First full day in Amsterdam.Decided today that I would hit up the Van Gogh museum first and then walk my way to the Anne Frank House before heading back to the boat.I knew that would be enough walking alone.In between I would go back and hit up the Leidsplein for a coffee shop.
Once I found the Van Gogh museum, the queue wasn’t too long to get in.I heard that this was a must see, and everyone who said that was right.I have always enjoyed Van Gogh’s works of art, but until you see one (or more) up close…you have no idea how beautiful and brilliant this man was.The way he used his brush and the strokes he made with the paint…undescribable.Van Gogh is now one of my favorite painters ever.The unfortunate thing is that unless you have seen one of his works up close, you’ll never get the full impact of his brilliance.I am still stunned by what I saw and could go back again and again to view his work.
After I left the Van Gogh museum, I made my way back up to the Leidsplein to find a coffee shop.I was looking for a couple in particular and only found the Bull Dog.There were several entrances into this venue and after walking into three of the four doors I was over it.So I started to walk and found my way to a little shop called Rookies.There I bought a Space Cake and a joint to go.When in Amsterdam…one must partake in the fun and goods.Since I knew I had a great bit of walking to do, and not knowing how strong the Space Cake would be…I opted to only eat half of it.That was just perfect, at first.I found my way up to the Anne Frank House taking my time.Too bad the queue was massive otherwise I would have gone in.However, I was in no mood to waste time standing in line when I could be seeing other parts of the city.So down the hatch went the rest of the Space Cake and I went walking.Now here’s where things started to go wrong.I forgot that Amsterdam is not structured like most grid cities.No, it’s more of a circular city where one can easily get lost if not paying attention.And that’s what I did.When I thought I was going one way, I was finding myself circling around and around.Okay, it is pretty funny but my body didn’t think so when I found myself at the DAM a second time.By now, I was a little spacey and my knees and feet were starting to really ache.I was determined though to make my way all the way back to the boat by walking.Of course I did it, but was ready to fall to the floor once I hit my cabin.
Once I settled in to the cabin to get off of my feet, I was seriously looking forward to a nap or to just fall asleep period.It didn’t take long, for the Space Cake was in full force.I curled up in a nice little ball and fell asleep until about 4 a.m. where I was wide awake.With nothing to do, I chose to exit the boat and walk up the pier trying out my other purchase from the coffee shop.Let me tell you…Amsterdam does not disappoint in the herbal area.LMAO.
Tomorrow, I will head out to the Zaanse Schans to go and see a cute little cheese farm and little village that dates back to the 1600s.
Left Brugge today for Amsterdam.It was about a five hour journey total because my first train was late and I had to wait an hour for the next one to Amsterdam from Antwerpen.No worries though, I wasn’t in a rush.I did make the mistake though of sitting in the first class train which I ended up paying a little extra for.By the time they had told me we were almost to Amsterdam and the next car behind me was packed.Instead of dealing with my luggage and such, I chose to pay the extra fare and stay where I was.
Once I arrived, I was super tired and couldn’t find the taxi area out of the train station at Amsterdam Central.Finally I found the cab stand, got my luggage in and then the driver said he couldn’t take me because the boat hostel was too close.It was raining outside and I could barely understand him and he pulled forward and took my bags out of the car.I told the taxi security guy that I had no clue where to go and that my bags were heavy and I didn’t understand why I couldn’t be taken to my destination.Turns out, I was close by and the taxis do not like to go to the boats for whatever reason.The security guy told the driver exactly where and how to get to my boat and that he was going to take me.Granted I paid double to be taken there but I didn’t care.Saturday, when I go back to the train station, I will make the walk from the boat.It won’t be fun…but it will save me money and it’s not an impossible walk.
Once I checked into the hostel, a cute boat where my cabin is the size of a closet, I headed to get some money and food from a grocery store for the night.I was exhausted and had no intentions of going out exploring.So I got back, sat in the main area where I sat on the computer chatting on YIM until I was ready to go to bed.Not a real exciting day…but I made it to my final destination and am ready to see Amsterdam and go home.LOL.
Brugge, ah Brugge. One of my most favorite visited places now. A medieval Belgium city that still retains its charm and beauty. One full day of walking around is really all you need…but for those wishing to take their time and relax, Brugge is the place to be.
My day started like all the others…slowly waking and getting ready to head out and about. There was no hot water in the hostel so I ended up washing the hair in my room’s sink. Man that was cold, brrrrrr. I decided to just walk around and take in the sights at first when I stumbled upon a canal tour. No hesitations there…I walked right up and paid my fee and soaked in the beauty around me as I waited for the boat to arrive. It was about a 30 min boat ride; just long enough. I wish I was one of those writers that could explain in great detail how beautiful everything is there. It’s so calming and peaceful…if one was ever stressed in Brugge I would seriously question why.
After the canal tour, I hopped off and went on my little walk about. I knew that I needed to end up in the main square so that I could get to the Belfry Tower and the ‘chips’ shop on the right hand side. As I started walking, there are little boutiques and shops everywhere. Street vendors, bicyclists and horse drawn buggies. Once I ended up in the main square, I was amazed at how many chocolate shops there are. I mean I know Belgium chocolate is supposed to be the finest in the world, but it seemed like every other shop was a chocolate shop. My head was literally spinning with all the options. This was a child’s biggest candy fantasy. I wasn’t ready to buy chocolate just yet, so I headed to get some ‘chips’ and eat them in front of the Belfry. Afterwards, I walked up to the ticket and gift shop for the Belfry and seriously contemplated walking to the top. After a good, long thought…I chose not to climb the Belfry. I know, I know…it was one of the things I really wanted to do however, with all of the walking and climbing that I have done…I just don’t think my knee could have handled it. Good thing I didn’t do it, because I later heard someone say that it was just okay. So now it was time to buy chocolates…and chocolates did I buy. I spent about $70 on chocolates alone. Most gifts of course (how dare you think I would buy that all for myself). Then…I walked back over to the Heilig-Bloedbasiliek, the Holy Blood Basilica, and went in for a look-see. What a beautiful church. The ceiling was of painted wood slats…like nothing I had seen before. I will have to find some pics of the interior and save them from online. My camera sometimes doesn’t like taking indoor pics so I didn’t even waste my time.
After my full day of walking around Brugge…I decided that it was time to head back to the hostel and chill out for a while before getting dinner and some beer. I ended up getting some pasta and four beers around 8 p.m. and was ready to settle in for the night and just stay online and whatnot. But around 11 p.m., when the hostel lounge shuts down, a group of us were not ready to say goodnight and headed over to the pub/bar on the corner. It was myself, two Canadians, five Aussies and a Kiwi. A good group of people. Finally after my sixth beer, I decided to head back with Scott, Beth and the two Canadians and head to bed. Tomorrow I head out to Amsterdam. I really wish I had stayed in Brugge a little while longer. I could have, and should have, passed up Amsterdam altogether and just stayed here, relaxed and wrote for my thesis. No worries…tomorrow takes me on another journey.
Finally in Bruges!Had a wonderful time in Paris sightseeing and seeing a friend I hadn’t seen in a couple of years.So thanks to him for being such a gracious host when it was a busy time in his schedule.
My day began around 9 a.m.I had to check out by 11 a.m. and yet I didn’t need to be on the train to Bruges until 6:25 p.m.That meant I had almost a full day of sightseeing.What to do oh what to do?I decided to make my way over to the Cimetiere Du Pere Lachaise to visit the grave of Jim Morrison.Not only did I go there for his grave, but I also visited the graves of Georges Bizet, Frédéric Chopin, Auguste Comte, Molière, Édith Piaf and Oscar Wilde.I spent about 2.5 hours in the cemetery and enjoyed every minute of it.Well, except when I saw crows.While I love cemeteries, I do get a little freaked out when I see crows.Crows in a cemetery represent souls that have not yet passed on…and there were a few crows today in certain areas.
