Now that my trip abroad has come to an end, allow me to make a short observation about each country.
ITALY
Italy was a magical place. Although extremely hectic in Rome (less so in Florence and Venice), there is still an easy-going feel as you walk the streets. People traveling on foot (although I cannot say the same for the motorists!) seem to meander down the streets, totally absorbing the environment around them. And of course, they have much to admire! I was blown away by my inability to absorb all the eye candy around me--even the lamp posts are such works of art that it seemed physically impossible to take it all in. I am certain I could live a lifetime there and still see something new to admire every day. Ancient Rome was big on the luxuries of life and being innovative in architecture. Present-day Italy still maintains the love of preserving its ancient structures. Although they might not place such an emphasis on a luxurious lifestyle as their ancestors did, they do place great appreciation on food, perhaps a luxury in and of itself.
FRANCE
France--oh, what can I say! Words are not adequate to describe the sheer delight I experienced in Paris and the surrounding countryside! As much as I loved Italy, I felt very foreign while there. This all changed in France. The minute we stepped onto the Parisian soil, I felt at home. If I were to give one word to sum up France, it would be "civilized". Everything about France was so civilized! The drivers weren't as crazy and impatient, the people were delightfully friendly (don't let anyone tell you otherwise!), and the culture was divine. Paris was a feast for the eyes, and once again I wished I could absorb and imprint every shred of beauty in my mind forever. In addition to the heavenly food, architecture and art, a sense of magical mystery lingers in the air, whisking you away to explore the city. I was devastated when it came time to leave France, because there was an endless array of things I would have loved to have seen. I loved the pride that the French have for their country and for their language, a tradition that has lasted for centuries and will never die. And of course, I loved their exquisite cuisine and culture more than words can adequately convey. Au revoir, Paris!
ENGLAND
Conversely, to Italy and France, I felt no sense of magic in England. I would say that the one word to describe England was "practical". Where Italy and France bask in masquerades and mystery, England prides itself in being matter-of-fact and down-to-earth. It was difficult for me to float off my cloud and land back in England, where life felt more mundane. However, there is something to be said of routine. In England, I became so well acquainted with the South Kensington area, that I could stroll to my one of my favorite places (the Tesco) all by myself without fear of the unknown. The tube also became second-nature to me, and I found myself traveling to Knotting Hill alone without any qualms. We spent much time on the tube and on trains, and I came to love the shake of the trains and the sight of people absorbed in their newspapers as they rode to and from work. What I did adore about England was the beautiful countryside and the stately homes we were able to visit. That is when the magic and mystery of the trip would come seeping back in and I felt like a little girl playing princesses again. England still maintains a love affair with its Royal Family, and visiting those incredible estates made me feel almost royal myself (well, that and my delicious Pasties!).
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Thank you!
This post is to all of you who have so faithfully followed my blog, or to those of you who have cared enough to read any of it at all. This trip has made me realize, amongst SO many other things, just how blessed I am to have such wonderful friends and family. To quote from my new favorite musical, Wicked, "I do believe I have been changed for the better, because I knew you." I love you all!
I also owe a big thank you to my professors who have tirelessly worked to plan and execute all the incredible things we've done and seen. I cannot imagine a more daunting task than ensuring that 24 college students stayed safe, happy, and got to the right places at the right times. Thank you!
I also owe a big thank you to my professors who have tirelessly worked to plan and execute all the incredible things we've done and seen. I cannot imagine a more daunting task than ensuring that 24 college students stayed safe, happy, and got to the right places at the right times. Thank you!
London--Day 17: August 4
Buckingham Palace--this isn't a great picture, but unfortunately, the back is really the only place you can get a picture at all of it!
I saw these machines in the bathroom of Leicester Square--the thought of a pre-pasted, disposable toothbrush made me want to ralph a little...
The BEAUTIFUL box my Harrod's cheesecake was nicely packed up in.
My cheesecake
My cheesecake again--that little chocolate piece has "Harrod's" painted on it in GOLD!!! I really loved my cheesecake, as you can see!
