What an experience!

I can't believe I'm at home already. Where did the past 6 weeks go? I'm so sorry I neglected posting during my last week in London. We did so much and were so busy, I just couldn't find the time. I promise I will recap my last week in London soon enough and post more pictures.

Now that I'm home, I'm trying to unpack my suitcases (I went shopping A LOT in London!) and get my room organized since I will be living at home this next semester. I'm also working at SnoBiz to make some extra money and trying to find an internship for this fall. Since it's my last semester in college, I'm hoping for a great internship that will point me in the career direction that I want.

Sometime this week I'm also hoping to write a conclusion to my trip and a sort-of "The End" to this part of my blog. I've changed a lot over the past 6 weeks, and I want to try and express that and explain what I've learned. I'm mulling over in my head what I want to say, but I'm not quite ready to put it to paper (or the computer screen) just yet. It will come though, I promise!

I hope everyone has had a fantastic summer so far, and I can't wait to see all of you!

Where did this week go?

Holy cow--it's Thursday already! When did that happen?

Time is flying here, and I can't believe it. I'm so in love with London that I barely have any time to blog here!

I guess I should start with the weekend...

Friday's dinner at DiMario's was absolutely delicious. DiMario's is in Kensington, and Princess Diana would go there with her sons when she lived in the area. There are pictures of her on the walls. The pizza was incredible--very tasty and different from the standard "American" Domino's or Papa John's. It was kind of like St. Louis style thin crust, but not quite that thin. After dinner, we walked around the town and enjoyed the weather.

On Saturday, the girls and I headed to Hyde Park again to enjoy the 80 degree weather. We are in the middle of a heat wave here, and it's incredible. It's nice to have heat without the humidity! Saturday night I went to see Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens with Andy. The show was incredible--the stage was in the middle of the tent, and at times, the actors were suspended from the ceiling to look as though they were actually flying. The acting was great, and the staging of the show was fantastic. The top of the tent was a screen so that when the actors were "flying," their background was London, or Neverland, or something like that. Very cool!

Sunday was another fun day--I went to Kew Gardens with Andy. It is a giant park a little ways south of the city, and it contains several green houses, a conservatory, a "tree top walk way," an aquarium, and other things. We walked around all day, and I saw more plants than I ever knew existed! There was even a carnivorous plant exhibition, and we tried to feed our map to a venus fly trap...it wasn't hungry, though. :) Sunday night I hung out with the girls in our flat--we had a blast!

Monday was another park day--relaxing in Hyde Park is my new favorite thing to do! We bought lunch at the grocery store, rented chairs, and sat near a duck pond and had picnic. After our picnic, we went to the Natural History Museum as part of our class. There were tons of dinosaur fossils, including a triceratops-my favorite! There are many other exhibits in the museum--it is HUGE--but it was crowded and hot (very few buildings here have A/C because the temperature is usually very mild), so we left after spending about an hour and a half looking at all of the dinosaurs. I'd never seen fossils before, so that was an interesting thing to see. I've been so blown away by British history that dates back a few centuries, I can't believe we saw things from millions of years ago! After the museum, the girls went to an Italian restaurant while I met with my teacher for a class I'm taking on the side. After, the girls and I got gelato (delicious!) in Leicester Square then walked to Trafalgar square to watch the sunset. There were so many people there hanging out, enjoying each other's company, and overall having a great time. The night was clear and warm, and the lights on the National Gallery and the fountains in the Square were beautiful. We sat there, eating our gelato, and soaking up as much of London as we could.

Tuesday was back to class...BUT we went to Shakespeare's Globe! Unfortunately it's not the original, but it is built just as his would have been, and we even watched a show-- As You Like It. The show was good, very entertaining, but as it's not one of my more favored plays, I would have preferred something like Twelfth Night or A Midsummer Night's Dream. Oh well--I still saw a Shakespeare show at the Globe! We may try to go back and see Romeo and Juliet, which is also one of my favorites, so I hope we are able to do that. After, we ate dinner at The Anchor, a pub that sits on the spot of the ORIGINAL Globe. The sign said that Shakespeare, Samuel Johnson, and others had been to that place. Incredible! Tuesday night, Jenna, Rachel, and I went to Bush Hall to see one of Jenna's favorite singers, Justin Nozuka. It was a great, small venue, and we were SO close to the stage! We also met two girls from Norway, Christine and Annabelle, and we hung out with them all night. After the show, Justin came out and we met him, took pictures, and Jenna got his autograph. He was very nice and friendly!

