I traveled around a foreign country on my own! CHECK. Aaaaaaaand never doing that again.
I am delighted to see London. Mind the gap! And newspapers everywhere. I wish there were friends here at my flat though, it's a bit lonely.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Limerick and the Cliffs of Moher
Yesterday I took the bus over from Dublin and got into Limerick (on the west coast of Ireland) about 7pm. I got lost (again) trying to find the house where I am Couchsurfing for Sunday/Monday/Tuesday nights. Apparently the Irish don't believe in street signs and I didn't have a map yet, so I think it's admirable that I got to the right general area! Unfortunately though, I found a number 16 (which was my goal) on an unmarked road, took a guess and knocked on the door... no answer. So I call my host and say "I'm at the door!" but he says... "Uh. No you're not". Crap. Turns out I was only a couple blocks off though.
My host, Kieran, and I got a pizza. He said - we've got the best pizza place here, you're gonna love it, better than any American pizza! Drumroll please... it was Papa Johns. I just started laughing, and he couldn't believe it when I told him there is one two miles from my house and the chain had, in fact, started in Indiana. But he's right, it's good pizza!
For some crazy reason, I let Kieran convince me to get up at 5 in the morning and drive an hour to see the Cliffs of Moher at sunrise this morning. Four hours of sleep on a very uncomfortable couch was not the best set up, but it was absolutely worth it. We arrived at 6, so it was pitch black and deserted. We sat in the car waiting for the first sign of light and feeling the gusts of wind shake the car, and then walked up to the top of the Cliffs as it got brighter and brighter. Seeing these stunningly huge cliffs appear out of total darkness was one of the coolest things I've ever done. There was a very brief window between when the sun came up and when the fog rolled in a covered them up again. Definitely worth getting up for.
Standing on top of the Cliffs, Kieran happened to look down and see a police car pull up to his car parked down below. He thought he has getting a ticket and started running down to talk to them. But then the police saw us at the Cliff edge, turned on their lights, and raced up toward us. Of course we thought we were about to be arrested for parking illegally and entering the park without paying admission (not that we had an option at that hour!) and we panicked. Then when the car met us halfway down, they jumped out and asked breathlessly "Are you all right?? Is everything ok??" We said yes, yes, isn't it beautiful this early!? And one of the cops yelled "jesus, you scared the sh** out of us, we thought you was gonna jump!" All four of us just started laughing because we were all so relieved, having thought the worst. It was pretty comical.
Kieran and I drove home, ate a bit of breakfast, and then both had a nap. I've been taking it easy today, feeling a little burnt out on pretty parks and old buildings for the moment. Tonight I'm hoping to see some traditional Irish music and have a good dinner, and for tomorrow I've booked a ridiculously kitschy tour bus around the Ring of Kerry: Paddywagon Tours, just for something different. On Wednesday I am planning to visit Bunratty Castle and Folk Park on my way to Shannon Airport to catch my flight home to London.
My host, Kieran, and I got a pizza. He said - we've got the best pizza place here, you're gonna love it, better than any American pizza! Drumroll please... it was Papa Johns. I just started laughing, and he couldn't believe it when I told him there is one two miles from my house and the chain had, in fact, started in Indiana. But he's right, it's good pizza!
For some crazy reason, I let Kieran convince me to get up at 5 in the morning and drive an hour to see the Cliffs of Moher at sunrise this morning. Four hours of sleep on a very uncomfortable couch was not the best set up, but it was absolutely worth it. We arrived at 6, so it was pitch black and deserted. We sat in the car waiting for the first sign of light and feeling the gusts of wind shake the car, and then walked up to the top of the Cliffs as it got brighter and brighter. Seeing these stunningly huge cliffs appear out of total darkness was one of the coolest things I've ever done. There was a very brief window between when the sun came up and when the fog rolled in a covered them up again. Definitely worth getting up for.
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| Cliffs of Moher, about 6:30am |
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| The Cliffs and Watch Tower, 7:30am |
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| Kieran and I at the Cliffs, with rain blowing sideways off the Atlantic. Brrrrrrr |
Kieran and I drove home, ate a bit of breakfast, and then both had a nap. I've been taking it easy today, feeling a little burnt out on pretty parks and old buildings for the moment. Tonight I'm hoping to see some traditional Irish music and have a good dinner, and for tomorrow I've booked a ridiculously kitschy tour bus around the Ring of Kerry: Paddywagon Tours, just for something different. On Wednesday I am planning to visit Bunratty Castle and Folk Park on my way to Shannon Airport to catch my flight home to London.
