London: VIP Style Slideshow

Slideshow of pictures from the sighting of the Queen, the Black Eyed Peas concert, and Celebrity Soccer Six!

As time winds down...

It has been another crazy couple of days here in London! Just when I think the quarter is coming to a close, we choose to cram more into the last few days than planned and I find myself running all over the city.

After Stratford Upon Avon on Saturday, Sunday was spent at Speakers Corner and picking up last minute souvenirs! Speakers Corner is a place where on Sunday's anyone can go and literally get on their "soapbox" to talk about whatever tickles their fancy. When we were there, we saw a man talking about Western involvement in the war in Iraq, a man preaching from the Torah, and a Muslim talking about Jihad. It was in a way very scary, especially hearing the last man talk with extreme passion about violence and revenge. One of our professors, who is in his 70's, got up and confronted the man about what he was saying and I can't say I've ever been prouder of a professor! Lincoln Clark is the most peaceful man I have ever met, but to see him stand up for what he believed in was just inspiring! Besides the scary speakers, there were quite a few funny ones, and it was really interesting to see all of the different point of views being listened to in a (usually) civil manner.

Here is a picture of Lincoln standing up to the crazy speaker!

After Speakers Corner, Patricia and Lincoln treated us all to pastries and cold drinks at a French cafe and we were able to sit and chat with our professors on a more personal level than in the classroom. They are married and have had exciting lives that I hope to emulate someday!

We left the cafe and went souvenir shopping and then we headed back to the flat, not believing that we had less than a week left in London!

This morning we woke up bright and early to go to Charleton to see the Celebrity Soccer Six tournament! This is a soccer tournament that is for charity played by popular British celebrities. It was really fun to see all of them up close, and of course, to watch some soccer! one of the girls on the trip is obsessed with the British band, McFly, and was able to meet one of the members that was there and get his autograph! We also discovered a brand new boy band that is filled with very attractive men and we were able to see them up close!

Here are some pictures:

Popular rap group, N Dubz, playing in their first game.

Two members of McFly watching from the sidelines!

Tomorrow we have one last theater class, Wednesday is our last art class/show and going away dinner, and then Thursday will be spent packing. It's crazy that our time is really almost up in this wonderful city, and I get sad thinking about leaving!

Last Weeks Slideshow!

Here is one of my last slideshows from my trip! It includes our trips to Kew Gardens, Windsor Castle, and Wimbledon!

Living in the London Limelight

The past week has been absolutely insane. And I mean that in every sense of the word!

After my trip to Wimbledon on Sunday, Monday was spent wrapping things up around the city that we have left until the end of the trip. We went in to turn in our papers at the FSU Centre, and then made our way to the discount clothing store Primark for one last quick run-through! I came away with a sundress, so it was worth the trip :) After shopping, we hopped on the Tube and made our way to Abbey Road Studios...famous from The Beatles album cover! We each tried to get a picture of ourselves walking across the street like on the cover, but it was very difficult! The intersection doesn't have a light, so we had to walk in front of traffic, and people were constantly walking both ways, making it difficult to take the picture! Here is the one I got though...

And that was just Monday.

Tuesday started off with a royal bang. And when I say royal, I mean it! We lined up bright and early in the morning to see the Queen make her way (complete with her crown jewels in a separate carriage) from Buckingham Palace to the ceremonial opening of Parliament! It was amazing to see her in person, and my pictures didn't come out so great but one of my friends got an excellent picture of her staring at the camera! Here it is:

It was just an amazing experience to have, AND it only happens every election year which comes along every 4 years. We have had great luck on this trip, that's for sure!

Wednesday we went to Kings Cross Station to try and catch a glimpse of the Harry Potter cast filming the Epilogue scene of the last movie! Unfortunately all we were able to see was the end of the train and a bunch of fake luggage stacked up...but it was cool to say I was there while they were filming! After that I headed to a Bollywood dance show called "The Merchants of Bollywood" and it was outstanding. I had seats in the second row, and left the theater wanting to dance all night long!

Thursday is when the insanity really set in. After classes, we headed to Leicester Square to try and catch a glimpse of the Sex and the City cast at the London premiere! We didn't manage to get into the actual red carpet area, but we found a spot where we could watch them come over a small bridge where interviewers stood before they walked into the theater. It ended up though, that it was a good thing we didn't get into the red carpet area, because we soon got a call from Nick, one of the kids on the trip with us, letting us know that he had 4 Black Eyed Peas tickets for the concert that night...for free.

