I Think I'm from London Now

I have been in London for just under three weeks now and I can honestly say it feels like home. I am very confident that I could get myself anywhere in the city that I could possibly want to go. With my Oyster card in hand, the Tube and bus systems are a playground waiting for me to explore. I no longer go to the Tube station and study the map figuring out how to get to certain places because I have memorized the majority of the routes that I frequent. To show just how savvy I have become with the London mass transit system, I headed to the train station early this morning. When I arrived at London Victoria station, I was seeking train tickets to Brighton, England for Thursday July 1. I walked up to the counter discussed what I needed to purchase, and I will be boarding a train to the beach tomorrow afternoon. I am quite proud of this accomplishment because I would have no idea how to go about doing something like this at home. I haven't the slightest clue how public transportation works at home, but I know how London's does and I think it is fabulous. Out of all the things that I could possibly do in London to feel like a local, my absolute favorite is having picnics at a park. Today I enjoyed my third picnic in a third park. My park of choice today was St. James's Park, which sits just in front of Buckingham Palace. Before making my journey to the park, I headed to the local Sainsbury's (grocery store) to pick up my picnic contents. For today's picnic, the meal consisted of a variety of dunkers and dips, fruit, "veg", and scrumptious cupcakes. After purchasing all of my picnic goodies and taking the Tube to St. James's Park, I found a nice shady spot under some big beautiful trees. Directly in front of me was a large pond with beautiful flowers surrounding it. After enjoying my lunch, I laid in the grass for a few hours enjoying my surroundings in the lively park. I eventually decided to head over to Buckingham Palace and take some photos of my dream house. This palace is quite large and always surrounded by visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of the queen, or a prince in my case. :) Instead of jumping on the Tube back to Sloane Square, my home stop, I decided to venture back to my flat on foot. I decided that a real native would know how to navigate the streets just as well as the Tube and that is just what I did. After playing native all day, I decided to put my tourist hat back on for the evening. My Travel and Tourism class had planned to go to the London Eye this evening and I was quite excited. The Eye is similar to a Ferris wheel, but on a much larger scale. About 20 or so people can fit in each cage on the Eye. As it rotates its way around it provides breathtaking views of London. Situated right on the River Thames, the view of Big Ben, Parliament and Westminster Abbey are incredible. Visiting a tourist attraction such as the Eye would not be complete without visiting some sort of souvenir shop. To fulfill this requirement, Dr. Barb, Angel, Katie and I went into an arcade-type place in search of coffee. After getting coffee and tea, the real tourist actions began. Katie and I spotted a photo booth and practically leaped at the opportunity. We had been looking for a photo booth all over London, so this was a great find. The remainder of my evening has been spent as a native again doing dishes, having a snack and spending too much time Tweeting and Facebooking. Just wait and see what is in store for tomorrow.

AM :)

Oxford and Fuller's

I began my day visiting the amazing Oxford Street once again. This street is home to some of the most amazing shopping that it simply cannot be tackled in one visit. As I walked toward Primark, my final destination, I was bombarded by a quirky employee from Foot Locker named Eliab. He was so enthusiastic and excited to learn where I was from. In attempt to gain foot traffic in the store, this guy was working hard to make potential customers laugh. He did his best southern American accent after realizing we were neither German nor Australian and finally convinced us to look at some shoes. We did not by anything, but it was a fun experience nonetheless. After the funny little time at Foot Locker, I continued down Oxford and finally reached Primark. This is quite a grand store that stands two stories high and takes up almost an entire block. Today was my first trip to Primark, but I had heard from many that it was definitely a place to visit. After walking around for a while and picking up a few things, I began to relate this store to stores in the U.S. The grand Primark reminds me of a cross between Forever 21 and H & M. The price of the clothes and accessories was similar to that of Forever, while the quality was more like H & M. I loved my trip to Primark and now realize why the store is always a zoo. After a morning of exploring Oxford Street, it was time to head back to Johnson House to meet my European Business class. Today for class we went to Fuller's Brewery for a tour. I was anxious to see what a London Brewery tour would be like as opposed to an Anheuser Busch tour. Because today was quite toasty, I was hoping that the tour would be inside. As it turned out, the tour was inside but was warmer than being outside. Certain parts of the brewing process require very high temperatures and because there are very few air conditioned places, the heat from the brewing heated up all of the buildings. I soon found out the Fuller's brews 250,000 pints of beer per day which made me understand why the buildings were so hot. If I boiled that much water I think my kitchen would be a bit warm too. Fuller's brews beer five days a week, but continues to ferment and age beer 24/7. I was a bit shocked as the small size of the brewery and how old the brewery seemed. With only the Anheuser Busch tour to compare it to, Fuller's was no where near as technology savvy, big or as modern as AB. It was still a very interesting brewery to visit because some of the old technology that is no longer in use is still available for viewing. After the tour, the guides gave out samples of several of the beers. Two of the brews that Fuller's are known for here in London are London Pride and Honey Dew. I sampled both beers and have to say the Honey Dew was my favorite of the two with a light sweet taste. I think that the class really enjoyed this visit and I know that Dr. Lewington had a fun time too. Talk to you all tomorrow!

