Dec 6
I slept more on the boat and took some great pictures of the sunrise. It was nice to relax on the boat. I also read Romans, which I thought was appropriate since I was on my way to Rome.
When we got off the ship we had to wait for a shuttle to get to the train station. We got there and the guy only spoke in Italian, so we hoped that we got on the right train to Rome. We did and we arrived in Rome. We walked to our hostel, which was pretty nice and had really funny roles in English, which was a nice treat. We had some great pasta for dinner. We found Kaitlin, Chanel, and Megan and then went to the Trevi Fountain and found the Spanish steps.
It was strange to sleep in another co-ed hostel and have a co-ed bathroom, but at least there were no guys in there while I was.
Fri Dec 7
We got up really early to pack up our stuff. We headed to the Vatican and waited in line for an hour and a half before finally getting inside. We hurried through to see the Sistine Chapel. It was a lot bigger than I thought it would be. The paintings were fantastic, but the one with God and man was not very prominient and it was hard to find.
We left and went to St. Peter's Bascillica. It was huge! I kept getting annoyed with all of these people praying to the Pope's and honoring them rather than God.
We got on the Metro and headed to the Colosseum. These gladitors outside wanted to take pictures with us. One insisted on holding my hand and kept kissing my face, which was awkward. We had lunch with Kaitlin, Chanel, Megan, Julie, and Courtney W. Gelato was amazing! Then we went through the Roman Forum. It was so cool to see all of these old buildings and ruins. We went inside the Colosseum, which was really neat as well. Finally we went to the Pantenon to take pictures.
Then we took a train to Florence. On the train the lady from our hostel in Florence called and told me to go to the different address. I could not really understand her.
We got to Florence and are dragging our luggage in the rain. We go to the original address but no one there answers. We can't get ahold of anyone on the phone either and we are walking trying to find whatever street she told me. It sounded like Bank. Just then a father and son about our age walked by and commented that we looked lost. We said that we were and they stopped to help us. It turns out that they were from Michigan. They had a map and were so nice to help us find the correct street. It turns out it was Banci...so close to sounding like bank. We walked in that direction and when we turned around, they were gone. They could have gone down another street, but I choose to believe they were angels from Michigan.
Sat Dec 8
We had our own room in the hotel, which was up like 4 flights of weird cement stairs. I've never seen a hotel on just one floor of a building. But at least we had a place to sleep and shower, and dry our clothes.
We went to the museum where the statue of David was. It cost a lot to get in, but it was really neat to see the statue. It was huge! I was very impressed.
We also went to the Duormo Cathedral. The outside is massive and the decorations are beautiful. However, the inside was very simple. We did some shopping at a market and also went to the Vecchio bridge, which was pretty at nice. The architecture of Florence was neat, but there was so much shopping and not a whole lot to do.
Sun Dec 9
We woke up and were going to go to the church that they go to at HUF. However, the buses we needed did not exist. So we tried to go to another church, but the bus was confusing and did not take us near there. So we rode on the bus for a while. It was cold and rainy and I could not feel my feet. We went to thaw in the train station and got some lunch. We went back and got our bags and sat in the train station reading magazines. At 8:00 we checked for our platform but it did not show up. So we asked at information and the guy freaked out because our train was leaving from a different station. So we freaked out and got on a train to take us there. The train seemed to take forever to leave. It finally pulled away from the station and then stopped before we got to the next one. I just sat there shaking and praying for the train to start and for us not to miss our night train to Paris. We pulled into the new station at 8:45 and our train was supposed to leave at 8:53. We checked the tv to find our platform and it was one over. We ran to that platform, but the train had not even arrived yet. So I just sat there praising God for getting us there in time.
On the train there were 6 people assigned to our cabin. There were 3 girls from America and then one Asian guy. We didn't really want him in there with us. The people who worked for the train were not helpful at all, but the guy did leave. So we locked ourselves in and had some interesting conversations and tried to sleep in the strange pull down beds. For me it was like being on a couch in a cave.
Mon Dec 10
We arrived in Paris and took the Metro to Nord to catch our train to London. We checked in and waited for a bit. It was nice to take the Chunnel because it was only like 2 hours to get there! We sat across from a couple with an adorable baby girl.
Being back in London was incredible! It felt so good to be home. We dropped off our stuff at the flats reception and were able to change. That felt good. We went to eat at Nandos and then went to Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park. It was not really what I thought it would be. It was a really expensive carnival type place. But after that we walked around and found our way to Picadilly and then looked around Burlington Arcade. We walked back down Shaftsbury and stopped at Starbucks and Borders. It was so nice to be in familiar places. We headed back to the flats to relax and we met up with the girls that were supposed to be taking the shuttle to the airport. The guy was really difficult and sent a little car. We got it worked out and were able to get us all to where we needed to be, but it was frustrating.
Kaitlin, Chanel, Courtney, and I slept at the airport. We didn't get much sleep but it was free.
