One Crazy Lazy Day

Today was different than other days that I have spent in London because I had nothing planned. It was nice not having to set an alarm and being able to wake up on my own. This morning I relaxed in the flat and caught up on some email. For lunch, I headed to My Old Dutch, which is known for serving a large variety of pancakes. My friend and I had found this place online several months ago and had been wanting to test it out ever since. As we made the journey to the restaurant, I was unsure what to expect. I love pancakes and I was interested to see if pancakes in London would be like pancakes at home. After I was seated at My Old Dutch and began reading the menu, I became overwhelmed with the selection. The restaurant serves everything from fruit and nut pancakes to savory chicken and cheese. Even though it was 12:30 pm I chose a pancake from the sweet selection. I ordered a pancake with fresh fruit, chopped nuts and maple syrup. The pancake actually turned out to be quite different that what I am used to at home. When the plate arrived at my table, the first thing I noticed was how massive the pancake was. I then proceeded to realize that the pancake was paper thin and like a crepe. I have provided an image of my delicious lunch so you can see just what I mean. Even though this pancake was not quite what I was expecting, it was rather delicious nonetheless. In addition to the scrumptious pancake, I indulged in a light and foamy cappuccino. The pancake was quite sweet as you might imagine, and the cappuccino complemented it nicely with its mild coffee flavor and foamy milk topping. After lunch, I did some grocery shopping so that I could cook dinner tonight. After grocery shopping, my friend Katie and I took the Tube away from the city in search of IKEA. As the train sped further out of the city, the scenery began to change. I began to notice an overabundance of graffiti, run-down buildings and beat up cars. I had not seen any such things in London yet and I began to worry about this. When we got off the Tube we asked the station tenant where the IKEA was and he told us that it was a ten minute walk. As we left the Tube station and headed toward IKEA, I knew this was an area that we shouldn't be in. Before getting even two minutes from the Tube station, Katie and I realized it was time to turn around. Neither of us felt safe about our surroundings and decided a trip to IKEA was not worth the conditions. We re-boarded the Tube and headed back to the city. Our next adventure was to go to Picadilly Circus. This "circus" is not the kind of circus that we have in the U.S. In London, a circus simply means a round area, similar to a town square. Picadilly Circus is known for lots of shopping and things to do. I was successful in finding myself a London souvenir while at Picadilly. I saw phone booth salt and pepper shakers and could not pass them up. I have provided a picture of them and I am sure you will all love them as well. As we walked around the circus we were overwhelmed with the amount of people. We went into several shops before deciding to head back to the flat. Neither of us were too impressed by Picadilly Circus, but that had a lot to do with how crowded it was. I would like to go back to that area sometime during the week when it is less crowded. This evening has been quite relaxing since returning to the flat. I made myself dinner of roasted veggies, pesto chicken and brown rice and just hung out. Tonight it was time to finally catch up on some school work since I am technically going to school. I successfully took my online quiz and am now preparing to have an ice cream sundae and watch a movie. I think New Moon will be the selection tonight. :) Thanks for stopping by! Happy Father's Day Pops!

