Broadway in London?...amazing. Tonight I had the privilege of seeing the infamous Les Miserables. People thought I was crazy for never seeing it before. In fact I had no idea what it was all about. So lets see...Wicked, Les Miserables, and Dirty Dancing? If you can even count that it was so awful, but tonight was a success!
Back up for just a sec...Earlier today I had the chance to travel down to Trafalgar Square and seeing the museum. I looked at Italian Renaissance art from the 13th and 14th centuries. They focused a lot on religion, so much of the work was about the life of Christ and there were many crosses and paintings that hang above altars. It was interesting seeing them depict Christ and his life and death. It made me think about my own faith and how I picture the Savior.
Standing at the museum overlooking Trafalgar Square
Okay, now for this evening. For those that have not seen Les Miserables, go! It was done incredibly well. Much different than what I expected, but very interesting. I LOVE Wicked and Wicked is completely different from tonight's show. Les Miserables is about the French Revolution and is very historical. I won't say any more in fear that i would ruin something for you, but every single lead had a great voice. It was so much fun to go as a big group all together. Broadway is big around here, and you gotta just jump in and enjoy the culture which gives us an excuse to go to shows with locals! Hey...I feel like we are a local now. Been here over a month and I feel like we just are apart of life in London. I still can't believe I am living in EUROPE!
Here are some more fun things about England:
If you "dine in" it is more expensive than "take away" because you are using dishes.
"To Let" means to "To Rent"--my roommate thought that to let was for the toilet and that all the signs were just missing the "i".
Part of the reason the British has such bad teeth is because of all the sugar they put in their tea.
There are so many more differences and fun things, I'll keep brainstorming for you, but right now everything is slipping my mind.
I post on my blog every day and say it is the best day yet, but the days just keep getting better and I keep having more favorites...so here is today's fun update:
We spent the morning at Portobello Market...I just love that place. We are going to Paris this weekend and Scotland the next weekend, and since the market is only on Saturdays, we ran real quick to experience it for the last time this month. This month?!...speaking of that, I am coming up on my month mark. I have been here for so long, yet it has gone so fast. Two months to go.
After that we headed straight for the Houses of Parliament. We had some trouble getting there with closures on the tube, so we took a bus and then a tube the rest of the way. We had a tour at noon and it was so cool to see parliament because I had no idea what to expect. We went through intense screening and an intense two hour tour. Good thing we loved our tour guide, or I would have fallen asleep standing up! I found out so many interesting things about the English government....
The government has three parts: the monarch, the unelected Lords, and the House of Commons. The Houses of Parliament has three sections, one for each. Each section has a different color.
Monarch: Blue
Lords: Red
Commons: Green
It was interesting to hear about how legislation is passed and votes are cast! Lets just say, I know our government isn't perfect, but I appreciate it so much more after our tour. Their government boils down to this: The queen is "in charge", but she is a figure head and does absolutely nothing. The lords and commons are left to work it all out. Ever feeling bad about our government?!..take a tour of Parliament :)
After we finished, we walk out onto the street into the middle of a student riot. Police were everywhere! Students are protesting about the government raising university tuition and things tend to get violent! We were told to go home for safety, so we hopped on a tube home.
I wish I could post pictures of my tour, but they don't allow us to take any :(
Saturday night?! Party time! One of my friends, Annie, has a birthday tomorrow and so we went out to celebrate. We left early evening for the gigantic mall in Westfield. We shopped around and ended up celebrating by going to dinner at GBK (Gourmet Burger Kitchen)! It took so long to get a table for 8, but we waited so that we could all be together. Everyone had gelato for dessert and we just had some great quality bonding time. SO fun :) Here are the pictures...
Hope you are all having such great days and making every day count. Make every day your favorite :)
"Mind the gap" is a phrase said on the tube to warn you to step over the gap between the train and the platform. It is also written on the ground all over the place...I have a funny story on mind the step, but first lets start back at the beginning...
Friday we had the opportunity to go to the University of Cambridge. This was one of the most fun days I have had here so far. It was a total blast in ever way! We left Friday morning and headed for Cambridge. On the way we stopped at the only American military memorial in all of England. It commemorated those that died over Europe in the 2nd world war. It was need to see the white crosses all over the long, and several stars of David to remember those who were of the Jewish faith. We walked along a large stone wall that had all of the names of the men who were lost.
We then jumped back on the bus and were dropped off in Cambridge and allowed to do what we wanted for the day. Cambridge is fun little town and the University is gorgeous.
