children under twelve are not allowed in there because it's so hard, and I've never been so angry in my life. I wanted to bring Hitler and his demon followers back from the dead just so I could beat them up! I had to leave the area because I was shaking so hard. It documents everything and has personal accounts of all the activities, even presenting a case full of victims' shoes and personal belongings that had been taken from them just before they were sent to the gas chambers. They also had a dissection table, where they performed experiments on the mentally retarded. Such innocents, forced to suffer such pain! I'm getting angry just thinking about it. I'll move on, now.
I also saw the Victorian thriller Gaslight, starring Rosamund Pike (Die Another Day, Pride and Prejudice). I got a 12-pound front row seat because I was under 25, and it was wonderful! I was three feet away from the entire performance! It followed the story of Mrs. Manningham (Pike), who thought she was going mad because things kept going missing and the gaslights kept flickering. Her husband threatened to send her to the madhouse if she didn't change. He had just left for the evening when Detective Rough enters the room, quite the stranger, and says he's been watching the house for quite awhile. Seems a murder had occurred here over twenty years ago, in this very house, and the killer was never caught--the man had been looking for some famous rubies. Rough said that killers always return to the scene of the crime, and that's just what was happening. Mr. Manningham had killed the old lady twenty years ago and was back to find the rubies! He was trying to push his wife into madness so he could lock her up and take his sweet time finding the rubies. I won't tell you how they stop him, but I loved Rough, and Rosamund Pike was absolutely exquisite! After the performance we waited by the stage door, and I got her autograph and a picture with her! Snap!
On yet another note, I had tea with the nuns of the Maria Assumpta Centre today. We sat in a sun room by the garden and sipped tea and ate homemade crumbly cake, and they were all hard of hearing and teased each other incessantly. Sister Muriel is particularly witty--she's the resident gardener, and she keeps coming in with dirt all over her feet. We bought her flowery wellies as a going-away present, and I can't wait to see her wear them! I hope I'm like her when I'm older, because she's so jolly and exciting and full of life. She doesn't take nonsense from anybody, but she sure dishes out enough of it!
martedì 24 luglio 2007
Solitude and Spamalot
July 23, 2007
First off, happy birthday to Daniel Radcliffe, who is now the proud owner of 20 million pounds (what the crap!). Second off, I wish I had 20 million pounds. That'd be 40 million dollars!
I wandered London on my own today, and it was quite possibly one of the best afternoons I've had yet. I walked down High Street Kensington, past Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, to the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) and the Natural History Museum. The V&A was lovely, but there were over seven miles of exhibitions spread out over four floors, so I definitely didn't see it all. I focused mainly on the sculpture and fashion rooms, with detours into Islamic Middle East and Middle Ages Stained Glass. They have a dress made for Princess Diana there! It soon became too overwhelming, so I stopped in the museum cafe and spent a good half hour drinking a pot of tea and reading my guide book. It was so relaxing! I finished the museum by looking into a few more rooms, and then I ran across the street to the Natural History Museum.
Anyone with a child--or if there's any child left in you--should go the the Natural History Museum. I came in the Exhibition Road entrance and took an escalator into the sun--no kidding. The entire place was full of interactive areas, including hands-on geologic sections, how to protect the ecosystem, and the dangers of volcanoes. I eventually headed down the escalator again and through the bird collection, which had replicas of dodos and just about every bird you can imagine! After that was the fossil collection, many specimens of which were found by a woman in the mid-1800s. She found a complete dinosaur skeleton at age 11! The main hall had massive skeletons of dinosaurs, mammoth skulls, tracks, giant sloths, and an itty bitty pygmy. Just down from that room was the dinosaur area, filled with skeletons and informative videos. The best part, however, was coming upon the animatronic T-Rex, which glared at you and opened its mouth and roared. It was pretty dang realistic!
I saw Spamalot that night with my friends, and I've never laughed so much! It was basically a retelling of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, accompanied by spaztastic songs--"I Am Not Dead Yet" and "Look at Sir Lancelot, He Likes to Dance-a-Lot!" Were two of my favorites. Everyone needs to go!
First off, happy birthday to Daniel Radcliffe, who is now the proud owner of 20 million pounds (what the crap!). Second off, I wish I had 20 million pounds. That'd be 40 million dollars!
I wandered London on my own today, and it was quite possibly one of the best afternoons I've had yet. I walked down High Street Kensington, past Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, to the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) and the Natural History Museum. The V&A was lovely, but there were over seven miles of exhibitions spread out over four floors, so I definitely didn't see it all. I focused mainly on the sculpture and fashion rooms, with detours into Islamic Middle East and Middle Ages Stained Glass. They have a dress made for Princess Diana there! It soon became too overwhelming, so I stopped in the museum cafe and spent a good half hour drinking a pot of tea and reading my guide book. It was so relaxing! I finished the museum by looking into a few more rooms, and then I ran across the street to the Natural History Museum.
