Scotland!

Wednesday Evening: Ok, so we went to Hampton Court Wednesday and we left that night for Scotland. We had a bus at 11:30 pm to catch so Amy and I left at 10. We were making good time until we realized that we got on the wrong train. Once we realized that we just sat on that train and just laughed sooo hard. But then reality hit that we could actually miss our bus and then we got panicked. So we finally got on the right train and to the right station with 15 min to spare, but we had to find the bus station. We were told that it was just across the street from the tube station – yeah right! So we were running around frantically, asking people which way the coach station was. It ended up being 3 blocks away from the station. So we RAAANNN to the station and barely made the bus. BARELY. Looking back it was hilarious. The bus ride was awful. We were on that tiny thing for 9 hours – barely slept at all. We got into Edinburgh at about 8:30 am.

Thursday: Once we got off the bus all of us girls piled into the bathroom. In this public bathroom there were girls striping down in the open space changing into pants, brushing teeth, putting makeup on, brushing teeth – it was hilarious! So we first went to the hostel to get everybody settled in and then headed up to Edinburgh Castle. The wind was amazing and annoying at the same time. I had never experiences such strong wind – like, it literally was blowing me down the mountain! It was really hard to stand up straight. So we got into the castle and eh, it was ok. The cool part was its location. It was built on top of this huge volcanic rock and was just beautifully constructed on the outside. It was very gothic and something that I totally would picture Celtic Scotland to be. The inside the castle was sparse in cool stuff. However, we did get to see the Stone of Scone and the Crown Jewels. The story behind the Stone of Scone is that in the early period of Scotland’s history, a Scottish king was crowned by sitting on this stone, so it represented power. When Edward I of England came and conquered Scotland, he took the stone back with him as a humiliation to Scotland and placed it under the coronation chair at Westminster. The stone remained there until 1951 when the Queen decided to return it to Scotland and now it sits in the castle. So after the castle we just walked around a bit and then Amy and I met up with Freak and her friend Brooke for lunch. We were walking down The Royal Mile and Parliament is at the total opposite end of the castle so we had a ways to walk. But as we get towards the end Freak sees me and just comes running to me and she’s crying. So it was really good to see her. We had at this place called “The Tun” and Amy and I had THE BEST BURGER I have ever had! It was amazing. So Freak and Brooke had to go back to work so she gave me her key, gave me some ideas of this to see until they got off work and we separated. And what did Amy and I choose to do with our free time??? SLEEP! We went back to her place and slept from 2 -5! Ha, but we felt good about it. I am never able to take naps so for me to fall asleep for 3 hours in the middle of the day says something about how exhausted we were. So Em got home and we went out on the town, got Subway for dinner and then we actually went to Institute with them. On the way there some Scottish guys asked us if we were from America and then we started talking about music, like Kelly Clarkson, Kanye West, Incubus. Institute was cool. I’ve really experienced the church differently since I’ve been over here, yet the doctrine remains the same and I’ve learned that it can still be boring even if you’re in a foreign country. But the people there were really nice. We came home and Freak made us some chocolate chip cookies and we listened to music.

Friday: THE BEST DAY OF THE TRIP! Amy and I left the apartment at 7 to go on the bus tour. I wasn’t really that excited to go but Mom kinda forced me to sign up on the trip and I’m so glad she did! It was totally worth it! Man! Ok, so our tour guides name was Bill and he ran “The Heart of Scotland” tour. He was THE BEST tour guide ever! He was just charming, had a thick accent, knew the history, I mean, I don’t know how else to describe him except for wonderful! And he had such a passion for his country, which I think totally made me excited. You could tell that he WANTED to be doing this tour. So we started off in Edinburgh and made our way down to Stirling. The great thing about Bill is that he gives a history behind something and then when he finishes we would come up to what he was talking about so we already had a visual. So Stirling was cool because it was a battle between the English and William Wallace. Then we just kept going up the highlands. We passed by a couple lochs and just went into the mountains. The terrain reminded me a lot of Utah actually, except the shrubbery was different. We briefly passed by the “Castle Anthrax” from Monty Python. It was in the weirdest place – it was in the middle of a small river. We stopped off for breakfast at this little café where Amy and I got Scottish pancakes and got a pic with Hamish the Coo. We continued on and Bill told stories about William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, MacDonald family vs. Campbell family, etc. So we got to Loch Ness around 12:30. It was really cool but quite. It was picturesque but just a calm ordinary lake. There wasn’t even any gift shops sporting Loch Ness creatures or anything. So after we left Loch Ness we drove for about 10 min and then our tire went out. We sat on the side of the road for 3 hours until a replacement bus came and got us. Although it was long and kinda boring Amy and I had a lot of in depth talks. We talked about space, yes space, and how we want to be astronauts. We talked about everything really. We got back around 10 and Freak was at Parliament writing a paper so we just chilled til she got home. On the way back to Freak’s house we were walking across the bridge and we ran into some Elders! It was soo cool! It totally made my night. I mean here we were just BYU students walking around Scotland and then there are these 2 elders who are preaching the gospel here and I just thought how cool was that? So we got back to Freaks and we just stayed up til 1 and just talked. It was good to be with Freak again. I miss being with her at bedtime.

