The GLOBE is Round... not Flat!

Well, what would a trip to London be without a trip to the birthplace of theatre… well almost, not quite…we didn’t get to see Shakespeare’s birth house, but something similar, the GLOBE THEATRE. It was quite an experience let me tell you… mainly the trip to the Globe was quite the interesting one. Ok, so I know how to get to the tube stop, London Bridge, but after that nothing really. Well turns out there is this fabulous outdoor market (Borough Market) that Katie and I fell in love with. Before we left I decided to pack us a small picnic lunch (me just trying to be a romantic, problem was that I didn’t quite think it through and so I just made some sandwiches, took some bags of crisps and some water and an apple, I called it a lunch). I did this not knowing full well that there was this gynormous food eatery that smelled so good with fresh veggies, meats, cheeses, alcohol, and dessert. As we walked by each stand we could smell the delicious food being cooked or chopped up for people to taste. There of course was the homemade pasta stand, which looked incredible, and as my journey comes to a close I might have to indulge a bit and pay for some, there was the cured meats that smelled fantastic and tasted even better, and of course the random farm-grown veggies that looked very healthy and ready to eat. We briefly walked through the maze of food wanting to eat everything in sight, but we had a mission and that was to see the Globe.


After some brief twists and turns through some alleys, we found ourselves on the right path towards the water and eventually the Globe Theatre. I found the box office entrance and was desperately looking for the entrance to purchase tickets for the exhibit and the tour, but I couldn’t for the life of me find my way. Needless to say Katie knew exactly where it was and didn’t bother to tell me until I found it myself 10 minutes later. We purchased our tickets and walked through the exhibit waiting for the next tour to begin. It was a lovely exhibit showing the whole spectrum of Shakespeare’s works from costumes to stage combat to reciting versus to a giant timeline of when each play was written. At 1 o’clock we heard the bell sound and we gathered by the huge tree in the middle of the exhibit and from there on the tour of the theatre. Let me just tell you that it was huge. The stage came up to my shoulder so let’s say that over five feet tall. The Globe is the only thatched room building in London and will remain that way because thatching is illegal (mainly because of the fires it can start). Just being in a historic place like that was truly something special and the wooden stage, yes it is all made of wood, was detailed to perfection and simply gorgeous. I couldn’t help but to be in awe and we even caught a nice day to go. I had to go back and see a show so I proceeded to buy a ticket to see Othello in May when their outdoor season opens. I am really excited to be a part of the history and experience something like this first hand.


When we concluded with our trip to the Globe we sat outside near the millennium bridge and ate lunch by the water. Still hungry and searching for some sweets we ventured off back to Borough Market in search of some good eats. What we found was Fish and Chips with extra salt and vinegar, and Katie bought a flapjack (kind of a granola brownie of sorts… very good). Might I say the Fish and Chips was served in a cardboard box using wooden cutlery… very authentic and very good. After our brief indulgence we needed to get a move on because we had to catch a 4 o’clock matinee of Chicago (which I might add was eh… it was ok). Anyway the trip to the bus was equally exciting as many of our other trips but we managed to make it in time to see the show and even walk around Covent Garden a bit. All in all in was a fantastic day that sparked some very good surprises and some lovely company. I can’t believe she has to leave so soon.

One day more!

An Idiots Guide to Dining in Fancy Restaurants

Day 4 - Tuesday 13 March - Today, Davey went to class (yay!) and when he returned we decided to head over to the Tower of London to learn about the Bloody Tower, the Crown Jewels, and the Beefeaters. First of all, the tower isn't really a tower. It's more like a huge castle with a bunch of little towers strewn about it. Second of all, despite all of the awful things that happened inside, the place is beautiful, and the sun and green grass just added to it's elegance. Third of all, we missed seeing Prince Charles by about half a day. According to our tour guide, he had visited earlier in the afternoon, thus prompting all of the beefeaters to dress in the dress uniform complete with red coat and pants (yes, we missed the red coats yet again). However, when we got there they had all already changed back into the daily (and more economic) uniform of black coats and pants. Despite this, our tour was wonderful. We got to learn a little British history as well as hear some amazingly corny jokes, which I won't torture you with. In addition to the splendor of the Tower, we also got to see some great views of the Tower Bridge, which I must say should just become the London bridge because it's really what everyone is talking about instead of the actual London bridge. I tried to include some of the pictures that we took during the day so you can see just how pretty it is.

After exiting the Tower upon its closure, we headed home and ate a very quick dinner in order to rush down to Victoria Station to try and get tickets for Billy Elliot. We did get tickets and sat at the very front of the upper level (safely contained behind a safety rail) to see the show. It is easily one of my favorites. Being an absolute sucker for any dance show, I immediately fell in love with Billy and literally sat on the edge of my seat watching him learn to tap and pirouette. Billy was not the only amazing part of the show though. Literally every member of the company danced from the woman playing the grandmother to the overweight miner. This is definitely worth seeing if you have a chance.