Tue Dec 11
I sat by Liz and Megan on our 10 hour flight to Atlanta. The Harlem Globetrotters were on our flight. I watched "Hairspray," "No Reservations" and "Transformers." I didn't sleep at all which was weird. They fed us so much, it was crazy. I was not used to eating that much.
I got off and had an hour to get through passport control, get my bags, go through customs, re-check my bags, go through security, and find my gate. Thankfully my gate moved closer to me. And my flight to KC was the only one not canceled. God is good. It was great to get home. And my luggage made it as well.
This semester was wonderful and one that I will never forget. I feel so blessed to have had this experience.
Barcelona: http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2059061&l=54244&id=71005171
More Barcelona: http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2059437&l=652e1&id=71005171
Civitavecchia and Florence: http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2059436&l=97cce&id=71005171
Rome: http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2059439&l=127e9&id=71005171
Rome: http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2059441&l=29dc8&id=71005171
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Thursday, December 6, 2007
You've Got to Take the Lord With You Everywhere You Go
December 1
I got up early to shower and finish packing. Sarah, Courtney, and I got our luggage down all 74 stairs and headed out. It was an adventure trying to take our luggage from our flat to the Tube. Sarah had one of Jason’s bags too, so there were 4 big suitcases, plus our backpacks and some smaller bags for us to carry around. Thankfully many times some nice people helped us carry stuff, but usually we would take a round up the stairs, then I would wait with the bags and they would bring up the rest. Europe really needs to get some elevators.
We got checked into our coach. I slept for a lot of it. The coach drove into what looked like a cattle car for coaches and it took us across the English Channel.
Once we got to Paris we had an adventure of trying to figure out what Metro line to take to our hotel...or even where the hotel was. We figured out what line we had to take and thankfully we didn’t have to change lines, but we did have to ride for 21 stops to get there. Then we had to drag our bags to our hotel. The room was very small, with one full sized bed, but we had our own bathroom. We relaxed there for a bit before heading off to the Eiffel Tower. It is beautiful at night when it is all lit up. It even sparkles, but only for 10 minutes on the hour. The line was too long to climb it.
Back at the hotel Law and Order: SVU was on dubbed over in French. I had seen the episode before so that was really funny.
Sun Dec 2
We got up and got some really good croissants at the bakery across the street. Then we helped Sarah get her bags down to another hotel where the shuttle picked her up to take her to the airport. Courtney and I headed to Notre Dame to meet Chris and Dave. After sitting in mass and walking around for an hour, we still could not find them, so we did some shopping and headed to the Louvre. The weather was so cold and rainy.
At the Louvre the line was so long that it was wrapped around the glass pyramid. We checked our phone and the boys had called and were really lost, so we went to go get them at Notre Dame.
We were all starving so we ate some lunch and then took Dave to catch his train. Chris, Courtney, and I went to the Moulin Rouge to take pictures outside. Then we went to the Eiffel Tower again so Chris could see it. The line was short so we got to go up to the second viewing level. The weather was so rainy and windy that we could not go up further. The view of the city was beautiful!
When we came down it was a torrential downpour! We were soaked. I came back to the hotel and took a hot shower and went to bed.
Mon Dec 3
Courtney and I got up and checked out of the hotel, stored our bags, and headed to the Louvre. There was no line, so we got right in and walked around for a few hours. I saw the Mona Lisa, but was not very impressed. I don’t know why it is such a famous painting.
We still had a lot of time to kill before our night train, so we walked from the Louvre to the Arc de Triomphe. It was funny to see so many Asian tourists there. I tried to get in as many pictures as possible so that when people go back and look at their pictures and say, “Who’s that girl in the background?” it will be me.
The weather was sunny and beautiful so we decided to go back to the Eiffel Tower to get some pictures during the day. We still had a lot of time so we went back to the hotel to get our stuff and upload our pictures online.
We took the long Metro ride to the train station. While we were waiting for our train, we changed the time of our train to London so that we would not miss that one. I feel much better knowing that I have more time to catch that one. God has truly been answering prayers and been with us every step of the way.
On the night train Courtney and I were in the same car but in different rooms. I was with two nice older ladies who spoke French, Spanish, and English. I could understand a lot of what they said in Spanish, but I kept getting tired and I would stop focusing on translating and then I would get lost. They translated to English for me sometimes. It is strange to me how comfortable European women are with getting naked in front of strangers. I don’t know if I will ever really get used to that.
All my Paris pictures:
The Louvre: http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2058819&l=cc87a&id=71005171
The Eiffel Tower: http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2058629&l=d81ba&id=71005171
Around Paris: http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2058820&l=a57fd&id=71005171
Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Moulin Rouge: http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2058824&l=3b703&id=71005171
Tue Dec 4
We were woken up at 730 to say that we would be arriving in Barcelona soon. Once we got there we had a long walk to try and find the port to book our ticket to Civitavecchia. Dragging suitcases around lost for an hour is no fun. We knew we were close, but every building we went to kept pointing us further down the road. We finally found the building but their computer was down, so we waited for a while, but it was still down. So we got directions to the Metro and thankfully it was a straight shot to our hostel.
