There's No Place Like Home!

It is great to back in the USA. Jen and I got through the customs & security fairly easily. Connections in Atlanta were also pretty smooth - not sure why I had to claim my luggage just to immediately give it back, but otherwise uneventful. On the flight from Atlanta to Tallahassee I sat next to a guy who lived in Flat #10 last summer at the FSU London Study Centre - small world, huh? It was so good to see my family waiting for me at the airport - complete with signs & smiles. I had missed them all so much!

Matilyn looked tres chic in her birthday outfit from Paris.

I was only home a day before we left for Callaway Gardens for our annual family vacation. Packing more suitcases was the last thing I wanted to do, but it was actually a nice place to relax and readjust to the Eastern time zone. (I was a bit loopy and off-schedule for a few days- jet lag stinks!) I also was able to spend lots of time with my family - riding bikes, swimming, and playing games.

Now I'm back in Tallahassee and I have to start preparing to be the media specialist at Hawks Rise Elementary! I am grateful for all I learned this summer and all the new friends I have made.

Au Revior!

For our last day in town, Stephanie & I started our day with a trip to the Musee d'Orsay. This art museum is full of Impressionist works. We saw many pictures that I recognized from books - Monet, Renoir, Degas, Cezanne, Pissarro, and Van Gogh.

For our last group event, we went to Notre Dame, took a cruise down the Seine river, and had a three course French dinner (French onion soup, turkey with tarragon gravy, and chocolate mousse - if you were wondering.)

I can't believe that my time in Europe is through. It feels like it has flown by, yet we have done so much that our first days seem like forever ago. It has been an incredible experience and I'm so grateful to have had this opportunity. The travels have been amazing, I've made great friends, and I have learned so much.

Bastille Day

Bastille Day is France's equivalent of the U.S.'s Independence Day. Most of the celebrations occur between the nights of July 13th and July 14th. We were in the Bastille area on the 13th. The streets were blocked off around the monument and several stages with bands were set up around the perimeter. Other acts were performing impromptu here and there. It was a festive occasion, but it was difficult to hear with everything going all at once.

July 14th, Nate & I took the Metro to a stop near the little Statue of Liberty. We found an empty median to sit on with a great view of the right side of the Eiffel Tower. At 10:45 the fireworks began. The Eiffel Tower sparkled and glowed, while the fireworks exploded in the air all around it. It was quite a sight! They lasted about a half an hour. We were close enough to the Metro stop to hop right on after the show and we got back to our hotel quickly. It was actually a lot easier than the last few times I tried to see the fireworks at Tom Brown Park on the 4th of July!

See a short digital film of the fireworks below:

Epernay & Moët

We were spoiled today - first class train tickets and 2 glasses of champagne! The train ride to the Champagne region of France was just over an hour. We arrived in the little town of Epernay. It was charming - quiet streets lined with shops and cafés and flowers planted all about. After a nice lunch (penne au gorgonzola), we explored the town a bit. Next, we had a tour of the Moët and Chandon champagne cellars. Our guide explained the process of champagne making and the history of the company. Dom Perignon was a monk in the area who accidentally discovered the art of adding bubbles to wine. We concluded the tour with a tasting - Brüt and a Rosé Imperial. Cést magnifiqué!

Lost in Translation

Sunday night around nine, Stephanie and I decided that we wanted a late dinner. We found a small cafe near the Bastille that was still serving. Our waiter immediately pegged us as Americans and insisted we use English menus. However, he would forget and lapse into asking me questions in rapid French. Stephanie was a French minor in college, so I kept looking at her dumbfounded, but he still continued to speak predominately to me. Either because he enjoyed flirting or because I amused him with my lack of foreign language skills. I did manage to greet him and order in mostly French. He would speak some English, too. Like when he asked me if I wanted ketchup with my fries, but he was equally dumbfounded by my "sure" reply. It only got worse.

30 minutes after we were through eating, he still hadn't brought us our bill. I politely said "excusez moi" and asked for the 'billet' (bill - for future reference, drop the t and change the ll to a y - beyay.) He joked about us leaving so early (it is now past 10:30, mind you) and I put my head on my hands to indicate I was tired. He (I thought) was confirming that I was tired, but apparently was asking me to sleep with him. Of course, this is in French, so I am nodding along like an idiot and Stephanie understands and is trying not to laugh. He translated for me so I was able to say "Non merci, I will not be coming home with you tonight", but they were both very tickled with the whole conversation.

