Museum Hopping- kinda like bar hopping, but COOLER! (For a nerd like me)

So I can't seem to do anything right. Tuesday and Wednesday were sunny and a nice 50 degrees. I stayed in and read for my classes, given that I had fun last weekend, and on Saturday I am going to Glasgow. However, I got caught up, and didn't have class today- so I could venture out!

...and it was raining. Sad.

Since I am not the Wicked Witch of the West, I figured a little rain wouldn't hurt. I left my flat and took the tube to the Knightsbridge stop.

In all, I checked six things off my list today.

Number 1: Go into Harvey Nichols (aka: Harvey Nics)

This is basically a smaller version of Harrods. However, I only visited the ground floor, seeing as I couldn't find my way out of the perfume and handbag section. But really, once you have seen Harrods, nothing can compare. Because of this, I moved onward. I continued West on foot toward the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Number 2: Go into Brompton Oratory

This large Catholic Church was not originally on my list, however, when I passed it I had to go in. I. Was. Amazed. It was HUGE! And gorgeous! Technically, we were not supposed to take pictures inside, but I did anyway. God is going to smite me. However, I didn't want to use flash, so I am sorry for the poor picture quality. I ended up walking through the entire church and all of it's chapels. I have decided that some night I will venture out here and see what mass is like!

The view of the Brompton Oratory as you walk in the doors

Number 3: FINISH the Victoria and Albert Museum!

I thought this would be an easy task. From what I remembered, I thought I had completed most of it. I WAS WRONG! It took me another 2 hours to finish the museum! However, this still remains my favorite. There is so much to do and see. And, of course, dress up. Seeing as I was alone though, I did not partake in trying on a corset and hoop skirt. Next time, my friends. And you can be sure pictures will follow.

Number 4: Go to the Science Museum

I was so excited for this. And then my hopes and dreams for the museum were ruined. All I needed to do was cross the street from the V&A, and there it was. I love science. I am a biology major. It's kinda a given. However, the only exciting part of this museum was its lobby.

The lobby of The Science Museum

I felt like this particular science museum was geared towards little kids. Everything was low to the ground, way too simplistic, and most of it wasn't even "scientific". I'm sorry, thousands of models of ships do not represent science to me. Engineering, yes. Mechanics, yes. "Science"? No. Compared to the Boston Science Museum and the science museum I went to in Germany, the one in London can't compete. It's exhibits are disorderly and boring, unless you have children. The actual layout of the museum is a nightmare. Also, I found that the two top floor dedicated to medicine are ABANDONED! Like, no one goes there. Not even the guards. I was literally alone. In a room full of mannequins preforming surgery on each other. I felt like I was in a horror movie.

However, I did find where they kept the children:

I sure hope Pedobear doesn't find out about this place...

Really. They had a playground for 3-6 year olds in the basement. I should have just stayed there, I would've had more fun!

Don't get me wrong- if you are not a science person, this is a good museum. Everything will be interesting! But if you have grown up around this information and have studied it all your life, you are wasting your time. You know what DNA is. You know that global warming is happening. You don't need to walk through thousands of models of ships or "The History of Mathematics". Yeah. They had that. In the Science Museum.

Number 5: Go to the Albert Memorial

Night was falling, and I still had stuff to do! The last two things on the list were outdoors. First, I went to the Albert Memorial. I had seen a small model for it in the V&A earlier, so I was really excited.

The Albert Memorial is in memory of the beloved husband of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert. It is quite impressive. The bronze statue of the prince alone is 14 feet high. Yes. It is a huge memorial. Also, it is on the site where the Crystal Palace, the venue built for the Great Exhibition of 1851 that Albert planned, was.

Ahh, to be Queen and give my husband an ornate memorial right on the edge of Hyde Park.

The Albert Memorial

Number 6: Go to Royal Albert Hall

Right across from the Memorial is Royal Albert Hall. Many concerts and plays occur here every year, including the famous "Proms". I couldn't go inside because a show was about to start, but I am going to try to go inside someday.

