So I've kind of given up on really doing a full recap of the rest of my time in London, though I may go back and do a brief overview of Thanksgiving, Finals/everyone leaving and the Amsterdam, Berlin and Prague but for now lets stick to current events.
I went to the Inauguration today! Muhlenberg sent down four buses to DC to see the Inauguration and thanks to somebody signing me up I was able to be on one (even though sign ups were when I was in London).
We left around 2ish this morning and had no problem going down because we got there around 6ish. A couple of us grabbed breakfast near where we parked and then headed down following our map and the handful of other people all moving in the same direction that early.
Even though people keep telling me I've been to DC before I barely remember ever being there in the main DC monument section (I know I was there for Melissas wedding but we didn't go sight seeing) with all the stuff so when we could see the Washington Monument I got pretty excited. We continued to follow the crowds past the monument and to and through the Mall where we walked up as far as we could before the crowd was dense. We were able to move up little bits throughout the course of the day but for the most part we were by the 2nd big Jumbotron. We could see the dome of the Capital from where we were ironically enough the first big Jumbotron blocked where everyone was sitting and where the ceremony took place.
They played the concert from a couple of nights ago on the screens before the pre-ceremony stuff started. I think we must have been in the singing section because people around us were singing but if you looked elsewhere everyone else was pretty sedate. The concert kept everyone in high spirits which pretty much lasted all day. It was really a well behaved crowd which is amazing when you realize how many people were there but there was very little pushing or shoving and no fights or anything which made for a great day.
Other than that it probably played out the way it did on TV because we watched most of it from the Jumbotrons. But it was his voice coming through the speakers and we could see the Capital and everything so I can still say I was there to witness history, which is something you rarely get to say.
Afterwards the crowds leaving were a little more ridiculous. There were 2 exits for the entire Mall with no signage or anything saying where they were just plenty of gates and borders saying where they weren't. Once we got out we didn't try and get to the parade 1-because we didn't know how long it would take to get back to the bus in the crowd and 2- because they said they had closed access to the parade route earlier in the day. We probably could have forced our way but instead we just headed back to the bus with the crowd which was a bit more rowdy but still extremely well behaved.
We got back to the bus around 2:30 and we had to be back by 3:30 so we got some hot food and sat on the bus and ate in the bus where it was warmer and less crowded. No traffic really coming back, got back in about 4 hours or so which was great. Now I'm just tired. But that's that!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Part III
Okay, since Emily's been in Hyderabad for like a week and is already about to surpass me in posts, and since I've been back on American soil for almost 3 weeks I should finish the recap even though I'm like 2 months behind...
So Stephen and I got to Florence. We went and found my hostel and then went to find Stephens restaurant. We had the address but it took us awhile to find it, we had to stop and ask a few times before we found someone who knew it. Eventually we find it right in the square with the Duomo (the giant cathedral in the middle of Florence) but it's not open for like another hour or something so we decided to wander around a bit. While we were looking around we came across a group of high school aged kids parading around with pots and pans and stuff. Bari had mentioned something about the Italian government upping the cost of university or actually making them pay for university (imagine?) and that the Italian students were upset and protesting which is what we came across. We eventually were able to ask one of them what they were doing and they explained what Bari had told us and they were upset because they had to pay 5000 euro or something like that which converted is like 10000 dollars or less...we had no sympathy for them but we wished them luck.
We went back to the restaurant and sat down. There was one waiter and he was also the owner and was also kind of pushy. He had a recommendation for everything and he expected you to take it. The food was good we got a tortelloni and a risotto as a starter and the tortelloni was really really good and the meal was also really good. Afterwards I headed back to the hostel and he went back to the train station to get back to Rome to fly home in the morning.
When I got back to the hostel the other girls in the room were awake and we started talking. One of the girls was American and the other two I think were Malaysian and one of them spoke really good English. This was also election night so we were talking about all sorts of election stuff and me and the other American girl decided to go find a bar with election results. We found one that had CNN on so we hung out for a bit watching it until they started playing guitar hero. They still had a couple of TVs with it on but it wasn't until about like 11 or so that results started coming in at which point it was just Indiana and Kentucky or something like that. We decided to head back because I was tired and she was hungry. She also had a blackberry with full internet so she could keep up with the results.
The next morning after waking up and hearing that Obama won, I went to find breakfast before Bari got in and then wandered around and found a big market that had all sorts of cool stuff and leather bags and jackets etc.. Met up with Bari outside the Duomo and then we went through the market and bought things. I got a bag a Tshirt and a pashmina and Bari got a bunch of scarves and a pashmina and some other stuff.
We grabbed lunch and then went over to the Duomo to take some pictures. I was looking at the Baptistry door when I head "Julie! Bari!" I turn around and see Alex, Brittany, and Jack! It was so exciting, we knew we would be in Florence at about the same time but we had no real precise plans to meet up, except with Jack because we were all flying home together. So we took pictures and then split up again, they were all going inside the Duomo and I was heading towards the Uffizzi.