Dublin
On Saturday I woke up at 4 in the morning, put the last things in my suitcase, and headed to the airport at 5. I was incredibly nervous in the morning and didn't really want to go. I've never traveled on my own before and I felt really unprepared. But when I was sitting (sit, stand, pace, sigh, repeat) at the tube station waiting for my train to the airport, all of a sudden a large bunch of purple balloons came bobbing along the underground tunnel, blown ahead of the train. It was the most unexpected and charming thing imaginable and seemed like a very good omen!
When I finally got to the airport and made it through all three security checkpoints, the flight was quick and easy. Landing in Dublin, I was pretty lonely. You know how everyone immediately turns on their phones and starts calling people to say they've arrived? I didn't have anyone to call and it was not a pleasant feeling. But then the customs guy was super friendly and stamped my passport with a very satisfying *thump* and I got excited again. Doesn't take much.
I am Couchsurfing this week, which is a cool and slightly odd thing. Couchsurfing is an online organization which allows you to make a profile and then search for other members around the world to ask if you can sleep on their couch for a few nights. It's based around facilitating affordable travel and creating multi-cultural connections. The idea is that you return the favor by opening your home up to members who visit your hometown. Identities and locations are verified and it's reportedly very safe. So while in Dublin, I Couchsurfed for the first time! I stayed Saturday night with a guy who works for Google. He lives in a flat in an old gasworks which has been gutted and turned into a super swanky modern apartment building.
I spent that afternoon and most of Sunday wandering around Dublin on my own, getting myself lost and finding cool things along the way. It was weird not to have anyone to talk to, but I felt very free and independent. Not in a hippie way. In a "I'm a strong and capable person!" kind of way. I found: a castle, the tiniest lock I've ever seen with a hand crank to open the gates, the Guiness factory, a pop-up art market, the site where Handel's Messiah was premiered, some beautiful parks with lots of spring flowers, a guy who looks like Joseph Fiennes, gorgeous cathedrals, and some excellent pie. All good things :)
The highlight of visiting Dublin was getting to spend a couple hours with Orla McDonagh, my favorite professor in the world who moved back to Dublin two years ago. We each had a drink and sat and caught up Saturday evening. I reminded her that she promised to come back and perform a recital for us at LC. She had to leave all too soon, but it was so much fun to see her! I loved Dublin, overall, and was sad to leave. But Saturday late afternoon I got on a bus and headed west to Limerick for the rest of my holiday.
When I finally got to the airport and made it through all three security checkpoints, the flight was quick and easy. Landing in Dublin, I was pretty lonely. You know how everyone immediately turns on their phones and starts calling people to say they've arrived? I didn't have anyone to call and it was not a pleasant feeling. But then the customs guy was super friendly and stamped my passport with a very satisfying *thump* and I got excited again. Doesn't take much.
I am Couchsurfing this week, which is a cool and slightly odd thing. Couchsurfing is an online organization which allows you to make a profile and then search for other members around the world to ask if you can sleep on their couch for a few nights. It's based around facilitating affordable travel and creating multi-cultural connections. The idea is that you return the favor by opening your home up to members who visit your hometown. Identities and locations are verified and it's reportedly very safe. So while in Dublin, I Couchsurfed for the first time! I stayed Saturday night with a guy who works for Google. He lives in a flat in an old gasworks which has been gutted and turned into a super swanky modern apartment building.
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| Looking into the inner courtyard from the flat |
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| The outside of the building, with the old gasworks structure |
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| Thought I was sleeping on a couch... and instead I got my own room with a king bed. YES. |
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| At Dublin Castle, with the chapel behind me |
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| Christ Church Cathedral |
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| A park bench in the sun and blackberry-apple crumble. |
The Start of Mid-term Break
I can't believe it's mid-term break already! I am just starting to figure out life in London and really enjoy myself, and it's half-way over. But I'm taking my free week to spend five days in Ireland!