Royal Albert Hall

Night had finally fallen. Although I wanted to walk in Hyde Park and go toward Marble Arch (Therefore bringing the total of things accomplished today to 8), I decided against it since the interior of the park is not lit at night. Although Hyde Park is safe, I used my better judgment, and left these two sites for another time. Next week, perhaps?

...right now I am just really excited for Glasgow.

After battling rush hour traffic, I returned to my flat, and found out some AMAZING news!

Kate Middleton, future wife of Prince William, is a HUGE fan of SNOG, and frequents the establishment! She even wants to have it at the royal wedding reception!!! Maybe my weekly SNOG visits will pay off, and I will meet her!!!!! (Commence freak out)

...one can dream.

Check in next week to see how my trip to Glasgow went!

Cheers!

Playing 'Tour Guide'... the best way to see the city!

So I had a pretty amazing weekend, not gonna lie. My friend Katie, who goes to URI with me but is studying abroad in France for the year came to visit! Although it was SO windy and kinda overcast all weekend, we had a blast!

Katie had never been to London, so it was my job to show her around. And even though I brought her places that I have been to, I still saw so many new things along the way!

To make this post (which is going to be long!) more manageable, I will break it up into what we did each day... happy reading!

Day 1: Saturday

In order to meet Katie at Waterloo Station early in the morning, I went for a run at sunrise. Because of my gym membership, I have not taken advantage of pounding the pavement on the streets of London. However, this was a great experience! Early in the morning, almost no one is out. As I ran toward Parliament, Big Ben started to chime its morning greetings to the citizens of London. I couldn't help but smile! Even after 1 month here, I still need to pinch myself and remind myself that I AM LIVING IN LONDON! I continued on to Buckingham Palace, waved to the Queen, and then continued down The Mall to the Strand, and then back over Waterloo Bridge to get to my flat. It was such a pleasant run, and when I calculated the mileage, I was surprised to see that I had run 4 miles! I guess I didn't realize since there was so much to see as I was going!

At 9:30, Mark and I met Katie at Waterloo Station. The plan for the day? Stonehenge.

Yes, I realize that it is a pile of rocks. But how many people can be like, "O yeah, I've been to Stonehenge!"? After a lovely 1.5 hour train ride, we were in Salisbury, one of the oldest Medieval towns in England. After getting off the train, we went to find the Stonehenge tour bus, hopped on, and enjoyed a 30 minute ride to the site. Driving through the English countryside, one can not help but marvel at it's beauty. Endless green fields, rolling hills, and soooo many sheep!

Katie and I on the tour bus! Yeah, that's right, front row on the top of the double decker! (Thanks for getting the best seats ever Mark!)

We were all enjoying the ride and chatting when we caught our first glimpse of Stonehenge. There it was! *Commence freak out!* The subject of many a history class, I was finally seeing it with my own eyes. We got off the bus and set out to the site. The bus would pick us up in an hour. Yeah. Apparently they want you to stare at rocks for an hour. But it was so much fun!

Mark, me, and Katie in front of Stonehenge!

After taking an obscene amount of pictures, the cold and misty weather finally got to us, so we sought shelter in the gift shop. Never have you seen so many tacky souvenirs. We hung out there for awhile, and then caught the bus back to Salisbury.

Upon our return, we went to a local pub and got some lunch. It is so funny seeing groups of men throwing back 1, 2, or 6 (Yes, one man had 6!) pints of beer at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon. We stuck to sandwiches. After our delicious lunch served to us by the owner himself, we ventured into the town, wandered through a market, and then made our way to Salisbury Cathedral.

Mark, me, and Katie in front of Salisbury Cathedral

Never have you seen college age kids run around a field, excitingly taking pictures of a medieval church. Until us. Three Catholic kids giddy from a church sporting a 6,200 TON spire! Upon entering the cathedral, we got a big surprise- the original Magna Carta is housed in the Chapter House!! Mr. Haynes would be so proud....