Day 5 - Wednesday 14 March - Day trip!!! It is my understanding that it's just not right to visit London and never see some of the other sights of England. Because of this, Davey and I decided to visit Bath for the day to see the Roman Baths and a different side of England. We took the tube to Paddington station (where we still cannot find Paddington) and boarded a train to Bath. It was definitely a great way to see the countryside and the less well-known side of England. We got to Bath around lunch time and proceeded to walk around, taking in the scenery. We soon came upon the actual baths and noted the huge tour groups (and Trident protesters) outside. So we went into the local abbey to waste some time and were treated to a choir from Memphis as we walked around. After our lap around the church we went back to the baths and paid our entrance fee to tour the building. I was actually very disappointed. I guess I expected more authentic ruins rather than exhibits and recreations. There were a few baths still intact and it was wonderful to see them as well as the various statues throughout. However, I think I could have lasted without the venture. While in Bath we also got to see our friend David who is studying abroad there and he showed us around the Circus and the Royal Crescent complete with commentary on the architecture and the history. While walking, we also found a great mini-golf course and green. However, we didn't have quite enough time to fit a round in because we had to get back to London for dinner reservations.

Davey took me to a Gordon Ramsey (of Hell's Kitchen fame) restaurant for dinner. The food was amazing! Both of us felt quite out of place in the restaurant, but enjoyed it immensly (especially the box of truffles that we were given to take him in place of a mint).

The meal also prompted us to create our own idiots guide to dining in fancy restaurants. It is as follows:
1. When ordering food point to what you want on the menu. Do not attempt to pronounce the actual dish. You will only be corrected. If you feel that you must say something, say the easiest part of the dish (ie, beef, sea bass, lobster bisque).
2. If asking the waiter a question, smile and nod as he answers you so that you appear to understand what he just said.
3. When given choices, ask the waiter for his personal preference. Say "that sounds great" and you will have that. You'll figure out what it is when the plate arrives in front of you.
4. Try whatever is put in front of you (unless you actually know what it is and know you will not like it). It usually turns out to be pretty good.
5. At the Savoy Grill the amuse bouche before the meal and the pre-dessert are wonderful.

A New Set of Eyes

This blog has been taken over by an intruder. Ok, maybe I'm not really an intruder, but it sounded cooler than "guest." Since I think that this blog needs to be updated, I've decided that while Davey is at class I will do my part to update on what has happened during at least the past few days, or since I came to London. Let me start by stating that it's a great thing that Davey and I have cars in the states because the combination of us and public transportation does not seem to be a good thing.

Day 1 - Saturday 10 March - Davey met me at Heathrow airport when my flight got in on Saturday morning. (The flight was wonderful, there were no mishaps with customs, and as soon as I walked up to the baggage conveyor my bags went by). We took the underground to Green Park where we were supposed to change lines to get to the flat. However, as we were walking through the station and announcement came on over the loudspeaker informing us that there was an emergency in the station and we had to evacuate as quickly as possible (somehow it sounded a lot less threatening in a British accent). This meant that Davey and I were left to carry my luggage (all 100lbs total) up more than 15 flights of stairs to get to the street level. Fun. When we finally saw the sunshine (yes, the sun was actually shining) we took a taxi to the dorms and unpacked. Needing to get some groceries, we went out to explore and go to Morrison's, the local grocery store. Davey and I got on a bus that was supposed to drop us off directly at the store and got off when it shut down at one of the next stops, only to get on another bus that took us a little closer to the store before reaching the end of the line. We were now in Camden, which is one of the most popular markets in London and is home to many small stores, street vendors, and the like. Davey and I walked through, stopping at a few places just to browse and finally made it to the grocery store where we wandered up and down the aisles in search of dinner and lunch for the week. After purchasing what will doubtfully last a week, we boarded yet another bus which thankfully took us all the way back to the dorms. Not having the energy to even think about cooking, we left yet again and walked to James street where we found an amazing Spanish Tapas restaurant where we had some delicious food and even more delicious sangria. We then came home and promptly crashed, having spent most of the day walking around.