The Uffizzi had like 1/2 of my Art History class in it including Cimabue, Jesus Slips, Botticelli and so much other stuff I'd learned about. It was also cool because there was an Art History class going around and having class in front of the actual paintings, I was kind of jealous.
I met up again with Bari and Jack, and after wandering around for a bit more headed off to Venice.
Turns out our hostel was farther away than we thought. We got there easily enough and once we got to our cabin it started pouring and thundering. The next morning though it was beautiful and we headed out to explore Venice. We did a lot of walking around and shopping. Bari had made a rule that we couldn't buy anything till about 1 so that we weren't buying everything we saw. Jack was on a mission to find a decanter for Ariel, she ended up finding two that she liked but decided on a clear one with pink and green flowers on it.
We headed back to the main train station where we picked up a taxi that went around Venice *it was a lot cheaper than a gondolla* we ended up getting on right as the sun was starting to set so we got a great view of the canals and everything as it was getting dark.
When we got back we got a last meal in Italy before heading out the the airport.
Everyone we asked and everything we looked at said "the airport" which made us think that there was just one. So we took the bus to the airport and when we got there didn't see anything that said Easy Jet. Anywhere. At this point we got suspicious that we had messed up and went to ask at information. You guessed it, we were at the wrong airport. So we asked how to get to the other one and they said we had to take a cab. Jack was afraid she didn't have enough money but we covered it because we didn't have a choice. So we get down to Ground Transportation and theres one cab. So we take it and rush to the airport and get through but the flight takes awhile for whatever reason. But we get home safe and sound and that was reading week!
So Stephen and I got to Florence. We went and found my hostel and then went to find Stephens restaurant. We had the address but it took us awhile to find it, we had to stop and ask a few times before we found someone who knew it. Eventually we find it right in the square with the Duomo (the giant cathedral in the middle of Florence) but it's not open for like another hour or something so we decided to wander around a bit. While we were looking around we came across a group of high school aged kids parading around with pots and pans and stuff. Bari had mentioned something about the Italian government upping the cost of university or actually making them pay for university (imagine?) and that the Italian students were upset and protesting which is what we came across. We eventually were able to ask one of them what they were doing and they explained what Bari had told us and they were upset because they had to pay 5000 euro or something like that which converted is like 10000 dollars or less...we had no sympathy for them but we wished them luck.
We went back to the restaurant and sat down. There was one waiter and he was also the owner and was also kind of pushy. He had a recommendation for everything and he expected you to take it. The food was good we got a tortelloni and a risotto as a starter and the tortelloni was really really good and the meal was also really good. Afterwards I headed back to the hostel and he went back to the train station to get back to Rome to fly home in the morning.
When I got back to the hostel the other girls in the room were awake and we started talking. One of the girls was American and the other two I think were Malaysian and one of them spoke really good English. This was also election night so we were talking about all sorts of election stuff and me and the other American girl decided to go find a bar with election results. We found one that had CNN on so we hung out for a bit watching it until they started playing guitar hero. They still had a couple of TVs with it on but it wasn't until about like 11 or so that results started coming in at which point it was just Indiana and Kentucky or something like that. We decided to head back because I was tired and she was hungry. She also had a blackberry with full internet so she could keep up with the results.
The next morning after waking up and hearing that Obama won, I went to find breakfast before Bari got in and then wandered around and found a big market that had all sorts of cool stuff and leather bags and jackets etc.. Met up with Bari outside the Duomo and then we went through the market and bought things. I got a bag a Tshirt and a pashmina and Bari got a bunch of scarves and a pashmina and some other stuff.
We grabbed lunch and then went over to the Duomo to take some pictures. I was looking at the Baptistry door when I head "Julie! Bari!" I turn around and see Alex, Brittany, and Jack! It was so exciting, we knew we would be in Florence at about the same time but we had no real precise plans to meet up, except with Jack because we were all flying home together. So we took pictures and then split up again, they were all going inside the Duomo and I was heading towards the Uffizzi.
The Uffizzi had like 1/2 of my Art History class in it including Cimabue, Jesus Slips, Botticelli and so much other stuff I'd learned about. It was also cool because there was an Art History class going around and having class in front of the actual paintings, I was kind of jealous.
I met up again with Bari and Jack, and after wandering around for a bit more headed off to Venice.
Turns out our hostel was farther away than we thought. We got there easily enough and once we got to our cabin it started pouring and thundering. The next morning though it was beautiful and we headed out to explore Venice. We did a lot of walking around and shopping. Bari had made a rule that we couldn't buy anything till about 1 so that we weren't buying everything we saw. Jack was on a mission to find a decanter for Ariel, she ended up finding two that she liked but decided on a clear one with pink and green flowers on it.
We headed back to the main train station where we picked up a taxi that went around Venice *it was a lot cheaper than a gondolla* we ended up getting on right as the sun was starting to set so we got a great view of the canals and everything as it was getting dark.
When we got back we got a last meal in Italy before heading out the the airport.