After spending a decent amount of time in the Cathedral, we ventured back into town and came upon a restaurant called "Boston Tea Party". Laughing at the irony, we went in and had tea and coffee. After talking for over an hour, we decided that since it was 6pm, we should probably head back to the station and catch the 6:16pm train to Waterloo.

Upon our return, Katie and I went for a walk on the Strand and through Covent Garden before heading back to the South Bank to go to a pub for dinner. We got some British pie and talked forever! When we finished our dinner, we asked for dessert, only to be told that since it was 10:30, the kitchen was closed! And then the hunt started. We wanted something sweet!

And I am serious about "hunt". We literally tried 10 restaurants, only to find that they were all closing at 11 and therefore would not serve us! After almost giving up hope, we happened upon "Strada", an Italian chain restaurant. I got Strawberry Gelati, and when the check came, I paid in 5p pieces. Yes. £3.95 in 5p pieces. I needed to get rid of them sometime! Might as well do it at 11pm...

Finally, it was time to call it a night after a long but fun day!

Day 2: Sunday

After planning on meeting early again, I went for a sunrise run. This time, I just ran along the South Bank. It's so funny to see this area empty- because there is so much to do here it always seems to be crowded. As Big Ben chimed 8am I turned around. Hearing Big Ben still has not lost its affect on me.

I met Katie at Waterloo Station again, and we headed East on the South Bank. We stopped by Tate Modern to see the famous sunflower seeds, took pictures in front of the Globe Theater, and headed toward Tower Bridge.

Katie and I in front of Tower Bridge

We crossed the bridge, and then decided to go into the Tower of London. After seeing Traitor's Gate and White Tower, we headed to the Jewel House. After going on the moving sidewalks around the jewels 4 times, we still couldn't get over the fact that these all belonged to the Queen. They were gorgeous. Is it ok if I start wearing a crown everywhere? God, I wish that was acceptable in today's society!

After The Tower, we headed further into The City. We came upon St. Paul's Cathedral, and got to go inside for free since it was Sunday. We didn't get to tour it, and could only stay in the back, but still, you got to see so much. Let me say this right now- Charles and Diana did it right. Westminster Abbey, although GORGEOUS is quite plain inside compared to St. Paul's. Plus, it is more cluttered (Medieval architecture always is) whereas St. Paul's is very open, bright, and clean. I can't wait to go back and take the formal tour!

Me in front of St. Paul's Cathedral

After visiting the Cathedral, we headed toward Fleet Street with the intention of going to tea. However, along the way we stopped in St. Bride's church. This church is where the parents of the first European child born in the US were married. Also, according to legend, the steeple of this church is what inspired the modern tiered wedding cake! After looking in the church, which is a church favored by journalists, we headed down the Strand and decided to have afternoon tea. We stopped in to the Strand Palace Hotel, and enjoyed the traditional English afternoon snack. And fell in love. The portions are perfect, the food is is amazing, and you are so content (not full) after. I am totally doing afternoon tea when I get back to the States (Apartment 430- get ready to block out 1 hour of your day- it's gonna happen!!). After munching on tea sandwiches, scones, and some tiny cakes with our tea, we headed back to the Strand towards Trafalgar Square.

Katie and I enjoying afternoon tea

Today was the celebration of Chinese New Year, and the square was PACKED. We snapped a few pictures and saw a juggling act on a stage put up for the event, and then decided to head to the National Gallery (right on the square) to take in some art. After looking at the big names, the Museum was closing, so we had to leave. By now it was 6pm.

But our day was not over! We planned on going to mass at Westminster Cathedral at 7, so we walked there from the Strand. We got there in time to see the 5:30 mass finish, and the bishop was present! (There was a confirmation at that mass). We waited for our mass to start, and marveled at the beauty surrounding us. Seriously, churches in the US have nothing on the ones here. These make even St. Patrick's look boring!

After mass, it was time to call it a day. But not before we got a picture in front of our boyfriend, Ben!

And there you go, another successful day! Miles walked? 8. Jacked legs are gonna happen.