When I was done with the cemetery, I sat on a bench to rest my knees and feet and tried to decide where to go next.Cobble stone roads and walkways are not good on my poor little knees.I was hurting just a little when I was done with the cemetery yet had about four hours to still kill before needing to be at the train station.After looking at the map of Paris and the Metro…I chose to head over to the Pantheon.The Pantheon is …
After the Pantheon, I was finally done and tired of sightseeing.I was hungry and ready to get to the train station for the next part of my journey.Or as Nick in London would say…”the next leg of my tour.”Oh how I miss the boys at Watering Can Media already.I do hope that we can all get together next Saturday when I have my stop over in London before heading home on Sunday.
Anyways…back to today.I got back to the hotel around 4 p.m., grabbed my luggage and hailed a cab to Paris du Nord train station.The cab driver kind of laughed at me when I told him where I needed to go.I know it was close enough, about a 20 min walk, but that I had been on my feet walking for over five hours and I needed a cab at that point.LOL.Call me lazy, call me a lazy American, I don’t care.Ha ha ha ha.Finally after 2.5 hours of waiting at the train station, I was on my train to Bruges in Belgium.If any of you have never seen the movie “In Bruges” do watch it, it’s what drew me to come here.Not a very happy movie but there are some funny parts in it.
I got in at 9 p.m. tonight and quickly hailed a cab for the hostel.The driver was extra nice and showed me a few of the best restaurants to try out.Being overly anxious to get some beer and the internet, I checked into my single room here at the hostel, packed up my laptop, and headed down to the common area and t.v. room.The only outlets available for my computer were in the t.v. room.In there I met a nice young boy from Holland traveling with his father, a couple from Melbourne, Australia and a nice young man from Argentina.I think I’m gonna like this hostel situation.I have a single room with a locking door for privacy.I didn’t want to risk dealing with others in a dorm like room since I’m a very light sleeper.I also didn’t want to risk my snoring and keeping anyone else awake.The room isn’t up to hotel standard but the bed is comfy and I have my privacy so that’s all that matters.I’m only here to sleep anyways so as long as it’s clean and the bed is comfy…who cares.
So after three beers and a long day of being on my feet and traveling, I think I’m finally ready to head off to la la land (zzzzzz).Tomorrow I have a big day ahead of me by walking around town, walking up the Belfrye Tower, getting some damn good frites, looking for Belgium chocolates for friends and family in the States, and going to the Heilig-Bloedbasiliek, the Holy Blood Basilica.I would say goodnight in Flemish if I knew how…but I don’t so…Good night and sleep well.
Today was a chill out day.I didn’t get in until early this a.m. from being out and was up and out of the hotel by 11:30 a.m.So needless to say, I didn’t get much sleep.However, I got up and out of the hotel because the staff wanted to get in and clean the room.Besides…it looked beautiful out with blue skies and I decided to take advantage of this and walk up to Sacré Coeur.Being a short walk from the hotel, I also chose today to be the day for gift shopping.I struck out yesterday for others, so I was determined to get all I needed today…good choice I must say.
I chose to walk up to the Sacré Coeur which is a grandiose church located at the top of a hill in Montmartre.It’s different in its structure with rounded domes versus pointed triangular spires.Being a Sunday…there were a good number of people out enjoying the beautiful view.The walk up the hill wasn’t bad…it almost reminded me of walking up to Lone Mountain on the USF campus, but a little longer.At each level, I stopped to enjoy the view and just take it all in.I knew I had plenty of time to just casually make my way to the top.There were some gray clouds in the sky, but the view was stunning.Views in Paris are spectacular.When it’s clear, you can see for miles and it can be breath taking.I walked around the church grounds taking pictures from just about every angle.Then I found that to the rear and left of the church (when facing it) there were a couple streets set up in a market style.I was still weaving in and out of every tourist shop trying to find French dolls for my nieces.Finally I found two…now auntie Katie won’t be headed to the dog house.One thing I should learn is never promise your nieces gifts you aren’t sure you’re going to be able to get.But I mean come on…where can you not find dolls?Well, almost no Paris touristy trinket shops have dolls.LOL.Well, the ones I had found previously were porcelain, and the girls are not old enough to get those kinds of doll.Sorry girls.
So that was pretty much my Sunday.It’s only 3:40 p.m. and my last full day in Paris.I think that after about five weeks of traveling I’m kinda over it and ready to head back home.I travel on to Bruges tomorrow and then to Amsterdam on Wednesday. Saturday I head back to London for a night and Sunday I’m finally on a plane home only to drop the luggage and start moving my apartment from the 1st to the 3rd floor.In addition to that…I also need to get a first draft of my thesis over to my advisor since I will only have 30 days before the final product is due.This is another reason I am choosing to stay in this afternoon…to write up some lit reviews for some readings that I’ve previously read through.Later, I will have a late dinner with my friend before saying avoir and merci for his time and generosity.Tomorrow, I will have a few hours before I have to be at the train station to go from Paris to Bruges…so I’m going to quickly jump on the train early and head down to Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise to go and see Jim Morrison’s grave.
Today I woke about the same time and was out by 11 a.m.It started to rain today so I ended up having to buy my third umbrella of the trip because I was not going back to the hotel (my dad is probably shaking his head right now, not surprised at this).LOL.After, I decided that it was probably smart to get a bite to eat before hopping on the bus to see the Notre Dame and the Louvre.I popped in to a local eatery and got a ham and mozzarella Panini.It was good, but too much bread and I couldn’t finish all of it.I hate wasting food, but I’m learning to just put it down when your tummy tells you so.And today…I listened.I waited for the bus only for about 10 mins and then we were on our way down to start my days journey at Notre Dame.
It was cold out today on top of the rain and I was more than chilly in my lounge pants and short sleeve shirt under my jacket.Almost the whole time I was in London, the jacket was too much for me with all the walking I was doing.Finally…I’m almost too cold.Since today is a Saturday, the tourists are out and about and Notre Dame was a popular place despite the rain.When it started to rain a little harder, I decided to enter the church for some shelter.Wow!Once again, an opulent place of worship did not disappoint.It was absolutely beautiful inside and all of the stained glass really stood out.
I took my time walking around the church, but opted not to climb higher up towards the top or wherever it is that you can climb to.I figure that I did my climbing at St. Paul’s and still have the Belfrye in Bruges.Once I was done, I made my way back towards the Louvre.It was a short walk across and up the river before making it to the massive marvel known for King Louie XIV and historical works of art.I entered through the rear courtyard and was amazed at how big that part of the palace was.Exiting the rear area and into the main courtyard my breath was taken away.Absolutely beautiful!Granted the glass pyramids did take away from the beauty of the old structure, but added to it in its own way.I myself would have preferred it not to be there but then again I’m a European history nerd.Once again, I took my time walking through the main courtyard enjoying the magnificent views.When I was done, I decided to walk around the neighborhood looking for shops where I could buy people gifts.I didn’t find what I was looking for, so I started walking to find the bus stop that would take me back towards my hotel.
After a few blocks, I realized that The Opera was straight ahead and not very far from the hotel.Besides…I needed to get another suitcase because I wouldn’t have enough room for all the stuff I’m bringing home with me and well, it’s not very comfortable traveling with a heavy duffle bag.I’m such a wimp I know.The Opera isn’t far from the Louvre and I remember Noah telling me I could probably find a cheep suitcase away from the Opera house.So on a journey I went to find the cheapest luggage I could…and one that would hold up.What do you know…he was right.Just a block away from the Lafayette Galleries I found a nice sized suitcase for 33€.It’s not bad and does the job perfectly.I couldn’t have done better.Now that I had found the luggage, I knew I wasn’t far from the hotel and started my final walk towards the hotel.Finally after about 6 or 7 hours, I was back at the hotel and once again a wee tired from all the walking.The knees were hurting and the foot was a little irritated.Noah was even shocked when I told him how far I had walked…so needless to say I was rather proud of myself.Now it’s time for a nap before heading out tonight.