Everyone we asked and everything we looked at said "the airport" which made us think that there was just one. So we took the bus to the airport and when we got there didn't see anything that said Easy Jet. Anywhere. At this point we got suspicious that we had messed up and went to ask at information. You guessed it, we were at the wrong airport. So we asked how to get to the other one and they said we had to take a cab. Jack was afraid she didn't have enough money but we covered it because we didn't have a choice. So we get down to Ground Transportation and theres one cab. So we take it and rush to the airport and get through but the flight takes awhile for whatever reason. But we get home safe and sound and that was reading week!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Part II
Okay so I think I left off with leaving for Rome.
We got up really early on Monday to catch an early bus to the airport to catch our 8ish flight I think. The trains didn't start running until 5:00 which was fine, it would be close but fine. We get to the train station and the first train doesnt get to us until 5:30. Crap. So we panic slightly but decide that we'll have to just rush as much as we can. So after 2 trains we get to the bus station and catch a bus to the airport. We make it there with plenty of time and check in etc and have an uneventful wait for the plane as well as an uneventful plane ride.
We land in Rome around 9 or 10, and catch a bus to the city. Luckily, when I was in Rome in January our hotel was near the Termini Station where the bus let us off so I knew how to get around from there. Rome was significantly less nerve wracking to get to since I'd been there before which was pretty convenient. The directions to our hostel were pretty straight forward and while it was a decent walk it wasn't too bad, though we found out after we could've taken the metro just as easily.
Our hostel was really nice, it was in an apartment building on the ground floor so it was a really nice set up. This was the plan for Rome:
We would be there for 2 nights, each night with 5 people BUT Monday night would be Carolina, Nick, Stephen, Mike and I. Carolina Nick and Mike would be in Rome until Wednesday when they would move on to Venice. Stephen had to get back to London on Wednesday because his family was coming to visit but he wanted to do Florence for a little bit while in Italy because it's one of his favorite places. So the plan was that I would go to Florence with Stephen Tuesday afternoon and we'd walk around a bit get dinner and chill out. Stephen would then go back to Rome because he was flying out of Rome and because I was going to do Florence on Wed. anyway I got a room in a hostel and stayed the night rather than going back and forth. Meanwhile back in Rome, Felicia was getting into Rome Tuesday night and she would take my place in the hostel. We talked to the hostel before hand to make sure this was cool, and it was. To bare you any undo suspense, the plan worked.
So after getting our stuff dropped in the hostel they gave us a map with the primary stuff to see so we headed out to see what we could. Turned out our hostel was right down the block from the Spanish Steps, not the bottom though, the top, which gave us a great view since we were on top of the Steps. We obviously then got down and took pictures. After that we headed in the general direction of the Villa Bourghesie. On the way we passed through this random piazza (you know like you do in Rome) and were harassed by men selling flowers but basically scamming you. We basically ended up with like 9 roses between the 5 of us. We continued on our way and on the way Nick decided he wanted to play with couples and just give them roses, take their picture and move on. It was actually really nice. We passed this one group of teennagers who were all kind of arguing etc and Nick just went up to them and offered them roses and at first they were like no leave us alone and he was like no here, no charge have a nice day and they all started laughing and smiling and took pictures with Nick.
We got lost for a bit walking through the park but it was a really pretty park so it was okay. Turned out when we got there that the museum was closed because it was a Monday so we headed back towards the center of Rome with the destination of the Trevi Fountain because it was easy to get to and it got us closer to everything and it was better than just wandering. So we got there, took pictures made wishes. Ran into more rose selling people and blew them off. Afterwards we headed started doing more of a wandering type thing, we had the map which gave us an idea of where we were and what we wanted to see etc... In the end we ended up seeing the Pantheon, Piazza Nuvona, Campo di Fiori, and probably a ton of other places I can't remember. We passed through Largo de Argentina which was kind of cool because thats where Sam and I hung out a lot in January because it was the one place we figured out how to get to and it had a lot of stores and such. While we were in Campo di Fiori we ran into this clown lady that was handing out hand made post cards with random information on them. She told us all about this church near by that had a painting by Carvaggio in it that she loved very much and so we decided to stop in.
The painting was a Madonna with Child and the painter had used his lover as the model for the Madonna which some people apparently didn't like (this is what she told us) so one day this man cut the womans face and disfigured her so Carvaggio then tried to kill the man and failed but was forced to leave Rome.
After a bit we headed back to the hostel and everyone sort of passed out for awhile since we'd been up since like 4. So finally aroun 5:30 or so, maybe later, we started thinking about dinner and asked at the desk about some place to eat. She told us about a place near the Spanish Steps which we decided to go in search for. We couldn't find it. We ended up at another little restraunt where we ate out on the street and all ate alot and got a dessert. Or two. After that we just went home and crashed.
Next day everyone headed to the Vatican which since I had just done in January I decided to venture off on my own. I had looked up where to find the catacombs since I'd never done those before. I found one that while it was kind of out of the way, seemed cool so I headed up to a small church called St. Agnes which involved walking for like 2 miles only to find out the catacombs were closed for construction or restoration or something. The church itself was still pretty cool and it was a cool little area to see.
