The last Gelato

Since the 18th it was a hectic last week in Italia. Most of it was sadly spent in front of my laptop writing papers or studying for my final exam. BUT don't thing for a second that I didn't squeeze in some fun time, because I was in Italy for cripes sake! Last Tuesday was our last class and we went to the New Sacristy at San Lorenzo, built by Michelangelo, or I should say designed and partially built, because Michelangelo never completed anything. Part of his genius, I suppose, and partly because he was the artist of the age and at the Pope's beck and call. There were down sides to being a Renaissance Man . . . Any ways ... the Sacristy "New" in the 14th or 15th century was built for the Medici, who had a pope and some cardinals in office at that point, for the duke and and his brother. And the tombs are famous for Michelangelo's sculptures of Dawn and Dusk, and Night and Day that recline on the sarcophagi. These statues are, of course, mostly unfinished...

But even Michelangelo's unfinished work is enthralling, perhaps that's why he got way with leaving so many projects unfinished. An unfinished Michelangelo was better than a finished .... anybody else...

Tuesday night our professor, Janet, had everyone over to her house for dinner. And her husband Giovanni cooked for us. Oh did he cook for us. There was so much food, and wine and Tarimisu (that was quite possibly worth dieing for, it was so good). Before dinner Janet presented the three of us who were graduating (me, Heather, and Brian) with laurel wreaths and little diplomas. The tradition being in Italy, Rome specifically, that when a person gets their degree they are give a laurel wreath to wear on their head-therefore becoming a Laureate! It was really a nice gesture, Janet made the wreaths herself!

After dinner George, Sarah, Emily, Michelle and I went to a laser show which was really loud but really interesting. It was "of the future" motif and had green and spectrum lasers going with smoke and fog machines. It was a good night!

Thursday afternoon a bunch of us went to piazza Michelangelo to hear the monks chant. It was a hellish bus ride, and my last in Italy (thank the Lord), but at least we all got seats. Propelling ourselves from the bus we climbed the three flights of stairs to the church and crept into the keep to listen. We stayed for about 20 minutes, it was pretty calming to sit surrounded by the cool stone walls and let the monks singing roll over us. We sneaked out as mass started, because mass in Italian seems twice as long as regular mass... just saying.





We sat out on the stone wall and looked out over the city. It was probably one of favorite places. The city looked so beautiful from up there, I could really appreciate it and not be distracted by the uneven pavement, the uncomfortable proximity of buses to the sidewalk or Italian cat calls. Everything looks a little better from a distance.

Friday was my last in Italy, in Europe, abroad! I had done most of my packing the night before, and had to discard half my wardrobe and all textbooks (thank goodness, though there were a few I would have liked to keep-ah well) in order to fit all my souvenirs. Lugging all that to school for Janet to take to charity left me with knot in my shoulder that I'm still untying - thank goodness for Yoga.

After I finished my papers, we all went to get Gelato for the last time. It was bitter sweet, what I am talking about, it was Gelato - it was just sweet! I got 2 (two) cones so that I could get all my favorite flavors which were in tutti (total) Chocolate (regular and fondenti or dark), coffee, pistachio, cheesecake, and caramel. Good stuff. There's nothing quite like Gelato, it's not ice cream it's on a whole different plane really.

Rachel and I had our last dinner with our host mom, Anna, we had fish (to Rachel's chagrin-because she hates fish). And in Italy the fish served looks very much like it had just recently been swimming in the ocean or a river. Luckily the heads were chopped off and sometimes the tails too. But the scaly skin (with fins) was up to us to peel off and take the spine out. And keep an eye out for bones. It wasn't just dinner it was an adventure!

Anna called a cab for me take in Saturday morning to the train station-because I refused to drag my bags a mile and a half. Plus it only took like 7 minutes in a cab versus 45 minutes on foot. It was sad to leave Anna, she was so good to us. I'll miss my Italian Mama! She made a mean cup of coffee and had the widest smile on that side of the world.

That was my last week in Italia, I will post a separate entry about my day of travel home, because it deserves it's own page. No major mishaps, mind you, I made it home in one piece. But it was an adventure, none the less.

Ciao for now!

Aubrey

Sunny Days...

I mentioned earlier that it has gotten really hot...I wasn't kidding. And for a bunch of students who didn't bring many, if any shorts....it's awfully sweaty. Thankfully I have one skirt, which I wore today. But I'm developing quite a farmer's tan. Looks like I'm leaving just before the full wave of summer hits Italy, and that's fine with me. I'm not prepared!

Well, tonight for dinner we had pasta, rabbit and peperochoni (vegetables cooked with peppers). I really like rabbit. It's so good on hot days like today. What's funny about Italian dinner here and what is considered "Italian" in the States is the pasta. Here pasta isn't really fussed over, it's considered the first course, or appetizer. When at home we would consider it the whole meal! We had Kiwis for dessert. I actually learned the proper way to eat a Kiwi here. You cut it in half and scoop out the insides, like a soft boiled egg. I don't know why it never occurred to me before...

Today I did my laundry (last load in Italy, hurray) and went to school and ate lunch. Then a bunch of us went to the market and got some presents for our friends and family back home. I had to go and look at some palaces for homework and then we all got gelato across the river. Cause Rachel and I have decided that we must eat gelato every day this week, because it's our last week in Italy!

