Week 8 - Celebration Amidst Procrastination

Friday (Day 54): Happy Birthday, Krista!

As a short break, amidst the craziness leading up to finals week, the group got all dressed up to go out to dinner - in celebration of Krista's nineteenth bithday! We were so excited to go to Benihana, a restaurant much like the local Hibacchis at home in the US.

After having a great time dancing around the flat with Krista while getting ready to go out and giving her the pink fluffy Disney Princess crown I got her for the occasion, we met the rest of our friends in the lobby. A quick cab ride later, we were seated at our table. We ordered our food and waited for the show to begin.

We were all impressed by our chef who set the grill aflame - really AFLAME and chopped anything and everything at blinding speed.

The traditional shrimp "toss and catch" went better than I ever could have expected. For the first time, I successfully caught a piece of flying shrimp in my mouth. The girls completely dominated the event, since none of the guys caught their shrimp, while four of the girls did. The fun and games led to some absolutely delicious food! We were completely stuffed by the end of the meal, feeling as if we would need to be carted back to our flats! What a great way to celebrate Krista’s birthday!

Monday (Day 50) Procrastination Takes Its Toll

I have taken to passing Stress Reduction Kits out. Our mid week sightseeing plans have been cancelled in favor of catching up with papers, which are due next week, and trying to get a handle on what kind of preparation will be most effective for exams.

Let's hope everyone gets through next week.

Week 7 - When You Least Expect It

Friday (Day 47): Celebrating with a West End Mystery

Thursday proved to be a less than exciting day. After leaving Macroeconomics early because I wasn’t feeling well, I promptly walked back to my flat to discover that both Libby and I had caught Krista’s stomach flu.

Note to all study abroad participants: overpack on your favorite meds for such conditions.

I spent the day alternating between sleeping, watching House, and other unfortunate things that need to be done when one has the stomach flu. Meanwhile, prayer that I would be better by the next day was high on my list, since I had a ticket to see the play 39 Steps.

I had heard about the show back at home. It had done well on Broadway in New York and I was intrigued. The show is a comedic reproduction of the Alfred Hitchcock movie by the same name, with a cast of four playing over 150 characters. It has been getting great reviews on this side of the pond, and I was looking forward to seeing it. Fortunately, my stomach stabilized just in the nick of time to catch the tube to Piccadilly Circus to see the show.

I was glad my seat was in the fourth row so that I could better see the brilliance of the actors on stage. Some occasionally played three or four characters in the same scene, even having dialogue with themselves! The only downside was the voluminous amounts of stage fog, which drifted out into the first six or seven rows of the audience, causing some to cough, and all of us to smell like of a bizarre combination of maple syrup and smoke.

The show was absolutely hilarious, and I particularly enjoyed the way the actors interacted with the audience, something rare in today’s popular shows. By the end, it felt as if we knew the actors on a personal level. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening, and a great way to celebrate the return of my health! Now I just have get going on my school work!

Wednesday (Day 45): Our First Big Assignment

This morning’s class had us all a little nervous. It was our first day of group presentations - the first time since being here that we actually had to submit an assignment. The project was no walk in the park; we had to create a two person skit depicting a sales pitch between a seller and a consumer. It was up to us to pick a product or service to sell. We had to write a script to hand in along with an oral presentation, explaining the data on which our skit was constructed.

My group decided that I would be the owner of a West End theater, pitching my facilities to Krista, who was the writer-producer of a new production Pride and Prejudice: The Musical. (This is what actually takes place at CPT)

Unfortunately, Krista had come down with the stomach flu the night before, so Ajay stood in for her. We were the last group to “perform,” so the bar had already been set pretty high. Still, Ajay and I pulled out all the stops to make our presentation great. While our professor did find some things we could have included in addition to what we had done, on the whole we were pleased with our presentation. Hopefully our professor was as well!

Sunday (Day 42): Last Day of Peace and Quiet

I woke up this morning to go to my favorite sung Mass in Latin at the Rectory. I realized that it was my last day of quiet and freedom, before classes started again, and the comfortable silence and solitude of the weekend would be broken by the return of VU-GCPers who had traveled to Amsterdam and Spain.