AM

P.S. Sorry for the delay in this post. I had to save it last night before I could post it and I never got a chance to post it after that.

Tower and Tourism

It was another warm one today in London, but that didn't stop my great adventures. To begin my day, I headed to the Tower of London. Until just a few days ago I thought that the Tower of London was just that, a tower. I thought that it was just an attraction that you could walk to the top of, see a nice view and be on your way. I couldn't have been more wrong. The Tower of London is grand magnificent castle, a fortress if you will. I was overwhelmed by the size of the tower and could not wait to tour it. Because I didn't know what the Tower of London looked like that also meant that I had no idea what it had been used for. As I toured around the castle like structure, I quickly learned the mass amounts of torture attributed to the place. Back in the days of Henry VII, this fortress was used as a sort of penitentiary for those who disrupted society for reasons such as business problems, unfaithful marriages and disagreeing with authority. Many of the inmates were religious leaders being punished for spreading their beliefs. In one of the towers there were carvings on the wall symbolizing the Catholicism. These carvings were obviously done by the priests and religious leaders that had been imprisoned. Several torturous tools were on display that were used to harm and even kill the inmates. Many of the prisoners were beheaded, especially women that had not been faithful to their husbands. It was a bit eerie to be in a place where such horrible things had taken place, but it was cool nonetheless. After the Tower of London, I headed to the Visit Britain Tourism Office. I got to meet with Ms. Patricia Yates, the Director of Strategy and Communications for Visit Britain. During the meeting I learned all about the 2012 Olympics tourism preparations, see some of the advertising materials about Britain and just learn some tricks of the trade. I really enjoyed Ms. Yates advice about seeking a field that you enjoy. She originally started out in physics and is now working in tourism, which is what she truly loves to do. I really enjoyed this meeting and it affirmed even more how much I love my field of study. Today was a wonderful day. :)