Day 2 - Sunday 11 March - Daylight savings time did not effect the time in London (creating a 4 hour difference between here and the states). Today was sightseeing day! We started off by taking the tube to Green Park (uneventful ride...sorry) and walking through a very lovely park towards the palace. We arrived just in time to hear the band march in. After about half an hour the some of the guards marched out. After another half an hour and the band playing some of John Williams' greatest hits (Theme for Indiana Jones, Theme for Star Wars, Olympic Fanfare and Theme) as well as the Theme for Mission Impossible as well as some more traditional marching music, more guards walked out. We were then treated to seeing the band march out of the gates in their lovely grey coats and bearskin hats (sorry folks, no red coats today). When the ceremony was finished, Davey and I walked through St. James park towards the London eye and the Westminster Abbey where we were meeting Sonya for lunch. We went to a small pub near the Westminster tube station and drank some beer and had a fanstastic lunch while we caught up and tried to figure out where the best places to visit would be. After lunch we walked to Trafalgar square and around Westminster, Piccadilly Circus, and Covent Garden, checking out LSE where Sonya is going to school. After she left to finish writing essays, Davey and I continued on towards the London eye, soon getting on a tube because we couldn't walk any further. We finally made it to the eye where we bought tickets and took a ride, launching us high above London where we could see the vast landscape of the city. When we were finished we walked by the street performers to the underground station where we went home. Below are some views from the eye.

Day 3 - Monday 12 March - Another day to sightsee, this time in the more populated and commercial portions of London. We started the day off in Portabello Market where we walked by all of the produce vendors debating whether or not we should get anything to snack on. Needless to say, we ended up getting nothing. We soon found our way to Notting Hill which was somewhat uneventful because trying to explain to Davey the relevance on the location to the movie was far too draining. We then decided to make our way to Knightsbridge to see the commercial and expensive designer side of London. We boarded a bus and got the coveted seats on the upper level in the front and off we went. After about 15 minutes we began to question whether or not we were going on the right direction. After 30 we were pretty sure that we weren't where we wanted to be and after 45 the bus pulled into a garage and we tried to get off slyly so the driver wouldn't know how stupid we were. Despite going completely in the wrong direction, the ride was amazing and we got to see some very cute residential homes and little towns. After finally getting on the correct bus we went to Knightsbridge (which was about 15 minutes away from where we actually got on the bus) and toured around. We took the customary trip through Harrods to see everything we will never be able to afford and had lunch at a sushi restaurant. We then walked through the city streets until it was dark and came back to the flat for dinner.

Overall, it was a nice few days despite the snafus that we hit along the way. Hopefully the rest of the week will be just as fun.

Equus - Or Naked Harry Potter, whichever

Well what else is there really to say, besides I was absolutely, 100% blown out of my seat by the incredible display of acting that I saw below me. Yes I said below because I was only really able to afford upper-circle seats on the side because this show didn’t offer student discounts. I am not bitter or anything like that…anyway, put aside the 5-7 minutes where Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is actually naked (it wasn’t that big of a deal, the girl with him was nude too) it was a great production that moved quite nicely and had a touching element of excitement and anticipation. I must give Mr. Radcliffe his proper applause, because he was fantastic. His performance of a role that isn’t easy to convey by any means was very well done and personable. I actually felt like it was his story being told. The play came to life and was brilliantly done with a very minimal set. Consisting of a colour scheme of black and white and grey the stage was a rounded platform slightly raised in the center. The added elements of the columns acting as stable doors really opened the set and brought about a new place in this simplistic area. Overall it was just a great show that was really well done and I hope that they bring it to the states so that you all can experience what I did. It was well worth it and I would suggest the production to anyone… don’t go just to see the boy naked (although most girls do, as per example by the mass quantity of teenagers waiting by the stage door for the boy wonder to come out) regardless, go for the theatre experience, it is different and the story brings to life a creepy boy’s obsession and the lives it hurts and the story behind it all. Go see it. You won’t regret it. Promises… Until soon

A Shrewish Night of Laughs

Let me just say a little something about London theatre… very accessible and very entertaining. That’s right, I said it! I recently went to go see two productions of some classic Shakespeare at the Old Vic Theatre (pop quiz: who is the artistic director there? All those who answered Kevin Spacey are correct; all those who just read on and thought that was their answer shame on you). I saw an all male version of Taming of the Shrew and 12th Night both of which were in rep with one another for a month at the Old Vic.

I thoroughly enjoyed both productions. When I first say the ads and heard some of my classmates discussing the production of 12th Night I decided I needed to go and see for myself. There wasn’t a huge focus on the feminism (men dressing up as women) that I thought might be the case. In fact it was quite clear when the actor playing Kate wore a dress that bared a hairy chest that there wasn’t any special consideration to the female roles. The company that did both pieces was extremely talented and well diverse. There were Irish actors, Scottish actors and British actors all in the same company. And I must say that hearing Shakespeare done with those accents makes it sound very authentic. What I really liked about the productions (and what seems to be the case now on Broadway more and more) is the addition of talented actors who can play instruments. EVERY SINGLE ACTOR played the piano at some point, or the guitar or something that added the extra element of music to these productions. In fact it truly enhanced the experience for me as an audience member and really helped further the story along more smoothly. On the plus side the added interludes (especially in 12th Night) of A Capella, really solidified my amazement that not only are these all guys, but guys who can sing, play instruments, and who are very good actors. I only wonder what the audition process was like.