Well, I gotta get some sleep!

Ciao!

Last Days in the Golden Light

I can't believe I haven't updated you all for such a looooong time! My regrets! Time gets away from me easily these days! Today we went to the Boboli Gardens behind the Pitti Palace owned (as everything was at one time or other by the Medici family, mob bosses of 14th century). It has gotten mind numbingly hot out the past couple days. I think it reached into the upper 80s today, and the Gardens didn't have as much shade as one would hope. But the rose gardens were wonderful and the view of the city quite rewarding, despite the retina scorching sun. Thank goodness there was some ancient, yet properly maintained water fountains around or I would have been completely dehydrated into a human husk....


Above: Me in the Rose gardens at Boboli.

At the end of the Boboli Gardens there is a Grotto (a cavern like spaced, usually with water and statues where a person could sit and cool off) that once held some of the unfinished statues of Michaelangelo's slaves. There are just reproductions there now, since the real ones are in the Accademia Museum. It was really neat place but it was gated off so we couldn't actually go in and cool off, as one is want to do after wandering around the gardens for three hours.... But we had a good time anyways.. Above: The Grotto at the Boboli Gardens.

Last weekend was our trip to Venice. Venice seduced me completely. Before Venice, my relationship with Italy was merely a flirtation, now it's a full fledged romance. Venice has a completely mythological quality to it that just bespells you. Once we got to the train station from Florence we took a water bus or l'acquabus instead of l'autobus, to our hotel. I felt completely transplanted. Walking the streets of Venice I would think to myself, "where I am" and the answer would be... geographically speaking, no where. I stood on stone streets that floated on a man made island in the middle of a lagoon. It was a delicious feeling.

I suspected that the canals would be the same sickly green color that taints the River Arno (the winds lazily around Florence) but I was wonderfully mistaken. Besides the slippery algae that clung to the stone sides, the water was a wonder mixture of aquamarines, emeralds and topaz.

Did I ride in a gondola? I know you want to ask. Of course I rode in a gondola! It's Venice, it's a requirement. But I only ferried across the Grand Canal for 50 cents, because a 30 minute ride in a Gondola cost 80 EURO! Ahh, no thank you. But it was still mesmerizing to look out across the canal from the boat and watch the water lap up against the houses' front doorsteps.


I'm coming home in a week! It's a little surreal that my semester abroad is almost at an end, but at the same time I'm glad to be headed home. But before then I have so much to do! Gelato to eat, the sun to sit in, wine to drink.... busy, busy, busy...

A Rainy Day

Ciao miei amichi! This past week I have been busy going to school, and because things are bit more...boring as far as my day to day happenings (get up go to school, go home, eat dinner, sleep, repeat) I'm going to back track and recount some of my travels that I've had to glaze over due to time or internet constraints. I believe I'll start with Ireland because I was thinking about it today...

Ireland -

I was thinking about Ireland today because it's been raining on and off all day and everything has turned a vivid green, all the piazzas seeming to shimmer. Everything is absolutely green in Ireland. It is one place where the grass is actually greener. Which is why people associate green with the Irish, it's not actually their national color (which is blue). Everything is green because they get more rain than England. One of my tour guides told us that last may it rained the whole month, every single day! Luckily for me it didn't rain the three days I was there.



I stayed in the city center of Dublin on O'Connell St. at "The Bunkhouse" which was a pretty nice hostel, even though we were in the 15 person room. Served the best breakfast, we had a fried egg, beans, ham, two kinds of sausage and toast and tea. Super good, much better than the breakfast in Paris...but that's another story.



It was so strange to just hop on a plane and an hour later be in Ireland. Once we stashed our bags at the hostel we went to the Guinness Storehouse. Which was worth it. I'm glad I bought my ticket online though cause the line was ridiculous. The Storehouse is shaped like a pint of Guinness and it's a self guided tour up to the top where the "Gravity Bar" where you can get a free pint. It was really neat to see how it was invented, how it's brewed and learn how to taste and pour a pint.

Pouring my own pint was my favorite part! I got a certificate and everything! It makes me want to have Guinness on tap at my house... but Guinness is the national drink of Ireland. You get off the plane and you get a pint of Guinness. Just like in London, you get an umbrella and in Paris you get a baguette. Not really, but you might as well. . .

We went to a pub and got some grub I had a chicken and stuffing sandwich which tasted like Thanksgiving, and mushroom soup and tea. Irish tea is different than English tea, and I almost prefer it. It has a more full bodied less astringent taste, and sweeter. The boys had beer with lunch but since I'd already had a pint of Guinness before noon I stuck with tea.

Nick and I bummed around the Temple Bar district which was a pretty friendly atmosphere. Though we did turn a corner and see some guy getting arrested. He was way drunk but was manging to throw off two Guardia. The Guardia officers were beating him with batons (they don't carry guns in Ireland) and then two more Guardia showed up and joined into the fray. That's when we decided to make ourselves scarce, we didn't want to be too near four people wielding clubs... But the music and performers were really fun to watch and we stopped into a pub called the "Vat" that served whiskey. I did have a whiskey on the rocks. And I liked it. Sipped it's a nice cool and smooth and it's fun to swirl your ice around in the glass (to get it to melt and dilute the whiskey)!