Day 3: Monday

Because I don't have class, me and Katie met up again for more sight seeing! We met at Westminster Abbey at noon and headed to "The Old Monk" (The place that had that sign I featured in my last blog post!) to get some traditional fish and chips. And they were delicious (Surprise, surprise!)

Katie and I in "The Old Monk" with our Fish and Chips!

After lunch we headed towards Buckingham Palace by cutting through St. James's Park. Because it was the middle of the day, there were minimal tourists, and we got to take a picture in front of the Buckingham Palace Gates!

At Buckingham Palace

We then walked down The Mall to Trafalgar Square, so Katie could see how it looked without thousands of people there! We then went to Leichester Square, and then to Covent Garden, where we stopped for Snog! I think it's safe to say Katie has a new favorite FroYo place!

Snog!

We then headed back to Leichester Square, then to Piccadilly Circus, where we went into Fortnum & Mason, the Queen's grocery store. A cup of tea here is £5.50. They have an entire floor dedicated to china. I'm in love. My dad said that I should get a nice tea set to put in my future house that can remind me of my time here... I hope he was serious, because I might need to stop in again and make some purchases!

After avoiding the temptation of buying china, we headed towards Harrods after passing through Wellington Arch.

Me in front of Wellington Arch

After touring Harrods and Burberry's flagship store, we went toward Hyde Park and then went to Oxford Street to shop at Primark. By the time we were done with that, it was 8:30pm, and time to part ways! It was so sad to have to say goodbye to a friend and a familiar face, but we had sooo much fun!

Miles walked: 7

So besides seeing tons of stuff, we got some serious exercise! I love being a tour guide :)

Cheers!

You call this art?

Aren't Thursdays glorious?!

The day is already wonderful due to the fact that I have no classes and can explore London even more. But this Thursday was especially amazing- not only did I get to see totally new parts of London, but while URI had a snow day, it was 50 degrees and sunny here! Just look at the view I had today when crossing Lambeth Bridge!

Pretty amazing, right?! I have been here a month, and have only had 2 days of rain. London must really love me, but it really loved me today.

After getting an early start, I got some loose ends tied up, and then met up with a friend to go to the Tate Britain. The older sister of Tate Modern, this museum is filled with art done exclusively by UK artists from 1500 on. Located more toward the west of the city, we had a lovely walk past Parliament and Big Ben. This is the farthest west I have gone on the Thames bank.

The Tate Britain

Inside of the entrance of Tate Britain

So, the Tate Britain was ok. In my opinion, the Tate Modern is way better... and I don't even like modern art! I think the Tate Modern has more in it... whereas the Tate Britain is smaller, and in a sense, more boring. But still, I got my culture on! One of the weirdest pieces was called "Coral Reef". It was a maze of rooms filled with stuff. The artist wanted you to feel as though "You were lost in a world of lost people". Whatever. It was fricken weird. Creaky doors and creepy dark rooms with a TV playing white snow. NO! THIS IS NOT ART! After watching Black Swan last night, I was soooo freaked out that Natalie Portman was just going to jump out and stab me! Seriously though...

And here is some more weird art... The piece below was called "Oak Tree". It was a glass filled with water. The artist says it's an oak tree. If you go on my Facebook, you can see an interview with the artist about this piece. All I know is that this guy is taking something, and whatever he is taking should be avoided at all costs.

"Oak Tree". NO! THIS IS NOT ART! WHY IS THIS HERE?

One of the rooms was dedicated to art and Morse code. Basically, the artist had lights flash on her "art" that would spell out messages in Morse code. Good thing I'm fluent in that...NOT.

Morse Code art

I don't want to knock on anyone that really loves modern art, but seriously. Don't you sometimes think that you can do 90% of the work you see? While you are 2 years old? How much talent does it take to place some fake trees in a row, put a balloon in the middle, and then shine a light on it? How is writing out the first few pages of the script of "Top Gun" on a big piece of paper 'art'? Is it really that difficult to throw paint in random splotches at a canvas?

...ok, maybe I knocked on you a little.