We checked in and showered and then headed out to take a bus tour of the city. We got a 2 day pass, which was great because we could get on and off at any stop and then get back on the next bus and see some more when we were ready. We went to the beach and took some pictures. It was great to have warm weather and not have to wear a jacket. I loved it!
We got some dinner and walked around the city for a bit, got our tickets for our boat the next day, and then came back and went to bed. Our room was for 12 people, but there were only 7 of us; 3 girls and 4 guys. I only met one of the guys, Collin, who was from Canada. He was nice. The others were asleep and I never met them. I met the other girl in the bathroom the next morning. She was very interesting. She gave me her card because she is a musician....She told me to drop her a line, but I’m not sure that I wil.
Wed Dec 5
We woke up, got breakfast, checked out, stored our luggage, and took the Metro to the Picasso Museum. A lot of his earlier portrait works were really good. Then there were some gross nudie drawings. So basically he was really talented, turned perverted, and then went crazy and invented Cubism.
We took our bus to Sagrada Familia. I loved this church! I can’t believe that it is taking so long to build it, but the carvings are so intricate and detailed. The stained glass was gorgeous as well. This was one of the coolest churches I have ever seen.
We ate lunch and then went to the Park Guell. This architect does some crazy things, but I really like them. The park was beautiful and had a great view of the city. We walked around some more and then got our luggage and headed back to the port.
We waited to catch our boat. We just bought tickets for a chair, not for a cabin, because it was cheaper. The room with the chairs was huge and there were only 8 of us in there. We met two nice American boys, Shaun and Nate, and we played Uno with them. They are from Oregon and doing a study abroad tour in Spain for a year, but this is their Christmas break. They are headed to Rome as well. 19 hours on a boat is a long time! But thankfully I slept a lot. Since the room was empty, I just stretched out over 4 chairs to sleep.
This trip has taught me so much about relying on God. It is only by His grace and help that I am safe and making my way around. I am so thankful that He is here. It’s like a family vacation with God. It’s great to see other parts of the world and what He created. I’ve learned to be more assertive and self-sufficient, but also to worry less. That is hard for me, but God has been taking care of us, so worrying is pointless. Earlier I was worried about not getting our boat and the song that came into my head was “Living by Faith.” As I sung the lyrics I kind of laughed and was like “Okay, God, I get it.”
Friday, November 30, 2007
My final update from London
Mon Nov 26
I had class in the morning. Since Chris didn't have class later, he left and stood in line so that we could get tickets for "King Lear" staring Ian McKellen. We got them for 5 pounds! The seats were great and the show was fantastic! Except for the part where Ian McKellen was naked...ew.
Tues Nov 27
We took the coach to Warwick Castle. It was fun to explore. One exhibit "Dream of Battle" reminded me of Starwars meets Lord of the Rings meets...hell. It was very odd. But really funny. We also tried on funny clothes and the lady tried to make me look ridculous. I was an inch away from touching a peacock and it gobbled! It was hilarious. I didn't know that peacocks could gobble.
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2058429&l=ac0f7&id=71005171
We then spent the afternoon in Stratford-Upon-Avon. It was so neat to see Shakespeare's birthhome, church, and grave. We also saw Anne Hathaway's home and many other signigicant places. It was really cool.
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2058430&l=6474d&id=71005171
I came back and went with Lolli, Jillian, and Courtney to see "Desperarately Seeking Susan." It is a new musical based off the movie and using the music of Blondie. It was a fun show, especially after two nights of Shakespeare tragedy.
Wed Nov 28
I took my monarch's quiz...glad it is over. Then we went and took pictures at Abbey Road. It was hard to do it and dodge traffic, but we got a couple and I signed the wall.
I went to the Elvis store because they had a Beatles sale. The lady there was so nice and loved America and we had a really good talk.
I went and took pictures at the British Museum for the last time. Then I went and watched "Rent" with Dr. Cox which was hilarious. She actually kind of enjoyed it, which is a bit surprising.
I got back and found out that I had a Theatre History test to take the next day...so with less than 24 hour notice....boo.
We had a fake ring ceremony for Lolli and Clive Owen. It was pretty funny.
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2058431&l=ee0b4&id=71005171
Thurs Nov 29
I slept in a bit and studied and then went to lunch at Dionysis for lunch. It was hard to order because my eye was hurting. I'm sure I looked stupid and kind of like a pirate, but oh well.
We had a group dinner at Ye Old Cheshire Cheese. The food was pretty good and we had fun conversation with our group.
I came back and went to take my test, but beforehand I found out that Maxine died, so I was very distracted. I am happy that she is not in pain and is much better off in heaven, but I wish that I could be home with my church family right now.
