Je t'aime, Paris

Oh, how I wish I could go back. The weather was perfect. Everything we saw was gorgeous, and all of the people were so sweet. We took the Eurostar train early in the morning and after a short 2 hour trip (Modesto to Napa!) we were in PARIS, FRANCE. Instantly I could feel the different culture. There was suddenly a language barrier that wasn't there before, and a romantic aura about the city that is so unique to this "city of love".

The first day Kennedy, Tiffany, and I bonded. We made our first stop at the Lauderee pastry shop and each tried a famous French macaroon. So rich and delicious!  
Check out Paris on Pinterest...you'll see the brand.
Then we walked on to the Arc de Triomphe, which is the center of the city. It looked like it would be SO tall, but we hiked to the top!

After that, we headed to the Eiffel. Paris food on the first day was not that great. For the record, the food places by the Eiffel Tower are just expensive and not very good. Super touristy. But the climb to the Tower was incredible. It is just as perfect as you have always imagined, and Paris is beautiful. I always heard it was dirty and smelly, but that was not my experience at all! We went on a cute boat ride at dusk on the Seine river. At 10:00 pm every night, the majestic tower lights up and flashes in the night...just like the fireworks I hoped (unrealistically, of course) to see. This light show wasn't even expected so it was a lovely surprise! Dreams do come true.

Hanging on the Eiffel..nbd

FIREWORKS

Day 2: One of the best days I've ever had in my life. and that is not a joke. It was warm, started off early with a tour of the St. Chapelle church (most stunning stained glass walls you will ever see) and the Notre Dame cathedral, then turned into an adventure of happy accidents. Natalie and I stumbled upon the lock bridge, a romantic place where couples write their names on a lock, lock it on the bridge, then throw the key away into the river. Right next to it was a sweet old man playing the guitar softly, and a group of locals just chillin. One of the boys was so adorable! He saw how excited we were and started dancing, holding out his hands. I couldn't resist, of course, so I began dancing with this cute French boy (probably about 15..haha) as Natalie recorded it. Luckily I didn't get pick-pocketed or anything!

The lock bridge! All shapes and sizes. So adorable.

Then we ate real, delicious crepes at a little crepe restaurant we found. Unreal. The Shakespeare and Co. bookstore was so cute. It was quaint, old, owned by a family that adores reading, and even had a little piano inside that people could play on. There were typewriters everywhere and many people wrote notes, hanging them up on the walls with their favorite quotes, messages, etc. Loved it.

Spencer, Kate, Kristen, Evan, Trent and I at Shakespeare and Co. 

 

 After a 2 hour excursion trying to find a place to eat (not the most perfect part of the day), we found FOOD. andddd...escargot. Scratch that off the bucket list...

Hey little guy...

 Day 3: Versailles and the Louvre Museum. The Louvre was very, very crowded, but each piece was beautiful. And to see the Mona Lisa in real life?! Who gets to actually do that? The lady is smaller than most people would think, but she's quite somethin...

Mona Lisa at the Louvre

 Versailles was the ultimate adventure. Natalie and I really wanted to go, but it wasn't technically on the schedule, so we went by ourselves. We had to budget our time, and luckily we figured out the Metro without getting lost! I am so glad we decided to go. These ceilings: exactly like Anastasia. It was a dream.

Once upon a December....

Then, on the way home I saw the sun was starting to set. Except it was setting on the side of the train that I wasn't sitting on! Call me crazy, but I said a little prayer that we would make a turn or something so I would be able to see it as we rode away from Paris. Prayer: answered. The Church is true.

Saying goodbye to Paris :(

One on One Dates

My blogging days have been few and far between lately, but...at least my journal writing is at its prime! In about 20 minutes, we are going to Bath, Jane Austen's house, and Stonehenge. The weather: rainy of course! So I'll just write about my wonderful symphony experience, and my Paris adventures will be more extensively documented soon.

Last Saturday night, a few of us went to an outdoor concert at Trafalgar Square put on by the London Symphony Orchestra. What's the difference between the LSO and the London Philharmonic? Not exactly sure, but when I searched top ten orchestras in the world (thinking that the Phil was one of them), turns out it was actually the LSO that was rated NUMBER FOUR in the world. Needless to say, I now want to see them as many times as possible before I leave.

Trafalgar Square was sweet. There's a countdown to the Olympics right in the middle, and the National Gallery is right behind it. We went into the Gallery yesterday and I absolutely loved it. That museum has been one of my favorites so far. It was free, not crowded, and designed so well. We saw Van Gogh, Monet, Da Vinci, and more. 

My favorite, Monet's The Water-Lily Pond. The original is beautiful!

