Wednesday, 30 September
Had Art History with Sarah, today. Met at Westminster Abbey and talked about the building and the architecture of the eras it was built in as well as that of Parliament. Then we took the tube to Temple Church (known from the Knight's Templar) and talked about its architecture. We were there a little early for it to open at noon so we dispersed for about 15 minutes. Some of us went to Starbucks to hang out and then go back.
The church was pretty cool and much different from others we've seen from similar time periods. The space felt much bigger, more open and lighter, too. The effigies were pretty cool. Learned about their outfits and the beginnings of English heraldry as a label and then a decoration. And one of the effigies was of one of the men who helped design the Magna Carta--William Something, can't think of his name right now. Also learned how the Victorians tried to immitate certain Gothic designs and failed miserably!
Home for lunch. Then I went to the cheap internet place by Brompton Cemetary and decided to become a year-long member for £3. Definitely will be worth it. There were a lot of people waiting for the 4 computers though so I had to get off after my hour and wait about 20 minutes. Luckily I'd brought a class book with me, so it was a very productive time.
Home and finished my paper! Yay! ....now time to start the next one... :(
Stephanie made us dinner tonight and it was super tastey. I'll have to make her cook all my fresh green beans from now on--they were delicious!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Really Old: Sunset on the Thames
Tuesday, 29 September
Bummed around til my tutorial at 1:30. Talked about some really interesting things about the Jewish influence in the Medieval English economy and started getting into some nasty stereotypes and stories Christians made up about them....mostly AFTER they were all expelled from England. Talking about stereotypes Gammon pointed out an interesting thing: the big noses, the pointed hats, the greediness....which can lead to...the Wizard of Oz's the Wicked Witch of the West! Crazy, huh?!
Worked on some homework in the afternoon.
Then Megan, Liz, Molly, Steph, and I went to Waterloo Bridge to watch the sunset by the Thames. You couldn't see the sun, but the sky made the buildings and river look really beautiful. Plus there was quite a lot of little things going on down there. At one point we walked past these 2 really tall guys in tiny white shorts, no shirts, and headbands who had drawn an itty-bitty tennis court with chalk on the sidewalk. They would walk around people batting the tennis ball back and forth and making those really loud "UGH!"s. It was really funny and they were quite nice.
We walked around a little after dark, got some pictures, and headed home.
Bummed around til my tutorial at 1:30. Talked about some really interesting things about the Jewish influence in the Medieval English economy and started getting into some nasty stereotypes and stories Christians made up about them....mostly AFTER they were all expelled from England. Talking about stereotypes Gammon pointed out an interesting thing: the big noses, the pointed hats, the greediness....which can lead to...the Wizard of Oz's the Wicked Witch of the West! Crazy, huh?!
Worked on some homework in the afternoon.
Then Megan, Liz, Molly, Steph, and I went to Waterloo Bridge to watch the sunset by the Thames. You couldn't see the sun, but the sky made the buildings and river look really beautiful. Plus there was quite a lot of little things going on down there. At one point we walked past these 2 really tall guys in tiny white shorts, no shirts, and headbands who had drawn an itty-bitty tennis court with chalk on the sidewalk. They would walk around people batting the tennis ball back and forth and making those really loud "UGH!"s. It was really funny and they were quite nice.
We walked around a little after dark, got some pictures, and headed home.
CHEAP TICKETS!!!
Sunday, 27 September
Went to St. Paul's for their 11:30 service. I really wanted to get back in there to stare at the ceilings since our group trip got cut short by the fire alarms! Hopefully I'll go back with Erin and Megan--if not, I'll probably just make some extra time for it :) The service was pretty good. It was kindof hard to hear because the space is so huge and there was a lot of echoing. The echoing did make the choir sound extra cool, though--and they sang in Latin. Finally!
Came home and had lunch. Then Steph and I went to Milano to use the computers and look into buying tickets for fall break. It was a really frustrating process. Everything is so expensive. And the one cheap flight we found to Munich was great, but getting from Munich to ANYWHERE else was really expensive too. When we quit, I stayed to do some homework.
Monday, 28 September
Got up early and went grocery shopping. After that I don't really remember. I'm sure I did some homework or something! I got a little behind in my journal after our day trip!
Oh WAIT!!! So I was at an Internet place when I got an e-mail from Stephanie saying that Molly had found £5 tickets!!!! In short, I tell her to just do it!
When I get home, they're ordering them from RyanAir and the deal is still really good even with the £10 fee. So we get November tickets for Dublin, Ireland! Yaay!!! This also made it really easy for Stephanie and I to pick up our £7 tickets to Marseilles for the start of our fall break trip!! We have no idea where we're going to go from there or how we'll get home yet, but we booked our tickets and it's official! We'll start out in Marseilles and try to figure things out from there so we can get traveling and hostels booked. We are thinking about geting a Eurail pass to hopefully save on traveling: you can travel anywhere in 5 bordering countries for one big fee. This will take some serious maneuvering!
Went to St. Paul's for their 11:30 service. I really wanted to get back in there to stare at the ceilings since our group trip got cut short by the fire alarms! Hopefully I'll go back with Erin and Megan--if not, I'll probably just make some extra time for it :) The service was pretty good. It was kindof hard to hear because the space is so huge and there was a lot of echoing. The echoing did make the choir sound extra cool, though--and they sang in Latin. Finally!
Came home and had lunch. Then Steph and I went to Milano to use the computers and look into buying tickets for fall break. It was a really frustrating process. Everything is so expensive. And the one cheap flight we found to Munich was great, but getting from Munich to ANYWHERE else was really expensive too. When we quit, I stayed to do some homework.
