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!

Dispatching the Post

How to Do Mail for London

Our mail doesn't come directly to Manson Place, but is handled at the EUSA administraion building. It's great since our classes are there, so we can check for mail before or after. If a package comes, and we do all love to receive packages, we get email notification from the EUSA staff. I've already received a couple! THANKS Mom and Dad.

International shipping does require some extra paperwork, and Mom and Dad have found out the hard way that the United States Postal Service is both the cheapest and the fastest. That's not to say that shipping is cheap. Regular shipping from the Villanova area takes about six to ten days.

The post offices in England are privately owned. I guess they are operated a little like UPS stores in the States, just not quite as fancy. Unfortunately, the husband and wife who run the South Kensignton Post Office weren't too helpful when I was there last.

More Tools

Trains, Buses and Cabs, Oh My!

The tube, while absolutely excellent, gets very crowded during rush hours. A tip to the wise - most people don't make the effort to walk to the ends of the station platform, therefore the cars at the front and rear of any train are the least crowded. Do yourself a favor!

There are seats designated for the elderly and handicapped, but none for passengers with baggage. Because people are coming in from airports at all hours, people with suitcases can have an especially difficult time. I have been surprised that many riders offer to help. Some will even give up their seats for those less capable of standing. Show a little class!

The tube does shut down at 12:30 am. When we're out late, a play at the West End (my preference) or a pub, club or bar, alternate transportation must be found. The Oyster Card works on buses, but stops are sometimes hard to find and service is less frequent than the tube. If you're in a large group so that searching for the most convenient stop is a little less of a task and a lot more fun, buses are a good option.

Otherwise, cabs are not too difficult to find, especially near hotels and popular night spots. Cash is required and they're not cheap. Cabs in London are large however, so the tab can be split among three, four, maybe more. Don't spend all of your cash at the bar. Pitch in your share!

The Fourth Week

Thursday (Day 25): Prep for Paris

It was the slowest class ever!!!!!!!! And the longest afteroon - packing and waiting, waiting and packing. Sleep never came, as visions of the Arch and the Tower drifted in and out our consciousness.

Wednesday (Day 24): Mamma Mia!

Tonight was the night I’d been looking for since we first arrived here in London: theater night! Of course I’m planning on seeing many more shows while I’m here, but I’m never one to turn down a free West End or Broadway show!

Although I had already seen Mamma Mia in New York, it had been so much fun that I couldn’t wait to see it again here in London. With the summer release of the movie version of this production, everyone in the program was pretty excited to see it as well, and we set out as a big group to ride the tube to the Prince of Wales Theatre.

We all took our seats and as the overture started, I got that familiar adrenaline rush that accompanies the start of any show I see. My excitement only grew as I sang along to my favorite songs (in my head of course) and saw how much everyone around me liked it too. By the encores, everyone from GCP was up dancing and having a blast, reminding me of the NYC trip Notre Dame took a couple of years ago (I danced this one for you Mrs. Sajeski!!!!!).

We were sad to see it end and decided instead of going home, to go across the street to O’Neil’s Pub, which features live music at night. Since there was a big Duke basketball game on that night, and Ajay wanted to get back to watch it, we only stuck around for a couple songs, but we were impressed by the band, especially their cover of Blink 182’s All the Small Things. After belting it out along with them and dancing, we hopped back on the tube and called it a night.

Tuesday (Day 23): Hitting the Local Gym

With all of the free time I was anticipating after class on Tuesday, I decided to go with Krista to the gym she and some of my other friends joined as a guest. Sure, walking everywhere here has given me even more exercise than I would probably get at home, but I was looking forward to using an elliptical machine again and feel like I was getting a “real” cardio workout. We spent about an hour and a half at the gym, and walked home feeling a refreshing mix of energy and exhaustion.

Nothing “blog-worthy” happened for the rest of the evening,, and I went to bed knowing that I had done something good for myself!

Monday (Day 22): Oxen 'R Us?

With little of note happening to begin our fourth week in London, we decided to create fun for ourselves.

Tuche pointed out that Chinese New Year was fast approaching, but actually happening on the day of our return from Paris. This unfortunate conflict will result in our missing the parade of dragons at Trafalgar Square.

So that it wouldn't be a total loss, we decided to head to China Town to grab some dinner, take in the decorations, and celebrate the upcoming Year of the Ox - just a little early.

It was clear by walking along the streets of restaurants and reading the menus that Chinese food in London isn't quite the same as the version served in the United States. Nothing like General Tso’s Chicken here! Even so, we finally selected a spot with a semi-familiar menu and got a table.

After my friends got over my choice - the squid and noodle dish, we played Snaps until our food arrived. It was a delicious feast! Having devoured our meals, we made our way back to the flat for some rest and relaxation.

Tools of the Trade

The transportation system in London is terrific. Do not put off mastering it, because it opens up soooooo many possibilities. At orientation, we received our Oyster Cards and learned about the London Pass. These are pre-paid passes for the underground tube and bus system and a variety of historic places, critical to any visitor to the area. EUSA and Villanova provided us with these, but you will want to explore the available options for anyone planning to visit while you are in London. They are real money savers!

We're in week three here, and while I have pretty much mastered reading the large maps available in every tube station, I still need a little help with changing lines and getting off at just the right stop. An internet site called London Town has turned out to be very useful. If it lists the site or business you need, it almost always includes the "nearest" tube stop and other tips.

We've learned the hard way that a lot of construction takes place in the city on the weekends. Already our favorite tube stops have been closed and whole tube lines have been shut down. Since there is lots of duplication in the system, you can almost always get where you need to go with just a little extra thought. We will not be deterred!

Beyond London, the national train system is excellent, so is Gatwick airport. Though I have yet to use it, several classmates have. It's a little farther away than Heathrow, but a train called the Gatwick Express makes getting to our neighborhood pretty easy.

A word to the wise - The tube is not very handicapped accessible. There are LOTS of steps, and only some tube stops have ramps and elevators. Some have escalators, but many are steep and really long. More words of wisdom - travel light and wear comfortable shoes.