Jet Lag and the Red, White, and Blue (American Style)

        After a few days in London to pick up my stuff and show Anna the city, it was time to go home. I was actually pretty excited about it at this point. I've been here a few days now and it really is wonderful to be home. Granted, after finally getting home at 3:00AM my sleep schedule is still a little crazy. But hey, I'm a college student. I thrive on operating on weird hours.

     This was seriously the trip of a lifetime and I have countless memories and amazing friends because of it. So thank you for reading this blog, I found entertainment writing it and it was an easy way to keep in touch with everyone who was a hop and a skip across the pond. Much thanks to Centre College, the fantastic school I attend that has such an incredible study abroad program. Cheers!

My Life in the Lizzie McGuire Movie

Rome. This is what dreams are made of. We spent four days in this incredible city. The Lizzie McGuire movie theme song may or may not have been playing in my head on repeat. Not mad about it.

   The first day we went to the Vatican and saw Pope Francis!! Granted, he was pretty far away. But we still saw him! We then went through the museum and saw the Sistine Chapel and other beautiful works of art, such as Raphael's School of Athens. I also ran into Field, another Centre student who was in London, at the Sistine Chapel which was crazy! Mom, Anna, and I then planned on going into the Basilica, but due to a pilgrimage it was closed for the day. Instead, we headed to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. We then spent about three hours trying to get back to the hotel. This was frustrating and aggravating and our friend Rick Steves was no help at all. But once we figured it out the entire city shrank a lot and began to make a lot of sense.

Colosseum

   Day 2 began with a return to St. Peter's Basilica, this time getting to go inside. It was so cool to see the Pieta and the place Pope John Paul II is buried. We then headed to the Roman part of the day, starting with the Colosseum. There I actually ran into a girl a year above me in high school, Mallory. Crazy!! The Colosseum was easily one of my favorite things the entire trip. We did a tour and learned so much. Inner nerd was geekin' hard. It is just an absolutely fantastic place with an incredible history!! We then wandered through Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. I like to refer to this part of the trip as "Hey look there's a Roman ruin!" Literally ruins were everywhere. It was so so so cool. Thanks to Rick Steves we were able to figure out what some of the ruins were. One was the place the body of Julius Caesar was burned. Pretty cool.

   Our last day we saw the remainder of things on our trip, such as the Pantheon. This is actually the only ruin still in use today. Today it is a church. We also went to Circus Maximus, the site of the old chariot races. We then stopped at the Bocca della Verita. This Mouth of Truth was seen in Roman Holiday (Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck). Legend has it that if you are a liar, if you stick your hand in it will be bitten off. I still have both of my hands so I guess you have to take every word I ever say as absolute truth forever. We then did some more wandering, ate more gelato and pasta, and packed up. Rome was over. It was absolutely fantastic and I look forward to the day I return to this city!!

Bocca della Verita

Our BFF Rick Steves

After missing our train due to oversleeping, on the 11th we arrived in Venice!! There, I met up with my mom and little sister, Anna. It was wonderful. The first few days were tiring because every night was spent in a different city and I was on a train for four consecutive days. Phew!! We started in Venice, a city that was seriously everything I had dreamed. I could have spent a lot more time there just soaking every aspect up!! We then headed to Florence, where we saw the statue of David, the Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo, these famous doors I studied in Humanities, Santa Croche (which houses the final resting place of Michelangelo and others) and so much more! Actually, Centre College needs a huge shout out right here. Thanks to the required Humanities class I saw sculptures and works of art that I had studied. Seeing these brought out more meaning in a city literally filled to the brim with history and art. It made it a lot easier to appreciate each work as well. Super cool!!
 

Venice

   The biggest surprise this part of the trip was Assisi. We went there because Anna was recently Confirmed and chose St. Francis of Assisi as her saint. I did not expect the town to be so beautiful. It was stone walls, stone streets, and just beautiful Tuscan countryside surrounding it. It was just incredible to walk around and see everything!!

   A lot of the perfection of Italy was due to our travel Bible, the guide to Italy by Rick Steves. Seriously this book told us everything, from hotels to restaurants and ways to beat all of the lines. It was entertaining and an excellent guide. All Rick Steves tour books are now officially endorsed by Mary Burger.  Because that has so much weight.

Florence

Also we ate pasta and gelato every day. Life was pretty perfect.  

The Bread and Water Diet

Next stop: the every-picture-looks-like-a-postcard and therefore repeat-pictures-are-a-must beautiful Lucerne, Switzerland. The Swiss Alps. Absolutely breathtaking. Lucerne is a beautiful town with a lake and the Alps. Seriously, who could ask for anything more? Well, maybe lower prices. You know it's expensive when McDonald's costs 7 to 9 Swiss francs and the franc is worth a little more than the US dollar. But it was still worth it! We found a market and bought a lot of bread, salami, cheese, and yogurt from the grocery store so we could avoid the expensive restaurants. An average meal would cost 25 francs if we didn't!!

Postcard-Perfect Lucerne

 
Our first day we began by paddle boating on the beautiful lake. It was so serene and beautiful. And the Alps were just right in front of us the whole time. Breathtaking. We then went to the Glacier Gardens, saw the Dying Lion (tribute to Swiss troops killed in the French Revolution) and wandered through a mirror maze. It was so fun!! That evening, we decided to bust our pocketbooks and ate fondue. It was worth it to eat a real meal!! Plus it was delicious and fun!

   The plan was to go hiking on our last full day. But we woke up to 30 degree Fahrenheit weather in the mountains, plus high winds, plus low visibility. So we decided we would rather live. We went to an art museum and saw a lot of Picasso paintings, as well as many other famous artists. It was really cool! We then took a relaxing day and sat in the room. It was pouring outside and we had done all of the free or inexpensive things the day before. But the relaxation was needed because the next day we headed to Italy to meet up with family members!