On Saturday Nick and I took a bus tour out to the Wicklow Mountains, the garden of Ireland. If you ever go to a new country make sure to take a trip to the countryside. Because that's where you see the soul of the place, the major cities are usually a world unto themselves. Ireland is in the biting winds of Wicklow Gap, the clear iridescent blues of the lakes, and the endless billowing seas of green grasses.

Well, I will continue recounting Ireland tomorrow, for now I have a paper about frescoes to write...

Ciao!

Buona Pasqua!

Pasqua is Easter in Italian and I had a pretty pleasant pasqua in Florence. On Sunday our professor invited everyone over for lunch (all 16 of us) which was very nice. We had Lasagna and lamb, salad, olives, sausage and wine and for dessert we had fresh pinnapple and pasqua bread which is a type of sweet bread in the shape of an angel. It's really good. We were all throughly stuffed and content wnen we left. We wandered down to the market in the piazza of Santa Croche. There were all these artisans there, potters, artists, leather workers, jewelers, even a metal worker hammering out copper. It was such a lovely day. A perfect Easter Sunday, weather wise. Not like at home, where it's usually damp and has a likely hood of snowing. . .

We still had class today, even though it is a national holiday in Italy called "Little Easter" where people traditionally take a picnic out to the countryside. But alas not for us! I had literature class this morning and am hanging out at school taking care of anything that requires the internet. Though I hopeful will get down to the StudentCell place tomorrow to buy a modem so I can get Internet anywhere and not have to waste my daylight hours in front of a computer screen!

This weekend we take our trip to Rome for three days. We leave Saturday morning and stay until Monday. Monday afternoon some of the group is going on the see Pompeii, and then heading back to Florence on Tuesday. Since we're so close, Pompeii is only a couple hours from Rome. So that'll be really neat. I can't wait to see that actual place. I went to the Pompeii exhibit at the Field Museum three years ago and was awed. So going to Pompeii isn't something I'm going to miss!

Ciao!

Il tempo vola!

Time flies! This first week in Italia has been like swimming through a never ending wave! But we're all learning to tread water here in Italy and reach some sort of stasis. One of my bags of luggage came to today in the mail to school! So Huzzah for Switzerland, my other bag shouldn't be too far behind. I'm going to take l'autobus home cause I don't think I could manage the 45 minute walk with my beast of a bag. Riding the bus in Italia is like riding a bad roller coaster. And that is if you're lucky enough to get a seat! When the bus is racing along the curving streets the ride is fine if a bit disconcerting, it's when the bus jerks to a halt and then jerks to a start that's the problem. L'autobus is not for the weak of stomach! Even though the view is spectacular when my bus (number 13) goes up over the river to the Piazzale Michelangiolo.




I live on Via Masaccio numero 140 in an apartment on the second floor (which is the first floor here, because they call the "1st" floor the "ground floor" - terra piano). My host mom, Anna is an adorable little Italian woman from Venice (originally). She's a teacher and doesn't speak any English but we're gleaning more and more as we have more Italian classes and she is very patient and uses lots of hand gestures!

Anna cooks dinner for us and provides breakfast as well (the best coffee I've had in a long time! - though not as good as Dad's of course). We've had such good pasta - risotto especially, and that's just the first course, there's usually fish or meat of some sort and salad and a vegetable. But vegetables are magical in Italy. I wouldn't have looked sideways at cauliflower or spinach in the States but here, multo bene!

I went and walked around the city on Saturday (as homework) to help orient us and it was a pretty nice day though it rained a little. It normally almost always rains ... a little. Yesterday Rachel and I were sitting in our room with our shutters open to bask in the sunshine and Rachel says to me, "Is something falling from the sky?"

I looked out my window, in the perfectly blue sky and squinted, "Yep, that's rain!" There must have been a cloud over our house! When it starts to rain, street peddlers seem to sprout out of the cracks in the sidewalk and start selling cheap umbrellas.

Well I should start the trek back to mia casa!

Ciao!

Where in the world is ....

I am in Italy! It's been a long and exhaustively wonderful and harrowing week and a half. Spring Break was wonderful, Paris was more than I imagined it could be. I spent five days there and it was enough, but a person could stay there for weeks and not see everything. The Eiffel tower was amazing at night, though I did climb to the top during the day. And when I say climb I do mean stairs. I climbed up the the first two platforms the equivalent of 43 stories and then took an elevator to the very top. It's very windy and cold up there but a beautiful view and a kind of exhilaration that I haven't felt anywhere else. The Louvre goes on for what seems like days and my eyes weren't big enough to absorb all the beauty that resides there. Versailles is much the same way, the building goes on for years instead of days and the grandeur made me feel like a mouse stumbling into a giant's house.

We caught the train to Lausanne Switzerland, where they still speak French - even more than they do in Paris. There isn't a whole lot to do in Lausanne but look at the mountains and that was fine with me. I climbed an observatory built up in the forests and let my eyes drink in the panorama of the city below, backdropped by that stunning landscape of icy blue mountains. Then I went down to Lake Geneva (in Ouchy - that's Oh Shay not ow chee). From there the Alps loom up across from the glittering blue water in such a way that could entrance a person. The second day in Switzerland the mists rolled in and the mountains dissappeared.