I headed back in and met up with Bari who was just finishing the Colloseum and we grabbed some lunch and walked through Palatine Hill which is kind of like the Roman Forum but with less full structures and less important structures. We then went to the Forum for a bit before I left to get my stuff from the hostel and to meet Stephen at the train station to go to Florence.
We met there got a ticket and missed the train by like seconds, and then exchanged those tickets for the next fast train to Florence and made that one no problem.
Again, I'm going to cut it here because it's long enough and I have to go meet people for dinner. Stay tuned for the rest of reading week and a belated Thanksgiving update.
We got up really early on Monday to catch an early bus to the airport to catch our 8ish flight I think. The trains didn't start running until 5:00 which was fine, it would be close but fine. We get to the train station and the first train doesnt get to us until 5:30. Crap. So we panic slightly but decide that we'll have to just rush as much as we can. So after 2 trains we get to the bus station and catch a bus to the airport. We make it there with plenty of time and check in etc and have an uneventful wait for the plane as well as an uneventful plane ride.
We land in Rome around 9 or 10, and catch a bus to the city. Luckily, when I was in Rome in January our hotel was near the Termini Station where the bus let us off so I knew how to get around from there. Rome was significantly less nerve wracking to get to since I'd been there before which was pretty convenient. The directions to our hostel were pretty straight forward and while it was a decent walk it wasn't too bad, though we found out after we could've taken the metro just as easily.
Our hostel was really nice, it was in an apartment building on the ground floor so it was a really nice set up. This was the plan for Rome:
We would be there for 2 nights, each night with 5 people BUT Monday night would be Carolina, Nick, Stephen, Mike and I. Carolina Nick and Mike would be in Rome until Wednesday when they would move on to Venice. Stephen had to get back to London on Wednesday because his family was coming to visit but he wanted to do Florence for a little bit while in Italy because it's one of his favorite places. So the plan was that I would go to Florence with Stephen Tuesday afternoon and we'd walk around a bit get dinner and chill out. Stephen would then go back to Rome because he was flying out of Rome and because I was going to do Florence on Wed. anyway I got a room in a hostel and stayed the night rather than going back and forth. Meanwhile back in Rome, Felicia was getting into Rome Tuesday night and she would take my place in the hostel. We talked to the hostel before hand to make sure this was cool, and it was. To bare you any undo suspense, the plan worked.
So after getting our stuff dropped in the hostel they gave us a map with the primary stuff to see so we headed out to see what we could. Turned out our hostel was right down the block from the Spanish Steps, not the bottom though, the top, which gave us a great view since we were on top of the Steps. We obviously then got down and took pictures. After that we headed in the general direction of the Villa Bourghesie. On the way we passed through this random piazza (you know like you do in Rome) and were harassed by men selling flowers but basically scamming you. We basically ended up with like 9 roses between the 5 of us. We continued on our way and on the way Nick decided he wanted to play with couples and just give them roses, take their picture and move on. It was actually really nice. We passed this one group of teennagers who were all kind of arguing etc and Nick just went up to them and offered them roses and at first they were like no leave us alone and he was like no here, no charge have a nice day and they all started laughing and smiling and took pictures with Nick.
We got lost for a bit walking through the park but it was a really pretty park so it was okay. Turned out when we got there that the museum was closed because it was a Monday so we headed back towards the center of Rome with the destination of the Trevi Fountain because it was easy to get to and it got us closer to everything and it was better than just wandering. So we got there, took pictures made wishes. Ran into more rose selling people and blew them off. Afterwards we headed started doing more of a wandering type thing, we had the map which gave us an idea of where we were and what we wanted to see etc... In the end we ended up seeing the Pantheon, Piazza Nuvona, Campo di Fiori, and probably a ton of other places I can't remember. We passed through Largo de Argentina which was kind of cool because thats where Sam and I hung out a lot in January because it was the one place we figured out how to get to and it had a lot of stores and such. While we were in Campo di Fiori we ran into this clown lady that was handing out hand made post cards with random information on them. She told us all about this church near by that had a painting by Carvaggio in it that she loved very much and so we decided to stop in.
The painting was a Madonna with Child and the painter had used his lover as the model for the Madonna which some people apparently didn't like (this is what she told us) so one day this man cut the womans face and disfigured her so Carvaggio then tried to kill the man and failed but was forced to leave Rome.
After a bit we headed back to the hostel and everyone sort of passed out for awhile since we'd been up since like 4. So finally aroun 5:30 or so, maybe later, we started thinking about dinner and asked at the desk about some place to eat. She told us about a place near the Spanish Steps which we decided to go in search for. We couldn't find it. We ended up at another little restraunt where we ate out on the street and all ate alot and got a dessert. Or two. After that we just went home and crashed.
Next day everyone headed to the Vatican which since I had just done in January I decided to venture off on my own. I had looked up where to find the catacombs since I'd never done those before. I found one that while it was kind of out of the way, seemed cool so I headed up to a small church called St. Agnes which involved walking for like 2 miles only to find out the catacombs were closed for construction or restoration or something. The church itself was still pretty cool and it was a cool little area to see.