Limited food for 3 days? Thus the life of a backpacker!!

Ein Prosit!!

The first bratwurst!!

   Our next stop on the tour of Europe was the one city I had been to before - Munich!! After getting settled into our hostel we headed to the Viktualienmarkt. We were absolutely starving because it was 4:00 and we hadn't really eaten anything all day!! We jumped into German life by each getting a bratwurst and splitting a soft pretzel. Actually, we ate a bratwurst for every meal those few days. When in Germany, right? We then walked around a little and saw the sights, including the Hofbrauhaus!!! We also stopped in a traditional shop and Deanna and I tried on dirndls, or traditional Bavarian women clothings. It was so cool because, being from the highly German Cincinnati, I have actually seen quite a lot of traditional German clothing in my day. But I had never tried it on. So that was exciting. We went back and hung out at the hostel where we had the biggest shock ever. We met a few Canadians and Olivia realized that one of their friends back at school was also one of her friends. She even recognized one of them from Facebook pictures. It is an absolutely tiny world!!

Dachau

   The next day, our one full day in Munich, we headed to Dachau. This was the first concentration camp and served as an example for how concentration camps were supposed to be. We spent a very long time there. It was a highly emotional and draining morning but 100% worth it. That afternoon we went to the English Garden, which is an absolutely beautiful park area. We had to use the Metro and buses to get there and decided that Munich's public transport system is second only to London.

   Munich was a whirlwind trip but it was still amazing!! I was able to put my token German words into use. Also, thanks to my Dad who has randomly said things in the language my entire life, I was occasionally able to understand other things. All in all, this stop was great!!

Viktualienmarkt. I took this same picture 3 years ago!

We're in...Belgium???

Let me explain. In order to travel Europe, we bought a ticket to Paris via the Eurostar (direct line from London). But in order to get to the rest of the countries we bought a Eurail pass that allows to travel to Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and the Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg). So Saturday Olivia, Deanna, and I showed up at the Paris train station like we are supposed to and asked for a ticket to Amsterdam. But here's the thing. Wednesday had been French Labor Day and this past weekend was a huge anniversary for the Grand Canal. So tickets available for the Eurail pass were booked until this coming Friday. If we wanted to go to Amsterdam, we needed to pay 130 euro each for a ticket. Not something we planned on doing. None of us freaked out, we just changed plans and decided to go to....Brussels, Belgium. I mean, the Benelux gave us some options!! So we managed to find a train that left 6 hours from that time and went to a cafe. Within an hour we had cancelled our hostel reservation, found an inexpensive hotel in Brussels, and started planning on trip. True backpacking status achieved!! We then hung out in that cafe for a while because wifi is a beautiful thing. We then spent the last 2 hours in the train station before finally getting on. So by 6:00 PM (we had planned on leaving Paris at 10:30AM originally) we finally arrived in Brussels!!

Greenhouse Contraption!

    That first night we just walked around a little and then found a restaurant. This was the first time a language barrier was a thing - we weren't sure if we were supposed to speak French or Dutch. And none of us even know how to say "hello" in Dutch!! The next morning was our one full day in Brussels - we were only there for probably around 36 hours! We have deducted that Brussels is the weirdest place ever and that we loved being there!! What we did not know is that there was some sort of festival going on. And it probably took us about 2 hours to figure out what the festival was. We think it was an Iris Festival and talking about sustainable living.  But there were mimes on stilts that bounced and singing clowns and girls dressed in tutus that sort of looked like flowers sitting on huge picture frames in the middle of gardens singing opera. There were crazy contraptions and we dressed in early 1900s costumes. Let me tell you, Brussels is weird. So we explored that for a while and then headed to the Grand Place, supposedly the most beautiful square in Europe. I would believe it - it was gorgeous!! We then headed to see a famous statue, the Mannekin Pis. This is literally a fountain with a young boy urinating. And the city loves it! The boy has a crazy number of costumes that they apparently decorate the statue with all the time!! So weird!! We laid outside a cathedral that looked like a Notre Dame knockoff. I originally wanted to go see where the European Parliament meets once a month, but as we started the walk realized that it was crazy far away and, according to reviews and such, not really a worthwhile walk. It was a crazy 36 hours in Belgium. I can honestly say I will probably never be to Belgium again but I loved my time there!! Who actually cares about Amsterdam, Brussels is where it is at. 

   Also they have waffles and chocolate and it is worth the trip just to consume these delicacies. 

Lace shop!

The Journey Begins...

Our back packing adventure began at St. Pancras station in London where Olivia, Deanna, and I caught the chunnel (train under the English Channel) to PARIS!! Once we arrived in France, we found the home of Rachael, our Australian host. Her apartment was in this really beautiful area removed from the busier parts of the city. May 1^st is French Labor Day so a lot of things were closed, but we were able to find a restaurant. One thing that works well here for food and cuts down on costs is this formula, where you get an appetizer and an entrée or an entrée and a dessert for about 13 euros. Also I forgot how much I missed free bread coming to the table. And in France that means baguettes so #winning!! So we all got an appetizer and entrée for a really good price (and lots of delicious food!). After a highly unfortunate event regarding a pigeon and my hair (if anyone was wondering, I have decided the French pigeons are even worse than the ones in London. Also you really should always carry toilet paper or napkins with you at all times. So glad I had those) we wandered around. And stumbled upon Notre Dame. You know, casual. After seeing this gorgeous church, we decided to walk down the Seine. Since it was a holiday and it was dusk, the streets were almost empty and the city was magically beautiful. I can fully understand why it is the most romantic city. We walked on the street and down by the river and saw many of the sites. The last major landmark we saw was the Eiffel Tower (if we had been walking on the other side of the river it would have been the first we would have seen!). Seeing it all lit up was so amazing. We then headed back to the apartment to get some sleep.