Getting to Italy was a traveling nightmare, one I haven't quite woken up from. Michelle and I caught a sleeper train to Florence or Firenze as they say in Italy. But there was no luggage rack on our sleeper car so we left our bags on a car that had one. Bad idea. We woke up the next morning to find that that car was no longer part of our train! It had split off before we crossed the border! So no clothes, no toilettries, no socks - only the clothes on our backs and our essentials like IDs, laptops and cameras were with us and that's what I've been existing on the past 4 days.

The Swiss, because they're magical, found our (Michelle and I's) luggage and they are shipping it to us in Florence. At the fee of 165 dollars! Guess I'll living on bread and cheese while I'm in Italy (thank goodness we get dinner with our host families). Yikes! But it's due to arrive next Friday, so here's hoping.

Italy is beautiful though, not first day we were here it was rainy and nasty but now the sun is out and the light is golden and the gelato is unbelievably delishious!

That's all for now!

Ciao!

Leaving London . . .

I am leaving London on a 7 am train to Paris to start my Spring Break. I'm going to be taking the Chunnel, which is a tunnel that goes under the English Channel. It's a three hour ride, which will be the first of many long train rides across Europe in the next week. I'm sad to leave London, It feels like we were just settling in and now we have to up root and get going again. Not that I'm complaining about going to Paris, cause I'm not.... I just wish I didn't have to take my whole -life in a suitcase with me. I really have had such a wonderful time here and England looks so beautiful in the spring, flowers have started to pop up everywhere.



While I'll miss England in the spring I'm on to newer things! The past week has been crazy trying to get everything ready to go. I had to plan Spring Break, which ended up being 5 nights in Paris and 2 nights in Lausanne Switzerland and then I'm taking an overnight train to Florence to start the other half of my program!



These past two months felt like a day and forever at once. Earls Court Road has become my street and I'm going to miss the familiarities of it. The news stand outside the tube station with it's little white dog that sleeps on the stacks of the Daily. The flower cart that appears at the corner with wonderful aromas every afternoon. The pubs, being able to order a pint and sit and walk across the street to go home.



One of the best things about London, well probably Great Britain, is that when you order tea in a cafe you get a whole tea service. Tea pot, tea cup, cream, sugar and tea spoon. The tea pot holds enough water for at least 2 and a half cups of tea. That would never happen in the States! We are sadly devoid of a tea culture, I think we took that Boston Tea Party attitude a little too far....



I'm going to miss being surrounded by history, it's so easy to get used to and I'm going to note it's absence. But I'll soon have new history to look at. Well I should catch some Zs or zeds as they would say here in Britain (they pronounce the letter z as zed).

Cheers!

On the Telly

Yesterday I had an absolutely awesome evening. Gwen and I were able to go to the Graham Norton Show. Which, for those of you who are not Anglophiles or don't get the BBC in your television package, is a British talk show hosted by Graham Norton (obviously) a comedian and is absolutely ridiculous and wonderful frivolous fun! I've been watching it since we got BBC America last year and found when I got here that my roomie, Gwen, is also a fan. Gwen had the link to get E-tickets, and the ticket gods smiled upon us! So off we went at 4:15 pm to London Television Studios for the taping, to be part of an actual TV audience! We got horribly lost because the website gave totally weird directions from Waterloo station, when it was clearly closer to the Embankment station.... anyways....

We waited in the non-priority line, got our red wrist bands, and waited some more as the crowd pressed toward the doors and a cold wind picked up off the river. I must note, that Gwen looked incredibly cute in a new teal dress and black tights with her hair (it's like liquid Gold) colored to perfection. She caught the eye of the woman scouting the crowd for audience participants. The woman came up asked her if she wanted to be on the show. She said "Yeah of course!" so we got to skip the line and go into the studios. Then they weren't sure they needed a girl for the show but they got us both seats in the front -like fourth or fifth row. But just as the show was about to start the backstage guy came and found us and said they still needed another girl for the bit. So we got FRONT ROW seats! AND Gwen was totally on TV! She was duct taped to five other people in a gag off of Greg Kinnear's movie (Stuck on You) where he played a Siamese Twin. It was so funny! Tune in next week Saturday at 9pm on BBC America, the girl in the green/teal dress is my friend Gwen! It was a great night!

Today we had class with Lesly and we had a guest speaker, Guy Henry, he was in the play we saw "Twelfth Night" though most of you would probably recognize him from his role in V for Vendetta. He was really funny. And told us Derrick Jacoby stories and talked about what it's really like being a working actor in London. It was a real treat to meet him and probably the best theatre class we've had so far!

Five of us then decided to go walk around the National Gallery after lunch. Rachel and Michelle had to go to collect info for their papers, but Emily, Sarah and I just went for fun. Though I ended up getting separated from Sarah and Emily cause I like to take my time in art galleries. Not that I blame them for leaving me behind cause I'm really slow, and not everyone likes to dally like I do. I'm a professional lollygagger - if there was such a thing.