Today I woke as usual around 9ish or so and took my time getting up and out.I think I was out of the hotel at 11 a.m. and made my way up to catch the number 30 bus to the Trocodero.It was a nice bus ride taking about 20 or so minutes to get to the end of the line.Once I got off, I walked over to the museums in the Trocodero square that looked directly on to the Eiffel Tower.It was cloudy, but visibility was for miles.I decided to do the Eiffel Tower as the last item before heading back to the hotel to chill out before my personal night tour of the city by my friend Noah.After admiring the view, I walked down to the Musee’ d’Art Moderne to see the Basquiat exhibit.Oh my, what a beautiful exhibit.His art was very interesting.He was very childish in some of his presentations, while his use of color in most pieces took my breath away.He’s one of those scattered artists where you wonder what was going on in his mind for him to interpret his art the way he did.Absolutely stunning and I’m so glad that I did this exhibit above any others.
Once I was done at the Musee’ d’Art Moderne, I made my way over to the Eiffel Tower.Now see, a few weeks back I had promised my friend Dean that I would walk up the first and maybe second level before taking the lift to the top.My friend Noah advised me that I might want to reconsider since it really was a long climb up.He wasn’t kidding.The moment that I got close to the Tower, I quickly reconsidered and had no regret about breaking a promise.For those of you who have been to the Tower…you’ll understand.It’s MASSIVE.There was no way I was going to attempt the climb.Especially not after I barely made the Stone Galleryat St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.Eish!The queues weren’t too bad to make your way up to the second level.From there it was probably about a 30-45 min queue up to the top.Today was such an amazing day and cleared to barely any clouds in the sky.The views were amazing and did not disappoint…something I will never, ever forget.
Getting down to the ground took a little bit of time to do…the queues were long for that as well.No worries, it was totally worth it.Once on the ground, I made my way back towards where I began in the Trocodero but headed to a cemetery that I had spotted from atop the Tower.I don’t know what it is, but my mother and I have a thing for churches and graveyards.There is something so beautiful about old structures that just lures us in.This graveyard did not disappoint and I got a good number of really cool pics to show my mother.
It was getting late and my knees and feet were telling me they were tired and needed a break, so I found my way back to the bus and headed back to the hotel.I needed to rest before my friend took me out to see Paris at night.OMG, is all I can say.Paris at night is by far the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.I mean all the grandiose structures lit up on a beautiful clear night with the moon shining above and almost full.There are no words to describe it.We got back to the hotel at about 11:30 p.m. and when Noah dropped me off, I headed to one of the local stores to get a bottle of wine.I realized that I still hadn’t had any wine since arriving and that it was due time.So I purchased a wonderful bottle of Bordeaux and enjoyed half of it.Mmmmmm, so yummy.I would drink all of it except I have another day of touristy stuff tomorrow that I can’t miss.
So today I said goodbye to London and boarded a train to Paris.I left at 12:30 p.m. and will be in the most romantic city for four days.I’m looking forward to hitting mainland Europe and different cultures where English is not the first language.It does scare me a little, but I think I know enough French to get by.
The train ride was nice and fast.I couldn’t believe how quickly we were in France.It only takes 20 mins to go under the English Channel.Once I got to Paris Nord I jumped into the taxi line only to be greeted by two drivers getting into a fight and backing up the line.Welcome to Paris.LOL.Jumped into a cab, and was at my hotel in about 15 mins.The hotel is on the outskirts of Montmartre and a few blocks from the Moulin Rouge.Apparently it’s also at the heart of the red light district…how fitting for me.Hee hee.
I got checked in and then headed out to grab some food.Of course I got some frites and for desert…a raspberry tart.Oh my…the pastries are going to do me in.And I thought that the Brits ate a lot of bread.Ha ha ha ha.I walked back to the hotel, ate my dinner and pretty much settled in for the night.Tomorrow I have a big day ahead of me hitting up the Eiffel Tower and whatever else I can get to by walking.I really want to go to the Musee’ d’Art Moderne to see the Jean Michel Basquiat exhibit.I’ve been fascinated by him since I saw the movie Basquiat.
Tuesday...started work from home and I'm glad I did. There was a problem on the Victoria line (Underground) at the stop just before the one I get on (Highbury and Islington) where 400 people had to be evacuated out of the tube. Luckily there were only service problems, but unfortunately the conductor couldn't get into much contact with the station house and so apparently most people thought there was another terrorist attack. Now even though I would not have been on that train, I would have been stuck waiting and waiting and waiting for a train to come and then had to have re-routed. So it was a good thing that Nick and Joe had a.m. meetings.
I found my way in at about 1:30 p.m. and got ready for my meeting with Nick and Dave deP. We were to meet at 3:00 p.m. to go over the work I had done on the Trust Fund db. Everyone but Matt and Joe were in the office since we were headed out to the pub afterward as a farewell and thank you to me. How I'm going to miss these guys. Once our meeting was over, and it was now about an hour past the time we said we were going to be there, we headed down to the pub on the corner for what ended up being four rounds of pints. By the time Joe, Dave deP and I got back to the Underground it was almost calling for the last train. However, Joe and I did miss the last train for the Overground and ended up having to take a bus back to Hackney Central from Highbury and Islington. No biggie since we both wanted to get some chips before getting home and there was a kebab shop right next to our bus stop. Perfect idea...but all of those Guinness had me more full than I thought I was. Go figure. LOL.
Got home after midnight and was a little excited still from being out with great people and new friends. Didn't get to bed until after 2:00 a.m. only to wake again at 7:30 a.m. for my final work day in London. This part of the journey may be over, but the second leg is just getting ready to begin. I'm looking forward to being in mainland Europe and experiencing new cultures...I can't wait!
My final full tourist day...and what a full day it was.
I started my journey around noon, as usual, and chose to start at the Southwark Cathedral and work my way up the lower Thames River until I ended in Trafalgar Square. It was a beautiful day...perfect for being out and about exploring the city. I almost forgot about Southwark Cathedral until I came upon it. I remember Joe telling me that I should go there and that it was on my list of places to see, but was looking for my way down to the river embankment when I saw the beautiful building.
Inside the cathedral, it was beautiful yet not as opulent as St. Paul's. It was gorgeous nonetheless. I walked around marveling at its beauty until I made my way towards the back where they used to hold trials for some Protestants during the reign of Queen Mary I. Southwark is the oldest church building in London and stands at the oldest crossing point of the tidal Thames at what was the only entrance to the City of London across the river for many centuries.
As I made my way out of the Cathedral and towards the embankment, I came upon my favorite sandwhich shop, Pret. They unfortunately didn't have my favorite baguette (brie, tomato and basil) so I opted for tuna instead. When I exited the building, I noticed to my right that there was some old ruins that had been incorporated into the new buildings and decided to check it out. There, on the other side of Pret, were the ruins (what was left of them) of Winchester Palace. Winchester Palace was a 12th century palace and residence to the Bishops of Winchester located just south of the river Thames in Southwark. Southwark was the largest town in the old diocese of Winchester and the bishop was a major landowner in the area. He was also a power in the land (Winchester being the old Saxon capital), and regularly needed to be in London on royal or administrative state business. For that purpose, Henry of Blois built the palace as his comfortable and high-status London residence. I thought it was pretty cool.