Fri Nov 30
I had my last day in London. So sad. We went out and were kind of buying our feelings, which was sad. We thought that if we bought more London things it would be like we weren't leaving. Then I finished packing and hung out.
I am leaving early in the morning to head for Paris. Please pray for my safety and that I can get all of the trains that I need. This will be an adventure....
I had class in the morning. Since Chris didn't have class later, he left and stood in line so that we could get tickets for "King Lear" staring Ian McKellen. We got them for 5 pounds! The seats were great and the show was fantastic! Except for the part where Ian McKellen was naked...ew.
Tues Nov 27
We took the coach to Warwick Castle. It was fun to explore. One exhibit "Dream of Battle" reminded me of Starwars meets Lord of the Rings meets...hell. It was very odd. But really funny. We also tried on funny clothes and the lady tried to make me look ridculous. I was an inch away from touching a peacock and it gobbled! It was hilarious. I didn't know that peacocks could gobble.
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2058429&l=ac0f7&id=71005171
We then spent the afternoon in Stratford-Upon-Avon. It was so neat to see Shakespeare's birthhome, church, and grave. We also saw Anne Hathaway's home and many other signigicant places. It was really cool.
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2058430&l=6474d&id=71005171
I came back and went with Lolli, Jillian, and Courtney to see "Desperarately Seeking Susan." It is a new musical based off the movie and using the music of Blondie. It was a fun show, especially after two nights of Shakespeare tragedy.
Wed Nov 28
I took my monarch's quiz...glad it is over. Then we went and took pictures at Abbey Road. It was hard to do it and dodge traffic, but we got a couple and I signed the wall.
I went to the Elvis store because they had a Beatles sale. The lady there was so nice and loved America and we had a really good talk.
I went and took pictures at the British Museum for the last time. Then I went and watched "Rent" with Dr. Cox which was hilarious. She actually kind of enjoyed it, which is a bit surprising.
I got back and found out that I had a Theatre History test to take the next day...so with less than 24 hour notice....boo.
We had a fake ring ceremony for Lolli and Clive Owen. It was pretty funny.
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2058431&l=ee0b4&id=71005171
Thurs Nov 29
I slept in a bit and studied and then went to lunch at Dionysis for lunch. It was hard to order because my eye was hurting. I'm sure I looked stupid and kind of like a pirate, but oh well.
We had a group dinner at Ye Old Cheshire Cheese. The food was pretty good and we had fun conversation with our group.
I came back and went to take my test, but beforehand I found out that Maxine died, so I was very distracted. I am happy that she is not in pain and is much better off in heaven, but I wish that I could be home with my church family right now.
Fri Nov 30
I had my last day in London. So sad. We went out and were kind of buying our feelings, which was sad. We thought that if we bought more London things it would be like we weren't leaving. Then I finished packing and hung out.
I am leaving early in the morning to head for Paris. Please pray for my safety and that I can get all of the trains that I need. This will be an adventure....
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Mon Nov 19
I worked on homework and then Courtney, Lolli, and I ended up talking with Dr. Cox for hours. She is so funny and it was nice to talk with her. I know she gets lonely by herself in her flat so I'm glad that our visit cheered her up.
Tue Nov 20
We went to Hampton Court. The palace was big and confusing, but the gardens were beautiful. We also went through an outdoor maze. It would have been a lot nicer if it wasn't raining.
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057888&l=465c1&id=71005171
We toured Windsor Castle, where the Royal families live for a majority of the year. It was huge!
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057886&l=81791&id=71005171
Wed Nov 21
I went shopping to try and find ingredients for cooking for Thanksgiving, but it is tricky when most of the things that you need cannot be purchased here in London.
I went to "Shadowlands" tonight. It was a play about C.S. Lewis and how he fell in love with Joy. It was a fabulous play and so well done. I cried a lot, but I loved the show. It was one of my favorites.
Thurs Nov 22
Happy Thanksgiving!
We cooked today and had a massive potluck! There was so much food and it was delicious. Our improvizations with food seemed to turn out alright. We had and watched a movie and had a nice, relaxing day. It was strange to not be home, but spending time with my HUE family was great.
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057961&l=63391&id=71005171
Sat Nov 24
I went to the Victoria and Albert Museum, which was interesting, but very big, so I did not tour the whole thing. I wanted to see the theatre museum, but we could not find it. The Natural History Museum had a line out the door to enter, so we left.
We got homework and waited in line outside in the cold for 2 hours, but we got standing room only tickets for "Macbeth" for 12 pounds. We stood for the first half and then found seats for the second half, which was great because those people paid 5o or 60 pounds for those seats. The show was an updated version in terms of sets and costumes, but it was fantastic. Afterwards, we waited outside and we met Patrick Stewart! A guy from "A Knight's Tale" was in it as well. Paul McCartney was in the audience and we tried to find him, but we couldn't. If we had been in line earlier we would have ended up with seats next to him. Regardless, it was a fun night.