Classes ended Thursday evening, then we went to see Offenbach's opera, The Tales of Hoffman, at the English National Opera. With the exception of Puccini, opera's not really my thing but it was fun to put on our nicest clothes and go out for the night. If only it wasn't three and a half hours long... However, the English National Opera performed the rare, original version of The Tales of Hoffman in which one coloratura soprano sings all three of Hoffman's lovers, one part in each act. She was incredible and, no matter my preferences on opera, I was seriously impressed.
After the opera a couple girls and I stopped at a bar for a drink because we felt so classy in our fancy clothes. It was, for sure, the worst pub experience we'd ever had (mean bartender, expensive drinks that tasted like water, and a gross restroom) so we finished our drinks a little too quickly while we discussed how great all our boys look when they dress up (a shower and a shave is a nice surprise, so their suits and ties were impressive!). Also spent some time discussing how great WE looked in our dresses. Then we headed back to the flat, because I was throwing a little start-of-break party for the group. I'd made a giant nutella cheesecake that morning, and everyone changed into PJs and came up to have dessert and drinks.
On Friday we visited the Tower of London at 8:45am (that came awfully early after the party) and toured the Houses of Parliament in the afternoon. Both were fascinating but tiring. Then I went out to dinner with Sue, Albert, and Josh which was fun. Then home to pack and a very short night of sleep before my flight to Dublin the next morning!
Classes ended Thursday evening, then we went to see Offenbach's opera, The Tales of Hoffman, at the English National Opera. With the exception of Puccini, opera's not really my thing but it was fun to put on our nicest clothes and go out for the night. If only it wasn't three and a half hours long... However, the English National Opera performed the rare, original version of The Tales of Hoffman in which one coloratura soprano sings all three of Hoffman's lovers, one part in each act. She was incredible and, no matter my preferences on opera, I was seriously impressed.
After the opera a couple girls and I stopped at a bar for a drink because we felt so classy in our fancy clothes. It was, for sure, the worst pub experience we'd ever had (mean bartender, expensive drinks that tasted like water, and a gross restroom) so we finished our drinks a little too quickly while we discussed how great all our boys look when they dress up (a shower and a shave is a nice surprise, so their suits and ties were impressive!). Also spent some time discussing how great WE looked in our dresses. Then we headed back to the flat, because I was throwing a little start-of-break party for the group. I'd made a giant nutella cheesecake that morning, and everyone changed into PJs and came up to have dessert and drinks.
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| Cookie crumb crust, the nutella-cream cheese mixture, and double cream that refused to whip for the longest time |
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| Shohei played music for us, and we all danced and sang along |
Thursday, February 16, 2012
London Chamber Orchestra!!!
Last Friday our music history professor, Chris, took us to Cadogan Hall to see the London Chamber Orchestra. They played William Walton's Crown Imperial, Max Bruch's Scottish Fantasy for Violin, Harp, and Orchestra, and Ralph Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 5. The concert was incredible - definitely in my top ten performances I've ever been to. The orchestra was brilliant - precise, expressive, perfectly balanced, and the director was brilliant. I loved all the pieces they played. The Crown Imperial is a hilarious over-the-top fanfare (fun fact: the London Chamber Orchestra played it as the bridal march at Will and Kate's wedding). But the Bruch and the Vaughan Williams are both stunningly beautiful and intricate and exciting, especially when played by an amazing group like the LCO.
Part of what made it so fun was that we sat in the balcony way up at the front, so we were literally on top of the orchestra. I could watch the director's face and hands, read the music off the violinists' stands below me, and be totally wrapped up in the surround sound. I let myself feel like I was a member of the orchestra, pretending I was on stage and playing along with them, and it was exactly the kind of professional orchestral experience I've been dreaming about since I started flute. I WANT THAT.
My friend Ava was sitting in the balcony on the other side of the stage, facing towards me. She told me after the concert that I was hilarious to watch. Apparently my face was... expressive. She even caught me tearing up in the slow movement of the Bruch. *shrug* Typically, immediately after the concert I was inspired and rushed home to practice flute. Even more typically, about 20 minutes in I got really depressed at my own inadequacy, gave up, and went to bed. Oh well. Worth a try.
Part of what made it so fun was that we sat in the balcony way up at the front, so we were literally on top of the orchestra. I could watch the director's face and hands, read the music off the violinists' stands below me, and be totally wrapped up in the surround sound. I let myself feel like I was a member of the orchestra, pretending I was on stage and playing along with them, and it was exactly the kind of professional orchestral experience I've been dreaming about since I started flute. I WANT THAT.