Now it was time to eat my sandwich, looking out upon the Thames, and then journey on to Shakespear's The Globe. Now for those of you who know, The Globe is not the original Globe but a reconstructed version completed in 1997. The original was burnt down when a cannon was used in one of the plays and caught fire to the thatch roof some centuries ago when the cannon was set off. Luckily all 3,000 people were able to get out with one gent having his rear end catch on fire. There were no original building plans, so the new Globe was built according to sketches and historical documents. I took the one hour tour and I'm glad I did. When I come back, I would love to see a performance there for there is not a bad seat in the house.
Next up was the Tate Modern to see the Gauguin exhibition and have a desert on the balcony of the Members Club. Thanks to one of the Street Action board members, I borrowed his membership card and got into the Gauguin exhibit and Members Club for free. Gauguin's works were stunning...such amazing colors used and I was quite impressed. The only other exhibit that I went into was the Surrealism area. That was great to see such works as Pollack, Picasso and others. I do love art, but found I had had enough after those two exhibits so I made my way up to the Members Club to have a pastry on the balcony while I enjoyed the view out across the Thames.
I think I was about 4.5 hours into my journey by this point when I began my walk towards the Waterloo station to catch the Underground up to Trafalgar Square. I had heard the Argentinian couple I met a few days before talk about how they had been there and since I hadn't yet gone, decided to go. It was very cool. At the heart of London, the square is a monument to former naval men with Nelson's column greeting you as you enter the surroundings. In the rear of the square is the National Gallery which I was not able to get to. Being the beginning of rush hour, and not wanting to get caught up in the tube traffic, I sat on a bench and read the evening paper. When I was done, I didn't think that I was actually at the square (don't ask) so I got up and started walking towards Big Ben (saw him in the distance). I stumbled upon the Queen's Life Guard buildings and took a couple of pictures. With the Houses of Parliament across the street, I took some more pics before crossing the street. After I walked a block or two before heading back towards the Underground to get back home. I was exhausted, it was now dark, and my feet and knees were tired.
All in all it was a fantastic day and I'm sad that my journey in London is coming to an end. I still have two more days to go, but I really do love it here and need to find my way back very soon.
Well, today, Sunday, started out at 12 a.m. I waited for bus 242 to take me from Hackney towards Tottenham Road to go to The Bathhouse where my friend Marc was working the door. I had unfortunately had to cancel on him previously for a Sunday party because it was the first weekend of catching a nasty cold. Once on the bus, it took a wee bit to get to my destination, or bus stop to get off. Now once I was off the bus, I got completely turned around and ended up walking for like 30-45 minutes in the cold night. Once I finally caught I cab, the driver told me that I was almost at my destination. He so kindly drove me the block and a half and didn't charge me any fare. I think I got to the club around 1:30 a.m. FINALLY!
Knowing that the location was open until 4 a.m. I wasn't so worried, but Marc didn't think I was going to show. I couldn't come all the way to London and not see him knowing he was here. I was great to see him and after about 10-15 minutes chatting outside, he took me downstairs to the least crowded bar area. We had a few drinks and he needed to get back to work. He left me with some drink buttons, yes buttons not tickets, and I made friends with the bartenders. I also ended up chatting with a very nice bloke who often visited the States for work. We decided that we would exchange flats whenever one of us wanted or needed to travel. LOL.
I got quite tipsy and even a little drunk but enjoyed watching the younger crowd enjoy themselves to the 50s and 60s American music. They were having a great time and it was fun to watch. I ended up back in the smaller, less crowded bar for a final drink and still had a drink button left. So I walked over to my new friend and asked if he wanted a drink and gave him the button. I think he was impressed that the American girl had the hook up on free drinks and that the button worked. You know, at almost 40, I still got it and the hook up when I travel. LOL. This sister doesn't mess around when it comes down to drinking. LOL.
After the club closed, I made my way back to the door and said goodbye to Marc and hopped back on bus 242 back to Hackney. I got home around 5 a.m., washed the face and crawled into bed only to wake four hours later. Wide awake, I basically sat around the rest of the day not doing much. When it was time for lunch, I got dressed, grabbed some study material, and headed down to a local pub where they have the best chips ever. I sat down, read what I needed to read and ate my chips with a non-alcoholic ginger beer.
The rest of the day was spent watching t.v. shows on my laptop and being lazy. Joe got back from the States earlier that morning and popped over with baby Elliott to check in on me and talk about the upcoming week. Grabbed some Indian food for dinner, barely ate any of it, crawled into bed and was probably asleep by 10 p.m. if that.
Tomorrow, Monday, I will slowly make my way back down to Central London for some final shopping (gifts) and see whatever else I need to see. Maybe the Tate Modern and the Globe but that's about it. I'm pretty much done and unfortunately won't be able to make the Jack the Ripper tour. Oh well, I've had a most amazing time here thus far and am excited yet sad to leave London. I love it here and the people that I've met are amazing and just the kinds of people I like to be surrounded by.
So now I wake for my Monday travels. See you on here again later tonight.
Saturday...my last Saturday in London. Well, not technically that is. I still have one Saturday left on my way back from Amsterdam I am stopping off to stay one final night next to the airport before heading home to American on 10/31.
Anyways...back to this Saturday, October 23rd. I started the day slowly and was out of the house around noon. My only objectives for the day, were to go to St. Paul's Cathedral and Temple Church in Central London. I decided to go a different way than normal on the Overground and Underground thinking it might take less time. Not the case. The Central line was out of service on the Underground that weekend so I ended up taking the Overground to the National Railway to the Underground at Liverpool station. What a mess. There were so many people at the Liverpool station and I had to 'top up' on my Oyster transit card. The machine wouldn't take my 20 pound note so I had to stand in this ridiculous line to have an agent help me. But once I go through there it went pretty smoothly. I wasn't going to let this little inconvenience annoy me like I normally would have. I had a moment, for a few seconds, and was over it. I mean c'mon...it's Saturday and I don't have any time frame at all to deal with.
So I finally got on the Underground and in two stops I was at St. Paul's station. I figured I should probably eat something before heading into the Cathedral knowing there was quite a climb up the steps to get to the top of the dome. There was a Cafe' Nero's just outside the station and I popped in seconds before it started to rain. And in typical British form, it started to drizzle and then came a down pour. The forecast said it was supposed to be clear all day so I didn't bring my jacket or my umbrella. Go figure! I knew that it would only be a matter of time before this shower passed, so I took my time with my lunch. Perfect timing I had so far...but just in case any other showers decided to visit, I popped into a news store and got a back up umbrella.
Now it was time to head over to the Cathedral. I was a wee bit chilly and should have brought my jacket with me this day, but knew if I did that I would end up hot and sweaty and having to carry it around. I'd much rather be chilly than hot. Before heading towards the chapel, I popped into a Starbuck's and grabbed a tall Chai Latte to warm me up a bit. Approaching the Cathedral, you're overwhelmed by how massive of a structure it is. It's the second largest Cathedral next to the Vatican. After finishing most of my latte, I finally made my way up to the entrance and went in. My goodness the place is massive and gorgeous. I often get slightly angered whenever I enter places of worship this grand thinking about all the monies put into it as well as how much it costs for the upkeep. Those monies could be spent elsewhere for so many different charities. Okay, stepping down from my soap box now.
Once inside, I opted to not get one of the voice guides since I tried one at Hampton Court Palace and it annoyed me since I couldn't figure out how to fast forward the darn thing. I took my time in walking around to just take in the sites. The decor of this place was amazing with gold leafing everywhere. The dome section was breath taking and very hard to describe. Looking up in amazement I couldn't believe how beautiful this was as well as how I was going to make the walk up to the top. Oi! I walked down into the crypt which had some important British people buried as well as some sculptures and such dedicated to other famous historical figures...none that I was too familiar with. After the crypt, I headed back up to the cathedral floor looking for the access/stairs to the dome.