Anyone with a child--or if there's any child left in you--should go the the Natural History Museum. I came in the Exhibition Road entrance and took an escalator into the sun--no kidding. The entire place was full of interactive areas, including hands-on geologic sections, how to protect the ecosystem, and the dangers of volcanoes. I eventually headed down the escalator again and through the bird collection, which had replicas of dodos and just about every bird you can imagine! After that was the fossil collection, many specimens of which were found by a woman in the mid-1800s. She found a complete dinosaur skeleton at age 11! The main hall had massive skeletons of dinosaurs, mammoth skulls, tracks, giant sloths, and an itty bitty pygmy. Just down from that room was the dinosaur area, filled with skeletons and informative videos. The best part, however, was coming upon the animatronic T-Rex, which glared at you and opened its mouth and roared. It was pretty dang realistic!
I saw Spamalot that night with my friends, and I've never laughed so much! It was basically a retelling of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, accompanied by spaztastic songs--"I Am Not Dead Yet" and "Look at Sir Lancelot, He Likes to Dance-a-Lot!" Were two of my favorites. Everyone needs to go!
domenica 22 luglio 2007
The End of an Era
July 18-22, 2007
The end of one of the greatest literary eras has come. Gutenberg invented the printing press; Thomas Paine stirred a revolution; Jane Austen caused the hearts of young girls to flutter with romance--but it was JK Rowling who taught children to love reading. She went from a woman on welfare, forced to write novels on paper napkins, to outstripping even the queen of England in wealth. She is now the second richest woman in the world, second only to Oprah Winfrey. And with good reason.
I stood in line at the Waterstone's bookstore on High Street Kensington for five hours and was the sixth person in line for the book. We huddled in the cold weather, sipping leftover Starbucks and playing BS with a crowd of British teenagers, until the doors opened at midnight. I cannot explain the thuds in my chest as my heart realized I was holding the final book. An obsession I may have, but it has been worth every second of it.
I finished the book in two nights because we spent the day at Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill and at Tennessee Williams' The Rose Tattoo, the main character played by Zoe Wannamaker (Madame Hooch in the first Harry Potter film, and her father, Sam Wannamaker, rebuilt the Globe Theatre in the early 1990s. The film was excellent, though the daughter couldn't decide if she should have an Italian or an American southern accent--she tried to mix them, and it was absolutely horrific.
The British Library is a must-see for anyone interested in literature or history, to continue in the vein of sightseeing adventures. I saw the only surviving, only intact copy of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, letters from Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra, tons of stuff from the Beatles, the Gutenberg Bible, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the MAGNA CARTA! It was amazing to stand in front of such timeless and influential works of literature.
Some day soon, Harry Potter will join their ranks. And I will be there when it does.
The end of one of the greatest literary eras has come. Gutenberg invented the printing press; Thomas Paine stirred a revolution; Jane Austen caused the hearts of young girls to flutter with romance--but it was JK Rowling who taught children to love reading. She went from a woman on welfare, forced to write novels on paper napkins, to outstripping even the queen of England in wealth. She is now the second richest woman in the world, second only to Oprah Winfrey. And with good reason.
I stood in line at the Waterstone's bookstore on High Street Kensington for five hours and was the sixth person in line for the book. We huddled in the cold weather, sipping leftover Starbucks and playing BS with a crowd of British teenagers, until the doors opened at midnight. I cannot explain the thuds in my chest as my heart realized I was holding the final book. An obsession I may have, but it has been worth every second of it.
I finished the book in two nights because we spent the day at Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill and at Tennessee Williams' The Rose Tattoo, the main character played by Zoe Wannamaker (Madame Hooch in the first Harry Potter film, and her father, Sam Wannamaker, rebuilt the Globe Theatre in the early 1990s. The film was excellent, though the daughter couldn't decide if she should have an Italian or an American southern accent--she tried to mix them, and it was absolutely horrific.
The British Library is a must-see for anyone interested in literature or history, to continue in the vein of sightseeing adventures. I saw the only surviving, only intact copy of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, letters from Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra, tons of stuff from the Beatles, the Gutenberg Bible, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the MAGNA CARTA! It was amazing to stand in front of such timeless and influential works of literature.
Some day soon, Harry Potter will join their ranks. And I will be there when it does.
mercoledì 18 luglio 2007
The Bloom Withers Onstage
July 17, 2007
Random showers permeated the otherwise sunny afternoon, but I noticed none of it as I spent my time trying to finish my homework--that plan failed, too. The only truly exciting part of the day was heading to the Duke of York's Theatre just off of Liecester Square to see In Celebration, a David Storey play starring Orlando Bloom. That's right, I saw Orlando Bloom!
We sat in row B of the top gallery, and the theatre was a pretty tall place. However, the set was two levels of a house, and the characters were frequently upstairs getting ready, sleeping, and other things, so we got to see everything. Orlando Bloom was the first person onstage, and the whole audience gasped when he came out. He was dressed in a loose sweater and looked quite a bit like a dapper Mr. Rogers: "Hey, Neighbor!" The play centered on a family of a father, mother, and three male children (all grown up now), in which the children return for a night of celebration for their parents' fortieth anniversary. The proverbial can of worms is opened wide as past grievances come to light. Problem was, we never fully found out what those grievances were.
The characters seemed agitated by minor episodes of their past, and one of them, Andrew (the best actor there, he absolutely stole the show), seemed to have quite a bit of sexual feelings for his mother--creepy! Orlando Bloom is a ridiculously terrible actor, and at one point he curls up on the edge of the couch and cries. But why? No one knows. I'm glad I saw the play, glad I can say I saw Orlando Bloom face to face (we queued up outside afterwards and got his picture), but overall I was not that impressed. It's something you see and then never worry about again.
