An Then There Was Two

Our three Musketeers unfortunately shrunk to two today. Sarah has left for her home in New York state. She was only here for three weeks. Callie and I were telling her that she could hide in my closet and we could sneak food from the caferteria for her. Unfortunately, this didn't happen, and off she went in her transport to Heathrow airport.

Alone, Callie and I decided to go to Windsor Castle. We took the tube to Paddington station and for about £7 each we got tickets for Windsor and Eton Central. Once there, it wasn't too hard to find the castle. It was £12 for a student to enter, but it was great. The castle is huge! We got to see many of the rooms, St. George's chapel, a collection of photos of the Queen that spanned her eighty years of life. My favorite thing I saw was Queen Anne's dollhouse. This is the ultimate dollhouse in the world. I swear it was larger than a Volkswagen Bug! And it has everything down to the tiniest details such as a snail in the garden and working plumbing! It was fantastic.

For dinner, we ate at a patisserie/cafe near the Tesco. We ate a roast beef bagette with a salad and chips. It was very yummy.

We also watched the football match between Brazil and France. The restaurant was cheering Brazil on and we were silently cheering on France...and France won. Earlier today England played and lost. Through my bedroom window I could hear the yelling from the pub down the road. I would've hated to be there when England lost. It's very sad.

Two Days - One For Work. The Other For Play

Thursday was all work and no play. After watching The Motorcylce Diaries (if you haven't seen this movie, do so) and staying for the entire three hours of class, and eating lunch, I was then in the computer lab. I was typing up my creative writing project. I decided to go for a story feel, but made up of a series of journal entries. I was in the library until some fellow students and I were kicked out at closing, then I was in the other computer lab with three of my other classmates. We were there until fourty-five minutes passed closing until our favorite (sarcasm) security guard kicked us out despite the fact that we were still working on our portfolios that were due in the morning.

So out in the commons Cyndie, Tracy, Meghan, and I hand wrote all of our projects until four in the morning. We trudged upstairs to our beds and slept for three hours. Then, skipping breakfast, we trudged back downstairs and typed up any remaining work and studied for our exam. With five minutes to spare we got to our classroom.

The test was OK. There were two sections. One section was a close reading where we had to read these two paragraphs from a previously unseen story and then write an essay about word use, imagery, sentence and paragraph structure, the narrative voice and how all of this worked together towards the writer's arguement. The second section was where we got to pick from a list of essay questions and write an essay to answer it drawing examples from at least two short stories that we've previouly read. Overall, it was easy. With only an hour and forty mintues, I wish we had more time. But despite all of that I think I did very well. We get to pick up our portfolio with our grades later from the advisor's office.

After the test was over and done, I went back to my place and took a well deserved shower and I attempted to take a nap, but when I closed my eyes I felt like I was spinning. I think it was because of my lack of sleep and because I had just escaped a whirlwind of work to finish this class.

After lunch, the school's version of fish and chips, Sarah, Callie and I went to Westminster Abbey, and actually got in this time. It costs £6 for students, but it was worth it. It was amazing and gorgeous inside. I got to see Queen Elizabeth I's and Queen Mary's tomb and the tombs for other royals. However, my favorite part of this visit was when I got to the Poet's Corner. My mouth dropped when I saw the tombs or memorials for all of the authors and poets that I've read over the course of my life. Dickens, George Elliot, Tennyson, Burns, Keats, Shelley, Lewis Carol, Browning, Chaucer (his tomb was very small, surprisingly. Maybe he was a small man), and so much more. People from my two British Literature classes, I saw almost all of the names of authors and poets here. It was amazing!

After Wesminster, we walked along the Thames next to the Tower of London, which by the way costs £12 for students or £13 for adults, but if you really want to see the inside open up your wallet, it's worth it. Anyway, after taking a few pictures of Tower Bridge, we headed back to Atlantic for dinner.

