Art history trip to Kenwood House in Hampstead, more time with my parents, and attractions near St. Paul's (including protesters!!)

 What a great few days it has been! Before I went on this trip everyone who had already been to London kept telling me that there is so much to see here that they didn't have time to do all they wanted, and now I totally understand - even though I've been here for two months, every week I discover more and more bits of London.
A few days ago my Art History class took a field trip to Hampstead, a more suburban neighborhood (for the Bostonians - it's kind of like Beacon Hill but even more residential), to see Kenwood house, a huge summer mansion that houses many works of art. The mansion was in the middle of a beautiful park (I believe it's part of Hampstead Heath, Hampstead's famous park area). It was so nice to only have gone fifteen minutes away from my dorm in the rush of the city and be in such a peaceful, serene place. My parents and I wet back to Hampstead the next evening to walk around and have dinner. The buildings there are beautiful and it has plenty of yummy food and cute shops (we were talking to the cashier in one of the shops and turns out her cousin lives in Sharon! Small world!). A great place to take a break from city life but still get the London feel! After Hampstead my parents and I walked around St. Paul's and somehow ended up at Westminster, so we went on the London Eye and got to see London all beautifully lit up at night!

leading up to Kenwood House

Zoe and Barbra climb a tree

pretty lake :)

Kenwood House!

Maria and I

Hampstead

My mom and I at dinner in Hampstead :)

St. Paul's Cathedral at night

Me and my parents on their last night in London

Today my friend and I walked around the area near St. Paul's Cathedral, consisting mostly of the financial district of London. Fist we visited an adorable old fashioned candy shop (one could seriously just write a blog on England's yummy chocolate and candy alone!), and then we went to the original Twinings tea store, the one first opened by the Twining family when they first started their tea business. SO many different types of tea in that place, heaven for tea-lovers! Then we stopped at the Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Tavern, the oldest pub in London! It's been there since 1667, and apparently Charles Dickens was a frequent guest there! It has a very Colonial Williamsburg feel to it (I know the comparison is ironic but that was the first thing that came to mind when I stepped in!)...it has many little, cozy rooms with low ceilings and narrow staircases. There were barely any tourists in there so it was a great place to talk to locals...as I've said before, every one here is so friendly! By the way, this was on Fleet Street - like Sweeney Todd, the daemon barber of Fleet Street!

Alexandra and I in front of the original
Twining tea store :)

so much tea!

Oldest tavern/pub in London!

Inside the tavern

Worth mentioning separately - just like Occupy Wall Street in New York, frustrated Londoners have begun Occupy LSX (London Stock Exchange) right at St. Paul's, so Alexandra and I really got to have a good look at what was going on. Never in my life have I seen dozens and dozens of tents set up, with protestors using megaphones and crazy signs all over the place. (Some REALLY crazy signs). Even though most of it was kind of exaggerated and ridiculous, it was interesting to walk through one of the protest locations of the recent protests worldwide against banks and corporations.

V for Vendetta mask....creepy!!!

Tents and more tents....

Tomorrow is a homework day, which means finally starting to research for my history essay...the effects of WWI on Britain! 

xoxo,

Sarah

19th birthday in london!

Since my parents are here for the week, the night before my birthday my parents and I went to see Billy Elliot and it was INCREDIBLE. The set design and the dancing was really great, and the entire musical was just so captivating. When I first saw the movie I didn't know anything about the historical background of what was going on in England in the 1980s so this time it was a lot more interesting to watch.

My mom and I in the theater :)

Luckily my birthday fell on a day when most of my friends and I didn't have any classes, and thanks to my wonderful friends here I was really able to have an incredible birthday in London. And what better excuse to experience a truly British afternoon tea than for a birthday? We found a very nice afternoon tea place on Oxford Street that looked out on a beautiful small garden and we had the most delicious scones and cute sandwiches and little desserts. Afternoon tea is such a good idea. Later we walked around Oxford and Regent streets (kind of reminded me a little bit of 5th Ave in Manhattan). Definitely a very busy, crowded, lively area of London! After our day in the city we went to the Notting Hill dorm where I was greeted by a yummy chocolate cake because, once again, my friends here sure know how to plan a great birthday celebration!

Emily and I at afternoon tea :)

too cute. and that pink thing on top (they call those macaroons here - but not like the passover ones!)
was the most heavenly dessert I have ever
had in my entire life.