Random showers permeated the otherwise sunny afternoon, but I noticed none of it as I spent my time trying to finish my homework--that plan failed, too. The only truly exciting part of the day was heading to the Duke of York's Theatre just off of Liecester Square to see In Celebration, a David Storey play starring Orlando Bloom. That's right, I saw Orlando Bloom!
We sat in row B of the top gallery, and the theatre was a pretty tall place. However, the set was two levels of a house, and the characters were frequently upstairs getting ready, sleeping, and other things, so we got to see everything. Orlando Bloom was the first person onstage, and the whole audience gasped when he came out. He was dressed in a loose sweater and looked quite a bit like a dapper Mr. Rogers: "Hey, Neighbor!" The play centered on a family of a father, mother, and three male children (all grown up now), in which the children return for a night of celebration for their parents' fortieth anniversary. The proverbial can of worms is opened wide as past grievances come to light. Problem was, we never fully found out what those grievances were.
The characters seemed agitated by minor episodes of their past, and one of them, Andrew (the best actor there, he absolutely stole the show), seemed to have quite a bit of sexual feelings for his mother--creepy! Orlando Bloom is a ridiculously terrible actor, and at one point he curls up on the edge of the couch and cries. But why? No one knows. I'm glad I saw the play, glad I can say I saw Orlando Bloom face to face (we queued up outside afterwards and got his picture), but overall I was not that impressed. It's something you see and then never worry about again.
martedì 17 luglio 2007
Mr. Darcy = Robin Hood
July 14-16, 2007
What a wonderful weekend! With the exception of seeing Harry Potter at the Odeon Theatre, this was my favorite activity of the whole trip. On Friday Bekah and I packed our bags and headed to Chesterfield, to the northeast of London. We missed our first train by one minute because of delays on the Circle Line, and I ran so hard to make the train that I actually stopped breathing--wheezing was the method of choice for air intake for about twenty minutes after that, and several people stopped and asked if I was alright. The ticket woman was very concerned about me and gave us free tickets onto the next train, so we hopped that one when my lungs returned to their normal size and arrived in a very rainy Chesterfield station. A very kind taxi driver of the Duckmanton services picked us up and drove us to the small village of Beeley, about thirty minutes or so from the station. He didn't even charge us the full price of the ride, and he stayed to make sure we found our home safely.
We stayed the weekend in a deconsecrated Methodist church just down from the pub with old friends of the Meredith Abroad program, John and Janet. We had a whole section of the church to ourselves, and they made us tea and stocked the fridge for us. Bekah and I relaxed the first night, grabbing dinner at the Devonshire Arms pub before watching Pride and Prejudice. Maggie, Meredith, and Hillary arrived the next day, and then we all set out for Chatsworth.
We walked from Beeley to the Chatsworth house, a bit over an hour's walk through pastures and fields and, apparently, the western edge of Sherwood Forest! I wanted Robin Hood to hop out of the forest, though I would definitely have taken Mr. Darcy. The house itself was absolutely amazing, 1.3 acres of just roof sitting on a 35,000 acre estate. Could you imagine growing up with that much?! The house has been with the family for over four hundred years, and it's full of amazing art--they have statues of the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet and a Grecian foot from 1 AD! We ended up finally in the hall of portraits seen in the new Pride and Prejudice movie (by the way, Chatsworth = Pemberly), and we turned the corner and were face to face with Mr. Darcy's bust! It was amazing! A tour of the grounds followed, and then we walked back home, had some delicious pub food again, and ended the day.
Sunday was spent coming home, and our taxi driver was tons of fun. He asked us questions about the US and told us anecdotes about Chesterfield, and I was sorry to see him go. It took us a while to get home on the train because there was a fatality on the tracks in Luton, but we eventually made it and did homework until our eyes fell out.
I toured the National Gallery on Monday and saw paintings from Piero della Francesca (yeah, Sansepolcro!), Jan Van Eyck, Rembrandt (by the way, the owners of Chatsworth have a Rembrandt in their foyer!), da Vinci, Raphael, and everything. It was amazing! I also went by the Duke of York's Theatre and got tickets to see In Celebration, a play starring ORLANDO BLOOM!!!!!!! I'm seeing it tonight, and I'll definitely keep you posted. I saw the play Betrayal last night, by Harold Pinter, and the acting was amazing! We stood in the back for only 7 pounds and watched, and the theatre was small and intimate and wonderful.
What a wonderful weekend! With the exception of seeing Harry Potter at the Odeon Theatre, this was my favorite activity of the whole trip. On Friday Bekah and I packed our bags and headed to Chesterfield, to the northeast of London. We missed our first train by one minute because of delays on the Circle Line, and I ran so hard to make the train that I actually stopped breathing--wheezing was the method of choice for air intake for about twenty minutes after that, and several people stopped and asked if I was alright. The ticket woman was very concerned about me and gave us free tickets onto the next train, so we hopped that one when my lungs returned to their normal size and arrived in a very rainy Chesterfield station. A very kind taxi driver of the Duckmanton services picked us up and drove us to the small village of Beeley, about thirty minutes or so from the station. He didn't even charge us the full price of the ride, and he stayed to make sure we found our home safely.