Monday, 28 September
Got up early and went grocery shopping. After that I don't really remember. I'm sure I did some homework or something! I got a little behind in my journal after our day trip!
Oh WAIT!!! So I was at an Internet place when I got an e-mail from Stephanie saying that Molly had found £5 tickets!!!! In short, I tell her to just do it!
When I get home, they're ordering them from RyanAir and the deal is still really good even with the £10 fee. So we get November tickets for Dublin, Ireland! Yaay!!! This also made it really easy for Stephanie and I to pick up our £7 tickets to Marseilles for the start of our fall break trip!! We have no idea where we're going to go from there or how we'll get home yet, but we booked our tickets and it's official! We'll start out in Marseilles and try to figure things out from there so we can get traveling and hostels booked. We are thinking about geting a Eurail pass to hopefully save on traveling: you can travel anywhere in 5 bordering countries for one big fee. This will take some serious maneuvering!
Day Trip to .....
Saturday, 26 September
Steph, Kelsey, Andrea, Molly, Liz, Megan, and I left about 7:20 this morning and headed to the Victoria Coach Station to catch our 8:30 bus to........DOVER!!! We were really excited the other day when we found round-trip bus tickets for about £10!
We got there about 11 and the first site of Dover was the castle high up on the hill. Then just around the corner we got our first look at the ocean and then the white cliffs streaching on either side. It was absolutely beautiful! And it was an incredibly sunny and warm day. Perfect timing for a trip to the beach!!!
We headed to an information center and then turned back toward the shore. On the way there were a lot of shops and small restaurants. I wouldn't say the town is a great attraction, but there were some cheap stores we were tempted to check out.
Back to the beach! From far away the beach looked kindof sandy, but up close...oh no...lots and lots of rocks.
I had expected it, but from far away had carelessly gotten my hopes up. It was beautiful anyway and there were tons of colorful sailboats right around the shore and some huge cruiseliners and barges a little farther off.
I got to stand in the ocean for the second time EVER!!!!!!
I loved it just as much as the first. It was freezing, but again, my feet got used to it. It was also really hard to stand on. All the round rocks really hurt your feet after a while--like an incredibly painful massage. We were nearly the only people on the beach most of the time we were there (a little over an hour, I think). 
We walked around in the waves a little and then sat to eat the lunches we'd packed. We hung out some and talked before deciding to head up to get a better view of Dover Castle. 
Up up up!
Kelsey and I were hoping to go into the castle, but it was pretty expensive AND we would really be running low on time. We wouldn't have had sufficient time for the castle and the cliffs, so we decided on the cliffs. And I'm so so so so glad we did!
We walked up up up toward the castle. Down down, then up and around, up and around on the road to a smaller road. We played Megan's Indian Walking game 
and sang some songs to pass the time. It was a very long walk. And we continued walking up and around, up and around, up up. Then we got to the top...and realized we were on the very west side of where the cliffs even thought about starting. So we had to walk though this pasture-like trail: down down around down, then up up up. 
And FINALLY we were starting to get the good views.
Then we decided to walk down the little path that zig-zagged down one of the cliff faces...and it was SOO worth it!!!
It lead down to a ladder, but before that, to some old brick passages within the cliff that had lookouts toward the ocean. WWII?? Those were really cool. Then down the big ladder to the beach. And if we thought the other beach was rocky, this one totally had it beat! These were fist-sized!!
We were taking some fun pictures in the waves when.....out of nowhere....a HUGE wave hits us all the way up to our bums!! We scream and nearly fall over. Balance was regained and we tried to hobble on our aching feet further up on shore to save our coats and bags...when another HUGE wave hits us and douses a few coats. It is not easy to move quickly over those beaches, especially with bare feet!
This picture is a good representation of how far the water came up unexpectedly. Where the water is in the picture is as far as the waves would go when we were standing there...and then there's the line where the waves ACTUALLY reached!!
Luckily we missed the third wave and only a few coats got a little wet. No major damage! We hung out on the beach a little more and then headed back up. Going up up up up up the zig-zagging path on the cliff was not so simple. But nobody died!
Then it was up up and over the big post-card cliffs. We were trying to head over to the lighthouse, but really didn't have enough time to walk that far. We could eventually see it, but it was still pretty far away. So we hung out on top taking lots of fun pictures. At one point, there was a big yellow helicopter that flew really close to us and we got a big wave from whoever was in the back. We weren't sure why that made us so excited, but it was fun!!
English major picture for Nancy! Liz, Andrea, and me
We started walking back down about 4 to make our 5:05 bus. It was much easier when we took the path that lead right back into Dover instead of the one that wound up around the castle. We got back in pleanty of time to stop at Somerfield to pick up some well-deserved pints of ice cream to share on the bus.
Once we got home we showered the sweat and white dust off of ourselves. I did some laundry and was going to start some homework while the other girls went out looking for some drinks. The Old Swan was out of chocolate this time, so luckily I didn't miss out on an Envy. ;)
Steph, Kelsey, Andrea, Molly, Liz, Megan, and I left about 7:20 this morning and headed to the Victoria Coach Station to catch our 8:30 bus to........DOVER!!! We were really excited the other day when we found round-trip bus tickets for about £10!
We got there about 11 and the first site of Dover was the castle high up on the hill. Then just around the corner we got our first look at the ocean and then the white cliffs streaching on either side. It was absolutely beautiful! And it was an incredibly sunny and warm day. Perfect timing for a trip to the beach!!!
We headed to an information center and then turned back toward the shore. On the way there were a lot of shops and small restaurants. I wouldn't say the town is a great attraction, but there were some cheap stores we were tempted to check out.
Back to the beach! From far away the beach looked kindof sandy, but up close...oh no...lots and lots of rocks.