I headed back in and met up with Bari who was just finishing the Colloseum and we grabbed some lunch and walked through Palatine Hill which is kind of like the Roman Forum but with less full structures and less important structures. We then went to the Forum for a bit before I left to get my stuff from the hostel and to meet Stephen at the train station to go to Florence.
We met there got a ticket and missed the train by like seconds, and then exchanged those tickets for the next fast train to Florence and made that one no problem.
Again, I'm going to cut it here because it's long enough and I have to go meet people for dinner. Stay tuned for the rest of reading week and a belated Thanksgiving update.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Ok, get comfortable we have a lot to cover...
So since the last post a lot has happened. Starting the week before reading week...
A while ago, Nelle, Sam (nelles flatmate from washington), and I sat down and figured out what we wanted to do and see while we were here. We found 7 pound tickets to La Cage aux Folles. The show was awesome and by the end I really really liked it. As we walked out it was pouring, really heavily and it almost looked liek snow. It was almost sleety. Then it became sleety. Then it became snow. Which was really exciting! It didn't last very long but it was still fun while it lasted.
Next night was A Disappearing Number with the London Theatre class which was about how if you add up all the numbers between 0 and infinity it comes out to -1/12. It has a whole other way of looking at math as artistic and beautiful which was kind of nice. Outside of that the story was really convoluted but at the same time nice enough.
The next night, Thursday, Mike and I went into the city to wander around and got quick tickets for Blood Brothers. It was good in a different way, but totally quintessentially English. It's about two brothers separated at birth and they grow up as best friends and then die together. Not great in the Broadway sense of great but still impressive.
The next day after class I speed packed and Carolina, Nick, Stephen, Mike and I left for the airport to get to Barcelona. We got to the airport no problem, went to grab dinner and then Nick realizes he doesn't have his passport with him. He had it before but its not there now. So he tells us to go catch the plane and hes going to check the lost and found and security. So we all get on the plane and as Mike and I are sitting there contemplating how Nick could not be freaking out over losing his passport and wondering if we'd find him again before getting back to London we looked up and see Nick getting on the plane into a seat.
After an uneventful flight we landed in Girona and took the bus all the way to Barcelona (only about an hour). We then took a cab to our hostel which ended up being on a really big hill/ in a park a short train ride outside of the central city. It was pretty late by the time we got there so we grabbed a bag of chips and went to bed.
The next morning we took the metro into Barcelona and started by walking down Las Ramblas which is really just a street that leads from the center of town down to the water with a lot of stands and street performers along the way. At the end of the street was a bus tour ticket booth so we got a 2 day pass which would get us around the city and tell us what to see. We started with going to the beach and taking a little bit to be at the Mediterranean before grabbing a quick snack at McDonalds and getting back on the bus.
The next stop was a Chocolate Museum. Your ticket was a bar of chocolate and it sort of gave you some information about the history of chocolate but mostly was all about chocolate sculptures including a white chocolate gorilla and a Milk Chocolate Pieta. We walked around the area a bit which was still beautiful and found a Picasso Museum that we decided to explore. Most of us weren't really Picasso fans but it wasn't the biggest museum so we decided it was worth the time and it was. I think everyone found something they liked and the way the museum was set up was more chronological than most which gave you the chance to see the whole progression and how his style developed.
Afterwards we headed toward a Gaudi house that we'd found in a coupon booklet that came with our tour. The house was called Casa Batllo. The house had been renovated by Gaudi and was totally inspired by the ocean and sea life and stuff. It was awesome and beautiful. The coolest part was that he did it with no plans. He had drawings and a model but no real plans. There were also no straight lines and he'd figure out arch ways by holding a chain upside down and seeing how it fell. It was brilliant.
We got back on the bus and finished the loop for the day so we could see the rest of Barcelona and get a view of Barcelona at night. We ended up back on Las Ramblas to get dinner and then headed home.
The next day it was pouring and windy. So we picked up the bus again to do a different loop. We got off at Sagrada Familia which is a Cathedral that was designed by Gaudi but has yet to be completed. It was insane. The outsides far more completed than the inside with tons of spires and just a lot of really cool images going on. The back had all the stations of the cross while the front had the whole nativity and the creation story going on with all the animals.
The rest of the bus tour was less interesting because it was pouring so we couldnt sit on top to see everything and it wasnt as entertaining. We eventually got off for a late lunch and then walked down towards the water again where the aquarium was. After a lot of debate we hit up the aquarium and saw cool penguins who thought we were going to feed them, a giant stingray and went through this tunnel where the sharks and other fish all swam around you. We also got to see an octopus or two up close which was really cool.
Afterwards we walked around the mall that was right next door, got coffee and just sat out on the porch and talked. It was a nice ending.
The next morning we headed to Rome. Check back for that update because I think this is pretty long already and there are still three more cities to do before we're back in London. Stay tuned!