I walked around the Sainsbury Wing on the second floor. I love looking at art. It's such a calming thing. And the National Gallery isn't like anything we have at home. For one thing it's free. But mostly it's just a ... mood, setting. The collections on display were originally made up of paintings from the British Aristocracy (by donation or loan). Even though the galleries are for public view it still feels like you're walking in the Great Halls or private galleries of some Earl or Duchess. The wall coverings are deep reds and greens, the ceilings high with domes. The rooms are spotted with leather covered couches and wide wooden benches polished to a sheen. This space is worthy of it's art.

I wandered past a Joseph Wright painting "An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump" which is actually much more interesting than it sounds. The canvas is 183 x 244 cm, I'm not going to do the conversion, but I was dwarfed by it in both directions. It featured a group of people around a table at night, the only light coming from a lamp on the table. The effect of the illumination of the faces is mesmerizing. I bought the postcard but it really doesn't do it justice.

I wandered through Monet's waterlilies, Renoir's landscapes, and lingering in front of Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Fields with Cyprus trees. Finding new treasures along with finally meeting familiar images. I found my way through the gift shop and past the cafe (horribly tempting) I love the cafes in museums here because I just can't get over the fact they sell beer. I think it's brilliant, not that I've had one, but I still think it's neat. See some culture and have beer-it's the British way of it.

I bummed around Trafalgar Square since the weather was nice and I hadn't taken any pictures of it before. I headed back to the tube station, but was deterred by a small circular glass building with the sign CRYPT on the top. This obviously needed further investigation.


The CRYPT was a crypt, or used to be the crypt of St. Martin's in the Fields Church which was then converted into a gift shop and cafe and gallery. The gallery was empty, filled informative posters about the space. The cafe was bustling though. It was really odd to see so much life in such a deathly place. There wasn't actual tombs anymore, just the basic architecture remains but it was still strange. I took the stairs up to the chapel and listened in to a rehearsal for some violinists.

I continued on my trip back home but was again deterred by a side alley, filled with bookstores -second hand bookstores. Second hand books stores are not the same here in England. In a second hand bookstore here, their old books are really old. There's at least a shelf for 18th and 19th century books. The first couple stores were filled with too rare of books for my bank account. But I gawked at them anyway. My luck was in the last shop that was having a 1/2 off sale in the basement. I got a slim little red volume by John Milton published in the 1800s, essays about literature for 3 pounds.

I made it back to the flat with plenty of time for dinner before going out to the theatre to see "Entertaining Mr. Sloan" which was pretty funny, but an equally scandalous show (look up the synopsis for details).

Well I've written quite enough I think and since my flat mates are turning in I suppose I should too. Cheers!

Walk With The Animals....

The London Zoo

It became clear when I heard that my flatmate, Gwen, had never been to a zoo that we would be paying the London Zoo a visit. Today, or Saturday as I'm writing this at a very late hour, we went, a group of five of us. Rachel, Gwen, Michelle, Heather and I all wiped the sleep out of our eyes and we're on the tube by 9:30 am. We had to switch lines from the Piccadilly line to the Northern line and take it up to Camden Town-the closest stop to the Zoo which is located at the most northern end of Regent's Park.

We had a good time, it was a bright and actually rather warm day so we didn't mind walking about and more of the animals we out of their houses soaking up the sunshine. We sauntered by snakes, gawked at giraffes and trembled at the tigers. We saw emus and wallabies, pygmy hippos, camels, and gorillas. But most of them were sleeping, I had told everyone we should have gone later, everyone sleeps in on Saturday. Even the animals.

I've been feeling a bit under the weather, there's some sort of sore throat disease going round the flat. But we were bored tonight so Gwen decided we should do mini make-overs so she did my make-up and straightened my hair as well as any one else who came in the room (including George). We all looked so glamorous that we had to go out to the pub and show it off! Well, that's all for now. To bed, to bed...

Back in the City

Hello! No I didn't fall off the London Bridge or disappear down a pot hole. I am still in London, well mostly. This past week I've been traveling-everywhere. As I mentioned before I went to Ireland weekend before last for a couple days. After I got back from Ireland I went to Stratford-Upon-Avon for an overnight trip with the group as part of our theatre class. Then back to London for class and a couple of mini excursions around the suburbs. I will blog more in detail about these trips later when I have more time but for now I'll just talk about today. . .

Today we had class with Sarah and we met in Chiswick (pronounced Chis-ick, the w is just for show and to identify outsiders). Chiswick is the beginning of London suburbia, (about 15 minutes west of Earls court) only the wealthy kind. Where they have padlocked gardens across from their named houses (Cedar House, Eton House..etc) that look out onto the river. This is the top rung of the upper middle class, the thin line between being wealthy and being rich.




We were going to look at the Chiswick house, built by Lord Burlington in the 1800s in the Palladian Revival style. Following a Palladio Villa plan, like ones he had seen in Rome on his Grand Tour. However, the Chiswick house was in the center of the Chiswick Gardens (naturally) which are being "restored" and the entire property is fenced in.


Never mind that, we had a permit to see the house so Sarah figured that we would be able to get in one of the gates. We walked all the way around the property or estate rather, going up roads- finding locked gates, backtracking. Talking to construction workers in hard hats with chainsaws and orange vests. Finally, we found a foreman (who was wearing a hard hat AND a tie with a sweater vest) who told us the secret way in. I'm so glad I remembered to bring a bottle of water today.