I had expected it, but from far away had carelessly gotten my hopes up. It was beautiful anyway and there were tons of colorful sailboats right around the shore and some huge cruiseliners and barges a little farther off.I got to stand in the ocean for the second time EVER!!!!!!
I loved it just as much as the first. It was freezing, but again, my feet got used to it. It was also really hard to stand on. All the round rocks really hurt your feet after a while--like an incredibly painful massage. We were nearly the only people on the beach most of the time we were there (a little over an hour, I think). 
We walked around in the waves a little and then sat to eat the lunches we'd packed. We hung out some and talked before deciding to head up to get a better view of Dover Castle. 
Up up up!
Kelsey and I were hoping to go into the castle, but it was pretty expensive AND we would really be running low on time. We wouldn't have had sufficient time for the castle and the cliffs, so we decided on the cliffs. And I'm so so so so glad we did!
We walked up up up toward the castle. Down down, then up and around, up and around on the road to a smaller road. We played Megan's Indian Walking game 
and sang some songs to pass the time. It was a very long walk. And we continued walking up and around, up and around, up up. Then we got to the top...and realized we were on the very west side of where the cliffs even thought about starting. So we had to walk though this pasture-like trail: down down around down, then up up up. 
And FINALLY we were starting to get the good views.
Then we decided to walk down the little path that zig-zagged down one of the cliff faces...and it was SOO worth it!!!
It lead down to a ladder, but before that, to some old brick passages within the cliff that had lookouts toward the ocean. WWII?? Those were really cool. Then down the big ladder to the beach. And if we thought the other beach was rocky, this one totally had it beat! These were fist-sized!!
We were taking some fun pictures in the waves when.....out of nowhere....a HUGE wave hits us all the way up to our bums!! We scream and nearly fall over. Balance was regained and we tried to hobble on our aching feet further up on shore to save our coats and bags...when another HUGE wave hits us and douses a few coats. It is not easy to move quickly over those beaches, especially with bare feet!
This picture is a good representation of how far the water came up unexpectedly. Where the water is in the picture is as far as the waves would go when we were standing there...and then there's the line where the waves ACTUALLY reached!!
Luckily we missed the third wave and only a few coats got a little wet. No major damage! We hung out on the beach a little more and then headed back up. Going up up up up up the zig-zagging path on the cliff was not so simple. But nobody died!
Then it was up up and over the big post-card cliffs. We were trying to head over to the lighthouse, but really didn't have enough time to walk that far. We could eventually see it, but it was still pretty far away. So we hung out on top taking lots of fun pictures. At one point, there was a big yellow helicopter that flew really close to us and we got a big wave from whoever was in the back. We weren't sure why that made us so excited, but it was fun!!
English major picture for Nancy! Liz, Andrea, and meWe started walking back down about 4 to make our 5:05 bus. It was much easier when we took the path that lead right back into Dover instead of the one that wound up around the castle. We got back in pleanty of time to stop at Somerfield to pick up some well-deserved pints of ice cream to share on the bus.
Once we got home we showered the sweat and white dust off of ourselves. I did some laundry and was going to start some homework while the other girls went out looking for some drinks. The Old Swan was out of chocolate this time, so luckily I didn't miss out on an Envy. ;)
Art Homework at the V&A
Friday, 25 September
Had a group tutorial with Gammon, Liz, and Josh at 10:30.
Later, Liz and I went to the Victoria & Albert Museum to do our Art History assignment. We were to go to this fantasy exibit, pick 3 things that we had an emotional response to, sketch them, and give a detailed description.
When we finished, Liz explored the museum and I went hope to type up my descriptions. Then we had a big celebration for Andrea's 22nd Birthday (actually tomorrow--Saturday). Molly, Mallory, and Shelby made everyone a yummy stir-fry dinner. And everyone loved Mallory's potatoes: diced up and microwaved a little, then sauteed with oil, s&p, and chili sauce! It was super good!
(L-R, Brandon, Andrea, Mallory, Kevin, Megan, Molly)
Then we hung out in the back yard. Later, Gammon came in and had a chat with Kelsey, Stephanie, and I about that roommate thing...long story, but in short, the person is not moving in...as of yet *eye roll* And we got to hear some of his funny stories!
Had a group tutorial with Gammon, Liz, and Josh at 10:30.
Later, Liz and I went to the Victoria & Albert Museum to do our Art History assignment. We were to go to this fantasy exibit, pick 3 things that we had an emotional response to, sketch them, and give a detailed description.
When we finished, Liz explored the museum and I went hope to type up my descriptions. Then we had a big celebration for Andrea's 22nd Birthday (actually tomorrow--Saturday). Molly, Mallory, and Shelby made everyone a yummy stir-fry dinner. And everyone loved Mallory's potatoes: diced up and microwaved a little, then sauteed with oil, s&p, and chili sauce! It was super good!
(L-R, Brandon, Andrea, Mallory, Kevin, Megan, Molly)Then we hung out in the back yard. Later, Gammon came in and had a chat with Kelsey, Stephanie, and I about that roommate thing...long story, but in short, the person is not moving in...as of yet *eye roll* And we got to hear some of his funny stories!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Finally, a home-made meal!
Thursday, 24 September
Worked on some stuff at Milano--they have free internet if you order something--for about 7 hours to maximize on my money! Didn’t get much done now that I look back!
Later, Steph and I went to Tesco to get groceries for a nice dinner. I wanted to make that chicken/garlic asparagus/noodle/lemon recipe of Erin’s. It was DELICIOUS and Steph and Kelsey loved it! We had it with Steph’s garlic bread since we’d been craving that for a long time.
