Hola Barcelona: A Weekend Away from London

This past week was the end of our first two classes followed by a lovely "holiday" in Barcelona for me and a few friends. By Thursday, our final papers and tests had been taken and it was time to get ready for our Barcelona excursion. The good thing about London is that it is not too far from European countries and so we are able to travel many different places while we are studying here. The trip to Barcelona was my first time leaving London and it came at a perfect time. The weather has been unusually hot as I've mentioned before but when we left for Spain on Friday, it was starting to rain so we were able to get away and enjoy Spain's naturally hot climate and then return to a cooled down London.

We arrived in Barcelona at about 6:30pm, it is an hour ahead of London so that makes it six hours ahead of America! We had a delicious dinner of various tapas including chorizo and risotto along with artichoke chips; those were the best thing I have ever eaten! Although it was pretty late by the time we settled into the hostel and went to eat, the restaurants were still crowded because they eat so late there. Afterwards, we went to a beach bar and were informed that people tend to stay out all night. The beach was packed with people, some swimming, some just hanging out. I had a sort of eye opening moment that night when I realized that I was in Spain and I just relished in the thought that I had never thought I would end up there. It was one of those moments that you just think about the rest of the world and all the people in it and I felt that a lot of things became clear to me. Part of the reason that I had this moment is the fact that Spain is absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. Each site that we visited was more beautiful than the next. London is amazing and historic, but Spain has so many amazing views and places that really make you think.

Crowded Barcelona beach at 4am.

On Saturday morning, we went to a local market near our hostel and grabbed some food for a picnic on the beach. We got to the beach and it was already pretty packed but luckily we found an umbrella and were able to enjoy our picnic. Realizing that we were in Europe quite quickly based on the fact that some women were topless and completely nonchalant about it. The ocean water is so blue that it seems almost unreal. It was funny to think that we were on that very same beach not too many hours prior and the only difference was that the sun wasn't out, there were just as many people.

The same beach as 4am, now at noon.

Gaudi Museum.

After enjoying our stay on the beach, we went to the Gaudi museum. Anyone who has seen Vicky Christina Barcelona (I watched it for the first time in preparation of my trip) would recognize the artist's remarkable work. Many buildings in Spain were designed by him and he has a distinct style of making his works look almost like they're melting. The tour of the museum starts at the very top where you can look over the city and it is amazing. It was there that the four of us decided that we never wanted to leave. That night we had a dinner of tapas once again!

Sunday was a full day for us! We started out eating an amazing brunch and then made our way to Park Montjuic, it is a mountain with a castle on top that has the most amazing view that I have ever seen. We took a cable railway, known in Barcelona as a funicular, up the mountain and were able to look out onto the city as well as the beautiful water. Every time I turned around or walked a few more feet, I had a better few than where I was before. After that, we went to the Sagrada Famila, a church designed by Gaudi. The church is still under construction, but the inside was quite impressive. The stain glass windows were nothing short of impeccable and the ceilings were so high that when I looked up, I felt like they went on forever. That night we had paella on the beach, to say that it was delicious would be an understatement. I am not a very daring person when it comes to trying new things but I am very happy that I was brave and ordered this dish!

View from Montjuic 

           

                                Left: Stained Glass Windows Inside- Right: Outside Sagrada Familia

Monday we didn't have class so we were able to walk around and go shopping at Las Ramblas where there are some international stores such as Zara but there were also local Spanish designers. Luckily, I took Spanish in high school so I was able to navigate my way around but surprisingly enough, most people were able to speak English. Monday afternoon was our flight back to London and I have to admit I was pretty happy to be coming back. It took a trip out of the country to realize that after five weeks, I am starting to think of this place as a second home. When we got back, it was nice and cool out, I've been waiting for this weather since four weeks ago when it started getting hot!

Our last night in Barcelona! Enjoying what we can of the beach, there were even fireworks!

Yesterday, we started our new classes. It is crazy to think that in a short five weeks, we will be back in the US! Today I have my first class of Food Society and Culture in Britain, yesterday was History of Modern Design. We went to the Victoria and Albert Museum and were able to look at actual pieces of work from the period we were learning about; it was a very helpful aid in fully learning what we are being taught. I look forward to what these next five weeks and two new classes will bring!