Anyway, the outdoor concert was amazing, despite my limited view, and we heard pieces of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. They mentioned another concert on Tuesday (yesterday) that would feature more Stravinsky, along with the entire Rite of Spring work as a whole.

Yesterday, I bought my ticket. I feel bad dragging people along to all of these orchestra concerts with me, as I know it's not always the most exciting thing for those not partial to the classical music world. So, I went by myself. After I had made the purchase, it turned out that others would have been willing to go, but I was excited to spend some much needed one on one time with me. I successfully made it to the Barbican Theatre, took my seat (which was an absolutely lovely view), and was enthralled the entire time. That orchestra's sound is flawless. I've noticed the huge difference between good orchestra's, great orchestra's, and incredible orchestras...

My soul was filled. My goal this summer is to fall in love with music again. Being away from all those in the HFAC who love it as much as I do has been a good thing for me, as well as being in an environment where the public really appreciate it. It will be so hard to leave this place that offers world-class performances with such easy access.

I had quite the lovely evening with myself. I think this might be going somewhere..

So Stuck

Big Ben!

Mallory and I at Ronnie Scott's. So classy.

Right before Les Mis started...kinda cruddy pic, I know...

Our crew!

The cute celeb of the night...

The past few days have been amazing! We toured Westminster Abbey and saw where Will and Kate were married this time last year, as well as where legends like Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, and Handel are buried. The only sad thing about this week is the weather! It has been so misty and damp that it doesn't quite feel like the spring that I'm used to. But that is a very minor thing, of course. On our way to the Abbey, we saw the great Big Ben, and it is MASSIVE. It was in our face right as we exited the Tube stop and I didn't expect it to be as grand as it was. It is beautiful.

This has been the week of musicals and I have loved them all! Yesterday we went and saw Les Miserables, which I had never seen before. I have heard songs performed and many raving reviews for it, so I expected it to be great. And it most definitely was. The cast was flawless and I even lost it at the very end. There is so much symbolism and a perfect balance between instruction and entertainment in this musical (as we talked about today in class)! Our seats were great and it was very, very well done.

Tonight exceeded my expectations beyond anything I could imagine. A pretty small group of us went and saw Matilda, the musical. Not gonna lie, I wasn't too excited for this one because we have had crazy schedules and most people were staying home being productive with their homework. The thought of having a night to just relax and hang out with everyone became verry appealing, especially when I only had time for a 15 minute power-nap before we had to leave.
But.
IT WAS BEYOND WORTH IT.
I must say it was one of my favorite nights here so far. The cast was mainly kids, and they were incredible. I was laughing the entire time and kept exchanging comments/looks of amazement with Amanda, who was sitting next to me. We were blown away by the song arrangements, the caliber of talent in the kids who performed them, the choreography- and the accuracy of the kids, the fact that Miss Trunchbull was a MAN (and absolutely hilarious), the amazing set that was so colorful and fun, and just the overall environment of the show. I sat next to a mom and her sweet little girl who sat up straight and was extremely composed the entire time. The message of the play was very sweet and made me wish I was with my mom and my sisters and little Cecily who I know would adore it. I could go on and on about it. It got multiple 5 star reviews and I think it is well deserved.

Even better, as we were talking (loudly) about it in the Tube station on our way home, a little girl and her dad heard us and asked if we had just gone to the show. She then saw our program and pointed to her picture saying that she was in it! The cast wasn't huge, and we totally recognized her. We freaked!! She signed our programs and we got a picture...! I am so amazed by the talent that these kids have over here. The arts are so cultivated and give so many opportunities for their talents to shine. I am convinced that this little girl, and every other kid in that show tonight, will be famous. Coolest night ever.

A photo, please?

 Some of our group at the London Phil!

 Kennedy and I on our dream walk...

 Happy Birthday Shakespeare!

Set and ready for Twelfth Night

"Some are born great, some achieve greatness..."

Really though. Everyday I wake up and remind myself where I am...then I get really excited in my heart. I love everything about London- the accents, the little kids, how green it is, the rain, the sunshine, the Tube, the food, the old churches, the students....maybe not the prices of everything...but regardless, it is wonderful. 

Yesterday was the day of Shakespeare. We visited his birthplace, the Church of the Holy Trinity where he is buried with his wife, Anne Hathaway's birthplace, and we saw the Twelfth Night performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company. It was unreal. The entire day I couldn't help but think of good ol' Mr. Fredeking and all of those lectures at Beyer High about MacBeth and Hamlet. I remember he would always talk about different Shakespeare festivals that he went to while showing off his Shakespeare action figures and rubber duckies. I even got a little excited when I saw them in the souvenir shops. It made me miss those wonderful English teachers I had back in high school. So good. 