After doing some stuff we got out the Profiterole Steph bought cheap at Sainsbury’s (like a creampuff with ice cream inside and chocolate drizzled all over) with some drinks in Liz and Megan’s room and had a lot of fun.
Worked on some stuff at Milano--they have free internet if you order something--for about 7 hours to maximize on my money! Didn’t get much done now that I look back!
Later, Steph and I went to Tesco to get groceries for a nice dinner. I wanted to make that chicken/garlic asparagus/noodle/lemon recipe of Erin’s. It was DELICIOUS and Steph and Kelsey loved it! We had it with Steph’s garlic bread since we’d been craving that for a long time.
After doing some stuff we got out the Profiterole Steph bought cheap at Sainsbury’s (like a creampuff with ice cream inside and chocolate drizzled all over) with some drinks in Liz and Megan’s room and had a lot of fun.
First Art History Class
Tuesday, 22 September
The highlight of my day was watching the AMAZING new New Moon trailer with Stephanie! It was sooooo beautiful! We both got a little teary… *sigh!* I am sooo excited for the movie, but sad that the premier got moved from London to L.A. What horrible luck!! Oh well, the crowds would’ve been too crazy for me anyway!
Wednesday, 23 September
Had our first Art History class with Sarah, our professor today. She explained the basics in our garden at 10 and then we left for the Tower of London to check out and talk about the Roman Walls and Roman Londinium.
Then we went to the London museum and talked about some cult stuff and religious artefacts and art, design, and architecture of the time period. It was really cool because all the stuff at the museum is actually from London! We finished about 1pm. Sarah was really nice and knows SO much! I’m really looking forward to our classes, although, not really to going around London in a huge group--it feels kindof awkward and makes it a little hard to hear, especially when we’re outside with lots of traffic or in a museum with lots of little kids. Oh well!
After lunch I went to an internet place to try to email Erin and Megan w/some stuff for them to think about before they get here. Then I worked on some homework. Later, Steph, Molly, and I went to Milano to meet Liz and Megan to order bus tickets to Dover. We were going to make it for Sunday because Andrea’s birthday was on Saturday, but we accidentally did it for Saturday--but it was all good. Andrea and Molly decided to still come!! But every time someone else ordered their ticket, the price went up. Next time I think we’ll all do it at the same time.
The highlight of my day was watching the AMAZING new New Moon trailer with Stephanie! It was sooooo beautiful! We both got a little teary… *sigh!* I am sooo excited for the movie, but sad that the premier got moved from London to L.A. What horrible luck!! Oh well, the crowds would’ve been too crazy for me anyway!
Wednesday, 23 September
Had our first Art History class with Sarah, our professor today. She explained the basics in our garden at 10 and then we left for the Tower of London to check out and talk about the Roman Walls and Roman Londinium.
Then we went to the London museum and talked about some cult stuff and religious artefacts and art, design, and architecture of the time period. It was really cool because all the stuff at the museum is actually from London! We finished about 1pm. Sarah was really nice and knows SO much! I’m really looking forward to our classes, although, not really to going around London in a huge group--it feels kindof awkward and makes it a little hard to hear, especially when we’re outside with lots of traffic or in a museum with lots of little kids. Oh well!
After lunch I went to an internet place to try to email Erin and Megan w/some stuff for them to think about before they get here. Then I worked on some homework. Later, Steph, Molly, and I went to Milano to meet Liz and Megan to order bus tickets to Dover. We were going to make it for Sunday because Andrea’s birthday was on Saturday, but we accidentally did it for Saturday--but it was all good. Andrea and Molly decided to still come!! But every time someone else ordered their ticket, the price went up. Next time I think we’ll all do it at the same time.
Mika! Mika! Mika!!
Monday, 21 September
Molly, Megan, Steph, Kelsey, Mallory, Hannah, Shelby, and I left at 10am to go get some free Mika tickets Molly had heard about on Facebook that were to be handed out by Mika at 12:30 from an ice cream truck. Molly and Megan LOVE LOVE LOVE Mika (pronounced Mee-ka) and were on Cloud 9 the whole time!
Molly with Mika getting her sparkly gold wristband!
We wandered around Spitalfields--like London’s Little India--until we found it and about 1pm he showed up and gave everyone their passes. It was pretty cool! Megan and Molly could’ve died right then and there of happiness!
Then Molly, Megan, Steph, Kelsey, and I went to an Indian restaurant for lunch and it was fabulous! I’d been craving Indian food for about 3 years since I’d last had it in Taiwan!! Then we stopped at a store and picked out some cheap scarves.
Got back home and bummed around until leaving for the concert at 7. We didn’t have to wait very long till they let us in. We got really close to the stage and I got a lot of cool video and pictures although the bass made all the sound fuzzy on the camera. It was really fun though! He’s a flamboyant guy and has some really fun music and was throwing around silver confetti and eventually some big pink balloons! It was so fun!
Molly, Megan, Steph, Kelsey, Mallory, Hannah, Shelby, and I left at 10am to go get some free Mika tickets Molly had heard about on Facebook that were to be handed out by Mika at 12:30 from an ice cream truck. Molly and Megan LOVE LOVE LOVE Mika (pronounced Mee-ka) and were on Cloud 9 the whole time!
Molly with Mika getting her sparkly gold wristband!We wandered around Spitalfields--like London’s Little India--until we found it and about 1pm he showed up and gave everyone their passes. It was pretty cool! Megan and Molly could’ve died right then and there of happiness!
Then Molly, Megan, Steph, Kelsey, and I went to an Indian restaurant for lunch and it was fabulous! I’d been craving Indian food for about 3 years since I’d last had it in Taiwan!! Then we stopped at a store and picked out some cheap scarves.