We stayed the weekend in a deconsecrated Methodist church just down from the pub with old friends of the Meredith Abroad program, John and Janet. We had a whole section of the church to ourselves, and they made us tea and stocked the fridge for us. Bekah and I relaxed the first night, grabbing dinner at the Devonshire Arms pub before watching Pride and Prejudice. Maggie, Meredith, and Hillary arrived the next day, and then we all set out for Chatsworth.
We walked from Beeley to the Chatsworth house, a bit over an hour's walk through pastures and fields and, apparently, the western edge of Sherwood Forest! I wanted Robin Hood to hop out of the forest, though I would definitely have taken Mr. Darcy. The house itself was absolutely amazing, 1.3 acres of just roof sitting on a 35,000 acre estate. Could you imagine growing up with that much?! The house has been with the family for over four hundred years, and it's full of amazing art--they have statues of the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet and a Grecian foot from 1 AD! We ended up finally in the hall of portraits seen in the new Pride and Prejudice movie (by the way, Chatsworth = Pemberly), and we turned the corner and were face to face with Mr. Darcy's bust! It was amazing! A tour of the grounds followed, and then we walked back home, had some delicious pub food again, and ended the day.
Sunday was spent coming home, and our taxi driver was tons of fun. He asked us questions about the US and told us anecdotes about Chesterfield, and I was sorry to see him go. It took us a while to get home on the train because there was a fatality on the tracks in Luton, but we eventually made it and did homework until our eyes fell out.
I toured the National Gallery on Monday and saw paintings from Piero della Francesca (yeah, Sansepolcro!), Jan Van Eyck, Rembrandt (by the way, the owners of Chatsworth have a Rembrandt in their foyer!), da Vinci, Raphael, and everything. It was amazing! I also went by the Duke of York's Theatre and got tickets to see In Celebration, a play starring ORLANDO BLOOM!!!!!!! I'm seeing it tonight, and I'll definitely keep you posted. I saw the play Betrayal last night, by Harold Pinter, and the acting was amazing! We stood in the back for only 7 pounds and watched, and the theatre was small and intimate and wonderful.
venerdì 13 luglio 2007
Can Life be Anymore Amazing?
July 10-13, 2007
These last few days have been packed!
I went to the British Museum with Mom and Merrily, and I could absolutely live there and be fine with it. It holds over seventy thousand exhibitions across two and a half miles of corridors. We focused on the Egyptian sections, the Elgin Marbles, Mesopotamia, Ancient Celts, and the Sutton Ho Exhibit. My favorite pieces are still the Rosetta Stone, which caused the deciphering of ancient hieroglyphics, and the papyri containing the Weighing of the Heart Ceremony, an ancient ritual from the Book of the Dead that is supposed to occur in the afterlife, in the Egyptian sections. The Elgin Marbles are reliefs and statues chopped off the Pantheon by Elgin, a British curator/lord/whatever who went to Greece and took them. They are absolutely beautiful, especially the carving of the dresses and robes--it looks like they're about to start flowing! From there we headed through the Mesopotamia section to the Celts, where we saw intricate belt buckles and weaponry; the Sutton Ho exhibit finished, which contains remnants from elaborate graves found near Sutton. It was amazing, and I could spend several days there easily.
From there we headed straight to Evensong at St. Paul's Cathedral, and we walked right through the crowds and straight under the dome. We sat under its painted beauty for an hour, listening to a wonderful men's choir sing praises and beauties to the Lord. A short walk across the Millennium Bridge found us at the Globe Theatre, where we saw Love's Labour's Lost, a comedy about a court that forsworn love and women only to do everything in its power to get women to fall in love. It was hilarious, and the actors ran through the groundlings and jumped off the stage all night! If you ever get a chance to go to the Globe, do so--you won't regret it.
The next day I got my phone fixed, which I can't wait to use--you don't realize how much you miss a phone until it's gone! We tried to see Macbeth that night at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, but delays on the Circle line saw us fifteen minutes late. Tricia and I ended up walking through Regent's Park for about an hour (Bend It Like Beckham, anyone?) before heading back and having a tea party in my room.
Thursday was a very full day. We had a day trip to Canterbury, and what a cathedral! Its gothic arches rose to the dusky ceiling in fan vaulting, and the graves were intricately carved. The crypt beneath still had its original Romanesque architecture! We recited Chaucer's opening eighteen lines there, and I felt very accomplished as a Meredith woman right then. I got lost on my way back to the bus from a ridiculously silly exhibit about the Canterbury Tales that everyone should go to at least once, and then we headed to the shore at Broadstairs. The beach was absolutely beautiful, and the white chalk cliffs loomed behind us as we numbed our feet in the English Channel--France peeked at us from the horizon. I had a cup of hot tea on the beach, and we relaxed and watched little children build sand castles and play with seaweed.
The best part of the day came that night, though--at 8:40 we headed into the Odeon Theatre at Liecester Square, home of countless film premiers, and saw Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix!!! I thought I was going to explode with excitement! The action and graphics were absolutely amazing, and Daniel Radcliffe and Michael Gambon's acting was superb. Tickets are really expensive here--the equivalent of about $26--so I plan to go a lot when I get home after August 6th. Anyone up for an adventure?