Unfortunately, the four of us that decided to take the tickets didn't end up getting to see any celebrities at Sex and the City because we had to leave immediately to head to the O2 Arena...but we ended up having a FABULOUS night anyway. Nick's Dad was the one who got us the tickets, because he works with the sponsors that were working with the O2 Arena, so he was over here for a couple of days specifically for the concert. When we arrived at the arena, we found out they weren't just tickets, they were VIP passes onto the floor area, and then into the After Party!

Black Eyed Peas!

Our awesome spot on the floor, right as confetti started to fly!

We felt like celebrities. We danced all night to the Black Eyed Peas on the floor of the O2, about twenty feet away from the stage, and to top it all off, Tom Cruise hopped onto the stage at the end of the show.

TOM CRUISE!

The After Party was awesome too, and we got to see the BEP members up close and they even premiered a song to us that hadn't been released yet that is going to be in Tom Cruise's new movie! Two girls I was with got a hug from one of the BEP members, and I hopped into the picture with him! We danced until 1 am, and then finally headed back to the flat. It was an absolutely AMAZING night that I will never forget the rest of my life!

3 of us at the after party!

3 of us and Taboo from BEP!

All that, and then to top it all off, today I went to Stratford Upon Avon to see Shakespeare's birthplace and watched a really awesome performance of Romeo and Juliet! I have dreamed of seeing that play on stage, and it was just a surreal experience. Unfortunately, it wasn't the best day weather wise, and decided to pour down rain. This led to not a lot of pictures, and most of them came out blurry. But, I left there with memories in my head which is enough for me!

It's my last week here in London. I have mixed emotions. I'm sad because it's coming to an end...but I'm excited to move on to the next chapter of my life. I know I've learned so much while I've been here and I can honestly say I've changed in a lot of different ways. It's bittersweet that this blog is coming to an end...I've had fun keeping everyone updated, but I can't wait to see what will be blog-able next in my life!

Wimbledon!

Today I was brave and adventurous and decided to make the trip out of the city to Wimbledon! Yes, the place that the Wimbledon tennis tournament is played at every summer! I randomly came across it on a map on Friday, and made the split-second decision to book a tour and buy a train ticket...and I definitely don't regret it!

The trip there was a bit nerve-wracking though. Because it was Sunday and the weekend before a bank holiday, a lot of the underground lines were closed. This made my trip a little longer, maneuvering through two different station to get to Waterloo Station and the National Rail service I had to take. Once I got there, I found the train, and it was a smooth 20 minute ride out to Wimbledon. After I exited the station there though, was when things got complicated. I had written down in my planner that I needed to take bus 493. Unfortunately, the three bus stops that surrounded the station did not have 493 on their signs. After wandering around until 1 pm (the time I was supposed to BE THERE) and finally about to give up and ask in the station, I spotted a bus pulling around a corner that had 493 spelled out on the back. Unfortunately, I was two intersections away, and it left before I could get there. And with even more bad luck, the next one wasn't due for 10 minutes. By the time I boarded the bus, it was 1:20 pm, and my tour started at 1:30.

Finally, the bus lumbered up the hill and pulled up in front of the tennis center. I ran out, through the security check, and made it into the ticket line at 1:28pm. She gave me my sticker and receipt, and I managed to walk out right before the tour guide breezed in. I was sweating profusely at this point, but I was just relieved to be there. Now, I could actually enjoy being there and could soak up my surroundings.

The tour was excellent, and I was able to see Court No. 1, some smaller courts that are used in the opening week of the tournament, the Millennium Building where the members go, the press interview room, and then finally Centre Court! It was a surreal experience, and I hope I can go back one day when the tournament is going on. It had a magical feeling, and it was completely empty...I can only imagine what it would feel like all filled with people.

Here are some pictures:

I made it!!

Pretending to be hot stuff in the interview chair!

Centre Court!

Then I went into the museum, and saw a bunch of memorabilia and a cool movie about the tournament. I bought a poster and keychain, and hopped back onto the bus and trains to make my way back to London!

Here are some pictures from the museum:

So cool!

Old tennis dresses!

Andy Roddick quote on the wall!

The rest of my journey was smooth until I slipped on a step running to make the tube that was about to leave from the Baker Street Station. I bit it pretty hard, but somehow hopped back up and continued to run while a couple that helped me gather the stuff I dropped just watched in disbelief. Nothing gets in the way of me and my mission home!

It was an overall really enjoyable day, even with the slight speed bumps I encountered. I felt like a true London-er, navigating my way through the public transportation all by myself, and it made me realize how much I'm truly going to miss this place. I don't want to leave yet! It has just confirmed my hunch that I would love to live here someday on a more permanent basis. Now, I just have to find a PR firm that has an office over here :)

Less than two weeks left in London...let that depressing countdown begin!