A Day Packed Full With Fun

Today was the day that we decided to experience English tea. Kandy's Tea Room, which is on Holland Street right off of High Street in Kensington, is a small little place that serves different types of tea and sandwiches. Sarah, Callie and I split a pot of Earl Gray tea and had two scones with clotted cream and jam. It was delicious. It was nice to sit and relax with several cups of tea, especially since I've been working very hard on my final assingment for my Travel Writing class.

Since I've brought the subject up, I'm currently working on the creative writing assingment that I mentioned at the very beginning of the first session. I haven't officially decided on what type of style I want my final version to be, which is causing a little bit of stress, but I know I'll come up with one soon.

Now, back to the fun stuff. After tea Sarah and I took the Tube to King's Cross to the train station. Why? Well, all Harry Potter fans should know this. This is where Platform 9 3/4 can be found. Once you are out of the Tube station head for the King's Cross station and to Platmorms 1-8. On the left there should be a sign showing you the direction to platfroms 9 and 10. Though instead of going all the way through to the adjacent building, right outside you get a full view of a stone wall and arch with the sign "Platform 9 3/4" and a luggage trolley stuck halfway into the wall. We were surprised that this was right in a public area with not many people taking notice. Of course, we took plently of pictures.

And for those who are Potter fans, since Platforms 9 and 10 actually face each other, in the movie the scenes of the Weasleys and Harry running through the wall were done between platfroms 4 and 5. Also, another note, the outside of the station of St. Pancras railway station was used for the seen where Ron and Harry flew the magic car to Hogworts.

From King's Cross, we left for Regent Street. There we went to Whittards. I'd decided that the teapot that I mentioned in a earlier post was going to come home with me. From there it was back to Atlantic.

He's There - The Phantom of the Opera

As a special treat, Sarah, Callie and I went to see Phantom of the Opera tonight. Only one word can describe this show - "Wow." This is the third time that I have seen this show (once in Dallas and once before in London five years ago)and I say that this is the best of all three productions. All of the actors had magnificent voices! The actor who played the Phantom actually hit the high notes perfectly and portrayed the Opera Ghost wonderfully. The actresses that played Christine and Carlotta were amazing.

We got tickets at the theater's box office for £20 each. At TKTS the tickets were £40, probably because they were really good seats. The seats that we got instead where in the first row of the Upper Circle and all the way to the left of the stage. The reason why the tickets were so inexpensive was that they supposedly had a bit of a restricted view. However, the only restriction we had was seeing the left corner of the stage and because we were in the first row we could lean over the railing just a bit and see most of everything there. It was perfect.

We were all so excited that we could barely sit still while we waited for the show to begin. Once it did, Sarah and I would catch each other mouthing the lyrics of our favorite songs. During intermission we all began to discuss the differences between the stage version verus the recent movie. The movie does not give this musical justice. Plan and simple. If you have only seen the movie - you must see the show whenever it tours close to your home. Go see it. Love it!

Sarah loved the London performance, however she holds it second to the New York show (as does my father who has also seen both). Someday I'll have to go New York, Callie too, since this was the first time she's ever seen the show and needs to see another one for comparison. Since Sarah lives in the state we can do it togehter. Until I do go to New York, I'm going to remember this night forever!

A Rainy Day in the City

To get away from a noisy computer lab and the crowded dinning hall, Sarah S. and I once again ventured out to explore the city. On our agenda - Westminster Abbey. We took the Tube to the Westminster Station, and through the rain we weaved in and out of the multi-colored sea of umbrellas. Just around the corner of Parliament we stopped. There, right before us, the sea of people had turned into a great snake of tourists. It was the line to enter the abbey. Well, if you think about it, on a rainy day doing things indoors, were it is dry, is the best option.

Sarah S. and I walked closer. There was still a glimmer of hope that this might be a line for something else that just happened to be outside of the Westminster Abbey. But no, our first supposition was correct. Hopes dashed we turned the corner to the gift shop. If we couldn't get into the abbey itself, at least we can still go into the shop.