These last few days have been packed!
I went to the British Museum with Mom and Merrily, and I could absolutely live there and be fine with it. It holds over seventy thousand exhibitions across two and a half miles of corridors. We focused on the Egyptian sections, the Elgin Marbles, Mesopotamia, Ancient Celts, and the Sutton Ho Exhibit. My favorite pieces are still the Rosetta Stone, which caused the deciphering of ancient hieroglyphics, and the papyri containing the Weighing of the Heart Ceremony, an ancient ritual from the Book of the Dead that is supposed to occur in the afterlife, in the Egyptian sections. The Elgin Marbles are reliefs and statues chopped off the Pantheon by Elgin, a British curator/lord/whatever who went to Greece and took them. They are absolutely beautiful, especially the carving of the dresses and robes--it looks like they're about to start flowing! From there we headed through the Mesopotamia section to the Celts, where we saw intricate belt buckles and weaponry; the Sutton Ho exhibit finished, which contains remnants from elaborate graves found near Sutton. It was amazing, and I could spend several days there easily.
From there we headed straight to Evensong at St. Paul's Cathedral, and we walked right through the crowds and straight under the dome. We sat under its painted beauty for an hour, listening to a wonderful men's choir sing praises and beauties to the Lord. A short walk across the Millennium Bridge found us at the Globe Theatre, where we saw Love's Labour's Lost, a comedy about a court that forsworn love and women only to do everything in its power to get women to fall in love. It was hilarious, and the actors ran through the groundlings and jumped off the stage all night! If you ever get a chance to go to the Globe, do so--you won't regret it.
The next day I got my phone fixed, which I can't wait to use--you don't realize how much you miss a phone until it's gone! We tried to see Macbeth that night at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, but delays on the Circle line saw us fifteen minutes late. Tricia and I ended up walking through Regent's Park for about an hour (Bend It Like Beckham, anyone?) before heading back and having a tea party in my room.
Thursday was a very full day. We had a day trip to Canterbury, and what a cathedral! Its gothic arches rose to the dusky ceiling in fan vaulting, and the graves were intricately carved. The crypt beneath still had its original Romanesque architecture! We recited Chaucer's opening eighteen lines there, and I felt very accomplished as a Meredith woman right then. I got lost on my way back to the bus from a ridiculously silly exhibit about the Canterbury Tales that everyone should go to at least once, and then we headed to the shore at Broadstairs. The beach was absolutely beautiful, and the white chalk cliffs loomed behind us as we numbed our feet in the English Channel--France peeked at us from the horizon. I had a cup of hot tea on the beach, and we relaxed and watched little children build sand castles and play with seaweed.
The best part of the day came that night, though--at 8:40 we headed into the Odeon Theatre at Liecester Square, home of countless film premiers, and saw Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix!!! I thought I was going to explode with excitement! The action and graphics were absolutely amazing, and Daniel Radcliffe and Michael Gambon's acting was superb. Tickets are really expensive here--the equivalent of about $26--so I plan to go a lot when I get home after August 6th. Anyone up for an adventure?
lunedì 9 luglio 2007
Cheerio!
July 2-July 9, 2007
London is beautiful, if not rather wet and rainy and entirely unpredictable. I've been here just over a week, now, and it feels like home. I'll stop suddenly on the street and realize that I've been walking down the streets of London, taking the Tube and sipping tea in cafes, and it's completely normal--more normal than walking through Meredith, at times.
I dyed my hair! It is now a lovely nutmeg brown, and it was very spur-of-the-moment. I saw Maureen's hair dyed and decided that I should do it too. It gave me a very European feeling, and I caused everyone to stop in surprise when they saw me. Excellent!
It's been quite a busy time here! I recited the opening prologue of the Canterbury Tales over Chaucer's grave in Westminster Abbey, which was absolutely beautiful. The graves are so elaborate, and everyone from Lord Byron to Handel to Elizabeth I are buried beneath its floors and crying angels. The tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the first of its kind, is surrounded by poppies--it's the only grave no one can step on, according to a tour guide, though that statement's a bit erroneous. Good job, tour guide.
The Tower of London was amazing, as always--a beef eater gave us a tour, and he described in detail the blood and guts of the Tower's history. Did you know that beef eaters and their families actually live IN the Tower? They have their own quarters and doctors and barbers and everything! Poor teenaged children, though--you have a permanent curfew of 9:30 pm. I also saw the Cabinet War Rooms and St. James' Park (with the largest pelicans EVER!) and Buckingham Palace today, which were all amazing. We got a tour of Parliament this morning, and I would like to be a member of the House of Lords just so I could sit on those sofas. Dang, they look comfy!
My sister and mother came to visit me, can you believe it? They're staying for ten days, and we spent the weekend touring the Cotswolds, picturesque villages clustered to the northwest of London. We stayed in a bed and breakfast in Cheltenham (pronounced "Chilt'n'm"), and our room was the Egyptian Room--maybe the guy knew it was ME coming to visit! We saw the Rococo Gardens at Painswick, a beautiful Georgian Gothic church in Tetbury, had our rental car side-swiped in Cirencester (no damage, thankfully), had tea in Bourton-on-the-Water, and fed the ducks in the Slaughters (the most beautiful villages of the lot). The next day we saw the stone circle at Avebury, and the gnats mistook Mom for a sheep because of her blonde hair and white shirt--they were all over her! We had to dodge sheep poop in an effort to get her away.
