What a week it's been!
The school week wrapped up nicely last Thursday with a class all about the blues, jazz, and the birth of rock music in England. I learned a lot about the Rolling Stones, Jimmy Hendrix, the Yardbirds, and many others. I don't know a whole lot about popular music history, so it was really interesting to hear all of the stories about these amazing artists. We even got to hear some conspiracy theories about their deaths from our professor, Justin. Needless to say, I'm loving my classes and learning all kinds of great new things.
Friday was a full day of royalty, as we traveled with our tour guide, Angie, west of the city to Windsor Castle and Hampton Court. Windsor was a huge, intimidating castle that boasted green lawns and beautiful interiors. It was incredible to stand in those halls and think about all those that had been there before. We got to see where the Queen lives when she's there (which she wasn't) as well as many staterooms that are used often by the monarchy. After taking an audio tour of the inside, we saw St. George's chapel, a place I had been anticipating for a long time. As soon as I walked in the building, I was taken aback by the scent. It took me a few minutes walking around the beautiful chapel to realize why it smelled so familiar. The smell reminded me of Christmas - and I realized it was because it smelled like the old south campus of my church, with its old wood and high stone ceilings. I only go to this branch of my church for midnight mass on Christmas with my mother, so the smell took me back to the holidays and made me feel very much at home. It was very comforting and made me so happy! Finally, at the very back of the church, I found what I'd been looking for: the tomb of Henry VIII and his favorite wife, Jane Seymour. My fascination with the Tudors was only heightened as I stood above the floor plaque that marked his burial place.
The overwhelming presence of such great history only continued at Hampton Court, the palace built for Cardinal Wolsey but lived in mostly by Henry VIII. It is a beautiful brick palace, and while its interior is not as epically beautiful as that of Windsor, the surrounding grounds more than make up for it. We took a quick tour through the older half of the palace, guided by Angie, and picked up a lot of stragglers as we went, eager to hear Angie's fascinating stories about the Tudor family. We even got to see a man dressed as Henry VIII walking around! I took another moment to think about all of the historical people who had walked these halls, then our group went outside to explore the gardens. This was where I found my happy place. The gardens themselves were beautiful, but a little too finely manicured for my tastes. However, we soon wandered over to the edge of the deer park, where the giant trees and leaf-covered grass made me think of autumn in the midwest. It was a wonderful feeling, made even better by the hedge maze we found ourselves horribly lost in. We finally made our way out, then got on our bus to head back to London.
That night we went to a nearby bar called The Rocket, which attracts many local university students and was a lot of fun. The next morning we woke up and went to the Portobello Road Market at Notting Hill. It was crazy! There were all kinds of stands, from antiques, to silverware, to clothes, to food. I bought some fresh veggies, a Breakfast at Tiffany's poster, a new bag and a £5 dress. Once home, I took a short nap, then went with some friends to Covent Garden to get some cookies at a little bakery. We then went home to get ready for the main event of the night. We left the flat around 10pm, then went to a pub in Soho, and finally made our way over to Sports Cafe in Picadilly to watch the "Collision in Columbus": USC vs. OSU. We met up with a bunch of USC alumni, and set up to watch the game in our own private room with a nice big tv. I found a front row seat, and met some friendly Buckeye Brits. It was really nice to hang out with some Buckeyes, even if we weren't cheering for the same team. I mean, of course I was cheering a bit for the Bucks on the inside, but I was dressed in USC gear and supporting my alma mater all night. We shared stories of high street, Upper Arlington, and even chocolate buckeyes (which they call chestnuts over here), but when the game came on we were separated by the competition. And what a game it was! Both teams fought hard and played well, but the Trojans took it home in the end. I was a proud Trojan and a sad Buckeye that night, but at least I got to see the game all the way over here, and I met some very nice people in the process.
Us London Trojans didn't get home until 5:30am, having watched the game live, so it was rough waking up at noon to go to the Fulham vs. Everton football (soccer) match. But it was a lot of fun, and Fulham won in an exciting finish. After the game, I went straight to the River Thames Festival, which is an annual event put on by the Mayor of London. It was a great festival, with lots of street vendors, art, music, and good food. I got some paella and bought a couple of souvenirs: a hand-pressed t-shirt with multicolored birds (I love birds, which was ironically the name of the artist selling the shirts) and a glass panel with tiny pressed flowers inside spelling out "PEACE" in different colors. It was a great night that finished up with a bunch of us on the Hungerford bridge watching an incredible fireworks show. The bursts of light bounced off the River Thames and lit up the red buses driving slowly across the London bridge. It was the perfect end to a perfect weekend.
Still having a great time here in London, and filling in every single minute with amazing memories! This weekend should be a little slower paced, but just as full. The weather's getting chillier by the day, so I'm trying to fit in all the outdoor things I can before that famous London cold sets in for good. Tomorrow we'll be touring the infamous Buckingham Palace, and this weekend is Open House - where many of London's most famous buildings are open to the public for free. I plan to take full advantage of the event, and maybe even fit in a market and a trip to the nearby Kew botanical gardens. I'm sure I'll have a lot to report then, so I'll try to keep you posted!
Love!
Photos: Football (soccer) match, Hampton Palace, Windsor Castle, the group and the London Eye (all lit up!) at the Thames River Festival, fighting on for the Trojans!
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