Paris--Land of Crepes and Pastries

It’s really funny when you return to your “home” country, which for me has become London, and tell them that you are only going to be in the country for 4 days.  Well, that happened to me last week as I returned from Paris with my mom and grandma because this weekend I once again took an excursion to the city of MAGIC...Pari!

First though let me just tell you a few more of the adventures that I had last week with my mom and grandma.  It was incredible to share such a long time here with them and get to enjoy the city together.  One of my favorite moments was the day we spent at Harrod’s, including high tea at the Georgian Restaurant there.  Imagine a pink room, filled with pink poinsettias, piano music tinkling in the background, and pristine table clothes on each table.  After sitting down at our lovely table and taking our “high tea” pictures, the waiter poured each of us our first cup of mango tea.  A few moments later, another waiter brought us a tea caddy filled with more delicious goodies than you can even imagine.  Let me attempt to get your drooling on your computer keys: chocolate éclairs, fruit tarts, strawberry pound cake, salmon and dill sandwiches, egg cress, cheese and pickle sandwiches, scones with jam and clotted cream, fruit cake...and keep in mind that all of these plates are endless...High tea was a truly memorable experience. 

High Tea with all its goodies

After High Tea at the Georgian Restaurant

I think perhaps that my favorite day was our final day together.  We went to the Serpentine Restaurant (after class; yes I actually attempt to do work on some days) for lunch. This delicious little restaurant is in Hyde Park, and its wall is entirely windows that overlook the gleaming Serpentine Lake, where I went rowing a bit ago.  The food is deliciously fresh, and we all enjoyed some warm roasted pumpkin soup with a pot of tea.  We then visited the Diana Memorial, which is one of the most beautiful memorials.  It is a circular fountain created to look like a necklace from afar, and the memorial is so simple.  As you walk around the fountain, you can see how its flow and surface change.  At some points, the water is still and serene, while at others, it bubbles and chuckles over rippled granite.  It is there to honor her life, and I feel like it does her such justice.  Bree, my mom, and I basked in the changing fall colors and the brisk cool air.  And if that isn’t enough to create a perfect day, we then finished the day by seeing JERSEY BOYS!  Our second row balcony seats were the perfect spot to enjoy the evening of music and dancing.  I can’t even explain how much fun this was, but I left the show with my toes tapping and once again itching to take the stage in a musical.  The West End was the only way to end the perfect visit.  Bree and Mom, I know you are both reading this and I treasured every moment, every laugh, every memory.

So...on to this weekend...more Paris.  Cortney, Kirby-Annah, Katelyn and I spent the weekend bashing around Paris with April, who was visiting from Germany.  After an eight-hour bus trip (where we did tons of work...aka I fell asleep) we arrived in Paris in a flurry of excitement.  Since we had to wait for April’s train we turned on our girl radars and headed straight for the biggest mall in all of Europe, The Galleries Lafayette.  This seven-story building has a glittering huge Christmas tree in the center of the building that was encircled by 6 floors of shopping.  Now since one t-shirt would probably buy me my food for the rest of the trip, I only bought dinner at the cafeteria there.  But as we sat eating dinner on the sixth floor next to a wall of windows, we watched the sun set behind the Eiffel Tower.  The sky became a blend of pinks, oranges, and yellows all melting into a backdrop for the towering Parisian icon.  And at six on the dot, the Eiffel Tower began its show, which means that all the lights that cover the entire tower begin sparkling!  And we had the perfect view; we couldn’t have begun our trip any better.  The night concluded with welcoming April at the train station.  Cort and I may have bowled over a few people as we ran to hug her on the platform. 

There are so many more moments that I would love to share with yall:

1) Our Creperie: the Latin quarter, which is quite near Notre Dame, is the home to incredible food, best of all this creperie that we visited multiple times.  This bakery had a crepe stand outside that made crepes fresh and filled them with a plethora of ingredients.  If you love nutella, you would have loved Cort’s favorite: Banana/Nutella Crepe.  If you love fruit like me, you would love the Baked Applesauce Crepe.  And if you love some nuts you would love April’s choice: Nutella/Almond Crepe.  Everyone was happy, which is why we visited this place a total of three times.  The final venture was the morning we left, but since the crepe stand was not open we opted for pain au chocolate, pain au raisin, pistachio pastry, chocolate éclair, and a baguette (don’t worry that was everyone’s order rolled into one).  It was a Paris treasure!

2) The Palace at Versailles: This Palace was just incredible; the outside entrance is a glowing golden gate, which is only a glimpse of the majesty of the rest of the Sun King’s castle. My favorite room was the Hall of Mirrors, which is a long hall, one side is windows, and the other is mirrors.  The mirrors reflect each window, making the room filled with light and life.  Unfortunately, the Sun King was not smiling on us the day we visited because it rained and rained and rained.  So we just had to take refuge in a little restaurant, where we had salads, French onion soup, crème brulees, apple tarts, and pies.