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2058151&l=002fd&id=71005171
I worked on homework and then Courtney, Lolli, and I ended up talking with Dr. Cox for hours. She is so funny and it was nice to talk with her. I know she gets lonely by herself in her flat so I'm glad that our visit cheered her up.
Tue Nov 20
We went to Hampton Court. The palace was big and confusing, but the gardens were beautiful. We also went through an outdoor maze. It would have been a lot nicer if it wasn't raining.
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057888&l=465c1&id=71005171
We toured Windsor Castle, where the Royal families live for a majority of the year. It was huge!
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057886&l=81791&id=71005171
Wed Nov 21
I went shopping to try and find ingredients for cooking for Thanksgiving, but it is tricky when most of the things that you need cannot be purchased here in London.
I went to "Shadowlands" tonight. It was a play about C.S. Lewis and how he fell in love with Joy. It was a fabulous play and so well done. I cried a lot, but I loved the show. It was one of my favorites.
Thurs Nov 22
Happy Thanksgiving!
We cooked today and had a massive potluck! There was so much food and it was delicious. Our improvizations with food seemed to turn out alright. We had and watched a movie and had a nice, relaxing day. It was strange to not be home, but spending time with my HUE family was great.
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057961&l=63391&id=71005171
Sat Nov 24
I went to the Victoria and Albert Museum, which was interesting, but very big, so I did not tour the whole thing. I wanted to see the theatre museum, but we could not find it. The Natural History Museum had a line out the door to enter, so we left.
We got homework and waited in line outside in the cold for 2 hours, but we got standing room only tickets for "Macbeth" for 12 pounds. We stood for the first half and then found seats for the second half, which was great because those people paid 5o or 60 pounds for those seats. The show was an updated version in terms of sets and costumes, but it was fantastic. Afterwards, we waited outside and we met Patrick Stewart! A guy from "A Knight's Tale" was in it as well. Paul McCartney was in the audience and we tried to find him, but we couldn't. If we had been in line earlier we would have ended up with seats next to him. Regardless, it was a fun night.
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2058151&l=002fd&id=71005171
Monday, November 19, 2007
Wed Nov 7
I went to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. I stood on the Prime Meridian. I waited in line to stand there and take my picture, and this old man just came up and kept reading the ground around me and wouldn't move out of the way for my picture. He clearly spoke English and was just being rude. They got a video of him walking around me. He even bent over and it looked like he was smelling my butt. I was kind of mad, but mostly just shocked and could not stop laughing.
http://harding.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=514703388831 (I don't know if this link will work or not)
After that we went to the park and took jump shot pictures, which was really fun. Those are on my friend's camera, so you'll just have to check them out under pictures of me on facebook.
I got to have Mexican food and it was amazing!
We came back on the ferry and it was awesome to see the city at night. All of the lights are so beautiful. I love it!
I went to Phantom of the Opera that night. There was an understudy for the Phantom and he was awful. Actually everyone was awful. I don't know what the deal was, but everyone seemed to be having an off night. The singing and acting were painfully terrible. We tried to get a refund at intermission, but they would not give us one, so we just left. I was so disappointed.
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057130&l=8c6f3&id=71005171
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057132&l=46245&id=71005171
Thurs Nov 8
I went to the Cabinet War Rooms that Churchill used during WWII. It was really neat to see them and learn more about Churchill. He is a very interesting and funny man.
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057144&l=f273a&id=71005171
We had a group chili dinner and it was yummy!
Fri Nov 9
Courtney, Jillian, Lolli, and I went to find Hard Rock Cafe and went on an adventure all over London.
That night we had a Medieval Dinner at Hatfield Palace, where Henry VIII and Elizabeth I held dinner parties. It was so much fun! We had a 4 course dinner served by wenches and there were actors playing the roles of Henry and Elizabeth. They sang songs and had audience participation. It was a great night!
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057240&l=34332&id=71005171
Sat Nov 10
I went to The Mousetrap! It was performance number 22898! The show has been running for 55 years! It was a great experience to see it and get ideas for my show.
Sun Nov 11
It was Remembrance Day. We went to a church service at St. Paul's. It is nice that they have a whole day dedicated to the memory of those who served in WWII and other wars.
The service was very British and proper, but it was nice. St. Paul's is beautiful!
Mon Nov 12
I went to Hairspray. I hadn't planned on going, but I am so glad that I did. It was so much fun! The cast was great and it was one of my favorite shows so far! We met some of the cast after the show as well.
Tues Nov 13
We went to Portsmouth and toured an old British naval ship, the HMS Victory. I was shocked to learn about what the sailors go through, sleeping and eating in such awful conditions and washing their clothes in urine. Gross! Jenn and I went to the Spinnacle Tower that overlooked the city, and it was beautiful to see all of the ports.
