Short visit equals short post....that's our logic anyway. So you won't need to be tortured by endless ramblings about things you don't really care about. Sound good? We think so.
Soooo Venice, ay? Pretty canals, thunderstorms, bridges, flooding, movie-making, Vivaldi, music, masks and glass.
Ok, the end...
...just kidding.
I was a bit naive arriving in Venice as all my knowledge of the city had come from my cassette tape, Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery, which I played ad nauseam as a child. Needless to say, Venice was even grander than I had imagined. It is so beautiful - God, can I think of no word more original or more fitting to describe this great city? I fear I am unfit to express its loveliness in words and, therefore, will not even attempt it. Suffice it to say that the canals, the architecture and the gold ornamentation all dazzle the eye.
The concert - Shannon and I splurged (I kind of dragged her...sorry Shanaenae) on a classical music concert. The recital consisted of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, a Paganini cello piece, and Bach's Concerto in E Major. Crazily enough, the Four Seasons were the least awe-inspiring as the violinists simply did not bring their A-game. They did not appear to buy into the music themselves, and thus did not sell it to the audience. Rather, they looked a bit bored, as if they could care less and played notes rather than music. As if to compensate for his colleagues, the cellist showed so much emotion that he appeared to be having a perpetual seizure throughout the concert. It was both amusing and disturbing. Funnily enough, this worked when he played the Paganini as it allowed him to tell a story instead of merely focusing on the excruciating technical difficulty of the piece. Instead of gritting his teeth and going for every note, the audience was kept in continuous fits of laughter from his cheeky and capricious interpretation.
So this was my third visit to Venice...and the first time I had ever experienced such a rainstorm. Note to future visitors to Venice: don't go in the spring unless you want to be fearing for your luggage within your hotel room do to flooding. However, we still saw all the major sites: we did a tour of the Doge's Palace which includes walking across the Bridge of Sighs (cue sighs), went into San Marco, and bought far too many glass items on the Rialto Bridge. Luckily, we did have some nice weather in the morning of the day we left, so we were able to sit on the canal and enjoy some sun before heading back to London. It had to be enough as our plans for Athens and Santorini were thwarted. However, we have been having a ton of fun back in London, especially as it feels like home! We are staying with my mom's friends, Alison and Rick and they have been absolutely lovely hosts.
And so ends our European adventures. We are not quite done with London luckily and we will savor our remaining days. I will be here this summer for an internship and if you all are very very lucky and beg me enough, I will continue to write about that experience. I like chocolate.
Shannon and Lauren
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Florence
Special shout out to our mothers!!!! Happy Mother's Day to my mom and sisters and Shannon's mom and grandmas!!!!!! We love you guys and wish we could be there celebrating with you today.
Hooray! I get to go first! I have decided that I like Florence better than Rome. Perhaps it is because I don't remember much from the last time I was here so it feels like I'm experiencing everything for the first time. Or perhaps it is because it is a smaller, less confusing city than Rome with its crazy side roads that may or may not appear on the map. Or maybe it is because that I got some good food, good company, and good art. The good food was because of the fantastic company of Lauren's aunt and grandpa who were also in Florence as part of their 2 week excursion around Italy. Let's just say they are travelling in more style than we poor college students. Luckily, they were kind enough to include me in their mini family reunion and we had some fantastic dinners with even more amazing desserts. Not that we had been living on only pizza and gelato before.... They also let us accompany their tour group to the Uffizi Gallery which has some of my favorite paintings. Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera of course, but most importantly, Titian's Venus of Urbino. I can't really explain why I love this painting so much, so Google it and perhaps you can explain it to me. Perhaps it is because I find her look even more mysterious than the Mona Lisa's.
The first thing I did upon arriving in our small, cute and mosquito-ridden hostel was to throw open the window and shout in a dismayed manner to no one in particular "But, Charlotte, I thought we were to have a room with a view!" For those of you who do not understand this reference, please read A Room with a View by E.M. Forster. It is fantastic, and you will spend the rest of your life wishing to wander around the poppy strewn fields of Florence looking for your George Emerson.
Anyhow, a few kajillion mosquito bites later, Shannon and I met up with my aunt and grandfather at the Duomo. Prior to meeting them, we had explored the interior of this church while paying special attention to Brunelleschi's magnificent dome. Once outside, we saw them, and it was wonderful! Having not seen them in four months (which has felt like a lifetime) it was a wonderful reunion. Not only was I able to catch up on all the latest family gossip (just kidding, Webers!) but Shannon and I were treated to luscious lunches and delectable dinners. My favourite meal was most likely the one we had at Quatro Leoni at my mother and brother's suggestion. My meal was an interesting amalgamation of flavours consisting of pasta stuffed with cream cheese and pears and a sauce of asparagus and cream. It was different, but absolutely scrumptous. Substantially stuffed after this, I somehow managed to eat a large piece of pear and chocolate cake. It was FANTASTIC!
My fantastic family also let us accompany them on tours such as the Ufizzi (as Shannon mentioned) and Santa Croce church...which incidently plays a prominent role in A Room with a View. Laura and Grandpa also got us tickets to the Academy to see David. What a hottie petatie! You'd never think a sculpture could be so smokin', but he is. I think it's the forearms. They're all muscular and vein-y, but not in a nasty way like he does Tai-Bo twenty hours a day and has steroids for lunch. Despite David's charms, my favourite exhibit at the Academy had to be the musical instruments donated from the Conservatory of Florence. There was a Stradivarius violin and cello!!!! They were absolutely gorgeous and I was able to hear the sound they produce on a listening device the museum provided. Obviously it didn't compare to what it would have sounded like live....for that reason, and of course, simply wanting to touch genius, I had the strongest desire to break open the glass surrounding the violin with my own brute strength, and play it. Wouldn't that have been amazing? Gosh, gosh, gosh, it was a thing of beauty and I don't think I've wanted anything so badly as I wanted that instrument.