Versailles

We all took the train to Versailles today. It was the opulent palace of Louis XIV. It was quite crowded, which somewhat took away from the enjoyment of seeing the ornate decor. There was an abundance of gilding, marble, painted ceilings, and velveteen wallpaper. The highlight was the Hall of Mirrors (which is not a funhouse maze, if that's what you're thinking) it is a long hallway lined with windows on one side and mirrors on the other. Hanging from the 40 ft ceilings are dozens of gigantic crystal chandeliers.

After exploring Versailles, Nate, Michelle, Stephanie, and I decided to find a place for lunch before coming back to Paris. Just outside of the train station was a El Rancho Tex-Mex restaurant, so we decided to try it. If you are thinking that France and Tex-Mex don't mix, you are right. Our margaritas were an interesting shade of green-blue and the combo quesadillas meant 2 of each, not all together. They were poulet (chicken), chevre (goat cheese - I knew it was a kind of cheese, but wasn't expecting that), and poivre (pepper - as in pimento, not bell.) So it was not traditional Tex-Mex, but tasty none the less - just French.

Next, we stopped by the mini Statue of Liberty. She was a gift from the Parisian community in America as a thank you for the NYC version. We strolled down the Seine before catching the Metro to the Moulin Rouge (just for pictures, not a show - 150 Euros!) The rest of the afternoon was spent in the Marais - which seems to be the place to be on a Sunday afternoon. The streets were crowded with people window shopping and sitting at cafes. Extra long lines for any place serving ice cream. I found more of the Jewish area today - delis and menorah shops, I actually saw a yarmulke with the Eiffel Tower on it.

Paris Streets

We walked the other half of Paris today! Started out on the Champs Elysees, which is already decked out for the Tour de France with grandstands and French flags lining the street. It was fun window shopping, but we have found that even though it was okay to take photos in the Louvre, if you take your camera out in a store, you are immediately approached by security. In McDonalds we were stopped from taking a picture of the pastry display and the Disney Store wouldn't let me photograph the huge chandelier with Mickey & friends. (We are not just shopping at American stores - in fact, I'm a bit horrified at the abundance of them!) Another strange security feature in France is the armed guards in the Metro (subway) and near the monuments. They are usually dressed in fatigues and carry machine guns. It is really creepy.

Anyway, we walked the Champs Elysees from the Concorde

(looks like the Washington Memorial with hieroglyphics) to the Arc de Triomphe. We then rode the Metro to the Latin Quarter near the Sorbonne University. We ate lunch at a street cafe (French onion soup) and looked in a couple of bookstores. We then walked through the Jardin du Luxembourg (beautiful flowers and green grass) - in the center is a fountain where people were sailing toy boats. We walked back towards the river Seine and crossed to the Ile de la Cite. It is an island in the middle of the river where Paris originated. On this island are the remarkable churches, Notre Dame and Saint Chapelle.

Continued walking to the right bank and down to the Marais area, the old Jewish section of town. I didn't find any bagels, but we walked past a few seamstress shops. We had an ice cream break before walking back to the Bastille monument near our hotel. We decided after all that walking to take it easy for dinner. We ordered Pizza Hut for dinner and had it delivered to our room. Thanks to Stephanie for navigating the French online menu! It was delivered super quick by moped. I think we have now walked by all the major Parisian landmarks. It has been easy to get around and everyone has been extremely friendly. Most people speak English and are happy to assist. I usually try a little French first, but they tend to reply in English. So far all pleasant experiences.

Louvre & Madeline Walking Tour

The 2 best parts of staying in the hotel are: elevators and free breakfast! This morning we slept in, then went downstairs for the breakfast buffett. We had croissants, yogurt, fruit, ham, cheese, and cafe au lait. It was a nice change from the cereal in London and lack of a coffee pot in the flat.

The Louvre (famous art museum in Paris) was incredible. It has such a large collection that it is somewhat overwhelming, but we hit the highlights, including The Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. There was an underground area where you could see parts of the medieval Louvre structure.