Saturday: We slept in! Our day didn’t get started until about 10. Me, Amy, Brooke and Em just walked around Edinburgh. We had lunch at a pub and I got a spicy chicken wrap and it was spicy! Then we just went into Scottish shops and bought stuff. I just got a cool Celtic looking journal and a headband. Then we got a fried Mars Bar!! It tasted just like a nutella crepe actually, but it was cool to say that I had one. Then we sadly left on a bus. It was sad to say bye to Freak but I’m sure I’ll see her soon! So we got on an hour plane, train home and we got in about 7:30. It was sooo good to see all my roommates again! I just realized how much I missed them. I have thought so much about how great it is to be influenced by people.

I havent updated in a long time...

Well, i haven't updated this in a while. I get frustrated when I dont write frequently because then i forget stuff and I lose my enthusiasm for describing all the stuff that I've seen. So last week we went to Windsor Castle. It was really pretty (I say that about everything). My most favorite part of the castle was the armory i think. They had all kinds of guns, swords, armor and stuff that just planted on the walls. They also had a HUGE doll house that I think (i'm going to get this wrong, i get all the English names mixed up) Mary gave to her sister Victoria?? But it was a replica of the Palace and it had working electricity and plumbing and everything. The outside town of Windsor was quaint. We got milkshakes at Mod's. We also went to Runnymede, which is the field where King John signed the Magna Carta. It was really muddy.

Today we went to Hampton Court. I wasn't in the mood to go but I was surprised. The story behind Hampton is that it was built by Henry VIII's chancellor, General Wolsey. They were really good friends and the king gave him a lot of power so he decided to build himself a palace. However, when Henry wanted to divorce his wife and Wolsey didnt support him, the king banished him from Hampton and Henry VIII took over his homestead. Hampton is probably my most second favorite palace that i have been to with Versailles coming in first. Hampton stood out for a couple reasons. The first was that it was red brick, where all the other ones have been a white wash stone. The staircases and floors were wooden and very creaky. It was really cool to be stepping on the original stairs, thinking that kings and queens have walked in this very corridor or room. ALl the other palaces have given off an immensely gaudy feeling, but Hampton was more modest. The ceilings were extremely vaulted, but they weren't crested with gold and huge chandeliers and paintings. It was nice for a change. It was more "eastcoast" feelings with huge windows, dark wood and huge fireplaces. We got to tour the wine cellar and kitchen, which is something that we havent been able to do in past tours. The grounds of Hampton were GORGEOUS! It was really foggy today when we went and ridiculously cold but it was still enjoyable. There was a hedge maze which was cool to go through, but we got cold real fast so we left early and headed home, planning on coming back in April for the blooming of all the flowers.

Well, i'm leaving tonight for Scotland! I'll be gone til Saturday so more updates to come! Yay!

This past week has been the most amazing week of my life. Monday wasn’t that eventful. Tuesday was boring because I class all day but at night we had “Soulja Boy” night. We all got dressed up gangsta and went down into the classroom and projected the Soulja Boy music video on the screen and learned the dance. It was so awesome! Wednesday we had our day trip to Oxford. It was beautiful! I was like a countryside village. I first walked around with Professor Talbot as he walked around the school, explaining the educational system to us. Apparently, Oxford is a university broken down into different colleges, like at BYU I am in the Home, Family and Social Sciences college. Bu when applying to Oxford, you don’t apply to the university, but you apply to your certain college. Each college has its own building, dining hall and dormitories. We walked around all of them, and they were gorgeous. Those buildings have been around since the 1300’s, maybe earlier. C.S. Lewis taught at one of the colleges. At the Christ’s Church college is where they filmed Harry Potter, so we walked around the Great Hall there. We just strolled around the city, went to a covered market where we went to “ShakeAway,” the best little hot chocolate/,milkshake store I had ever been to. I got a peanut butter hot chocolate.