Anywho, Shannon and I had parted ways at the music exhibit, so after I explored it, I went on another church crawl and exploration of Florence on my own. It was a bustling, sunny, warm day, and a lovely morning for a stroll.
As Lauren said, we had our separate adventures today as I, for some strange reason, did not share her desire to go to Mass. Instead, I went to see more art. Surprise surprise. I can just see my mom reading this and laughing because I sound just like her with my raving reviews of all this fabulous art I've seen. So, I saw some more. I went to the Pitti Palace which was the home of the Medici Family when they were the rulers in Florence....which was for a long time. They collected a lot of art in that time, and the very last family member, before she died, legally tied all of the art together and gave it to the city of Florence where it must always remain. I was surprised to find that they had a painting that I like very much, Ruben's The Consequences of War. I also went in very fancy rooms that had been used by the Medici's and still had their grand furnishings.
Sadly enough, our next stop (Venice) will be our last stop as our trip is being cut short by the riots going on in Athens. We decided to play it safe and not go when it is so turbulent there. So we are heading back to London on Wednesday...oh darn. Another week in London. How will we ever bear it?
Andiamo a Venzia!
Shannon and Lauren
Hooray! I get to go first! I have decided that I like Florence better than Rome. Perhaps it is because I don't remember much from the last time I was here so it feels like I'm experiencing everything for the first time. Or perhaps it is because it is a smaller, less confusing city than Rome with its crazy side roads that may or may not appear on the map. Or maybe it is because that I got some good food, good company, and good art. The good food was because of the fantastic company of Lauren's aunt and grandpa who were also in Florence as part of their 2 week excursion around Italy. Let's just say they are travelling in more style than we poor college students. Luckily, they were kind enough to include me in their mini family reunion and we had some fantastic dinners with even more amazing desserts. Not that we had been living on only pizza and gelato before.... They also let us accompany their tour group to the Uffizi Gallery which has some of my favorite paintings. Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera of course, but most importantly, Titian's Venus of Urbino. I can't really explain why I love this painting so much, so Google it and perhaps you can explain it to me. Perhaps it is because I find her look even more mysterious than the Mona Lisa's.
The first thing I did upon arriving in our small, cute and mosquito-ridden hostel was to throw open the window and shout in a dismayed manner to no one in particular "But, Charlotte, I thought we were to have a room with a view!" For those of you who do not understand this reference, please read A Room with a View by E.M. Forster. It is fantastic, and you will spend the rest of your life wishing to wander around the poppy strewn fields of Florence looking for your George Emerson.
Anyhow, a few kajillion mosquito bites later, Shannon and I met up with my aunt and grandfather at the Duomo. Prior to meeting them, we had explored the interior of this church while paying special attention to Brunelleschi's magnificent dome. Once outside, we saw them, and it was wonderful! Having not seen them in four months (which has felt like a lifetime) it was a wonderful reunion. Not only was I able to catch up on all the latest family gossip (just kidding, Webers!) but Shannon and I were treated to luscious lunches and delectable dinners. My favourite meal was most likely the one we had at Quatro Leoni at my mother and brother's suggestion. My meal was an interesting amalgamation of flavours consisting of pasta stuffed with cream cheese and pears and a sauce of asparagus and cream. It was different, but absolutely scrumptous. Substantially stuffed after this, I somehow managed to eat a large piece of pear and chocolate cake. It was FANTASTIC!
My fantastic family also let us accompany them on tours such as the Ufizzi (as Shannon mentioned) and Santa Croce church...which incidently plays a prominent role in A Room with a View. Laura and Grandpa also got us tickets to the Academy to see David. What a hottie petatie! You'd never think a sculpture could be so smokin', but he is. I think it's the forearms. They're all muscular and vein-y, but not in a nasty way like he does Tai-Bo twenty hours a day and has steroids for lunch. Despite David's charms, my favourite exhibit at the Academy had to be the musical instruments donated from the Conservatory of Florence. There was a Stradivarius violin and cello!!!! They were absolutely gorgeous and I was able to hear the sound they produce on a listening device the museum provided. Obviously it didn't compare to what it would have sounded like live....for that reason, and of course, simply wanting to touch genius, I had the strongest desire to break open the glass surrounding the violin with my own brute strength, and play it. Wouldn't that have been amazing? Gosh, gosh, gosh, it was a thing of beauty and I don't think I've wanted anything so badly as I wanted that instrument.
Anywho, Shannon and I had parted ways at the music exhibit, so after I explored it, I went on another church crawl and exploration of Florence on my own. It was a bustling, sunny, warm day, and a lovely morning for a stroll.
As Lauren said, we had our separate adventures today as I, for some strange reason, did not share her desire to go to Mass. Instead, I went to see more art. Surprise surprise. I can just see my mom reading this and laughing because I sound just like her with my raving reviews of all this fabulous art I've seen. So, I saw some more. I went to the Pitti Palace which was the home of the Medici Family when they were the rulers in Florence....which was for a long time. They collected a lot of art in that time, and the very last family member, before she died, legally tied all of the art together and gave it to the city of Florence where it must always remain. I was surprised to find that they had a painting that I like very much, Ruben's The Consequences of War. I also went in very fancy rooms that had been used by the Medici's and still had their grand furnishings.
Sadly enough, our next stop (Venice) will be our last stop as our trip is being cut short by the riots going on in Athens. We decided to play it safe and not go when it is so turbulent there. So we are heading back to London on Wednesday...oh darn. Another week in London. How will we ever bear it?
Andiamo a Venzia!
Shannon and Lauren
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
ROMA by Lauren with commentary by Shannon
Ah, Roma! Dean Martin had it right when he said "That's amore". It's quite easy to fall in love with the beautiful sights, smells and tastes of Italy.