That Magic (London) Moment

I have been in London for a little bit over three weeks now and everyone that I'm with keeps talking about these "moments" that they're having when they think about how we are living here. I've been patiently waiting for my moment to happen and I think that I can honestly say that I've had two in this past week. My first one was actually part of a dream when I realized that if someone said that I had to go back to U.S tomorrow, I wouldn't be ready to go. Although we've already done so much, I know that there is still so much left to do and I would not be satisfied if I left before doing those things. My second moment was when I went into Camden on Friday night to see live music and as I stood in the venue and looked around, I noticed that I was surrounded by British people enjoying the same music that I was and I finally felt immersed in the culture.

Last Wednesday, my Shakespeare and Elizabethan Literature class went to see the Twelfth Night at the Hampstead Theater. The most interesting aspect about this experience was that the performance was done by an all male cast, much like during the days of Shakespeare. I was very excited to see the play because I am a very big fan of She's the Man which is inspired by Twelfth Night and I couldn't wait to see how it wold compare. Unfortunately, the man who played Viola was not quite as entertaining as Amanda Bynes (both circa 2006 and today) and Duke Orsino did not have the same appearance as Channing Tatum but in being completely serious, I really enjoyed the production. The cast all pulled their weight and I was quite impressed with the men acting as women. The actors are all part of the Propeller acting troupe and they all are truly talented. Instead of having a band who plays music, they make all the music themselves with instruments as basic as glasses of water and they run their fingers around the rim to produce sound. I mostly enjoyed their energy in performing the play as well as their modernization of the play. At one point, the actor playing Malvolio, was walking around the "garden" and singing The Beatle's "I Want to Hold Your Hand" referring to his love of Olivia; that really gave the crowd a good laugh!

Before we went to the play though we had a picnic with our professor atop Primrose Hill. Our professor is so knowledgable and the five of us in the class are nothing less than captivated by all that he shares with us. Primrose Hill is yet another breathtakingly beautiful spot in London. As I mentioned in my last post, there is a serious heat wave going on here in London and so all the locals are spending as much time as possible doing outdoor activities while they still can. Primrose Hill overlooks the city and is only a few minutes walking distance from the Hampstead theater. It is here that we enjoyed some bread and cheese while discussing what we were about to see at the theater. Our teacher asked us which character from Twelfth Night we would bring with us to a deserted island which really got us thinking in a different way. It's so nice to get out of the class and be able to have these sort of outings while still learning!

On Friday, I went to Portobello Road Market with three other girls to do research for a project for my other class, British Culture and Visual Media. The project is called "area studies" so there are several groups going to different locations in London and then giving presentations on them. Portobello Road is a lot like Canal Street in New York City where tables line the street selling different items such as jewelry and other little knick knacks. There are also a few really great vintage stores as well as retail stores. All Saints is a major designer brand here and we actually stumbled upon another store called Bolongaro Trevor which was located right across from All Saints and we found out that it is owned by the same people. I think that it is fair to say that it is my new favorite store. I bought a jumper (sweater) there that is distressed and what I like to call very London chic. Friday night, as I mentioned earlier, we went to Camden to a place called Barfly. It was a cool venue with more of a club scene downstairs with a DJ spinning and then upstairs was where the live music was. Luckily, it wasn't too crowded so we were able to stand right by the stage. Camden is very historic in that it was the birthplace for Punk and so there are still remnants of that time when punk was emerging.

Saturday was a relaxing day, we went to the Victoria & Albert museum again which is in walking distance of our flat. A new exhibit just opened called "Club to Catwalk" and it features garments from the 1980s. This was especially fun for us because the previous night we were exposed to the authentic British music scene and then we were able to see the clothing that went along with it in the 80s. Vivienne Westwood is a huge influence here and so there were a few pieces by her but then I was also introduced to many new British designers who have made major waves in the fashion industry in the past. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures in the exhibit but I took notes and even bought a book afterwards. The book is about how London became a major fashion capital and I am going to be using it to write my final paper for my British Culture class. My paper is going to focus on NY vs. London as fashion capitals of the world.

Yesterday with that class we did a few different things. First, we went to the Tate Modern, a museum showcasing many surrealist paintings as well as an amazing exhibit called "Energy and Process" that focused on the arte povera, the radical Italian art movement of the 1960s and 1970s, and its international context. Embracing art of the everyday, the artists used simple, raw materials to create work that captured natural energies in a completely new way. My favorite piece in the museum was in this wing and it was a whole room that featured photographs of the American South taken by William Eggleston in the 1970s. Although they were just photographs of everyday things such as hair curlers in the bathroom or a lone gas pump, it was his experimentation with color that really attracted me. Eggleston is largely credited with establishing the acceptance of color in fine art photography. After the museum, we went over to Greenwich to see the Thames river. We stood on both sides of the river, the one side was and still is very residential and the other side used to be a naval base. In Greenwich, we went to the part where there is a spot that one is able to stand in both the Western and Eastern hemispheres at once (of course I had to do so- very A Walk to Remember!) Post climbing the hill, we were all very tired and hot at which point our professor brought us to the local pub, Trafalgar Tavern. As I am learning, it is not out of the ordinary for professors to take their students out for a drink. The Trafalgar Tavern was situated right on the Thames, when we were on the inside it felt like we were on a boat because it was right on the water. We were lucky enough to be there to witness a beautiful sunset.