My friend Ava was sitting in the balcony on the other side of the stage, facing towards me. She told me after the concert that I was hilarious to watch. Apparently my face was... expressive. She even caught me tearing up in the slow movement of the Bruch. *shrug* Typically, immediately after the concert I was inspired and rushed home to practice flute. Even more typically, about 20 minutes in I got really depressed at my own inadequacy, gave up, and went to bed. Oh well. Worth a try.
Scotland Plans
I'm going to Scotland tonight! I'm really looking forward to getting out of the city and seeing some other places. The whole group is spending Saturday and Sunday in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and two of my friends (Irene and Drew) and I decided to take a late train up after class tonight and have an extra day to explore. Our plan is to skip out immediately after art history (we're at the National Gallery today) and take a 4.5 hour train ride up to Glasgow. We get in around 11:00pm, stay in a hostel, and - weather permitting - we'll spend Friday hiking around Loch Lomond. We'll come back to Glasgow when it gets too cold to move anymore, and then meet up with the rest of the group on Saturday. Can't wait to see trees that haven't been manicured to the Queen's perfection. And birds that aren't pigeons. My high school friend Kirsten, who studied in Glasgow for a semester, gave me lots of tips on where to go, what to do, etc. She said I have to try the deep-fried Mars bar for the cultural experience.... but I'm not sure if I can handle that.
Friday, February 10, 2012
This Feels Like A Very Long Vacation
I have been walking several miles a day and climbing an awful lot of stairs, but have been seriously missing my gym workouts. So this morning I improvised a work out in my flat using The Complete Works of William Shakespeare as a weight. How's that for a British fine arts experience?
In other news:
On Wednesday we staged a British House of Commons style debate: Pro-monarchists vs. Abolitionists. Our professor split us up arbitrarily and served as the Speaker of the House, Sue sat in as Her Majesty. Check out this video for a sample of the style we were instructed to emulate, and you can imagine that it was a pretty rowdy two hours: House of Commons Prime Minister's Questions
And last night I saw a performance by the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Orchestra. They played a Handel Concerto Grosso, Bach's Brandenberg Concerto No. 3, Britten's Simple Symphony, Elgar's Serenade for Strings, and Haydn's 'Trauer' Symphony. The performance was magical, with the distinct exception of the Brandenberg which the violins and violas took at a breakneck speed, leaving the continuo trailing along behind. But the Haydn was breathtaking. :)
In other news:
On Wednesday we staged a British House of Commons style debate: Pro-monarchists vs. Abolitionists. Our professor split us up arbitrarily and served as the Speaker of the House, Sue sat in as Her Majesty. Check out this video for a sample of the style we were instructed to emulate, and you can imagine that it was a pretty rowdy two hours: House of Commons Prime Minister's Questions
And last night I saw a performance by the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Orchestra. They played a Handel Concerto Grosso, Bach's Brandenberg Concerto No. 3, Britten's Simple Symphony, Elgar's Serenade for Strings, and Haydn's 'Trauer' Symphony. The performance was magical, with the distinct exception of the Brandenberg which the violins and violas took at a breakneck speed, leaving the continuo trailing along behind. But the Haydn was breathtaking. :)
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| With roomie Irene, all bundled up to go out in the snow |
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Birthday Weekend
Last Sunday was my 21st birthday and I had a wonderful time celebrating with my friends here in London. There are six of us who are turning 21 this semester and, determined not to miss out on the American experience, we all made a pact that we would go out and pretend that turning 21 actually meant something here as well. So I invited the whole group to meet me Saturday evening at my favorite local pub (called The Builders Arms) and have a few drinks, and then head back to our flat.
During the day I made a cake, bought some alcohol and mixers, and took a delightful pre-party nap. I woke up excited and feeling good, put on a dress and some make-up, and went downstairs to see if my friends were ready to go. When I walked in to the room, Erika exclaimed to me "Happy birthday! I talked to the weather gods and got some snow for you!" ..... Huh? That's when I looked out the window and realized that, while I was napping, it had been snowing like mad outside and everything was covered in two inches of snow! Then I got REALLY excited.