The Heat Wave

To begin my day, I headed to Starbucks to work on some school work. After enjoying a delicious breakfast and a bout of people watching, I headed out. The plan for today was to head to Greenwich for a nice time of relaxation. I was very excited to go to Greenwich and see the status of Olympic Village and enjoy the scenery. I exited the Tube at Canary Wharf to take the scenic route to Greenwich. Before the Millennium, this part of London underwent a massive redevelopment and is now the home to some major financial companies. Walking through the wharf was so pretty and very quite. It was nice to get a little break from the hustle and bustle of the city. This part of London is very open and modern, which is far different from the city. After seeing the large buildings I continued on to a cute piece of art standing in the center of a round about. This art was quite different from any other piece that I had ever seen. At first glance the structure is a bit overwhelming, but eventually I realized that it was fake and only meant to be cute. I have provided an image of this art and as you can see it is a tree made out of stoplights. I was confused at first trying to determine which light the cars would follow, but then I realized that it wasn't real. When I finally arrived in Greenwich, it was time for lunch. I have been wanting to try the famous Pizza Express since I arrived in London and today was the day to make that happen. The pizza I ordered was quite interesting in that the center of the pizza was salad instead of dough. I really enjoyed the pizza because it was the best of both worlds. You can see how unique this pie was from the picture to the right. After lunch I walked through the Greenwich market. This market was different from others in that the items were handmade and there was also a lot of ethnic food being prepared and sold. I wasn't as big of a fan as the Greenwich Market, but I think it was because it was totally different from what I was expecting. Having visited Portobello Market twice, I was thinking it would be similar to that. I made my way to the observatory on the Prime Meridian Line after the market. The climb up to the observatory was quite a challenge, but it was totally worth it. The view at the top of the hill was unbelievable and showcased the beauty of London. While at the top of the hill I stood in two hemispheres at once on the Prime Meridian Line. I can now say I have successfully mastered being in two places at once. :) After leaving the observatory, I walked down toward the River Thames to enjoy the nice breeze. As I made my way down the stairs to what I thought was the river wharf I suddenly found myself in a tunnel that was about 45 degrees. I continued to walk through the long tunnel thinking that I was being led down to the wharf. When I finally reached the other side and took the lift up, I realized that I wasn't exactly at the wharf. The tunnel had led me under the Thames which was why it was so cold. It was really awesome that a tunnel had been built under the river and even more exciting that I found it by accident. Sitting on the other side of the river was nice because it was very peaceful and pretty. I wish I could say that I have had a relaxing evening, but it was quite hot today and I don't have air conditioning in my flat. I am hoping for a cooler day tomorrow. Cheers!

AM

An Adventurous Day

Good evening everyone! I am feeling much better tonight and excited to share my day's adventures with you all. I began the day on a two hour coach (bus) ride to Stratford, England. Stratford is the birthplace and hometown of the fantastic William Shakespeare. The first stop of the tour was to the former home of Shakespeare's wife, Anne Hathaway. I must admit, when I first heard we were going to Ms. Hathaway's house I began to dream about the movie the Princess Diaries. Thankfully, my friend quickly shared with me that this was not the same Anne Hathaway and I was saved from embarrassment. :) After arriving at the darling little house, I walked through the outside garden first. Flowers are a really big deal here in England and I think it is because it is the perfect growing climate. Roses, Calla Lilies and many other brightly colored flowers grow all over the country. The garden at the Hathaway house was truly beautiful as you can see in the images provided. I could have spent hours in the garden enjoying the flowers, but there was a cute cottage to see so I pressed on. The house that I toured was mostly a recreation of the house that Anne Hathaway lived in. Two of the rooms in the house, the kitchen and the living room were original, but the other first floor rooms along with the entire second floor were added on later. Even though the house had several rooms it was still quite small. The ceilings and especially the door frames were quite low making it difficult for a tall people, like myself, to walk through the house. I got past the ceiling height and fell in love with the quaintness and charm of the house. As I made my way through the house it began to remind me of a house that would be in Snow White. With such a whimsical feel to it, I really enjoyed the darling little place. After visiting the house we continued to where Shakespeare was born and raised. While in the town, I had lunch visited a few shops and enjoyed a delicious ice cream cone. Because we were a bit strapped for time and I was still not feeling well, we decided not to go on any of the Shakespeare tours. I did however, see Shakespeare's house and I have a photo of it to share with you. It really was a fun little town and I cannot wait to go back in a few months and take the tours. After Stratford, we headed to Warwick Castle which is pronounced "War-ick". Having already visited Windsor Castle, I wasn't sure how Warwick could possible measure up to the place of royalty. As I walked up to the castle, I realized that Warwick was in fact quite different than Windsor. The castle was built around a large center grass courtyard, that is now filled with attractions for children. The castle itself makes a large circle with walkways along the very top allowing visitors to look out over the beautiful English countryside. As I made my way around the castle grounds I was slightly disappointed how much this beautiful and historic castle had been turned into such a tourist attraction. Even more than that, I was disappointed to see that the castle had become a slightly cheesy playground for children. With my complaints aside, I did find several things at Warwick that I enjoyed. I climbed more than 500 steps to reach the top of the castle walls. The trip to the top was dark and narrow spiral staircase. When I reached the top I could not believe my eyes. It seemed as though I could see for miles and it was absolutely beautiful. After walking around the top of the castle, I headed to a different part of the castle to see a trebuchet (tre-buu-shay) launch. This large medieval piece of equipment was used in ancient times as a means of launching things like fire and other canon ball type items. Today the trebuchet launched a fire ball. It was quite interesting to watch the build up of the machine and the fantastic launch. Since returning from my long day I have had a rather relaxing evening. I enjoy nothing more than staying home and putting my feet up after a long day playing in England. :) Cheers!