(London is Like a) Heat Wave

Once again, I had to go there and quote a song to express what London feels like right now. Instead of the famous Motown song "(Love is like a) Heatwave," London is actually experiencing a heat wave right now. When I tell you the temperature is in the 80s here, you probably wouldn't think twice because it is somewhere near a blistering 95 degrees in Philadelphia; however, London rarely sees temperatures above the 70s and so they are calling this a heat wave right now. It hasn't even rained in a week! Apparently, London hasn't seen sunny skies and temperatures such as these in seven years! Lucky me...

Despite the heat and lack of air conditioning in this country, I have continued to go out and explore. Last week was our first trip to Shakespeare's Globe theater with my Shakespeare and Elizabethan English class. We went to see A Midsummer Night's Dream. Staying true to typical Shakespearean times, we stood for the entire play. I am happy that we did because we were right near the stage to see and hear everything that was going on. Before going to see the show, the only knowledge I had about it was the part America Ferrera played in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. I came to find out a great deal more after watching the play and seeing how the characters interacted. They even made the audience get involved! The atmosphere was much different than any play I've ever been to before, mostly because there was no roof (actors had to adjust to the outside sounds such as planes and birds flying overhead) and the building was shaped like a circle. Yesterday, we went back to the Globe with our other class, but instead of seeing a play we went on a tour. We were informed about the history of the globe and learned how Shakespeare would have conducted his plays. During his time, the cast would be made up solely of males and rather than having copies of the play to hand out, each actor only got the lines of their character written on a scroll and rolled up, this is why their part is called a "role."

Last Wednesday, after discussing the play we saw the previous day, two of us decided to go to Brick Lane. From the very first day that we met British people here, they were telling us to go to Brick lane for Indian Cuisine. It may be hard to believe, it was for me at least, but Chicken Tikka Masala is actually the favorite dish of the Brits, not fish and chips! We took the tube to the Aldgate stop and had a minor set back when we could not figure out where Brick lane was in relation to us, but luckily we have been trained to always have our maps with us! On our journey from the tube to Brick lane, we stumbled upon “Petticoat Lane Market” which was actually a magnificent find! We spent some time walking around the market and taking in the different shops and kiosks that were set up there. After a little while, we decided to continue our journey and we found even cuter little shops! By the time we reached Brick lane, we were famished and so ready to have some Indian food. One of the unique things about Brick lane is that men line the street trying to get people to eat at their restaurants. The way that we chose were to eat was based on the amount of people in the restaurant, so we ate at the most crowded place and let me tell you it was delicious! It was my first time trying Indian food and I was not disappointed. After dinner, we shopped a little bit more and we discovered the mecca of vintage stores; it is called Blitz. They had everything from refurbished Converse to old records and even older books. Unlike many other vintage stores I’ve been in before in Philly and New York, there was not that distinct smell of used clothing. Instead it smelled fresh and clean as if the clothing didn’t have years of history and memories attached to them.

Thursday was the fourth of July and I was a bit hesitant about celebrating our independence from the country that I am currently in. Nevertheless, I decided to wear my Free People American flag scarf. Before class, we went to take pictures at the infamous Platform “9 ¾” from Harry Potter. I have only ever seen the first movie, but I went along with my flat mates because as a tourist I felt like I just had to! Then we had class and after class, we went to Selfridges. We went on a day where Free People was having a pop up shop in the department store, so that was comforting to see a familiar brand in a store that I have never been in. My fear about being “too American” was squashed when two girls who worked at Selfridges started talking to me about how cool New York is and then proceeded to wish me a happy 4^th of July. That night, we went to a bar called Bar Rumba which to my surprised was packed with Americans, some wearing American flags as capes…that to me was a little bit much, but it was kind of nice to almost feel like I was at home on the 4^th, minus a firework display.

