Note: I'm sorry it's taken me so long to finish this! Between the chaos of the last day, packing, and coming home, it's taken me a while to sit down and do this!
It was our last "real" day in London on Wednesday, so to begin the day we took a riverboat cruise to Greenwich where we saw the National Maritime Museum, the Queen's personal residence, and the Prime Meridian! Being the space cadet I am, I didn't bring my camera along this day so I'm miffed I don't have any pictures to show of when I was in BOTH hemispheres of the globe simultaneously. That was surreal. It was on my bucket list to be in two places at once (a la 'A Walk To Remember') so I was able to cross that one off my list! It was pretty cool. You had to treck up this insanely huge hill to get there, and we were all dying at the end of it, but the views were totally worth it. Too bad I can't show you because I forgot my camera... arghi;dfjlsa.
After this Greg gave us our 'allowance' as we dubbed it so we could top off our Oyster cards to get us to Heathrow the next day. Amanda, Megan, and I were able to pocket that though because we opted to take a taxi instead! That got us lunch rather than a ride on the Underground, so we were quite pleased. The rest of the day we were chaotically throwing everything into our suitcases and checking, double checking, and triple checking all of our drawers to make sure we didn't forget to pack anything. We somehow managed to get everything packed away and then we had to go for our farewell dinner...
As cheesy as it sounds, our group was phenomenal for this trip. We had a great mix of all kinds of people, and what's better yet is that we all got along. We had fun the whole time and we didn't get annoyed with each other. It was sad at dinner because it was the last time we were all together as a huge group with Greg and Jeanine, but fun all the same because we just sat and talked for about 5 hours. There was SO much food I can't even tell you. Greg was right in saying that he uses EVERY dollar that we put into the trip because all the excess went to this dinner and food just kept coming... I think we all gained 5 pounds that night off of everything we ate. It was so good though... mmm fish and chips. Lots of pictures were taken, inside jokes explained, and the boys put back more pints in front of a teacher than I've ever seen. It was a great time all around :]
We all took a bus back to the flat and then did more packing. It was odd seeing the flat so clean and empty when we had all had our junk piled in there for a few weeks. We all hung out in the kitchen afterwards and contemplated pulling an all nighter, but decided against it.
All in all, this was the best way to start off summer. I can't think of a better trip to have taken, or better people to have shared it with. I have so many good stories and pictures, and I'm so blessed to have been able to have done this. There'll be one more "summation" post after this, but for now... Cheers!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
The Fourteenth Day: The Queen, The Royal Court of Justice, and Wicked
I could babble with some introduction, but let's cut to the chase.
I SAW THE QUEEN. ALKJSDFLJK'LJ. So ridiculously cool, you DON'T even know. She officially opened Parliament today and as such, there was a big ceremony as she paraded down the mall. Her crown and septor had their own separate carriages if that gives you any idea of the extravagance of the morning. We arrived at 9:30 and watched it all unfold until 11 when the Queen processed by. I'll let the pictures do the talking from here on out.
It was so cool. She had her standard flying over Buckingham Palace to denote she was there, and the moment she stepped out and got into her carriage they lowered it to show she was no longer there. It was amazing seeing all the ranks go before her: the police, members of the Royal Airforce, the British Marines, the Queens Guard, and the Mounted Guard. Their synchronization was impeccable and spot on. The whole thing from set up to when they allowed people to re-enter the street took about an hour and forty-five minutes, but it was so cool to see the whole thing. We were very, very lucky that we were here when we were so we could see this.
After this exciting bit of the day, normally things would go downhill, but they didn't. After the big to-do, we headed to the Royal Court of Justice where we were given a tour of the ins and outs of law in the United Kingdom. This was super interesting: being a lawyer over here (or a barrister to be more specific) is a very, VERY big deal. They wear black silk robes in court and powdered wigs, just like you think they would have a long time ago. We were able to sit in on a court case and listen for a while, and it was very theatrical. Supposedly, visiting the courts in London is quote "the best free theatre in the city". Our case wasn't too particularly interesting, but it was neat to see.