The house was pretty amazing, it was smaller on the inside than I would have thought but the rooms were so beautiful, all different shapes. Round rooms connecting to octagons connecting to ovals. It's really nice out today, I could actually feel the sun on my neck but inside it was chilling. All that stone holding a winter chill that seeped into my bones.

After class, Emily, Art, Sara (my roommate) and I went to a pub by the river for lunch called the Black Lion. It was really neat and old. It had been there for 200 years and started out as a butchery with a distillery on the side but then ended up just being a pub cause the money from the ale was more than the meat. We hung out there for probably three hours eating and talking and soaking in the quiet stillness of suburbia.

Recovering from a fight with Gravity....

Hello there Ladies and Gents! It is almost warm out today, though not bright because of the clouds but spring is starting to poke it's head in over here. Which is nice, I do not miss the piles of white snow and slushy sidewalks at home. Today I am recovering from a horrible run in with my old nemesis-Gravity. Gravity is not my friend. It's always keeping me down. Yesterday we had class with Sarah at The Monument. Which is a pillar standing 202 ft high. No I didn't fall off it, I fell off the 4 in. curb around the base of it-twice. I'm just that talented. The first time I twisted my ankle which is now in an ace bandage and on the mend. The second fall I just face planted it right into the cobblestone, ate some British dirt which made my morning taste a bit gritty but other than a few aches I'm no worse for wear.

The Monument was built after the Great Fire that burned 4/5 of London to the ground. They just finished a restoration and it's practically gleaming white the golden flame flickering in the sunlight above the viewing platform.

The viewing platform is at the top of 311 steps and is caged in. It was caged in in the 19 c. due to the number of suicide dives off the top. We didn't go to the top (thankfully, since my ankle was still throbbing) that day because the queue was so long. But tomorrow we're getting there when it opens and are going to make the trek to see the view. After which we're going to the top of the dome in St. Paul's Cathedral-it'll be a day for stairs.

I'm going to get some lunch (from the kitchen) and sit down and write my paper for theatre class, it's due on Thursday but since I'm going to Ireland this weekend (already booked my flight and my hostel) I want to get it out of the way!

Cheers

Meanwhile-across the ocean...

Hello there! I've been remiss in keeping you all updated about the goings on in my life lately. My apologies. I'm just going to start with today and go from there.

Church at the Abbey

In my last post I talked about our tour of Westminster Abbey (until I was interrupted by the power outage). Tonight five of us went to the evening service at the Abbey. We got all dressed up and hopped on the tube, it's just a short walk from the Westminster station. We got to the gates with 15 minutes to spare. And the didn't let people in until 10 to so we waited amongst the milling crowd. Mostly sightseers and tourists (you could tell by their backpacks, weather proof jackets or English Flag attire). We, on the other hand felt a little more like Londoners and a little less like tourists in our Sunday best.

Looking up at the entrance to Westminster Abbey at night alone is almost a spiritual experience. The Abbey is lit up on three sides as well as Big Ben and the houses of Parliament. These iconic structures almost take on an ethereal quality at night, something that has to be seen and experienced and is un-capturable on film.

We file in through the gates and into the Abbey. Passing through the nave with its high arches, walking around the tomb of the unknown soldier and the stands with candles flickering. We pass the priest as we enter the Crossing (where the transepts cross the nave-or the center of the church). We sit in the last row of wooden chairs and read over our bulletins.

Rising for a hymn we all try to sing along with the organ. This is really hard to do. But the organ is so loud that it doesn't matter-no one else can hear you anyway. There were a couple readings about love (in light of Valentine's Day) and some more hymns and then the priest's sermon. The sermon was really interesting and talked about the different kinds of love and that as Christians we should focus on love being self-sacrificing. It was a really beautiful experience to pray in such a place. So steeped in traditions, history and faith.

Day Trip to Stonehenge

On Friday we didn't have class so eight of us decided to go to Stonehenge. Because we're in England and we had to. I was worried that it was going to be to touristy and not measure up to my expectations. We all got on the train at Waterloo for an hour and half train ride to Salisbury. Salisbury is the closest town to Stonehenge. It was a nice ride, the trains in England are nice the seats are rather cushy and there's a sweet cart that comes by with snacks and beverages about every half hour.

It turned out to be really nice out when we got off the train and trouped down to the bus stop where there's a little sign for the Stonehenge tour. We got our tickets and got on the bus and got a little tour of Salisbury on the way. When we came up over that last hill and Stonehenge came into view my breath caught in my chest.

There it was, those ancient stones, standing silently in the middle of miles of open fields with sheep grazing nearby. It was like I hadn't been sure it really existed until that moment.

We got to walk around the henge in awe, half listening to our audio guides that went on and on about how they have no idea why the stones are there. At one point we were only about 15 feet away, just far enough that we couldn't touch it. Thanks to the souvenir hunters and scavengers that came before us. But it was close enough.

We walked around twice. I probably could have walked around it all day.