There is a wide range of items sold at this little shop. There are the usual postcards, pens, little notebooks, items that pertain to the composers that are entombed in the abbey. There were roseries, gorguous crosses on a simple chains, and little diptychs with fuax Byzantine paintings of Christ and the Virgin Mary. Oh, everything was so tempting, but for a poor college student I resisted the urge to buy more material memories of visiting Westminster Abbey's gift shop.

Finished with Westminster for the day we strolled under the trees that stood beside the Thames which, for the time being, protected us from the rain. At Northumberland Avenue we turned left. We had decided that out next destination was Picadilly Circus and Regent Street. To our amazement, the walk from the Thames to Picadilly Circus only took twenty minutes.

Of course, since we were there, we had to stop into Lillywhites. This is Sarah S.'s all time favorite store. There is always one thing that you can count on at Lillywhites - it's the crowd. In rainy weather - it's crowded, in hot weather - it's crowded, cool and over-cast - it's crowded. No matter what it is, even if it's the end of the world, the sports store will be brimming with people. Sarah S.'s hands remained unfortunetly empty again and we walked onto Regent Street. The store we were now looking for - the one that I've always wanted to go into - Hamley's.

However, as always, we are sidetracked my a tea shop called Whittards. Standing on either side of the door were two women offering free samples of their teas. A wonderful way to draw potential customers in from the cold, rainy day. Sarah S. bought a teapot and cup for her mom and I feel in love with a teapot. My money-pinching ways kept me from buying it, but as I write this I have now decided that I must go back.

Hamley's is a five-story toy store. (Yes, we actually made it despite all our previous aversions.) The moment you step through the threshold your eyes grow to the size of saucers and your mouth drops. "Wow" is the only audiable sound that will pass through your lips. In the basement there are interactive toys like Lego, on the ground floor there are stuffed animals, the first floor (which is the floor above the ground floor) is games, the second floor is Pre-school toys, the third is the floor for girls, the fourth is hobbies and finally the fifth is for boys. Out of everything, I loved exploring the first floor's Bear Factory. It is exactly like a Build-A-Bear Workshop, but Hamley's style.

Liberty was the next store that we went to. It's yet another department store that we heard was good. Though it lacked the exotic food stalls at Harrod's, the moment we stepped in we knew we couldn't even afford a keychain, but it was fun to just look around. After ten minutes we were back on the street.

To end the day, we walked to Kensington Gardens. We were in search of the Peter Pan statue. It was yet another item on our list of "Must Do and See." We looked at the sign when we entered the park, found out where it was and began our trek. We walked straight to the other side without seeing it. To refresh our memory, we looked at the sign there on the other side. Now, on the right path we walked and walked.

Everything was fine, until I distinctly heard footsteps behind us. At first, I was telling myself that it's a public park and there several people around. However, after walking quite a ways further, I noticed that the footsteps had been behind us ever since. I would look around with my umbrella to see who belonged to the feet. It was just a man with his hands in his pockets and just walking. But why has he been behind us for so long? Why hadn't he passed us or turned down any of the many different paths?

I whispered to Sarah S. "Do you think this guy is following us?" Sarah nodded her head. She had realized this as well and was getting the same creepy feeling that was overcoming me. Suddenly we began to laugh. Why? I think it was to relieve some of our fear. We decided that we should turn and if he takes the same path, we should quickly go up to someone and ask to walk with him or her. Much to our relief, however, when we carried out our plan, the man maintained his course on the main path. But we were so prepared for anything that when it stopped raining we rolled up our umbrellas and decided we could use them as clubs. Yes, we are weird and paranoid, but we didn't know for sure if we were being followed or not. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

After our diversion, we finally found the Peter Pan statue an hour and a half later. It was smaller than we thought, but we still thought it be very pretty. We stood there contemplating which girl was Wendy and Tinkle Bell and so on, waiting for the groups of people to pass by before we took out photos. Sarah S. got a great one of her balancing on one foot and her arms spread out like she was flying. It's very cute. I took my usual picture focusing on the artisty. With enough photos to be happy and the fact that it was getting close to sun down, we headed back to the Atlantic House and to the computer lab where we would record our adventure in Kensington Gardens.