When I got back to the flat I worked ahead on some class assignments and took some time out to watch one of my favorite Alan Rickman movies, before cooking dinner and going to sleep. I was awakened at 2 AM to the sound of Krista getting back in from Barcelona. I was immediately wide awake, so we discussed our adventures of the weekend.

I was shocked to hear that a member of our group had her passport stolen, but other than that, I was glad to hear that the group had a good time. I remembered the good times I had myself in Barcelona with the members of Chester County Voices Abroad during my second tour with the group. We looked at each other’s pictures and shared stories for a while longer, before finally going to sleep, ready to face yet another week of classes in London!

Week 6 - Great Week in the West End

Saturday (Day 41) Happy Valentine’s Day to Me!

I woke up this morning indescribably excited, having waited for this day for weeks. Tonight I was going to see one of my many celebrity obsessions, James McAvoy, in the West End production of Three Days of Rain at the Apollo Theatre.

Still, I ventured out for a long awaited visit to the six-story Waterstone’s book store in Piccadilly Circus. For a book lover like me, it was a great way to spend the afternoon, browsing and even picking up a book or two! I went back to the flat to shower and change, making sure to look my best since I had every intention on ‘stage door stalking’ after the show.

I made my way to the theater to pick up my tickets and purchase a playbill to get signed before taking my seat, waiting eagerly for the show to start. The minute the curtain was raised and James McAvoy stepped on stage, I was enthralled.

The show was absolutely incredible. Each member of the three person cast was so talented, especially considering the challenging nature of the show. The actors each play two distinctive parts: “themselves” in ACT I and the previous generation’s equivalent of “themselves” in Act II. For James McAvoy, this meant playing the emotionally distraught son of a famous architect in Act I, and then his own father in Act II. To make it even more difficult for the actors, the play is set in New York, requiring all three of the British actors to master an American accent, something James McAvoy has never had to do before, according to his interview with Broadway.com. In addition, his character in the second act has a severe speech impediment, an uncontrollable stutter. His performance was flawless and inspiring to watch. It seemed hard to believe that I was sitting so close to such a critically acclaimed actor, watching him perform live. Everything about the show, from the relationship the characters develop through the plot, to the special effects (yes, it did actually rain on the stage) were breathtaking. It was a theatrical experience I won’t soon forget.

As the show came to a close, and the lengthy applause had died down, I exited the theater and made a dash for the stage door, which I had already found before the show started for easy access. I waited outside for about ten minutes with my fellow fans until a member of the theater’s staff appeared to set the “ground rules.”

Unfortunately, we wouldn’t be able to get pictures of ourselves with the actors, although we could take as many pictures as we wanted during the signing. Before I knew it, my leg started shaking in anticipation and nervousness as James McAvoy walked out of the building right up to us. I waited on my side of the line, snapping pictures until he came over near us to sign playbills. It was in that moment, remembering the excitement of my friends back home, especially Rosetta, that I realized I needed to do something crazy. I needed to get a hug!

I had seen him turn down other requests, but I figured, if I tried hard enough, I could do it. I don’t know from where the courage came. I usually freeze up when I meet celebrities I adore and say something stupid - like the time I reminded Josh Groban who he was (i.e. “You’re Josh Groban…). Even so, I thought of what I was going to say in my head, and hoped for the best.

Initially, when I asked for a hug, I felt that I was going to be turned down, but I quickly spoke up again, asking him to “hear me out”. When I got a nod from him asking me to explain, I told him that I was studying abroad and was in London alone for Valentine’s Day since my friends on the trip went to Barcelona. I told him, I was really missing my friends from home, and they’ve told me on several occasions that they’re living vicariously through me and all of us would really really appreciate it if he gave me a hug. After considering my proposal for a second or two, he looked at me and exclaimed “well, you’re persuasive aren’t you?” and gave me a hug.

At first I didn’t realize what was happening….JAMES MCAVOY WAS HUGGING ME! It was one of the best experiences of my life, and I walked away from the theater more giddy than I’ve ever been before. Definitely the best Valentine’s Day I could ever have!