We walked around and found a small cafe where we stopped for lunch. It was fun to be back in a town with a university and see students our own age. We felt like we actually fit in for the first time since leaving the states. After lunch we found the Fudge House. I am not a big fan of fudge, but they offered us a free sample, and it was the most amazing fudge I have ever tasted. We watched him make some fresh strawberry fudge and talked with him about Cambridge (I thought of you grandpa, because I know how much you love fudge!)
The Fudge House
Yum :)
We then walked across the street to see the University! Schooling is done very differently here...Many do not go to a University or a "uni" as they call them. Many go to a college, which is specified for their trade. But those that do want to attend a university, they have to pick a college within the university. The college does not just determine their "major" is what they would call it in America...but you also live, eat and go to school with your college. You have your own sets of professors, and different colleges get together to do social things. We toured Kings College. There is a chapel there and it is had the oldest architecture. There was also a carving of lovers initials on the wall from 1665! Yes, people did fall in love and have the same teenage habits of carving initials into trees and walls. :)
Pictures of Cambridge!
Kings College
The Chapel
Lovers---initials in 1665
Now for the story...on the way into Kings College, we were walking up the stairs and at the top it said "Mind the Steps". There was a man that works for the college standing by the door and when I got to the top of the stairs, I laughed saying to my friend next to me, "Mind the steps?...obviously I am going to mind the steps, they are stairs!". I then proceeded to open the door and trip up the steps going into the college! The man then said to me..."those were the steps!". Okay so this may not be funny to you, but I died laughing for 2 reasons: 1. I had just acted like the sign was a no brainer and 2. tripping is just an "Ashley" thing to do. So there is my funny story! Hope you enjoyed the comedy for this post...
After seeing the chapel, we went downtown to look around and shop. Everyone wanted to buy a sweatshirt for not only memories, but it was freezing outside, and a sweatshirt sounded brilliant.
After stopping at several shops, we were all satisfied with what we purchased. We pulled our hoodies on and decided to go punting despite the cold. For those of you who are not familiar with punting, here is what it is: You get in a shallow fishing boat and a man stands on the end and pushes the boat with a long wooden rod. He gave us a tour of the colleges at Cambridge as we went up and down the river. It was freezing, and he took a ton of time to talk with us so the 45 minute tour turned into an hour and a half. But it was interesting to hear about Cambridge. Here are some fun facts about the University:
Tuition for those who live in England is 3,000 pounds (6,000 US Dollars)
The average size of the colleges is 400 people
Has one of the lowest drop out rates
You cannot apply to both Oxford and Cambridge
It was not bombed in WWII like Oxford was because Hitler liked Cambridge
The first college was Emanuel and was founded in 1584
There are 32 colleges at Cambridge
Around 13,000 students attend the University at one time
Punting on the River
Bridges along the way...
The night ended by running from the dock to the nearest Starbucks to warm up, getting more fudge, and getting lost on the way to the bus. Once we got home we grabbed dinner at a local Kabob place (so amazing) and gathered for "girl talk" upstairs...It was one of the most incredible days I have had here.
Don't forget...Mind the Steps :)
Canterbury, Dover, and the beach?!? A little bit of sunshine and it would have made for a perfect day in England! But who needs sunshine when you are living in Europe for 4 months in the most beautiful city of London? Rain just comes with the package.
Our day trip yesterday was a blast, and it was hard to take it all in knowing that I may never get to see these things again in my lifetime...so pictures were a must!
An early (we always leave so early) morning two hour bus ride took us to our first stop: Dover. We were supposed to see two things in Dover...the Dover Castle and to see the White Cliffs of Dover. It rained the entire way there, and we all bundled up to get out and walked up only to realize that the Dover Castle was closed due to rain. So it was a quick turn around to get right back on the bus to see the White Cliffs, but I did snap some pictures...
The Dover Castle
Documenting being in front of it even though we didn't get to take a tour!
,
The Dover valley thick with fog
We made out way through the city to the White Cliffs of Dover. It was so much fun going to the eastern coast and seeing the English Channel and the cliffs. It was absolutely gorgeous and one of my favorite things I have seen since being here in England. The white cliffs were breathtaking, even amidst the fog. We ran out to the beach covered in pebbles and ran through the water of the English Channel. We watched the little waves crash in the shore, took pictures, and took a pebble with us from the shore to remember our time there! It was fun to see the shore...even if it was a pebbled beach and there was no sun!