Luxembourg Garden

Thursday, after my first pain au chocolat (I had 3 while here!) we tried to go to the Museo d’Orsay but realized the line was too long for our plans for the day. So we walked over to the Luxembourg Garden which was completely in bloom. It was gorgeous. We grabbed baguette sandwiches there and then walked by the Louvre. We had decided not to try to do this museum because of price and that it is so crowded – although it would have been amazing to see the famous pieces in there, it would involve lots of standing around. We then headed back to Notre Dame for a free English tour and ran into Brent and Knox while there. This tour ended up being 2 – 2 ½ hours and I now know so much about the history and architecture of this beautiful church! Did you know it used to be painted? The kings on the front were red, green, and yellow. So weird to think about! We even somehow managed to get onto the alter, which was so pretty. And saw a marriage proposal in front, which was pretty cool.  After this tour, all five of us walked down the Seine towards the Metro and headed to Sacre Coeur church to see probably one of the best views of the city. We climbed 300 steps to the top and saw a breathtaking view. We also saw a fantastic street performer who juggled a soccer ball and climbed a lamppost. He was probably the best street performer I have ever seen. After that we ate dinner in a cluster of outside cafes and places where paintings were being sold. The French onion soup was fabulous! We then split up again and Olivia, Deanna, and I headed to the Eiffel Tower. On the Metro there some men played instruments - Metro performers! At the Eiffel Towere we bought a bottle of wine from a vender and sat in the grass of this park looking up at this famous landmark. It was probably one of the most perfect moments ever. Seriously. This was a perfect moment full of memories. We sat there for over an hour it was so wonderful.

So excited to be at Versailles!

Friday we headed to Versailles where, although we bought our tickets ahead of time, we still waited over an hour to get in. But it was worth it! The palace was absolutely beautiful and the gardens were so neat! After walking through the rooms and feeling overwhelmed by the beauty, we headed back into the city where we picked up kebabs from a place Olivia’s mom had recommended. They were very good. We then went to the Museo d’Orsay. Although we sadly did not get to see the Monet and Renoir because it closed, we were able to see Van Gogh’s pieces. Last year we studied Van Gogh extensively in my Humanities 120 class and it was really cool to see pieces that we had specifically looked at. Thanks Centre College for making us take classes that let us further appreciate such beautiful artwork!! The pieces there were fantastic!! We then headed to the Champs Elysse and saw the Arc de Triomphe. We ate at a café and actually went back to the apartment fairly early to look over our stuff and make sure everything was ready for our departure the next morning. We also wanted to rest since it will be a few days until we have time to really take it slow again.

Sacre Coeur

So basically Paris was amazing and I think that this city is fantastic. Also I can sort of get by with just a few French words/phrases to order and communicate with locals. We only ran into friendly, helpful Parisians which was wonderful and not really expected. Also, a tip from the wise. If you print a ticket, make sure the barcode prints as well. Otherwise there will be issues. Also the book of 10 passes is the least expensive way to travel if you are here for a few days, as they work on the Metro and buses for a very good price. Also once you understand the underground system all others make sense. Thanks London!!  Now all aboard to the next stop on this tour of Europe!! 

The Final Countdown

     Sad post time. We are down to the end of the Centre in London program. And this has absolutely been one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Monday and Tuesday are finals, Tuesday night is our last group dinner. And on Wednesday morning we all go our separate ways. Deanna, Olivia, and I will actually be traveling around the continent for a while, but it still is really hard to think about. I'm ready to get back to good ole America, but I am going to miss London very much.

     In going out with a bang, Friday morning began with a walk around the area. Dr. Keffer led us in the last walk where we walked next to a canal about two blocks from where we live. After that, Warren, Andrew, Paige, Anna, Monica, and myself headed to Camden. I had two goals: eat falafel and buy a ring from this awesome ring guy. Sadly, the ring stall was closed so now I have to try to figure out another way to get said ring. But the falafel was incredible! It is a Mediterranean food of deep fried vegetables and chickpeas with other delicious things in a wrap. So good! I really could have just made this blog a food diary, couldn't I? After wandering around Camden for a very short time, we headed to Parliament for a tour. This was really cool. We actually saw a Lord and several Members of Parliament whose names I couldn't begin to tell you. National secret? No, I just don't know who they are. But our tour guide was wonderful and full of stories and facts. Seeing this along side of the British Politics class was really cool because when she would bring things up I knew what she was talking about. After the tour, Warren, Anna, Monica, Paige, and I headed to the London Coffee Festival. Coffee, teas, chocolates, yogurts, fruit juices, and so much more was everywhere! I think I was highly caffeinated in about thirty minutes tops. It was super cool. We wandered around sampling everything for hours. It was super cool!

BEN WHISHAW!!!!!!!!

   Saturday I worked on some homework before heading to the Shoreditch area with Anna and Monica to wander around and look at street art. We then ended up meeting up with Warren, Paige, Olivia, and Mackenzie (who goes to Centre but is studying at Rose Bruford, a London theatre school) and went to an Indian restaurant near Covent Garden. Warren, Paige, and I then headed to the Noel Coward Theatre where we met up with Mariele to see Peter and Alice. To name drop for a second, this is a play that DAME JUDI DENCH and BEN WHISHAW are currently in. And besides the fact that the play itself was incredible, these two actors absolutely blew it out of the park they were so fantastic. It was a great play to end on because it is easily one of my favorite plays from this semester. And I've seen a lot....eighteen to be exact!! Bookending this trip with Our Country's Good at the beginning and Peter and Alice at the end was super incredible. Just one more example of the amazing experiences I've had here!!