AM

Just a Quick Hello

My post today is going to be very brief because I am battling a cold and feeling quite under the weather. I began the day by going to BAE Systems, which is a company that build airplanes, ships, submarines and land vehicles. This company is quite similar to Boeing, but it is based out of the UK. With locations in several countries, BAE Systems has grown to be quite a large global company. I enjoyed learning about all the companies that function under BAE Systems. I think the way the BAE Systems has divided its duties is an efficient and effective method. Rather than one company trying to accomplish a variety of tasks, BAE Systems realized the benefit of delegating work. I think that this is a great concept because the work is getting done by those who best know how to do it. After the presentation, I headed back to Portobello Market to buy some fresh produce. I took some photos of the market today so I could share with all of you how wonderful this place is. With lots of jewelry, farm fresh produce and a variety of clothing, this market is definitely on my list of must-see places in London. After the market, I headed back to my flat to nap because I wasn't feeling too well. Having rested a bit, I headed to the Tate Modern Museum for my Travel and Tourism class. This museum is home to lots of modern art made of all sorts of items. I enjoyed this visit because it was unlike anything I had done in London thus far. After the museum, I walked across the Millennium Bridge toward St. Paul's Cathedral. The view from this bridge was absolutely beautiful so I have provided some pictures for you all to enjoy. Sorry for the short post, hopefully I'll be better tomorrow and have some more exciting things to share.

AM

Beautiful Morning and Relaxing Evening

This morning was absolutely beautiful as you can see from the photo on the left. I began the day with a visit to Westminster Abbey. An added bonus to visiting the abbey is getting to see Big Ben, Parliament and the London Eye. With all of these beautiful landmarks so close together I couldn't help but to take pictures like crazy. As I began walking toward Westminster Abbey, I saw a large group of people camped out on the lawn. I had seen this group about two weeks ago on a bus tour, but this was the first time I got a view up close. The campers at this site are protesting the current war. These individuals have been at the site since the start of the war and have vowed to remain until it is done. This group of campers was interesting to see, but it is also another example of how seriously the English believe and take advantage of their right to protest. In the image to the right you can see a small portion of the protest, but in actuality these protesters take up an entire square of the city. After passing the protest, I began to see the magnificent Westminster Abbey rising high in the sky. This beautiful church is bigger than any I have ever seen before. The intricate detail follows closely to that of Big Ben making this entire area of London fit nicely together. I was so amazed at the sight of the abbey and could not wait to see what the inside had to offer. I wish I had photos of the inside to share with you, but of course there was no photography allowed in the abbey. I will say however, that there were beautiful crystal chandeliers hanging from the amazingly high ceilings throughout the abbey. As I walked through the abbey I began to notice an overwhelming amount of graves. After seeing grave after grave, Westminster Abbey began to lose a bit of its charm for me. Yes, the abbey is beautiful and amazing, but I began to feel like I was touring a cemetery, and that is just a bit weird to me. I would still recommend visiting the abbey to enjoy its beauty, but do be advised it does get to be grave after grave after grave. After Westminster, I took the Tube back to my flat. I needed some time to rest after a late night and an early morning. In the afternoon, I journeyed back to the fabulous Harrod's. I saw many portions of Harrod's today that I had not seen previously. I explored the arcade, that houses fantastic bargains as well as the food halls each specializing in delicious goodies. I could not leave the food halls without indulging a bit in some of the great offerings. I chose to try the gelato from Morelli's because it looked so creamy and delicious. I must say the gelato was so good and I cannot wait to try another flavor. :) Tonight I had one of the most relaxing evenings since I arrived in London. I decided that I wanted to cook a grand feast for dinner and that is exactly what I did. I made roasted rosemary potatoes, broccoli and mushrooms in a white wine sauce and sauteed chicken. I find cooking to be very relaxing and that was just what I needed after a busy week. Ta ta for now!