We walked over to the pub, totally enchanted by the snow. Everything was so quiet and still - a rare occurrence in London - and beautiful. There were a few people already at the pub, claiming tables as they opened up. More and more people arrived until the entire Lewis and Clark group was there, taking up almost the entire upstairs section of the pub. We even absorbed a couple guys from Norway who were having a quiet drink, but seemed very happy to help me celebrate my birthday! They bought me a rum and coke, apparently mistaking me for a classy lady who actually drinks alcohol. My friends knew me better - they bought me vodka cranberries. :)
We spent a couple hours having a wonderful time hanging out at The Builders, and then we decided to head home and continue the celebration there. (By "we decided" I actually I got a sudden craving for chocolate cake and demanded everyone go home with me to eat it.) However, the chocolate cake craving was immediately suspended when we walked outside and found several inches of beautiful dry snow covering everything. MASS SNOWBALL FIGHT BEGINS.
And continues. And absorbs innocent people walking by. And continues. And eventually starts migrating towards home, never slowing down. Two hours later, we all collapsed on our doorstep completely exhausted. And then, of course, we remembered the cake again! In the flat I heated up some apple cider with spiced rum to warm everybody up and served it with my cake (chocolate with caramel frosting). I got to skype with Nik for a few minutes and pretend that he was there at the party too. A few people grabbed instruments and starting playing music, and we all sang/danced/clapped along for the rest of the night. Having everyone there together was really amazing and I don't believe I've ever laughed so hard for so long (and for me, that's saying something). I was one of the first to go to bed (good thing - apparently I slept through a flooded bathroom leaking gallons of water into the bedroom below it and all of the drama that came with that little issue) and didn't even have too bad of a headache the next morning. It was a very very wonderful birthday party.
The next day, Sunday, was my actual birthday! The group went to Hampton Court (home of the royal Tudor family and others) which was very cool. Unfortunately it was too cold of a day to spend time a lot of time there though. We looked around, walked through the royal apartments, and then caught the train back home. That night I got to attend a dinner party at Sue and Albert's (our crazy awesome program leaders) flat! They are having us all over in small groups, and it happened to be my turn on my birthday.
They served us an amazing four course tradition British meal with different wine pairings: Cucumber slices with creme freche and smoked salmon, baked portobello mushrooms stuffed with shrimp and rosemary sauce and champagne. Then lamb stew with prunes and eggplant, garlic mash, broccoli, and cabernet sauvignon. A cheese and fruit course with six different kinds of British cheese, pears, apples, and blueberries. I brought a bottle of chardonnay-viogner and it went very nicely with this course. And then sticky toffee pudding with double cream for dessert. We all had a really great time and it was so nice of Sue and Albert to have us over! What a lovely end to an awesome birthday weekend.
During the day I made a cake, bought some alcohol and mixers, and took a delightful pre-party nap. I woke up excited and feeling good, put on a dress and some make-up, and went downstairs to see if my friends were ready to go. When I walked in to the room, Erika exclaimed to me "Happy birthday! I talked to the weather gods and got some snow for you!" ..... Huh? That's when I looked out the window and realized that, while I was napping, it had been snowing like mad outside and everything was covered in two inches of snow! Then I got REALLY excited.
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| Part of the group at The Builders Arms |
We spent a couple hours having a wonderful time hanging out at The Builders, and then we decided to head home and continue the celebration there. (By "we decided" I actually I got a sudden craving for chocolate cake and demanded everyone go home with me to eat it.) However, the chocolate cake craving was immediately suspended when we walked outside and found several inches of beautiful dry snow covering everything. MASS SNOWBALL FIGHT BEGINS.
And continues. And absorbs innocent people walking by. And continues. And eventually starts migrating towards home, never slowing down. Two hours later, we all collapsed on our doorstep completely exhausted. And then, of course, we remembered the cake again! In the flat I heated up some apple cider with spiced rum to warm everybody up and served it with my cake (chocolate with caramel frosting). I got to skype with Nik for a few minutes and pretend that he was there at the party too. A few people grabbed instruments and starting playing music, and we all sang/danced/clapped along for the rest of the night. Having everyone there together was really amazing and I don't believe I've ever laughed so hard for so long (and for me, that's saying something). I was one of the first to go to bed (good thing - apparently I slept through a flooded bathroom leaking gallons of water into the bedroom below it and all of the drama that came with that little issue) and didn't even have too bad of a headache the next morning. It was a very very wonderful birthday party.