After escaping the Tate Britain, we headed to St. Margret's Church, the "Parliament Church". This is where Winston Churchill was married to his wife, and also where his funeral was held. Right across the street from Parliament and in the shadows of Westminster Abbey, this church is often forgotten. However, it is really gorgeous inside! One of the rules was "No Photography"... but I just 'happened' to forget, and took a couple. Don't say I never did anything for you!

The altar of St. Margret's Church

View of Parliament from St. Margret's Church. I'm in love!

After leaving St. Margret's, my friend and I decided to do what we do best in London- procrastinate. So instead of returning to our flats like good students and diving into our books, we decided to walk around random streets in London for almost 3 hours.

We explored the areas west of Parliament and ended up running into a school for people wishing to enter the clergy, and also a little street of pubs and cafes. Instead of going in to any of them, we took pictures of their signs. Observe why below...

Notice that this is a "Family Run" establishment....

Yes, there is that famous British sense of humor. We also ran into "Strutton Fried Chicken", "Why Not Hairdressers", and other 'interesting' stores. It was so much fun! On our way back to Lambeth Bridge, we ran into this building (pictured below). I am still not sure what it is, but it was in the middle of a ton of old brick apartments. Kinda cool, if I do say so myself. And gutsy- I bet a lot of people didn't want a building like this in the center of one of the oldest parts of London!


After wandering around the west end, we headed back across the bridge and explored Lambeth North (which is located on the South Bank, but more inland). We strolled through Archbishop's Park and then headed into a residential district.

Before we knew it, night was upon us. We headed back to South Bank and returned to the flat. Instead of reading, I cooked myself some DELICIOUS lemon chicken, and then proceeded to collapse into my desk chair.

Although I end each day exhausted, I wouldn't have it any other way. Each day is an adventure. Studying abroad has been one of the best decisions I have made in my life. I am so grateful that I have been given this opportunity, and I intend to get everything I can out of it!

Cheers!

Dear London, please stop having such delicious food- my wallet and metabolism don't appreciate it!

Dear World,

You are most certainly mistaken on the quality of the cuisine you can have in England. Not only is there food from all over the world here, but I have yet to have a bad meal. And it's official- I have been here for a month!

Love,
Rachael

That's right folks! Upon publishing this post, I will have been in London for ONE MONTH! Besides becoming familiar with all the sights London has to offer, I have become familiar with the foods available here.

You can honestly find any type of food here, and, if you know where to look, you can find it cheap. However, once you realize how little you are spending, your mind tells you that it is OK to get just ONE MORE appetizer. Or dessert. Or both.

But instead of going on about the food using words, I'll just show you pictures from now on. At the same time, I will tell you about what I have been up to during the day!

Tuesday:

Tuesday was a much needed catch-up day...again. However, I did have class today, so after attending lecture for "Museums of London" focusing on the Enlightenment our class took a trip to the British Museum again in order to view the Enlightenment Room. This room is basically the King's Library filled with thousands of artifacts. Keep in mind that this marks my FOURTH visit to the British Museum.

After our professor took us to the major cases contained in the Enlightenment Room, we were free to browse on our own. Seeing as I had already done an extensive tour of my own, I chose to leave the museum and wander towards Covent Garden in order to get some groceries at Tesco (my best friend here...). I have never attempted going from the British Museum to Covent Garden, and ended up getting lost. But the beauty of getting lost in this city is that you stumble upon the most brilliant little cafes and shops!

After finally reaching my destination (without asking for directions, I'll have you know!) I picked up some supplies and then made my way back to The Strand in order to get back to the flat. And I ran into some people I knew! It will never fail to amaze me that in a city of millions, I can manage to recognize people and just start up a conversation with them. I feel like such a Londoner! (It's a stretch, I know. But hey- it's what I feel!)

After unloading groceries, I met up with friends to satisfy a craving I have had since my first few days here- British Pie. We ended up at Dockett's, a pub near Blackfriar's Bridge. Besides having the entire upstairs to ourselves, we also had a wonderful view of the Thames, especially St. Paul's Cathedral. And then the feast began. We were able to let 3 people each have an appetizer, main course, and dessert for only £36!