Friday (Day 40): It doesn’t “Suck to be Me”

At the beginning of this week, I realized that all three of my roommates were going to be traveling either to Barcelona or Amsterdam, leaving me completely free to relax and do whatever I wanted for three days. Without any real time to myself since we arrived here, I couldn’t wait and decided to take full advantage of the opportunity given me. So of course, I decided to spend my weekend at the West End, starting with Avenue Q, a show I’d wanted to see for a while.

Since I usually chose to go to the grandiose and occasionally depressing musicals (remember all the death in Les Miz?), I was excited to see something lighthearted and upbeat while having a few laughs as well. The show was exactly the good time I hoped it would be, and I even got a hug from one of the puppets when they came out into the audience!

Sort of Like Sesame Street, but Not Really.

I was surprised and pleased to discover that the show, while certainly having its fair share of moments of irreverent puppetry, also had a strong message of love, friendship, and finding one’s purpose in life. The show closes with a reminder to everyone that anything bad happening in our lives is “only for now,” and that with a little help from our friends we can get through anything. What a great way to start off the weekend!

Monday (Day 36): Do you hear the people sing?

Since our Monday class, Britons at Work, continues through the duration of our internships, we have the next few Mondays off! To celebrate, I had a wonderful morning sleeping in until noon - one of the first times I’ve been able to "sleep in" since arriving. It put me in a great mood to see one of my favorite musicals, Les Miserables, with VU mates Tuche and Ajay. This was the most excited I’d been for a show so far during my time in London, even though I knew that seeing the production would make me miss my friends back at home more than ever.

Memories of my summer spent at the Barn Theatre were fresh in my mind. The friendships I made and the shows we put on were priceless. It was bittersweet somehow to see the show without them. Even so, I was delirious with excitement as we approached the theater and took our seats, all but squirming with anticipation for the show to begin. Ok, so maybe there was some squirming involved. I was even more excited considering Tuche had never seen Les Miz and only knew a small selection of the songs. I couldn’t wait for him to be amazed, even overwhelmed by the power of the show - as I always am. The lights went out, the overture started, and I relaxed in my seat - thankful for the opportunity to do something so amazing on a weeknight. As each musical number passed, I counted every song as a favorite.

Click here for fond memories and good times.

The talent of the cast was absolutely astounding - each role perfectly cast. Still, I can't help but recall that Robert and I were funnier as Madame and Monsieur Thenardier. But in truth, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a professional production so close to perfection as this one. I’ll even admit to tearing up during Bring Him Home! Tuche and Ajay felt the same way about the show, and even though we were disappointed when it was over, we left with the feeling that we had truly seen something really special, something that none of us will soon forget.

Sunday (Day 35): Chronicles of a Harry Potter Dork

All tired and groggy from a late night, our group boarded a bus this morning for our day trip to Blenheim Palace and Oxford. We slept for the entire hour and a half ride, and awoke to the beautiful scene of the grounds of Blenheim Palace in the snow. The bus parked near the far gate, and we embarked on our hike to the Palace. (Good thing I decided to wear my rain boots!)

We passed endless fields, streams, and lakes, before finally making it to the palace, where I noticed one lake that looked vaguely familiar. I shrugged it off, thinking that I was probably making it up, until our tour guide announced that the lake we were standing by was one of the lakes used for the Black Lake in the filming of the Harry Potter movies. Further, it was the lake used for the scenes in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in which Harry accidently sees Snape’s worst memory during his Occlumency lessons.

For those of you who know me well, my reaction will not come as a surprise.

The minute our guide said the words “Professor Snape”, the entire group turned to see me jumping in anticipation. Suddenly I turned to Krista and gasped “ALAN RICKMAN HAS BEEN RIGHT HERE!” before taking an inordinate amount of pictures of the lake. While the rest of the group took advantage of the scheduled bathroom break, I ran down the hill as fast as I possibly could with Andrew and Tuche to get some more close-up pictures. I was in Harry Potter heaven as I looked around, trying to find the tree that younger Snape is reading against in the film. I’m almost positive I found the right one, and am planning on studying that scene closely the next time I watch the movie.

After walking back up the hill and around the rest of the grounds of the Palace, we were given the opportunity to visit the church where the Churchill family is buried. The cemetery was starkly beautiful covered in snow. We spent some time there looking at the pictures of Winston Churchill that were set up in the vestibule of the church. The group grabbed a cup of tea before getting back on the bus, excited to visit Oxford, a little over seven miles away.