Once our tour finished up, we raced back to the flats to get ready for dinner. We had a fancy dinner with Greg and Jeanine before seeing Wicked and that was delicious. We were able to talk and just sit for about two hours and then we headed to the theater! Wicked, as expected, was amazing. The cast was great, the music was awesome, and the costumes were something else. Everyone was in awe afterwards, and is definitely something I recommend seeing, should you have the option to see it. After this, we went to a club, which was interesting. European men don't understand boundaries, I don't think. I gave a nasty glare to one that suggested I stop trying to keep my skirt down in the wind. Douche. After all of this, we finally made it back, and that's where I am now! I'm starting to pack up all my stuff, and all I can say is that it's going to be a huge struggle to get everything back. Oy.
I SAW THE QUEEN. ALKJSDFLJK'LJ. So ridiculously cool, you DON'T even know. She officially opened Parliament today and as such, there was a big ceremony as she paraded down the mall. Her crown and septor had their own separate carriages if that gives you any idea of the extravagance of the morning. We arrived at 9:30 and watched it all unfold until 11 when the Queen processed by. I'll let the pictures do the talking from here on out.
It was so cool. She had her standard flying over Buckingham Palace to denote she was there, and the moment she stepped out and got into her carriage they lowered it to show she was no longer there. It was amazing seeing all the ranks go before her: the police, members of the Royal Airforce, the British Marines, the Queens Guard, and the Mounted Guard. Their synchronization was impeccable and spot on. The whole thing from set up to when they allowed people to re-enter the street took about an hour and forty-five minutes, but it was so cool to see the whole thing. We were very, very lucky that we were here when we were so we could see this.
After this exciting bit of the day, normally things would go downhill, but they didn't. After the big to-do, we headed to the Royal Court of Justice where we were given a tour of the ins and outs of law in the United Kingdom. This was super interesting: being a lawyer over here (or a barrister to be more specific) is a very, VERY big deal. They wear black silk robes in court and powdered wigs, just like you think they would have a long time ago. We were able to sit in on a court case and listen for a while, and it was very theatrical. Supposedly, visiting the courts in London is quote "the best free theatre in the city". Our case wasn't too particularly interesting, but it was neat to see.
Once our tour finished up, we raced back to the flats to get ready for dinner. We had a fancy dinner with Greg and Jeanine before seeing Wicked and that was delicious. We were able to talk and just sit for about two hours and then we headed to the theater! Wicked, as expected, was amazing. The cast was great, the music was awesome, and the costumes were something else. Everyone was in awe afterwards, and is definitely something I recommend seeing, should you have the option to see it. After this, we went to a club, which was interesting. European men don't understand boundaries, I don't think. I gave a nasty glare to one that suggested I stop trying to keep my skirt down in the wind. Douche. After all of this, we finally made it back, and that's where I am now! I'm starting to pack up all my stuff, and all I can say is that it's going to be a huge struggle to get everything back. Oy.
The Thirteenth Day: Free Day!
Today was our last free day and it was spent doing pretty much nothing :]
Amanda, Megan and I all let ourselves wake up on our own time, which was much needed and definitely appreciated. Megan hadn't been to Harrods yet, so once we were all set we went there and went on a hunt to find her a pair of purple sandals. Purple is her favorite color, so that explains that. After several snooty shoe sales ladies we decided to take our money elsewhere (ahem) and went looking on the streets surrounding Harrods. Several times she found ones she liked, but they didn't have her size. Close, but no dice.
We gave up after about an hour and a half and made our way through Green Park. It was absolutely sweltering yesterday so we didn't spend much time there, and decided to grab lunch at the original Hard Rock Cafe. The wait wasn't bad at all, which was surprising, and the food was good. Everyone stocked up on souvenirs for home and then we made our way back to the flats. Lots of people went out to see shows (Blood Brothers, Dirty Dancing, and Phantom of the Opera) and those of us who didn't have enough money to spend stayed back and just talked. I finally had enough time to really sort through my pictures and start an album for my friends to see, so that was good. Now it won't take 5 hours when I get back home.
After everyone got back, the people from the flat across the hall came over and talked for a while. They're a group from Utah and seemed nice, although I didn't walk into the kitchen for long because I'd just gotten out of the shower and hadn't realized they were all over... oops.
Tomorrow promises to bring LOTS more pictures as we get to see the Queen! She officially opens Parliament, and Greg has promised that it's quite the spectacle to behold.