Barbara, Alisha, Lisa, Kira, Miriam, and Emily
enjoying their tea and scones :)

Alisha and I on Oxford Street

Birthday cake!

Again, thanks to all my amazing London friends for such a great day! You are all the best! And thanks for my amazing Sharon friends for those packages I got in the mail! I could not have asked for a better birthday!!!

xoxo,

Sarah

The British Library, The Feeling in concert, and a day with the parents

I feel like I haven't blogged in forever! Now that classes and homework are in full swing, I've been spending many hours at the British  Library, apparently one of the biggest libraries in the world! You're not allowed to check books out there, so what you do is you reserve them and then read them right in the reading rooms. A lot of the texts I need for my classes I have to find on my own and since the British Library is only about 10 or 15 minutes away by bus from my dorm, it's a very convenient place to get my reading and any other work done. The reading rooms are divided by subjects and I usually find myself in either the humanities or social sciences reading room. The British Library is always filled with studious, intelligent-looking people doing research at the desks in the reading rooms and it always puts me in an academic mood. Plus, even if you go there with friends you still can't get distracted because it's so quiet that it's impossible to even quietly whisper without disturbing the people next to you.

The British Library

On Friday night, as a nice break from studying, some friends and I went to see The Feeling, a new British rock band, in concert and it was a really fun cultural experience! My camera died before the band even came on stage but here's a link to one of their more well-known songs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThCE4hf73J4&ob=av2e

Kira and I at the concert

The opening act on stage

Yesterday I spent the day with my parents who are visiting and staying with my cousins. I was so happy to see them!! We started out at Portobello market and then made our way through Hyde Park towards Harrods, and then walked around Picadilly Circus and Convent Garden. All the photos are on my mom's camera, so I guess this is it for now.

xoxo,

Sarah

The Phantom of the Opera!

Last night my friend Barbara and I went to see The Phantom of the Opera, a musical I had been dying to see for several years now. When I was little I listened to Broadway songs all the time so I've always known the music from Phantom but had never actually seen the play. We had great seats and the musical was incredible! Even better than I thought it would be! The scenery and costumes were so well done and the cast was phenomenal. I was so thrilled to finally see some of my favorite Broadway songs come to life. The world of theater definitely thrives here in London. I still really want to see Billy Elliot, Les Mis, and maybe Wicked if I have time. I love that now when I'm bored on a Tuesday evening (and if homework is more or less done) I can just go get discounted tickets to see a musical in a crowded theater and walk around a city late at night when people are just getting ready to go out.
After the show Barbara and I walked around the West End (Leicester Square and Picadilly Circus area) and stumbled upon our favorite bakery chain where we each had a delicious cup of hot chocolate. Even on a Tuesday night the city was bustling with people exploring London and having a great time. And just like in Times Square, there are so many lights glowing in the theater district that it makes it seem like it's almost daylight.
Anyways, The Phantom of the Opera is now definitely one of my favorite musicals. So good!!!! Today and tomorrow are homework days, and on Friday my parents are coming to visit!
xoxo,
Sarah

Finally!

Our theater

Yummm

Yom Kippur in London

On Friday night my friends and went to a beautiful Kol Nidre service at the New London Synagogue. The men prayed on the main level of the sanctuary and the women sat in the balcony, many of them whispering (probably gossiping :) ) to one another. The synagogue has a choir that sings along with the cantor and it really was so lovely to listen to. Kol Nidre is my favorite service so I’m glad we found such a nice place to go for it.

We went back there on Saturday morning. The synagogue was packed with people, none of whom I knew which, honestly, made me miss the congregation I belong to back home. The people at the synagogue here are very friendly, though, and it’s always fun to meet some new people. The rabbi’s sermon was quite good and thought-provoking, and the Yizkor service done by the choir was so beautiful. 