Daily Details: August 4
In the morning, we were off to Buckingham Palace to tour the inside of the building. I have now seen my share of grand palaces and homes and didn’t think anything could top the grandeur of Chatsworth. I was wrong! Although the gardens don’t appear to be nearly as extensive, and certainly aren’t nearly as beautiful, the palace itself is the most lavish thing I have seen to date—even more so than Versailles. Many of the rooms were completed by an architect with the last name Nash—he is so incredibly talented, words do not adequately convey the quality of his work. Perhaps my favorite part of our tour though was the exhibit of the Queen and the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth is a bunch of countries that have formed a friendship with the Queen. Throughout her reign, she has visited the countries that are a part of it and the costumes and ball gowns she has worn were displayed. They were SO exquisite! They had also displayed various works of art the people from those countries have presented her in her visits. It was all very fascinating and beautiful. Although the grandeur DID top that of Chatsworth, Chatsworth is still number one in my book.
The remainder of the day was spent shopping and packing. Laura and I popped into
Harrod’s to get a piece of cheesecake from their fabulous patisserie. It was worth every cent because it was SOOOO gorgeous and divine tasting! The way they boxed it up for you was worth it in and of itself too! As I write this, I can’t believe we leave tomorrow morning—this trip has flown by. Farewell, Europe! Thank you for showing me the time of my life!
The remainder of the day was spent shopping and packing. Laura and I popped into
Harrod’s to get a piece of cheesecake from their fabulous patisserie. It was worth every cent because it was SOOOO gorgeous and divine tasting! The way they boxed it up for you was worth it in and of itself too! As I write this, I can’t believe we leave tomorrow morning—this trip has flown by. Farewell, Europe! Thank you for showing me the time of my life!
London—Day 16: August 3
Another cheesy tourist photo, but then again, you really didn't expect me to go to London and NOT get a picture in the telephone booths, did you?
Big Ben--you've seen it already on my blog, but I like this photo even more and I was there again today, so it seemed appropriate to post it.
London Bridge--is NOT falling down, but is certainly beautiful!
Westminster Abbey
Inside the Apollo Victoria Theatre before Wicked began--isn't the set INCREDIBLE?!
Daily Details: August 3
Monday morning, Laura and I headed over to meet my best childhood friend, Ali Monjar who was coming to visit me for a day in London (she’s been doing a study abroad in Paris the same time I’ve been gone). It was SOOO joyful to see Ali! Laura and I served as tour guides, although not the greatest ones, I might add! We took Ali and her adorable roommate Brittany all around the London Bridge, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, and the Globe Theatre. Since we were right by the Tate, we decided to pop in there. Of course, Laura and I had already seen it, but even we saw things that we had missed the first time around. It was cool to see some of my favorite artwork again too.
Our next stop was to the Crown and Sceptre Pub, where they filmed the pub scene in the adorable movie, “Penelope”. I was glad Ali thought about going to the “Penelope pub” because it just took about 30 seconds of research and we were able to find the most amazing darn little place ever! In addition to being charming on the outside, the inside was absolutely magical! It was EXTREMELY eclectic, with all of the sofas, armchairs, tables, and chairs being different. Each chandelier that sat above the different groupings was drastically different as well. Quirky little objects were hanging on the walls here and there and an overall feeling of coziness was present. We all loved it the second we walked in but loved it even more after we saw the prices—it was SO affordable! After standing around for a bit looking like fools (we didn’t know if we should seat ourselves or order at the counter, etc…) we were waited on. I ordered the fish and chips since I loved what I had at the Eagle so much, although there were many other things on the menu that tantalized my appetite. Our food came quickly to our delight since all of us were starving. Laura had ordered the chicken club and when it arrived, it was one of the most beautiful sandwiches I have ever seen. It was served on this beautiful, whole-grain and nutty looking bread that had been lightly grilled and the chicken inside of it, instead of being sliced, was whole pieces of marinated chicken breast. It looked to DIE for! My food was good—the chips were out of this world, but the fish was not as great as the Eagles. Nonetheless, I walked out of there VERY happy. The pub was located just out of the Soho district and in addition to the area being out of the way and absolutely charming, the people there were SO helpful and friendly. They offered to take pictures for us, and on the way there, were eager to help us find the streets we were looking for and gave great directions. I loved my experience in Fitzrovia.