Kew Gardens, 2 more shows, and Windsor Castle!

Once I arrived back in London after my weekend trip to Paris, it was go-go-go-go once again! It was our second-last-week of classes, and it seems like everything is coming to a head.

Tuesday was filled with classes, and then Wednesday we made our last trip to the National Theater to see the play "The Habit of Art". It starred two characters that were in Harry Potter, this time it was the man who played Uncle Vernon Dursley, and the woman who played the headmistress of the girls school during the "Goblet of Fire"! I don't know if anyone reading this knows who I'm talking about, but we were all freaking out! And the play was excellent on top of being star struck, so it was a very good night! It was all about the relationship between the poet W.H. Auden and the composer Benjamin Britten, but it was shown through a modern view of a theater company. It's hard to explain, but I was entertained the entire time, and found myself laughing through much of it!

Wednesday morning was spent at Kew Gardens for art class. It is a huge park filled with beautiful trees, flowers, ponds, and greenhouses. We wandered around for almost four hours taking pictures for our next art project, and just enjoying the beautiful day. Here are some pictures:

Thursday was a very busy day of classes, once again, and ended with another show, this time a vocal performance by some students at Wigmore Hall. It was interesting...not really my cup of tea...but interesting nonetheless! It was all about exploring how the human voice works, and so a lot of the performances didn't sound like conventional songs. It was cool to see people my age though, performing their craft and having such impressive voices.

Then this morning/afternoon, Friday, was spent at Windsor Castle! It's a very short train ride to get to Windsor, and then we spent the day wandering in and out of the castle, around the grounds, and in the shops. It was another beautiful day, although a little hot (London has been hit with what seems like a heat wave!), and we just enjoyed looking at all the history in the town and in the castle. Here are some pictures at Windsor:

This weekend will be spent tying up all of my classes loose ends, next week is the last week of meeting for class, and then the week after that I will have to start packing and will be flying home! It makes me sad to think about leaving, but at the same time I'm excited to see everyone at home, and just be back in the USA! There are a lot of random things I miss, and it will be nice to get back to them. Just thinking about not being in this city anymore though, is starting to make me sad! Every time I walk by Big Ben, I think about how many times I may get to see it in person, and the number is quickly diminishing!

Paris Pictures!

Here is a slideshow from my trip to Paris, France!

Did I Love Paris? Oui Oui!

Oh, Paris! What a wonderful city!

The weekend started off with us leaving Friday morning and trekking through London to the Embankment tube station which is about a 45 minute walk...at 5:15 am. It was a little rough, but we made it with 10 minutes to spare! At 6:20 am our tour bus pulled up and we hopped on toward Dover!

When we reached Dover, it was amazing to actually see the White Cliffs in person...you always hear about the "white cliffs of Dover" but actually witnessing it was impressive. The bus drove onto the boat then, and we had an hour and a half ferry ride across the English Channel! Usually I hate boats, but this wasn't such a bad ride. It was short, and it was fun to think we were going to another country!

When we arrived in Calais, France, we still had to drive about 4 hours to Paris, but we finally arrived! We went straight to our hotel that we stayed at the first night, which was exceptionally nice due to a mix-up with the travel company, and then headed out on a bus tour and then river boat cruise of Paris! It was so exciting to finally see the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame up close!

After the cruise on the Seine, we decided to go all the way to the top of the Eiffel Tower! It was so scary, but the view was amazing! Definitely worth it. Then, as we exited the Tower, as soon as we stepped out of the elevator, the tower began to sparkle! Literally! I guess it does that ever hour at night, but the sight was spectacular and seemed like it was Paris welcoming us to the city. Here are some pictures:

Freaking out all the way at the top!

After that, we walked all the way back through Paris to our hotel which took much longer than we had planned. We were all tired and hungry and on the verge of cranky, but our hotel beds were so soft, we woke up the next day ready to go!

Saturday was a very busy day filled with a lot of famous sites in Paris. We started by going to Montmartre where the Sacre Coeur is. There were also a bunch of artists, and I bought a beautiful oil painting by an artist who did it right there the day before! It was an awesome market place. Here is the Sacre Coeur!

From there we made our way down some streets and saw Moulin Rouge! That was also extremely exciting to see:

After the trip to Montmartre, the bus made its way to Notre Dame where we were able to go inside and I was also able to eat an entire baguette for lunch. It was the most delicious bread I have ever had in my life and I'm pretty sure nothing in the US will compare!

From there we went on a half-day tour of the Palace of Versailles. We were able to see where Marie Antoinette lived, and saw the famous Hall of Mirrors. The palace was HUGE and the gardens outside are beautiful. Here are some pictures:

Palace on the outside!