Amanda, Megan and I all let ourselves wake up on our own time, which was much needed and definitely appreciated. Megan hadn't been to Harrods yet, so once we were all set we went there and went on a hunt to find her a pair of purple sandals. Purple is her favorite color, so that explains that. After several snooty shoe sales ladies we decided to take our money elsewhere (ahem) and went looking on the streets surrounding Harrods. Several times she found ones she liked, but they didn't have her size. Close, but no dice.
We gave up after about an hour and a half and made our way through Green Park. It was absolutely sweltering yesterday so we didn't spend much time there, and decided to grab lunch at the original Hard Rock Cafe. The wait wasn't bad at all, which was surprising, and the food was good. Everyone stocked up on souvenirs for home and then we made our way back to the flats. Lots of people went out to see shows (Blood Brothers, Dirty Dancing, and Phantom of the Opera) and those of us who didn't have enough money to spend stayed back and just talked. I finally had enough time to really sort through my pictures and start an album for my friends to see, so that was good. Now it won't take 5 hours when I get back home.
After everyone got back, the people from the flat across the hall came over and talked for a while. They're a group from Utah and seemed nice, although I didn't walk into the kitchen for long because I'd just gotten out of the shower and hadn't realized they were all over... oops.
Tomorrow promises to bring LOTS more pictures as we get to see the Queen! She officially opens Parliament, and Greg has promised that it's quite the spectacle to behold.
Monday, May 24, 2010
The Twelfth Day: Little Venice and Kensington Gardens (again)
So today was supposed to be a low key day: meet in the morning for a river boat cruise to Camden Market and then we were on our own until the evening. We were told to be at Little Venice at 10:45 to get on our group's boat, so being the prepared people we are, the half of the group Amanda, Megan, and I were in left at 10. Plenty of time, right?
No. The line we take for the Underground was down, we were delayed about 10 minutes at a stop, and had to go all over London to get a round-about way to end up at Little Venice. Did it end when we got off the Underground? No. We got turned around walking to the dock and had to sprint to make the boat on time. WE were lucky though. The other half of our group got off a stop too soon and ran even further than we did to literally jump down the steps and then leap onto the boat. Greg was laughing at us and everyone else was miffed because we caused a minor hold up. Whatever; I feel like a lot of people have their underpants in a twist here, so it did them some good to learn a bit of patience.
The cruise once we got going was very very pretty. The boat was almost level with the water so it was cool to see things from a different perspective. Some of the largest and wealthiest private homes are along the river, too, so we were able to see those and pick out which one we would have if wishes were dishes. The picture below is the one I liked the best.
After we made it to Camden, a bunch of girls and I got lunch at one of the many stands and then decided to make use of the phenomenal weather and head over to Kensington Gardens. It was about 80 today, so we all put on our lightest cloths, grabbed our books, and headed to the park. It was packed! Everyone was out with the same idea in mind that we had. We sat next to these two little boys and their terrier puppy, and they were adorable to watch. That poor dog; he kept getting the ball and you could tell he was exhausted but the kids were not giving him a break. Too cute.
We spent about 2 hours in the park and then headed back to the flat to get cleaned up for the London Symphony Orchestra! Everyone looked good and we had a lot of fun taking pictures before hand... Pictures I didn't get because I was lazy and didn't want to carry my camera with me. Fret not, however, because I plan on stealing some from people who DID get them, and I'll post those later. The Symphony was good; they're obviously extremely talented, but it was about a 2 1/2 hour concert, so it got a bit long at times. Greg, though, got us through the second half by getting us excited because he had some news for us...
We get to see the Queen on Tuesday!!! She officially opens Parliament that day, and we're scheduled to have an "In's and Out's of Parliament" tour that day, so we're going to go to the parade where she walks down the boulevard and then again when she goes into the House of Commons. Everyone is super excited for this, but the girls especially. We're all crossing our fingers (and toes) that the Princes accompany the Queen on this particular exhibition, and that we might be able to see them. Ha! That'd be a treat.