AM

A Beautiful Day in London

It was such a beautiful day in London today. I started the day today at the museum of brands, which showcases items and brands from several decades ago all the way through today. Some of the brands displayed were Cadbury Chocolate, Mars and the evolution of the Pepsi can. It was interesting to see how these brands and products have changed throughout the years. Some products look drastically different today, while others appear quite similar to the original product. I was a bit underwhelmed by the presentation of all the brands because it was aisles and aisles of glass cases. I would have liked to see this museum a bit more open, not so dark and possibly even some interactive exhibits. With that being said, it was still interesting to see all the brands at the museum After the museum of brands, I headed to the beautiful Regent's Park, which is studded with roses. I had packed a picnic knowing that today was going to be gorgeous and I wanted to soak up every minute. I chose a nice shady spot under a large willow tree to enjoy my lunch. As you can see from the picture, all I was missing was a red and white check blanket. :) I enjoyed a nice rest in the grass under the warm sun after my lunch. It was wonderful to enjoy the natural beauty of London away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Many people had similar plans today as I saw businessmen, religious groups and families enjoying the beauty of the park. After a nice snooze under the sun, I headed to one of the largest shopping districts in London, Oxford Street. This hot shopping outlet is so grand and popular that it has its own public relations department. Drawing so many tourists and other shoppers each day, it is necessary to keep a handle on the goings on. The buildings on Oxford Street are beautiful like every other street in London. The neat part about these ornate buildings however, is that they house some very high class shops and are therefore renovated beautifully. As I strolled through the shops I noticed lots of trendy shoes, glistening jewelry (or "jewellery as the Brits spell it) and some serious fashion statements. I could not help myself but to try out some of the fun items in the shops. Some of my favorite things that I saw today on Oxford Street were the large hats adorned with feathers, flowers and glitz galore. I have always wanted an excuse to wear a big flowing hat and I think shopping today may be the closest I will get to actually owning one. Even though I did not buy one I had a fantastic time nonetheless. :) After visiting many shops it was time to head back to my flat. Today will forever be known as the day I rode my first double-decker red London bus. Because I had yet to venture on the bus, I decided that the middle of the day would probably be the best time to learn the system. I chose to sit on the top deck of the bus to get a good view of the land. The sight from the top was quite awesome. I could see all around me, but also see how daring the bus drivers are. I will hopefully get to ride another bus, but I am still not totally comfortable with this transportation method because I don't know the routes. As a nice way to unwind this evening I headed to the magnificent Westminster Cathedral, just a short walk from my flat, to hear an organ concert. Sitting and listening to the music was a great way to reflect on the day. While the music selection was a bit different than I may have liked, I still enjoyed being in the beautiful cathedral. I have provided an image of the outside of the church, but unfortunately have nothing from the inside to share. I'm off to sleep now, early morning!

AM

Living Here

This morning I began my day at Starbucks. My Travel and Tourism class met at Starbucks today so we could review our schedules for the upcoming weeks. After enjoying my latte and figuring out my class meeting times, I headed back to my flat for lunch. When I was finished with lunch it was time to meet for my European Business class. For class today we headed out to the town of Surrey to visit a business called Detica. This is a securities based company that balances its services between consulting and product sales. Some areas in which this company specialize include commercial media, consulting, telecommunications and border control. One service in particular is managing passport data for the UK government. This company takes in the data when a passport is scanned prior to departure for the UK and analyzes whether or not the individual would be a person of interest and if they should be investigated. Another software product that this company offers is called TxtReveal. This service can sift through a large amount of data and pinpoint keywords and specific terms to look for. The example that the Detica employees shared with us dealt with the Enron issue. The man typed in the word "shred" and the service pulled up all the Enron emails that contained such phrases. It was really interesting to see the capabilities of this software and know that this is how many crimes are solved. After visiting Detica, we took the train from Guildford to the Waterloo station. The train ride was about 45 minutes long and nicer than other train rides that I have taken thus far. There was enough room on the train for all passengers to have a seat, which was not the case on previous train rides. When I got off the train, I headed to my professor's flat to have dinner. After enjoying a fabulous Italian meal with a strawberry cream puff for dessert and wonderful conversations, it was time to head back to the flat. As I write this, I am munching on some yummy Target Monster Mix, which reminds me of home. Even though I am beginning to feel like a local, especially today, it is nice to have these special touches of home. :) I'll talk to all of you fabulous followers tomorrow. :)