As we drove through the town, our guide pointed out things of interest like The Eagle and Child Pub, where J.R.R Tolkien and C.S Lewis had meetings along with their fellow members of Inklings, the Oxford literary club. It was certainly turning out to be a productive day for me and my obsessions! The bus dropped us off, and we were given some free time for lunch and shopping before meeting up to walk to Christ Church College, where more Harry Potter filming took place!

We ate lunch quickly to make sure we would have time to pick up some Oxford shirts, hats, ties, and sweatshirts before joining the group to continue the tour. We entered Christ’s Church College to be greeted by a corridor used in the filming of Harry Potter and the Sorcerers’ Stone. Just as the group (mostly the girls) recovered from our first-rate squealing, we entered the courtyard also used for several scenes at Hogwarts. Before we even had a chance to stop being excited, we turned left to see the grand staircase used in all the Harry Potter films.

My heart stopped as I recalled all the important conversations that happened on these very steps, the brilliant actors that have walked on them, the fact that Alan Rickman himself has touched the banister. It was a beautiful moment for all of us Harry Potter nerds as we walked up the staircase into the room that inspired the Great Hall. The movie wasn’t actually filmed in this room, but an exact replica was created in the filming studio. It was eerie walking through the room, seeing the long dining tables, making our way towards the teachers table and knowing which chairs the teachers would have sat in had the movie actually been filmed in that room. We suddenly realized how amazing it must be for the students at Oxford to essentially eat in Hogwarts every day.

After walking back down the staircase, we visited the college chapel, with its beautiful statuary and stained glass. When the tour was over, we all begrudgingly got back on the bus, wishing that we could stay at Hogwarts forever, before falling asleep for the rest of the journey home. Truly, an amazing day.

The Fifth Week - More Sights

Saturday (Day 34): London’s Bloody History

This morning Krista, Ajay, John and I got up early for a trip to the Tower of London, something I’d been looking forward to visiting since we first arrived here. It was a little bizarre walking up to the tower, which looked rather out of place considering that the area around it has now been completely modernized. From inside the walls of the tower you can still see the towering buildings of glass outside which could, at times, be disorienting.

Once inside, we waited a few minutes for the next guided tour to start remembering that Dennis advised us that a trip to the Tower is really incomplete without being led by a Yeoman Warder. We were surprised to learn that the Yeomen Warders, or “Beefeaters” as they’re nicknamed, actually live on the Tower grounds and have extensive requirements to fill before being eligible to apply for a position; they must have served in the armed forces with an honorable record for at least 22 years.

The minute our tour started, we knew it was going to be a memorable experience. It seems that another requirement is that the Warders display comedic acumen while conducting tours - perhaps it really is the best way to approach the topic at hand. Our guide was hilarious, and found ways to turn even the most morbid execution at the Tower of London into a reasonably enjoyable tale.

We started out at the Bell Tower, where we learned Sir Thomas Moore was imprisoned before his beheading. Krista and I immediately looked to each other, recalling our freshman year religion assignment after watching A Man for All Seasons, chronicling Sir Thomas Moore’s famous battle with King Henry VIII. We moved on to the Traitor’s Gate, the separate entrance to the fortress for those who were condemned to death such as Anne Boleyn.

After hearing some more stories of historic betrayal, escape, and death, we found ourselves at the Tower Barracks. It was once thought during the Jack the Ripper investigation, that the elusive serial killer was actually a soldier living there! Right next door is St. George’s Chapel, built on the burial grounds of thousands of executed prisoners including Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, and Sir Thomas Moore.

After the guided tour, we were able to walk around the grounds and view the Crown Jewels! They don’t allow you to take photographs of the jewels, but take my word for it when I say that they were absolutely spectacular! IF WE HAD taken a picture, this is what they look like.

The collection features the first star of Africa, the largest cut diamond of perfect clarity. Krista and I let the “people mover” slide us past the jewels, our eyes widening with each new crown or scepter. It was definitely one of the highlights of the tour, but before leaving we also stumbled upon an exhibit showing different methods of torture used at the Tower.