No. The line we take for the Underground was down, we were delayed about 10 minutes at a stop, and had to go all over London to get a round-about way to end up at Little Venice. Did it end when we got off the Underground? No. We got turned around walking to the dock and had to sprint to make the boat on time. WE were lucky though. The other half of our group got off a stop too soon and ran even further than we did to literally jump down the steps and then leap onto the boat. Greg was laughing at us and everyone else was miffed because we caused a minor hold up. Whatever; I feel like a lot of people have their underpants in a twist here, so it did them some good to learn a bit of patience.
The cruise once we got going was very very pretty. The boat was almost level with the water so it was cool to see things from a different perspective. Some of the largest and wealthiest private homes are along the river, too, so we were able to see those and pick out which one we would have if wishes were dishes. The picture below is the one I liked the best.
After we made it to Camden, a bunch of girls and I got lunch at one of the many stands and then decided to make use of the phenomenal weather and head over to Kensington Gardens. It was about 80 today, so we all put on our lightest cloths, grabbed our books, and headed to the park. It was packed! Everyone was out with the same idea in mind that we had. We sat next to these two little boys and their terrier puppy, and they were adorable to watch. That poor dog; he kept getting the ball and you could tell he was exhausted but the kids were not giving him a break. Too cute.
We spent about 2 hours in the park and then headed back to the flat to get cleaned up for the London Symphony Orchestra! Everyone looked good and we had a lot of fun taking pictures before hand... Pictures I didn't get because I was lazy and didn't want to carry my camera with me. Fret not, however, because I plan on stealing some from people who DID get them, and I'll post those later. The Symphony was good; they're obviously extremely talented, but it was about a 2 1/2 hour concert, so it got a bit long at times. Greg, though, got us through the second half by getting us excited because he had some news for us...
We get to see the Queen on Tuesday!!! She officially opens Parliament that day, and we're scheduled to have an "In's and Out's of Parliament" tour that day, so we're going to go to the parade where she walks down the boulevard and then again when she goes into the House of Commons. Everyone is super excited for this, but the girls especially. We're all crossing our fingers (and toes) that the Princes accompany the Queen on this particular exhibition, and that we might be able to see them. Ha! That'd be a treat.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
The Eleventh Day: Dover and Canterbury
Today we were finally able to get out of the city of London and see some of the infamous English countryside! We took a coach tour to Dover where we saw the White Cliffs of Dover and Dover Castle. The castle was built originally in 1220 in the County Kent but became famous when it was strategically used during WWII. There's a complex system of underground tunnels that span three levels and over 6 miles and were used during both World Wars to house troops and acted as a command center for Britain because of its strategic location along the coast.
From the castle there are a plethora of gorgeous views of the entirety of Dover. It overlooks the English Channel and is the nearest point to France in Britain, separated only by 17 miles of ocean. On a clear day you can see the French coastline. You can also see the town of Dover, and the White Cliffs, which are named so because they're composed of white chalk.
They also had an admiral post there where we were able to take some group shots. The first is all the seniors on the trip and the second are the juniors (rising, mind you).
I enjoyed the views from Dover and seeing the English Channel, but for whatever reason I disliked the castle and the tunnels we toured. There was a level designed in case of a nuclear attack and although we weren't allowed to go in those tunnels, you could kind of see down some of the passageways and that just weirded me out. Ever since I read 'On The Beach' for my 9th grade I.S. report, I've had an irrational fear of all things nuclear war related, so this tour didn't float my boat per-say.
However, we did take a detour to the beach on our way out of Dover and we were able to put our feet in the Channel. It was FREEZING. And what's worse is that there were these crazy super-athletes who were just diving in all over the place apparently training for this that and the other thing and they were just cruising along in the water, swimming back and forth across the two walls that enclosed the port like it was no ones business. We all just dabbed our feet in and that was all we could handle. It was beautiful though, and I'm a huge fan of the ocean/anything sea related, so I had a ball.
That last picture is definitely my favorite of Amanda, Megan, and I from the day. You can be sure that will be framed when I get home :]
After Dover we drove north for about 1/2 an hour until we reached Canterbury. Canterbury is a famous site for religious pilgrimages and is also where Chaucer set his infamous 'Canterbury Tales'. We were given a while to mill around and see the town and find something to eat, then we went to the cathedral. The inside is in the old gothic style and has some great stained glass work. We were there just as they were finishing evening prayer, so we caught the last of the choir singing. After about 45 minutes of that, we loaded back onto the bus and came back to Kensington.
