Checking Out of Denmark!

     The next two weeks are my spring break!!  Tomorrow morning I will travel to Rome, Italy for my Classical and Renaissance Rome class.  Then, on the 16th of April, I’m heading south to Cerignola, Italy to visit Giulio.  I will conclude this incredible travel adventure by exploring Paris, France from April 21st through the 25th, where I will meet Mom and Cliff.  I cannot wait to get this amazing trip started!  Hopefully, I will be able to post a few blogs along the way. 

Tea and Crumpets and Shopping--Oh, My!: London Day 6

     On Day 6, our last day, we went to Camden Town (now one of my favorite places in London). There were amazing markets and stores that were exactly my style (this is also where I found the “London Shoes”).  I am sure it will be no surprise to know that in the two and a half hours we were there, I definitely did some damage in the purchasing arena.  It was like a shopping heaven made especially for me.

     As it seems to happen when touring large cities, I found that I was somehow separated from the rest of the group while on the way to afternoon tea.  Luckily, I was able to use my “Tube” knowledge that I had acquired during my week in London.   Sidebar:  The Tube is the underground metro station that can get you anywhere in London.  At first, I found it confusing, but using it is actually very easy.  Needless to say, due to my expert transportation abilities, my friend LisAurel, and I found the hotel, The Chesterfield Mayfair, without any problems.  The hotel was the ultimate in elegance.  Everything was beautifully decorated and the service was impeccable.  The wait staff even placed my napkin in my lap for me!  We were served three different types of tea and an array of sandwiches, pastries, and scones.  It was delightful.

The Tube

     I know I have more places to visit while in Europe, but so far London is probably my favorite.  The week was filled with activities that left my head spinning, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.  I definitely left a little piece of my heart in London. <3

There's No Place Like London: Day 5

     I could feel my time in London quickly drawing to a close, and I knew I never wanted it to end.  I had quickly fallen in love with the city, and I promised myself that one day very soon, I would return for even more adventures.

     Our fifth day in London began with a visit to the V & A (Victoria & Albert) Museum which was ENORMOUS.  It is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, and has a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects.  The exhibits included  ceramics, glass, costumes, silver, jewelry, furniture, medieval objects, sculpture, and prints, just to name a few.  We only had an hour to look around, which was not nearly enough time.  There were many different forms of artwork to look at, but my favorite was the sculptures.  It never ceases to amaze me how artists can transform marble so that it resembles fabric.  If well done, you almost get the sense that it flows.

     Our next visit was with the Daily Telegraph and staff.  The Daily Telegraph is distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally.  Our included an extensive discussion on advertising; what is allowed and what isn’t. 

     Then for lunch, I had Fish and Chips!  For some reason, in my mind, I envisioned chips like the crunchy ones we get in the United States.  Nope…They’re basically French fries.

     Finally time to shop!!  I ventured out on an epic shopping journey (little did I know that the real shopping would be the next day) to the area called Covent Garden where there is a lovely market and some commercial shops.  Then I headed over to Oxford Circus, where I spent several hours in the biggest Topshop I have ever seen in my life.  It not only had clothes and shoes, but also a hair and nail salon.  

Bo & Peep Go Country: Stonehenge and Bath Day 4

     Day four was our only day out of the city.  We enjoyed the fresh country air as we traveled to Stonehenge and Bath.  Stonehenge is a place that I had heard about and remember from elementary school textbooks, so it was somewhat surreal actually being there.  Our tour guide explained to us that on the longest and shortest days of the year, the sun is framed by the rocks when it sets and rises, respectfully.

     Bath was one of the most wonderful towns I have visited.  It was so picturesque and had many interesting places to explore.  The city is at the bottom of the Avon Valley, and the surrounding hills give the city its steep streets and make its buildings appear to climb the slopes.  As a class, we went to the Roman Baths and learned about their history.   The water that bubbles up from the ground is from geothermal springs.  The Bath springs are considered the only hot springs in the United Kingdom.

     I also had the opportunity to visit the Jane Austen Centre.  I learned a little bit more about her life as an author and purchased a special edition of Pride and Predjudice.

The Saga Continues: London Day 3

      Our third day in London began with a quick trip to the Design Museum, which had every kind of design that you can imagine:  clothes, games, furniture, SHOES, etc.  It was a very interesting place to explore and take pictures.  After touring the museum, we all split up into small groups and met with different media companies to see how they operate.  My meeting was with Art and Music Magazine, which has a partnership with the Saatchi Gallery, but still retains their independence.  We had the opportunity to meet with both the Art and Music Editors.  They revealed insights to their company and how being independent makes their company unique.

Greatest chair EVER

Of course, I had to take a picture with a telephone booth!