The first day, Shannon and I explored the Vatican after waiting in a line for two and a half hours. It was well worth the wait. Although I didn't bump into the Pope, I was able to walk around this massive structure and enjoy paintings by Raffael and Michelangelo...in other words, two out of the four ninja turtles. While the Sistine Chapel was perfectly lovely, the hoards of people and the ensuing bottleneck provided a rather uncomfortable atmosphere. In contrast, the Basilica of St. Peter was absolutely marvelous. Of all the churches, this was obviously the most impressive with its large dome and magnificent frescoes. However, my favourite place of worship (of all 900 we visited) was a small chiesa that fulfilled the three necessary components to my definition of a perfect church. First of all, it smelled of a combination of incense and old, musty wood. Secondly, it was a visual masterpiece with frescoes and sculptures dotting the walls and ceilings. Thirdly, it was quiet and allowed a person to think and enjoy the peaceful retreat from the chaos of the city. I always find comfort in entering churches such as this...they immediately provide a sense of calm and serenity. Furthermore, this church allowed people to wander everywhere - including down a winding stone staircase into the crypt. Shannon did not care to join me in this endeavor, and so I went alone. It was completely creepy and quite frightening, but also, meh, I hate this word but I'm going to use it anyway, cool. Dimly lit, it consisted of a large stone room with an altar to one side and a corridor leading off to the right, where two, partially open wooden doors were present. I did not go behind these doors...call me superstitious, but I was pretty sure that no good could come of it.
I also enjoyed all the churches and I have to say that I probably sat in more pews in the last three days than I have in my entire life....or since I was last in Italy. Let's just say my religious views are not the same as Lauren's. Therefore, I appreciated the plethora of churches for different reasons. First, one of my favorite sculptures ever is in St. Peter's Basilica. It is Michaelanglo's sculpture of Mary holding her dead son across her lap and looking at him in a way that is both devastating but proud. I fell in love with this statue the first time I was in Italy, when I was 7, so needless to say its powerful display of devotion has stuck, even in the mind of a dedicated atheist. I admired all the smaller churches, too, noticing how each one was unique in its design, art, and atmosphere. Some of the sculpture and the frescos were truly amazing.
The time has come for the description of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. They rocked, ok? Like literally, since they were built in the Days of Yore from stones. AHAHAHAHAA!!! Lauren made a funny! (You can't see it, but I'm rolling my eyes.) But seriously, way COOL. The part I loved best, however, was the garden connecting the two. Poor Shannon, I told her I'd be back in a minute, but the meadows, the copses and the gardens enthralled me and held me captive. (Quick side note, I'd already been in said gardens and knew that she was going to go in and never want to come out and that when she finally did come out, she'd be raving about how it reminded her of the Secret Garden and how she wanted to live there forever. So I found a cozy rock and waited.....) It was green, and odiferous (in a good way) and shady. Additionally, there were a few houses dotting the landscape that looked so rustic that I pranced with glee. You know the kind, shutters and flower boxes and whatnot.
The Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps were our go-to at night as we sat in one of the two locations and watched the sun set while eating our third cone of gelato that day. LOVELY LOVELY! Does it get any better? Methinks not. I've discovered that my favorite gelato remains Stracchiatella (chocolate chip) which was the only kind I would eat when I was 7....
PIZZA! I had not tasted pizza before Italy. The way they do the sauce...the spices...I can't put my finger on it, but it is luscious and delectable. Needless to say, much pizza has been consumed. Pizza and gelato every day. We are healthy eaters over here. And thank goodness that our next stop is Florence (hence, still in Italy) so we may continue to chow down on pizza and gelato. Because we aren't quite ready to stop eating them....
Today consisted of the pantheon, the Piazza Novona and a lovely area south of the Vatican that contained lovely parks and fountains. No more detail at present since we have to get going, but (faithful reader) be aware of a funny story coming up that we can't divulge in our present circumstances.
Ciao for now!!!!
Lauren and Shannon
The first day, Shannon and I explored the Vatican after waiting in a line for two and a half hours. It was well worth the wait. Although I didn't bump into the Pope, I was able to walk around this massive structure and enjoy paintings by Raffael and Michelangelo...in other words, two out of the four ninja turtles. While the Sistine Chapel was perfectly lovely, the hoards of people and the ensuing bottleneck provided a rather uncomfortable atmosphere. In contrast, the Basilica of St. Peter was absolutely marvelous. Of all the churches, this was obviously the most impressive with its large dome and magnificent frescoes. However, my favourite place of worship (of all 900 we visited) was a small chiesa that fulfilled the three necessary components to my definition of a perfect church. First of all, it smelled of a combination of incense and old, musty wood. Secondly, it was a visual masterpiece with frescoes and sculptures dotting the walls and ceilings. Thirdly, it was quiet and allowed a person to think and enjoy the peaceful retreat from the chaos of the city. I always find comfort in entering churches such as this...they immediately provide a sense of calm and serenity. Furthermore, this church allowed people to wander everywhere - including down a winding stone staircase into the crypt. Shannon did not care to join me in this endeavor, and so I went alone. It was completely creepy and quite frightening, but also, meh, I hate this word but I'm going to use it anyway, cool. Dimly lit, it consisted of a large stone room with an altar to one side and a corridor leading off to the right, where two, partially open wooden doors were present. I did not go behind these doors...call me superstitious, but I was pretty sure that no good could come of it.
I also enjoyed all the churches and I have to say that I probably sat in more pews in the last three days than I have in my entire life....or since I was last in Italy. Let's just say my religious views are not the same as Lauren's. Therefore, I appreciated the plethora of churches for different reasons. First, one of my favorite sculptures ever is in St. Peter's Basilica. It is Michaelanglo's sculpture of Mary holding her dead son across her lap and looking at him in a way that is both devastating but proud. I fell in love with this statue the first time I was in Italy, when I was 7, so needless to say its powerful display of devotion has stuck, even in the mind of a dedicated atheist. I admired all the smaller churches, too, noticing how each one was unique in its design, art, and atmosphere. Some of the sculpture and the frescos were truly amazing.