It certainly wasn’t as cheery as our visit with the Crown Jewels, but no less fascinating!

After seeing everything there was to see, we headed back out to the street to take some pictures with the Tower Bridge before going to lunch and returning to Manson Place, South Kensington. It was a wonderful day. Though we were tempted to continue chatting about all that we had seen, we went to bed early, knowing that our wake-up call for tomorrow's trip to Blenheim Palace and Oxford would come right after our heads hit our pillows! Sleep Tight!

Friday (Day 33): The Show Must Go On!

After e-mailing back and forth between the Camden People’s Theater and EUSA, I woke up bright and early on Friday morning for my internship interview. I was slightly nervous, having no idea what to expect, but I was certain that my love for theater would pull me through any question they could possibly ask!

Getting to the theater was a breeze since I had already taken the time to find it before hand, and as I rang the doorbell at the theater I finally got to meet my (hopefully) new boss, Matt Ball. He was very welcoming, and we talked about what I’d been doing here, why I love theater and how it’s impacted my life, my goals for the internship, and what I knew about the Camden People’s Theater and their mission. Fortunately I had read up about them on their web site! Finally we talked about my strengths and weaknesses (which I had definitely prepared for in advance!) before Matt showed me around the theater and told me about the productions coming up. I was really happy to hear that I’ll be doing some work for their upcoming production A Place at the Table, which traces the history of the genocides in Rwanda and the Congo. Thankfully at the end of the interview, I was actually offered the internship! My first day is March 16th and I absolutely cannot wait to get started!

Thursday (Day 32): High Above the City

With nothing too eventful besides classes during the week, we were all looking forward to Thursday for our trip to the London Eye and pub walk afterwards. Even though it didn’t snow at all in South Kensington, we were all startled and somewhat pleased to have another snow day. Thanks to the snow in the countryside our macroeconomics teacher was unable to make the trip to EUSA for our class. None of us were too upset about another chance to sleep in, but we were worried that our plans for the evening were going to be cancelled.

Fortunately this was not the case and we headed out into the freezing cold. The ride on the London Eye was nothing short of spectacular. All twenty-five of us climbed into the Ferris-wheel car that we would stay in for half an hour as we went to get a bird’s eye view of the city at night.

It was breathtaking, and even more exciting that the lights illuminating Big Ben that night were green! I was so excited and got some great pictures! Finally back down on the ground, we walked along the South Bank with our tour guide, stopping by some of the places we had already been and learning even more about them.

It was amazing to see how different the city looked at night, and we all managed to appreciate the tour despite the weather! We stopped at four different pubs along the way and grabbed some delicious fish and chips before going back home for the night.

We passed the London Dungeon on the way to the London Bridge tube station, which made me even more excited about our eventual trip there, even though no one wanted to go over and look at the outside with me. Apparently the darkness made it too scary, making people feel as though Jack the Ripper or Sweeney Todd could pop out at any moment! I went to sleep as soon as we got back home, getting rested for my internship interview tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Safety First

South Kensington and Surounding Environs

It's easy to become complacent about safety in London, I think. After all, British Bobbies don't even carry weapons, right?

(Actually, if you look closely, many appear to be wearing bullet proof vests these days, and they are armed to the teeth around Parliament, and some other government buildings.)

In general, we all feel that London is a very safe place to be. You will hear a taped message on the Tube about not leaving your belongings unattended. The Knight's Bridge Tube Station near Harrods does warn that "pick pockets" do operate in the area, but other than that, personal safety is not the issue that it is in other European countries. A lingering stare, common in France and Italy, is rarely found here. You can be the object of unwanted attention at pubs and bars, but in my limited experience, the UK is a much more "civilized" place.

The Tube and the streets are always busy at least until 10 or 11 PM, and while it's always best to travel in groups, I did make trips to the West End by myself, without fear or problem. The VU guys with whom we traveled were always great companions, when we preferred a late night escort!

The Art of Tipping

To Tip or Not to Tip?

Tipping is not expected in the UK, as in the States, but it is, of course, much appreciated.

Tip are normally not added to a restaurant bill, but some have begun the practice, especially when you are in a large group of 6 or more. Look carefully. If it is not added, the amount most people leave for good serivce is 10% of the total cost.