The cottages in Stratford-on-Avon are so quaint and adorable. Everything is lush and green, with light mists. It is perfect. There are flowers everywhere and there was even a sweet birthday card for Shakespeare that I signed!

I am also loving the little places where we eat. The desserts are divine and the restaurants are all so classy. I feel rather refined.

The performance of Twelfth Night was unlike anything I'd ever experienced before! At a professional level, I really felt like I was observing their reality. It was very well done, and not only did Sebastian look like he walked out of an H&M or JCrew magazine, he was HOT. mmm yeah. 

On Saturday, we saw the LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA. for £4. It was at the Royal Festival hall just south of the Thames river. It was actually really stressful because I had recruited a bunch of people (a BUNCH...I counted around 20) and had to coordinate tickets, meeting up, etc. Most of the students had never been to an orchestra concert before, and I was ecstatic. For Messiaen and the Beethoven Piano Concerto, I sat literally in the 3rd row right in front of the basses. It was a little off balance and the seats really weren't that good at all, but it still sounded wonderful. Plus, I got to see the soloists facial expressions verrry clearly. Then, for Tchaikovsky's 4th, I sat right in the front of the 2nd tier section. It was 100 times better and I got to see the orchestra as a whole. The way the sections moved together and blended was amazing. I teared up multiple times and felt the Spirit so strongly. I was reminded yet again why I am in love with my major, and with music. I found so much truth in the music performed that night. It made me miss my HFAC family and brought me joy to think of the adventures they are all having right now. How did I get so blessed to associate with such incredible people?! The power of music is real, and I feel humbled to have been able to scratch the surface of everything that's out there. 

Tonight Mallory and I are going to Ronnie Scott's jazz club while most of the group is going to see The Lion King, said to have made one of the largest contributions to jazz in the United Kingdom. I adore jazz and I cannot WAIT!

I have loved getting to know people individually each day that I've been here. Everyone's story is so inspiring, and I see a real family developing here in the Centre. A member of the local bishopric came to talk to our group for a little fireside and mainly talked about getting "stuck in". He talked about being so obsessed with opportunities that we lose ourselves in the adventure. I'm trying my hardest to soak it all up, and as I do that, I find that I am incredibly happy with every opportunity- big or small. 

I've been running 4 times, which is a miracle. Yesterday, my run was an amazing spiritual experience. It wasn't cloudy for the first time, and I saw the sun rising in Hyde Park. There were lakes with gorgeous ducks and swans swimming so peacefully. It was like I was jogging in a poem. I had my ipod on really soft so I could still hear birds in the background. I saw cute little dogs being walked, officials riding horses down the street, willow trees, statues, and elaborate fountains. There was zero trash, and everything looked very picturesque. At one point, I sat down on a bench by the lake and read some scriptures while I listened to hymns. It was beautiful. I am so blessed in every way.

I'll upload pictures later, but we're literally meeting RIGHT now to go to Hampton Court. I love my life.

Cathedral, Tower, Museum, Candy, GELATO

Blogging is starting to be put a on the back-burner a little bit, but I WILL PREVAIL and endure and press forward. You will stay informed! We started our classes and have an unreal amount of reading- read entire local newspaper for 8 days straight, read a few other newspapers (tabloid/magazine type), history book(s) readings, novel readings, packet readings. It's pretty intense and starting to be in the back of my mind. Not saying it necessarily gets done...still living the YOLO motto. No regrets, right?

The last two days we hit up:
St. Paul's Cathedral: We met outside this huge cathedral and had a guided tour inside (no pictures allowed). It was crazy to walk over the real graves of people on the bottom level. Contrast that with a 500+ stairs hike to the very very tip top of the cathedral- a special feature of our tour group- and you get the most gorgeous pictures of the entire city, plus a huge, losing battle with the wind.

Our cute group- Mallory (laying down in the front) looks wayy happy.

 View from the top. Can't wait to see the London Eye up close!

 Later that night, we went exploring again. We didn't get lost, but we did have quite the experience trying different candies at a little candy vendor in Whiteley's Mall. Among them: Turkish Delight (like Edmund's favorite in Lion, Witch & Wardrobe). Nastiest candy. Texture, taste, all sick.

 Later, later that night, a group of girls went to a pub nearby and tried the sticky toffee pudding that was recommended to us by Professor Nick's 12 year old daughter, Anna. She said it was her fav so we gave it a try! It tasted way better than it looks, especially with the side of ice cream. I'm not a huge fan of the dates that were embedded in the cake..but we loved the pub. My bunk mate, Mackenzie (far right) and I were obsessed with the live entertainment. We hardcore creeped on the English guy playing covers on his guitar. He loved us, no doubt.