Saturday night was a whole other experience. The staff on our trip got an email from an orthodox congregation that was planning a community break fast that the students from our program were more than welcome to come to, so we thought that since it was supposedly a lot closer to our dorm we’d try it out. We thought we’d go there for the Neilah service, the conclusion of Yom Kippur, and then stay for the break fast and see what the congregation was like. It was at a Chabad house, and even though we had the address we couldn’t find it anywhere. We tried asking for directions at a hotel we passed, but that didn’t work out well because when we asked where the South Kinseington Chabad house is, or where the closest synagogue is, the receptionist looked at us blankly and replied, “is that a pub?” We were roaming the streets of South Kensington for an hour before we came to what we were almost positive was the Chabad house. We were debating ringing the doorbell or just walking in and then a couple, probably in their fifties, came out the door. We asked them if this was the Chabad and they clearly had absolutely no idea what we were talking about. “Is this the Jewish synagogue?” We really thought it was the right address. The woman was clearly pretty shocked at our question and replied, “No, this isn’t the place you are looking for....this is actually the Palestinian House, so...” and then she and her husband left and we stood there, starving and totally lost. Although we completely missed the service, we did eventually find the Chabad house...except it wasn’t a Chabad house or a congregation, it was sort of like a Jewish Student Union organization in a study abroad center and it was overall kind of a let down. We left the break fast early and decided to really break fast at a gorgeous little bakery we found.

Anyways, despite the nice services and various adventures of the weekend, there's nothing like spending the high holidays at home with friends and family. So once again, Shanah Tovah to all my friends and family back in Boston, can't wait to see you all in December!

The National Gallery and The National Theater!

On Wednesday my friend and I finally made our way to the National Gallery to do an assignment for our art history class. The museum was incredible! So many famous paintings! Most famous of which is probably Van Gogh's sunflowers. And as in so many other historical sights and museums, there were many paintings here that I remember looking at in my European history class. The gallery is located right in Trafalgar Square, a huge square commemorating different army heroes. It's right in the heart of London but it's still fairly quiet and calm. Standing at the entrance of the gallery you can see Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, it's such a beautiful view. For lunch we went to a cafe one my my history teachers from Sharon High recommended I go to. It was hidden underground in the crypt of a church, but it was still pretty crowded. Lots of yummy vegetarian food. :)

The National Gallery

View of Big Ben from Trafalgar Square  

Trafalgar Square

yum :)

Last night a group of us went to the National Theater to see a play called "The Kitchen" by Arnold Weskler. It was set in a kitchen of a restaurant in the 1950s, and didn't really have a concrete plot but just followed the daily routine of various characters. It was a bit strange but very well done!
Plans for the weekend: Yom Kippur services!
xoxo.
Sarah

Boat dance on the Thames River and other wanderings

Last night our entire trip and other students from City University spent the evening on the Thames River, dancing on a boat while taking in the beautiful sights of London at night. The weather was perfect, and there's nothing like seeing Bit Ben and the London Eye all lit up, it never gets old!

My friends and I as we just got on the boat

Me, Brian, and Emily :) 

Kira, Sarah, Lisa, Barbara, Me, Megan, and Alexandra

Sarah and Sarah :) 

Casey, Barbara, Kira, Lisa, Alexandra, Megan, Emily, Me, and Sarah
in front of the London all lit up!

My favorite view :)  

Rebecca, Liz, and I

Megan, Barbara, Alexandra, and I in front of Tower Bridge 

Tower of London at night!

That night I slept over at the Noting Hill dorm and the next day my friend Barbara and I went to explore. We walked through the street with all the embassies and ended up on Kensington High Street where we went shopping and had lunch a one of London's many cute cafes. One our way back to the dorm we walked through Kensington Gardens and accidentally came upon Kensington Palace...only in London can you be on a casual walk through the park and run into a castle!

Barbara at our lunch/afternoon tea :)

Barbara and I in front of Kensington Palace

On Sunday, as part of our Art History assignment, we finally made our way to the British Museum! I thought it would be a lot of paintings and sculptures, but instead it was a collection of things Britain had collected from it's great empire and beyond. It was really interesting, another great place for history majors! From pieces of the parthenon to beautiful displays of Chinese jade to statues of Buddhas and Hindu gods, you really learn a lot walking through this huge museum.

The British Museum!

The actual ROSETTA STONE! 

The hall with everything Britain has from the Parthenon

Me in front of the Hindu gods Shiva and Vishnu 

Statue of Ramses III

Napoleon's death mask

Russian Revolution plate

Other than all that, we've all been very busy with homework. I finally got my first creative writing assignment (besides reading Anna Karenina, which is coming along...slowly but surely). My media class is the only class where not all the students are abroad students, and most of the British students are a lot older, so Media is definitely going to my most difficult class.
Five of my friends and I have begun planning a trip to Paris for a weekend in November...so exciting! We also have a Scotland trip coming up in a few weeks that we signed up for through our study abroad program. And if all goes smoothly then hopefully I'll be able to visit Dublin sometime soon as well! I can't wait to explore Europe!
xoxo,
Sarah