Door found, I made my ascent towards the top. Now mind you, there are three levels in which you can go towards the top of the dome. The first landing is the Whispering Gallery which is the base of the dome and 30 meters (98.5 feet) from the Cathedral floor. Still located inside of the Cathedral, one can sit and admire the artwork of the dome as well as whisper and hear whoever is talking from across the other side of the dome. After catching my breath and cooling down from this first climb...I chose to take the next set of stairs upwards to the Stone Gallery, 53 meters from the Cathedral floor (177 feet). Now it doesn't sound like a lot at first, until you actually make the climb. The first set of steps where small in height...the second set were regular height steps and I found myself getting out of breath. But, I was going to press on and finish my climb. Once you get to the Stone Gallery, you step outside and get a most beautiful panoramic view of London. I'm glad that it was somewhat clear and you could seriously see for miles. So beautiful. I walked all the way around this part of the dome and contemplated making the final ascent up to the Golden Gallery, 85 meters from the Cathedral floor (279 feet). Knowing that the views were the same, I had had enough stair climbing and decided to make the trek down in a spiral (man that was a little dizzying) and on towards my next point of interest.
Finally down, I headed out towards Fleet Street and on towards Temple Church. I knew it would be a little bit of a walk and welcomed the journey. I love walking around new places and just taking in the views of where I am at. I'm naturally a voyeur at heart so I just love to look at people, places and things.
After walking for a wee bit, I came across a beautiful set of buildings and thought that maybe I had arrived at Temple Church. I popped into a store to get some water to hydrate and asked if that was what I was seeing. Nope, I had stumbled upon the Royal Court buildings and needed to back track a little to get to the Temple Church and grounds. So I got my map out and saw where I needed to go and went back and down towards the Embankment on the Thames. Now if any of you have ever tried to find the Temple Church...you will understand how difficult a task this is. See...the church itself is nestled in between a bunch of buildings and not visible from the street. I walked down to the Embankment and up towards Temple station (Underground) before realizing that I was somehow missing it. I decided to walk into this beautiful gated area to see where the darn church was located. I ended up running into a very nice Argentinian couple who was also looking for the church. Looking at my map, we knew we were close, but every person we asked where it was at didn't know. So the three of us walked back up to Fleet street and found ourselves back at the store I had popped into earlier. Looking again at the map, we had to back track again my original route making a right onto Tudor Street towards the inner Temple grounds. Once on the grounds, we then had to weave in and out of buildings just to find the church. By far one of the most difficult places I have ever had to find. Once we got there though, we were excited yet disappointed to find that the church was closed to the public for a wedding. REALLY? However...it was the end of the service and we were told that if we waited, we could enter after all of the wedding attendees had left. It was kinda cool to stumble upon a nice wedding and I was quite surprised to see how the Brits dress for such occasions. I truly felt like I was at a wedding from the movie Four Weddings and a Funeral. Hee hee.
Once inside, I was surprised at how small the church was and that the Knights Templar effigies were located in a smaller portion of the church. However, it was beautiful inside and I'm glad that I finally got to make it and see such a historical location. I am a huge fan of Templar history and seeing such an old, historical location made me happy like a kid in a candy store. However, I was tired from all the days walking and climbing that I was more than ready to get back on transit and make my way home. I still needed to chill out for a while before getting ready to head out for the night to see my old friend from my club days, Marc Jellybear.
Once home, I plopped down on the bed and waited until it was time to get up and get ready.
Thursday was another day in the office working on the database. However, it was the day after all of the Chilean miners were rescued after being trapped for 69 days. What a joyous event as the world watched on with the rescue efforts that took about 24 hours or less to rescue the 33 men.
When I got into the office that day, Nick had the fish tank torn apart and told me that he found their missing fish. One of the goldfish had gone missing 77 days earlier and was feared eaten by the other fish in the tank. Not so. This fish somehow got around the filter system and down into the bottom of the tank not seen by looking straight at it. Nick was overjoyed that he found the fish alive and was hell bent on rescuing it. In our joint effort, we were able to have a rescue mission of our own and saved the missing goldfish. It was another joyous day with our own relief effort in Brixton, South London.
The saving of the fish was the highlight of our day and because Nick needed to get his girls from school we knocked off the office at 2 p.m. Instead of going back to the the flat where I'm staying, I decided to go for a little shopping detour at H&M. Yes I know...I shouldn't have done it but I did very well as they were having a sale. After shopping for a wee bit, I decided to get some exercise and walk a little bit from Covent Gardens down to Picadilly Circus and then hop on the underground back towards Hackney. I was tired once I got home and realized maybe I did a little more walking than I thought I had. But I'm not going to complain about the exercise.
Today, nothing exciting happened. Just another day at the office with all the boys, except for Joe, in the house. I really enjoy all of the guys here in the office and really wish I could work with them on a daily basis. I will miss them so. After work, I hopped on the underground, transferred to the overground and then walked back to the flat for the night. It's been raining for a little bit now and I hope that it clears by tomorrow a.m. Tomorrow I plan on another tourist day where I visit the Temple Church and St. Paul's Cathedral. I only have a few items left to see on my list and will have covered quite a lot in my month here.
So goodnight and sweet dreams to all my friends and family back home. I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend. Cheers!
Tuesday and Wednesday I was back in the office working on the Trust Funding database. Not much to report for these days. I got up, took the transit to the office in Brixton, worked and went home.
For some reason I was tired from the day on Tuesday and just fixed myself some dinner and crawled into bed. I did get an article read for my research so that felt good...but then I was completely useless and watched BBC shows online.
Today was a little shorter of a day because I needed to come home and do some studying. I got what I wanted to get done on the database and tomorrow I switch back to looking into various child organizations for Street Action and my own research.
So...pretty uneventful days Tuesday and Wednesday. This weekend I plan to do some final site seeing and head out on Saturday night to my friend Marc's place of work. The old Turkish Baths I believe. I'm excited to go out since I had to cancel on him for Sunday's party. But I'm finally feeling normal again and ready to have a little bit of fun.
After being home sick for two days...I decided to take time this Monday and head out to Hampton Court Palace. It was an amazingly beautiful day, not a cloud in site for most of it. There was a good breeze going and I knew I should have taken my jacket but opted not to do so. Since I've been here, I've gotten too hot with my jacket and I just didn't want to carry it around if I got hot once again. It wasn't too cold, but there were moments throughout the day when I wish I had brought it.
Anyways...I headed out at around 11 a.m. and was on the train to Hampton Court at 12:06. For those of you who aren't familiar with Hampton Court Palace, it is a royal palace in the London borough of Richmond upon the Thames river. It was originally built by Cardinal Wolsey in 1514. When Wolsey fell from grace from King Henry VIII, the palace was passed over to the King where he expanded the original structure. A century later, King William III had a massive rebuilding and expansion project leaving the palace in two distinct architectural styles (1694), Tudor and Baroque. The palace is known for many historic events as well as being a retreat for royalty and for housing foreign dignitaries.
Okay, enough of the history lesson. If I don't stop now I will go on and on. I realize that not everyone shares my interest and fascination with court culture of early modern Europe. When I arrived via train, I had to walk across a bridge, over the river Thames. To your right, you're able to see some of the palace. As you approach, the view is amazing. Just by looking at the entrance, you know that you are looking at a grand architectural structure...you just don't realize how grand. The palace is massive, the garden grounds just as big.