AM

What a Magnificent Day

Two days in a row without a schedule, what more could I want. :) After a disappointing venture to Picadilly Circus yesterday, I decided to try it again in hopes that a weekday would be less crazy. On my way to Picadilly, I took the Tube to Leicester Square. I had heard that this is the central location for cheap theater tickets. I would love to see another show so this was definitely a place I had to check out. As I exited the Tube, I immediately saw multiple locations advertising cheap tickets. A friend and I inquired about the general "cheap" cost and found out that we could get theater tickets for around 25-30 pounds. I was glad to hear such a low number and plan to buy tickets to see either Wicked, Love Never Dies (Phantom Sequel) or one of the countless others. After checking on ticket prices, I continued on to Picadilly Circus. At first glance I knew I would like Picadilly far better today than I did yesterday. The number of people in the area today was far less than yesterday. Walking down the street and meandering in and out of shops was much easier and enjoyable today. I went into some of the shops selling "London gear" as well as GAP. The GAP here in London had a different selection than in the states and was having a sale. I simply could not leave the store without making a purchase. :) After leaving GAP, I continued walking around Picadilly. It really is a neat place to be with large advertisement screens and a large sculpture right in the center of the circus. When I had finished exploring Picadilly Circus it was getting close to lunchtime. Katie and I had packed our lunches and planned to have a picnic in a park. We caught the Tube and headed toward Hyde Park. When we stepped onto street level we saw the beautiful and large Hyde Park. We began walking around the outskirts of the park for a place to have lunch. We found a darling little rose garden with several benches and people having lunch and decided this would be a great spot to picnic. As we ate, the pigeons began to think we had invited them to join us. As dirty as these birds are, I am beginning to get used to them. The birds are all over and do like to get close to people, but I have realized the locals just ignore them and I am trying to do the same. Right down the street from Hyde Park in one of the largest and most famous department stores in the world, Harrod's. Because we were so close to the fabulous store, making a visit there was certainly an opportunity we could not pass up. As we made the journey down the street I had no idea what I would find upon arrival. Before too long, the magnificent Harrod's was in front of me towering high into the sky. Even the outside of the store makes a statement and stands out from all others around it. The salmon color of Harrod's is what gives it such demanding attention compared to the other buildings near by. Walking through the rooms of Harrod's was overwhelming to say the least. Currently, the biggest sale of the year is taking place at the store and many people are taking advantage of this. As Katie and I ventured through the mansion of sales we spotted something that sparked out attention, a Chocolate Bar. We knew immediately that we would be heading to this sweet spot to have an afternoon treat. When we arrived at the chocolate bar I was overwhelmed by the menu of delicious goodies. I settled on a chocolate, hazelnut and praline danish and boy was it yummy. The danish was very light and crispy like a croissant but sweet and chocolatey like a candy bar. I thought I'd share a photo so everyone can see just how amazing it was. :) I knew I would not be able to leave Harrod's without a souvenir and I had spotted the perfect item before I went to the Chocolate Bar. I headed back to the jewelry counter after eating to purchase my prize. I chose to get a ballerina charm for my Juicy Couture charm bracelet. I have been wanting a charm for my bracelet for a long time, but could never find the right one. This charm reminded me so much of Swan Lake that I saw the other night and it was 50% off. I knew that this charm would be the perfect memento. After leaving Harrod's we continued down the street toward the Victoria and Albert Museum. The outside of this museum is absolutely beautiful and quite ornate. There are lots of stone carvings all over the building that I haven't the slightest idea how someone was able to create. I took several photos of the museum because I was basically starstruck by its size and character. We walked around the museum for a short while before realizing how tired we were. We decided to head back to our flat and relax after out long busy day. I am looking forward to a relaxing evening and plan to watch a movie. Thanks for stopping by!

AM