Stratford (26 July)

Outside of 37 Hyde Park Gate, our fine flat. We had the whole second floor.

Today we checked out of our flats in South Kensington and boarded the bus again. We had a two-hour ride to Warwick Castle. Now, we’ve gone to lots of different castles, but they are all presented differently. The highlight of this one was the little shows they did. First we saw them launch a trebuchet (one of those huge catapults). Then there was an awesome birds of prey show with three beautiful eagles (don’t ask what birds of prey have to do with castles). And then they had a 30-minute jousting tournament with pretty good actors. It included various chivalric exercises like fencing, jousting, and other things that don’t have a single-word name and take too long to explain. It was complete with real horses, the enemy riding into the scene on a Viking boat, and more.

Then we headed toward Anne Hathaway’s house (the house she grew up in) a mile outside of Stratford. Anne Hathaway was Shakespeare’s wife. It was really interesting to see how the home was constructed and to walk on the grounds. There were some gorgeous gardens and woods. I almost wanted to compose a Shakespearean sonnet while strolling around.

Hathaway cottage

Next we went into Stratford to Shakespeare’s home. He was born there and resided there for the beginning of his life. At age 18 he married Anne and lived next door. After that was when he moved to London. This place was lovely, too. I especially enjoyed learning about his father’s profession as a glover. This is why Shakespeare has about 70 references to gloves in his works.

Shakespeare's parent's house

After checking into our bed and breakfast, we divided up and got dinner. Many of us ended up walking along the river, watching the rowers and the swans and listening to the tolling church bells.

Avon River

Being goofy while on our stroll around the Avon. These stones apparently were a part of some traditional game that we didn't know how to play, so we made up our own.

Even though it’s sad to be living out of a suitcase again, it’s fun to be on the road. There’s lots to see and my time will go quickly, I’m sure.

Last day in London—Really?!? (25 July)

What a day it’s been. A long one, but a good one. I’ll do a quick recap:

I woke up at 4 to finish studying for finals. At 6:30 I went to start my laundry. At 7 I had my finals. After that, I worked on laundry more. Then we had our last classes. After class I went running in Hyde Park for my last time. I love that place. It was a great run. Afterwards we were doing situps and stuff in the grass. We all felt so good and happy after exercising that we ended up doing handstands and cartwheels, too. It was fun and some people even stopped to watch us [embarrassing]. I guess it’s a sign that it’s time to leave London: we’ve gone from being the tourists to being the tourist attraction.

After getting ready and making a grocery store run, Lori and I went to the National Gallery. We ended up only having 45 minutes there, so I tried a new museum technique. I took my time on the 18^th-century part of the gallery because I wanted to appreciate it and learn from it more. I saw works from Cezanne, Gaugin, Van Gough, Degas, Pisarro, Monet, and more. I tried to pay more attention to the ways they applied paint, the types of marks they made, and the way they used layers. All of these things create areas of varying interest that contribute to the entire composition. I really enjoyed this section of the gallery. Other than that, I tried a new museum technique. I buzzed through the rest of the museum, merely looking for pieces that caught my attention. If they caught my attention, I’d stop and look at them and try to figure out why they stuck out to me.

I also hunted down another da Vinci painting: The Virgin of the Rocks. This one is pretty famous. I enjoy seeing his works, not necessarily because I like the work itself, but I like the place they hold in the history of art and I like the story of the man behind them. I also ran into the original portrait of Erasmus, which I wasn’t expecting. I’ve seen replicas of that picture a lot and it was fun to happen upon the real deal.

We rushed to St. Paul’s Cathedral for the evening prayer. This way we could get into that beautiful cathedral again without paying a pence (it’s an expensive tourist site). It was lovely.

Next we headed across the Thames to the Globe Theater. We started standing in line at 5:45—we wanted to get tickets to Much Ado about Nothing. We got tickets! The play didn’t start until 7:30 and since we had the standing tickets (the groundling tickets for only 5 pounds), we were standing the whole time until 11:00. Wowee . . . it was tiring by the end. But I’m so glad we did because the play was awesome. I think I’m spoiled and will never be able to watch Shakespeare again because I have such a high standard of seeing it performed. The actors were top notch and it’s so cool to literally be at the foot of the stage (I was leaning on it the whole time) and feeling like a part of the performance.