You enter through the main gates into Base Court where all visitors were met. It's hard to believe that there are more gates to pass through to go deeper into the palace. The self-guided tour took you into the kitchen and oven areas to the wine cellar and food preparation areas. Unfortunately I couldn't access the Great Hall since it was sectioned off for school kids and eating their lunch. I was quite bummed at this because the Great Hall is quite massive and beautiful (from the pictures in the booklet). I was able to enter into the apartments where Henry VIII once stayed as did his queens. The woodworking on the walls and ceiling were amazing. I tried imagining what it must have been like during their times. Once you're done with the Tudor section of the palace, you travel into the Baroque section which is even more grandiose. King William III's apartments were ridiculous and grand. Queen Mary II's were also just as grand with views of the Privy Garden. After walking through the maze of rooms in these two apartments, I decided to go out onto the garden areas. The two largest gardens, the Privy Gardens and the Formal Gardens, were stunning and because it was such a beautiful day out, it made it even more beautiful. Following the gardens, I went into the Chapel Royal. The ceiling of this chapel is exquisite and breathtaking. It's one that can only be explained by looking at a picture to see the detailing of the paint. From there I was pretty much tired and ready to sit down and/or venture back to where I was staying. However...I knew that there was a garden maze on the property and I was not going to miss that. It was small, but fun nonetheless. When I was done with the maze, I needed to have a bite and rest my feet and back. So I headed to the tea room for a slice of carrot cake before heading back to the train for home.
I believe that it was about 4:30 p.m. when I headed back towards the train station. The day had been a complete success so far. Hampton Court Palace was all that I had expected and more. I waited for the 5:00 p.m. train and knew that I was going to hit rush hour and was prepared. What I was not prepared for...was the Underground trains going out of commission at Victoria street. Instead of waiting in a huge crowd of people I decided to go above ground and take a bus back to Hackney. The only problem, and I realized as I started walking to the bus stop, is that I was only familiar with the buses from the Euston station to take me back to North London. Oi! I figured if I just walked I would find a bus back to Hackney. So I walked, and walked, and walked. Finally I pulled out my bus map and realized I wasn't familiar with what buses went into Hackney. Luckily I'm very good with maps and I figured out where I was at and where I could catch one of the many buses back to where I needed to go.
FINALLY, I got back to the flat where I was staying only to have to move my stuff to my final place of residency. I'm back at the house where I spent my first week. Only one of the couples that lives there is in Australia visiting family so I am in their attic room. I'm very happy with this room as it has its own bathroom and shower and is much larger than the first room. The bed is quite comfortable as well :)
Exhausted from a full day of travel, walking and moving, I crashed hard and had a wonderful night's sleep.
Another day not going according to plan. I knew that I wasn't supposed to meet up with my friend Marc until about 4 or 5 p.m. so I chose to stay in bed and take a late morning, early afternoon nap before heading out. I thought that this additional sleep would help me feel better...but I was wrong!
Unfortunately I had to miss out on a kick ass warehouse party and some quality time with an old friend. The cold has moved a little into the chest with a little congestion still in my head. The back too is also still wonkey. I think that sitting in the old office chairs at the office aggravated the right, lower side of the back. Not to mention walking up stairs. So needless to say...I've been taking pain killers and muscle relaxers yesterday and today. Tomorrow I expect to be back up and running normally with just a few remnants of the cold. I off-shifted my Saturday plans to tomorrow and will head out to Hampton Court Palace then. As much as I want to get up into the London Eye...I'm okay if I don't make it. I still have three other countries to get to coming up so I'd rather save the money.
After canceling on my friend, I headed out to grab some lunch and a hot whiskey. How I love a hot whiskey or two when you're sick. They make you feel so much better it truly is amazing. Again I had chips for lunch and got a panini to go. Got lots more fluids as well and an ice cream cone. I've eaten like udder shit the last two days because I've been sick. Tomorrow, I'm back on the healthy kick. Can't continue to drop weight if I eat like a pig. LOL.
So with that...I sit here watching iPlayer on the BBC looking at some readings that I need to get through for my research. However, for some reason I doubt that I'll get to either one. Well...maybe I'll start one but I won't finish that's for sure. It's already 7:35 p.m. and I'm ready to go back to sleep. Damn I hate being sick when traveling.
Yesterday, Saturday, I was in full blown cold mode. The headache, gum ache, runny nose and sneezing. I had all the best intentions to not let this stupid thing get me down...but in the end I let it for the first part of my day.
I woke up somewhat miserable, but not so miserable that I couldn't get out of bed. For some reason...I was craving chips (french fries) and was hell bent on getting some. I knew of one place I could go, but decided to see if this pub around the corner was open. So I threw my sweats on and set out for a little walk. I was very much looking forward to this pub since they serve pub food and alcohol. I wanted very much to get a hot whiskey/whisky with lemon and honey while I waited for my food. Needless to say, I was quite bummed to see that they weren't open until 1:00 p.m. (it was only 11:00 a.m. when I got there).
So I scrapped that idea and kept walking towards this one street that has the amazing creperie. Not feeling like eating a crepe, I stood on the corner to see what else was available. In the way of chips...nothing! So I was forced to resort to some small fast food chicken place to get some fries and a chicken sandwhich. The fries were good, but the chicken sandwhich sucked big time. Over cooked and just kind of nasty. Why is it that American fast food is the best? Or do you think that when foreigners come to visit us in America think that our fast food is crap? Hmmmm, question to start asking. LOL. Anyways...I'm glad that I got the fried apple pie along with my meal because that was fantastic. Just like those apple pies at McDonald's and such.
Grabbing my food, I walked back to the flat, ate and crawled into bed. I needed one more good rest of an hour or more before I knew I would get restless. Sure enough, I woke up thinking "I can't let this whole day go to shit. Get up and get moving and do something." Not wanting to walk around Hackney again, I decided to get up, shower and hop on the trains to go to Buckingham Palace. Novel idea.
I got on the overground at 4:30 p.m. and headed down to Central London. The castle is at Green Park station with a wonderful walk through the park itself. My favorite part of the park is that you can sit in deck chairs and enjoy the sun and whatever else is going on. There were enough people out and about, but it wasn't extremely packed. I got to the castle after a short walk and was amazed by how huge the estate was. The gates to the park are locked, but absolutely gorgeous. I did my touristy bit and then decided to walk some more. Originally I wanted to walk down to Picadilly Circus to see the neon lights at dusk. But then I saw this structure and chose to walk the other way. As it turns out, the structure was the Wellington Arch. It was a nice little jaunt and to the right of the monument was the entrance to Kensington Gardens and Hyde park...so I decided to walk some more. To the left was Harrod's mall. I've been told I should go in there, but I was dressed pretty scrappy yesterday and decided not to. So I walked over to the park and walked around there a bit. As it started getting darker, I thought it would be a good time to get up to Picadilly Circus. So I hopped on the underground and stopped at Picadilly Circus.
Now Picadilly Circus is where all of the stage shows are, and on a Saturday night...the streets are pretty busy with tourists and locals alike. A little too much for my taste, but I thought that it would be perfect to see the lights at dusk. Dusk is a perfect time to be in the square. It was absolutely beautiful just as I had anticipated. I couldn't have asked for a better time to get there. Too many people though so I decided to find my way back to Hackney. But not before I spotted Cinnabons and got me a classic cinnamon roll. I was still feeling under the weather and thought that now would be a perfect time to head home.
After getting home, I did some laundry and then crawled into bed. Not the most exciting Saturday night, but at least I got out and did something and went walking for a few hours. The only problem was that once I got home my back was really irritated and uncomfortable. Not sure why...I didn't do anything that I know of to tweek it. Maybe walking up and down stairs is what did it???