3) Walking up the Eiffel Tower: Victory! I walked up the Eiffel Tower to the highest point that you can walk!  And between the two floors we stopped for a little breakfast.  So I had some lovely coffee on the Eiffel Tower as I looked out over the entire city under a bright blue sky.  It was worth every step I took to see that view.

These are only three of the treats of Paris, but overall we loved the city and exploring with one another. Our Parisian flat was cozy and had two balconies that overlooked the city.  One evening we finished the day by watching Marie Antoinette and commented throughout the movie how we had seen each of the places in the background.  Paris was a place of reunions, for we spent time with both April and Bryson; and a place to meet new friends, such as Scott, who is also on the Versailles Trip.  (And it was quite nice to meet up with some French speakers, who we then made order everything for us)  I look forward on this week and cringe at the amount of papers I have to compose, but then I look back on the weekend and wouldn’t have given up any of those moments for anything!

Cort, April, Bryson, and I- We love Reunions in Paris!

In front of Versailles

April and I mimicking the statues at Versailles

Some Americans in Paris Part 1

This weekend, the traveling ladies headed off to take Paris by storm.  What a wonderful weekend of Parisian life!  We left Saturday morning via the Eurostar and headed off under the channel to the continent.  After about 2 hours of a train ride (which unfortunately for all you Harry Potter fans there was not a chocolate frog to be found), we emerged into the world where we understood about well...nothing.  We finally found the Sortie sign--Exit, which we realized after a few minutes said exit underneath it in English.  Finally, we emerged onto a street lined with lovely cafes and balcony laden buildings, already on the lookout for some delicious Parisian chocolates... prioritie, priorities.

The Berne Opera Hotel was lovely, and we were welcomed by name to the hotel, where our room overlooked a long street filled with flowers and iron rung balconies.  The afternoon was filled with the sights of Paris, from the Arc de Triomph to the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre to the Museum Orsay.  And along the way my bus earphones gave me all the background behind the sights.  Dinner that day consisted of delicious french onion soup, baguettes, cheeses, and salads.  The world was a happier place.

Our true Parisian morning was filled with hot chocolate, croissants, and fresh fruit.  The day included adventures on the bus, the metro, to the market, and then to the Museum Orsay.  If you ever visit Paris, you have to visit this incredible museum...More to come later and I will post up a few pics quite soon
Au Revior

  

Visitors from Afar

Actually these visitors are not from that far, but they are from across the pond, my home country, America. And here is the first visitor...my Aunt Flat Kandy!

And if you are quite confused by this picture...

Here are the real world travelers! My mom and my grandma are currently staying here in London, and this is just a glimpse of our many adventures.  The first day we went to Westminster Abbey and took the guided tour.  It was beyond exciting to get to share a beautiful and treasured sight in London with my family.  What a treat to get to show them around a city that I have fallen in love with and that I have slowly begun to feel a part of.  I'm astounded by how much I feel like this place in my home, as I navigate the tube, point out spots that are special in the city, and introduce them to a bit of my favorite British cuisine, including the famous fish and chips and my personal favorite Hummus Bros.  

Today's adventure was the Old Spitelfield Market, with booths lining the marketplace.  Stalls were piled high with scarves, dresses, and delicious treats.  It was incredible; if only I could completely revise my wardrobe at the market.  And though the markets are some of my favorite things; nothing can compare to having my family here :)

You Know You Are In Madrid When...

1) The Flamenco show you are going to begins at midnight, and that is only the evening’s first stop.

2) Chocolate and Churros at 2a.m. in the morning is a wonderful idea.

3) Lunch is at 4 and dinner is at 11

Paella and Spanish Potato Omelete with Catie and Robin!  Gotta love some tapas at 11

4) The sky is bright blue all the time and you can take a nap in Retiro Park after stopping to smell the roses.

5) You become extremely thankful that you took a few semesters of Spanish in your life- you can   

    successfully barter in Spanish and ask how much all the delicious pastries cost

Just one  of the MANY pastry shops that fill Madrid

6)  Every corner you turn onto has another street market filled with treasures

7) You pass a four-string quartet on the road and about 5 minutes ago you passed two sax players

8) The Palaces are made out of glass

Crystal Palace in Retiro Park

9) Every where you turn there is another character in costume: Barney, SpongeBob, Micky Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Hello Kitty were all spotted

10) Dinner= tapas and there is an entire market devoted to them.
There were people carrying around entire plates of cheeses, bread, small sandwiches, olive, ice cream, pastries.  It was like food heaven for the snazzy class.