By the way, our manner of transportation that weekend--rental car. Driver--sister. The UK needs to give out driving lessons before letting anyone take to the roads! Everything is backwards, it often looks like dogs are driving the cars because they're sitting in the front left seats (passenger seats, here), and the round-abouts are about the most ridiculous things I've ever seen. Four different people told us four different methods of using them, so clearly we're not the only ones confused. Several near misses and the most expensive gas in the WORLD and we survived, but it felt like we barely made it sometimes.
Remember--if you need to get around the UK, hire a professional. You'll live longer.
London is beautiful, if not rather wet and rainy and entirely unpredictable. I've been here just over a week, now, and it feels like home. I'll stop suddenly on the street and realize that I've been walking down the streets of London, taking the Tube and sipping tea in cafes, and it's completely normal--more normal than walking through Meredith, at times.
I dyed my hair! It is now a lovely nutmeg brown, and it was very spur-of-the-moment. I saw Maureen's hair dyed and decided that I should do it too. It gave me a very European feeling, and I caused everyone to stop in surprise when they saw me. Excellent!
It's been quite a busy time here! I recited the opening prologue of the Canterbury Tales over Chaucer's grave in Westminster Abbey, which was absolutely beautiful. The graves are so elaborate, and everyone from Lord Byron to Handel to Elizabeth I are buried beneath its floors and crying angels. The tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the first of its kind, is surrounded by poppies--it's the only grave no one can step on, according to a tour guide, though that statement's a bit erroneous. Good job, tour guide.
The Tower of London was amazing, as always--a beef eater gave us a tour, and he described in detail the blood and guts of the Tower's history. Did you know that beef eaters and their families actually live IN the Tower? They have their own quarters and doctors and barbers and everything! Poor teenaged children, though--you have a permanent curfew of 9:30 pm. I also saw the Cabinet War Rooms and St. James' Park (with the largest pelicans EVER!) and Buckingham Palace today, which were all amazing. We got a tour of Parliament this morning, and I would like to be a member of the House of Lords just so I could sit on those sofas. Dang, they look comfy!
My sister and mother came to visit me, can you believe it? They're staying for ten days, and we spent the weekend touring the Cotswolds, picturesque villages clustered to the northwest of London. We stayed in a bed and breakfast in Cheltenham (pronounced "Chilt'n'm"), and our room was the Egyptian Room--maybe the guy knew it was ME coming to visit! We saw the Rococo Gardens at Painswick, a beautiful Georgian Gothic church in Tetbury, had our rental car side-swiped in Cirencester (no damage, thankfully), had tea in Bourton-on-the-Water, and fed the ducks in the Slaughters (the most beautiful villages of the lot). The next day we saw the stone circle at Avebury, and the gnats mistook Mom for a sheep because of her blonde hair and white shirt--they were all over her! We had to dodge sheep poop in an effort to get her away.
By the way, our manner of transportation that weekend--rental car. Driver--sister. The UK needs to give out driving lessons before letting anyone take to the roads! Everything is backwards, it often looks like dogs are driving the cars because they're sitting in the front left seats (passenger seats, here), and the round-abouts are about the most ridiculous things I've ever seen. Four different people told us four different methods of using them, so clearly we're not the only ones confused. Several near misses and the most expensive gas in the WORLD and we survived, but it felt like we barely made it sometimes.
Remember--if you need to get around the UK, hire a professional. You'll live longer.
domenica 1 luglio 2007
Five Countries, Countless Adventures
June 25, 2007-July 1, 2007
I cannot recount the full tales of my adventures from the past week, but I will give you the best run down I can. Let's just say that trains, cars, buses, boats, and very VERY tired feet took us through five countries and four major cities within seven days.
We left Lugano after a night of farewells at about 8 AM and headed for Salzburg. Crystal had planned out a wonderful itinerary for us: train to Milano, train to Verona, train to Innsbruck, train to Salzburg, bus to hotel. It cut off over an hour of our trip, and we missed Italy. We grabbed reservations for the trains and headed out, and our first train went like clockwork (Switzerland, hello! Cuckoo clocks!). We ran to our train in Milan with all fifty pounds on our backs, and I thought we were going to miss our train, so I jumped on a car early. Ah, Italy. The train was packed like sardines in a can, and we couldn't move ANYWHERE. People were beginning to put their stuff down and sit on it, and I was hot and sweaty and heavy and not a happy person. I growled loudly that we had reservations and we needed to switch cars, and two beautiful Australian men said they would help--they shoved people out of the way and led us to the next car! I'm pretty sure I hit somebody in the face with my bags, but I don't care at this point. The next car was even worse, and here's the icing on the cake--the trains had overbooked! People had already reserved our seats, and there was nowhere to go. We were all really good-natured about it, surprisingly, and I spent a pretty-pleasant two-hour ride atop my luggage in the aisle of an unairconditioned Italian train, squished between the walking definition of BO and a woman with about ten kids. We smiled and laughed with each other, though, and that transcended all languages. Switzerland may be on time, but you can't beat the comraderie of the Italians.