We went to Salisbury Cathedral, that has one of the highest spires in the England and maybe the world. I wish we could have climbed it, but it was too dark and the tour was over. I did see an orignal copy of the Magna Carta and the oldest working clock.
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057487&l=d74df&id=71005171
Wed Nov 14
I went to the British Museum for my last assignment and finished that homework. Then I went to the train station to pick up Michelle. We had some pizza and hung out.
Thurs Nov 15
We went to Covent Garden and did some shopping at the stores and markets there. We also went to what is Diagon Alley and Platform 9 3/4. That night we ate at Wagamama, which is a Japanese noodle place that is amazing! Then we went to Wicked! It was a great show! It was strange to hear it with British accents at first, but Elphaba was amazing and I'm so glad that I got to see it again.
On the way back, the tube station nearest us was closed, so we had to walk for a bit. But we saw Big Ben, the London eye, and Westminster, all in a line lit up at night. It was beautiful!
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057677&l=8e4fe&id=71005171
Fri Nov 16
I took Michelle to Hard Rock, Green Park, and Buckingham Palace. We also went to Tate Modern and saw "The World as a Stage" exhibit. The concept sounded very interesting to me because it was artists exploring the relationship between visual art and theatre. It was a cool concept, but some of the pieces were very strange. I'm glad that I got to see it though. Many of them relied on the visitor being a participant in the art, which was a neat concept. One room was completely dark, but as I walked it, lights began to shine, so I was creating the artwork, which was really cool. One piece was just a pile of clothing. It was titled “Self-Portrait of a Businessman” and when the artist originally did the work in Berlin, he appeared dressed as a businessman and then took off his clothes and walked away naked, leaving his belongings there in the exhibition. This is rather odd to me, but it is a funny concept. I’m glad that he was not around leaving his clothes when I was there.
My favorite work on art in that room was a video of the artist Bodzianowski in a large rotating drum with one roller-blade on his hand and another on his foot. The whole video is him trying to keep balance and it is hilarious to watch.
That night I went to Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet. I enjoyed the show. I was surprised that they could hold my attention while sitting the entire first act, but the actors did a great job playing salesmen, and their dialogue and delivery held my attention.
Here are pictures from the shows that I have seen: http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2054106&l=485ac&id=71005171
Sat Nov 17
I went to the Portobello Road Market. It was so crowded, but I got some cool things and I'm glad that I got to go. We took Michelle back to the train station and then I planned my free travel.
Sun Nov 18
I went to church at Wembley again. They were actually friendly, which was a nice change.
I am starting to get sick, which is lame. Chris got some cough syrup for me because I had to go to class and it was raining and the store was going to close, so he went for me. The stuff looks kind of weird, so my roomies and I all took some in tea cups. It made us kind of loopy, but I did stop coughing, so that's good.
I can't believe that I only have a few weeks left! That makes me very sad!
I went to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. I stood on the Prime Meridian. I waited in line to stand there and take my picture, and this old man just came up and kept reading the ground around me and wouldn't move out of the way for my picture. He clearly spoke English and was just being rude. They got a video of him walking around me. He even bent over and it looked like he was smelling my butt. I was kind of mad, but mostly just shocked and could not stop laughing.
http://harding.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=514703388831 (I don't know if this link will work or not)
After that we went to the park and took jump shot pictures, which was really fun. Those are on my friend's camera, so you'll just have to check them out under pictures of me on facebook.
I got to have Mexican food and it was amazing!
We came back on the ferry and it was awesome to see the city at night. All of the lights are so beautiful. I love it!
I went to Phantom of the Opera that night. There was an understudy for the Phantom and he was awful. Actually everyone was awful. I don't know what the deal was, but everyone seemed to be having an off night. The singing and acting were painfully terrible. We tried to get a refund at intermission, but they would not give us one, so we just left. I was so disappointed.
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057130&l=8c6f3&id=71005171
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057132&l=46245&id=71005171
Thurs Nov 8
I went to the Cabinet War Rooms that Churchill used during WWII. It was really neat to see them and learn more about Churchill. He is a very interesting and funny man.
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057144&l=f273a&id=71005171
We had a group chili dinner and it was yummy!
Fri Nov 9
Courtney, Jillian, Lolli, and I went to find Hard Rock Cafe and went on an adventure all over London.
That night we had a Medieval Dinner at Hatfield Palace, where Henry VIII and Elizabeth I held dinner parties. It was so much fun! We had a 4 course dinner served by wenches and there were actors playing the roles of Henry and Elizabeth. They sang songs and had audience participation. It was a great night!
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057240&l=34332&id=71005171
Sat Nov 10
I went to The Mousetrap! It was performance number 22898! The show has been running for 55 years! It was a great experience to see it and get ideas for my show.
Sun Nov 11
It was Remembrance Day. We went to a church service at St. Paul's. It is nice that they have a whole day dedicated to the memory of those who served in WWII and other wars.