Everyone on our trip is slowly but surely getting sick: our immune systems are shot after a lot of walking, not enough water to make up for the aforementioned walking, and poor air conditions. We went to the grocery store when we got back and between our group of 23, I think we bought out half the pharmacy. I'm calling it a night with Megan in our room with a glass of orange juice, some cough drops, and quite possibly several episodes of Glee. An eventful night on the town? No, but necessary if half of us don't want to collapse during our last few days here. Say a prayer this all goes away quick, please!
From the castle there are a plethora of gorgeous views of the entirety of Dover. It overlooks the English Channel and is the nearest point to France in Britain, separated only by 17 miles of ocean. On a clear day you can see the French coastline. You can also see the town of Dover, and the White Cliffs, which are named so because they're composed of white chalk.
They also had an admiral post there where we were able to take some group shots. The first is all the seniors on the trip and the second are the juniors (rising, mind you).
I enjoyed the views from Dover and seeing the English Channel, but for whatever reason I disliked the castle and the tunnels we toured. There was a level designed in case of a nuclear attack and although we weren't allowed to go in those tunnels, you could kind of see down some of the passageways and that just weirded me out. Ever since I read 'On The Beach' for my 9th grade I.S. report, I've had an irrational fear of all things nuclear war related, so this tour didn't float my boat per-say.
However, we did take a detour to the beach on our way out of Dover and we were able to put our feet in the Channel. It was FREEZING. And what's worse is that there were these crazy super-athletes who were just diving in all over the place apparently training for this that and the other thing and they were just cruising along in the water, swimming back and forth across the two walls that enclosed the port like it was no ones business. We all just dabbed our feet in and that was all we could handle. It was beautiful though, and I'm a huge fan of the ocean/anything sea related, so I had a ball.
That last picture is definitely my favorite of Amanda, Megan, and I from the day. You can be sure that will be framed when I get home :]
After Dover we drove north for about 1/2 an hour until we reached Canterbury. Canterbury is a famous site for religious pilgrimages and is also where Chaucer set his infamous 'Canterbury Tales'. We were given a while to mill around and see the town and find something to eat, then we went to the cathedral. The inside is in the old gothic style and has some great stained glass work. We were there just as they were finishing evening prayer, so we caught the last of the choir singing. After about 45 minutes of that, we loaded back onto the bus and came back to Kensington.
Everyone on our trip is slowly but surely getting sick: our immune systems are shot after a lot of walking, not enough water to make up for the aforementioned walking, and poor air conditions. We went to the grocery store when we got back and between our group of 23, I think we bought out half the pharmacy. I'm calling it a night with Megan in our room with a glass of orange juice, some cough drops, and quite possibly several episodes of Glee. An eventful night on the town? No, but necessary if half of us don't want to collapse during our last few days here. Say a prayer this all goes away quick, please!
The Tenth Day: A day to myself :]
This will be short and sweet :]
Today was our second free day and 90% of the group went to Dublin and/or on day trips to the countryside. I being the cheap date I am decided I didn't want to shell out the money for either of these things and took today to just be.
I woke up on my own time, which felt so good I can't even tell you, and then headed to the National Gallery to bum around and look at more Monet's. After about an hour or so there, I took the Underground over to Knightsbridge and did some shopping for my family members, all of whom are going to love what I got them :]
After this I got lunch at a cafe by myself, talked to the Italian couple sitting next to me, and headed back towards home! Today was gorgeous weather wise so I walked down to Kensington Gardens and enjoyed the sunshine for a bit before coming back and meeting up with everyone who was returning from their own activities. It sounds like the Stonehenge people had an alright time, the Dublin people had a great time, and Amanda is just pumped she got to see where scenes in the Great Hall from Harry Potter were filmed.
Sorry for the lack of pictures today; I wanted to lighten up my purse about 20 pounds because it's been killing my shoulder, so I took my camera and lens out. More tomorrow though for certain! We're going to Dover and Canterbury, so that's going to be a ball.
Today was our second free day and 90% of the group went to Dublin and/or on day trips to the countryside. I being the cheap date I am decided I didn't want to shell out the money for either of these things and took today to just be.