Thursday I didn’t have class so Emily and I went down to Leicester Square and got Wicked tickets! So Thursday night we saw WICKED and afterward we met the cast! Friday was probably the best day by far! We went to Hampstead Heath, a residential area outside of London where a lot of stars like apparently. We just strolled through the park, which was fun and I bought a book at a little bookshop. BUT, the best part was that night. We were all sitting around (Kristen, Brittney, Amy, Emily and I) and Kristen told us that we should go stalk down Ewan McGregor after his performance tonight. He’s in the play “Othello” right now. So we decided earlier on that we were going to go, but when the time came Amy and I were too tired so we almost backed out. But we decided to go down to Covent Garden and we waited out by the stage door for half an hour. It was so funny because we were all so excited and Brittney and Emily were too nervous so they kept walking around. Emily kept freaking out that the cops were going to come because we were “loitering” and then Brittney pulled on the door of a store and Emily said the cops were coming then because the alarm was going off, even though it wasn’t! But finally after ½ an hour the door opens and Othello comes out. 5 min later – EWAN MCGREGOR! Kristen just ran up and asked him for an autograph. I asked him for a picture and BAM – there it is! That’s how we do it! It was the best night of my life! I love my roommates so much! I love spending time with them all because we’re all so different so it’s never boring.

Oxford and Wicked!

This week has probably been the best week since I've been here! Everyday has just been packed with stuff to do. Tuesday I had class all day but at night all of us girls dressed up "gangster" and learned the dance to the "Soulja Boy" music video and then went out on the town dressed up. It was incredibly fun to see all these white mormon girls try to be thug. Wednesday was amazing. We took a day trip to Oxford. The town was so quaint and really Medieval. Oxford University has been around since 1600's I believe. C.S. Lewis taught at one of the colleges at Oxford so we went into that building. We went into Christ's Church college where Harry Potter was filmed! The great dining hall is where the movie was filmed. We visited the Baby and Bird pub, where C.S. Lewis and JR Tolkien met and discussed their scripts for Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings. We traveled down a Medieval pathway around the back of the city and went into some Botanical gardens. It was incredible!

Yesterday I didnt do much during the day but at night Brittney, Amy, Emily and I went and saw "Wicked!" I had already seen it before, but none of them had so that made it double exciting because I was so excited for them to see it! And it was amazing! Overall, I think i liked the LA performance better, but I think that's because I saw that one first. But I did like some of the characters better in this one. We waited after the play at the Stage Door for the actors/actressed to come out and we got pictures with Elphaba and Fiarro! Today we're going to Hampstead where famous people like Jude Law, Brad Pitt, Kate Winslet and other people live! And we're going to Abbey Road. I'm trying to get tickets tonight to see "Othello" because Ewan McGregor is the lead!

Paris!!!

Ok, so i just got back less than 12 hours ago from Paris!! Wow, that city lived up to my expectations and more! Here's a run down of what we did each day:

MONDAY:
We left London around 9 and got to Paris at 12:30. The time difference is an hour ahead so it really only took us 2 1/2 hours to get there and we took the Chunnel (an underground train that goes under the English Channel). Upon arriving we had to get on the tube (subway) and get ourselves to the hotel. Now, by this time I had become an expert in the London tube system, but Paris ran a whole different tube and so it took a little while to figure out but we got there! We all met up at our hotel "Etap," which was in the ghetto. There were 3 people to a room and the beds were hard as rocks, but it was better than staying in a hostel. So once we dropped all our stuff off it ended up being around 2:30, so the day was almost done. So we picked up our backpacks and headed out for the day. So there were 11 of us girls all together in this group. Advice: never travel in such a big group. There's usually only 1 or 2 people that are navigating around and the rest are just followers and it just gets really annoying to have to babysit other people. Nevertheless, it was a fun first day. We first went to Montmartre area where Sacre Coeur is. You would recognize it if you saw pictures. It's this huge cathedral on top of the hill that overlooks the city and there are a thousand stairs that lead up to it. We got there mid-afternoon so the sun was just setting and it was green outside and the birds were chirping - it was beautiful. On the steps of the cathedral there were some Jamaican guys that were calling out to us "Miss American" girls and they made us bracelets. We hadn't pulled out any Euros yet so we couldnt pay them so they gave them to us for free. Behind the cathedral is where all the artists do their paintings on canvas, which are really expensive. After Sacre Coeur we went to Moulin Rouge - a disappointment. It was nothing like the movie. Right when you get off the tube stop it's right there and it's nothing spectacular. Then we went to the Eiffel Tower and WOW - that was more than I was hoping for! It was fabulous, breathtaking. We had dinner at a crepe place and when we came out the tower was all lit up and it was just stunning.