The service was very British and proper, but it was nice. St. Paul's is beautiful!
Mon Nov 12
I went to Hairspray. I hadn't planned on going, but I am so glad that I did. It was so much fun! The cast was great and it was one of my favorite shows so far! We met some of the cast after the show as well.
Tues Nov 13
We went to Portsmouth and toured an old British naval ship, the HMS Victory. I was shocked to learn about what the sailors go through, sleeping and eating in such awful conditions and washing their clothes in urine. Gross! Jenn and I went to the Spinnacle Tower that overlooked the city, and it was beautiful to see all of the ports.
We went to Salisbury Cathedral, that has one of the highest spires in the England and maybe the world. I wish we could have climbed it, but it was too dark and the tour was over. I did see an orignal copy of the Magna Carta and the oldest working clock.
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057487&l=d74df&id=71005171
Wed Nov 14
I went to the British Museum for my last assignment and finished that homework. Then I went to the train station to pick up Michelle. We had some pizza and hung out.
Thurs Nov 15
We went to Covent Garden and did some shopping at the stores and markets there. We also went to what is Diagon Alley and Platform 9 3/4. That night we ate at Wagamama, which is a Japanese noodle place that is amazing! Then we went to Wicked! It was a great show! It was strange to hear it with British accents at first, but Elphaba was amazing and I'm so glad that I got to see it again.
On the way back, the tube station nearest us was closed, so we had to walk for a bit. But we saw Big Ben, the London eye, and Westminster, all in a line lit up at night. It was beautiful!
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057677&l=8e4fe&id=71005171
Fri Nov 16
I took Michelle to Hard Rock, Green Park, and Buckingham Palace. We also went to Tate Modern and saw "The World as a Stage" exhibit. The concept sounded very interesting to me because it was artists exploring the relationship between visual art and theatre. It was a cool concept, but some of the pieces were very strange. I'm glad that I got to see it though. Many of them relied on the visitor being a participant in the art, which was a neat concept. One room was completely dark, but as I walked it, lights began to shine, so I was creating the artwork, which was really cool. One piece was just a pile of clothing. It was titled “Self-Portrait of a Businessman” and when the artist originally did the work in Berlin, he appeared dressed as a businessman and then took off his clothes and walked away naked, leaving his belongings there in the exhibition. This is rather odd to me, but it is a funny concept. I’m glad that he was not around leaving his clothes when I was there.
My favorite work on art in that room was a video of the artist Bodzianowski in a large rotating drum with one roller-blade on his hand and another on his foot. The whole video is him trying to keep balance and it is hilarious to watch.
That night I went to Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet. I enjoyed the show. I was surprised that they could hold my attention while sitting the entire first act, but the actors did a great job playing salesmen, and their dialogue and delivery held my attention.
Here are pictures from the shows that I have seen: http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2054106&l=485ac&id=71005171
Sat Nov 17
I went to the Portobello Road Market. It was so crowded, but I got some cool things and I'm glad that I got to go. We took Michelle back to the train station and then I planned my free travel.
Sun Nov 18
I went to church at Wembley again. They were actually friendly, which was a nice change.
I am starting to get sick, which is lame. Chris got some cough syrup for me because I had to go to class and it was raining and the store was going to close, so he went for me. The stuff looks kind of weird, so my roomies and I all took some in tea cups. It made us kind of loopy, but I did stop coughing, so that's good.
I can't believe that I only have a few weeks left! That makes me very sad!
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Monday Nov 5
Happy Guy Fawkes Day! After class I went to Tate Britain, another art gallery. It wasn't as interesting as some of the others. The more modern the art gets, the less I seem to like it. That night I tried to find a fireworks display with Chris, but the directions were terrible and we didn't know where we were and didn't feel like walking 30 minutes to the park, so we headed back. That was also an adventure, but we did get to ride on a Double Decker bus. Then we watched "V for Vendetta."
Guys Fawkes and the Park: http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057003&l=a5609&id=71005171
Tuesday Nov 6
I got up early and went to Buckinham Palace to see the Queen leave to go open Parliament. It was so cool! Then I played in the park. The leaves are all changing and it was so beautiful! I went to "Les Miserables." The performance was really good and moving, but it is so depressing. It is not one of my favorite shows because it is too sad.
The Queen: http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057006&l=18ba5&id=71005171
Happy Guy Fawkes Day! After class I went to Tate Britain, another art gallery. It wasn't as interesting as some of the others. The more modern the art gets, the less I seem to like it. That night I tried to find a fireworks display with Chris, but the directions were terrible and we didn't know where we were and didn't feel like walking 30 minutes to the park, so we headed back. That was also an adventure, but we did get to ride on a Double Decker bus. Then we watched "V for Vendetta."