AM

Stonehenge and Bath

My morning started very early this morning as I had a trip to Stonehenge and Bath planned. The drive to Stonehenge was about an hour and a half and filled with beautiful scenery. Upon arriving at Stonehenge I was blown away by the sight. The size and arrangement of the stones was like nothing I had ever seen before. It was interesting as I walked around Stonehenge listening to the audio guide to find out that there really isn't much information known about the structure. Another piece of information that I found interesting is that the source of these stones is no where near where the structure stands today. How the people that built Stonehenge transported these stones remains a mystery today. There is not a water source extremely close to the structure so it was not as the the rocks could be floated down the river very easily. There are several myths as to why the structure was built some referring to time as well as various other things. After Stonehenge we drove another hour to the beautiful city of Bath. This city is packed full of very expensive properties and high-end shops. Celebrities such as Johnny Depp own property in the city. The town of Bath is home to the Roman Baths which are made from honey comb colored sandstone. The same stone has been used throughout the city to build recent developments. The city is full of beautiful gardens, waterways and ornate buildings. After exploring the city for a few hours and feeling out the town, I headed into the Roman Baths to see just what the town is known for. To the left you will see an image of the largest Roman Bath that still exists today. The water in the baths is rather warm and untreated making it unsafe to touch. The museum that guides the tour around the baths was built around the existing structures. It was neat to see on the inside of the museum where the wall meets the stone. In some cases, the stone would be there quarters of the wall and the dry wall only one quarter. There was one bath, a smaller one, which was a natural hot spring with water heated by the earth's core. The water appears to be boiling, but in actuality, the water bubbles because of carbonation, like soda. After seeing the baths, I headed to the Spa Fountain to taste some of the bath water. The Spa Fountain allows tourists to taste the bath water because it is was noted in history to have miraculous healing power. I took one sip of the water and could tell that there was a difference between the bath water and the tap water that I have been enjoying in England. The bath water was rather warm and left a metallic taste in my mouth. This would not be my first choice when I needed healing I think I'll stick to ibuprofen. The journey back to London was a long one lasting almost three hours, but fortunately I was able to enjoy the beautiful English countryside the entire way. Thanks for visiting!

AM

Shopping and Playing

Today was a very wonderful day. This morning I went to Portobello Market to do some quality shopping. The market goes on and on and is filled with large amounts of street vendors. Things being sold at the shops range from gorgeous jewelry to beautifully crafted pastries and treats. As I made my way through the market, I couldn't help but to pick up a few things. Naturally, I was drawn to the jewelry and accessories. The market contained a nice mix of new and vintage items. I especially enjoyed looking at the vintage jewelry and even bought a few pieces. In addition to snacks and jewelry, the market also sells fresh produce and clothes as well. I purchased some fruit and veggies that I needed and even picked up two shirts at the market. It was an interesting experience seeing all the vendors selling such different items. I found the vintage items to be fun to explore because some of them are quite old and very unique. The way the market was arranged reminded me of markets I have been to in Mexico. What is drastically different at Portobello is that the shopkeepers don't try to pull people into the shops. I found the vendors to be quite friendly and willing to deal. I was able to make a deal with the first jewelry vendor that I visited, and that made me proud. While I am thoroughly enjoying all my purchases, the experience of being at the market is something that I find to be priceless. Seeing people from all over the world showcasing their items and trying to make a living was quite an experience. One vendor in particular had a very large display of jewelry and other antiques. On the tables were several small plastic tubs full of what the Brits call "bits and pieces". As I rummaged through the old jewelry I found some unique and some ugly items. What each piece had in common however, was character. Each bit and piece once held a purpose and was used by someone. Now being resold at the market, these bits and pieces often serve as inspiration for fashion designers looking for a new twist. In fact, as I began talking with the vendor he shared with me that designers from Topshop, a trendy local clothing chain, come to the market to find inspiration from the bits and pieces. Looking through the tubs was a bit discouraging at first when it all seemed to be was broken metal, but eventually I began to find some great things. I ended up purchasing a silver vintage cross charm for only three pounds. Because it came out of the bits and pieces bin the charm did not come with a chain. The cross was so ornate, unique and cheap that I couldn't pass it up so now I just need to hunt for the perfect chain. The market was an amazing experience, but I could not afford to spend the entire day there because of all the wonderful shopping. :) This evening I decided to see Swan Lake at the Royal Albert Hall. The show was put on by the English National Ballet and was absolutely amazing. It was a wonderful experience to see such a fantastic performance in such a magnificent setting. The plan for after the ballet was to catch a cab. Unfortunately, we weren't the only people with this brilliant plan. As we stood in the cold damp air watching full cab after full cab zoom by, my friend and I decided to figure out the bus system for the first time at 11 p.m. Waiting for the bus, we were frantically asking people which bus to take to Sloane Square. Most people wanted nothing to do with us, but one woman told us to get on bus 9 and take it to the Circle Line of the Tube. The bus arrived and we stepped on to what we thought would take us home. We asked the driver if the bus was going to Sloane to which he replied "no". We both began to panic, but sat down anyway to decide what to do. Luckily, it wasn't 30 seconds and the bus stopped to pick up someone else. We exited the bus and tried to figure out a new plan. We began jogging down the sidewalk in attempt to find another bus. Cabs began zooming by yet again and we decided to try just once more to hail an empty one. The second cab to pass turned out to be empty and pulled over to pick us up. When we got in the cab we both felt the biggest sense of relief knowing that we would not be stuck at the theater all night. This experience was both fun and a bit crazy. I loved being able to ride in the famous London Black Cab, but getting to that point was a bit wild. In addition to this wild night, I had a comical run-in with some locals today. Walking back from the grocery store my friend and I passed a group of three guys about the same age. As we passed them they said to us "hey look, Americans!" Any other person probably would have taken offense to this, but not us. We were friendly and said "Oh hey!" The more I thought about this the funnier it became because I thought wow I must have tourist and American plastered all over me. I also found it funny that these guys did not find it the least bit odd to call us out by our nationality. While we certainly were not offended I am quite sure many other groups would have been. I hope you have enjoyed this craziness, it sure was a fun day.