The Pebbles :]
Pictures on the shore...
Kinsey and I
,
and Liz...
The shore with White Cliffs in the background...it is just super foggy!
Canterbury was our next stop on the map! This town is full of history! We got there and were able to explore and eat for several hours. One of our most fun stop was at the Olde Sweet Shop. It will filled with candy and chocolate! No, I didn't eat anything, but it all looked good...one thing they don't have here in England is Reeses Peanut Butter Cups! (Lindsey and Dad you would be sad) But they did have TONS of black licorice and I thought of my Mom because its her favorite! There was also a fun hotel called Hotel Chocolat across the street. Rumor is it has the best chocolate ever tasted!
The sweet shop
Jars of candy
Black Licorice (love you Mom)
Hotel Chocolat
Downtown Canterbury
After the several hours of exploring, we toured the Canterbury Cathedral...you have been reading my blog posts for almost a month now and are probably saying to yourself at this moment, "How many cathedrals are they going to go to? and why are they so important?"
The answer to the first question...I have no idea. We have been to I feel like a million cathedrals, but to answer the second question...they all have historical significance.
So here is what happened at this one...
During the time of King Henry II, he had a close friend Thomas Beckett. When the archbishop of Canterbury died, the king appointed his friend to the position. He did not have to go through the ranks before being placed in this important role. Over the years, Thomas Beckett craves power and eventually King Henry II has his men kill Beckett "autonomously". The Canterbury Cathedral is the place where he was killed. It is also the place where the first archbishop Augustine worshiped and his seat can still be seen there. So it was fun to walk around and see the cathedral...it was filled with Gothic architecture! It was huge and has tons of stain glass. Even though it was the 5th cathedral we have gone too, it is different and unique in it's own way!
The Cathedral:
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Our trip was a success! We all had tons of fun and enjoyed what we saw...I hope in some little way you enjoyed it too. :)
I would have loved to tell you all about the Opera we are going to tonight, but it was postponed...so I will be sure to blog about it when it happens. Tomorrow we are headed to Cambridge! I am excited to see what the universities are like here...they call them "unies". So apparently I am going to a "uni" and on study abroad! Gotta love British slang...
Road trippin' through England!!
Last Thursday we left on our first trip as a group. It was so much fun anticipating leaving the center for a few days break. We really had no idea the details of what we would be doing, but we were told to pack warm...and they were right, the north is much much colder than it is here in London. Here is what we did...
We left Thursday morning early and had a five our bus ride to our first stop: Fountains Abbey! This is a very old abbey where monks used to worship and live together. The Christian monks that lived here took three vows: to be celibate, live in poverty and be obedient. But at this particular abbey, they also took a vow of silence and were continually praying. They lived alone in individual rooms and only spoke once a day where the Bible was read in the center gathering area of the abbey. Can you imagine that?! That is so crazy! A very different way to live...The abbey fell in 1132, and all that is left is ruins.
I loved it that we were able to see the abbey in ruins. The surrounding area is green and the ruins are beautiful. It was one of the most beautiful, peaceful places I have ever seen. We were able to take tons of pictures there and enjoy walking the grounds of this once important place of worship.
After we were finished seeing Fountains Abbey, we got back on the bus and drove an hour into a city called York. Other than London, York has been my favorite city to stay in and see. I just love it so much! We did not get in until 6ish to our motel, so we had very little time to see the city before many things closed which I was sad about. We saw much more on Friday...We checked into our motel, which I thought was pretty nice! Clean, comfortable, and a nice warm shower made our stay a successful one. We stayed at a motel called the Ibis. After checking in we went and saw Shambles Street, which is the oldest shopping street in England. New York was named after this street in York. All the shops were closed, but it was definitely something we needed to see before we left York...check that off the bucket list! After we saw Shambles we asked a local where a good place to eat was, and he gave us a great little pub to go to! It was absolutely perfect. It was a quiet atmosphere and great food. I wish it was in London, I would be there all the time...
We walked outside from dinner and it was freezing! We hurried home to warm sweats and all got together to finish the night with cards and lots of laughs :]
Friday we got up early and packed out stuff to leave. Before we loaded the bus we had the opportunity to explore York in the daylight and visit York Minster. We walked this long wall in the middle of York that leads over a bridge to this beautiful cathedral. Services are still held there today and we had an hour and a half tour learning about all of the symbolism and history behind it. It is the biggest cathedral in England. There is a bigger one in Liverpool, but it is not as old. The cathedral has been through many fires and much restoration has had to take place. It was gigantic and it was great to see more of what York has to offer. It is a smaller city compared to the other cities I had seen in England, and I loved it!
