Turned Right at Greenland

This morning, we woke up and headed out as early as we could. We planned a full day before our train back to London.

We started off by taking the bus to Rue Clichy, which is right near the Moulin Rouge. By the time we got there, we were in desperate need of something caffeinated, so we grabbed a quick coffee (with out backs to the Moulin Rouge). The purpose of our trip, however, was not to see the club, but to climb up to Montmarte, a large hill in the north of Paris, just north of Moulin Rouge. At the top of this hill is a lovely church, and picturesque town-like section of the city, and breathtaking views of the whole of Paris. It was an uphill hike along winding cobble-stoned roads. It was incredibly beautiful, and the top of the mount was amazing! Montmarte and Jardin Du Luxembourgh tie as my favorite places in Paris. Please look at the pictures, because my explanations won’t do justice, and if every you have the chance, you should definitely visit Montmarte. It is really magical.

We then climbed back down, and walked about, back to the Moulin Rouge. We found one of the new public toilets of Paris, which is entirely automated, and speaks very rapid, very mechanical French. I was terrified of being trapped in the pod.

We had a late lunch in the area at the foot of Montmarte, and then hopped on a bus for a long, yet wonderful ride back. The bus passed right next to the Louvre, the Paris Opera House, and other landmarks of Paris.

In the afternoon, Valeria drove us to the train station, and decided to give us a guided tour of some of places in Paris that we didn’t get to see. I’ll post more information in the captions to the photos I took, because It is a lot of little information, and a little hard to explain without the visuals.

We took the train for Paris, and arrived in London a little while ago. And that was our weekend in Paris 🙂

Today was a really nice day. We managed to get ourselves out of bed a little earlier than yesterday. We had coffee and headed out.

We took the subway today, the number 13 line to the number 12 to the Musèe D’Orsay. It was absolutely fantastic. I’ve been warned by many not to go to the Louvre, just because it would be impossible to see it all (never in one go, never in a three-day trip). So instead, we went to D’Orsay, which is an amazing place. It used to be a train station, of the likes of Grand Central. The building is incredibly beautiful and spacious, but the art is incredible. They have an amazing collection of works from around the 1700s onwards to about the early 1900s. The work spans the neoclassical, romantic, symbolism, impressionism, expressionism, post impressionism, pointillism, fauvism, art nouveau. Art Nouveau is one of my favorite styles of art. It is fluid and natural, made up of vines, leaves and flowers, all stylized, all brightly colored. It is a gorgeous period of art that I don’t often see (which made me so happy to also get to see the art nouveau subway entrance in Paris…please check out the pictures once I get to a stable enough internet connection to upload everything.

Unfortunately, photography was strictly forbidden in the museum, but I will post links to some of the images of the artwork. There was a huge collection of the works of Van Gogh, who I also love, Manet, Monet, Corbet and so many others. I loved this museum. If you ever find yourself in Paris, you should go.

Our next step was finding lunch. We did so in a supermarket of sorts where we purchased some sandwiches from the “prepared food” section. We walked across the Seine and had lunch on a park bench directly across from the Louvre. We got to enjoy the building, while not actually getting to see it at all. Perhaps someday, I will come back to Paris and see the Louvre.

We waited for the bus across the street from the Louvre, and went to Père Lachaise Cemetery to visit Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Frederick Chopin, Sarah Bernhardt, Moliere, La Fontain, Pissarro and Bellini. It was a nice change of pace from running around to wandering through the cemetery. It sounds really weird, but it was a peaceful place, with winding roads, hills and staircases, and picturesque scenes. We got to pay our respects to some of the great names of history and the arts.

Our next stop in our travels was to hop on the metro again to visit Bercy, a relatively modern section of Paris. We crossed the new bridge to the new library building, featuring four towers that are said to look like opened books. We walked along the Seine back to Notre Dame, stopping along the way at Paris’s Botanical Garden at the Museum of Natural History. We walked amongst the flowers and trees for a while, and just enjoyed the sunny Saturday in Paris.