Last but not least, yesterday we woke up early to attempt to get tickets for Hamlet, starring Jude Law! We got tickets--but they were for STANDING only, in the back of the balcony. Oh well, they were only 10 pounds. Ok-more about that in a minute. After buying tickets, we went shopping for something cute to wear for Jude. haha. H&M was having a giant sale, and we all bought some cute items. For class yesterday, we went to the Victoria and Albert Museum, which is only a short walk from our flat. It was a huge museum, I think almost as big as the Natural History Museum that we went to on Monday. There were tons of exhibits, including displays on fashion, sculpture, modern design, theatre, jewelry, Buddhism, and much more. My favorite was the one on medieval Christianity. There were chalices from the 13th and 14th century, items that survived Henry VIII's Reformation in the 16th century, and even relic holders and actual "relics." I'm not sure if the relics are actual saints' bones, but it was still neat to see them right there. Some of the crucifixes on display were the most beautiful I've ever seen. After the museum, the girls and I went out at a Mexican restaurant near the theatre. We have all been craving Mexican food since we got here (apparently, it's not very popular here), and we thought it would be a fun outing before our show. The food was delicious, but not quite the same as back home. The Brits just don't understand salsa and creamy white cheese. On the flip side, my margarita was to die for! :) Ok, now on to Jude. Hamlet was by far, the most incredible play I've seen. Jude Law was amazing as the lead, really capturing the "is he crazy or isn't he?" mentality of Hamlet. The staging, set design, lighting, and costumes were also out of this world. It almost made me miss doing those things back at good ol' SDH! It was a very minimalistic set, but the lighting made it seem like new rooms all of the time. Brilliant. ANNDDD.... after the show, we met Jude Law! Yes, that's right, MET him. Talked to him, took pictures with him, and got his autograph. He was so sweet, nice, and seemed happy to be there. He almost seemed humbled by all of it. Oh, and yes, he is just as gorgeous in person! :) I'll post a few pictures at the bottom of this blog.

Today we're heading to the British Museum, then we're going out tonight for a bit. Tomorrow and Saturday will be busy days--we're seeing Oxford, Stratford, Bath, and Stonghenge! I'm very excited. Since Saturday is the 4th of July (not very celebrated over here--haha), we're going to an "American" themed party with Andy and his friends. A British celebration of the American Independence Day definitely should be a fun time!

Us with Jude Law!!! (Don't worry, he is happy to see us, he was all smiles when were talking to him, but he hardly smiled for anyone's pictures!)

Poster of Jude as Hamlet

Me, Jenna, Rachel, and Amy with our margaritas!

My first full week in London

I can't believe it's been 3 days since I last posted. This week has flown by, and yet it hasn't because each day has brought a new and exciting adventure. Tuesday's Museum of London was great. The museum spans the Roman civilizations in London through to more modern exhibits, with many things to touch/try on/etc. It was great. Also by the museum are remains from the original Londinium Wall, built by the Romans around the original Roman town, Londinium from approximately 50AD. I climbed on top of it and walked along it! My professor almost had a heart attack, but it was nothing compared to a balance beam! :)

Wednesday was a new experience for me--we went to the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. While I am not an avid art lover, I did get a lot out of the experience. I saw original portraits of Elizabeth I, Henry the VII, and Shakespeare, all from the 16th century. Incredible. At the National Gallery, I saw Van Gogh's Sunflowers and several paintings from Monet's Waterlilies series. Talk about awe inspiring. I remember grade school art classes where we colored worksheets that were similar to the original paintings. I can't believe I actually got to stand in front of them! The brush strokes and colors and layers of paint are a sight to see. I never understood being "moved" by a painting until I visited the Gallery.