A while ago, Nelle, Sam (nelles flatmate from washington), and I sat down and figured out what we wanted to do and see while we were here. We found 7 pound tickets to La Cage aux Folles. The show was awesome and by the end I really really liked it. As we walked out it was pouring, really heavily and it almost looked liek snow. It was almost sleety. Then it became sleety. Then it became snow. Which was really exciting! It didn't last very long but it was still fun while it lasted.
Next night was A Disappearing Number with the London Theatre class which was about how if you add up all the numbers between 0 and infinity it comes out to -1/12. It has a whole other way of looking at math as artistic and beautiful which was kind of nice. Outside of that the story was really convoluted but at the same time nice enough.
The next night, Thursday, Mike and I went into the city to wander around and got quick tickets for Blood Brothers. It was good in a different way, but totally quintessentially English. It's about two brothers separated at birth and they grow up as best friends and then die together. Not great in the Broadway sense of great but still impressive.
The next day after class I speed packed and Carolina, Nick, Stephen, Mike and I left for the airport to get to Barcelona. We got to the airport no problem, went to grab dinner and then Nick realizes he doesn't have his passport with him. He had it before but its not there now. So he tells us to go catch the plane and hes going to check the lost and found and security. So we all get on the plane and as Mike and I are sitting there contemplating how Nick could not be freaking out over losing his passport and wondering if we'd find him again before getting back to London we looked up and see Nick getting on the plane into a seat.
After an uneventful flight we landed in Girona and took the bus all the way to Barcelona (only about an hour). We then took a cab to our hostel which ended up being on a really big hill/ in a park a short train ride outside of the central city. It was pretty late by the time we got there so we grabbed a bag of chips and went to bed.
The next morning we took the metro into Barcelona and started by walking down Las Ramblas which is really just a street that leads from the center of town down to the water with a lot of stands and street performers along the way. At the end of the street was a bus tour ticket booth so we got a 2 day pass which would get us around the city and tell us what to see. We started with going to the beach and taking a little bit to be at the Mediterranean before grabbing a quick snack at McDonalds and getting back on the bus.
The next stop was a Chocolate Museum. Your ticket was a bar of chocolate and it sort of gave you some information about the history of chocolate but mostly was all about chocolate sculptures including a white chocolate gorilla and a Milk Chocolate Pieta. We walked around the area a bit which was still beautiful and found a Picasso Museum that we decided to explore. Most of us weren't really Picasso fans but it wasn't the biggest museum so we decided it was worth the time and it was. I think everyone found something they liked and the way the museum was set up was more chronological than most which gave you the chance to see the whole progression and how his style developed.
Afterwards we headed toward a Gaudi house that we'd found in a coupon booklet that came with our tour. The house was called Casa Batllo. The house had been renovated by Gaudi and was totally inspired by the ocean and sea life and stuff. It was awesome and beautiful. The coolest part was that he did it with no plans. He had drawings and a model but no real plans. There were also no straight lines and he'd figure out arch ways by holding a chain upside down and seeing how it fell. It was brilliant.
We got back on the bus and finished the loop for the day so we could see the rest of Barcelona and get a view of Barcelona at night. We ended up back on Las Ramblas to get dinner and then headed home.
The next day it was pouring and windy. So we picked up the bus again to do a different loop. We got off at Sagrada Familia which is a Cathedral that was designed by Gaudi but has yet to be completed. It was insane. The outsides far more completed than the inside with tons of spires and just a lot of really cool images going on. The back had all the stations of the cross while the front had the whole nativity and the creation story going on with all the animals.
The rest of the bus tour was less interesting because it was pouring so we couldnt sit on top to see everything and it wasnt as entertaining. We eventually got off for a late lunch and then walked down towards the water again where the aquarium was. After a lot of debate we hit up the aquarium and saw cool penguins who thought we were going to feed them, a giant stingray and went through this tunnel where the sharks and other fish all swam around you. We also got to see an octopus or two up close which was really cool.
Afterwards we walked around the mall that was right next door, got coffee and just sat out on the porch and talked. It was a nice ending.
The next morning we headed to Rome. Check back for that update because I think this is pretty long already and there are still three more cities to do before we're back in London. Stay tuned!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Scotland!
So Friday night we left for Scotland. After a close call getting to the airport before check in closed we flew to Glasgow and landed at like 10 or 11. Everything was pretty much closed so we just walked down the main street near our hostel, grabbed some fast food and saw a little bit of Glasgow at night. We went to bed early since we were leaving early the next day to catch a train to Inverness.
The train ride (albeit 3 hours long) was beautiful. It went through the countryside and little villages and hills and past sheep and lots of green. We actually saw a couple of rainbows on the way which was really cool. The trees were changing so even though it took up a large portion of our day it was worth it.
We got to Inverness around 2ish. Its a cute town with some old buildings we grabbed some lunch to go and got a cab to the lake (Loch Ness) and Urquhart Castle. The castle itself was burned by the owners to avoid an attack years ago so all thats left is ruins but it's still a great spot. While we were on the way it had rained a bit there and by the time we were leaving there were two rainbows spanning the entire width of the lake in a full arch. It was perfect, it made it worth the 6 hours on a train.