The Abbey

Today I'm going to the Tower, of London that is. I'm waiting while the others wake up and get ready, our ambitions for leaving early having dwindled. On Thursday we went to Westminster Abbey with Sarah (our teacher). We all love Sarah, she wonderfully British and all knowing. When she doesn't know something she tells you she doesn't know-which is the sign of a truly intelligent person. We waited outside the west entrance in authentic English weather (rain of course). Except the rain here isn't like the rain at home. It rarely comes down in sheets, no big fat undignified drops hammering the roof tops. It's more of a delicate mist. The rain so thin that I have to squint to see it through the window. That's not to say it isn't equally wet and cold and requiring of an umbrella.



When Sarah arrived we walked around the outside (regardless of the rain) and talked about the structure and it's history. Westminster Abbey was built by four different monarchs, in pieces. As one died the next would build (literally) upon the status and grandeur of the last. Sarah pointed out the Buttresses and the Flying Buttresses, and the use of them enabled the builders to have the walls made up almost entirely of windows. The windows arched, drawing your eye up and up and up.



Stepping inside the Abbey is an indescribable experience. The nave is long and narrow and high leading to the shrine of Edward the Confessor (also a Saint). I felt so small standing there looking up, surrounded by columns. The structure itself dares a person to doubt that there isn't something grander and bigger than themselves.



There's no pictures allowed in the Abbey though there are the inevitable few that sneak a picture and are exposed by the flash.



We wandered over the tombstones in the floor, worn smooth from countless steps. At one point a person could pay to buried in the Abbey, but then it changed to just extremely important people and of course royalty. We past the tomb of Elizabeth I and Mary I, buried together. Of countless kings and bishops. It was surprisingly quiet, even with all the visitors-most holding audio tours to their ears.



I lingered at "Poet's Corner" and stared with awe at resting places of Byron, Dickens, Shelly, Kipling...


.......... Well, I'm back from the tower, however the electricity is out in my flat soooo do to my battery being .... no good, I can't stay on my computer long. Look for updates on Monday (when the Electrician comes)!

Over Hill Over Dale....I Doth Wander Everywhere....

Hello! Tonight I saw 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' at a theatre in Covent Garden. Covent Garden is really a lovely place for shopping ( a bit pricey but...) and it was lots of pubs which look really fun (if you make sure to go before 11p.m cause that's last call here). The show was put on by the Royal Shakespeare Co. and I really enjoyed it. There was some use of dolls that was a bit creepy... nuff said. The theatre itself was beautiful, we got sat in the 'Grand Circle' which is the upper upper balcony (where they stick students). While we were surrounded by British High Schoolers the view of the stage wasn't that bad. But I started my blog with the end of my day instead of the begining. After theatre class this morning, Racheal and I decided to get out and go do something. The reason being that the past three days we've been more or less trapped in the flat do "Britain's Great Freeze." It snowed, probably 6 inches or so between Sunday night and Monday afternoon and London (and England for that matter) shut down! They just don't know what to do with snow! They were saying that it hadn't snowed like this in 18 years! People were walking in the snow with their umbrellas, scooping up snow with trowels, posting weather warnings! All of us Midwesterners just smiled, knowing we'd left at least three feet of snow back in the states. So, because of that, Rachael and I went to the British Museum! We saw the Rosetta Stone, parts of the Parthenon, Mummy's..... The British Museum is just so vast! The Field Museum could probably fit in the British Museum with room to spare! We walked around for at least two hours and probably only say 1/3 of what was there. But what I love about London is that all the Museums are free! So I'll be going back! Well, off to bed with me. I'm going for a tour of Westminster Abbey tomorrow!

Cheers!

And A River Runs Through It

Today I walked along the River Thames. It was my homework assignment this week, so I had to do it! This is the kind of thing I am loving about studying in London. I do have to write a paper about it but...still, it's undeniably awesome. Anyway, I started walking with my flatmates Gwen and Rachel getting off at the Embankment Station and heading East toward Westminster. I am not a walker, I am a stroller. I am a certified lallygagger, especially when I have an excuse to dally and look and think about things (like doing fieldwork for my paper). So Gwen and Rachel ended up waiting for me a lot as I stopped to take pictures and watch the water. But they said they didn't mind cause they're dears. We then got on the tube at the Westminster station and took it to Kensington High Street, or is it High Street Kensington? There's both and I can never keep them straight, well... one of the two! I bought a hat, cause I some how forgot to pack one. It's purple, and adorable! It was only 5 lbs! Rachel and Gwen went back to the flat, but I when back to Westminster station to continue walking.

When I got there I crossed the street to get a closer look at Big Ben. It is BIG. They're not kidding. The sheer enormousness of the clock tower is enough shock a person to silence not to mention the beauty of the houses of Parliament with their arches and carvings. I did run into a rally for stopping the violence in Sri Lanka. It was really interesting, I read later online that there were over 50,000 people there!

I crossed the river on the Westminster bridge and walked past the London Eye and the National Theatre. I passed a lot street performers that were fun to watch and listen to. It started to get late so I crossed the Millennium Bridge to St. Paul's Cathedral and took the tube home - thoroughly tuckered.