On Friday, we went to Parliament for a tour. It was a beautiful day to see Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. During our tour we learned all about the Royal family and how decisions are made in Parliament. While we were in the House of Lords, our tour guide explained that the four seats in the front of the room would possibly one day be filled by Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry and then the Royal baby whether it is a boy or a girl! Our tour guide also filled us in on all of the traditions that parliament members still engage in today such as bowing before they enter the room to vote because back in the day, members of Parliament would send their servants to vote on their behalf but by bowing, one could tell if the member is wearing a wig or not by checking the back of their neck. Members of Parliament would always be wearing a white wig and so if the person was not wearing a wig, they were not a MP (member of Parliament.) This practice is still done today obviously not because the MPs wear wigs, but just out of tradition. After Parliament, three of us went to a sushi dinner and then to see the Bling Ring movie that came out that day here. The movie theater was pitch black and it was difficult to see where we were going, the other strange thing was that there was nothing playing on the screen until 21:00 when the movie was set to start and that is when previews began playing. People also didn’t start coming into the theater until about then so for about fifteen minutes, we were the only three in whole theater.

On Saturday I decided to venture out on my own again. My friend who studied in London for five months told me that if I ever feel homesick to go to Westfield Mall and I would feel right at home. She was most definitely right! Westfield had stores like Zara, Urban Outfitters and Mango. It also had its fair share of stores customary to the UK that I enjoyed exploring. I spent about 4 hours there and only navigated the second floor! I got an iced coffee but it was more like a frapaccino because the ice was blended. That is one of the things that I am getting used to here—iced coffee is not a delicacy of theirs. I am happy to say that I navigated the tube on my own and had a lovely day shopping at the mall. I got a few books that were on sale. One was an Opening Ceremony book that features a catalog of Chloe Sevigny and her collection for OC. On Saturday night, almost all of us ventured into Camden to check out the nightlife. The bar we went to, The Monarch, does themed nights and luckily Saturday was “Soundtrack night.” That was right up my alley! I got to dance and sing along to songs from some of my favorite movies such as Grease and Dirty Dancing.

London Calling

Not to sound trite and quote the famous song, "London Calling" by The Clash but as a study abroad student in London, it is inevitable that at least one Facebook photo album or blog post will be labeled as such.

Today is my eleventh day here in London, the Royal Borough of South Kensington to be exact. I boarded the plane at JFK airport in New York not knowing what to expect. Luckily, the seven hour plane ride was not too bad, but when I arrived at Heathrow airport, I was confronted with the fact that I was all alone in another country. It was up to me to retrieve my luggage and get myself to where I would call home for the next ten weeks. I got through customs without too much of a wait, but when I got to the terminal to pick up my luggage, only one of my bags was there. I waited around for a while and thought to myself, "At least the suitcase with all my clothes is here." This thought was very D&M of me. Then I realized that the bag that was missing had all of my toiletries.

Things that are probably a bit more important than my clothes. After everyone else had already gotten their bags, I went over to the service desk where they very abruptly informed me that my bag had gone to the wrong terminal and I would just have to wait. So I went back over and sat. I sat there thinking about how tired I was and how I still had to find my way to my flat. Finally, my precious bag was sent out on the conveyor belt and once I had it in my possession, I wished that I had more than two arms to wheel both suitcases and carry a duffle bag and backpack with.
I made my way outside of the airport and to my surprise, it was not raining. I found myself a black cab (these cabs are supposedly the most safe and the drivers have to pass a rigorous test and go through years of training before they can become a cab driver) to take me to my destination. There was so much traffic that it felt like I was never going to get where I needed to go but after about an hour and 80 pounds (equivalent to about $122.00) later, I was at my building on Manson Place and ready to get settled into flat 18E. Flat 18 is located on the third floor, so those two suitcases that I absolutely had to bring with me had to then be carried by yours truly up to my room (there is no elevator.)

After I settled into my room, I went out with two of my flat mates to get breakfast. I don't know if it was because I hadn't eaten or slept and was delirious, but the ham and cheese croissant that I ordered was the best thing that I have ever eaten. The next few days were extremely jam packed with tours and exploring. We had an orientation where we learned about what our classes would be like and got our schedules. We also received a quick lecture about the difference between the United Kingdom, England and Great Britain. In all honesty, I am still trying to figure it out, but it was enlightening to hear that they are actually all different and referred to in different ways by people here. We took a bus tour that our program set up and got to see great landmarks such as West Minster Abbey, the London Eye, the London Bridge and many more. Although it was a lot to take in, it was nice to get a taste of London culture from real British people. The tour also helped me to understand where everything is in relation to where I am living. Luckily for me, Kensington Palace where Will and Kate live is in walking distance from our flat!