We then meandered along the various book and poster sellers along the Seine, and eventually found our way back to the Jardin du Luxembourg, which has easily become our favorite place in Paris. Maybe it is too soon to say what our favorite place in Paris is, as we really have only seen two days worth of Paris, but it is such a lovely area. The park portion is really beautiful and serene, not like the tourist-full park near the Eiffel Tower, and the Medici fountain is so serene and pleasant. There are also many ducks, and today we got to see ducklings! We fed them some pieces of bread left over from lunch, and also ended up feeding the rather aggressive fish. The fish actually raced the ducks for the bits of breadcrumbs. We had dinner near Jardin du Luxembourgh…finally French food, crepes with potato, cheese and egg.

We then headed back, because we were absolutely exhausted.

I am sorry for the delay. I will be posting all of the blog posts from this weekend (as separate entries) at the same time, because my internet access has been dodgy the past few days.

We arrived in Paris late last night. After getting off of the train, we took the metro to Alesia and walked till we got to Valeria’s house. Valeria is a friend of the family, and has graciously agreed to let us stay with her for the weekend.

Her house is really cool. She told us it used to be a stable, so the bedrooms are in lofts accessed by narrow staircases. It has such a lovely feel to it. We crashed when we got here last night at 1 pm Paris time. I woke up late this morning, so we got a late start, and set out around 11.

We took the bus to the Jardin du Luxembourg, and walked around the beautiful garden/park. We then walked to the Pantheon, which was nearby (obviously not the one in Rome, but the one in Paris) Victor Hugo, Marie Curie and other famous French citizens were buried in this church. We didn’t go in, because we were planning on visiting Notre Dame, and wanted to be there to hear it strike the hour. It was also really expensive.

We winded through the streets of Paris until we came upon the Seine, directly across from the island on which Notre Dame is located. We then went into the cathedral which was absolutely amazing. The animated Hunchback of Notre Dame doesn’t do it justice. Seeing the stained-glass windows lit up was just breathtaking.

After walking around the cathedral, we stayed in the square in front of the Cathedral and watched tourists and little children feed bread to sparrows from their outstretched hands while the pigeons looked on sadly.

We then went off in search of food. We found a lovely Lebanese cafe, and I had a falafel sandwich. Afterward, we walked along the south side of the river Siene, talking and laughing, but apparently looking extremely touristy because we were stopped by TWO people who attempted to pick our pockets via the whole “did you drop this golden ring?” scheme. We answered “NO!” and walked away. Thereby protecting our personal possessions.

We visited the Eiffel Tower, which was a beautiful structure, but between the drizzly weather, the fact that it seemed to be in the process of being repainted, the the machine-gun bearing soldier/police folk, the swarms of determined tourists and the multi-hour wait, we ended up not going to the top. We then headed across the river, found New York Avenue, and went up to the Arc De Triumph, and walked the Av des Champs-Elysees back to the river and across. We winded through the streets in the south bank again, until we happened upon a “Paul” bread, coffee and pastry shop, had some badly needed coffee and a croissant. We ate in a nearby square and were soon surrounded by a sea of pigeons and sparrows. We fed our crumbs to the birds…the sparrows actually ate out of our hands. We made sure the pigeons got to eat some since they didn’t seem to be well-fed at all.

We then walked back to the Jardin du Luxembourg, and stayed there for a little while, resting out aching feet, and people watching. We ended up sitting by the fountain Medici, where we watched the fish eating cigarette butts. We grabbed some dinner in a local Chinese restaurant. Did I mention how difficult it is to communicate in French when one cannot speak it? My biggest complaint about Paris thus far is that I cannot speak French.

We took the bus back to Valeria’s from the Jardin du Luxembourg. We found our way pretty quickly, but were completely unable to open the door to her apartment for a good 20 minutes. Eventually just as the panic started to set in, it clicked and we were saved.

Goodnight from Paris 🙂

-Natalia

As we were really tired from yesterday, and as our classes start tomorrow, we decided to take it easy today…and by easy I mean we decided to visit Sunday Markets in the crowded noon sunny heat.

We were burned the first time when we set off in search of Brick Lane, but after doing a bunch of research, we found a ton of different markets near Liverpool Street Station (On the Central Line). This was a lucky coincidence as the Hammersmith and City, Circle and Metropolitan tube lines were all down this weekend, and Piccadilly to Central at Holborn station is a pretty easy transfer.