TUESDAY:
We first went to Saint Chappelle's but it was under construction so we could only tour the nave. Then we went to Notre Dame. I couldnt believe I was actually standing outside the famous Notre Dame that I have studied in so many of my history and humanities classes. There it was! The inside was stone and not that cool, but the outside was the most elaborate thing that I have ever seen! The detail and architecture of the edifice was remarkable. We stood in line to get up to the towers and got more crepes while we were waiting (there are crepe stands EVERYWHERE, but Dad's are still better). There were 2 flight of stairs that took 10 min to get up. My thighs were burning. The first flight took us up to the top of the cathedral and the next set took us up to the top of the bell tower and we got to see the bell. What amazed me was the gargoyles on top and the intricate design of the roof. Nothing on the building was left undone. Everything was decorated. The view was amazing as well. After the cathedral we had lunch outside Notre Dame. We all packed baguettes and cheese (A french favorite) and then headed to the catacombs, which sadly were closed. So we next made our way to the "Latin Quarter" area where we entered the Pantheon (there's one in France and another in Rome). That building was miraculous. Inside were the tombs of Marie Curie, Victor Hugo, Dumas and more but I can't remember. We ate at a pastry stop before continuing on to Lafayette Galleria, the biggest department stop I have ever seen that carries nothing but designer clothing.

WEDNESDAY:
We went to the Arche de Triomphe Wednesday morning. It's a huge arche that Napoleon built after he won the battle of Austerlitz. It's in the middle of an 12 lane intersection, which made it the most chaotic intersection I had ever seen. There's a tunnel that leads to it underground. At the arch is the tomb of the unknown soldier where a candle is always burning. We climbed the top of the arch as well. We ate lunch at a cafe before continuing our walk down Champes Elysees (a famous street in Paris). On the walk we saw the Concorde, a memorial erected where the guillotine was during the French Revolution where Marie Antoinette and others were executed. The street leads right to the Louvre, only the most famous art gallery in the world! I got to see alot of my favorite art pieces - winged victory of samothrace, venus de milo, mona lisa, Ruebens, Vermeer, Code of Hammurabi and so many more that I cant name! It was really amazing to see all the art up close. We at dinner that night at a little French restaurant called "Hugo's" and I got a salmon pasta

THURSDAY:
My most favorite day on the trip! I went to Napoleon's tomb at the Hotel de Invalides. It used to be a war armory and soldier hospital. Napoleon's tomb is under a huge gold dome. When you walk in there's this huge gold crested statue behind a mirror and in the middle of the room there is a huge open area looking down to Napoleon's tomb. The coffin itself was made of marble and the angel statues around it were marble as well. They had one of his jackets and huge hats on display. Beneath the lower left button on the jacket there was a stain. It was neat to think "hey, i wonder what he was eating when he got that stain?" After Napleon we went to the Musee D'Orsay, a museum known for its impressionist collection. I saw a tone of famous art pieces by Renior, Manet, Monet, Van Gogh, Whistler and others. THEN WE WENT TO VERSAILLES. So we took the train ride out to Versailles and I was thinking it was going to be out in the country but no, you get off the tube stop and then there it is right in the middle of the city. But it was so breathtaking. It was the most enormous palace I had ever seen. It is the epitome of royalty. I got an audio tour guide which was totally worth the money. I learned so much about the palace and life of the kings and queens that lived there. I learned about the furniture, tapestries, events hosted there and so much more. I saw the balcony where Louis XVI stood out on and talked to the riotous people who came to overthrow him at the start of the French Revolution. I saw Marie Antoinette's room and the door she escaped at the time of the revolt. I walked in the Hall of Mirrors, a stunning experience. The gardens went on for miles. The gardens themselves were a whole separate tour. It would be fun to come back in the summer. I had to stop myself from crying several times during the tour. Everything was so gaudy, yet beautiful and spiritual at the same time. It was weird that in such a ostentatious place, full of gold, power and earthly possessions that I was able to feel the spirit but I did. I love history and to be in a place where the French Revolution started, which led to the American Revolution, which led to the nation that we now have is just a miracle to me. I love history so much. We ate dinner that night down by the Bastille and I had this amazing Eggplant Parmesan platter.

FRIDAY:
Friday was our last day in Paris. We went to a cemetery that morning where we saw Chopin's grave, Oscar Wilde and some others. We went to the Pompidou, a very modern art museum. Then we went to Rodin's house where a bunch of his works are on display such as The Gates of Hell, The Thinker, The Walking Man and The Kiss. That was really cool. We went to Orangerie where Monet's "Waterlilies" are on display. Then we went back to Sacre Coeur and walked around until we had to head back to the train station.

Wow, that was a long entry and hardly scratched the surface of my experience. After having been to Paris I appreciated art so much more. While Paris was fun, it was extremely dirty and I was glad to step back on English soil. I love London a ton and I am so appreciative of the experiences I am gaining while being over here!