Anyways...that was it for my Saturday. Gonna take it easy the first part of Sunday before meeting up with an old friend for some afternoon fun.
Again I've been bad and not blogging every day. This week, from Wednesday until Friday, was more or less uneventful and revolved around work.
Wednesday, I worked from the flat on the database most of the day, taking a walk in the afternoon to get some exercise in. I just started walking east through Hackney to get more views upon the borough in which I am currently living. Hackney, as I believe I have stated before, is an up and coming neighborhood and reminds me a lot like the Lower Haight area of San Francisco. Lots of poverty but nice houses interspersed here and there. I've been told that East London is probably the most diverse city in the world. Well, that's one of the things that I enjoy about it. I love how integrated it is here...everyone lives side-by-side. Not like in America. Compared to here, I still feel like we live in a rather segregated society. The whites live in their neighborhoods, the blacks theirs. The Chinese and Afghanis also have their neighborhoods...but not East London. It truly is a beautiful thing.
After my walk, I ended up getting a lamb something kind of sandwhich. I'm not sure what 'type' of take-away place this was, I just noticed the kabob sign and went in. The two guys working there were very funny and loved that I was from America. The Turkish kid wasn't as chatty as the Bulgarian, but they were chatty enough for us to have a good conversation and laughs. Such sweet people here in London.
Thursday I found my way back to the office to work with Nick and Paul for the day. I really do enjoy the office. Even though it is set up for Watering Can Media (Nick's other business), Street Action is housed out of there as well. These guys are great and I will be sad when I have to leave here and working with them. Ben is the other guy in the office but hasn't been in much due to his wife being ill.
I felt super tired by the end of the day on Thursday and I couldn't figure out why...until I woke up yesterday, Friday, and realized that I was coming down with the cold that everyone in the house had gotten. Rod and Vivi started getting sick on Tuesday and were in a full-blown cold by Tuesday night. When I woke up on Friday I could totally feel the symptoms coming on. However...I felt great otherwise so I stocked up on the o.j. and some cold stuff comparable to our Thera-flu. After work I went to the Chemist and got some zinc and vitamin C tablets (like Airborne). I was in bed fairly early last night...well early for me...only to awake at 4 a.m.
So here I sit, writing my blog for the last three days waiting for a tablet to dissolve in one mug and the Lemsip in the other. I will drink both mugs and head back to sleep for a few hours. I'm really glad that I'm not worse off with the flu on top of this making me stay in bed all day Saturday. I have a big day ahead of me. It's going to be nice out and I'm taking the journey down to Hampton Court Palace. For any of you who are familiar with the Tudors...this is one of King Henry VIII's massive palaces along the river Thames. I've very excited and will have tons of pictures I am sure.
So for those of you where it's only 8:30 p.m. I bid you goodnight and to sleep well. More to come from me tomorrow.
I realized before nodding off to sleep last night that I hadn't blogged for two days...shame on me...I'm so fired!
Anyways, after a very lazy Sunday recovering from the 'Our House' event the night before, I had a slow time getting up on Monday. Mondays are also a day off for me so Dave, my host for the week, took me for some errands and a drive around North London. All I can say, is that North London is beautiful. There are a lot more parks in this area since it's not so densely packed like is as you get closer to Central London. It's very easy to see how at one time all of the boroughs and neighborhoods were once small villages that came together as the population grew to what is now London.
Dave lives in Muswell Hill which is close to Crouch End (very popular in the 70s with musicians like Haight St. was in San Francisco) and Highgate. Muswell Hill and Crouch End are very nice neighborhoods which lead into the High Gate area which becomes very posh. We're talking where houses go for upwards of 10m pounds. Sting and other musicians of his popularity live in this area. The big houses were insane. I believe one of the houses that we saw was on of the Princes of Saudi Arabia. The statues outside were gold plated. It was like driving around in Beverly Hills.
We had two main stops in the Highgate area on Monday...Kenwood House and the Spaniards Inn. The Kenwood House was set upon a beautiful estate grounds which have since become public gardens and such. It's similar to Golden Gate Park in a way. The views from the house and surrounding grounds are amazing. I seriously felt like I had been taken back into the Victorian era. I've got some great pics up on FaceBook if you'd like to see the pics I took from there.
After walking around the Kenwood House grounds for a little bit, we headed over to the Spaniards Inn for lunch. The Inn dates back to 1585 and is famous for its ghosts as well as Dickens and Bram Stoker mentioning the place in their novels (I can't remember which Dickens novel but "Dracula" for Stoker). I had a ceasar salad that was just okay. I'm very picky about my ceasars and this was not one of the better ones. Problem was...I wanted a salad and this was the only one on the menu.
For dinner, Dave and I met his girlfriend Jill for dinner at one of the best fish and chips places in town...Toff's in Muswell Hill. I decided to try the haddock and I was not disappointed. My goodness I don't know that I want to have fish and chips again while I'm here for fear that it won't even come close to being that good. Toff's had spotted dick on it's menu and I wanted to try some so badly but didn't realize it was a hot dish. There was no way I could eat it at the restaurant and Dave said it probably wouldn't be as good to take away. So we stopped at the local mart and got some custard, biscuits and bread and butter pudding to make our own desert. Warm custard over crumbled shortbread biscuits with fresh raspberries was mighty tastey.
Yesterday, Tuesday...I was on the move again and back down to Hackney. But before moving locations, I got up and had a wonderful four mile walk. I left Dave's house and walked up to Alexander Palace Park. What a beautiful place in such a short distance. The view of London is spectacular as is the park itself. The Palace is not a real palace but kind of like an events center. It's where the BBC has its first transmission tower and some of their offices. There's a history behind the location that I'll have to further look up. For my move back to Hackney though...I'm staying with Rod and Vivi (Eden's folks) in a communal house. There are six rooms and a lounge to this flat. I find it quite interesting how common communal houses are here. What a fabulous idea. I mean I don't really know if we have many in the U.S., let alone S.F. but I love them. The rooms come furnished and you pay 10 pounds into groceries for each week. The room I'm staying in has its own shower and sink. But not all rooms have this, so there is also the shared shower and tow toilets. Every night at 7:30 p.m. they have communal tea and on Sundays communal prayer. I'm definitely going to look into getting a temporary assignment abroad and live in a place like this.
I knew I was going to love it out here. LOL. Only problem is that there are so many jobs in the International Development field that they are not paid very well here. I would do much better pay wise in the States. I mean I know that I am not in a field where I'm going to make a lot of money...and that's not why I'm getting this degree. But I at least need to be able to cover expenses and having my own place is a nice thing.
Today is a very lazy Sunday. The clouds are out with a little drizzle here and there. I was going to go to a couple of museums but woke with a wee bit of a hangover. Let's just say I was completely knackered last night :)
Yesterday evening was Street Action's music event called Our House. There were about five or six bands/solo artists who put on a small neighborhood concert to help raise money for an NGO called New Generation in Burundi. The Government has given land to New Generation and we, Street Action, are helping to raise 25k pounds to build the first of four houses on the property. That 25k will also sustain that house for the first year. The intentions are to have four houses total for the street kids as well as a school, garden and hopefully a guest house for volunteers and such. It's a big project but we're getting closer and closer to the goal. Last night we raised about 800 pounds ($1265 US Dollars). Not to mention the 10k pounds that have been raised when a group of people cycled from London to Brussells. A great cause...if you'd like to learn more, watch a short video from the Director of New Generations (a former street child himself), or even donate some money, please visit http://www.streetaction.org.
So anyways...yesterday day was spent preparing for the event with my host at the moment Dave de P. We left at about 4:30 p.m. to set up the equipment and the bar. I was supposed to be bar manager, but ended up being the bartender. Which was fine by me, I got to meet a lot of people that way. Now I decided that I should also help out with some money and ended up buying two bottles of wine. Hee hee. I totally forgot that I had only eaten soup and bread all day and well...I think you know where this is going.