A Fabulous Day at Oxford University

Today was quite a whirlwind experience. Waking up at 6:30 and heading to the Tube station to catch the bus to Oxford seems like such a blur at this point. The reasoning behind this is because of all the wonderful things I did today. Before heading to Oxford I had this idea of a prestigious university in a college town and nothing other than that. Little did I know, my ideas about Oxford couldn't have been further from the truth. One of the main things I learned today is that Oxford University is not actually one university. The university is made up of 38 separate colleges that are spread throughout the town of Oxford. Incoming students are allowed to apply to one college and are faced with very strict entry requirements. One requirement that stood out to me was a minimum of a 32 out of a 36 on the ACT. When Oxford U. receives applications it weeds out several and invites the rest of the applicants to come to the campus for an interview. Only 1 out of every 5 that are interviewed are accepted into the university. Learning these things made it a great honor to be walking along the streets with such prestigious students. After a morning of shopping at famous London shops such as Topshop, Whittard of Chelsea, and the local Oxford apparel stores, I went on a walking tour of part of the Oxford campus. All of the students that I saw on campus seemed to really be enjoying themselves. The buildings that make up the campus and town are so historical and add a lot of character. There are several beautiful chapels strung throughout the campus among all the beautiful buildings. I had the honor of attending a service this evening in the Christ College Cathedral, which was very beautiful. After the service I was able to go to Trinity College, (a college within Oxford U) to have dinner with the local students. The dining hall resembled Harry Potter and was quite formal. The students are required to wear special gowns while in the dining hall as well. After being served a formal dinner of calamari salad, grilled lamb, steamed potatoes and veggies and cream puffs it was time to leave the campus. As we were leaving the campus I found myself wanting to stay. I think the combination of beautiful buildings, the prestigious atmosphere and preppy guys are what was drawing me to the campus. I am so glad that I was able to take a trip to Oxford today and learn so much about it. I think the university is such an interesting place and like nothing I have ever seen before. I hope to go back soon. :)

AM

St. Paul's Cathedral

Here is a video that I took at St. Paul's Cathedral over the weekend. I was at the church right before Evening Song and the bells were ringing quite loudly. It was really neat to hear the loud chimes echoing for miles. As you can see, I panned the area just to give you all an idea of the surroundings because everything is very close together. Enjoy!