We got back to Stirling where we were staying for the night to get dinner and hang out. We went to an American resteraunt which had a lot of Tex Mex stuff, but it was the only place still serving food. It was surprisingly good and it was a nice break from the train. Our waiter asked if anyone like baseball and when I said I did he said I better not be a Red Sox fan which was problematic since I categorize myself as anti-Yankee which makes me a Red Sox fan by dis-association. He was a funny scotsman though.
We went to a pub afterwards where this Scottish woman with a really thick accent started talking to us and cursing the English and teaching my friend Nick a lot of curses and slang, she was very drunk and very crazy.
Our second hostel was really nice. It was called the Willy Wallace (william wallace braveheart). We hung out and people watched in the main lounge a bit but then went to bed.
The next day we split up. Bari, Nelle, Stephen and I went straight to Edinburgh which was an hour away and the rest of the group went to Doune Castle which is the Monty Python Castle. We met up with Stephen and Bari's friend Amy who's studying at the University of Edinburgh. She gave us a mini tour of Old Town and we dropped our backpacks at her dorm. On the way we passed the Elephant House which is where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter (we went back for dinner later). We then walked up to Edinburgh Castle which was the castle for Mary Queen of Scots and James I/VII. The view from the castle was, again, gorgeous. We left as it was pouring and headed to lunch.
One of Amy's friends had recommended a pub that was actually an Irish Pub but apparently had good food. Stephen, Nelle and I had already decided we had to try Haggis despite the unpleasant thoughts of what it actually was so Nelle and I split a plate of "Haggis Nips and Mash" (Haggis, parsnips and mashed potatoes) and Stephen had his own. It was soooo good. It had this cream sauce that was also very good. Also at the pub was a rugby match on TV and along with it many rugby fans in the pub which was entertaining, especially when the guy behind us would yell at the TV "HIT HIM"
After that we went to the royal mile and got souvenir stuff before meeting up with everyone else. Once we met up we went to a hill/park at the other end of the Royal Mile and walked to the top and got another amazing view of Edinburgh and another rainbow.
The train ride (albeit 3 hours long) was beautiful. It went through the countryside and little villages and hills and past sheep and lots of green. We actually saw a couple of rainbows on the way which was really cool. The trees were changing so even though it took up a large portion of our day it was worth it.
We got to Inverness around 2ish. Its a cute town with some old buildings we grabbed some lunch to go and got a cab to the lake (Loch Ness) and Urquhart Castle. The castle itself was burned by the owners to avoid an attack years ago so all thats left is ruins but it's still a great spot. While we were on the way it had rained a bit there and by the time we were leaving there were two rainbows spanning the entire width of the lake in a full arch. It was perfect, it made it worth the 6 hours on a train.
We got back to Stirling where we were staying for the night to get dinner and hang out. We went to an American resteraunt which had a lot of Tex Mex stuff, but it was the only place still serving food. It was surprisingly good and it was a nice break from the train. Our waiter asked if anyone like baseball and when I said I did he said I better not be a Red Sox fan which was problematic since I categorize myself as anti-Yankee which makes me a Red Sox fan by dis-association. He was a funny scotsman though.
We went to a pub afterwards where this Scottish woman with a really thick accent started talking to us and cursing the English and teaching my friend Nick a lot of curses and slang, she was very drunk and very crazy.
Our second hostel was really nice. It was called the Willy Wallace (william wallace braveheart). We hung out and people watched in the main lounge a bit but then went to bed.
The next day we split up. Bari, Nelle, Stephen and I went straight to Edinburgh which was an hour away and the rest of the group went to Doune Castle which is the Monty Python Castle. We met up with Stephen and Bari's friend Amy who's studying at the University of Edinburgh. She gave us a mini tour of Old Town and we dropped our backpacks at her dorm. On the way we passed the Elephant House which is where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter (we went back for dinner later). We then walked up to Edinburgh Castle which was the castle for Mary Queen of Scots and James I/VII. The view from the castle was, again, gorgeous. We left as it was pouring and headed to lunch.
One of Amy's friends had recommended a pub that was actually an Irish Pub but apparently had good food. Stephen, Nelle and I had already decided we had to try Haggis despite the unpleasant thoughts of what it actually was so Nelle and I split a plate of "Haggis Nips and Mash" (Haggis, parsnips and mashed potatoes) and Stephen had his own. It was soooo good. It had this cream sauce that was also very good. Also at the pub was a rugby match on TV and along with it many rugby fans in the pub which was entertaining, especially when the guy behind us would yell at the TV "HIT HIM"
After that we went to the royal mile and got souvenir stuff before meeting up with everyone else. Once we met up we went to a hill/park at the other end of the Royal Mile and walked to the top and got another amazing view of Edinburgh and another rainbow.