This was a perfect way to spend the last day in London. I did a little bit of everything and the weather was even beautiful. This really is a great city with a lot to see and do.

Waiting in another line outside the Globe. We all matched on accident. Precious.

Inside the Globe Theater

On the underground on the way home. My last tube ride!

Quakers, Mormons, and Anglicans (24 July)

Today has been busy and very fun.

Lori and I went to a Quaker meeting at 11:00. It was a really neat experience and great preparation to go to our Sacrament Meeting at 1. Quaker meetings consist of an hour of silence. Sometimes the silence is broken when one member of the group (they call themselves “friends”) wants to read a scripture or share an experience or thought. But it is mostly silent. It’s really neat because they put the responsibility on the individual to get something out of the meeting. If you don’t think or feel anything, you’re not trying hard enough. At the end you shake hands with the people around you. Everyone there was so kind. It was neat to see how they all really cared for each other and for others in the world. Today especially they mentioned their brothers and sisters in Norway a lot.

There is a lot to be said of silence. I think highly of anyone that can sit in silence for and hour and find it an enjoyable learning experience. Okay okay, I guess I think pretty highly of myself then . . . because I really enjoyed it and I did learn a lot. We need to take more time to think.

We took the metro to our church meetings, which were also lovely. Do you want to know something absolutely bizarre? Yes. Okay. I got to church and thought, “hmmm . . . that man on the stand looks like my American Heritage TA, Matt.” I look in the program and, sure enough, it WAS! He and his wife were speaking because it was their last Sunday in the Hyde Park Ward. I talked to him afterward. Man . . . I took AH in 2006. And I still remember my TA’s first and last name, major, and hometown. Am I a creeper? I didn’t tell him I remembered all those things.

Then Lori and I rushed back to the metro and headed to St. Paul’s Cathedral. There we went to a free organ recital. It was amazing!!! The organ was so powerful. It was also nice to get into the cathedral for free because it’s normally very expensive. I loved the mosaics on the ceilings. The colors were beautiful and they included some gold tiles that made it just beautiful.

The front of St. Paul's. It's a lot bigger than this, though. It includes a huge dome that was an iconic view during WWII bombings. You just can't see all that from up close!

And now I’m home for the night, updating this blog. Tomorrow I have to wake up quite early to finish preparing for my oral final exams, which are at 7:00. We have our last class period and then can spend our last day in the city.

Last day in Paris (23 July)

Today was slightly less eventful than the other two days. We got a later start because everyone was tired.

We first went to Notre Dame. I had been all pumped to see it, but then was slightly disappointed. It was so dark inside and there were sooooooo many people! But now I’ve been to Notre Dame. I didn’t go up to the towers like I wanted because the line was long and not everyone in the group wanted to go.

I did love the stained glass in Notre Dame!

Beach along the Seine? I've never seen anything like this sand castle!

Notre Dame is on the left. I love the clouds.

Then we went to the Lafayette galleries. This is a crazy shopping center with all the big names. Things are insanely expensive, but people were actually shopping. It was interesting to see that side of life, I suppose. Not really my scene.

Then we grabbed crepes for lunch (a banana-nutella one for me!) and headed to the train station because everyone except for Angela and I were leaving at 4. Angela and I tried to see if we could switch our tickets, but we couldn’t, so we went out (this time with our luggage) to a basilica, Basilique du Sacre-Coeur. It is a very touristy place in a ghetto part of town (afterwards I heard it was the red light district?), so I was clinging to my backpack, keeping it on my front the whole time. It wasn’t the best place to lug around my luggage. Anyway, the basilica itself was really pretty. Angela and I just sat in there for a while. I did my scripture study, too. Even though there were tons of tourists, the people in charge make sure they are really quiet, so it was peaceful.

View of Paris from the Basilica

We headed back to the train station and I got a few more stamps in my passport (hoorah). And soon we were on our way back to London.