Got back home and bummed around until leaving for the concert at 7. We didn’t have to wait very long till they let us in. We got really close to the stage and I got a lot of cool video and pictures although the bass made all the sound fuzzy on the camera. It was really fun though! He’s a flamboyant guy and has some really fun music and was throwing around silver confetti and eventually some big pink balloons! It was so fun!
York
Sunday, 20 September
Had breakfast at the hostel, then Abby, Steph, Molly, Andrea, Shelby, and I waled with Gammon along the river. It was so beautiful and still--made even better by our incredibly sunny morning! At one point we were on the Dame Judy Dench walk! We also saw some rowers practicing back and forth on the river.
Went toward the Minster and saw the statue of Constantine commemorating the fact that he was pronounced emperor in York. Then we walked through some of the windy medieval streets. There were a lot of little shops, many of which were closed because it was Sunday morning. We did happen upon a market, though where I got a cool bracelet.
Then we tried to find the castle which I’m not sure if we ever did! But we did check out Clifford’s Tower, where a lot of Jews locked themselves in to escape persecution and then committed suicide rather than being killed by their persecutors.
Clifford's Tower
Back to the minster and saw the start of a ceremony commemorating the battle of Britain. Then Paul picked us up and we were on our way. It took about 4 hours to get back home.
Had breakfast at the hostel, then Abby, Steph, Molly, Andrea, Shelby, and I waled with Gammon along the river. It was so beautiful and still--made even better by our incredibly sunny morning! At one point we were on the Dame Judy Dench walk! We also saw some rowers practicing back and forth on the river.
Went toward the Minster and saw the statue of Constantine commemorating the fact that he was pronounced emperor in York. Then we walked through some of the windy medieval streets. There were a lot of little shops, many of which were closed because it was Sunday morning. We did happen upon a market, though where I got a cool bracelet.
Then we tried to find the castle which I’m not sure if we ever did! But we did check out Clifford’s Tower, where a lot of Jews locked themselves in to escape persecution and then committed suicide rather than being killed by their persecutors.
Clifford's TowerBack to the minster and saw the start of a ceremony commemorating the battle of Britain. Then Paul picked us up and we were on our way. It took about 4 hours to get back home.
Lindisfarne and the North Sea!
Saturday, 19 September
Got up early and had breakfast at the hostel. Packed the bus and headed to Lindisfarne, a.k.a Holy Island. On the way, Paul told us we were about 9 miles from Scotland and asked if we wanted to cross the border to take some pictures. Like we would say No!!
We had some beautiful sunshine too that really lit up the green countryside and then the ocean!!! Actually, the North Sea, but it counts! Paul drove us over to the island at low tide so the sands looked really cool with all their puddles everywhere.
The town was tiny and there were quite a few tourists there. We quickly went through the little museum and then checked out the monastery ruins which were all a beautiful red stone and really showed off the layout of the old church.
Kelsey and I walked down to Cuthbert’s Island over the rocky, puddly beach--and got some cool seashells. It was a little tricky hopping from rock to rock but we made it.
That tiny tiny little island was pretty cool. The grass was so green and spongy with beautiful wildflowers all over. It had great views, too. We walked down the treacherous black and mossy stones to the beach and…for the first time EVER I got to stand in the OCEAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was awesome, and FREEZING!! Luckily, the water was so cold that after a minute or two I couldn’t feel my feet anyway! 
It was so cool and so hard to have to leave!
We trekked back to the main island and up to the big lookout point with a small tower on top where we got a better glimpse of the castle and then back down to the bus to leave. It was a short trip, but definitely one I’ll never forget!
Then we had a long drive back down to York and ate our sack lunches from the hostel on the way. We got to York about 15 minutes behind schedule because of some bad traffic and had to run to our tour at the York Minster. That made the tour feel a little rushed, but it was still okay. It had some really beautiful windows. My favorite was the Five Sisters (sisterns) because it used this smoky gray glass you’d probably never see in church windows.
Liz and I wandered down a few streets before heading back to the “bat mobile” as Paul likes to refer to the bus. He took us to the hostel and we unpacked and had dinner which was pretty delicious. Then Paul offered to drive us into town so a few of us took advantage of that and stopped in at a pub to play some pool.
Got up early and had breakfast at the hostel. Packed the bus and headed to Lindisfarne, a.k.a Holy Island. On the way, Paul told us we were about 9 miles from Scotland and asked if we wanted to cross the border to take some pictures. Like we would say No!!
We had some beautiful sunshine too that really lit up the green countryside and then the ocean!!! Actually, the North Sea, but it counts! Paul drove us over to the island at low tide so the sands looked really cool with all their puddles everywhere.
The town was tiny and there were quite a few tourists there. We quickly went through the little museum and then checked out the monastery ruins which were all a beautiful red stone and really showed off the layout of the old church.
Kelsey and I walked down to Cuthbert’s Island over the rocky, puddly beach--and got some cool seashells. It was a little tricky hopping from rock to rock but we made it.
That tiny tiny little island was pretty cool. The grass was so green and spongy with beautiful wildflowers all over. It had great views, too. We walked down the treacherous black and mossy stones to the beach and…for the first time EVER I got to stand in the OCEAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was awesome, and FREEZING!! Luckily, the water was so cold that after a minute or two I couldn’t feel my feet anyway! 
It was so cool and so hard to have to leave!We trekked back to the main island and up to the big lookout point with a small tower on top where we got a better glimpse of the castle and then back down to the bus to leave. It was a short trip, but definitely one I’ll never forget!