The next day, Sunday, was my actual birthday! The group went to Hampton Court (home of the royal Tudor family and others) which was very cool. Unfortunately it was too cold of a day to spend time a lot of time there though. We looked around, walked through the royal apartments, and then caught the train back home. That night I got to attend a dinner party at Sue and Albert's (our crazy awesome program leaders) flat! They are having us all over in small groups, and it happened to be my turn on my birthday.
They served us an amazing four course tradition British meal with different wine pairings: Cucumber slices with creme freche and smoked salmon, baked portobello mushrooms stuffed with shrimp and rosemary sauce and champagne. Then lamb stew with prunes and eggplant, garlic mash, broccoli, and cabernet sauvignon. A cheese and fruit course with six different kinds of British cheese, pears, apples, and blueberries. I brought a bottle of chardonnay-viogner and it went very nicely with this course. And then sticky toffee pudding with double cream for dessert. We all had a really great time and it was so nice of Sue and Albert to have us over! What a lovely end to an awesome birthday weekend.
Not even close to the weekend
I woke up in the night, remembered it was Saturday and turned off my alarm so I could sleep in and have a nice, relaxing morning. I didn't wake up again until 9:30am, and even then decided to stay in bed for a while longer because I didn't feel all that well.
Then I realized it is actually Wednesday. So much for the relaxing morning.
I jumped out of bed and took the fastest shower of my life, grabbed a Babybel cheese (I've been living off of those things) and power walked over to Foundation House. Made it just in time for my 10:00 class, which of course had to be music history AKA painfully-long-three-hours-of-inane-discussion-in-a-small-stuffy-room. Good start so far, right? And that's the story of why I am right now in bed eating leftover tortellini and pretending it is actually Saturday.
Then I realized it is actually Wednesday. So much for the relaxing morning.
I jumped out of bed and took the fastest shower of my life, grabbed a Babybel cheese (I've been living off of those things) and power walked over to Foundation House. Made it just in time for my 10:00 class, which of course had to be music history AKA painfully-long-three-hours-of-inane-discussion-in-a-small-stuffy-room. Good start so far, right? And that's the story of why I am right now in bed eating leftover tortellini and pretending it is actually Saturday.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Fun Things This Week
The last few days have been pretty awesome. On Tuesday, we went to see an Edwardian satire called The Charity That Begins At Home at the Orange Tree Theatre. The play was fantastic, like watching a Jane Austen movie. Beautifully written and flawlessly acted. The theatre itself was really cool - it was a tiny theatre-in-the-round. A small square room with a set in the middle and a few rows of chairs around the outside, and a balcony with one narrow row of chairs looking down onto the floor. A few lighting effects, and doors in each corner. And that was it. So simple, and yet so effective. I sat up in the balcony and felt like I was in the room with the characters. I loved it - probably my favorite performance so far.
Wednesday morning, while messing around on my computer, I found that The Shins (one of my favorite bands) had just added a second concert date in London because their original show had sold out so quickly. The show happens to be on a free night while Nik is here visiting, so I immediately bought two tickets to see them on March 23rd! I let my friends know there were tickets available, and Louise and Julia both bought tickets as well. That is the day before the St. Petersburg Phil with Martha Argerich concert, so it's going to be an excellent weekend. I also bought tickets to see The Lion King musical and St. Martins-in-the-Fields play Bach, Handel, Britten, Elgar, and Bruch. So excited for all of these!!
Thursdays are my favorite, because I get to sleep in, I get paid my weekly stipend, I have art history classes, and it's weekly pub night with a few friends. And then it's the weekend. Hard to mess that up. Yesterday our art history professor, Giovanni, took us to Greenwich to study 17th century architecture. It was, again, a perfectly clear and bitingly cold day. I wore tights, leggings, jeans, wool socks, boots, a tshirt, sweater, sweatshirt, wool coat, two scarves, gloves, and a hat. And I was STILL cold. I really think there's nothing else I could have done.
The train ride to Greenwich was pretty and fun. When we got there, we walked around some of the construction sites for the Summer Olympics, which was cool to see. We looked at the Cutty Sark and the Naval Academy, and then walked up the hill to the Royal Observatory. There is an amazing view from up there! You can see all of London and the River Thames weaving through it. I don't have any camera batteries right now, but I solemnly vow to go back and take billions of pictures. The Royal Observatory is the also the site of the Prime Meridian! I made all 30 of us line up on it and take a group picture. It's on Albert's camera, but I will post it when I get it from him.