   Today I have been a boring person because I literally have been inside almost all day. I went to my last mass at Newman House then crossed the street to snap a picture of of 187 North Gower street. This is the filming location of 221 Baker Street for BBC's Sherlock. If you haven't watched this show you need to go change that right now. This is also the last regularly scheduled post I'll be doing. I will try to post as we travel around Europe, but that will be dependent on internet and our travel schedule. Thanks for reading these last few months! Now back to living it up in London because it's The Final Countdown.  Also let's take this moment to appreciate the fact that the Netflix premier of Season 4 of Arrested Development is now less than a month away so this song is even more appropriate. Also I've now endorsed two shows in this post, think I'll get a cut of the profits?

Sherlock filming site

Nerd Alert

***WARNING*** This post will contain excess amounts of exclamation points and overuse of the CAPS lock button. Proceed with caution.

Waiting to be Sorted!!! 

    Hey there friends. This week has been pretty awesome. Monday started as a normal class day, sitting though presentations as five different groups basically talked about propaganda during WWII. But AFTER class is where the real fun started. Anna, Brent, and myself headed off to Euston Station to catch a train to Watford Juncion to take a bus to the HARRY POTTER STUDIO TOUR!!!!!! This is where sets, props, costumes, filming secrets, and so much more are kept after they finished filming out of this studio at the wrap of the movies. As a not so secret Harry Potter lover, I may or not have been freaking out a little. Well, all three of us were freaking out. A little on the pricey side, this tour is necessary for fanatic fans. We walked through the Great Hall, saw the Gryffindor Common Room, Boys Dormitory, the Burrow, Umbridge's Office, Dumbledore's Office, miscellaneous props, miscellaneous costumes, major things such as the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, the Mirror of Erised, statues from the Ministry of Magic, and so much more. And that was just in the first room!!! This area also contained a section where you could ride in a Ford Anglia (the Weasley car) with a group and RIDE A BROOM!!! This was set up so that you sat in the car/on the broom WHILE wearing robes in a green screen compartment. Wind then started to blow and you watched a camera as you flew through streets, over the lake, and other cool stuff. Attendants told you to touch the water or wave or dodge cars and let me tell you, it was just super cool. The outside portion of the tour contained outdoor sets, such as Number 4 Privet Drive, the Potter home, the Knight Bus, and more. The next big room contains creatures. This shows some of the behind the scenes on creating the different magical creatures or moments during the films. It then goes into a room with all of the designs for every single building used. Makes you appreciate it a lot more. Then, unexpectedly, you walk into a room with the model of Hogwarts that is about a floor and half tall. This is the model they used when filming outdoor far away shots of Hogwarts, basically. And it is incredible. The final room of the tour (before the extensive gift shop that is!) is a room like Ollivander's Wand Shop. Every person who was part of creating the Harry Potter films has a wand box with their name on it. It's really pretty cool and once again shows you how many people were involved in this. Basically this day was fantastic and super cool for all three of us.

the door to the Great Hall!

     Second Nerd Alert. Didn't think you could get away that easily, did you? April 23rd is St. George's Day in England. But it also is the day acknowledged as Shakespeare's birthday. So. On this day, the entire group went and saw The Tempest. Opening Night. Opening the season. At the Globe. On Shakespeare's birthday.  Pretty cool. The show was also verry good although hard to follow at times when I forgot the plot line. But it was really cool to be able to see it at the Globe among such talented actors. Plus Colin Morgan (known from BBC's Merlin even though I've never seen it) made a freaking FANTASTIC Ariel. And Roger Allam, who played Javert in the original London production of my favorite musical was pretty great as Prospero.

   Yesterday was our last day trip as a class (SO WEIRD!!) and we went to see the White Cliffs of Dover. Except we didn't actually see them because the fog was so thick. Sadly. But we did get to explore Dover castle and go through some tunnels where WWII Operation Dynamo to save Allied troops in Dunkirk was planned. That was pretty cool. We then went to see old WWII planes and weapons and that was a little much for me because I don't know anything about any of that.

   Today was the last real day of classes because tomorrow we just have an Art of Walking walk (how fitting). And after class Hope, Deanna, and I set off for the Southbank to the British Film Institute (BFI) to see the 1942 propaganda film Went the Day Well? for the WWII class. We also enjoyed the sunshine for a little which is always nice.

  It is SO SO SO crazy to think that this time next week I will have started my backpacking tour of Europe. This program has flown by and has seriously been some of the greatest months of my life. I just have a few days to pack in the last few London adventures into this spectacular trip!!

The Right to Roam

I have just had one of the best weekends ever. Friday morning began with a 6:00AM start as the entire group boarded a bus up to England's gorgeous Lake District. We specifically stayed near the town of Ambleside. Once we arrived there, approximately six hours after leaving London, all of us students found rooms inside the house we had and then grabbed lunches the place we were staying had provided us. This was the only downside of the weekend...my sandwich was a baguette with cheese and caramelized pickles or onions on it. Not exactly the most tasty of sandwiches. We then divided into three groups and headed to the Kit shop where we were outfitted for hiking. Jeans are apparently the biggest cause of death in these hills/mountains because weather changes rapidly and if it rains then the jeans stick to your skin which leads to hypothermia. So waterproof pants are the solution to that. We also were given hiking boots. And then we hit the trail!! Friday's hike was around four miles over absolutely beautiful terrain! It was hilly and rocky and grassy. Sheep were everywhere. We had a guide and walked to this lake then took a bus back to homebase. The hike probably lasted a few hours and it was perfect. Weather was gorgeous and it was just so fun. After dinner provided by the place (including THE BEST sticky toffee to date...not surprising since it originated from that area!) we relaxed for a little. I then headed into Ambleside with Hope, Monica, Paige, Anna, and Maddie. We walked around the town, met up with Deanna, Warren, and Olivia, and then stopped at a pub where there was live music. After being there for about thirty to forty five minutes we left to try to find the rest of our group...which we found in a karaoke bar. I think one of the absolute best things about this program has been the people. The group I am with just gets along very well as a whole, which made this trip all the more worth it. There were probably at least 25 of us together and we had a blast. Even though they didn't let my group sing because the place closed and locals were given first priority. They missed out on some great T Swift and the Spicegirls. We might have been the next big thing. You never know.