We then walked around that area and saw the current Queens palace (Queen of England) but didn't go inside though I'm now thinking about doing the Buckhingham Palace tour. We then walked up back to our hostel after getting our bags. Some people went on a short underground tour of the vaults where there were a bunch of murders and stuff. The rest of us just did dinner and then got a couple of drinks and hung out in the lounge and talked.
We flew back early this morning before our classes. It was over all a really good trip, I'd post pictures here but theres alot to show.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Classes
SOoo
I just finished my 2nd week of classes and it's been interesting.
Culture and Performance: Not my first choice of a class but it turns out to be pretty interesting. The main question of the first class was what is culture and can you have a personal culture? (the eventual question to the second being a no). This past week we looked at sports and how audiences/spectators react. It's a heavily based discussion class which makes it really interesting because its not just a lecture... Next week is Indigenous Australian Theatre which should be interesting out of sheer randomness.
Elements of Theatre History-Irish Theatre: The first day was okay. The teacher I think knows a lot but doesn't know how to teach it. He asks questions about the reading and stuff like that but he mumbles alot and he's not captivating in anyway that you can follow his train of thought or tell what is important and whats just an anecdote about the author. Hopefully it will improve or I may go crazy. It should get more interesting because we're looking at the revolutionary period between 1890 and 1926 so their should hopefully be some more compelling discussions.
That covers Monday and Tuesday. Their my only really heavy academic classes and their not even that heavy.
London Theatre: This class isn't until 4 o'clock on Wed. which is nice because then I have all day to explore or catch up on work. The class itself is cool since all we do is spend an hour discussing what we saw last week and then go see a show that night. First week we saw Brief Encounter which was aaamazing in every aspect. It's based on a movie which is based on a play so I highly recommend the show or the movie. This week was a show called Mine that was about this successful couple who couldn't have a baby so they were fostering a baby whose mother was an alcoholic/drug addict/ prostitute who was going into rehab and then left and essentially lost rights to the baby but the foster mother had issues wth her mother and started questioning who really has rights to this baby. It had good aspects of it but it wasn't overwhelmingly good.
Shakespeare's London: It's crazy. The professor's a little whacky. Some of the quotes from this class so far include:
(While discussing Ptolemy's view of the universe) "And we'll call this one the Super Bowl and play Baseball in it once a year"
"Five is the magic number; does anybody have a banana in the room?"
We're starting with Two Gentlemen of Verona and then looking at Richard II, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet and Jew of Malta (not shakespeare) we're also taking trips to stratford upon avon and such. It's a fun class.
So far my friends and I have booked a trip to Scotland for next weekend and soon to be booked should be Spain and Italy for reading week (beginning of November) and Dublin and tons of other stuff.
Thats been about it so far.
This afternoon I think I'm going into central to walk around but who knows...
I just finished my 2nd week of classes and it's been interesting.
Culture and Performance: Not my first choice of a class but it turns out to be pretty interesting. The main question of the first class was what is culture and can you have a personal culture? (the eventual question to the second being a no). This past week we looked at sports and how audiences/spectators react. It's a heavily based discussion class which makes it really interesting because its not just a lecture... Next week is Indigenous Australian Theatre which should be interesting out of sheer randomness.
Elements of Theatre History-Irish Theatre: The first day was okay. The teacher I think knows a lot but doesn't know how to teach it. He asks questions about the reading and stuff like that but he mumbles alot and he's not captivating in anyway that you can follow his train of thought or tell what is important and whats just an anecdote about the author. Hopefully it will improve or I may go crazy. It should get more interesting because we're looking at the revolutionary period between 1890 and 1926 so their should hopefully be some more compelling discussions.
That covers Monday and Tuesday. Their my only really heavy academic classes and their not even that heavy.
London Theatre: This class isn't until 4 o'clock on Wed. which is nice because then I have all day to explore or catch up on work. The class itself is cool since all we do is spend an hour discussing what we saw last week and then go see a show that night. First week we saw Brief Encounter which was aaamazing in every aspect. It's based on a movie which is based on a play so I highly recommend the show or the movie. This week was a show called Mine that was about this successful couple who couldn't have a baby so they were fostering a baby whose mother was an alcoholic/drug addict/ prostitute who was going into rehab and then left and essentially lost rights to the baby but the foster mother had issues wth her mother and started questioning who really has rights to this baby. It had good aspects of it but it wasn't overwhelmingly good.
Shakespeare's London: It's crazy. The professor's a little whacky. Some of the quotes from this class so far include:
(While discussing Ptolemy's view of the universe) "And we'll call this one the Super Bowl and play Baseball in it once a year"
"Five is the magic number; does anybody have a banana in the room?"
We're starting with Two Gentlemen of Verona and then looking at Richard II, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet and Jew of Malta (not shakespeare) we're also taking trips to stratford upon avon and such. It's a fun class.
So far my friends and I have booked a trip to Scotland for next weekend and soon to be booked should be Spain and Italy for reading week (beginning of November) and Dublin and tons of other stuff.
Thats been about it so far.
This afternoon I think I'm going into central to walk around but who knows...
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