The coolest part of the Observatory was their Camera Obscura - basically a very large pinhole camera which was developed in the Middle Ages as an early means of capturing perspective in art. Their camera obscura is a pitch black room with a set of mirrors which reflect light from a small hole in the ceiling onto a flat surface in the middle of the room. The light portrays a perfect reflection of the Queen's House, a quarter mile down the hill! We could see small shapes of people moving along the walkways and climbing the stairs. Very cool.
Next we visited The Queen's House (remembering that people were watching us above in the camera obscura), which is the first building in the UK designed in the Roman classical white-marble/geometrics style. The art history aspect was fascinating and the building itself very beautiful. Greenwich was the original royal area of London and so there was a great deal of history imbedded in it as well.
We stopped in Queen Mary's chapel, accidentally intruding on a fabulous counter-tenor's voice recital. Then we visited The Painted Hall, which was breathtakingly beautiful. It is an enormous banqueting hall and every inch is painted with images of monarchs, battles, mythology, iconography. We sat on the floor and stared as Giovanni read a long list of the scenes portrayed on the ceilings and walls. We spent a long time looking (especially since it was blissfully warm inside).
And then it was pub time! A baked potato, chocolate cake, and a couple warm drinks thawed me out... and then I fell asleep at the table. Perfect end to a perfect day.
Wednesday morning, while messing around on my computer, I found that The Shins (one of my favorite bands) had just added a second concert date in London because their original show had sold out so quickly. The show happens to be on a free night while Nik is here visiting, so I immediately bought two tickets to see them on March 23rd! I let my friends know there were tickets available, and Louise and Julia both bought tickets as well. That is the day before the St. Petersburg Phil with Martha Argerich concert, so it's going to be an excellent weekend. I also bought tickets to see The Lion King musical and St. Martins-in-the-Fields play Bach, Handel, Britten, Elgar, and Bruch. So excited for all of these!!
Thursdays are my favorite, because I get to sleep in, I get paid my weekly stipend, I have art history classes, and it's weekly pub night with a few friends. And then it's the weekend. Hard to mess that up. Yesterday our art history professor, Giovanni, took us to Greenwich to study 17th century architecture. It was, again, a perfectly clear and bitingly cold day. I wore tights, leggings, jeans, wool socks, boots, a tshirt, sweater, sweatshirt, wool coat, two scarves, gloves, and a hat. And I was STILL cold. I really think there's nothing else I could have done.
The train ride to Greenwich was pretty and fun. When we got there, we walked around some of the construction sites for the Summer Olympics, which was cool to see. We looked at the Cutty Sark and the Naval Academy, and then walked up the hill to the Royal Observatory. There is an amazing view from up there! You can see all of London and the River Thames weaving through it. I don't have any camera batteries right now, but I solemnly vow to go back and take billions of pictures. The Royal Observatory is the also the site of the Prime Meridian! I made all 30 of us line up on it and take a group picture. It's on Albert's camera, but I will post it when I get it from him.
The coolest part of the Observatory was their Camera Obscura - basically a very large pinhole camera which was developed in the Middle Ages as an early means of capturing perspective in art. Their camera obscura is a pitch black room with a set of mirrors which reflect light from a small hole in the ceiling onto a flat surface in the middle of the room. The light portrays a perfect reflection of the Queen's House, a quarter mile down the hill! We could see small shapes of people moving along the walkways and climbing the stairs. Very cool.
Next we visited The Queen's House (remembering that people were watching us above in the camera obscura), which is the first building in the UK designed in the Roman classical white-marble/geometrics style. The art history aspect was fascinating and the building itself very beautiful. Greenwich was the original royal area of London and so there was a great deal of history imbedded in it as well.
We stopped in Queen Mary's chapel, accidentally intruding on a fabulous counter-tenor's voice recital. Then we visited The Painted Hall, which was breathtakingly beautiful. It is an enormous banqueting hall and every inch is painted with images of monarchs, battles, mythology, iconography. We sat on the floor and stared as Giovanni read a long list of the scenes portrayed on the ceilings and walls. We spent a long time looking (especially since it was blissfully warm inside).