After seeing the Louvre, we decided to stroll along the streets of Paris. Nate & Stephanie laughed at me because I kept stopping to take pictures of places I recognized from the children's book Madeline. We must have covered a lot of ground because we saw the Opera, the Place Vendome, Notre Dame, the Pont Neuf bridge over the Seine and the statue between the Tuilleries Gardens and the Louvre (plus the Eiffel Tower peeking out every now and then.) Too bad the school children in straw hats from Hyde Park weren't around today, they would have fit in perfectly.

I See London, I See France

This morning, we finished packing up and moving out of our flats before heading to the British Library. We stopped first at Kings Cross Station to take our pictures on Platform 9 3/4 (from the Harry Potter books/movies - it's where he catches the Hogwarts Express.) The British Library has an extraordinary collection of texts - from a Gutenberg Bible to Beatles lyrics handwritten on the back of one of Julian's 1st birthday cards.

We then took the Eurostar through the Chunnel to Paris. The ride was amazingly smooth and seemed like we got here in no time, it really took about 2 hours, but it went fast. (The short nap probably helped.)

Finding our way to our hotel was an adventure, even with guides trying to help us. But we eventually made our way to our teeny, tiny rooms. The rest of the evening went much smoother as we made our way up the Eiffel Tower. Paris really is a beautiful city. We got to watch the sunset over the city (after 10 pm!) I loved how the Eiffel Tower looks all lit up and on every hour it actually twinkles for about 5 minutes. Ooh la la!

The 3 Hs: Hyde Park, Hard Rock & Harrods

If Monday was a day for my mom, this morning was for my girls. We went to the Princess Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens. (Adults without kids are only allowed in from 9:30 - 10:00 am.) It was large with lots of neat lay areas. There was a large pirate ship you could climb all over and smaller boats that rocked back and forth. Another area had teepees, one had small huts. Yet another had musical instruments. I acted like a kid and played on everything!

I played tourist on my last full day in London. We walked around Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, stopping by the Peter Pan statue and having one last tea & scones at a cafe by the Serpentine. Next, we had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe - I split a red, white, and blue burger with Michelle. It was yummy, as were the French fries. It was fun watching the old-school MTV videos while we ate.

Then came the shopping spree - Harrods (huge department store) and Oxford Street. We went to the Adidas store looking for some London 2012 Olympic stuff, but they had very little - disappointing. My flatmate and I were looking for Manchester United stuff, but couldn't find

any. I asked and was told that it was because they were contracted with Nike (which he made rhyme with bike.) So that was our next stop.

We also went to another touristy souvenir shop before coming back to the flat to pack up. I can't believe that our 2 weeks here is almost over!

Hampton Court Palace

Since this year marks the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII's coronation (you know, they guy with all the wives), England has been celebrating him big time. There is an exhibit called "Henry VIII: Dressed to Kill" at the Tower of London and at Hampton Court Palace they had actors and events centered around his 6th marriage (to Kateryn Parr.)

The audio tour of the palace leads you through all the rooms set up as the were when they were used as royal retreats. The Tudor half shows how it was in the mid 1500s when Henry VI

II lived there - featuring everything from apartments to kitchens to the velvet throne. The other side was remodeled by William & Mary in 1689 in the baroque style to compete with Versailles in France.

We kept running into Henry everywhere. I even got my picture taken with him. Luckily, I was better off than Anne Boleyn after my encounters with him. Speaking of Anne, they had portraits of all his wives and children that caught me up on my British history. His wives have a pattern: divorce, killed, died, divorce, killed, outlived Henry.

The grounds were as beautiful as the palace. There are formal gardens, English flower beds, and even a hedge maze. It was taller than I am so we got twisted around a bit, but did make it to the center and back out again.

A Story in 5 Pictures

The photography focus of the day was to tell a story in 5 pictures. Emma & I took the train to Hampton Court to see Henry VIII's royal palace. See the riveting story below about our adventure getting there.

Flowers & Kites

Today would have been a day that my mom would have really enjoyed (except for maybe the rain.)  We walked around (literally) Regent's Park specifically to stop and smell (I mean photograph) the roses.  The gardens were beautiful, and although I didn't see any daffodils, there were thousands of flowers to look at.  It was just as pretty as when we were here that March.  

Next, we walked up to Primrose Hill to picnic and fly kites like in Mary Poppins.  I thought I had lost my kite's cross sticks, but they reappeared - but did not help my kite stay air born.  Oh well, I took a turn with Nate's and enjoyed watching the others flying theirs.