The time has come for the description of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. They rocked, ok? Like literally, since they were built in the Days of Yore from stones. AHAHAHAHAA!!! Lauren made a funny! (You can't see it, but I'm rolling my eyes.) But seriously, way COOL. The part I loved best, however, was the garden connecting the two. Poor Shannon, I told her I'd be back in a minute, but the meadows, the copses and the gardens enthralled me and held me captive. (Quick side note, I'd already been in said gardens and knew that she was going to go in and never want to come out and that when she finally did come out, she'd be raving about how it reminded her of the Secret Garden and how she wanted to live there forever. So I found a cozy rock and waited.....) It was green, and odiferous (in a good way) and shady. Additionally, there were a few houses dotting the landscape that looked so rustic that I pranced with glee. You know the kind, shutters and flower boxes and whatnot.
The Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps were our go-to at night as we sat in one of the two locations and watched the sun set while eating our third cone of gelato that day. LOVELY LOVELY! Does it get any better? Methinks not. I've discovered that my favorite gelato remains Stracchiatella (chocolate chip) which was the only kind I would eat when I was 7....
PIZZA! I had not tasted pizza before Italy. The way they do the sauce...the spices...I can't put my finger on it, but it is luscious and delectable. Needless to say, much pizza has been consumed. Pizza and gelato every day. We are healthy eaters over here. And thank goodness that our next stop is Florence (hence, still in Italy) so we may continue to chow down on pizza and gelato. Because we aren't quite ready to stop eating them....
Today consisted of the pantheon, the Piazza Novona and a lovely area south of the Vatican that contained lovely parks and fountains. No more detail at present since we have to get going, but (faithful reader) be aware of a funny story coming up that we can't divulge in our present circumstances.
Ciao for now!!!!
Lauren and Shannon
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Amsterdam (with the same color codings as Paris)
Shannon and I expected a bit of revelry when we reached Amsterdam, but we weren't prepared for the completely crazed manner in which Queen's Day was celebrated. An odor unlike anything we have ever experienced, Queen's Day's unique smell consisted of fair food, urine, beer, and pot. Quite a delectable quartet. As we ventured outside our hotel, we were greeted by great throngs of people all wearing orange (why orange? We have yet to figure that out.) It was like a mixture of the State Fair and Mifflin on steroids. Seriously, the whole city was out and drunk by 10 am. I have never seen nor smelled so much pot in my life. It was truly an experience. After a few hours of this, Shannon and I escaped to the hushed and reverent quiet of Anne Frank's House where we explored the secret attic in which she and her family lived for 2 years. It was a truly touching moment as we walked on the floorboards she had once trod upon and gazed at the posters of film stars with which she had decorated her room. Perhaps the most moving moment was when we came across the markings Otto Frank had made to measure the children's growth. This more than anything made Anne's story real as her physicality was literally brought to life. Also of intrigue were her perfectly preserved diaries as well as an emotional video of Otto as he spoke of reading Anne's diary for the first time. It was absolutely heartbreaking. I can't imagine how that man found the will to live after losing his family and experiencing the brutality of Auschwitz. Thank God he did have the strength to carry on as it is due to him that Anne's house is open to the public and her diaries are published.
Here I am talking about art again. Museum going was much more tempting as it has been rainy and cold. So we also went to the Van Gogh museum. Alas, there was no student discount and after failing to convince the stern ticket lady that Lauren was 17 (and thereby gaining free admission), we heaved over the 14 Euros each and went in. It was a beautiful collection that included many artworks of Van Gogh's influences as well as many of his own paintings. Our favorites were his paintings that had been inspired by Japanese prints, but used his own signature bright colors. Lauren had to drag me from the gift shop.
After the Van Gogh museum, we wandered down to the Red Light District. Surreal would not even begin to cover the phenomenom that is legal prostitution. Women in windows clad in nothing but their underwear beckoned to ogling passersby soliciting their services. After two minutes of this, I felt dirty and needed to leave that area (I was laughing at her the entire time). While sex shoved at me in a blatant manner is not my style, I can't help but support legal prostitution as it creates safer working conditions for the girls.
I am now dragging Lauren to her first ever Hard Rock Cafe experience. See you in Roma!
Lauren and Shannon
Here I am talking about art again. Museum going was much more tempting as it has been rainy and cold. So we also went to the Van Gogh museum. Alas, there was no student discount and after failing to convince the stern ticket lady that Lauren was 17 (and thereby gaining free admission), we heaved over the 14 Euros each and went in. It was a beautiful collection that included many artworks of Van Gogh's influences as well as many of his own paintings. Our favorites were his paintings that had been inspired by Japanese prints, but used his own signature bright colors. Lauren had to drag me from the gift shop.
After the Van Gogh museum, we wandered down to the Red Light District. Surreal would not even begin to cover the phenomenom that is legal prostitution. Women in windows clad in nothing but their underwear beckoned to ogling passersby soliciting their services. After two minutes of this, I felt dirty and needed to leave that area (I was laughing at her the entire time). While sex shoved at me in a blatant manner is not my style, I can't help but support legal prostitution as it creates safer working conditions for the girls.
I am now dragging Lauren to her first ever Hard Rock Cafe experience. See you in Roma!
Lauren and Shannon
Thursday, April 29, 2010
PARIS by Lauren and Shannon
Thank God for Shannon and her French skills. She will no doubt refute this as soon as I pass her the keyboard, but she is far too modest about her impressive foreign language abilities. Many a time I have stared blankly at some gent or other who has decided to accost me with rapid-fire French. At times like this it is quite lovely to have someone to close the language barrier and keep me from looking like a total dolt.