We missed our connection by one minute and hopped a train to Brennero, where we hoped to get across to Innsbruck. An Italian woman by the name of Jessica started speaking with us, and we ended up hanging out with her for the full train ride. She told us to come with her to the Bolzano stop, and she ended up helping us communicate with the train reservations desk. We bid her farewell and the train lady said "track three, NOW," so we ran for it and hopped the train. It was only AFTER the train was moving that we realized, hey, we're headed to VENICE! WRONG DIRECTION!!!!! We got out at a mystery station and studied the partenze board, and we were going to go back to Bolzano and try again when a woman came out of nowhere and asked if she could help us. We told her we needed to get to Innsbruck and then to Salzburg and she said that a train was headed here RIGHT NOW for that place! The train she was speaking of was over two hours late, and it pulled up right when she said it and right when we needed it the most. We got the rest of the way without a glitch and arrived at the Hotel Turnerwirt in Salzburg (recommend it!) at about 10 pm. We fell RIGHT to sleep.
The next day was taken up with the Sound of Music tour, which was AMAZING, a marketplace, the Hohensalzburg (best-preserved medieval fortress in the world), and several beautiful churches. Our bus driver on the SoM tour could yodel, and I cajoled him into serenading us--I was yodeled to by an Austrian busdriver! Yeah, how many people can claim that one?
We headed to Luzern the next morning, which found us retracing our steps to Switzerland. Several crises found us homeless, but the incredibly helpful TI found us a place toward the outside of town. We saw several beautiful sites the next day, from the old wooden bridge to the towering cathedral to the Weeping Lion. And to top it all off, I got my hair cut! In Switzerland! The lady couldn't speak any English, but I think it's my best haircut to date. Kind of odd, but it works...
The 29th saw us bidding farewell to Crystal, who headed back to the states, while we forged onward to Paris. I've heard so many things about the French being rude, but I would like to say here and now that every Frenchman I met personally and interacted with was absolutely sweet. They were all helpful and nice, and some of the most personable people I've come in contact with.
We arrived in Paris at the Gare de Lyon station and took the Metro to our hotel, which was the SKETCHIEST place ever! I won't go into details, but needless to say it was quite an experience. Don't stay at the Hotel Tamaris, whatever you do. However, they were nice enough to hold our bags the next day while we traipsed around.
Paris was busy and crowded, but we saw some amazing sites. We went to Notre Dame Cathedral (I wanted the gargoyles to come out and dance) and walked from there to the Louvre, and we went in on a spur-of-the-moment thing. I saw the Mona Lisa! I had been prepared for disappointment, but she was absolutely beautiful. I got within three feet of her, and I could study the beautiful hair, mysterious smile, and breathtaking background up close. I was enraptured! From there we got lost in the Spanish painting section on our way to the French artists. Did you know that the Louvre has only two Monets? And they're not even good ones! His winter scenes were so blah to me...However, such boring work was glossed over when we entered the Egyptian section!! I saw a Weighing of the Heart Ceremony depiction, a statue of Tutankhamen, and a bust of his psychotic father, Ankhenaten. Amazing! Our final stop in the Louvre was the Mesopotamia section, where I saw Hamurabi's Code--the first written code of law in history! It was AMAZING!
From there we saw the Arc de Triomphe, and I got my French Kiss phone call picture in front of it ("I will triumph!"). The Metro then took us to the bottom of the Eiffel Tower, which was absolutely breathtaking. You can see it from all over the city, but it's like a ghostly spectre through the clouds. To see it up close and personal, especially to stand beneath it, is beyond compare. The crowds were too long to go up it, but I was perfectly happy at the bottom--for now...
A train took us on to Calais, and we stayed in the lovely Hotel Pacific for a night. We woke up early this morning, had a scrumptuous breakfast there (the honey and jam were in individualized jars about the size of your thumb--talk about supporting home companies!), and took a taxi to the ferry station. The ferry was like nothing I had ever seen before--it was the size of a cruise ship! It had a shopping mall inside, and I saw it load over a dozen eighteen-wheelers after all the passengers were on. HUGE! We came to the white chalk cliffs of Dover, which were absolutely beautiful, and then we took a train to London Charing Cross Station. An underground ride later we were at the Centre, and I now have my OWN ROOM! Be excited!
Well, that's all for today, ladies and gents. Hopefully a hot pasty will be in my future.
I cannot recount the full tales of my adventures from the past week, but I will give you the best run down I can. Let's just say that trains, cars, buses, boats, and very VERY tired feet took us through five countries and four major cities within seven days.