I woke up on my own time, which felt so good I can't even tell you, and then headed to the National Gallery to bum around and look at more Monet's. After about an hour or so there, I took the Underground over to Knightsbridge and did some shopping for my family members, all of whom are going to love what I got them :]
After this I got lunch at a cafe by myself, talked to the Italian couple sitting next to me, and headed back towards home! Today was gorgeous weather wise so I walked down to Kensington Gardens and enjoyed the sunshine for a bit before coming back and meeting up with everyone who was returning from their own activities. It sounds like the Stonehenge people had an alright time, the Dublin people had a great time, and Amanda is just pumped she got to see where scenes in the Great Hall from Harry Potter were filmed.
Sorry for the lack of pictures today; I wanted to lighten up my purse about 20 pounds because it's been killing my shoulder, so I took my camera and lens out. More tomorrow though for certain! We're going to Dover and Canterbury, so that's going to be a ball.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The Ninth Day: The London Library, British Museum, Oxford Circus, and The Lion King (!)
SUCH a good day today! I'm going to breeze through the educational stuff and talk about the real highlight of the day: seeing The Lion King!
This morning Amanda and I woke up early to head to Kings Cross Station to get some pictures at none other than Platform 9 3/4. We took some pictures, had a little spaz session, and were on our way. Or we thought we were. We were able to find a fictional platform, but not the real Eurostar one where we were supposed to be: typical us. After asking several people for help (all of whom asked us if we were looking for Platform 9 3/4, I might add) we finally found our group.
We then went to the London Library which was extremely cool. You have to apply for a pass to check books out there, and in addition to 5 floors of awesome, it also houses the Kings Library, and an extensive rare books collection. I saw a few pages in Shakespeare's own handwriting, and other original prints from Thomas Moore, the Beatles, Virginia Wolfe, and Sylvia Plath. It also is home to the Magna Carta and the Gutenberg Bible. Having taken Linguistics my fall semester this year, I was really excited about all of this. It's things you read about and then finally get to see and you have to take a step back to realize just how important the text in front of you is. I couldn't really grasp how much history and how many important documents they had in this one room. You see pictures of these things, like the Magna Carta and the Gutenberg Bible in text books all the time, but seeing them in person is something else. It makes me wonder what would ever happen if something happened to this one building. Look at how much would be lost... Yikes.
After this we went to the British Museum which was cool, although all the museums are starting to run together for me. This one did have mummies though... I was not so much a fan. The British Museum houses marble pieces form the Parthenon in Greece, and is actually in a dispute with Greece right now over the ownership of the aforementioned pieces. Britain saved these pieces when the Parthenon was starting to dramatically deteriorate, and essentially saved them from being lost to history. Greece, however, is building a museum to house these pieces, but Britain isn't too keen to give them back. Greece argues that it's their history and thus should be housed in the same country, but Britain is holding onto them tight because without them, they wouldn't be here today. A settlement isn't even close to being formulated, so I'll let them argue and enjoy my good fortune at being able to see them here... It also had the Rosetta Stone, which I preferred over the aforementioned mummies and Parthenon pieces. . The Rosetta Stone is famous because it allowed Egyptian hieroglyphics to be deciphered and translated, and has survived centuries in ridiculously good condition. I know several professors back at school who would be salivating to see this in person, so it was extremely cool to see for ourselves. This, however, was the last of our educational pieces for the day. Amanda and I promptly left to go to Oxford Circus to look around the shops and we found a store called Topshop. That store is dangerous. We both agreed we could easily drop all our money there if we weren't careful. Luckily, we stopped ourselves before we did too much damage and headed back to the flat to get ready for the evening.
As it turns out, I have a knack for finding Holy Family people while in European countries. I met up with Jon Maser and his friend Ryan tonight and that was a ball. We went to a pub and caught up for a while before detailing that we were going to see The Lion King. Apparently Jon liked that idea, so he and Ryan called and got tickets for the show, too, and we were all able to hang out a bit more and then go to the show together.