The markets were really interesting places, where they sold everything from fresh fruit and veggies, prepared food, hardware equipment, rare books, vinyl albums, vintage clothing, second hand clothing, handmade clothing, artistic clothing, furniture, Victorian shutters and floorboards, photographs from the early to mid 1900s, ukuleles, candy, coconuts and fresh coconut water, marionettes, handmade organic soap, EVERYTHING you could possible imagine….rusted WWII pocket knife? You got it. Authentic 1950s tablecloths, yes! Tea sets that survived the blitz? Check! Everything and anything. If it weren’t for the heat and the crowds, it would have been spectacular…the sheer amount of interesting stuff we saw! I splurged today, in that I bought an Agatha Christie novel at a second-hand rare book stall, two posters, some more souvenirs for my family, and some candy. We had lunch in one of the food stalls at one of the markets (actually on Brick Lane). It was really deliciously spicy and fresh…nothing at all like mall food which makes me completely sick. The people actually cook it right in front of you, which is awesome. I really wanted to take a ton of pictures, but between 1. the crows, 2 the bright sun, 3. the heat, and 4. the different shops and stalls that forbid photography, I really didn’t have a chance.

To get an idea of what it was like, look at the photos I took of Brick Lane in week 1. Now imagine the streets full of stalls on either side, sort of like the Union Square market, but featuring everything you could possibly imagine for sale. Now imagine the smells of curry and spices, wasabi, soy sauce, fruits and veggies, soaps and candies. Now imagine the clash of sounds of people talking and laughing in hundreds of languages, with each stall playing different music, street performers and bands and applauding. Now fill the photos with people…like the number of people trying to cram themselves into a packed rush-hour subway train. And that was our day at the Sunday markets. A little hectic and overwhelming, but an incredible experience.

We got back to campus around six, leaving us with enough time to grab a quick dinner before the start of the WORLD CUP FINAL!!!

We headed to the common room, where once again, everyone tried to cram themselves in to try and watch the game. The room was pretty evenly divided between supporters of the Netherlands and of Spain. we all cheered and shouted and clapped, while we were seated all higgledy-piggledy over each other on couches, bean bag chairs, the coffee table, and the floor, and it was great fun, especially shout-explaining the rules to people who didn’t understand over the cheering laughing and sheer insanity. After sticking around to discuss the match with each other, those of us with morning class tomorrow headed back to the dorms to get to sleep, while the rest seem to be still celebrating (or mourning) Spain’s victory…in somewhat loud voices, and song…in the courtyards…so, sleep might not be an option after all.

Tomorrow is the first day of my class. I am excited to begin, but also a little bit nervous. I wonder what classes are like here. I am also a little nervous because I haven’t yet met a single person here who is taking my class. It might be a good thing because it will give me a chance to expand my horizons and talk to people I haven’t met yet. I just would feel a lot better heading into a class knowing at least one person there. I will definitely miss having “free exploration time” of the city. We will try to get out as much as possible to do as much as possible, but it will be a lot more difficult now that classes are starting. Ah well, all in due time.

Love luck and lollipops,

-Natalia

I grew up addicted to fiction stories, especially ones that involved mystery, myth and folklore, especially regarding the British Isles. I was always interested in the stories of King Arthur, his knights and Merlin; of fairies, leprechauns, mermaids and giants. From a young age, I’ve been dying to see Stonehenge for all this folklore and magical this background.

When I began to study art, we learned about Stonehenge in detail when studying prehistoric European art. I learned how they think it was made and for what purpose, but the place always had a ring of magic to it. Comedian Eddie Izzard’s bit on Stonehenge only “cemented” (ooof, bad pun, I know) my desire to see this amazing monument and feat of human’s willpower and intelligence. “Art is what makes us truly human” says the Museum of Natural History back home in New York. For its magic and its history, I so wanted to visit Stonehenge.

And I got to. And it was AMAZING. EVEN THOUGH we had to sit in traffic on a bus for over two hours. Even though because of the time we lost in traffic, we only got to stay at Stonehenge for 45 minutes, even for all these reasons, it was still worth it. Our guide was brilliant, and warned us that some people in our group would look at Stonehenge and say “so what, it’s a big pile of rocks”…but looking at it, just meditating on the fact thousands of years ago, people dragged humongous rocks, weighing anywhere from 5-20 TONS, from WHALES to Salisbury plain….it is really awe inspiring. It made me feel so incredibly small, no matter what we achieve today with modern technology, look what we (and I use the term “we” very loosely here) were able to DO… It is just really awe inspiring.