Inside, the Hall of Mirrors.

Posing outside of the Palace Gardens.

That night was free for us to do whatever we wanted, and we decided to head back down to the Eiffel Tower to take pictures during the sunset. We walked back from the Eiffel Tower and ate at a French cafe for dinner which was delicious, and then went and saw the Arc de Triumph lit up at night. It was a fantastic way to end our last night in Paris. Here are some pictures:

Delicious "Croque Monsieur" which is the French version of Ham and Cheese with the cheese melted on the top!

Sunday we went to Louvre Museum where we saw the Mona Lisa and some other famous pieces of art, and then we were on our way back to London!

Overall it was a great weekend! Paris truly did seem like a magical place, and I'm so grateful I was able to spend some time there! It was my last trip out of the UK until I go home, and so it was a little bittersweet...I'm definitely going to come back to Europe as soon as possible in the future!

Theatre and The Eye!

The past two days have, yet again, been completely surreal. I have seen two musicals in two days, and also been 300+ feet in the air right over London.

Tuesday, we went and saw the show "Britain's Got Bhangra" in the outskirts of London, and I left grinning from ear to ear. It was a show about how Bhangra music was brought from India to England in the 1970's, and how it has changed to include hip-hop remixes and R&B infusion. It was a spectacular show and we had really close seats right in the center of the theater. The show was filled with flashing lights and booming music, and Bollywood style dancing in every other scene. The audience loved it, and we all left feeling the need to dance down the streets of London and on the tube on the way home! Unfortunately the show is so brand-new that there is no soundtrack, but as soon as it comes out, we all will be buying it!

Today, I was able to see the sequel to "Phantom of the Opera" called "Love Never Dies" at the Adelphi Theater that is owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber himself! The show itself was spectacular...the music was haunting but different than "Phantom", and the stage effects were intricate and impressive. The actual story was shockingly different than expected, but included most of the same characters as the first show. I can see why some people haven't given it very high ratings, but by not expecting the show to be a duplicate of "Phantom" it was excellent. Here is a picture of me outside of the theater...

After the show we made our way to the London Eye where we took a "flight" at 7:30 pm. Outside of the Eye, we got stopped by a security guard because one of the girls was wearing an old Spice Girls shirt! After a few jokes at her expense, he asked her to sing one of their songs before we could pass. We all broke out in the song "Wannabe" and he put it over his speaker to ALL of the workers at the London Eye! Every person we came across on the way to the Eye from then on asked us to sing, or made a joke. We were famous!

The London Eye itself was spectacular. I was so nervous to go that high, but once I got over the height I was entranced by the views. We could see all of London stretched out around us on all sides. Here are some pictures of the view:

It was another great two days in London...next up...Paris this weekend!

Slideshow #2!

Here is a slideshow of more pictures from my two weekend trips to Stonehenge and Rome, Italy!

The Globe Theater and my Roman Holiday

And so begins one of the longest blog posts in history...

This past week has been so unbelievably busy and hectic, but at the end of it I've realized that not only did I have a fantastic time, but I can also check off two major things off my life's to-do list.

1. Watching a play in the Globe Theater.

2. Going to Rome.

It's hard to believe I fit both of those things in one week, but I started going non-stop on Tuesday and didn't stop to breathe until today! On Tuesday, I was lucky enough to see a "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Globe Theater. While it isn't the EXACT theater that Shakespeare's plays were performed in while he was alive, it is a re-creation and it looks straight out of Shakespearian times! The theater is open on top, which made for a chilly show, and the seats we had were so far on the side that we couldn't see the actors for a lot of the show...BUT just being there was enough for me. And the show itself was actually hilarious! I had never seen it before, but of course I knew it was one of Shakespeare's classics. The actors did a modern version with modern-day costumes and props, but used all of the poetry from the original. It was very impressive, and VERY entertaining.

Here is a picture from inside the Globe...

Then, my maniac week continued with a weekend in Rome, Italy! It was an absolutely amazing experience, and I fell in love with Italy, their culture, and their people! I was traveling with two other girls, one of which who has distant cousins that live in Rome. This ended up being the best part of the trip...we met up with her cousins family and friends and ended up hanging out with real Italians for most of the weekend!

The first day we got there, of course we went and saw the Colosseum and Roman Forum. These are staple Roman things to do, and they were absolutely mind-blowing! It was amazing to stand in the midst of such history. Here is a picture of me in the Colosseum...

Roman Forum ruins!