If you are in a pub, and you ordering "rounds," it's not uncommon to include any performers on stage by shouting, "get them in." More common is to include the bartender by saying "and one for yourself" after you have finished your order. You are actually inviting them to have a drink on you, but in most cases, they will thank you and take a discretionary amount - anything from 20 pence to 2 pounds, depending on the size of the order. You're not expected to do this every time.

To be honest, I never personally tipped in pubs this way. This routine is for a real pro! Our group, however, did leave nice tips at the end of an evening on several occasions.

A good first impression, even in a bar, is important. And if you want to be welcomed back, get good service, even make a few short term friends, it's best not to treat people like strangers you'll never see again.

It is not necessary to tip cab drivers, but their expenses are high and many do work long and lonely hours. I actually tipped drivers very well. My cab drivers in Scotland were exceptional, and I really appreciated them, especially.

To compensate for any nasty thought that I was just another rich American brat on holiday, I always made it a point to say how much I enjoyed their service and acknowledged their friendly helpfulness.

A Snow Day!

Monday (Day 29): Let it Snow!

Heaviest Snow Recorded in 20 Years.
Class cancelled. Public transit suspended.

My three roommates and I woke up surprised to receive e-mails cancelling class for the morning! After we had gone to bed abandoning the Super Bowl at halftime, it had snowed four to six inches. Back home, such a snowfall might lead to a two hour delay, but in England, this is the most snow they’ve gotten in the past twenty years!Because snow is such a rare occurrence and because many of the roads are so narrow, many go unattended. Tube lines were either closed down or delayed, AND my internship interview with the Camden People’s Theater scheduled for today was cancelled. Despite these set backs, Tuche and I trudged to Piccadilly hoping that at least movie theaters and West End shows were still open. We were so excited to see Che Part 1, but no such luck!At least the Pizza Express across the street remained open, allowing us to go back to South Ken feeling like we’d done something fun! Regardless, it was a great day without classes that gave us a beautiful view of the city in the snow!

Back From France!

The Fearsome Foursomes!

Saturday (Day 27): The City of Paris in One Day

We woke up bright and early the next morning to start our whirlwind tour of Paris, trying to see everything in the span of one day. We started off by taking the tube to the Louvre, an AP art history student’s paradise. As with Versailles, I had been to the Louvre before, but before I had the chance to take AP Art History, making this trip even more special.

The minute we walked into the main lobby, my mind started reeling, thinking of all the essays I wrote about the works of art housed in that very museum. Before I knew it, I was again face to face with one of my favorite sculptures: the winged victory statue from the Hellenistic period of Grecian art. Since there was no translated English description for this statue, I was happy to share my knowledge with my friends, describing how the statue used to be a fountain, creating the first documented piece of dramatic art, involving all the senses to evoke emotion. I can’t exactly say why it’s one of my favorite pieces, but I think it’s absolutely beautiful.

We moved through a gallery of religious paintings and icons before reaching one of the most famous pieces of art in the Louvre, the Mona Lisa. In my opinion, the painting is rather anticlimactic, much smaller than many imagine. It is almost as if her iconic smile is one of taunting, watching the faces of semi-disappointed museum patrons as they realize her portrait isn’t as glamorous as they had expected. Regardless, it’s an incredible feeling to stand so close to such an important part of Art History; perhaps it is true that great things come in small packages.

After seeing the Mona Lisa, our team split up into smaller groups and Tuche, John and I worked our way through the rest of the paintings on the first floor, seeing Art History favorites - Medusa’s Raft and The Coronation of Napoleon. We spent about an hour and a half navigating the rooms of the rest of the museum: Greece and Roman art, Egyptian artifacts, French, German and Flemish paintings, before joining the rest of the group back at the Starbuck’s in the lobby to take some exterior shots of the Louvre and continue our tour of Paris.

Our next stop was the Cathedral of Notre Dame. I was especially looking forward to this, since the first time I had been in that cathedral, I was traveling with Chester County Voices Abroad. It was my first tour with the choir, and an incredible experience that I won’t soon forget. Because we were focused on the performance, however, we weren’t able to spend much time touring the church. We sang right here!!!!!!!!!!!