Then we had a long drive back down to York and ate our sack lunches from the hostel on the way. We got to York about 15 minutes behind schedule because of some bad traffic and had to run to our tour at the York Minster. That made the tour feel a little rushed, but it was still okay. It had some really beautiful windows. My favorite was the Five Sisters (sisterns) because it used this smoky gray glass you’d probably never see in church windows.
Liz and I wandered down a few streets before heading back to the “bat mobile” as Paul likes to refer to the bus. He took us to the hostel and we unpacked and had dinner which was pretty delicious. Then Paul offered to drive us into town so a few of us took advantage of that and stopped in at a pub to play some pool.
Wooleeeeerrr!!!
Friday, 18 September
We got up early and had the hotel’s traditional English breakfast. A lot of food to prepare us for a very long day! We packed the bus and then did a tour of Durham Castle at 9:45.
Our tour guide was pretty horrible, and there didn’t seem to be much to see of the castle--it was pretty small--but we got to see another Harry Potter filming site!
Harry Potter site: the clock tower
Then we were given until 4pm to wander around. A few of us went back to the Cathedral. I took the opportunity to climb the 300+ spiral stone steps to the top of the cathedral. There were some amazing views of Durham and the vast countryside. Since I paid £3 I stayed up there a while and got a lot of good pictures. It was kindof scary up there too. There were only the stone ramparts and in between those a thin iron bar! I survived though!
Then I went down and took the river path.
It was very peaceful and quiet--a very nice change from London! I walked quite a way down the path and at one point saw some of the girls on a boat tour. Apparently, the tour guide had just told them to look out into the woods for wildlife--and there I was!
I headed back into town to get some lunch and then walked around looking at a few shops. Then the group met back up and we got on the bus to head north.
The countryside grew even more beautiful than yesterday.
More big rolling green hills with a lot more sheep! Then we arrived in Wooler--a very small town with about 4 churches and 8 pubs. Paul said that sounds about right! :D Our youth hostel was pretty cool actually for the first time going to one. 
Except for the fact that Kelsey, Steph, and my triple room was actually a double! Steph and I just decided to share. We unpacked and then a few of us went on a walk looking for Cuthbert’s cave…but not really as it was a 2 mile hike. So everything we found we dubbed Cuthbert’s cave anyway! Funny--guess it’s one of those “have to be there” moments.
Made it back to the hostel for dinner at 8. People here must be all about the 3 courses, because that’s what we got!
Then a bunch of us decided to hit Wooler’s karaoke at the Angel Inn pub!! It was SO MUCH FUN!!!!! We were nearly the only ones there when we arrived, but apparently, people were calling their friends telling them to come check out our party and before we knew it the pub was packed! There were actually a line of people edging the dance floor just watching us sing and dance for a while! And with good reason--we totally rocked! (And probably doubled the town population!) Molly and Megan absolutely rocked Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” because it’s Megan’s favorite song and it was hilarious!
Megan (L) and Molly (R)!
But I think our song of the night was “Sweet Caroline” *Bum Bum Bum!* And after a while, some of the locals finally started dancing and singing too. But we had to leave a little early because the hostel closed its doors at 11. But it was an absolute blast!!
We got up early and had the hotel’s traditional English breakfast. A lot of food to prepare us for a very long day! We packed the bus and then did a tour of Durham Castle at 9:45.
Our tour guide was pretty horrible, and there didn’t seem to be much to see of the castle--it was pretty small--but we got to see another Harry Potter filming site!
Harry Potter site: the clock towerThen we were given until 4pm to wander around. A few of us went back to the Cathedral. I took the opportunity to climb the 300+ spiral stone steps to the top of the cathedral. There were some amazing views of Durham and the vast countryside. Since I paid £3 I stayed up there a while and got a lot of good pictures. It was kindof scary up there too. There were only the stone ramparts and in between those a thin iron bar! I survived though!
Then I went down and took the river path.
It was very peaceful and quiet--a very nice change from London! I walked quite a way down the path and at one point saw some of the girls on a boat tour. Apparently, the tour guide had just told them to look out into the woods for wildlife--and there I was!I headed back into town to get some lunch and then walked around looking at a few shops. Then the group met back up and we got on the bus to head north.
The countryside grew even more beautiful than yesterday.
More big rolling green hills with a lot more sheep! Then we arrived in Wooler--a very small town with about 4 churches and 8 pubs. Paul said that sounds about right! :D Our youth hostel was pretty cool actually for the first time going to one. 
Except for the fact that Kelsey, Steph, and my triple room was actually a double! Steph and I just decided to share. We unpacked and then a few of us went on a walk looking for Cuthbert’s cave…but not really as it was a 2 mile hike. So everything we found we dubbed Cuthbert’s cave anyway! Funny--guess it’s one of those “have to be there” moments.Made it back to the hostel for dinner at 8. People here must be all about the 3 courses, because that’s what we got!
Then a bunch of us decided to hit Wooler’s karaoke at the Angel Inn pub!! It was SO MUCH FUN!!!!! We were nearly the only ones there when we arrived, but apparently, people were calling their friends telling them to come check out our party and before we knew it the pub was packed! There were actually a line of people edging the dance floor just watching us sing and dance for a while! And with good reason--we totally rocked! (And probably doubled the town population!) Molly and Megan absolutely rocked Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” because it’s Megan’s favorite song and it was hilarious!
Megan (L) and Molly (R)!But I think our song of the night was “Sweet Caroline” *Bum Bum Bum!* And after a while, some of the locals finally started dancing and singing too. But we had to leave a little early because the hostel closed its doors at 11. But it was an absolute blast!!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Yay Durham!
Thursday, 17 September
Left at 8am today for Durham. Paul was, once again, our wonderful bus driver!