    Saturday was a breakfast and then breaking off for more adventure. Tony led a group to a waterfall, Keffer a group towards Wordsworth things. Did I mention this is the region that enchanted all of those British Romantic poets? Gorgeous. Realizing that when will I ever have the chance to say I hiked in the Lake District and feeling invigorated by Friday's hike, I joined a student only group to do another more intense hike. It was so much fun. We traveled around the same area I had the day before, but it was so gorgeous and there was so much to take in I missed some of it! We eventually abandoned the path we planned and basically just wandered a little and climbed random high hills/mountains/rough terrain. We knew how to get back and had all day to explore. It was great! Two of the guys tried to capture some sheep nearby, but unsurprisingly the sheep succeeded in getting away. Something that is really cool about England is this "right to roam" rule. Basically it means you have the right to walk wherever you want. It doesn't matter if you are walking through someone's pasture, you are allowed to walk there. Think of all those Jane Austen stories where they just sort of wander around everywhere. You are still allowed to do that. It really is cool. This day was fantastic even if I did step in the one marshy spot that made me sink to my calf. Good thing it didn't rain, right? I may have been the next case of hypothermia (it was too warm for those oh so stylish waterproof pants). The temperature actually changed a lot, within five minutes you could go from being hot to having to put on a sweatshirt. After we finished our hike and had collapsed on the stairs for a while, the token girls on the trip (myself, Leah, Courtney, and Ashley) walked to the lake and sat there for about fifteen to twenty minutes. It was so peaceful. Familia, you would have absolutely loved this area. I also highly recommend it - this is easily one of my favorite places in England. A five-ish hour bus ride got us back into London around 11:30PM. Needless to say we were all exhausted.

    It physically hurt to get out of bed this morning. Walking to church was a bit more of a hassle than normal! My limbs decided that two days of intense hiking was enough! Worth it? Absolutely! I would do it again in a heartbeat!! Today is St. George's Day, a big deal for England. The entire group headed to the Royal Albert Hall to hear a concert full of very British tunes. Although a little hard to stay awake at times due to my exhaustion, the concert was great. It was so patriotic with all of the English flags (red cross on white, not the Union Jack which is all of Great Britain) being waved during on the British songs. Although when they referenced the good ole red, white, and blue my thoughts were turned a couple thousand miles away to the USA. The concert began with "God Save the Queen", which is the exact tune of "Our Country Tis of Thee." So basically it was an English concert that made us all think a lot of our good ole homeland.

   This post turned out a lot longer than I expected! I'm not even procrastinating anything right now!! The Lake District was just amazing enough to deserve lots of words! We are down to our final week (TEARS!!!) in London so here comes a crazy week of so much to do!! There are two mottos of this trip, You Only London Once (YOLO) and Everyday is an Adventure. Both have been so true. Pardon the sentiment, but this trip has been the experience of a lifetime. This last week will be the best ever!

Keep Off The Grass

Centre Court!!

    Wow it has been a packed few days!! On Monday, class ended a little early so Anna and I jumped onto the tube and headed out to this little part of London known as Wimbledon to visit the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. This was so cool and I was so excited!! I played tennis in grade school and at the beginning of high school before I became sucked into the world of theatre. I also watch the tournament every single year so actually seeing Wimbledon in real life was pretty incredible. The 2012 London Olympics also held the tennis portions at this location. We began with a tour, where we walked around the facility, seeing highlights such as Court #1, Centre Court, and the site of the longest match  ever between John Isner and Nicholas Mahut.  It lasted for three days with the time of 11 hours and 5 minutes. Crazy! The process for getting the courts ready is really interesting and includes tearing up the grass to plant new seeds. For those reasons, no one is allowed onto the grass.  Naturally this only made me want to touch at least a single blade of grass. Don't worry, I resisted temptation. Getting kicked out of Wimbledon didn't exactly make it onto my  to do list.   We also toured the museum which had some facts about early tennis as well as the history of  the tournament at Wimbledon. There were also various interactive games that were quite fun.  Basically the entire day was great!!

Waiting for the procession

   I had a typical Tuesday night of procrastinating homework. During the afternoon walk we saw the area that next year's London program may be staying at.  Our current location isn't going to be used next year because the company can make more money if they rent rooms for a full year rather than just the few months we are here.  It's weird to think of the London experience without King's Cross so close but I guarantee it will still be amazing! This potential location is close to Liverpool station which is really beautiful. It has grassy areas that you are not allowed to walk on. Dr. Keffer found this out firsthand when he tried.  I guess England's Right to Roam excludes random grassy patches in train stations.

    Wednesday morning Anna, Hope, Deanna, and myself attempted to go to Margaret Thatcher's funeral procession. Unfortunately we misunderstood some information. We thought that the procession started at 11...the funeral started at 11 so the procession began earlier. We were able to see the returning procession of military, bands, and what her coffin was placed on. That part was still really cool. We then found a burrito restaurant (Chipotle is still a million times better even though these were pretty great), then we went to Pret to get coffee to wake up a little. Pret (actual name Pret A Manger) is the most fantastic place ever, a sort of cross between Starbucks and Panera but oh so good!! And reasonable prices! I'm going to miss it so much! We then crossed the river and headed to the Young Vic theatre to meet up with the rest of our group to see A Perfect Mind. One of these days  I'm going to list all the shows I've had the privilege of attending while here! The night was filled with British Politics paper writing so lots of enthusiasm here.