Back to the bus for what was going to be a very long day. We arrived 2 hours later in Preston, England. When we stepped off the bus the cold hit us. It was bitter cold, and everyone was freezing. Little did we know we would be on a church history tour for the next 4 hours walking from site to site. It was neat to hear about the church history in England and see the different sites of significance. By the end though we were very worn out from shivering and trying to keep warm with no success. We were happy to be done with our tour and drive to the Preston Temple! We drove in and saw the England MTC, which is right next to the temple. There was a beautiful sunset and we got out for a few minutes to walk to grounds and take pictures. It was another hour drive into Liverpool where we stayed Friday night.
We were all so excited to stay at the Ibis in Liverpool. We checked in and went straight to take a hot shower because we had been out in the freezing cold for hours on end and had yet to get warm. Were we then going to go back out in the cold?! I don't think so! My roommate and I went down to the lobby restaurant to get something to eat and apparently everyone else had the same idea. Twenty of us ended up eating in the lobby and enjoyed being warm and filling our stomachs.
The rest of the night we stayed in talking, eating all sorts of fun things, and laughing until we cried. That night was one of the most memorable thus far this semester. So much fun!!
Saturday morning we explored Liverpool! The Beatles Museum was right across the street from our hotel, and it was surprisingly very well done. I learned more than I ever wanted to know about the classic group! It was neat to see how each member contributed, how the Beatles grew in popularity and then split. The gift shop was filled with everything you could ever want with the Beatles on it...so if you are a fan, you would have been in heaven!! After that we walked around Liverpool before getting on the bus for our 6 hour drive home. Liverpool completed the long road trip to the NORTH!
First road trip: check.
Sunday was a day to catch up on sleep and rest from our few days of crazy traveling. I was called to be the Primary Secretary and it is so much fun working with so many cute kiddos at church every week! :]
This week we are doing something fun every day...so I will be blogging a ton.
Coming up: Plays, the Opera, Houses of Parliament, and University of Cambridge :]
I had the fabulous opportunity to see the most amazing show on Broadway tonight...Yes, we saw Wicked!! So much has happened, but that is all I want to talk about because it was just so fabulous.
Through the BYU program, we were supposed to attend Oliver tonight. Something went wrong and they couldn't get us all tickets so they ended up taking us to Wicked. You should have heard the screams and the squeals from all the girls when they made the announcement of where we were going.
No, this wasn't my first time. I had the opportunity to see it in LA several years ago with my cousin, but this time was even better because I knew the music! It played at the Apollo Theatre downtown, and I enjoyed every moment.
Other than our "Wicked night out" tonight, not much has happened. I have class every Tuesday/Thursday, so today was filled with hours of school.
I did have a fun experience Sunday that I neglected to write about...
This Sunday we were assigned to go to the church buildings we will be attending the rest of the semester. Everyone was spread out to strengthen the wards here in London that are desperately in need. So long story short, I am attending at a building that is about an hour and a half away. We left at 8:30am for our 10am meetings.
Saturday night we mapped out our trip and had everything ready so our travel would go off without a hitch...but there is always a hitch, isn't there? Nothing ever goes according to plan...that's life. Here's the story:
We are standing on the tube platform, the train pulls up and I am behind everyone in line to get on. The doors suddenly shut on the man that is in front of me. I had to push his backpack through the doors so they would close, and I watched my friends pull away.
I had no idea where I was going, but I did know the next stop on the tube, so I planned to meet them there and through the window they communicated that they would wait for me.
I tried to stay calm as I am not usually alone in London. I got on the next train and sat down and immediately started reading my scriptures to calm me down. The train leaving took me by surprise and with no cell phones, you just hope that you can all meet up together in the end. So I was reading for comfort when over the loud speaker they announced a station I didn't recognize. Long story short I had taken the train the opposite way from where I was supposed to go and now had to navigate back. You would be impressed to know I did it with no help. There wasn't anyone working because it was Sunday so I turned to the tube map.
By the time I met up with them, 50 minutes had passed. Boy was I grateful that they had waited and I had familiar faces greeting me at the station.
Well... Wicked and getting lost in London make for great stories...
It's an adventure every day here in London, and I just love it!