London Tower: It has been raining like crazy here. I would upload more pictures, but our internet connection isn't very fast, to say the least. We went to the London Tower, but saw the London Bridge pretty clearly from where we were! The London Tower was an unguided tour and we saw the Queen's crown along with the sceptres and lots of really expensive stuff- solid gold, real jewels...

Then we went on a London Walk of around the walls of Old London. Honestly, I didn't really pay much attention, but I did learn that there is a Cheshire Cheese pub, Erin Garfield likes wearing Nike's, Mallory Hutchings owns the Disney World scene, and so on.

The London Museum was actually way interesting too! I've never been a huge history buff, but everything was so well done that made me want to know more. The exhibits about the Black Death and the Great Fire were fascinating, especially how quickly London was able to recover and how much religion had to do with these two tragedies. See? I'm learning stuff! How bout that.

And we saw this bowl in the gift shop. It had nothing to do with anything, except for how it reminded me of Paul Wagner. "Please Sir, I want some more."

Yes. I have started thinking at least 80% of my thoughts in a British accent. Actually, let's be real here, probably more like 95%. We're all just trying to be socially accepted in this new culture. I have been on dish duty with a few other students for the past few days..we rotate..and it's been quite the bonding experience! I am obsessed with our London Centre group. We are sassy, sarcastic, LOUD, hilarious, passionate, and completely driven in our own ways. It is truly a blessing to be a part of this 40+ member family. Tonight, jet lag did not prevail, and we all congregated outside, in the living room, the kitchen, etc. just kickin it with each other.

I think it's safe to say that we are insane. It's true love.

Be Careful What You Wish For...

This morning I woke up bright and early around 5:00. I felt ambitious so I went for a little run in Regent's Park. I hadn't gone running in a while and was definitely feeling it after the first two songs on my ipod, but I pressed forward! The park was absolutely beautiful and it was just a little misty. Turns out, Queen Mary's Gardens was embedded in the park where I was jogging. I got so distracted by the gorgeous fountains and flowers, willow trees and cute ponds, that I just kept going and going! The best part was that there was virtually no one in sight, so I felt like it was my secret discovery. My whole "theme" I guess you could say is to GET LOST IN LONDON. It seems like that would be the best adventure for someone who has six weeks of just living here! Yet as I kept running and kept discovering, I was happy, but when I started to get tired and wanting to go back, I didn't know where I was! Luckily there were many maps around, but it ended up being quite the jogging expedition that took about an hour. Yeahh man just getting a hot bod.. no big deal!

Then I went to delicious Caffe Nero for breakfast, pretty much like the London version of Starbucks, and read the local London Times newspaper. Quite a lovely morning!

Now. My adventure to the actual London Centre. The Tube traveling went fine, only messed up on one little stop- not that big of a deal. By that time, though, it had started raining pretty steadily, and I was carrying all my stuff (50 lb. suitcase, violin, large touristy backpack). I realized once I got off the Tube that I had no idea how to get to the Centre from the station. So, I bought a map of London.
This was what I looked at for a good...hour? Two hours? Oh but don't worry, I was hauling my suitcase and attempting to walk the entire time. Mama, my raincoat is a blessing sent from heaven above. This is the corner of the map I thought Palace Ct. was. I failed to see that the W8 postal code shown is not the same as the W2 postal code of the Centre. I walked and walked and walked, pushing my suitcase the whole way. I said many prayers of thanks that my suitcase wasn't broken, that my violin case wasn't leaking, and that my legs weren't broken. When I arrived at the London Centre, after asking many strangers for directions and receiving all different answers, I was VERY grateful to be there.

We went on our first walk, then a small group of us went to the Camden Town Market to explore for a bit. Another theme: YOLO. you only live once!
Since I am in the group that does dishes this first week (kinda like Girls Camp), we took a little longer and missed out on a huge group that went to get gelato after dinner. We decided to show them up, and with our "clique", we ventured out to get our own gelato...at the same place of course. But we weren't quite exactly sure where it was. We wandered, became a little delirious, and found it after..an hour and a half?..when it's less than 15 minutes away. SO SO worth it though. Gelato Mio will be a place I will go quite frequently.

Lessons learned: 1. Admit you don't know where something is. 2. It's okay to take a long time to read the map. 3. Don't go somewhere you think might be the right direction. 4. Laughing about getting lost is hands down the only way to have fun and stay sane. 5. Don't ask Brits for directions.


Confession: I got lost in London today. Not only once- three times. But did I lose? nah... epic. win.