After Stonehenge, we piled back into the bus and drove a bit further through the gorgeous gentle hilly countryside of London, into the Mendip hills to Bath, which is a little Jewel of a city, about 3 hours west of London. Bath is one of the earliest examples of city planning. It was first founded by the Romans. As they were building a road through the area to get to the sea, they happened upon the hot springs located in Bath, and they built Baths there, from whence Bath got its name. After the Romans left, the area was forgotten in Medieval times. The Normans built a new bath in the area, followed by a Georgian Bath, when a large Georgian town was built on the spot. Bath is a perfectly preserved Georgian town in England, in a region of countryside that is completely unmarred by industry. All that I could see were gently rolling hills covered with green pasture and light farming, patches of trees and small lazy villages spread throughout. It was so cool! I love the city so very much, but having a chance to see this world was unforgettable. Bath was an incredibly beautiful place. Most foreign students decided on the spot that their goal in life was to buy a Georgian house and live in Bath.

It was a really wonderful day.

I got home completely exhausted, which is why I’m writing this post now instead of yesterday. I hope you enjoy the pictures, even though they don’t even give the slightest feel for what it was like to see this view all around…wow.

-Natalia

This morning we got a bit of a late start because of last night’s festivities. We headed out to explore The Strand and Fleet Street, which is essentially one large street that runs from Trafalgar Square to New Bridge Street (Blackfriars Bridge) We headed up and down this area for a while, grabbed lunch here, and finally got to have English tea in the afternoon (though without the finger sandwiches and tarts, because we were still pretty full from lunch).

We visited the “City Living” exhibit in the Somerset house, and then went to the National Gallery, which was purely amazing. I love art, and the National Gallery is full of so many of the most famous, most beloved paintings in history, that it is breathtaking. As I mentioned in my first post, I saw the Arnolfini Wedding Portrait by Jan Van Eyck, Monet’s Water Lilies, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Turner’s landscapes, some of Leonardo DaVinci’s sketches! Just thinking about it all brings a smile to my face. So much amazing art! I could spend years there, and still want to see more!

Unfortunately, we went relatively late in the afternoon, and as it was really really hot and sunny today, and as we were still exhausted from last night, we left the museum, took the tube (I fell asleep on the tube) back to campus and had dinner. Tomorrow we have to be out waiting by the Student Union for the bus that will bring us to Stonehenge and Bath at 8:30 AM. I am really looking forward to it! I’ve always wanted to see Stonehenge, and I have heard so many wonderful things about Bath, that I’d really like to see it.

All the best,

-Natalia

We explored the seven dials today, which is a point where seven roads intersect near Covent Gardens. It is a lovely area, full of boutique shops, cafes, restaurants, and everything in between.

It was a lovely day to explore. We walked all the way back to the British museum looking for a tea shop in one of the books we’ve found. We were hoping to have traditional afternoon tea for a late lunch. Of the two places listed, one no longer served tea (its now a shop in which one can buy tea leaves of every imaginable type flavor, as well as accessories, like tea pots, cups, cozies, strainers, timers, etc. It’s fantastic!) the other was in a rather ritzy hotel and the cost of the tea and teatime treats was way beyond our budget. We returned to Seven Dials and ate at a Vegetarian Cafe there. I had delicious vegetarian pizza! (Which happened to be located directly across from the former MONTY PYTHON residence!)

We then walked to the Sir John Soane museum and got to see the amazing exhibit there. Unfortunately, no photography was allowed inside the museum. John Soane collected a bunch of different famous artworks and relics, like Hogarth’s The Rake’s Progress. He wanted his home to become a free museum upon his death. It was a wonderful place, both to see all the artwork, and to see the house itself which is really impressive, especially since every last inch of it is covered in artwork, casts, sculpture and relics.

We then left central London for campus for a wonderful student event that was much anticipated and much talked about for everyone in the program:

The Summer Circus Ball!

We all came back to campus and changed into our smart clothes, and then, at 8:00 PM, we headed to the picnic area behind the student union for a BBQ dinner. There was music and dancing in the student union, as well as candy floss/cotton candy, balloon animals, popcorn and acrobats. At 11:00PM there was a FIRE SHOW in the picnic area. It was incredible, and followed by more dancing.

All in all it was an amazing day. Please check out the pictures, as my descriptions do not do the day justice.