We left Lugano after a night of farewells at about 8 AM and headed for Salzburg. Crystal had planned out a wonderful itinerary for us: train to Milano, train to Verona, train to Innsbruck, train to Salzburg, bus to hotel. It cut off over an hour of our trip, and we missed Italy. We grabbed reservations for the trains and headed out, and our first train went like clockwork (Switzerland, hello! Cuckoo clocks!). We ran to our train in Milan with all fifty pounds on our backs, and I thought we were going to miss our train, so I jumped on a car early. Ah, Italy. The train was packed like sardines in a can, and we couldn't move ANYWHERE. People were beginning to put their stuff down and sit on it, and I was hot and sweaty and heavy and not a happy person. I growled loudly that we had reservations and we needed to switch cars, and two beautiful Australian men said they would help--they shoved people out of the way and led us to the next car! I'm pretty sure I hit somebody in the face with my bags, but I don't care at this point. The next car was even worse, and here's the icing on the cake--the trains had overbooked! People had already reserved our seats, and there was nowhere to go. We were all really good-natured about it, surprisingly, and I spent a pretty-pleasant two-hour ride atop my luggage in the aisle of an unairconditioned Italian train, squished between the walking definition of BO and a woman with about ten kids. We smiled and laughed with each other, though, and that transcended all languages. Switzerland may be on time, but you can't beat the comraderie of the Italians.
We missed our connection by one minute and hopped a train to Brennero, where we hoped to get across to Innsbruck. An Italian woman by the name of Jessica started speaking with us, and we ended up hanging out with her for the full train ride. She told us to come with her to the Bolzano stop, and she ended up helping us communicate with the train reservations desk. We bid her farewell and the train lady said "track three, NOW," so we ran for it and hopped the train. It was only AFTER the train was moving that we realized, hey, we're headed to VENICE! WRONG DIRECTION!!!!! We got out at a mystery station and studied the partenze board, and we were going to go back to Bolzano and try again when a woman came out of nowhere and asked if she could help us. We told her we needed to get to Innsbruck and then to Salzburg and she said that a train was headed here RIGHT NOW for that place! The train she was speaking of was over two hours late, and it pulled up right when she said it and right when we needed it the most. We got the rest of the way without a glitch and arrived at the Hotel Turnerwirt in Salzburg (recommend it!) at about 10 pm. We fell RIGHT to sleep.
The next day was taken up with the Sound of Music tour, which was AMAZING, a marketplace, the Hohensalzburg (best-preserved medieval fortress in the world), and several beautiful churches. Our bus driver on the SoM tour could yodel, and I cajoled him into serenading us--I was yodeled to by an Austrian busdriver! Yeah, how many people can claim that one?
We headed to Luzern the next morning, which found us retracing our steps to Switzerland. Several crises found us homeless, but the incredibly helpful TI found us a place toward the outside of town. We saw several beautiful sites the next day, from the old wooden bridge to the towering cathedral to the Weeping Lion. And to top it all off, I got my hair cut! In Switzerland! The lady couldn't speak any English, but I think it's my best haircut to date. Kind of odd, but it works...
The 29th saw us bidding farewell to Crystal, who headed back to the states, while we forged onward to Paris. I've heard so many things about the French being rude, but I would like to say here and now that every Frenchman I met personally and interacted with was absolutely sweet. They were all helpful and nice, and some of the most personable people I've come in contact with.
We arrived in Paris at the Gare de Lyon station and took the Metro to our hotel, which was the SKETCHIEST place ever! I won't go into details, but needless to say it was quite an experience. Don't stay at the Hotel Tamaris, whatever you do. However, they were nice enough to hold our bags the next day while we traipsed around.
Paris was busy and crowded, but we saw some amazing sites. We went to Notre Dame Cathedral (I wanted the gargoyles to come out and dance) and walked from there to the Louvre, and we went in on a spur-of-the-moment thing. I saw the Mona Lisa! I had been prepared for disappointment, but she was absolutely beautiful. I got within three feet of her, and I could study the beautiful hair, mysterious smile, and breathtaking background up close. I was enraptured! From there we got lost in the Spanish painting section on our way to the French artists. Did you know that the Louvre has only two Monets? And they're not even good ones! His winter scenes were so blah to me...However, such boring work was glossed over when we entered the Egyptian section!! I saw a Weighing of the Heart Ceremony depiction, a statue of Tutankhamen, and a bust of his psychotic father, Ankhenaten. Amazing! Our final stop in the Louvre was the Mesopotamia section, where I saw Hamurabi's Code--the first written code of law in history! It was AMAZING!
From there we saw the Arc de Triomphe, and I got my French Kiss phone call picture in front of it ("I will triumph!"). The Metro then took us to the bottom of the Eiffel Tower, which was absolutely breathtaking. You can see it from all over the city, but it's like a ghostly spectre through the clouds. To see it up close and personal, especially to stand beneath it, is beyond compare. The crowds were too long to go up it, but I was perfectly happy at the bottom--for now...
A train took us on to Calais, and we stayed in the lovely Hotel Pacific for a night. We woke up early this morning, had a scrumptuous breakfast there (the honey and jam were in individualized jars about the size of your thumb--talk about supporting home companies!), and took a taxi to the ferry station. The ferry was like nothing I had ever seen before--it was the size of a cruise ship! It had a shopping mall inside, and I saw it load over a dozen eighteen-wheelers after all the passengers were on. HUGE! We came to the white chalk cliffs of Dover, which were absolutely beautiful, and then we took a train to London Charing Cross Station. An underground ride later we were at the Centre, and I now have my OWN ROOM! Be excited!
Well, that's all for today, ladies and gents. Hopefully a hot pasty will be in my future.
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