Glimpse of the Mecardo de San Miguel

Here comes the sun

I didn´t realize how little I had seen the sun until I stepped off the plane into the wonderful world of Madrid.  Catie and I jetted off to the city of Madrid for the weekend, and I´m fully convinced that I have stepped onto a movie set.  Speaking of a movie moment: I knew that my friend Lara would be here for the weekend and as I´m walking through the terminal after getting off the flight, who do I see moving along the moving walkway towards me but LARA! We both freaked out, and I honestly could make no words come to my mouth.  Then we hugged with me on firm ground and she was still on the moving walkway.  We were those crazy girls in the airport.  Mom, you will understand that we definitely had a moment. :)

Since being here, Catie and I have had a number of adventures.  It began before we arrived as we epically left for the airport at 4am, took two buses, a flight, and three metro changes to get here.  Our first afternoon was filled with some exploring that included Retiro Park with its huge entirely Glass Palace, the rose garden filled with every color rose you can imagine (a small taste of home), time in the sunshine in the park, and a visit to the Prado, which is one of the famous art museums in the Golden Triangle here.

That evening we met up with some other girls from Furman who are traveling abroad, and the evening was filled with spanish flair.  It began with a midnight show of traditional flamenco dancing and music. How beautiful and strong the dancers were.  It was like nothing I could have imagined, Spanish flair mixed almost with tap.  The rooms lights were low, the scent of sangria filled the art, and the music of Spain spilled throughout the room.  It was a picture perfect performance.  And if that wasn´t enough to have an ideal Spanish evening, then we went for chocolate and churros.  Now I´m not a huge churro or chocolate fan, but this was divine!  Hot melted chocolate covering warm churros, I bet your mouth is now watering :)  And then...Bourbon Cafe where we of course danced the night away!  And this was only the first evening.

The next day after some rest, Catie and I got a taste of the city by taking a walking tour throughout Madrid.  It is a fascinating culture with so much built into the architecture of the city.  I loved seeing the styles change throughout the city, reflecting the varios transitions of ruling families and religions.  Some highlights included: visiting the Palace, and seeing the Plazas with the statues of Triton and Cibeles.  If you ever have the chance to come here, take it!  I have been here only about 48 hours and am in love.  I´m thankful for the basic spanish I know and can ask for the bathroom and directions :) More adventures to come I am sure and of course the pictures will be posted soon.

Hasta Luego mis amigos!

Night Three, Show Three

You know that you are on a theatre trip and love theatre when three days in a row you see productions and are still as excited as the first night.  This week we went to the National Theatre of London to see Danton's Death; we are seeing Noel Coward's Deathtrap this evening and the cream between those two cookies was my favorite, LES MIS!

I have been talking about seeing Les Mis pretty much since this trip began, and I can't even express how tense I was last night waiting for concessions tickets to go on sale.  If anyone is curious, concessions tickets are cheaper students tickets for whatever seats are still available for the evening.  About an hour before the production, the tickets go on sale to the first come.  I thought we would just pop over to the theatre and pick them up but we actually formed a line in front of the theatre.  I like couldn't talk to anyone I was so passionate about getting in and getting a ticket.  And after three people, I had in my hand a ticket (and an hour until the show)!

The moment the orchestra struck up the first chord of the show a smile came onto my face, and honestly chills ran through my body.  The curtain lifted, the show began.  It once again revealed to me how passionate I am about this story.  It gives off so much of the gospel.  Here is a brief tidbit for any unfamiliar, plus each of the parts that I find meaningful.  The play follows the story of Jean Valjean, a convict imprisoned for 19 years due to stealing a loaf of bread.  The story begins at the moment he is released from prison, and follows his redemption and Javert's (the policeman) pursuit of him.  I think one of the most beautiful moments is when Valjean wrestles with who he is.  After receiving mercy from a priest who gives him candlesticks after he has stolen them, Valjean disposes of his past identity as 24601 (his prison number) and takes on a new man.  That is the same mercy we are shown when Christ paid our debt and made us a new creation.  It is so exciting to see such truth put to music.  It is powerful.

Another moment, (and if you haven't heard this song please listen to it) The Confrontation between Javert and Valjean.  Javert was especially incredible, confronting Valjean in an epic song.  The music was beautiful.  The set transformed into a barricade before my eyes.  The entire stage revolved, revealing different locations and scenes.  I teared up when Gavroche died.  I laughed, I cried, it was a good night.  It was all that I had hope for...Can I just see Les Mis every night?

And if that wasn't enough to blow your mind let me tell you about the first theatre adventure of this week at the National Theatre we saw Danton's Death, where the play closed with a guillotine execution.  And I don't mean the lights went out; heads actually fell.  After two days of that, I don't know how theatre can just keep getting better...

Life in London

Now I have never been a big city girl, but every person who knows my directional abilities would be impressed with the progress I have made in London.  I can get to Hyde Park; I can navigate the Tube; I can even use the bus system.  And I made one of my favorite purchases yet: a wonderful map, complete with markets listed.  I have not gotten lost (other than once, but that was more like finding my way back creatively), and I really am falling more in love with this city every day.