We all parted from each other for a few hours before we once again reunited at the Apollo Victoria theatre to see Wicked. Everyone has always been obsessed with that musical, and frankly, I didn’t get it. I decided to go after some of my roommates who have seen lots of Broadway shows said that Wicked was still their favorite. I also wanted to see it because my dear friend Megan made me a little card with the lyrics from one of the songs on it and the lyrics were absolutely beautiful. It worked out well because that is what Ali, Brittany and Laura all wanted to see the most too. As soon as I entered the theatre, I was pleasantly surprised at how great our seats were! We had gotten half-priced seats because they are considered restricted view. The only thing restricted about them was that we had to sit up straight to see over a low balcony wall. We were close to center and our seats were comfortable. Already I was loving my second Broadway experience more than the first. I looked at the set and was COMPLETELY blown away—heck, the show hadn’t even started yet! When the song “For Good” was sung, I started tearing up thinking of my two best friends. Seeing how this song fits into the musical brought a whole new perspective to the lyrics. I don’t want to babble for too long, but just know that the musical was the most fascinating and wonderful thing I’ve just about ever seen. The writing in it was ingenious, the music fantastic, and the costumes brilliant. It had a wonderfully happy ending and I walked away floating on air! What a great thing to do at the end of my trip!
We said goodbye to Ali and Brittany at the tube station--I was so overjoyed to have been able to see Ali and make a new friend in Brittany. I came home to my flat and found that my sweet roommate, Whitney, had made all of our beds in preparation for our other two roommates coming home from Scotland. Whitney and I chatted for a bit and I had a great time talking to her. That night when Beccah and Malory came home, I listened to their Scottish adventures as I fell asleep.
Our next stop was to the Crown and Sceptre Pub, where they filmed the pub scene in the adorable movie, “Penelope”. I was glad Ali thought about going to the “Penelope pub” because it just took about 30 seconds of research and we were able to find the most amazing darn little place ever! In addition to being charming on the outside, the inside was absolutely magical! It was EXTREMELY eclectic, with all of the sofas, armchairs, tables, and chairs being different. Each chandelier that sat above the different groupings was drastically different as well. Quirky little objects were hanging on the walls here and there and an overall feeling of coziness was present. We all loved it the second we walked in but loved it even more after we saw the prices—it was SO affordable! After standing around for a bit looking like fools (we didn’t know if we should seat ourselves or order at the counter, etc…) we were waited on. I ordered the fish and chips since I loved what I had at the Eagle so much, although there were many other things on the menu that tantalized my appetite. Our food came quickly to our delight since all of us were starving. Laura had ordered the chicken club and when it arrived, it was one of the most beautiful sandwiches I have ever seen. It was served on this beautiful, whole-grain and nutty looking bread that had been lightly grilled and the chicken inside of it, instead of being sliced, was whole pieces of marinated chicken breast. It looked to DIE for! My food was good—the chips were out of this world, but the fish was not as great as the Eagles. Nonetheless, I walked out of there VERY happy. The pub was located just out of the Soho district and in addition to the area being out of the way and absolutely charming, the people there were SO helpful and friendly. They offered to take pictures for us, and on the way there, were eager to help us find the streets we were looking for and gave great directions. I loved my experience in Fitzrovia.
We all parted from each other for a few hours before we once again reunited at the Apollo Victoria theatre to see Wicked. Everyone has always been obsessed with that musical, and frankly, I didn’t get it. I decided to go after some of my roommates who have seen lots of Broadway shows said that Wicked was still their favorite. I also wanted to see it because my dear friend Megan made me a little card with the lyrics from one of the songs on it and the lyrics were absolutely beautiful. It worked out well because that is what Ali, Brittany and Laura all wanted to see the most too. As soon as I entered the theatre, I was pleasantly surprised at how great our seats were! We had gotten half-priced seats because they are considered restricted view. The only thing restricted about them was that we had to sit up straight to see over a low balcony wall. We were close to center and our seats were comfortable. Already I was loving my second Broadway experience more than the first. I looked at the set and was COMPLETELY blown away—heck, the show hadn’t even started yet! When the song “For Good” was sung, I started tearing up thinking of my two best friends. Seeing how this song fits into the musical brought a whole new perspective to the lyrics. I don’t want to babble for too long, but just know that the musical was the most fascinating and wonderful thing I’ve just about ever seen. The writing in it was ingenious, the music fantastic, and the costumes brilliant. It had a wonderfully happy ending and I walked away floating on air! What a great thing to do at the end of my trip!
We said goodbye to Ali and Brittany at the tube station--I was so overjoyed to have been able to see Ali and make a new friend in Brittany. I came home to my flat and found that my sweet roommate, Whitney, had made all of our beds in preparation for our other two roommates coming home from Scotland. Whitney and I chatted for a bit and I had a great time talking to her. That night when Beccah and Malory came home, I listened to their Scottish adventures as I fell asleep.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