It was a beautiful clear day outside, and we were able to get some amazing pictures of the group before going inside, where we walked around looking at the amazing architecture and stained glass. After making our way around the entire building, and stopping in front of the altar, remembering my concert experience there and the friendships made on the CCVA tour, the group decided to climb up to the top of the church.

Despite the fact that my legs were still killing me from the day before walking around Versailles, I made it up the near 345 steps to the top, with the occasional stop to look out the windows carved into the stone, exclaiming “look it’s pretty!” as an excuse for a momentary break.

Just when I was thinking that we had tried to cram a little too much into our weekend, we reached the top, and a breathtaking view of the city: definitely worth it. From there, we found the door leading to the belfry, to see the famous bells of Notre Dame, where the memories of watching the musical Notre Dame de Paris with my French class at NDA were fresh in my mind. Our hike back from the top reminded us just how hungry we were, so we stopped at a café near the church where I ate two of the most important French vocabulary words ever learned.

Ajay and I started off by "sharing" a Croque Monsieur, a delicious grilled ham and cheese sandwich followed by Nutella, banana, and Chantilly cream crêpes. I thought I had died and gone to heaven (which would have been appropriate considering we had a great view of Notre Dame from the café).

Even though we felt as if we would never walk again after our meal, we took a walk down the Seine before getting back on the metro to reach the Champs-Elysées. After walking the length of the street, and stopping in a shop or two, we took what seemed like many, many pictures with the Arc de Triumph. The guys attempted their own “human arch.” Tuche, always ready to be launched into the air for almost any reason, assumed his usual position. It was a valiant effort. Sorry to say the guys never really got it ... well, constructed completely.

Our next stop of the evening was the Eiffel Tower, and we got there just in time to see it sparkle for the first time of the night. At that moment, watching the tower sparkle, as if by magic, it finally hit me that a group of college freshmen were actually able to plan a weekend trip to Paris by themselves and not get hopelessly lost. It was something I never would have imagined doing until studying with the Global Citizens Program. It’s a great feeling.

Since Abby and I had both already been up the Eifel Tower, and didn’t feel like spending the extra money to do it again, we went to the Gallerie Lafyette to do some last minute shopping. For me, that meant picking up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in French. Last year, during my trip to Germany, I decided that it would be a cool idea to have a multilingual Harry Potter collection from the countries I visit in the order I visit them. Not only are the languages different, but so is the cover art, giving the collection even more character. Since France was my first trip out of the country, I had to go back and get the first Harry Potter book in French! After making our purchases, Abby and I went back to our hotel to wait for the Eiffel Tower group to return for a game of charades before going to bed.

Friday (Day 26): Returning to “La Ville-Lumière”

After a Thursday night with very little sleep, “the team” and I left London at 4:15 to catch our 5:30 AM train to Paris, our first cross-country excursion since being here. Three sleep-filled hours later, we were standing in Paris, ready to start our day!

After purchasing our weekend Metro passes, we found our hotel to drop off our bags before journeying to Versailles. It was surreal walking up to that Palace when I had already been there three years before; I could hardly believe I was getting to travel some place so beautiful and awe-inspiring for the second time. Since Krista, Abby and I had already done the tour of the inside of the palace, we opted to only buy a ticket for Marie Antoinette’s Estate and walk around the gardens while we waited for the rest of the group to finish their first tour.

The grounds of Versailles looked so different in the winter season than they did when I had been there in the summer months. Now fountains were empty, statues were covered, and there were no lush flowers planted as far as the eye could see. Somehow though, I didn’t seem to mind too much. It was still gorgeous even with the lack of color, the sparseness even highlighting its grandeur. After walking around for a while, we met up with the rest of our group who were just as impressed with the interior of the palace as I remember being when I was first there.

We attempted to take pictures of us jumping off the garden steps and after finally getting a couple of good shots, we took the long walk through the seemingly endless rows of trees over to Marie Antoinette’s Estate, a part of the grounds I wasn’t able to visit during my last trip. This smaller palace was just as incredible, and the girls were all thrilled to notice its pink exterior! After walking through the building and marveling at its decorations, we had dinner and went back to our hotel completely exhausted and ready for our day two of tourism in overdrive!