The Lion King was PHENOMENAL. I've seen it in Minneapolis before, but it's just so good. The costumes and music are amazing, and the details in the staging are great. Amanda's favorite Disney movie is The Lion King, so she was peeing her pants excited before the show: it didn't disappoint. I looked over in the middle of the show and she was just sitting there grinning. I loved it. Afterwards we all got something to eat in Covent Garden and then had to part ways. The boys are flying to Amsterdam in the morning and have to be up in 5 hours to catch a train to the airport. It made me smile knowing I can sleep in tomorrow, finally!
All in all, tonight was great. It was nice to hang out with people not from CSB-SJU and I totally enjoyed catching up with Jon and meeting Ryan. The play was superb, the night was fun. Ahh! I'm so, so lucky.
This morning Amanda and I woke up early to head to Kings Cross Station to get some pictures at none other than Platform 9 3/4. We took some pictures, had a little spaz session, and were on our way. Or we thought we were. We were able to find a fictional platform, but not the real Eurostar one where we were supposed to be: typical us. After asking several people for help (all of whom asked us if we were looking for Platform 9 3/4, I might add) we finally found our group.
We then went to the London Library which was extremely cool. You have to apply for a pass to check books out there, and in addition to 5 floors of awesome, it also houses the Kings Library, and an extensive rare books collection. I saw a few pages in Shakespeare's own handwriting, and other original prints from Thomas Moore, the Beatles, Virginia Wolfe, and Sylvia Plath. It also is home to the Magna Carta and the Gutenberg Bible. Having taken Linguistics my fall semester this year, I was really excited about all of this. It's things you read about and then finally get to see and you have to take a step back to realize just how important the text in front of you is. I couldn't really grasp how much history and how many important documents they had in this one room. You see pictures of these things, like the Magna Carta and the Gutenberg Bible in text books all the time, but seeing them in person is something else. It makes me wonder what would ever happen if something happened to this one building. Look at how much would be lost... Yikes.
After this we went to the British Museum which was cool, although all the museums are starting to run together for me. This one did have mummies though... I was not so much a fan. The British Museum houses marble pieces form the Parthenon in Greece, and is actually in a dispute with Greece right now over the ownership of the aforementioned pieces. Britain saved these pieces when the Parthenon was starting to dramatically deteriorate, and essentially saved them from being lost to history. Greece, however, is building a museum to house these pieces, but Britain isn't too keen to give them back. Greece argues that it's their history and thus should be housed in the same country, but Britain is holding onto them tight because without them, they wouldn't be here today. A settlement isn't even close to being formulated, so I'll let them argue and enjoy my good fortune at being able to see them here... It also had the Rosetta Stone, which I preferred over the aforementioned mummies and Parthenon pieces. . The Rosetta Stone is famous because it allowed Egyptian hieroglyphics to be deciphered and translated, and has survived centuries in ridiculously good condition. I know several professors back at school who would be salivating to see this in person, so it was extremely cool to see for ourselves. This, however, was the last of our educational pieces for the day. Amanda and I promptly left to go to Oxford Circus to look around the shops and we found a store called Topshop. That store is dangerous. We both agreed we could easily drop all our money there if we weren't careful. Luckily, we stopped ourselves before we did too much damage and headed back to the flat to get ready for the evening.
As it turns out, I have a knack for finding Holy Family people while in European countries. I met up with Jon Maser and his friend Ryan tonight and that was a ball. We went to a pub and caught up for a while before detailing that we were going to see The Lion King. Apparently Jon liked that idea, so he and Ryan called and got tickets for the show, too, and we were all able to hang out a bit more and then go to the show together.
The Lion King was PHENOMENAL. I've seen it in Minneapolis before, but it's just so good. The costumes and music are amazing, and the details in the staging are great. Amanda's favorite Disney movie is The Lion King, so she was peeing her pants excited before the show: it didn't disappoint. I looked over in the middle of the show and she was just sitting there grinning. I loved it. Afterwards we all got something to eat in Covent Garden and then had to part ways. The boys are flying to Amsterdam in the morning and have to be up in 5 hours to catch a train to the airport. It made me smile knowing I can sleep in tomorrow, finally!
All in all, tonight was great. It was nice to hang out with people not from CSB-SJU and I totally enjoyed catching up with Jon and meeting Ryan. The play was superb, the night was fun. Ahh! I'm so, so lucky.
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