Getting into the London Swing

I haven't forgotten about you! I've just been busy seeing this or that and really tired from all the walking. SO much walking, I've got blisters in the making... BUT classes started this week so things have been a bit hectic due to that as well. I went to see my first theatre production at the National Theatre tonight. I saw 'Every Good Boy Deserves Favor' which was very well done and a jolly good show! I went on my first architecture class along the Thames. Got my first glimpse of the London Eye, Tower Bridge and Big Ben (from a distance). Definitely going back for a closer look! This is just a short not to let you know what I've been up to overseas lately. As it is dreadfully late and I am horribly tired (after my pint of Guinness) I am now going to bed. I will post more details and some pictures from the last couple days on the morrow. Cheers!

A walk about

The past two days I've just been getting my bearings in London-the part where I live! Doing regular things like going to the grocery, getting something to eat or just taking a walk to see what's there. I really like my neighborhood, it's got all sorts of shops going north and more flats (apartments) going south. Last night I went to a pub for some grub with my flatmates. We went to "The Prince of Teck" and I got Fish n Chips and tea! They were delish! I even put vinegar on my chips (British style) and really liked it! I'm trying to eat as much truely British food as possible and stay away from US chains like starbucks, KFC and McDonalds (which are all on my street). I was hoping to go down to the cemetery today but I got sucked into a time vortex of trying to figure out my new cell phone...for which I think there is no help whatsoever... I was able to go to the phone shop and "top up" as the say or put more money on my plan but I can't for the life of me find out what my phone number is~ But I've been able to talk to Dad on Skype so I'm not totally cut off from home :)

I'm including some pictures of my garden (through my garden entrance) and some of the neat buildings that I past on way my down one side street or another. We found this stunning little old church on one street and the bell tolled as we walked by, it really made me feel like I was in England. Bells just sound better over here (probably because they are actually bells not recordings of bells on speakers like in the states!)!

I went to the grocery and picked up some breakfast things, some Wheatabix (a British cereal), tea, milk and a newspaper. I helped some foriegners (who didn't speak English) find the Pharmacy to buy a comb. I know I'm settling into a place when I can give someone else directions. I went by the Bakers Oven to grab a sausage roll for lunch and the chap behind the counter was very nice and asked me where I was from and why I was visiting London. Then he asked me if he could have my number because I was, "so beautiful!" But I told him I don't even know my number yet, so I couldn't give it to him (even if I'd wanted to). But it's nice to be asked anyway! We had a nice dinner with our teachers; Sara and Leslie and one of the house managers, Goron. They had all these sandwhiches (which in England are called Bloomers) for us. I had a Brie, grape and cranberry bloomer and a Wensleydale (cheese) and Carrot Chutney bloomer. Which were both very good, as well as some red wine (also good)! We all got to know each other and each teacher gave a little overview of their course and such. Our first class is Tuesday. And we go to see our first play Wednesday night at the National Theatre! Well, I should be getting to bed since I have to be up by ten to go out and get a tour of the neighorhood from Fabio and Goron!

Cheers!

Becoming a Londoner

WELL! Today I went out and explored the neighborhood. I woke up early and went to get breakfast at nice little place called Bakers Oven. I got a SUPREME pastry that was filled with some sort of meat and potato goodness. And a latte that hit the spot. I was really ravenous! Then me and my flatmates went and explored, just walking up and down the streets. That's a picture of my flat! Tomorrow I'm planning on maybe taking a stroll down to the cemetery! We're currently deciding on which pub to go to for dinner and a pint!

Landing in London

Hello! I made it to London! Where I found out that I did in fact have wireless in my room so I will be able to update you folks more often than I thought! The plane ride went very well. Virgin Atlantic gets an A in my book. The in flight entertainment was great, good food, you get lots of refreshments, a blanket, a pillow, a little bag of amenities (with socks and eye mask). Great experience! Plus there was hardly anyone on my flight! I swear there was only like 45 people in economy total, so we all got to stretch out on the open seats! I met a nice British lady while I was waiting at the gate. She was on Holiday in the states and we chatted about traveling and such. She said things are more expensive in the U.S, mostly. But then she enjoyed our discount stores like Walmart and dollar stores. She was especially happy about a bridal she got in WI for her husband's show cow! So that was a nice chat! Immigration and customs were no big deal. I did get a little turned around in Heathrow airport cause I kept missing the ramp to the Underground! But I finally found it and a nice British chap offered to help me with my bag and escorted me to the train. How nice!

It was a nice ride to Earls Ct. Rd. and it was raining but I was so tired, and hot from pulling my baggage around I didn't really mind. I found my building, 270 Earls Court Rd it's quite quaint! I had to wait a little bit for Fabio ( the house manager) to come since he'd been out. But no worries. I'm on the ground floor, in a real honest to goodness garden room ( it has a door to the garden). Micheal was still cleaning up my room from the last group (since I'm early and the first one!) so I dumped my bags and took a walk. I went east down Earls Court, walking in the rain, looking at the shops! It's amazing! It's like I've always meant to be here. Everything looks....familiar in some way. I stopped in a coffee shop to get some change to call home (since I have to find somewhere to buy a new phonecard). I LOVE British coins! I really didn't want to give them up!

I am unpacked if not organized, since I was so tired I just crashed. I'm probably going to hit hay soon now so I can get up somewhat early in the morning and get out and explore! I didn't take a lot of pictures yet but keep an eye out they will be coming! I was just too encumbered with luggage or bleary eyed to think of photography today! That's the news from Kensington!

Cheers!