The bands were amazing. All local London musicians. And I have to say that my new fave pop band, and I'm lucky to call them friends as well, is Lovers Electric. I really enjoy when you meet people and get to know them first before even realizing that they are very talented artists on the rise. All of the musicians were phenomenal and I plan on following them from here on out.
I had a fantastic laugh when I was shown how much, I mean how little, a shot of alcohol is. It's not even a full shot glass. A double still isn't a full shot glass. What are they thinking??? Needless to say...I had to show the WateringCanMedia boys (Paul, Nick and Steve) and Joe how to drink a real vodka cranberry. I think I made them a little too strong for their likes. It was quite funny. The Brits may be able to drink like fish and get crazy knackered...but the Americans...we don't f**k around. At least I don't. Ha ha ha ha.
We ended the event at 11 p.m. and were probably back on the road by 11:45 p.m. I feel terrible, because I was so drunk that I just grabbed the stuff I was carrying and went straight to my room and to bed. I remember trying to type a few things to people and just couldn't do it. I did have a pretty good laugh though when I woke up this morning with my laptop open and on sitting next to my feet. Hee hee. I must have gotten so bothered with trying to type that I just set it off to the side and laid down to sleep. Whoopsie.
Henceforth the lazy day today. My host had a chuckle when I saw him and I'm not sure if he knew how drunk I really was. S'all good, I'm recovered now...only had a headache when I got up. It's 4:18 p.m. now and I think I might jump in the shower and walk a few blocks to see what kind of food is up that way. So not in the mood to do any cooking.
Tomorrow should be a bit of a fun day of touring Muswill Hill. It's a beautiful neighborhood and I can't wait to see what North London has to offer. So until then...cheerio!
Today started off with all the right intentions. I intended to get up early and go from North London to Hackney to flyer for tomorrow night's music event. 1) Never send someone to flier who doesn't know the neighborhood. 2) London does not operate like SF when it comes to flyering for events. I had all the best intentions to get the leaflets out to cafes and other types of shops but it just didn't happen. They don't have tables for this type of stuff in London. Dave, the gentleman who I'm staying with at the moment, explained to me that there is SO much going on in London and its boroughs that people don't even bother with the flyers really. So needless to say, my flyering attempt was unsuccessful :(
After walking around and feeling a wee bit defeated, I made my way back to the overground and got to the underground and made it to the office at noon. Got situated there and assisted Joe in finding lodging accommodations for his trip to the States next week. That too did not go as expected and a few hours later we finally got it all squared away. That left me with about an hour to work on the database before packing up and heading back home to North London.
I don't know why...but I'm pretty tired tonight. I think my sleep pattern is finally back on track. Dave had dinner ready when I got home and we had baked potatoes, green beans and sausages with mango chutney. Mighty tasty I might add. After, Dave's band mates came over for a rehearsal before tomorrow's event. They're called the Grateful Dads and play an array of rock songs from different decades. Should be a fun event tomorrow. I've been made the bar manager and am responsible for cash drops through the night. Not far from what I'm used to doing for events (except for catering).
So now I'm getting ready to stock the cash drawers before popping in a DVD or streaming the BBC online. I really want to get up tomorrow and go for a nice, long walk...but that will depend upon the rain. It started to rain this week and tomorrow is supposed to be pouring. Hopefully next week it'll clear up a bit so that I can go and do a few more touristy things.
So with that...I say goodnight and sleep well to you. See you again online tomorrow.
Today was a pretty chill day spent working on the computer from Dave's flat. Been working on updating the 2010 Trust Fund database. I woke about 9:30 a.m. and just pretty much rolled out of bed and logged on to the computer. Had some connection issues so it wasn't the most productive day. However, the db was scrubbed and I've started populating it.
Tonight I'm watching BBC4 with some documentary style shows. First up was a show about the Tudors and art. Now I'm In Search of Medieval Britain. I'm pretty tired from not going to bed until late last night as well as my back acting up. It's almost 9 p.m. and I'm so ready to crawl into bed. All-in-all a pretty uneventful day. Tomorrow will be a busy one with an early rise. I need to flier Hackney for Saturday night's Street Action event before heading down to the office in Brixton...a good walking day for sure.
Today I assisted with the training of four young adults who will be traveling into South Africa and Burundi in the next couple of months representing Street Action. I assisted the Director Joe with misc. tasks and provided my own personal account and recommendations for when they travel to South Africa and work with the NGO Umthombo and street children in Durban. I think this is a great group of "kids" (I call them kids only because they are in their early 20s). I have to admit I am a wee bit envious of their journey because they will be in Durban, South Africa for about six weeks and then headed to Burundi to work with New Generation for another six weeks. This will be an experience that they will never forget and it was an honor to share in a portion of their training.
The training session was from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and I got a little lost getting there since the bus terminated earlier than I had expected. The London buses often terminate before your stop making you have to get off and then back on another bus on the same route (provided that those buses don't also terminate where you're waiting). The transit system here is amazing. But I'm still having a hard time not being turned around and knowing which way is N, S, E and W. They don't mark their maps indicating which way is which. It's still a little confusing with everything being on the opposite side as well. I can totally navigate the Underground and Overground, but the buses I'm still working on.
Okay, enough about my transit rant. So today's main focus was on the volunteers training. After, we all went to the University bar/lounge and had a pint before everyone went their separate ways, most going home. Not me. Nope...I went to a lecture given by the Royal African Society addressing the legacy of the World Cup 2010 in South Africa. This was also at the University of London and started at 6:00 p.m. It was a great lecture with three speakers from the media field. It'll be interesting to see if the legacy is positive or negative in the long run economically and socially.
After the lecture, it was pouring rain. I didn't mind except I wore the wrong pants and didn't bring my jacket out today. My cotton lounge pants got soaked as I walked to the bus stop and it got a little chilly without the jacket. The past week I have been bringing my jacket with me not knowing how cold it might get and I end up sweating my butt off. So today I said no more. I'd rather be cold than an icky, sweaty mess. For once it would have come in handy. LOL. So the story goes.
I popped in to a burger joint to have some dinner before heading back to North London where I'm staying. No, I didn't have a burger but a grilled chicken, bacon and avocado sandwich. No more burgers until I get home I swear. I don't want the disappointment. I knew that my host wouldn't be home so I took my time. Dave, my host, has been so kind in making dinner and breakfast each day and when I got in he had left me a small bottle of wine (enough for a glass) to finish my day. He's the kindest man and I really enjoy chatting with him. He worked for Shell Oil for 25 years and it really has been refreshing to get his side of how the industry works.
Anyways...so now I'm ready to head off to bed. I've been dicking around on Google chat for the last couple of hours and now it's well past midnight. Tomorrow is a low-key day for me. We have a music fundraiser on Saturday night so tomorrow I need to go back to Hackney and put out some fliers for the event. Should be another good walking day. I'm hoping though, seriously hoping, that it won't be raining. Please, please, please oh weather gods. Once I'm done I'll probably head back to North London and work on some database data for Street Action. If not, then I'll work on my french and research for my thesis.
So far this has been a fantastic trip. It was well worth it and I'm getting even more excited about getting my thesis done and back into the working field...especially in my field of study. If only I could find my way to London and get a job out here. I really do like it here. It's a fast-paced city with such educated and experienced people. It is exactly where I want to be career wise. Who knows what the future holds for this crazy and passionate Cali girl? Whatever it will be...it will be something fulfilling and exciting that will not only make myself proud but my parents and family even more proud (not sure if that's possible right now though with my parents).