Wednesday night we went to see the musical Chicago, starring Jerry Springer as the lawyer Billy Flynn. I have to admit, I was sceptical of Jerry's singing ability, but he definitely did not disappoint! I had never seen the show on stage before, and it was by far one of my favorite experiences of my trip! We got up early Wednesday morning and went to the TKTS booth in Leicester Square, the only licensed discount ticket booth in London. We got 3RD ROW SEATS for only 30 pounds! (That's about $50). Most tickets at the St. Louis Fox are more than $50, and they are in the very back of the theatre! All I can saw is "wow." I can't wait to see more shows! We're hoping to see Hamlet (with Jude Law as Hamlet), Wicked, and maybe The Lion King.

Yesterday was my favorite class day so far--we went to Westminster Abbey. Originally a Catholic church, and at one time a Benedictine Monastery, the Abbey was changed to an Anglican church in the 16th century by Henry VIII when he separated from the Catholic Church and formed the Church of England. The Abbey is the home of the tombs of Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, Henry VII, and my favorite--Poet's Corner, including Chaucer, Dryden, Hardy, and many more. It was an unforgettable experience to see the burial places of some of my favorite writers and memorials to many of my other favorites. Also buried in Westminster are Sir Winston Churchill, Sir Issac Newton, and Darwin.

Thursday night was our first "night out" in London. Our RA, Andy, took us to the Ice Bar, which is a leveled bar where the basement is kept at -5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit). The whole room is made of ice, and the chairs and tables are also frozen ice structures. With the cover price comes a free drink in your very own ice glass--no kidding, the glasses are really made from ice! We also had to wear blue parka things with gloves and hoods to keep us warm, and you are only allowed inside for 40 minutes at a time. My the end of the 40 minutes, my toes were freezing! It was a bit pricey, but totally worth the money for the experience. We took some great pictures and had a fantastic, memorable time. The rest of the evening consisted of a few more bars, a dance club, and finally a bus ride home. It was a GREAT night out on the town! (And don't worry, we were in a group the whole time, and with Andy, who lives here, so he knows his way around the entire city.)

Today we spent the day lounging in Hyde Park listening to The Killers performing a concert a little ways away from where we were sitting. I read a book, took a nap, and had a gloriously relaxing afternoon. Tonight we're heading to DiMario's for dinner, a famous pizza place that Princess Di frequented when she lived in Kensington. So cool!

I love London!

The past two days have been a blur! This city is incredible--I can't believe all of the stuff I'm seeing. Sunday we took a "Big Bus Tour" around London and saw most of the sites. It was a double decker-open top bus, and we all had a blast! We drove by all of the famous buildings, up fleet street, down Oxford Street, over Tower Bridge, London, Bridge, and Jubilee Bridge! After a quick dinner at a local pub, the rest of the students and I were going to go on a walking tour of London titled the "Ghost Tour," during which the tour guide points out all of the "haunted" places around the city. Well, it turns out the tour was actually just a disguise to get us to spend money at local pubs, so we bailed and gave ourselves our own walking tour. We walked up the Thames River, crossed London Bridge, walked to Big Ben and Parliament, then alongside Westminster Abbey. It was almost dusk, the sky was clear, and the weather was beautiful. It was so awe-inspiring to walk alongside these buildings that have been standing for over 10o years. Then we took the Tube to the Tower of London and watched the sunset from Tower Bridge-the bridge that opens to allow tall ships to go through. It was beautiful, and I hope we get to do it again while we're here. We also successfully navigated the Tube a couple of different times--all by ourselves! It is SO easy to do--STL should definitely look into putting in a public transportation system like that!

Yesterday we went on the boat tour that came with our bus ticket. We sailed down the River Thames to the borough of Greenwich which is the home to the Prime Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time, the start of time changes. From this point, 0 degrees latitude, all other latitude lines start. All of the time zones around the world originate at that point. It is also the dividing line between the Eastern and Western hemispheres. Also on the on the boat ride, we sailed past Shakespeare's Globe (I can't wait to go there), many old pubs, and the boroughs of The City, Bankside, and Westminster. After, Jenna and I wanted to shop while the rest when back to the flat, so we hopped on the Tube and went to Covent Garden. (This public transportation thing is so EASY!). We walked around, looked in many different stores, tried on some clothes, and bought a few things. It was a blast! On the down side, things here are VERY expensive, especially with the pound-dollar conversion, so I'm going to have to be careful about how much I shop! I'm a sucker for a good deal! Last night we had a pretty casual, easy-going evening. Most of the other students came up to our flat, our RA came up to help us with the fridge, and we all hung out for a couple hours. It was a great, relaxing end to my second full day as a Londoner!