As Lauren said, I refuse to say that my French was spectacular, but I did okay. I think my Italian skills are much better so we'll have to compare after we go there. Anyway, Lauren and I have been having a fabulous time in Paris and have managed to survive so far. It has been so beautiful here; sunny and warm and wonderful. The first day we did a free walking tour as we tend to do in a new city. It wasn't the best we have ever experienced, but it helped us get our bearings in this huge city. We are staying in Montmartre which is in the quieter, northern part of Paris and is an easy Metro ride into the big city centre. Back to the tour...we saw the big sites like Notre Dame, the Seine river, the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower bien sur (of course). However, it was the lesser known trivia that interested us. First there was the Artist's Bridge where there are artists (crazy logic I know), but more interesting are the locks that cover the iron railings. The theory is that you and your love buy a lock and lock it to the bridge and throw away the key into the river so that your love will stayed locked in Paris forever. Awwwwww.... The other fun fact was the French Institute which is a special group whose purpose is to preserve the French language, especially against English. Stupid English. So we heard the story about how they refused to accept that the French word for computer was going to be un computer and so came up with a new word, l'ordinature, which is what is used. They also have the fun task of deciding a word's gender since nouns are either masculine or feminine in French. After three months of debate, they decided the iPod is masculine.
Hay Hay Hay! Back again! What would an adventure in Paris be without a description of the food? Every morning the hostel provides us with croissants and many crepes have been ingested, mostly of the chocolate variety. Pan e fromage is a daily staple as it is cheap and everywhere. Why, I grabbed a cheese sandwich at a kiosk the other day on my way to the most amazing bookstore. Horrible segueway, but whatever. I'm tired. And writing on a French keyboard...which is difficult. Soooo...the bookstore. Right. It is GROOVY! It's called Shakespeare and Co. and sells only English books. It has played a prominent role in a few films and its charm lies in its complete individuality. There are books from floor to ceiling with ladders used to get at the particularly musty ones up top. Very reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast, and I must say that I'd like to emulate Belle's example and start singing lovingly about the written word while swinging wildly about on a ladder. Anyhoo, there are random nooks and crannies that contain beds where aspiring artists are allowed to bunk for free. Way cool, huh? And in a fort-like area there is a typewriter for those overwhelmed by their creative muse. A piano available for anyone to play provides a perfect soundtrack to this lovely store.
Ze Eiffel Tower. Hoh hoh!! Shannon and I arrived at this incredible monument just as the sun was setting. This provided the perfect backdrop for overzealous picture taking as well as truly profound (and by that, I mean mundane) conversations. I was fully expecting Shannon to propose her love to me under the brilliant glow of the tower, but she forgot the ring. A sad night for me, no?
As a quick note to Lauren's comment, I would have proposed had we gone to the top of the Tower.
Yeah, right. You jilted me. It's fine. It's not like I'm hurt or anything...
Well then, you should have proposed to me. But no, I have to do all the work....like leading you around the city as the fearless leader once more.
Whatever Shannon. You're in the doghouse. We'll discuss our domestic issues later. Just talk about the museums, ok?
Fine. We went to four museums and got into all of them for free. Hells to the yes. This is because if you are between 16 and 25 and are a student in the European Union you get into museums free and we had our London student cards. Awesome. Anyway, we of course went to the Musée D'Orsay and the Louvre. The Musée D'Orsay is really cool as it used to be a train station and they just left it as it looked before and put some art on the walls and sculptures in the middle of the room. Lauren and I liked it because it is mostly Impressionists paintings, so Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, and Renoir. The Louvre was also really cool albeit enormous. We spent about 3 hours in there seeing the big masterpieces like the Mona Lisa and Winged Victory and the Rubens Room. Lauren dragged me to the Napolean apartments which were very pretty and also much quieter as they were far from the Mona Lisa.
However, our favorite museums were the two smaller museums we went to. The first was the Musée de Cluny which was by my insistance as it houses the famous Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. I read a historical fiction book about them and have wanted to see them ever since. So I was hyperly excited while I'm sure Lauren was rolling her eyes at me. But she liked them too. There are 6 tapestries of the Lady and her Unicorn and although they were made in the 1400s, they are in wonderful condition and have always been kept together as a set. The first 5 depict the 5 senses while the 6th one is called Mon Seul Desire (My soul's desire) which is supposed to show the 6th sense, the sense of the heart and emotions. I loved loved loved them and Lauren loved that they were housed in an old monastary complete with secret, winding staircases. The last museum was Musée de l'Orangerie which was in a greenhouse in the Jardins des Tuileries behind the Louvre. It is known for having Monet's Waterlilly paintings (and it does) but it also has more Impressionist paintings that made us love this collection as much as we loved the Musée D'Orsay's collection.
Phew, this is a long post! If you're still reading, you get a gold star!
Perhaps my favourite part of France has been reveling in the Parisian atmosphere. I love walking along the bank of the Seine or sitting in one of the many gardens observing Parisians at large.
Today Shannon and I are off to Le Sacre Couer and the Moulin Rouge before taking a train to Amsterdam. Who knows what adventure this next locale will bring!
Lots of love,
Lauren and Shannon
As Lauren said, I refuse to say that my French was spectacular, but I did okay. I think my Italian skills are much better so we'll have to compare after we go there. Anyway, Lauren and I have been having a fabulous time in Paris and have managed to survive so far. It has been so beautiful here; sunny and warm and wonderful. The first day we did a free walking tour as we tend to do in a new city. It wasn't the best we have ever experienced, but it helped us get our bearings in this huge city. We are staying in Montmartre which is in the quieter, northern part of Paris and is an easy Metro ride into the big city centre. Back to the tour...we saw the big sites like Notre Dame, the Seine river, the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower bien sur (of course). However, it was the lesser known trivia that interested us. First there was the Artist's Bridge where there are artists (crazy logic I know), but more interesting are the locks that cover the iron railings. The theory is that you and your love buy a lock and lock it to the bridge and throw away the key into the river so that your love will stayed locked in Paris forever. Awwwwww.... The other fun fact was the French Institute which is a special group whose purpose is to preserve the French language, especially against English. Stupid English. So we heard the story about how they refused to accept that the French word for computer was going to be un computer and so came up with a new word, l'ordinature, which is what is used. They also have the fun task of deciding a word's gender since nouns are either masculine or feminine in French. After three months of debate, they decided the iPod is masculine.