Last stop was the Abbey Road crosswalk made famous by the Beatles album cover.  We must have driven the locals crazy walking back and forth across it to take pictures, but it was all in good fun.  Tonight we are all going to see the play Billy Elliott.  

 

Childhood Memories

Some of my favorite childhood memories are associated with books.  This trip has allowed me to trace their roots and relieve those stories - combining my two favorite pastimes: reading & traveling!  My first favorite British book was Paddington by Michael Bond - I even dressed up as this adorable bear for my 5th birthday!  You can listen to my podcast about this below:

This file is 2.38 MB and lasts 2 minutes 35 seconds.

Old Friends

While sitting in a pub finishing my hamburger on the 4th of July, I received a call on my cell phone; Bill & Betsy missed their connecting flight from Athens to Chicago and were grounded in London for the night.  Betsy is my best friend that I haven't seen since last year when she moved away from Tallahassee.  Who knew then that we would be in London the next time we would see each other! It was so good to see them, I've missed hanging out with them - long distance phone calls are good, but not the same as being together.  It was just like old times and nice to catch up.  Hopefully, we will not have to leave the continent to see each other again!

Tonight I am meeting Troy K. for dinner.  We grew up down the street from each other and carpooled to high school.  He now lives in London.  I'm meeting him near his place, so I'll get to see another part of town while catching up with another old friend.

Funnily enough, a good friend of mine from college, who now lives in Denver, arrives to Paris the night I leave - ours planes will probably pass each other over the Atlantic.  Another near miss that shows just what a small world it is!

Tower of London/London Dungeon

Visiting the Tower of London is always an enjoyable experience.  It is hard to believe that it has been there for so many centuries and even more difficult to imagine some of the horrible histories that took place there (you know, like beheadings...)  It is the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII's coronation this year.  They have a huge exhibit on him containing his armor (he was quite large!), a tennis ball, and jousting sticks. 

After the Tower, Alexis, Michelle, Megan, Heather and

 I walked across the Tower Bridge to go to the London Dungeon.  This is a heavily advertised attraction that is supposed to be one part haunted house, one part grisly London history - with 2 exciting rides!  I guess this is a pretty accurate description, but having grown up with Disney World, I guess my expectations for amusements is a tad high.  I would have liked it to have been a bit more historical and the gore and frights were a bit canned.  The rides were the most disappointing, as they were very short. But all in all, I'm glad we went.  It was a new experience, but not one I'm likely to repeat.

Museums

This weekend, I visited two major London museums - The British Museum and the Victoria & Albert.  Of course these are both HUGE and you could easily spend a week in each (and still probably wouldn't see everything!)  The British Museum has the Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles (which are actually statues from Greece that a guy named Lord Elgin may have stolen), and lots of mummies.  Victoria & Albert focuses on the decorative arts.  My favorites were the statues and the fashion exhibit.

Afternoon Tea, Friday, July 3rd

Nate, Michelle, Alexis & I walked up the block for traditional tea at the British Museum.  It was a delight!  We sat in the Great Court under an amazing domed skylight - you can see the reflection in the tea below. 

We each got our own pot of tea and a tower of food.  I had 'English Afternoon' tea, which is similar to English Breakfast tea, but seemed more appropriate for 3:30 pm.

Tea Sandwiches

 Grape & Gorgonzola was the best!

Scones with clotted cream & jam

Fancy mini-desserts: 

creme brulee, cheesecake, and lemon meringue pie

Oxford

     

We had a full day in Oxford today.  We toured the Bodleian Library - an incredible library that is so large they measure the number of volumes in miles!  It even has a large conveyor belt for distributing books.  No book ever leaves the library (in fact, they used to be chained to the stacks) and the librarians have to bring your request to you to view in the reading room.              

            

Christ Church College was another interesting spot.  This is where Lewis Carroll used to work -

 the author of Alice in Wonderland.  In fact, this weekend is Alice Day celebrating the story.  I love his word 'frabjous'!  Several Harry Potter scenes were filmed here also, including the

 dining hall in Hogwarts.

The literary history of Oxford extends even further.  C.S. Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia) and J.R.R.Tolkien (Lord of the Rings) both

 worked in the area.  We toured C.S. Lewis' (who was called Jack - nicknamed after a dog that died when he was a kid and because Clive Staples is a mouthful) home.  It was a charming cottage called The Kilns.  We saw the church where he worshipped and where he is now buried.