   Today I went with Caitlan, Krissy, Deanna, Anita, and Lily to a fringe play for our Contemporary British Theatre class. It was interesting because we actually went to a cafe. Just a regular old cafe. However, it was also a play because the owners decided it was a fringe play of running a cafe. Basically we were just at a cafe but that was somehow also a play. If you think you get it than you probably do. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but it was fringe and it counts for the requirement PLUS the food was delicious! On the way back home it began pouring and hailing and I heard thunder for the first time in two months. It was exciting.

    Although I am far away in good ole London town, my thoughts and prayers have very much been with my homeland these last few days. The explosions at the Boston Marathon on Monday and the recent fertilizer plant explosion in Texas makes me very sad. Thoughts and prayers to all who have been affected by these tragedies.



   

Crazy Little Thing Called Sun

Braving the rocks and cold water!!

    I am sunburnt. Normally this is not an unusual thing at all. However England doesn't exactly normally have warm weather let alone a lot of sunlight. It's considered warm when it hits about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Today, however, was an actually incredibly warm day (in the 60s, what is life?). AND this weather is supposed to continue which I am very happy about. I had forgotten what warm weather felt like.

   It's been another busy week! Thursday night a lot of Centre friends who are studying in Strasburg, France came over to visit for the weekend which was a lot of fun! On Friday I finally went to Camden Market with Monica, Paige, and Martha Grace. We were probably there for about four hours and it was incredible! Easily my favorite market of them all. Saturday I went to a political event for my British Politics class and then went to Borough Market (I think I've been there 7 times now? No shame) with Olivia, Andrew, Martha Grace, Kat, Parker, and Strasburg Olivia. It was as delicious as always. I bought more of the best pears in the world and splurged a little to buy some Turkish Delight (after the Narnia books who doesn't at least want to try this candy??). I tried some at Harrods a while ago (!!!) and bought my favorite, the rose flavored one. It is definitely delicious!! A few of us went to a pub that night and just hung out.

   Today Olivia, Deanna, Paige, Monica, Warren, Hope, and myself went to Brighton for the day. It was amazing. We sat on the beach for 2 1/2 hours. Explains where the sunburn came from, right? It was so nice to be out of London and to smell salt water and hear sea gulls. See? I don't hate all birds. Just the London pigeons. I also have now stood in the English Channel. We went to the pier and walked around and ate so much food, like ice cream and crepes and seafood. We also wandered around Brighton a little and sat outside the Royal Pavilion. Dinner was fish and chips and then coffee/dessert at the most hipster cafe I have ever been to in my entire life. It was great. If you are ever looking for a day trip outside of London, Brighton is yet another place you should look into going. It was a really nice, relaxing day at the beginning of a busy hectic week full of laughter and a million jokes.

Royal Pavilion in Brighton

Four Days, Four Plays

Punting in Oxford!

This week has been awesome! It was my big West End productions week which made it slightly hectic but so much fun!! The day to day has been pretty standard, but the plays...

   Monday: Once Winner of the 2012 Tony for Best New Musical (and based off of a movie by the same name), this show was fantastic. I went with Monica, Olivia, and Deanna. In England, one of the big things is to have ice cream at intermission. Although a bit on the pricey side, this was the performance I decided to get ice cream and I got a Treacle Toffee ice cream. It was delicious. It was such a fun evening!

    Tuesday: Les Mis This show has been my favorite since I grew up on the soundtrack. Finally actually seeing it was a fantastic experience. Definitely cried, it's fine. I'd like to see you make it through that show without tearing up at least once!!

    Wednesday: The Misernthrope (at Oxford) A hilarious evening of Moliere after an incredible day at Oxford (more later)

   Thursday: The Phantom of the Opera which was as great as I had heard. It was a great ending to this crazy theatrical week!

    As I said above, on Wednesday the whole Centre group bused it out to Oxford for the day. The weather was beautiful...I was actually able to take my coat off the whole day!! For the first half of the day, Hope, Monica, Paige, and myself wandered through the covered market and then through the streets of Oxford. We went through some of the courtyards of the colleges which was really cool. We also tried to go to the Botanical Garden, but turned away when there was a price involved. After meeting up with Dr. Keffer for a quick meeting, I set out with twelve others to go punting!! This was so much fun! I actually got to do the punting a little too! This was a little nerve wracking because I thought I was going to fall out of the boat when I stood up AND I was afraid of dropping the pole used to move the boat...but I succeeded!! After that, Hope, Martha Grace, Warren, Olivia, Deanna, and I wandered around the streets ducking into shops and just experiencing Oxford. If I had had more time, I would have found the places where the shot the Great Hall in the Harry Potter movies, as well as certain staircases and other awesome sights. I sadly missed these, but the day was still incredible! I also ate sticky toffee again, which is always a plus. These day trips are fun because we get out of the city and have free range to explore.

Album cover...because we're that cool!

Don't Feed the Birds

     I'm going to take a minute to address a certain avian problem that London has. Pigeons. There are literally pigeons everywhere you look. And they are the fattest birds in the entire world. Many times I will see a pigeon fail at flying a few times before it manages to get more than about two feet off the ground. They also have a great tendency to fly right at your face as you walk by. I've taken to ducking when I see a pigeon because I don't exactly want feathers in the face. And while I have never been the biggest bird person (I'm lookin at you familia, with all of your Ohio Bird Books), I've always at least appreciated them. Until now. So please don't feed these birds. They do not need any extra food. Their young ones are not hungry, their nests are not bare. Save your tuppence.

Abbey Road!..of M&Ms!