A Nice Relaxing Day

Today was different than any of the other days that I have been in London. I had a lot of free time to manage as I pleased. I began the morning with coffee as usual and headed out to the CAPA house, which is the company this program is through. After leaving CAPA, I ventured to Imperial College in search of the supposed "cheap" food that us students were allowed access to. Arriving at the college was rather uneventful and disappointing at that. A thirty minute journey for a $6.00 sandwich is not what I call ideal for a college student. It was a great journey nonetheless and I was able to grocery shop along the way. After leaving the store, I headed to a bakery that I found online a few months ago. It is called the Hummingbird Bakery and are known for cupcakes. Anyone who doesn't already know, I must inform you I am a bit of a cupcake fanatic so this place was high on my to do list. The bakery was very tiny, but absolutely darling. A large glass case displayed an array of flavors from chocolate with yellow frosting to a black bottom consisting of chocolate cake filled with chocolate chip cheese cake and cream cheese frosting. I couldn't help myself but to indulge in the black bottom. After a nice afternoon rest, I caught the Tube and headed into the city for class. Tonight was a bit different as we did not spend class in a pub, but rather in one of the most prestigious business schools in the country, Cass Business School. This school has a tremendous reputation and draws students from all over the world. A new facility was built not long ago, but the school has grown so much that the building has become too small. In the multi-level glass high rise there are several classrooms, meeting rooms, and lots of offices. The halls and lounges are bursting with students of all nationalities. It was truly amazing to see people from such different cultures coming together for the same purpose. After touring the beautiful facility, we all piled into a meeting room and got to talk with a student from Sweden about what going to Cass is like. He was eager to inform the class that the social life at the school is extremely strong and that all students love to have a good time. Aside from partying in London, the student also shared with us what the school is like. He told us about some very difficult courses and others where procrastination takes the front seat. I was surprised when he shared with us that he has no intentions of returning to Sweden and hopes to one day work in London. He did share with us that he would like to work in the States on Wall Street, but because of the current bail out and regulations no foreign students are being hired. It amazes me the amount of people eager to come to the U.S. when I find this city bursting with charm, history, and endless opportunity. I can honestly say I'd be more than happy to live and work here. It is really just a wonderful place with so much to offer.

Reckitt Benckiser and Windsor Castle

The day began quite early this morning and I have been exploring non-stop since. The first destination on our agenda was Reckitt Benckiser, a UK company specializing in consumer products. We took a train and then a taxi before finally arriving at Reckitt. While at the company we attended a wonderful and informative presentation given my Ms. Andrea Dawson-Shepherd. We learned all about the company, how it markets its products and the products it sells. Some of the more popular brands of the company are French's Mustard, Clearasil, Veet and Lysol. Reckitt has an interesting strategy to focus its main marketing on its 17 Powerbrands. I found it interesting that even though Reckitt has hundreds of brands, it has chosen to focus on 17 of them. This strategy is obviously working for the company because the company has continued to have substanstial growth during the last several years. It was quite cool visiting the company that makes such famous brands. After visiting Reckitt, we took taxis to Windsor Castle. I could not believe my eyes when I stepped out of the taxi and saw this mountainous structure of stone in front of me. To see a real life castle was so amazing and like nothing I had ever seen before. I went immediately to the entrance and bought my ticket into the castle. Walking around with Katie and Angel, we saw so many amazing things. The views from the castle grounds were breathtaking and the objects inside were so ornate and full of history. We toured the inside of the State Apartments for about 45 minutes and did not even cover half of the castle grounds because it is so large. Our exploration of the castle continued as we made our way to the magnificent St. George's Chapel. Inside this chapel and ceilings that touch the sky and stone and wood carvings like nothing I had ever seen. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed in the castle or chapel so I cannot share the beauty with you. I am proud to say that I visited Windsor Castle on a day that the Queen was there. I was hoping to see her and thought I was going to at one point, but she never came out and got into the car that was waiting. Even though I did not see the Queen, I did see the next best thing, the guards. They are just like in the movies with the tall black feathery hats, enormous guns and shiny black shoes that click when they walk. I pulled the classic tourist act and had my picture taken next to a guard. I made sure to say thank you to him after the photo, but I received no response. I guess he didn't find the photo as cool as I did. :) Each day I am learning so many new things and exploring so many new locations. I feel like this country has an endless amount of places to visit and I love it. Check back tomorrow!

AM