Behold! The deliciousness of Deep Fried, Breaded Brie

Apparently Heaven is the gooey center of deep fried brie...who knew?!

You are crazy if you don't think this "Open Chicken and Portabello Mushroom Pie" looks delicious. These British pies are now the subject of many a craving...

We also had Banoffee (Banana and Toffee) Cheesecake and Rhubarb & Raspberry Crumble, but the desserts were too good to resist, hence the lack of pictures. Sorry! (But believe me, this is probably a favor!)

Utterly content, we headed back to the flat to complete our readings for the night with full bellies.

Wednesday:

Ahhh Wednesday. It comes in all it's glory with it's 9am - 1pm classes. Today, I even had to have a meeting for a presentation I am going to be making next week! By 2pm I was finally done with all things relating to school, and was ready to have some "me" time. "Me" time became going to the gym. I swear, I am going to be SO READY for this triathlon!

After the gym I quickly cleaned up and got ready since today was the first of what I hope will be many "Orange" Wednesdays. Basically, if you have a plan with the cell phone service Orange, you can get 2 for 1 deals on Wednesdays to see a movie and then have 2 for 1 pizzas at Pizza Express after! With student discounts added to these discounts, this means that you only end up paying £3.75 to see a movie, and then about £4 for a pizza. A WHOLE pizza. For yourself! This is truely success at it's finest!

My friends and I decided to see "Black Swan". I can now tell you that I will officially stop sleeping. This movie was so disturbing. I now understand the hype. Never. Again. I will stop discussing this movie now.

The rape of my mind was semi-remedied by the consumption of delicious pizza at Pizza Express. These people can do no wrong in my mind. Especially when we find out that not only do we get 2 for 1 pizzas with our Orange codes, but we also get free doughballs and garlic butter! YUM!

And just like that, another successful night in London is completed...

Walking Among the Stars

Monday night. Back home, this would be a night where I would catch up on homework I avoided over the weekend and then prepare for the week ahead.

In London, I go to movie premiers. Yes, you read that right.

My friend Naeemah won tickets to the London premier of "I AM Number Four". In attendance were two of the main characters, Number Four (Alex Pettyfer) and Number Six (Teresa Palmer), as well as the director, DJ Caruso of "Disturbia" fame. The movie was only officially finished on Friday, so we were some of the first people to see it! Here are some pictures of the experience!

Apollo Theater, where the premier took place

Insert intense movie poster here.....

Naeemah and I, eagerly awaiting the start of the show....

The big screen!

Number Four, Number Six, and the Director

All in all, it was one of those movies that is not supposed to be funny, but TOTALLY is! Some of the action scenes were BEYOND ridiculous. For example, if there is an explosion that can decimate an area equivalent to 5 football fields and you run behind a little metal door to escape the flames, and the glass in the door blows out from the blast, there is NO WAY IN HELL that the door will keep you safe. YOU WILL BE BARBECUE! Also, if you just meet someone, after 2 days you do not tell that person that "You are all I can think about", and then proceed to make out HARD CORE on said person's doorstep with the parents watching! Geez Hollywood...

However, me and Naeemah had a BLAST! And did I mention we got free snacks? Yes. Water and Toffee Popcorn. Said popcorn came in a very large bag, and was inhaled by yours truely. Before the movie started. Yeah. I have a problem.

So, if I had a bucket list, I could officially cross off "Go to a movie premier!" But I don't. Still, it is an experience I will remember for the rest of my life!

Cheers!

From ancient Londinium to the Tate Modern.... and the week of delicious noms.

So here it is, my update for the week! Classes are really cutting into my exploration time, but I still manage to get out and about! Slowly but surely, I am checking off my "London To Do List", which has 211 must-see attractions! I only hope that I will be able to check off everything AND travel Europe by June 4th....