    Hello! Friday began as any normal morning full of procrastination and then heading to class. After class, my friend Hope and I headed to St. Paul's to meet up with her friend Shelly who is studying in a manor house in England, but was in London for the day. It was so much fun! We walked across the Thames and wandered around Borough Market sampling different foods before crossing back over the river for dinner. We ate at Ye Old Cheshire Cheese pub. I had steak and kidney pudding (a kind of pie) and definitely avoided the pieces that qualify as the kidney part of that dish. Even so, it was delicious! I also finally had sticky toffee again, which I haven't had since the first full day in London. We then wandered around the Trafalgar Square area. We walked to Buckingham Palace and then headed up towards Leicester Square where we stumbled upon M&M World. This may be a huge tourist trap but it also is pretty cool. It is a large building with five floors dedicated to selling M&Ms and t shirts and such. They even had a mood indicator. I was Orange, which meant I was apparently nervous because I was afraid someone was going to take my peanut M&Ms. It was a great day!

so many feathers!

   Saturday I woke up early to go to a political event for my British Politics class. After spending about 15 minutes searching around King's Cross Station for the event I returned home to realize I had the wrong day...it is NEXT Saturday. Oh well! Later Deanna and I headed to Trafalgar Square where World Pillow Fight Day was being held. Thousands of people were packed into the square to watch the air fill will feathers. The ground was literally covered. It was crazy and awesome. We then walked through the National Portrait Gallery before heading home. My night ended by watching The Princess Bride with Hope, Warren, and Olivia. It was fun! Today has been a day of actually really working on homework (I'm caught up on theatre reviews, what is life?). This evening Deanna, Krissy, Caitlan, and myself tried to go to a fringe play for class. When we got there we found out that the play had actually been four hours earlier. TimeOut had the times wrong. We'll just have to find another one!

   Tomorrow is the first "full week" of classes I'll have had in two weeks...and that is with class cancelled for Friday!

This post MIGHT be about Shakespeare

   

White Tower (Tower of London)

  Such a busy week!! On Monday, Andrew and I headed to the Tower of London. Just getting there was an adventure because since it was Easter Monday a lot of train lines were closed. What normally could be a two train/ one station change route ended up involving at least three station changes. We arrived around 11 and didn't leave until 3 it was so cool. We began with a tour by the Yeoman Warders (or Beefeaters as they are commonly called). They actually still live in the Tower with their families, we were told. I later also found out that they have a pub there for them to access. Pretty cool. After this hour long tour, where we learned interesting facts about the Tower and went into the chapel that contained the bodies of people like St. Thomas More and Anne Boleyn. We then got in line to see the Crown Jewels. The wait was probably around 30 minutes but moved pretty consistently. I'm glad we went when we did because the line grew as the day continued! After seeing these beautiful crowns and other royal pieces, we went through the White Tower. This is the tower sort of at the center of the Tower of London.  This held a lot of armory from so many of the monarchs. It was pretty cool. We then went through the Wakefield tower, which held three torture devices. One thing that I have apparently always been wrong about when it comes to the Tower of London is the fact that relatively few people were tortured there. I had always been under the impression that torture was common here. Not the case. After the Wakefield tower we went on the Wall Walk, which took us through the palace portion of the complex. I had forgotten that monarchs and others had lived there in the past...after all it had begun as a fortress! We also saw graffiti from past prisoners and examples of weapons that were used to defend the Tower. It was absolutely an incredible day. 

19-20 year olds can still play dress up, right?

    On Tuesday we boarded a bus early in the morning and headed off to Stratford-upon-Avon. We began with a tour of the birthplace of Shakespeare. Many of the artifacts in these places are possibly Shakespeare's, but nothing can be proven. Therefore every sign says that "this <insert object> might have belonged to Shakespeare himself!". Although I understand and appreciate this from a historical stand point, it also was really funny and became a running joke of the day. And I obviously still find it amusing because I named this post after it. Oh well! We then wandered around Stratford, which is absolutely beautiful and so peaceful. Hope, Leah, Courtney, and myself split a giant scone and sat in a cafe for a while before heading to Shakespeare's grave. We then rejoined the large group to go through homes owned by family members of Shakespeare. At the first house our group (we were split into 2 groups to go through the homes) played a wonderful game of tag in the garden. Yes we are 19-21 year olds. It was so warm that we were all able to take off coats. Such a change from the snowball fight we had on the last day trip. It was the greatest. After touring the next house we sat in a room and dressed up in the costumes they had and colored pictures of people in period dress. We then ate at an Italian restaurant and headed to a Royal Shakespeare Company's performance of Hamlet. This was pretty exciting and very good despite the horrible seats we had! We got back to our home in London around 1:30AM. It was a great day. 

Tower of London

  

      Wednesday I went to the National Gallery with the Art of Walking class. We went through early art then discussed it, followed by lunch at the crypt of St. Martin's in the Fields. I then did grocery shopping and laundry and felt like a productive adult. Last night Martha Grace, Olivia, Hope, and I watched Pitch Perfect. Today was the first day of class in a week. Due to lines being down it was delayed an hour, something we all found out upon arrival in Russel Square. A bunch of us went for tea/coffee in a cafe in the square then joined the rest of the class watching Arrested Development while waiting for Tony to get there. I wish I had gotten to the classroom earlier to watch more! After class Martha Grace and I wandered through the blizzard (well..not quite. But quite a lot of snow. And 2 days ago we took of our coats because it was so warm!) to get groceries for dinner tonight. For our turn in the cooking group we made our most impressive meal to date: Greek wraps (pita bread and chicken with various add ins) and fruit wraps! It has been a great few days full of the many adventures that London study abroad holds!

Have Fun Storming the Castle!

                                           Happy Easter!! Much love to all on this joyous day!