Hay Hay Hay! Back again! What would an adventure in Paris be without a description of the food? Every morning the hostel provides us with croissants and many crepes have been ingested, mostly of the chocolate variety. Pan e fromage is a daily staple as it is cheap and everywhere. Why, I grabbed a cheese sandwich at a kiosk the other day on my way to the most amazing bookstore. Horrible segueway, but whatever. I'm tired. And writing on a French keyboard...which is difficult. Soooo...the bookstore. Right. It is GROOVY! It's called Shakespeare and Co. and sells only English books. It has played a prominent role in a few films and its charm lies in its complete individuality. There are books from floor to ceiling with ladders used to get at the particularly musty ones up top. Very reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast, and I must say that I'd like to emulate Belle's example and start singing lovingly about the written word while swinging wildly about on a ladder. Anyhoo, there are random nooks and crannies that contain beds where aspiring artists are allowed to bunk for free. Way cool, huh? And in a fort-like area there is a typewriter for those overwhelmed by their creative muse. A piano available for anyone to play provides a perfect soundtrack to this lovely store.
Ze Eiffel Tower. Hoh hoh!! Shannon and I arrived at this incredible monument just as the sun was setting. This provided the perfect backdrop for overzealous picture taking as well as truly profound (and by that, I mean mundane) conversations. I was fully expecting Shannon to propose her love to me under the brilliant glow of the tower, but she forgot the ring. A sad night for me, no?
As a quick note to Lauren's comment, I would have proposed had we gone to the top of the Tower.
Yeah, right. You jilted me. It's fine. It's not like I'm hurt or anything...
Well then, you should have proposed to me. But no, I have to do all the work....like leading you around the city as the fearless leader once more.
Whatever Shannon. You're in the doghouse. We'll discuss our domestic issues later. Just talk about the museums, ok?
Fine. We went to four museums and got into all of them for free. Hells to the yes. This is because if you are between 16 and 25 and are a student in the European Union you get into museums free and we had our London student cards. Awesome. Anyway, we of course went to the Musée D'Orsay and the Louvre. The Musée D'Orsay is really cool as it used to be a train station and they just left it as it looked before and put some art on the walls and sculptures in the middle of the room. Lauren and I liked it because it is mostly Impressionists paintings, so Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, and Renoir. The Louvre was also really cool albeit enormous. We spent about 3 hours in there seeing the big masterpieces like the Mona Lisa and Winged Victory and the Rubens Room. Lauren dragged me to the Napolean apartments which were very pretty and also much quieter as they were far from the Mona Lisa.
However, our favorite museums were the two smaller museums we went to. The first was the Musée de Cluny which was by my insistance as it houses the famous Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. I read a historical fiction book about them and have wanted to see them ever since. So I was hyperly excited while I'm sure Lauren was rolling her eyes at me. But she liked them too. There are 6 tapestries of the Lady and her Unicorn and although they were made in the 1400s, they are in wonderful condition and have always been kept together as a set. The first 5 depict the 5 senses while the 6th one is called Mon Seul Desire (My soul's desire) which is supposed to show the 6th sense, the sense of the heart and emotions. I loved loved loved them and Lauren loved that they were housed in an old monastary complete with secret, winding staircases. The last museum was Musée de l'Orangerie which was in a greenhouse in the Jardins des Tuileries behind the Louvre. It is known for having Monet's Waterlilly paintings (and it does) but it also has more Impressionist paintings that made us love this collection as much as we loved the Musée D'Orsay's collection.
Phew, this is a long post! If you're still reading, you get a gold star!
Perhaps my favourite part of France has been reveling in the Parisian atmosphere. I love walking along the bank of the Seine or sitting in one of the many gardens observing Parisians at large.
Today Shannon and I are off to Le Sacre Couer and the Moulin Rouge before taking a train to Amsterdam. Who knows what adventure this next locale will bring!
Lots of love,
Lauren and Shannon
Sunday, April 25, 2010
London Goodbyes and New Adventures
Gosh, I cannot believe that I am leaving London today. While absolutely trembling with excitement about my European backpacking adventure, it will be hard to say good-bye to this wonderful city that I love.
In order to combat the overly-sentimental and misty-eyed rambling in which I am close to indulging, I will instead reminisce about my favourite adventures of the past two weeks:
1. Borough Market - LOVE IT! This market is covered, displays all sorts of deliciously amazing food and is the most reminiscent of the farmer's markets in Minnesota. Needless to say I felt right at home there, sampling all sorts of lovely fair before paying a pound for a roll of cheesy bread stuffed with roasted veggies. Deeelicious! It was one of the first truly fine days, and Alex and I soaked up the sun on our walk from the market to St. Paul's - stopping in a flower garden on the way to inhale the lovely scents.
2. St. Paul's Cathedral - Alex and I were crafty with this one. Not wanting to pay the heavy fee to get in, we told the ticket man we wished to attend mass. Which we did, of course, or else our guilt complexes would have plagued us mercilessly. After a short mass (one of the perks to the Anglican church) we strolled around the main area admiring the absolutely awe-inspiring mosaics before heading down into the crypt. The crypt, full of dead people as they are, was rather ironic as right near the tombs and effigies was a gift shop and cafe. You know, so you could have tea next to your favourite martyr and then promptly buy a commemorative postcard of the event.
3. Ain't Nothin' But the Blues Bar - Followed by our groupies, my chum Damien and I made our way to the Blues Bar for a little jam session at open mic night last Saturday. It was a crazy good time for me. Not only did I get to listen to some really great artists, but I got to test out my improvisational skills in a fairly low-pressure environment. It was definitely novel playing with poor posture, not having to analyze all 500 aspects of my technique at once and not having to worry about certain Romanian violin teachers screaming that I have no personality on my violin. I must say, I'm a fan. Although Damien and I agreed we didn't play our best we had a really good time, and it inspired me to perhaps do something similar in the States.