The northern countryside is increadibly beautiful. It's very hilly with lots of trees and animal pastures. It kindof reminded me of the Pacific Northwest. A lot of people commented on how it looks a lot like Iowa, but I disagree. I have yet to see fields of corn as far as the eye can see!
We got to Durham about 2:30 and checked into our hotel. It was a lot nicer than I think any of us were expecting, and so much bigger. Shelby and I thought we had a big room, but others were even bigger! We had time to explore before meeting for Durham's Evensong so Megan, Maddi, Shelby, and I walked around to look at some shops, got ice cream, and walked along the river. It was nice to be able to see the bottom of one for once--the Thames is so mucky!
We got back up to the Cathedral to meet the group and I went into the church.
It was the perfect time, too, because some dusty light was coming through a west window and shining on the baptismal font, creating an awesome atmosphere. The effect was somewhat spoiled, however, since there was electrical and band equipment everywhere: Sting was set to perform that night. And while I was back admiring Cuthbert's tomb like a good little student, the rest of the group saw Sting back by Bede's tomb! Shoot! And just what Gammon wanted, too--all of us standing at the Venerable Bede's tomb after having discussed his Ecclesiastical History of the English People and nobody being able to take their eyes off Sting! Haha!
Evensong was at 5 and was okay. I think I like Latin better for the atmosphere and this was in English. After, I went to a pub with Gammon, Brandon, Maddi, Josh, and Steph to hang out before dinner. Fun times!
The hotel provided dinner at 8 and it was an even bigger surprise than our huge rooms: 3 fancy courses! I had soup, lamb, and cheesecake. AND I got to try blood pudding! I got Gammon to promise that if I ate it all he would buy me a drink later, and I did. It wasn't bad either--like salty catfood.
Then we went to a different pub and Gammon made good on his promise. I tried my first lagger--not bad!
Left at 8am today for Durham. Paul was, once again, our wonderful bus driver!
The northern countryside is increadibly beautiful. It's very hilly with lots of trees and animal pastures. It kindof reminded me of the Pacific Northwest. A lot of people commented on how it looks a lot like Iowa, but I disagree. I have yet to see fields of corn as far as the eye can see!
We got to Durham about 2:30 and checked into our hotel. It was a lot nicer than I think any of us were expecting, and so much bigger. Shelby and I thought we had a big room, but others were even bigger! We had time to explore before meeting for Durham's Evensong so Megan, Maddi, Shelby, and I walked around to look at some shops, got ice cream, and walked along the river. It was nice to be able to see the bottom of one for once--the Thames is so mucky!
We got back up to the Cathedral to meet the group and I went into the church.
It was the perfect time, too, because some dusty light was coming through a west window and shining on the baptismal font, creating an awesome atmosphere. The effect was somewhat spoiled, however, since there was electrical and band equipment everywhere: Sting was set to perform that night. And while I was back admiring Cuthbert's tomb like a good little student, the rest of the group saw Sting back by Bede's tomb! Shoot! And just what Gammon wanted, too--all of us standing at the Venerable Bede's tomb after having discussed his Ecclesiastical History of the English People and nobody being able to take their eyes off Sting! Haha!Evensong was at 5 and was okay. I think I like Latin better for the atmosphere and this was in English. After, I went to a pub with Gammon, Brandon, Maddi, Josh, and Steph to hang out before dinner. Fun times!
The hotel provided dinner at 8 and it was an even bigger surprise than our huge rooms: 3 fancy courses! I had soup, lamb, and cheesecake. AND I got to try blood pudding! I got Gammon to promise that if I ate it all he would buy me a drink later, and I did. It wasn't bad either--like salty catfood.
Then we went to a different pub and Gammon made good on his promise. I tried my first lagger--not bad!
British Library
Wednesday, 16 September
Our art class was cancelled today, our professor was pretty sick. So Andrea, Kelsey, Stephanie, Molly, and I went up to the British Library to check out the Lindisfarne Gospels for class. The library had a lot more stuff than I was ever expecting!
Original Beatles lyrics
DaVinci notebooks
Freud's Dream manuscript
a letter from Darwin
1484 copy of Aesop's fables
copy of the Magna Carta
1st edition of Marlowe's Faustus
Garrek's copy of Romeo and Juliet
1562 (before Shakespeare's) copy of Romeo and Juliet by Arthur Brook
lots of Shakespeare's poetry
Milton's research notebook
one of Jane Austen's notebooks and a manuscript for Persuasion
an original Alice in Wonderland
a manuscript of Tess of D'urbervilles (which I'd started reading a few days before!)
stuff by Wilde, Conrad, and Plath
Virginia Woolf's notebook for Mrs. Dolloway
...AND...
Charlotte Bronte's hand-written manuscript of Jane Eyre, open to the conclusion!!!
There were also A LOT of books and illuminated manuscripts from various world religions, Handel's Messiah, Beethoven's tuning fork, Mozart's marriage contract, and MORE. It was really not what I was expecting!!
Then we went back to King's Cross station to see Harry Potter's 9 3/4 platform. We got help from the very kind station manager who, as we were looking around for it, came up to us knowing exactly what we wanted and showed us where to go :D
We went home, had lunch, and then Steph, Kelsey and I went to the Old Brompton Cemetary. It is where Emmeline Pankhurst is buried (leader of suffragist movement) and where Beatrix Potter got a lot of her characters' names, including Peter Rabbit! It was pretty cool and once fall comes, a perfect place for Halloween!! We sat down and did some reading before heading home.
Our art class was cancelled today, our professor was pretty sick. So Andrea, Kelsey, Stephanie, Molly, and I went up to the British Library to check out the Lindisfarne Gospels for class. The library had a lot more stuff than I was ever expecting!