And then it was pub time! A baked potato, chocolate cake, and a couple warm drinks thawed me out... and then I fell asleep at the table. Perfect end to a perfect day.
York!
Last Saturday our whole group took a day trip to York, a small walled city about two hours' train ride north of London. We caught the first train in the morning (by 'morning' what I actually mean is the middle of the night) and the last train back at night (early evening, unfortunately). The sunrise on the train ride was gorgeous though - the English countryside lit up in greens and golds like in a fairy tale. Then, sleepily, we got off the train and got to spend the day exploring this beautiful and utterly enchanting old city under the guidance of our theatre professor Philip, who knows everything there is to know about England.
The day was perfectly clear and gorgeous, but bitterly cold. We were all bundled in every layer we'd brought overseas and still were frozen to the core by mid-morning. It was worth it though. We walked along the old wall of the city, built in the 13th century (which was a little perilous due to a thin layer of ice and no handrail). Then Philip took us through the center of town, stopping at Clifford's Tower -a small castle first erected by William the Conqueror, which was where the Jews of York in 1190 took refuge from a persecuting mob and chose mass suicide rather than baptism. Cheerful.
Moving right along, we visited the quirky little 13th century Trinity Church and the York Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe. The Minster is absolutely stunning, and we could not have asked for a more beautiful day to see it. Sunshine streamed in through the stain glass like a hallmark movie and highlighted the intricate detail covering every inch of the building. We stood outside, wordlessly gazing at it and snapping photos for an hour, and then went inside and did the same thing. It was one of those moments when all you can do is laugh at the utter perfection of it.
When we'd satisfied ourselves at the Minster, we had free time explore and find food. I quickly realized that everything in York is about half the price and twice as charming as London, so I had a lovely afternoon tea, got some truffles from a chocolate shop, and bought myself a beautiful set of handmade silver/onyx jewelry from the weekend market in the center of town. I also made my friend Josh try on a hundred different flatcaps and convinced him to buy a nice green one. :)
The group met up again to see a Pantomime at the York Theatre. I have no idea how to describe the Panto. It was like a slapstick parody of musicals? I guess. The theatre was packed full of three or four generations of York's families, all of whom had clearly grown up (or were growing up) seeing this Panto year after year and adoring the Pantomime Dame. Anthropologically speaking, this was fascinating. As a piece of theatre, it was crazy, confusing, and a little offensive. No idea what to make of it, really.
For a stark contrast, after the Panto some of us went to an Evensong service at the York Minster. The choir was wonderful and I just sat there absorbing the beauty of the nave, the music, the poetry. Felt like I was getting a professional massage! After the service I shared a pizza with some friends and caught the train back home... where I had the most uncomfortable nap of my life and un-did all the relaxation and release of the Evensong. Oh well. It was nice while it lasted.
York is now firmly among my favorite places in the world. I got warm again, eventually, and seriously hope I can go back and visit York again.
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| York Minster |
Moving right along, we visited the quirky little 13th century Trinity Church and the York Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe. The Minster is absolutely stunning, and we could not have asked for a more beautiful day to see it. Sunshine streamed in through the stain glass like a hallmark movie and highlighted the intricate detail covering every inch of the building. We stood outside, wordlessly gazing at it and snapping photos for an hour, and then went inside and did the same thing. It was one of those moments when all you can do is laugh at the utter perfection of it.
 | |
| Afternoon Tea |
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| Josh and Julia, enjoying lunch |
The group met up again to see a Pantomime at the York Theatre. I have no idea how to describe the Panto. It was like a slapstick parody of musicals? I guess. The theatre was packed full of three or four generations of York's families, all of whom had clearly grown up (or were growing up) seeing this Panto year after year and adoring the Pantomime Dame. Anthropologically speaking, this was fascinating. As a piece of theatre, it was crazy, confusing, and a little offensive. No idea what to make of it, really.
For a stark contrast, after the Panto some of us went to an Evensong service at the York Minster. The choir was wonderful and I just sat there absorbing the beauty of the nave, the music, the poetry. Felt like I was getting a professional massage! After the service I shared a pizza with some friends and caught the train back home... where I had the most uncomfortable nap of my life and un-did all the relaxation and release of the Evensong. Oh well. It was nice while it lasted.
York is now firmly among my favorite places in the world. I got warm again, eventually, and seriously hope I can go back and visit York again.
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