4. Frisbee in Hyde Park - Yup, all you doubters. Lauren played frisbee. Twice. And threw out her arm. Ah well. Having never really played before I was a bit nervous, but it is actually quite a fun game! And I found that I can throw equally as well with my left hand as with my right, which is to say, not well at all. When we got tired of frisbee we played a game of tag until we were so exhausted that we collapsed on the grass. It was another truly spectacular day and we enjoyed the warmth of the sun, and the embrace of the breeze. I must say, I'm beginning to understand why the British always talk about the weather. When it's nice out, it is such a rare occurrence that one can't help but to remark with great joy on the beauty of the day. When the weather is terrible, people feel inclined to mumble their complaints. So you see, this one socially-acceptable subject actually does make sense.
5. The British Library - On my way to said library I was accosted by the St. George's Day Parade (the patron saint of England) in the City of London. It was quite fun with the various regiments represented (and swoon-worthy!) and various lords and ladies attired in medieval clothing. I honestly don't know how they managed to get full-grown men into tunics, tights and armor, but they bore the humiliation well. Once safely ensconced in the library, I was in heaven! Gosh, I don't even know where to begin. Well, for starters, they had a new exhibition up about Chopin and among various items of interest were his death mask and a cast made of his hand. You will not believe this but his hands were as small as mine! They were tiny! As if to make up for their size, his nose exceeded all other noses in length...accept, perhaps, for Pinocchio. Among the musical manuscripts I viewed were works by Beethoven, Mozart, Vaughan Williams, Handel and the Beatles! The Beatles exhibit was especially groovy as they had assorted pieces of paper that John and Paul had scribbled their lyrics onto. I believe it was Ticket to Ride that John had composed on the back of Julian's one year birthday card. I began forcibly freaking out when I viewed the first published folio of Shakespeare's work, his supposed handwriting, an un-published story by a young Jane Austen, and Charlotte Bronte's early writings. To view their original script, and the books in which they wrote, to actually read (with difficulty) the very words which they had, themselves, penned was absolutely incredible. There was no shortage of treasures at the British Library, but with regret, I had to tear myself away after three hours.
As aforementioned, in a few hours time I will be embarking on the first leg of my adventure, Paris. While rather apprehensive about the language barrier, I was assured by a lovely couple in a pub the other night, that the French absolutely adore Americans. Having heard the contrary all my life, I suppose I shall just have to discover this for myself.
Posts will be as sporadic as they have been the past few weeks as internet access will be scarce. However, I will do my best to convey my adventures in a timely fashion.
Au revoir,
Lauren
In order to combat the overly-sentimental and misty-eyed rambling in which I am close to indulging, I will instead reminisce about my favourite adventures of the past two weeks:
1. Borough Market - LOVE IT! This market is covered, displays all sorts of deliciously amazing food and is the most reminiscent of the farmer's markets in Minnesota. Needless to say I felt right at home there, sampling all sorts of lovely fair before paying a pound for a roll of cheesy bread stuffed with roasted veggies. Deeelicious! It was one of the first truly fine days, and Alex and I soaked up the sun on our walk from the market to St. Paul's - stopping in a flower garden on the way to inhale the lovely scents.
2. St. Paul's Cathedral - Alex and I were crafty with this one. Not wanting to pay the heavy fee to get in, we told the ticket man we wished to attend mass. Which we did, of course, or else our guilt complexes would have plagued us mercilessly. After a short mass (one of the perks to the Anglican church) we strolled around the main area admiring the absolutely awe-inspiring mosaics before heading down into the crypt. The crypt, full of dead people as they are, was rather ironic as right near the tombs and effigies was a gift shop and cafe. You know, so you could have tea next to your favourite martyr and then promptly buy a commemorative postcard of the event.
3. Ain't Nothin' But the Blues Bar - Followed by our groupies, my chum Damien and I made our way to the Blues Bar for a little jam session at open mic night last Saturday. It was a crazy good time for me. Not only did I get to listen to some really great artists, but I got to test out my improvisational skills in a fairly low-pressure environment. It was definitely novel playing with poor posture, not having to analyze all 500 aspects of my technique at once and not having to worry about certain Romanian violin teachers screaming that I have no personality on my violin. I must say, I'm a fan. Although Damien and I agreed we didn't play our best we had a really good time, and it inspired me to perhaps do something similar in the States.
4. Frisbee in Hyde Park - Yup, all you doubters. Lauren played frisbee. Twice. And threw out her arm. Ah well. Having never really played before I was a bit nervous, but it is actually quite a fun game! And I found that I can throw equally as well with my left hand as with my right, which is to say, not well at all. When we got tired of frisbee we played a game of tag until we were so exhausted that we collapsed on the grass. It was another truly spectacular day and we enjoyed the warmth of the sun, and the embrace of the breeze. I must say, I'm beginning to understand why the British always talk about the weather. When it's nice out, it is such a rare occurrence that one can't help but to remark with great joy on the beauty of the day. When the weather is terrible, people feel inclined to mumble their complaints. So you see, this one socially-acceptable subject actually does make sense.
5. The British Library - On my way to said library I was accosted by the St. George's Day Parade (the patron saint of England) in the City of London. It was quite fun with the various regiments represented (and swoon-worthy!) and various lords and ladies attired in medieval clothing. I honestly don't know how they managed to get full-grown men into tunics, tights and armor, but they bore the humiliation well. Once safely ensconced in the library, I was in heaven! Gosh, I don't even know where to begin. Well, for starters, they had a new exhibition up about Chopin and among various items of interest were his death mask and a cast made of his hand. You will not believe this but his hands were as small as mine! They were tiny! As if to make up for their size, his nose exceeded all other noses in length...accept, perhaps, for Pinocchio. Among the musical manuscripts I viewed were works by Beethoven, Mozart, Vaughan Williams, Handel and the Beatles! The Beatles exhibit was especially groovy as they had assorted pieces of paper that John and Paul had scribbled their lyrics onto. I believe it was Ticket to Ride that John had composed on the back of Julian's one year birthday card. I began forcibly freaking out when I viewed the first published folio of Shakespeare's work, his supposed handwriting, an un-published story by a young Jane Austen, and Charlotte Bronte's early writings. To view their original script, and the books in which they wrote, to actually read (with difficulty) the very words which they had, themselves, penned was absolutely incredible. There was no shortage of treasures at the British Library, but with regret, I had to tear myself away after three hours.