I was lucky enough to see the productions before they closed, but if anyone ever gets a chance to see “true” Shakespeare (all-male companies), I suggest take a gamble and try it out… you may enjoy it.

Next stop March 1st tickets to go see Equus (with Daniel Radcliffe)… This should be interesting

Guards in Grey Coats? That's Not Right...

Ok… so I haven’t blogged in a while, but I haven’t been doing too much to blog about. These past couple of weeks have been quite hectic for me in terms of schoolwork and having my first assignment due… AHH! Well fine, I know it was only a “book report” about certain James Bond novels for my intelligence class, which is awesome by the way, but the books still had to be read and thoroughly analyzed.



I got up early this morning in hopes of trying to become a tourist once again in London. I headed down to Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guard as well as take pictures of the pristine palace. Unfortunately I forgot where I was and the weather that goes along with the place in which I am residing and it proceeded to threaten to rain. I mean really threaten to rain and the weather did come through with its threat. Because of the inclement weather there was no changing ceremony today only the procession of Horse Guards. For those of you playing the home game, here is brief description about what the changing of the guard is. According to TIME OUT: London … the changing of the guard is a regiment of Foot Guards (scarlet coats and bearskin hats) lines up in the forecourt of Wellington Barracks from 10:45am; at 11:27am the soldiers march to Buckingham Palace to relieve the sentries in the forecourt.



I only got to see the sentries, because the real guards are afraid of a little water. Nevertheless, I shall return and get what I came for. It wasn’t a wasted trip though; I got to experience Green Park and the locals and even got to take some quality shots of the palace. Hopefully the weather will change, but then again it’s London, so anything is really possible.



I shall see the queen… soonish

The Land Of Canterbury & A Train Ride Through the Country

The Land of Canterbury and some tales on train… At least that is what was explained to us before we embarked on our journey outside of the city to the small town of Canterbury to see the famed Cathedral where St. Thomas was murdered and where all the inspiration for Chaucer’s tales came from.

We all meet at Charing Cross station to hop onto the DLR train outside of the city. Man did it feel good to actually see those rolling hills and green pastures and those classic houses all in a row with the dancing chimney sweeps (like in Mary Poppins). Ok maybe not the chimney sweeps, Matt and I came to the conclusion that they had the day off and said chimney sweeps don’t come out until Sunday mornings, not Saturday mornings. Well anyway, we boarded the train all paid for (thanks to Skidmore College… I am glad the 42K a year is paying off some dividends… I kid, I love Skidmore), and we embarked on our journey to the land of tales and a really famous church. Remember how I said before that I was really tired of going to see all the churches for awhile… well I guess this could be the one exception to the rule. The train ride was a blast, just being able to get away and see another side of London that isn’t normally seen was very good for all of us I think. There is one thing to constantly hear sirens going off and honking horns and then there is the sound of birds chirping and clear skies and horses and sheep grazing It’s London at its finest.


This is the entrance to the small town

First of all taking a trip with Matt, Mike, and Jonathan is quite hilarious to begin with, but spending the whole day was quite the treat. The laughs, the cappuccino from the trolley as well as a Strongbow (hard cider) at 11:15am, and the lunch at a small café was just more than expected and fun. We made good time and arrived around 12:30pm and had a couple of hours to explore the historic town before our tour of the Cathedral at 2. We walked around for a bit stopping in at various shops and such and finally settling on place to eat where they had a lunch special... Any pizza or pasta dish and a glass of wine or beer for 6.50 GBP. Not bad. It was perfect for what we wanted. Not the best Italian food, but very quaint little café that seemed to be quite popular with the locals. So why not?

We joined up with the rest of the group and began the tour. Man is the cathedral big and massive. Luckily we had a nice sunny day so the stained glass windows really showed off their exquisite nature. Our tour guide took us all over the Cathedral and really honed in on the fact that this was the Cathedral in which St. Thomas was order ed to be killed by Henry II for speaking out against the crown. Then his tomb that was beloved by all, had its remains removed and burned by Henry VIII. It was quite fascinating to see the many different levels of the church as well as the history behind it. The tour guide seemed a little timid, but very fact oriented and lots of pictures were taken by all.


Canterbury Cathedral courtyard

After the tour we were able to explore for a little while longer. Granted the town isn’t that big, but we stopped into this homemade fudge shop that was absolutely to die for. It just melted in your mouth. We were all debating whether or not to buy some, but we wanted to be good and not spend too much while we were here. We boarded the train and headed back tired, educated and full. The train ride at night made it harder to see outside, but coming past the London Eye at night was definitely a site to see all lit up and decorated.

There are just so many different aspects of England that you really can’t find unless you actively look for them. I can’t wait to see what other new adventures this trip brings.

Until I blob again…