Let the Frolicking Begin!: London Day 2

     Day 2 in London began bright and early.  Although a struggle for many in the group, it was not a problem for me, as I am quite accustomed to early mornings due to the long commute I have each day to Copenhagen.  Our hotel was called the Thistle City Barbican and was very comfortable.  They served an amazing breakfast, which included everything you could possibly imagine.  Enjoying good food with friends was the perfect way to start the day. 

      Our first stop was Magnum Photos, which is an international photographic cooperative owned and administered by its photographer-members.  The company was established to allow photographers the ability to retain all copyrights to their own work, rather than allowing the magazines that publish the work.  This ability allows photographers the means to work on projects that inspire them even with out an assignment.  Everything they produce is considered photojournalism.  Magnum Photos also has offices in New York, Tokyo, and Paris.

     We had time for lunch afterward our tour, and this is very important because London has STARBUCKS!  Since living in Europe, my visits to any coffee houses have been few and far between.  Of course it isn’t as good as my favorite New Orleans coffee, but I do love me some mocha frappachinos! 

     Adequately caffeinated, our next academic visit was to Bloomberg Europe. It is a television station that is comprised of a 24-hour global network dedicated to providing viewers with business and financial news.  It is distributed globally, reaching over 200 million homes worldwide. In addition to London, it is also headquartered in New York City  and Hong Kong.

Bloomberg from the outside. I wasn't able to take pictures inside. :(

    For our free time, several of the girls and I hopped on a double-decker bus (!!!) and went to London Bridge and Tower Bridge.  The bus was quite an exciting experience and luckily we had the entire top level to ourselves.  Sitting at the front of the bus gave us the feeling of being on a roller coaster.

Double-decker bus: Ultimate way to travel.

     Then we went in search of the London Eye, which is essentially a giant ferris wheel.  The structure is 443 feet tall and is located on the banks of the River Thames.  The best thing about it is that it provides the most amazing view of London.  Luckily for us, it was yet another beautiful and sunny day.  It took us a while to find the location of this well-known attraction.  One would think it would be easy, given its sheer size and height.  After asking three Brits ranging from the very young to the very old, we finally reached our destination.  We were walking toward the line when Hang, one of the girls in my group, decided to run to the restroom.  She gave us her ticket and said she would meet us in line.  Little did we know that you had to present your ticket BEFORE getting in the actual line.  So, we waited and waited, hoping she would arrive soon.  After what seemed an eternity, we asked one of the ticket collectors if he would give Hang the ticket when she arrived.  We realized that this plan was hopeless and got out of line.  I finally spotted her and yelled, “Run, Hang, run!”  The ticket man then asked us to follow him…. The girls and I looked at each other questioningly, but did as he said.  Taking pity on our pathetic little group, he escorted us directly to the fast lane! We were able to pass everyone and jump to the front of the line.  We were like giddy school girls as we practically sprinted to the front.  Wow!  It was completely worth the hassle.  London is awfully beautiful from the street, but it is unbelievably amazing from the sky.

     Our evening plans with the rest of the class included dinner at an Italian restaurant and then a musical!  The theater production we saw was the “Million Dollar Quartet”, which was an excellent choice on the part of our coordinator.  It was about the night Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis all met at Sun Records and had the ultimate jam session.  I knew every song, and couldn’t help but dance in my seat.

Pip Pip Cheerio: London Day 1

     Words cannot truly express the connection I felt to London.  The sights, the sounds…I loved every second.  It seems ironic that I tend to feel so comfortable in large cities, when I come from a small town of less than 10,000 people.  I suppose I enjoy the knowledge that there is always something just around the corner to experience, see, and do.  I’ve had the luxury of living in New Orleans for the past 2 ½ years, and the list of things that I still want to experience in NOLA gets longer with each passing day.  London is that iconic city that I always dreamed of visiting and needless to say, I was far from disappointed.

     Our group had a semi-early flight from Copenhagen and landed safely at Heathrow Airport.  The weather could not have been more perfect!  Prior to visiting the United Kingdom, I had always heard how bleak and foggy London was, but the sun was shining and it was warm (compared to Denmark).  After we gathered our things, we hopped on a bus and headed into the city.   As I gazed in awe out the window at my surroundings, it became apparent that I truly had arrived; the number one clue being that everyone, including our bus, was traveling on the opposite side of the road.  I wasn’t as freaked-out as I expected to be, but I think it would have been a completely different story if I had actually been behind the wheel as a driver.  Somehow, the cars gave me a sense of them being driver-less.

LisAurel and I

     Our first activity was a bike tour through London.  I think this is the best way to see all the major sites.  Some of the places we saw included Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and 3 different parks.  My biggest problem (aside from keeping to the left side of the bike path) was trying to take pictures while riding!  Many a curb and post got in my way. 

     For dinner, we went to an Indian restaurant called Masala Zone.  We had a platter with a variety of food and it was delicious!