Hallelujah

I just got back from seeing the London production of Sister Act.  It was the perfect way to top off our three day church tour.  The girl that played the Whoopi role was excellent.  I was surprised that the music was all original - I sort of missed some of my favorites from the movie, but the new songs were really well done.  

Our church of the day was St. Paul's Cathedral.  It may be my favorite; it was so beautiful.  Just when you think it can't get more ornate, there is MORE gilding, higher ceilings, and marble statues!  But of course, they don't allow pictures, so you'll have to take my word for it.  We had a "supertour" which was very informative.  We saw the staircase from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Duke of Wellington's tomb, and this is the church where Princess Diana and Prince Charles were married.  We climbed 528 to the top for some great views on the top of the dome.

Our photography focus was to take motion shots of transportation in Trafalgar Square (quite difficult!), but after tackling that we had time to tour the National Gallery (Van Gogh, Monet, and many, many more great pieces of artwork), and the National Portrait Gallery (I liked the one of the HP kids best.)   

Today is Canada Day.  I'm assuming everywhere, but definitely here in the UK.  We happened upon the Canada Day celebration in Trafalgar Square.  They had booths set up all around serving well-known Canadian cuisine (?) such as bison burgers, curly fries, and doughnuts.  They also had a stage set up for concerts and a roller hockey tournament.  My favorite was the actual horse and cardboard Mountie that you could pose with.  Makes me wonder what Londoners will do for the 4th of July this weekend!

Stonehenge/Salisbury

I had a nice day on our coach trip to Stonehenge and Salisbury (Land of the Steak?)  Stonehenge is impressive if you think try to contemplate how and why the stones are in that arrangement.  Some theories given on the audio tour are: aliens, Merlin, and/or The Devil.  Though probably not true, they are entertaining!  It isn't as big as I had imagined it and it is a shame that you can't touch the stones.  The experience was sort of like my grandparents trip to the Grand Canyon - "Yep, looks just like the pictures," they said, then left.  Same thing with Stonehenge.

Next, we went

to Salisbury Cathedral.  It was similar to Westminister Abbey, but this time we were able to take pictures of the inside. The ceilings are soaring way up overhead, with gorgeous stonework and elaborate stained glass windows.

Stephanie and I ate a picnic lunch in the grassy area out front, then toured the town.  On Tuesdays they have a market in old downtown.  It was a lot like a flea

 market/garage sale with fruits and vegetables, odd clothing, (including an underwear stand), and random car mats. 

Next, we wandered into the local library.  It was  in a renovated office building, but they made it really homey with kids artwork and colorful displays in the children's section.  I asked the librarian in that area about some good titles to

 share with my girls back in the U.S.  She was very happy to talk to us and was quite surprised by our blank looks when she

 mentioned some of the popular children's literature authors in the UK.  Some of her suggestions are: picture books by Julia Donaldson (Room on a Broom was her favorite)and The Whisperer by Nick Butterworth; The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton; The Horrid Henry series by Francesca Simon; and books by Michael Morpurgo.  It was interesting to talk to a British librarian and to hear what books are popular with children over here.

Wow - what a day!

We officially started classes here in London this morning.  After a short classroom session, we headed off to Westminister Abbey, which happens to be across the street from the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.  Could there be a better place to focus on photographing buildings?

We took a tour of Westminister Abbey (with Hugh, our favorite Blue Badge Guide.)  Photographs are no longer allowed inside the Abbey, so I can't share with you how awe-striking it is.  It is so ornately detailed - everywhere you look are more decorative tombs, ceilings, and architectural accents.  The history of the place is hard to comprehend as an American.  It is so closely tied with the monarchy and there are kings and queens from the 1400s buried alongside famous scientists (such as Isaac Newton) and authors (Chaucer and Rudyard Kipling, and more.)

 

We also saw the Guards and #10 Downing Street.  Just after I posed with one, an officer came over and inspected him.  He fiddled with his belt and made sure he was holding his sword at precisely the correct angle.

Up close you can hardly tell the gigantic London Eye is moving, but it moves surprisingly fast.  It provided amazing views of the city; it was a unique perspective.