Every day unfolds here, bringing something unexpected.  Classes have once again begun, but they are primarily just times of discussion the morning after going to see a production.  Don’t worry; I’m not working too hard.  So far we have only seen one play as a group, Krapp’s Last Tape (starring DUMBLEDORE, for all my fellow Harry Potter fans).  The production was an hour documenting one man’s 69^th birthday.  Every year on his birthday he makes a tape recording all the highlights of the past year.  The entire stage was black with one bright down light hanging over Krapp’s head, emphasizing his isolation.  Michael Gambon was one of the most incredible actors I have seen, and each one of his movements was carefully and meaningfully selected to characterize Krapp.  It was masterful to watch such an accomplished actor work.

           

Other theatre has been just as enjoyable.  One night Catie and I treated ourselves to seeing Agatha Christie’s Mousetrap, the longest running production in London. I think it may be in its 59^thish year.  At one point Catie and I were grasping hands, waiting for the murderer to strike!  We came out of the theatre all smiles after enjoying an evening of pure entertainment.  Alas, I cannot reveal the secret to any of you though; the actors made us swear to keep the murderer under wraps.  You will just have to see it for yourself.

           

Tonight marked my first encounter with physical theatre and puppetry (other than seeing Cinderella as a child- not quite the same).  Cortney and I went and saw 9:21 to Shrub Hill, and again I left the theatre with huge smiles.  This production documented the transport of a variety of passengers on the 9:21 train and in some sense it migrated around the presence of a child.  Each character was so real (in fact they had a thoroughly confused American student, who I could easily commiserate with), and the production was beautiful, combining movement, music, and dialogue. What a perfect Saturday evening.

Other week highlights are as follows:

1) Seeing the original portrait of Jane Austen at the Portrait Gallery.  We also were able to see the entire Tudor and Stuart line throughout their portraits.  I may have a fascination with the court life of that time period...maybe it is because my mom and I watched about a million Henry VIII movies. 

2) Hyde Park: After “watching” the changing of the guard (it felt like the Macy’s Day Parade with the amount of people there), Cortney, Katelyn, and I basked in the sun as we walked through Hyde Park.  We were beyond excited at the opportunity to spend a day in the sunshine and were even more surprised when we stumbled across a boating opportunity in the park.  So we spent an hour of our afternoon rowing around the Serpentine in Hyde Park.  A little bit of The Notebook in our lives.  And let me tell you, it is highly romanticized in the movies! I spent a lot of my rowing times taking us in unnecessary circles.  Never the less it was an amazing experience.

3) Need to Breathe Concert: Thursday night, after a day exploring the Cliffs of Dover, Canterbury, and Dover Castle, a group of us went to the Need to Breathe Concert.  Believe it or not for those of you who don’t know, this group is a band from South Carolina!  All the way in London we rocked the night away to some great music from my home state.  It was like a little taste of home and a night of incredible music.  I officially spend about an hour today listening to their music. 

4) Seeing Big Ben...need I say more?

5) Notting Hill Market: this morning we took the tube out to Nottinghill and spent much of the day exploring the famous Portobello Market.  This market lines the entire street; we thought it was never-ending.  Imagine more antiques, clothing, food, and anything else you may want to buy lining the streets.  Then add in millions of people and you have the market.

6) Harrods: This place is unreal.  It has a department for everything, and not only are all of the items sparkling, but the building itself is like a work of art.  Catie and I wandered through the Christmas sections, smelling every single Christmas Yankee candle and listening to Christmas tunes.  We then ventured up the Egyptian escalators, past the millinery, through the appointment only swimwear section in to the floor of toys.  We finally made our way into the food halls.  These rooms sparkle with finery, chocolates are piled high, ice cream looks like the mounds seen in Harry Potter, the fruit looks like it is from the garden of Eden, and the scones are delectable (I should know that was my one and only Harrod’s purchase of my life).  You could spends days in this store and still have missed some nooks and crannies.  It is like going to the fair; you just can’t prepare for it.

And these are only a few of the highlights of my week...I could probably go on for pages.  So hopefully you can see that city is overwhelmingly full, and I’m beyond thankful that I can make my home here for the next few weeks, plenty of time to explore. 

Rowing in Hyde Park

Chilling out in Canterbury after visiting the famous Cathedral where pilgrims have worn down the stairs from crawling up them.  Also connected to the Canterbury Tales

Catie and I outside the British Museum in the South African exhibit.; thought of you Tyler :)

Me and my Mousetrap ticket

Trafalgar Square

Seeing a show at The Globe. Thank goodness I wasn't a groundling standing in the pouring rain.  Unfortunately, I did have to make the 1.5 hour trek home in that same rain.