Classes started last Monday, June 24th at 1PM. I was thankful for this late start because I was still adjusting to the time difference. I actually think that I might still be jet lagged. The five hour difference although it doesn't sound like much is definitely a big change to get used to especially when I am waking up at 9AM and in Philadelphia it is only 4AM. It makes it a lot harder to keep in touch with my friends and family because they are sleeping when I am awake and ready to chat and vice versa. I am waiting to see if I can get into a groove where there are designated times that I can talk to my parents. After that first class, I decided to go to a pub where our professor informed us that David Beckham frequents. Although I didn't get to see Beckham, it just so happened that Kate Moss was filming a Stuart Weitzman commercial right outside. For everyone that knows me, they know that I am insanely obsessed with celebrities, so at first when I saw the blonde outside the pub, I thought that maybe it was Blake Lively because she had just gotten to London with Ryan Reynolds, but then Kate ever so slightly turned her head and looked in the pub window and with those cheek bones of hers, it was undeniable that it was her. I went outside where there weren't too many people and was able to walk up and down the street only two times and it was a wrap. To say that I had an eventful first day of classes would be an understatement!

I spent the rest of last week getting used to my class schedule and figuring my way around Kensington. Classes are four hours each, so even though I only have one a day, Monday-Thursday, it is still an adjustment to get used to sitting in a classroom for four hours, especially with so many places that I have yet to see here. On Friday, I decided to explore a little bit on my own and went into the soho area. I took the tube three stops and ended up in the Picadilly area which is much like Times Square in Manhattan in that there are tons of tourists as well as big signs and theaters. It took me a little while to find where I wanted to go which was a bookstore that I had passed on Wednesday night when we were in that area to see a very amusing play called "39 Steps." First, I came across Carnaby Street which has many stores and cafes. Some stores that lined Carnaby include Diesel, Levis, Libery London and MAC. I stopped into all of these stores along with a few others. Eventually when I did find the bookstore I was looking for, I wandered inside and came to find that it doubled as a sex shop! You can imagine my surprise when I realized that I was the only girl in the store and trying innocently to look at books about Vivienne Westwood and Pucci. Needless to say, I did not stay there long, but I would go back just because the array of fashion books that they do have to offer is quite impressive! I just may have to bring a friend the next time...Overall, I think that my adventure on my own to soho was one of my favorite because I was really able to take in my surroundings and appreciate them. When I become more comfortable here, I definitely see a lot more alone time in my future. On Friday night there was a free event at the Victoria and Albert Museum which is conveniently close to us. The V&A holds these free events on the last Friday and every month and we happened to go to the museum earlier in the week with our British Culture and Media class and heard about the event. There was live music and featured works from Dalston, an area of England. My favorite part of the museum was the fashion exhibit where fashions from as early as the 18th Century where on display right up to some of 2013's latest fashion pieces. My personal favorite era as of late is the 1920's and the pieces that were on display from that time looked like something straight out of Gatsby.

On Saturday, my flat mates and I went to the gay pride parade here in London.
Although I am from New York, I have never been to a pride parade before so yet again, it was an all new experience for me. It was amazing to see all the people and their families who are so dedicated to the cause and to see how happy they are to be standing up for what they believe in. The parade started in Oxford Circus and ended in Trafalgar Square, so I was able to take in two more sites that I had only ever heard of before. On Sunday, the weather was absolutely beautiful, a rare 80 degrees so we decided to spend it outside. Four of us went to Kensington Palace for high tea. The garden there was breathtaking! I am tired just thinking about all that I have already done and everything that is left to do! But I look forward to all that is to come during my remaining weeks in jolly old London!

The Beer Factory, Prague

The Beer Factory, Prague

If you are in Prague and enjoy beer you are in for a special treat when you visit The Beer Factory.  Located in the center of Prague in Wenceclav Square across from the Charles IV statue, The Beer Factory is a very fun bar/restaurant offering awesome food, music and of course tons of beer.  Each table includes 4 beer taps and a beer monitor which tabulates how much beer you've consumed.  Whenever you fill up your glass a tally is added to your tables total, which is then projected on of the the many screens on the wall of the bar.  Soon, the night turns into a huge competition against the other tables.

We have visited The Beer Factory several times so far and have enjoyed it thoroughly!  Any night of the week it is filled with young people from all over the world and is a guaranteed awesome time.

http://www.beerfactory.cz/

The Beer Factory

Vaclavske Namesti 58

Praha 1