Monday:

Just because I don't have class today doesn't mean that I sleep in! In order to get a head start I wake up at 7 and go to the gym. My motivation? That impending triathlon. And the fact that I can watch "Friends", "Gilmore Girls", and really old episodes of "Everwood". Yay for individual TVs on the treadmills!

After cleaning up, I head to "The City", the oldest part of London. This part of London used to be part of the Roman Empire, and was referred to as "Londinium". In certain areas, you can see remains of the ancient Roman wall that used to protect the city from Nordic invaders. I decided to check out two museums dedicated to the history of London while I was here- Guildhall and The Museum of London. Both are required visits for my "Museums of London" class, so besides sightseeing, I am also doing some coursework! WIN!

My first stop is Guildhall. Over the years it has been used for many important functions. Now, it houses an art museum holding the coronation portraits of some of England's royalty. The best part of the museum, however, is in the basement. While making additions to Guildhall for the art museum, the builders stumbled upon what turned out to be the remains of the Roman's Londinium Amphitheater! (Think of gladiators) Archeologists uncovered most of the remains, which are now on display for the general public!

Guildhall

Remains of the Roman Amphitheater in the basement of Guildhall...

On the way from Guildhall to The Museum of London, I came upon this ad, just outside of PRET. I. Love. This. Country.

My next stop was the Museum of London. This museum caters exclusively to London's past, present, and future. From Roman artifacts to spoils of the Great Exhibition to predictions of London's future, this museum has it all. I spent a good 3 hours here. Although interesting, it doesn't compare to the British Museum or the V&A. But I still enjoyed it!

Entrance to the Museum of London

Part of Londinium's Roman wall, located outside of the Museum of London...

Tuesday:

Today I did have class, so after the gym I went to my castle-library in order to get in some reading. After attending my lecture for "Museums of London" on Roman and Greek Art and Architecture, our class walked to the British Museum to see specific examples of these. Although I had already been to the parts of the British Museum that our professor brought us to, I still enjoyed it. Our professor really opened our eyes to the purpose of many of the artifacts. Our last stop was to the Parthenon Marbles, and we talked about Archeological Ethics. Yes, even my British Museums professor confesses that England should not be in possession of these artifacts. I say the Greeks go all James Bond on Britain's ass and steal the artifacts back!

Wednesday:

My busy day. After a very interesting lecture and discussion in "Environmental Risk", I went to my "Social Theory and the Environment" class and learned about how "wonderful" communism is. Yay. Not. However, now we only have lecture for the first hour of class. After that, a group presents on a topic relating to the lecture. And this is when I had an epiphany. Although all my British student counterparts are well read and are amazing writers, they can not present AT ALL! Apparently, they do not get much practice in presenting, and instead of coming up with interesting speeches, they put all their information on a Powerpoint Presentation and then proceed to READ OFF THE SLIDES! HA! If they did that in the US they would fail in a second! So now, I feel much better about this class.

After realizing that I still had over half of the British Museum to see after yesterday's Museums class, I walked to the BM after my classes were over. And FINISHED it! It only took me another 3 hours... 3 hours of me basically glancing at objects in cases. If you try to take in EVERY object here you would be here for years, considering that the BM has OVER 7 MILLION artifacts on display! But still, well worth the experience.

Thursday:

No classes today! I spent the morning running errands, and then met up with Caitlin. We went to the Tate Modern to see some modern art, and then ate delicious pizza, followed by a trip to a bakery that is just a minute from our flat! HOORAY! Instead of explaining some of the art, here are some pictures!

Ever wanted to know what over 100 million porcelain, hand-painted sunflower seeds look like? Well here you go!

Wow, who told the Tate Modern I was art?!?!

If this is art, then my dad owes me A LOT of money for painting walls all these years...

Andy Warhol Room!

My DELICIOUS pizza at Gourmet Pizza- grilled chicken, spinach, and mozzarella cheese. YUM!

Friday:

I took the morning to get some work done, and then after my class, I headed to a Fish and Chips joint that I heard was the best in London. And the cheapest. And a 30 second walk from my flat. A win and fail at the same time- win because the fish and chips are so close, and fail due to the fact that this place is gonna take all my money and make me obese.