Today we have our first day of class and our first trips to museums. We are going to the Museum of London and the National Portrait Gallery. Those should be interesting. Tomorrow we're going to Westminster Abbey, and I am super psyched for that. So many famous people are buried there--I can't wait!

One last thing-- Last night I posted pictures of our first weekend in London on Photobucket. Check them out! :)

Cheers!

LONDON!!

I don't have much time to write, but I wanted to report that I made it safe and sound to London!  We moved into our flat yesterday, and it's incredible! It's tiny-basically one room with a couch, two sets of bunkbeds, and a wall of kitchen appliances (sink, stove, etc.) but I LOVE it!  We are right in the middle of Kensington, and there are rows of flats and hotels all around us.  We can walk everywhere, and use the Tube to get to anywhere else.  I will post picture as soon as I have more time!

Last night we went on a pub crawl with our RA, Andy.  We took the Tube to Covent Garden and walked around there for a bit.  That is a GREAT part of town with shops, pubs, restaurants, and lots and lots of people!  We went into three pubs, and each was very unique and very interesting.  The first was a traditional English pub, with the wooden bar and mirrors, etc.  The second was more ritzy, half restaurant half bar, with great music.  The third was a giant brewhouse (it kind of reminded me of Trailhead in Old St. Charles, but much much cooler).  We also watched a street performer in Covent Garden, who tied himself up in a straight jacket and chains, then got out of them in only 3 minutes!  It was crazy to watch--I think he had to dislocate his shoulder to get out of the straight jacket!

Today we're doing a bus tour of London and then a scavenger hunt where we have to use the tube to navigate London and take pictures of various landmarks around the city.  I'm really excited!   

Almost to London!

This week has been pretty calm.  On Wednesday, we went to Lincoln for the afternoon.  It is a small, VERY hilly town about an hour from Grantham by train.  Jenna and I toured Lincoln Cathedral while the other girls shopped.  I think it is the most beautiful Cathedral I have ever seen.  It has been around since 1092 AD, but due to fires and other destruction, the church that stands today is from the 14th century.  It is the 3rd largest cathedral in Britain  It was incredible.  Jenna and I also went through a museum that dates the inhabitants of Lincoln to Roman times.  There were artifacts, elephant bones, and even a tree trunk canoe that dates back about 900 years.  It was fascinating and humbling all at the same time.  The museum stood on top of what was once a Roman house; parts of the floor were on display through see-through floor.

The rest of this week has been very relaxing.  Half of our group left today, including my roommate Katie.  They are in London for tonight and their planes leave for STL tomorrow.  I can't believe I'm at the half-way point already.  I honestly don't know where all of the time has gone.  I have seen so much, and cannot wait to see even more!  I have loved my time in Grantham, but I am very ready for the next part of my adventure: London!  We leave in the morning to move to our flats.  We will be living in the South Kensington section of London; from what I've heard, it's a very nice part of the city.  I think Princess Di lived there!  Today I'm doing laundry and packing.  I need to condense everything I have as small as I can--I think we have to take the Tube to get to our flats!  That should definitely be an experience.  I'm not entirely sure what the weekend will hold, but I have full faith that it will be great. 

My next post will be from my flat in London! :)

Here are some photos from Lincoln:

New Favorite City: Cambridge

On Sunday, we went to Cambridge for the day, and it was absolutely incredible.  Getting there, however, was quite the experience!  We have been using a Brit Rail pass to get to these various cities.  It is a great deal only available outside of the UK.  We ordered an 8-day pass, and because they were ordered before June 1, we received a 9th day for free.  Basically, the pass allows for 8 (in our case, 9) days of unlimited travel on the British rail system.  I have come to absolutely love the train system.  It is so easy to get around--well, in most cases!  On Sunday, we arrived at the train station to take a 10:05 train to Stevenage, where we would catch another train to take us to Cambridge.  Well, we get to Stevenage, and we found that there wasn't a train to Cambridge!  Instead, we had to take a train to Letchworth, a bus to Royston, and then a train to Cambridge!  Luckily, it didn't take very long to do all of these, but it was still unexpected.  None of the info about the extra travel was on the website that I used to plan the trip.  It was an experience, and Cambridge was completely worth it!!!