Chatsworth Hall 

   

     The last few days have been amazing and packed! On Friday our whole group boarded a bus and traveled at least 3 hours outside of London to Chatsworth House. This is the home of the Duke and Duchess of Derbyshire. Like many old manor homes, it is open to tours.  If you have ever seen the Kiera Knightly version of Pride and Prejudice, you may recognize the house as Pemberley. It also was the house Jane Austen described as Pemberley when she wrote this renowned novel. Pretty cool. The house is absolutely incredible. Each ceiling has a painting on it and the walls are covered in paintings and gorgeous furniture. Basically I want to live there. The Duke and Duchess still live there, in a wing of the house not open to the public. For tax reasons, they actually pay rent; it is set up as a Trust with the Duke as the head.  The gardens were gorgeous. They include a hedge maze, which I unfortunately did not see. I was caught in a snowball fight by the fountain. We then got back on the bus and went to Haddon Hall. This is basically a castle, but instead of it being the ruins it is restored and has furniture and medieval tapestries on the walls. Castles are really cold so the fires burning in all of the fireplaces were well received. This was the filming site of The Princess Bride. We left at 8AM and returned at 9 PM, but it was an incredible day. Just like every day here in good ole London Town!

Haddon Hall!

   Yesterday I decided to venture off and explore London a little on my own. This has been something I have wanted to do for a while. My plan was to go to Westminster Abbey and do the tour of the church. However, as I rode the tube over, I realized that trying to go to a major landmark church on a Saturday is probably not a good idea. The Saturday before Easter is even worse. So instead I just wandered around the City of Westminster. I went by Buckingham Palace, through St. James' Park, by Parliament, Trafalgar Square, then headed to Twinings to restock on some tea (I'm an addict...it's fine). I then walked back home. This walk took maybe 30 minutes but it was really exciting to be able to make it back relatively easily. Every time I was a little confused on my exact location, I would run into something familiar, like the British Museum. I got back and decided I wasn't moving for several hours. But then I went to the Tate Modern with Anna and Martha Grace. There we met up with Mackenzie, who goes to Centre but is studying a Rose Bruford in Sidcup. After looking at the art we went to a food market we found (not the Borough Market but still amazing and delicious!). I had pork barbecue on a ciabatta and realized it was the first time I had had pork since I left America. That night I went out with a whole bunch of our group and had a blast, despite the time change. 

Mr. Darcy!!!

   

     Today I went to church at the Newman House per usual and then came home and sat on my bed. Sadly I have not really done anything else today. I guess sometimes you need those days? Tomorrow I'm off to the Tower of London! The adventures continue every day!!

The Many Adventures of the Gray Coat and Orange Purse

   
    Whew. It has been a whirlwind of the last few days. Sunday, after Church, I ventured off to the British Library. This landmark about 7 minutes from my place of living space houses  some treasures, such as original manuscripts of Beowulf, Shakespeare's First Folio, original Chopin scores, and so much more. It also holds two copies of the original (1215) Magna Carta. This brings my total of original Magna Carta viewings to 3 of 4. The fourth is in Lincoln. They are the only four that remain with the original seal. Pretty incredible. Monday it was back to class, with Contemporary British Theatre and London during the Blitz in the morning. In the afternoon, I went to Camden Market with Deanna, Olivia, and Olivia's friend who is currently studying in Spain. It was a frigid Monday afternoon, so the area really wasn't as full of all the stalls the way I had thought. So obviously I will just have to return on a day where I fight the crowds! If anything London has taught me how to walk through congestion. Perks of living next to one of the most frequented Underground stops.

    Tuesday began with a midterm in British Politics followed by a biscuit (cookie) stop with Deanna, Hope, and Monica. For the Art of Walking we went to the British Museum and sketched. My specialty is really bad stick figures so let me tell you my drawings were spot on. Also, if you are in a museum and sketching everyone assumes you have talent and peer over your shoulder constantly. I also had a woman sit down next to me to better see my "masterpiece." That evening half of the group went to see The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime which was absolutely fantastic. This show began with me having a ticket to a seat that doesn't physically exist so after a little preshow stress the ushers were able to get me into a seat. The show tells the story of a 15 year old autistic boy in a key moment of life. I don't even know how to begin describing how fantastic this show was. I read the book two weeks before seeing it and the director/actors/designers did incredible work in showing the audience the way the main character, Christopher, views the world. If you are going to London go see this show.

Buckingham palace

   On Wednesday the Art of Walking class went to the British Library (twice in a few days for me!) and then headed to Chelsea. We had about 30 minutes in Harrods, all of which I spent in the Food Halls. So. Much. Delicious. Food. By splitting with Warren, I was able to get out of there only spending a little over 3 pounds on a Lebanese lamb pasty thing, a macaroon, and Turkish Delight. We then continued on to the Victoria and Albert Museum. Hope and I wandered around for about an hour. My favorite sections were the fashion as well as stumbling upon a room with Raphael paintings everywhere. They were incredible. That evening, after making potato soup for the group, we went to see Steptoe and Son, a play based off of a British TV show. After the show, a few of us tried to go to a pub to get dessert but got there just as food stopped being served. So naturally we went to McDonald's instead.

Parliament and a phone booth? So British!

   Today was the first free weekday we have had almost the whole trip. Martha Grace and I walked to Trafalgar Square and went to the National Portrait Gallery. This is actually a pretty amazing place because you see the real, huge portraits of all these people who have been in all of your textbooks throughout the years. Shakespeare, the Monarchs, Dickens, Shackleton, and even David Beckham! The portrait of David Beckham is interesting because it is actually a filming of him sleeping after training. But through the lights and angle it is very cool because it almost looks like it was painted. Interesting. We also walked to Downing Street with hopes of seeing 10 Downing Street and maybe even David Cameron. However, without a pass, you can't even walk down the street due to security. However, I have heard that you can get passes from the US Embassy so that might just be something to do one quiet day. We continued to wander through St. James' Park which was gorgeous. It was also nice to see Buckingham Palace in the daylight!

    Tomorrow we gather early to travel to Chetsworth, the home Jane Austen based Pemberly (Darcy's home in Pride and Prejudice) and the castle used in the filming of The Princess Bride. It is sure to be an exciting day!! 

Street of PM's Residence