After that, we ended up meeting up with Jayme's cousin and were able to experience the craziness that driving is in Rome! Her cousin was an excellent driver, but people in Rome don't exactly follow traffic rules. There really isn't such a thing as lanes or speed limits! I can't imagine learning how to drive there. Her cousin's name was Beatrice (pronounced Bay-a-tree-chay) and her friend Lucilla (pronounced Loo-chee-la) and they took us over to Beatrice's dad's house where Jayme was able to connect with her relatives. We also were served REAL Italian food which was to die for. Fettucini, chicken, parmesan bread, and super rich chocolate for dessert. I was in heaven. Beatrice and her family were so welcoming and some of the nicest people I have ever met. After dinner, we went out to a restaurant right next to the Colosseum where we had drinks and just sat and talked. We met Beatrice's boyfriend, Francesco, who was very interested in all things American. We had a blast answering all of his questions!

Having drinks next to the Colosseum!!

Saturday started off with a visit to Vatican City, where we walked through St. Peters, and then walked through the Vatican museums and saw the Sistine Chapel! It was all incredible. We actually saw where Pope John Paul II was laid to rest in the tombs. It was emotional for me, even though I'm not Catholic. Just seeing all the people surrounding the tomb, some on their knees, made me realize how much he meant to some people. The Sistine Chapel was also impressive, although darker and smaller than I imagined. Just thinking of Michael Angelo painting all the ceilings though, made it worth it. After Vatican City, we were picked up by Beatrice and Francesco again, and we went and got real Italian Gelato at a cute place hidden in the more residential area of Rome. Of course, it was delicious. From there, we were taken on a tour of the non-touristy areas and we visited a bridge that overlooked the Tiber where couples will leave locks attached to the bridge and then throw the key in the river! It's a popular spot for the locals, as well as the mountain we drove to next where we could see the entire city from above. It was breathtaking. After that we went to another real Italian restaurant and spent the night laughing and talking with our new friends. It was a surreal experience, and we were so sad to say goodbye to them!

Here are some pictures of Saturday:

Me in front of St. Peters!

View of Rome from the mountain we went to!

Sunday we woke up early to go see Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Both where obviously impressive, but we were a little preoccupied with getting to the airport, due to airspace being closed all morning to the Iceland volcanic ash cloud. Unfortunately, the wind blew it right over Italy Sunday morning, so we were forced to get to the airport super early to keep track of our flight. Luckily, they re-opened airspace at 2 pm, so we were able to make our flight that night.

Trevi Fountain!

It was an amazing weekend in Italy, and we have our new friends to thank. It was great to be able to see the city outside of the touristy sites, and I feel so lucky to have been able to do so.

Next weekend: Paris!

Salisbury, Stonehenge, and Old Sarum!

Today has officially become my new "favorite day" in the UK. Notice, I don't say London. That's because we escaped the city limits by hopping on a National Rail train to the town of Salisbury, about an hour and a half outside of London.

Once we got off of the train, we immediately hopped on a double decker bus that took us to...STONEHENGE.

I've seen pictures of Stonehenge a million times, but I never thought I would actually end up staring at it in person. It was incredible, and although you can't get too near to the rocks, I was thoroughly impressed with the sight. Here are some pictures :

The beautiful Stonehenge!

Posing as always!

While we were waiting for the bus to come back, four of us climbed up on top of a burial mound that is part of the hundreds that are scattered all over the Salisbury area. From the top of the mound, the view was absolutely incredible. I was literally speechless...all I could do was stand and stare off into the rolling green hills. The pictures I took definitely don't do it justice, but here are a few:

View from around the mound...

Me conquering the mound...

View from the top.

From there, the bus took us to Old Sarum, which are ruins of an old castle on an enormous mound. It took us about an hour to walk up it, and along the way we could see the entire town of Salisbury and the beautiful surroundings as we wound our way up the mound. It was breathtaking. Here are some shots from Old Sarum:

Some outlines of the castle ruins.

View from our walk around the mound.

Loving life with Salisbury in the background.

After that, we took the bus back into town and spent a little time exploring the adorable Salisbury. We went into the cathedral, which was insanely gorgeous, shopped at the little boutiques, and wandered around the parks and winding streets for a couple of hours before catching the train back to London. Here are some pictures of the fantastic Salisbury:

A shot of the outside of the Cathedral...I'll post more of the inside in a slideshow.

Beautiful park we passed.

My future home.

I've decided that if I ever move to England, I would love to live in a town like Salisbury, preferably closer to the city. I would love to have the country and city life at my finger tips, and I realized I find the English countryside completely enchanting. It was a magical day, and I couldn't stop smiling. It was a much-needed break from the city, and I'm so glad I could experience it.

Next weekend: Rome!