Hello my loves, I'm so sorry for the delay! I have been busier than you can imagine, traveling all over, hosting my mother here in London, and trying to keep up with school and life in between. I've hardly had time to breathe, but it's been wonderful. I'll try to give you a good update without writing a novel, although I easily could with all the amazing things I've seen and done in the past few weeks.
The weekend after Edinburgh, my entire program went on a planned trip to Paris. We took the train through the Chunnel to get there, then enjoyed a long weekend in the city of love. It was a fabulous trip, filled with LOTS of bread (croissants, crepes, baguettes), tons of art (Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas... all my favorites), and some wonderful times walking around with friends. We went to the Musee d'Orsay (impressionism museum) which was possibly my favorite part of the trip. Ever since a good friend pointed out to me that I love impressionism for the light, its main subject, and that this has deeply inspired my own work with photography, I have been even more passionate about this area of art. Monet is my favorite, and there is plenty of his work at d'Orsay. I was almost lost in the beauty of it all, and Sarah eventually had to drag me out of the museum or I may have moved in. We made a short trip to the Louvre, seeing the highlights, but my favorite part was the plaza with the glass pyramid and the fountains. The fusion of the modern glass juxtaposed with the ancient Louvre palace fascinated me, and I couldn't take enough pictures as the sun set in the background. We spent a day at Versailles, with the lovely gardens and the incredibly ornate palace, which made Buckingham look like a modest country home. A little too much for my taste, but lovely all the same. The Eiffel Tower was all I had hoped and more, and I was lucky enough to find time to climb up the incredible structure, although not all the way to the top - something to save for my next visit. I didn't make it out to Giverny, Monet's famous home and gardens, but again something to look forward to for next time. I was glad to head home on Sunday, having missed London quite a bit, and ready to give up the French for some easy English.
The next day, I welcomed my mother to London, and we spent the following few days seeing some London sights: Regent's Park (of course), Bloomsbury, Covent Garden, the Tower of London, and the South Bank of the Thames. On Thursday we left London behind for the third weekend in a row to fly to Roma. I immediately fell in love with the city, as I had known I would, captivated by its ancient architecture and eternal beauty. I could have spent days wandering through piazzas and eating gelato. We saw the Coliseum, the Forum, the Vatican (St. Peter's, the museum, and the Sistine Chapel), as well as Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and the Pantheon. The Coliseum was overwhelming and fascinating, the Sistine Chapel took my breath away (although it would have been better seen silently and alone instead of surrounded by hundreds of gawking tourists), the top of St. Peter's afforded magnificent views of the city, the Trevi made my heart sing and I threw two wishing coins into its waters (one for me and one for my roommate Brooke, who had requested a wish in her honor), and the Pantheon plaza offered up a great cafe and some AMAZING gelato.
For our final day in Italy, my mother and I ventured south, through Naples and Sorrento, ending up in Positano. My dream to go to Positano began years ago when I found one of my most favorite movies, Only You, a romantic comedy that tours through Venice and Rome, and ends up in the tiny beachside town of Positano. I was not disappointed. The village was quaint and welcoming, built on winding streets on huge cliffs. I bought a beautiful piece of watercolor art being sold on the sea's edge, we ate a perfect meal overlooking the water, and before we knew it, it was time to head back to Roma. After a crazy bus ride on the cliffs and a couple of trains, we ended up back at our hotel, and woke up the next morning in time to catch a flight back to London so I could take a midterm in my Monday class.
The next day, a friend and I sang in our program's variety show, performing "For Good" from Wicked. It went well and everyone seemed to like it, and it was nice to be singing again... it's been a while since I've sung either alone or in a group, and I've missed it. The rest of the week was spent eating out with my mother, getting caught up on school work, and taking our last Angie tour to the Docklands of London. On Friday we went with Angie to Oxford on a bus, and saw the beautiful college campus. From there, we went to Bleinham, a state palace where Winston Churchill was born. The palace was pretty, but the grounds were magnificent. It was sunset, so of course I was going photo crazy. I got some of my best pictures since I've been abroad, showcasing light and nature in beautiful harmony. I went home exhausted, but very satisfied with the day. Saturday was spent between Nottinghill market and Camden market. Mom, Sarah and I bought some food, some clothes, and some other goodies, but mostly just enjoyed wandering around and laughing together.
Sunday was the perfect autumn day in London. We started at Hyde Park, where we watched the crazy orators in Speaker's Corner talk about anything and everything they wanted, as its guaranteed by law that they can do so. We wandered through the park, admiring the trees of all colors and the myriad of birds in the Serpentine lake. We even found some ducks with their little duck chins high up in the air, typical of little British ducks I suppose. We walked to the Peter Pan Statue, where I again thought of Brooke and her request for me to find it as it was one thing she remembered most from her trip to London. I smiled, thinking of her standing where I was standing, peering up at the lovely little statue, and feeling the joy I was feeling on a perfect day just like this one. After a quick lunch at a lovely waterside cafe, Sarah and I impulsively decided to play in the piles of fall leaves on the lawn, which probably gained us a few stares, but yielded some fantastic photos that truly captured the happiness of the day. We then headed over the Harrod's to escape the chilly autumn air, and escape we did. I had heard about the infamous department store, and the legend that you could find ANYTHING you wanted within its walls, but I was still astounded at the incredible size and selection of the shop. The Christmas displays were already out of course, and we wandered around dumbfounded for twenty minutes, taking in all of the food, clothes, purses, candies, coffees and teas, presents, and on and on. We only got through half a floor and decided we needed to take a break at the Chocolate Bar, where we ordered two "hot chocolates" that ended up being cups of melted chocolate, spoon required. Full to the brim, we made our way out of the epic store, vowing to come back for Christmas shopping later in the semester.
The next few days were spent cooking, eating, reading, and finally saying goodbye to mum this morning. It was very sad to see her go, and I had gotten used to having her right around the corner. All of the eating out was definitely a treat, and one I will be paying for at the gym every day from now until eternity. Between chocolate creme brulee at the Hotel Russel, berry cheesecake at the Montague hotel, gelato in Italy, and chocolate heaven at Harrod's, it was a week of binging, and a great one at that. But now mommy's on a plane back to the states, and I'm left to work off the desserts and get back into the swing of things. This weekend is another trip, to Brussels and Amsterdam. Should be fun, and hopefully not too stressful. In the meantime, I'll be working out, working on school, and trying to get some rest in between. I miss you all, especially after this little taste of family, and I'm already looking forward to the Christmas holidays and beyond, although I'm definitely not ready to head home just yet. I'm slowly falling in love with London... I can feel it happening, and I'm loving every minute of it. :)
Cheers and love!
Photos: Eiffel Tower at night, Louvre fountains/pyramid, view from Eiffel, Versailles gardens, Eiffel from below, Coliseum, Positano, group at Bleinhem, Bleinhem gardens, Hyde Park