So, recap: I’m glad I went to Paris. There were a few things that I’ve always wanted to see (namely Versailles and the Louvre) and I really enjoyed them. (There were a few places I had wanted to go to, but didn’t get the chance, but you win some, you lose some.) I also experienced a bit of culture and grew in my understanding of the English language (and how it has been influenced by French). I feel like I strengthened some friendships and learned how to navigate a foreign city better. My philosophy going into this minitrip was that I’d go to Paris once so I’d not have to go again. That philosophy holds true.

Everyone had told me that Paris was a dirty city. Because I was expecting it to be so dirty, I didn’t think it was that bad. But getting back to London was a breath of fresh air. Suddenly the London Underground looked sparkling clean and I didn’t feel like I had to have my hand over my bag at every minute. I was surprised and relieved to hear people speaking English on the trip home. It felt good.

And the very best part of the day was my 10:00 pm run. I had been dying from not officially exercising during the Paris trip and the run was just what I needed to feel ready for my last two days in London.

Walking all over Versailles (22 July)

Versailles did not disappoint.

We got an early start this morning and took a combination of metro and RER (a trainish metro) to get to Versailles. I would just like to say that I was kind of the leader for this whole adventure and I’ve gotten pretty good at figuring out public transportation. It used to really terrify me. Buses still terrify me, but I suppose I’ll figure them out sometime, too.

We arrived at Chateau de Versailles soon after it opened. My first view of the palace caused me great excitement. I’m not sure why I’ve always wanted to see it or why I’ve always been so fascinated with the1789 French Revolution. It just provides and interesting perspective into the fickleness of human nature. I still remember writing a short paper about why Robespierre was a good leader (despite his head-chopping tendencies). It’s interesting to see how the masses are motivated and how the bourgeoisie and the royalty respond. And it’s interesting to see how the well-meaning ideals that formed the foundation of our nation could be so easily twisted and run amuck. First we toured the palace, then the gardens, and then Marie Antoinette’s hamlet. 

In front of the palace. You can't even see it all here. Like I said: ridiculous!

The six of us in the palace courtyard. The chariots would come here.

As I walked through the Palace with the hordes of people, the word that kept running through my mind is ridiculous. The whole thing is absolutely ridiculous! It’s gaudy, gold, detailed, and overwhelming. Louis XIV wanted to prove that he had control over everything, so he used even the architecture of his palace to prove it. Well, Louis, there is more to life than a palace. Louis XVI forced the nobles to go live at Versailles so he could control them. They had to be there every day when he woke up and when he went to sleep. They also watched him eat his dinner at 10 every night. He thought he had them under his thumb, but he forgot about the third estate, I guess.

Hall of mirrors. There are windows on the right, mirrors on the left.

Proof that I was in the palace. You can see me in the mirror.

King's bedroom where the bourgeoisie would have to go and watch him go to be and wake up

In guard chamber, the audio guide talked about the morning of 6 October 1789 when that chamber was surprisingly empty—the Parisians were outside of the gate and demanded that the king’s guards leave. That was the day King Louis XVI went to Paris, never to leave again. As "Citizen Capet," he later lost his head at the Concorde where I had been the day previous. See, Louis? There is more to success than controlling a palace, some nobles, and a lot of gardens.

But the gardens were still beautiful. Holy cow—there are acres and acres of land with gardens, fountains (50 of them, in fact), and maze-like hedges. We wandered through them, quite enjoying a break from the crowded chaos of the palace. We grabbed some paninis for lunch, got attacked by bees, and headed out toward Marie Antoinette’s Estate. To put the enormity of the gardens in perspective, at this point we had walked about a mile, all on only a small fraction of the Versailles gardens.

Kathryn, Sarah, and I looking out over some of the gardens

A flower in the gardens with the back of Versailles in the background

Marie Antoinette’s hamlet was lovely. There were quaint building, beautiful flowers, barnyard animals, and barnyard smells. It was so peaceful. It was actually built so that the queen could have a life away from the pomp and frill of the palace.  No one could go without invitation. I’m not sure how that worked because she didn’t invite me.

On a bridge where we watched these crazy fish for a long time

Still at the hamlet. It was lovely and relaxing.