What is this Fish and Chips place called, you ask? It's called Fishcotheque. Like Discotheque. Yes.

AND IT WAS DELICIOUS! I went in, ordered cod and chips, and had my food in less than a minute! The inside is decorated with old 50's era ads, and there are many old men sitting there eating with their newspapers. One thing to know is that whenever you see old men sitting in a place, it's gonna be a good place. Old men will not go somewhere that is no good. So all in all, I would definitely go back.

Saturday:

Caitlin and I decide to head to Hampton Court Palace. After getting our tickets (at quite a steal!) from a friendly ticket sales person, I purchased my breakfast- my VERY FIRST Krispy Kreme donut (Butterscotch Fudge) and a coffee. Yeah, I know Krispy Kreme is popular in the US. But whatever, I never do anything right- in Germany, my first taste of beer was at a Mexican techno bar, and my first drink was at an Irish pub. So I guess it just follows that I will have something American for the first time in the UK.

PROOF!

After a quick train ride, me and Caitlin got off at Hampton Court- the favorite palace of Henry VIII. We were able to tour the private apartments of many monarchs, AND wear court attire used in Henry's time! DRESS UP FTW! This palace is absolutely breath-taking, and the gardens are fabulous. I truely believe anyone that goes to England MUST visit this site!

Hampton Court Palace

Fountain Court inside Hampton Court Palace

Me in some of the gardens at Hampton Court

After we were done touring the palace, Caitlin and I ventured into the surrounding village. It was so quaint, and full of antique stores and cafes. We even stopped at a cafe called "Dish", where I feasted on a smoked Salmon and cream cheese sandwich with some tea!

Clever Marketing.

My lunch at "Dish"- Mint Tea with a Smoked Salmon and Creme Cheese Sandwich... my new favourite!

After bidding adieu to Hampton Court, we hopped on the train back to Waterloo, where we met Naeemah for dinner. And the vote was for Pizza Express! YAY!

Now, usually when you think "Express", you think fast food. This is not the case. Pizza Express has candlelit tables with flowers. And all the pizzas are to die for! I had the Pandera, which is pizza with a tomato base, goats cheese, caramelized onions, and spinach. Again, delicious! After inhaling my pizza, we decided that all the desserts were too good to pass up. I have never had gelato in my life, so it was here that I decided to finally have it! Enter Toffee Fudge Overload.

Toffee Fudge Overload. You guessed it- DELICIOUS!

After eating enough food for a week in one day, we called it a night.

Sunday:

Once again, this Sunday I went to St. Patrick's Church. And once again, a different priest. Seriously, back home we have to fight to keep one priest. How do they have an endless supply?!

After church I fit in a quick workout in order to compensate for all the delicious food I ate yesterday. And also because I knew I was headed to Brick Lane Market at 2- which is in the center of the Indian/Pakistani/Turkish section of The City.

Caitlin, Mark, Matt, and I headed out into London with blue skies and a brilliant sun shining overhead. We got off at the Liverpool Street Tube stop, and were confronted with the largest skyscraper in London. And by largest, I mean only. Most of the city's buildings are not that tall.

Brand new skyscraper in London

Next, we headed toward Brick Lane Market. Brick Lane is very similar to Camden Market, but on a smaller scale. Still, all the food being made here smells divine! You might go to the market on a full stomach, but within minutes you want to eat everything in sight! I passed on all the ethnic food since they are known to cook with nuts and peanut oil, and settled on a scone stand. I made the right choice. Behold, my new favorite snack:

Cheese and Herb scone, slathered in apple chutney and filled with slices of vintage cheddar, then warmed. About 2 seconds after I took this picture, the cheese melted. Glorious.

After perusing the market some more, the cold air finally got to us, so we decided to turn back and return home. Then we were greeted with this sign. Apparently, the Brits aren't as proper as we thought....

And thus ends another successful week in London! I realize these posts are getting long, so I hope to update the blog biweekly. Tune in Wednesday for some updates!

Cheers!