An Adventurous Day In The Convent Garden Area

Today started off with a late morning. Sunday has been officially deemed as the sleep in day. Sarah S., Callie and I made our way to one of our regular haunts, Leicester Square. There is a ticket booth there called TKTS. This is where you can find day of and discounted theater tickets. Today, Sarah S. and Callie bought Orcestra Stall tickets for the Blue Man Group for around £20 each. Very good deal. All three of us are going to TKTS tomorrow to get tickets to see The Phantom of the Opera.

Anyway, back to the Sunday's ventures. Tickets bought, we went to Oxford Street to appease my need to buy a new bag that would be able to carry all of my every day necessities for exploring the city. A good place to find bags, purses, or suitcases is at the London Luggage Co. at the corner of Oxford Street and Baker Street. I bought I a fantastic satchel with ripstop fabric, great pockets and zippers and enough space for everything and if not - it can expand. The best part too - it was on sale.

With my purchase out of the way, we hopped back onto the Tube and went to Covent Garden. We ate lunch, delicious sandwiches from the Tesco Express back on Gloucester, while we watched the street performers. With a couple hours to kill before the show we then wandered into the market, hoping to find any good deals on any presents for people back home. Unfortunately the wonderful handcrafted items were too expensive for three poor college students.

The Blue Man Group shows at the New London Theater. From Covent Garden it is simple to take Russel Street then turn left on Drury Lane, and the theater is on the right several blocks away. This is where I left the girls. I walked back to Covent Garden, where I visited the Disney Store and the Build-A-Bear Workshop before I went onto the Tube.

With some time to kill I decided to be bold and I ventured just slightly north of where I was. I took the Tube up to Tottenham Court Road. My destination - the Forbidden Planet Ltd. store. Taking the Tube was easy, I knew exactly where to go. However, upon getting to street level I was lost! Which way do I go? What street is that? Where are those street signs that are supposed to be on the sides of the buildings? I decided to go down one street, thinking it was the correct way, but it only took a block for me to realize that this wasn't the right path. So I back tracked and headed down the other busy street. Now I was heading in the right direction or so I thought.

After almost have ten to fifteen minutes I noticed that I was coming up to the Holborn Tube station. I had missed a turn and had gone too far. So I whipped out my street map, found an inconspicuous spot to stand and tried to figure out where I was. Thinking I finally had my directions down I headed back the way I had come, yet again. This time I found the street that I was to turn on and suddenly there on my right was the store. Hallelujah!

Now, Forbidden Planet Ltd. is a sci-fi store. There are Star Wars action figures, Ghostbuster items, Japenese anime stuff, and so much more. I was looking for one thing and one thing only. The Dr. Who section, and I found it. There were plenty of action figures for the new series that has just recently appeared in America. There were also a few items from the most favorite Doctor - Tom Baker. I wanted to buy something for me and my sister, but the prices were quite high. For any other Dr. Who fans out there, there are numerous other places in London that you can find Dr. Who items such as Argos and Hamley's.

Satisfied in seeing what was available, I walked back to the Tube and returned to Kensington. In the peacefulness of my room, I took a quick nap, read the book "On The Road" by Jack Kerouac for class, transfered everything from my old bag to my new one, and finally went to the computer lab to send emails and work on the blog.

With my usual friends I went to Pizza Hut on High Street in Kensington for dinner where Sarah and Callie told me all about the Blue Man Group. We and two other girls had the special of buy one pizza get a second for half price. For five starved people, it was a good deal. We ate all of the two large pizzas. One note about Pizza Hut in London - a Margarita pizza, which is normally the traditional Italian pizza of cheese, tomatos and basil, is actually what we Americans would call a regular cheese pizza.

Afterwards Sarah and I treated ourselves with a Deliciousness. A perfect way to end a busy day.