Guys Fawkes and the Park: http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057003&l=a5609&id=71005171
Tuesday Nov 6
I got up early and went to Buckinham Palace to see the Queen leave to go open Parliament. It was so cool! Then I played in the park. The leaves are all changing and it was so beautiful! I went to "Les Miserables." The performance was really good and moving, but it is so depressing. It is not one of my favorite shows because it is too sad.
The Queen: http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057006&l=18ba5&id=71005171
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Wed Oct 31
It was Halloween. We had class really early in the morning, which was no fun. So we came back and took a nap before going to Camden Market to look for costumes. Then we had a costume party with our group. It was fun.
Thurs Nov 1
I went to see "The 39 Steps" which was a play with four actors playing multiple characters and it was based on an Alfred Hitchcock movie. It was hilarious! I had a lot of fun.
Fri Nov 2
I went to the British Library. The building was so big and beautiful. This was a highlight of my trip. I got to see the Gutenburg Bible, the second oldest copy of the book of Hebrews, Da Vinci's notebooks, Sir Thomas Moore's last letter to Henry VIII, Edward VI's diary, Lady Jane Grey's prayerbook, Queen Elizabeth I's marriage and successor refusal letter, and Galileo Galilei's notebook. Shakespeare's first folio, the Blackfriar's mortgage deed, Shakespeare's sonnets, and a sketch of his new Stratford home were there.
There were writings from Jane Austen, Wordsworth, Charolette Bronte, Lewis Carroll, Oscar Wilde and Virginia Woolf.
In the music case there were original copy of manuscripts by Handel (The Messiah, opened to the Hallelujah Chorus), Johann Sebastian Bach (Fugue in A flat major), Mozart, works by Gilbert and Sullivan, Beethoven's 9th and his tuning fork, Chopin, and the Beatles.
It was absolutely amazing to see all of these famous documents!
That night I tried to go see "Les Miz" but it was sold out. So I just hung out with friends and watched some fireworks from the roof.
Sat Nov 3
We woke up really early to go to the Harrod's Christmas Parade. It was a very strange parade. I'm not sure what Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan have to do with Christmas, but there were there. At least they had 'snow' and Father Christmas. Plus we all got balloons and light up reindeer antlers. It was fun!
I came back and had group breakfast. I love group breakfast. We don't get to have meals together very often, so it is a nice treat.
Sun Nov 4
We went to church at Wembley this morning, but instead of having a sermon, the preacher asked all the visitors to leave because he was going to make an announcement to the church. I'm not sure what that was about, but I'm sure it's not good. It was very frustrating for us, especially since I hate going there for worship anywhere since I get nothing out of it and that I had to spend an hour getting there just to sit and sing horribly pitched songs for 30 minutes. I won't continue to go into church rants, but this morning was very frustrating.
It was Halloween. We had class really early in the morning, which was no fun. So we came back and took a nap before going to Camden Market to look for costumes. Then we had a costume party with our group. It was fun.
Thurs Nov 1
I went to see "The 39 Steps" which was a play with four actors playing multiple characters and it was based on an Alfred Hitchcock movie. It was hilarious! I had a lot of fun.
Fri Nov 2
I went to the British Library. The building was so big and beautiful. This was a highlight of my trip. I got to see the Gutenburg Bible, the second oldest copy of the book of Hebrews, Da Vinci's notebooks, Sir Thomas Moore's last letter to Henry VIII, Edward VI's diary, Lady Jane Grey's prayerbook, Queen Elizabeth I's marriage and successor refusal letter, and Galileo Galilei's notebook. Shakespeare's first folio, the Blackfriar's mortgage deed, Shakespeare's sonnets, and a sketch of his new Stratford home were there.
There were writings from Jane Austen, Wordsworth, Charolette Bronte, Lewis Carroll, Oscar Wilde and Virginia Woolf.
In the music case there were original copy of manuscripts by Handel (The Messiah, opened to the Hallelujah Chorus), Johann Sebastian Bach (Fugue in A flat major), Mozart, works by Gilbert and Sullivan, Beethoven's 9th and his tuning fork, Chopin, and the Beatles.
It was absolutely amazing to see all of these famous documents!
That night I tried to go see "Les Miz" but it was sold out. So I just hung out with friends and watched some fireworks from the roof.
Sat Nov 3
We woke up really early to go to the Harrod's Christmas Parade. It was a very strange parade. I'm not sure what Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan have to do with Christmas, but there were there. At least they had 'snow' and Father Christmas. Plus we all got balloons and light up reindeer antlers. It was fun!
I came back and had group breakfast. I love group breakfast. We don't get to have meals together very often, so it is a nice treat.
Sun Nov 4
We went to church at Wembley this morning, but instead of having a sermon, the preacher asked all the visitors to leave because he was going to make an announcement to the church. I'm not sure what that was about, but I'm sure it's not good. It was very frustrating for us, especially since I hate going there for worship anywhere since I get nothing out of it and that I had to spend an hour getting there just to sit and sing horribly pitched songs for 30 minutes. I won't continue to go into church rants, but this morning was very frustrating.
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