Original Beatles lyrics
DaVinci notebooks
Freud's Dream manuscript
a letter from Darwin
1484 copy of Aesop's fables
copy of the Magna Carta
1st edition of Marlowe's Faustus
Garrek's copy of Romeo and Juliet
1562 (before Shakespeare's) copy of Romeo and Juliet by Arthur Brook
lots of Shakespeare's poetry
Milton's research notebook
one of Jane Austen's notebooks and a manuscript for Persuasion
an original Alice in Wonderland
a manuscript of Tess of D'urbervilles (which I'd started reading a few days before!)
stuff by Wilde, Conrad, and Plath
Virginia Woolf's notebook for Mrs. Dolloway
...AND...
Charlotte Bronte's hand-written manuscript of Jane Eyre, open to the conclusion!!!
There were also A LOT of books and illuminated manuscripts from various world religions, Handel's Messiah, Beethoven's tuning fork, Mozart's marriage contract, and MORE. It was really not what I was expecting!!
Then we went back to King's Cross station to see Harry Potter's 9 3/4 platform. We got help from the very kind station manager who, as we were looking around for it, came up to us knowing exactly what we wanted and showed us where to go :D
We went home, had lunch, and then Steph, Kelsey and I went to the Old Brompton Cemetary. It is where Emmeline Pankhurst is buried (leader of suffragist movement) and where Beatrix Potter got a lot of her characters' names, including Peter Rabbit! It was pretty cool and once fall comes, a perfect place for Halloween!! We sat down and did some reading before heading home.
Victoria & Albert Museum
Tuesday, 15 September
Steph, Kelsey, and I went to the Victoria and Albert Museum. It was a great day for it because we finally got our first real rain...and it lasted all day!
Looked around the fashion room which was pretty cool.
They had stuff from periods dating back to the 1750s all the way to some very new-age stuff that always makes me wonder who on Earth would wear such stuff! Also a lot from famous designers. They had a huge collecton of jewelery, and plenty of rooms filled with stuff from China, India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. There was also a theatre room with tons of stuff. My favorites were the outfit Maggie Smith wore in The Importance of Being Earnest and an original sketch of an outfit for the Phantom!
There were quite a few rooms dedicated to Western European stuff and a huge hall full of sculpture (including a Bernini, Megan! I know he's your fav!)
There was another full of plaster casts of statues, architecture, and tombs. It had two HUGE roman pillar casts with carvings all over, casts of the knights' effigies in Temple Church, and casts of Henry II with Eleanor of Aquitaine (we're getting into that time period in readings).
When we got home we went out for drinks with Liz, Megan, Molly, and Andrea. Unfortunately, our favorite--the Old Swan--was out of cream and we couldn't have our favorite drinks there :(
Steph, Kelsey, and I went to the Victoria and Albert Museum. It was a great day for it because we finally got our first real rain...and it lasted all day!
Looked around the fashion room which was pretty cool.
They had stuff from periods dating back to the 1750s all the way to some very new-age stuff that always makes me wonder who on Earth would wear such stuff! Also a lot from famous designers. They had a huge collecton of jewelery, and plenty of rooms filled with stuff from China, India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. There was also a theatre room with tons of stuff. My favorites were the outfit Maggie Smith wore in The Importance of Being Earnest and an original sketch of an outfit for the Phantom!
There were quite a few rooms dedicated to Western European stuff and a huge hall full of sculpture (including a Bernini, Megan! I know he's your fav!)
There was another full of plaster casts of statues, architecture, and tombs. It had two HUGE roman pillar casts with carvings all over, casts of the knights' effigies in Temple Church, and casts of Henry II with Eleanor of Aquitaine (we're getting into that time period in readings).When we got home we went out for drinks with Liz, Megan, Molly, and Andrea. Unfortunately, our favorite--the Old Swan--was out of cream and we couldn't have our favorite drinks there :(
Monday, September 14, 2009
First Group Meeting
Had my first meeting with Gammon at 9am today with Liz and Josh. We had some interesting chats about Bede and the Lindisfarne Gospels and I understand them a little better. I at least feel a little more ready for our trip to Lindisfarne later in the week.
Steph and I went to some cheap book stores in Notting Hill and walked around to some vintage stores. Then we went to Primark to get pillows and blankets for hostels. We were hoping it wouldn’t be so crazy on a Monday afternoon…but it was. I won’t be sad if I never have to go back there again. Way too crowded for me.
Back for a quick lunch. Off to the Tate Modern—art museum on the Thames. I’m not big into modern art—mostly because I’m cynical and don’t really get the “meaning” behind a lot of the pieces, but it was cool to see some of the Monet, Dalí, Picasso, Pollack, and Matisse stuff. There was also a really cool piece that was an enormous table with 4 chairs. So big you could walk around under them. I felt like Alice in Wonderland. Very cool.
Tate Modern
We stopped at Paul to get some warm drinks because it was pretty cold outside from the clouds and wind and then headed home.
Steph and I went to some cheap book stores in Notting Hill and walked around to some vintage stores. Then we went to Primark to get pillows and blankets for hostels. We were hoping it wouldn’t be so crazy on a Monday afternoon…but it was. I won’t be sad if I never have to go back there again. Way too crowded for me.
Back for a quick lunch. Off to the Tate Modern—art museum on the Thames. I’m not big into modern art—mostly because I’m cynical and don’t really get the “meaning” behind a lot of the pieces, but it was cool to see some of the Monet, Dalí, Picasso, Pollack, and Matisse stuff. There was also a really cool piece that was an enormous table with 4 chairs. So big you could walk around under them. I felt like Alice in Wonderland. Very cool.
Tate ModernWe stopped at Paul to get some warm drinks because it was pretty cold outside from the clouds and wind and then headed home.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)