We walked and walked back toward the palace area and into the city so we could get back to Paris. Along the way we stopped at a bakery. Everyone told me to be sure and try the food while I’m here. I did succumb a little bit and tried a chocolate macaroon and later a raspberry tart. Both were excellent.

Once again in Paris, Kathryn and I decided to check out a museum about the pipes and drainage of Paris. We thought it’d be different than anything else we’ve done . . . and it would have been if it had been open. The pamphlet we had lied to us. So instead, we sat out by the River Seine and just talked. It was lovely. We were pretty tired, so we headed back toward our hotel, stopping at a grocery store and inventing a dinner of spreadable cheese, crispy bread things, broccoli, and ice cream (we have to be a bit creative when we don’t have a fridge or microwave, but I think we’ve been pretty successful). Then we went to the hotel and ate it while watching the news about the Oslo bombing (sad) and then we studied a bit. We have our finals at 7 am on Monday morning.

Paris is being good to me. Tomorrow we have much of the day to explore and then Angela and I take a 7:00 train back to London. It will feel good to be “home” again—I’m sure that’s what it will feel like after having been in this non-English speaking place. However, being around French has helped me learn more about which elements of the English language were adapted from the French after the Norman invasion in 1066. So this is an important part of my language study, too.

Walking all over the Louvre (21 July)

The day is drawing to a close and I’d say it’s been a success!

We started off going to the Arc de Triomphe, a monument built at the command of Napoleon. There we saw the tomb of the unknown soldier. We also saw the most insane roundabout (traffic circle) in the world. I’m surprised no one died as I watched in awe at the crazy flow of traffic.

Arc de Triomphe

We walked down the Avenue des Champs Elysees, which is apparently famous because all the ultra-rich designers have their stores there. Common folk like me aren’t even aloud in because I might touch a 2,000-Euro scarf with my middle-class paw. Well, that’s not really my scene anyway. Kathryn and I broke away from the slow-moving group so we could go see some sites. We walked through the Tuileries garden, a park-like area that was once the location of a palace. From there we ventured onto a small street and found a hopping bakery where the locals eat for cheap on their lunch breaks. Then we went to the Louvre!

Lunch in Jardin des Tuileries

Man oh man. Everyone that’s ever been to the Louvre had told me how huge it is. Well, it’s true! There are so many neat things in there. I saw many many many old paintings and statues. I think it was probably good that all the signs and information were in French because then I didn’t stop and read everything. Kathryn and I covered some good ground for our three hours in the Louvre; we went to every floor, but not every wing of every floor). We made sure to hit the highlights . . . like Michelangelo’s statues, da Vinci’s paintings, and some others. The crowds around those areas were ridiculous. When we got to the Mona Lisa I was suddenly much less excited to see it, figuring it was not worth fighting through the crowds to get a close look. I think da Vinci had greater accomplishments than her, anyway (and besides—I saw some of his notebook pages at the British Library on Monday! Beat that.).

My favorite parts of the Louvre were the less-visited areas. For example, on the top floor we found 17^th-century Dutch and German paintings. I quite enjoyed those. Overall, we were pleased with our time spent in the Louvre. Seriously, someone could spend weeks in that place seeing all that’s there and really taking the time to appreciate it.

Next we headed across the river for one more museum: the Musee d’Orsay. This is another art museum, but it significantly smaller and includes works that I’m more familiar with and connect with more. I saw quite a few pieces from Degas, Manet, Remoir, Monet, Cezanne, and Van Gough. After about an hour there, our feet were killing us, so we tracked down the nearest metro and went back to our hotel area. We visited a nearby grocery store and got some yogurt, fruit, and a baguette for dinner and then chowed down. We’re feeling pretty good about this day.

Tomorrow we go to Versailles, which I think will be the highlight of this trip. I’ve always wanted to go there!

Outside the Louvre

Inside the Louvre

I could take him any day.

I took this at full zoom. This is how close I got to the Mona Lisa. That man has a nice bald spot, eh?

Liberty leading the People (I think that's what it's called)--one example of the many famous paintings I saw in the Louvre