Once we got to Cambridge, we rented bikes to ride for the day.  The city is England's version of  "college town" so there are bike riders and pedestrians everywhere, with a few cars in between.  However, unlike American colleges towns, where there are several universities in a town, but each is kind of segregated to its own part of the city (think Columbia, MO with Mizzou, Stevens, and Columbia College), Cambridge is the city that houses Cambridge University, but the individual colleges within the university (like Maryville's School of Business, School of Health Professions, etc.) are spread out all across the town.  There were people and people on bicycles EVERYWHERE.  By riding bikes, we were able to see so much more of the city than we would have if we were walking.  The architecture was incredible.  The University itself is celebrating its 800th anniversary this year!  I can't imagine going to a school that has been in existence for 800 years.  That more than twice the age of the United States!  Too bad it's so expensive (Dr. Murray said about the cost of Harvard, probably, plus the cost of living in England), or I would transfer there in a heartbeat!

Yesterday, the 15th, we went to York as a class trip.  The architecture of that city was beautiful, but in a different way than Cambridge.  I wish I could describe better all of these different places.  (I'm having some difficulties with my camera, but as soon as I figure it out I will post as many pictures as I can.)  York was originally a Roman city, built in 71 AD when the Roman empire stretched all the way to what is today Great Britain.  We toured York Minster, which is built on top of a medieval cathedral, which is on top of a Norman cathedral, on top of a Roman building.  We were able to go in to the undercroft below the church to see the remains of the original building that has survived from around 600 AD.  Touching the stone that has been there for that long is such an awe-inspiring feeling.  Unfortunately, we weren't able to take pictures in the main portion of the undercroft, but I hope the things I saw and touched will stick with me forever.  We also climbed into one of the towers of the Minster--275 steep, narrow, circular steps!  The sky was clear that day, and the view was incredible.  I could see for miles and miles!  I'm not sure how high it was, but it felt like I was on top of the world!

After York, I went with two friends, Mark and Amie, to visit the town of Leeds, only about a half hour train ride from York.  Amie wanted to go to the Corn Exchange, which we thought was a market (sort of) where you can sample and purchase chocolates, wines, cheeses, etc.  Well, it turns out, the Corn Exchange is a giant, beautiful, circular building in the city centre.  Originally, I think it was a type of market, but now it is being renovated to house offices/shops in the top portion, and a restaurant and mini shops in the bottom.  Unfortunately, the top portion is not completed, but we were able to look around the bottom part, which had a fancy restaurant, a cafeteria-styled restaurant, and small "outlet" styled shops that sold breads, cheeses, chocolates, baked goods, and other things.  I bought some cupcakes and chocolates, and they were DELICIOUS!!  For dinner, we ate at "The Hog's Head," like in Harry Potter!  It was a small pub on a side street.  I'm not sure which came first, this pub or the books, but the food was delicious, and it was nice to eat a meal that wasn't cooked in Harlaxton's kitchens! :)  I ordered fish and chips, and it was even yummier than the meal I had in Nottingham two weeks ago.

I always try to write short entries about each place so I'm not posting paragraph upon paragraph, but I can't help it.  Traveling across the country this past weekend was a great experience, and I'm very happy that we  chose to do that instead of going to one place for the whole weekend.  I'm actually getting a sense of the geography of England through all of the train-riding I've been doing (and we all know how terrible at geography I am), and I hope I remember it.  Also, I've come to LOVE public transportation.  I wish the US had a better system.  It makes getting around so much easier and more affordable.

This Saturday we move to London to live for three weeks.  I can't believe my time at Harlaxton is almost over.  I feel like I just arrived!  As much as I love the Manor and the cute town of Grantham, I am definitely ready for a change.  I can't wait to explore the city and everything it has to offer.  The class I'm taking, Museums and Galleries, will hopefully give me a more hands-on insight to both British history and language.  Can't wait!! :)