As aforementioned, in a few hours time I will be embarking on the first leg of my adventure, Paris. While rather apprehensive about the language barrier, I was assured by a lovely couple in a pub the other night, that the French absolutely adore Americans. Having heard the contrary all my life, I suppose I shall just have to discover this for myself.
Posts will be as sporadic as they have been the past few weeks as internet access will be scarce. However, I will do my best to convey my adventures in a timely fashion.
Au revoir,
Lauren
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Edinburgh
So this past weekend, Lauren and I took the beautiful train ride up to Scotland and wandered about Edinburgh for a few days. The weather was absolutely gorgeous the entire time we were there. We went on a walking tour shortly after we arrived. I've decided that although this is a very touristy thing to do, it also extremely smart. We took one in Barcelona too and I also really liked that one. It is a great way to learn about the city you are staying in and both times I've done it, I've learned so much I never would have known otherwise. Plus, you know, they were free tours. Anyway, our tour guide was this Scottish guy about our age who was born and raised in Edinburgh and clearly knew a lot and really enjoyed telling us about it. He was very humorous. So we learned about how the Scottish hated the past English monarchs and how they took over Scotland anyway; we saw where Scottish people get knighted (including Sean Connery); we saw the cafe where JK Rowling started writing Harry Potter and the school that was the inspiration for Hogwarts; and once again heard why the Scottish hate the English. Honestly, they have good reason for it. The tour provided Lauren and me a good list of places we wanted to visit over the weekend.
On Saturday, we were going to go on a tour of the highlands of Scotland that would have been about 12 hours of being in a van, but seeing all of the countryside and lakes and stuff. However, the driver was not nice when he heard that Lauren has problems with motion sickness. She had taken some medicine for it, but we could tell that he was not at all sympathetic and he basically talked us out of it. Although it probably would have been cool, I'm glad we didn't go because it was such a beautiful day, that it would have sucked being in a van hurdling along twisty roads for the entire day. Lauren and I had a much more relaxing day, but still packed full. We wandered around the city for awhile enjoying the sun. Edinburgh is not as big as I thought it was going to be and it was easy to figure out where we were. Especially because there is this giant castle right in the middle of the city that makes a pretty nice landmark. I now understand where Peter Jackson got the inspiration for Rohan because it honestly looks like it: a giant castle perched precariously upon a huge rocky, hill. Well, technically it is a dormant volcano. Anyway, Lauren and I paid the ridiculously overpriced ticket to go in and look around. We saw the crown jewels of the Scottish kings and the Stone of Destiny. The Stone of Destiny has some good stories around it, so I will tell you about it. It is also known as the Coronation stone and the English stole it during the reign of Edward the Conqueror cause, you know, he liked to conquer. Anyway, the Scottish have always wanted it back, even though England and Scotland are now under the same monarch and the stone is placed under the throne any time a new monarch is crowned. So of course, some college kids in the 50s decided to steal it out of Westminster Abbey and believe it or not, they did it. They broke it, but they managed to get it into two Ford Anglias and across to Scotland. They ended up turning themselves in but couldn't be prosecuted for stealing because, get this, the court couldn't prove who owned it because England had stolen it originally. Ha. Irony. Anyway, Scotland got it back in 1996 when the Conservative government was trying to win the Scottish vote. It didn't work as Blair and his Labour government ended up giving them their own Parliament which was more appealing than the stone, but they got that too.
After that, we went to The Elephant House which is the cafe where JK Rowling started 
writing Harry Potter. She lived right above it and from the window you can see both the castle, but also this school that is pictured. The four turrets are supposedly the inspiration for the four houses of Hogwarts. There is also a graveyard behind the cafe and there are several names on gravestones that JK borrowed for her books including Potter, McGonagall (who was actually a really, really bad Scottish poet), Moodie, and, our favorite, Thomas Riddell (spelled differently, but still!). It was really fun wandering around the graveyard examining each one trying to find the names.
On Saturday, we were going to go on a tour of the highlands of Scotland that would have been about 12 hours of being in a van, but seeing all of the countryside and lakes and stuff. However, the driver was not nice when he heard that Lauren has problems with motion sickness. She had taken some medicine for it, but we could tell that he was not at all sympathetic and he basically talked us out of it. Although it probably would have been cool, I'm glad we didn't go because it was such a beautiful day, that it would have sucked being in a van hurdling along twisty roads for the entire day. Lauren and I had a much more relaxing day, but still packed full. We wandered around the city for awhile enjoying the sun. Edinburgh is not as big as I thought it was going to be and it was easy to figure out where we were. Especially because there is this giant castle right in the middle of the city that makes a pretty nice landmark. I now understand where Peter Jackson got the inspiration for Rohan because it honestly looks like it: a giant castle perched precariously upon a huge rocky, hill. Well, technically it is a dormant volcano. Anyway, Lauren and I paid the ridiculously overpriced ticket to go in and look around. We saw the crown jewels of the Scottish kings and the Stone of Destiny. The Stone of Destiny has some good stories around it, so I will tell you about it. It is also known as the Coronation stone and the English stole it during the reign of Edward the Conqueror cause, you know, he liked to conquer. Anyway, the Scottish have always wanted it back, even though England and Scotland are now under the same monarch and the stone is placed under the throne any time a new monarch is crowned. So of course, some college kids in the 50s decided to steal it out of Westminster Abbey and believe it or not, they did it. They broke it, but they managed to get it into two Ford Anglias and across to Scotland. They ended up turning themselves in but couldn't be prosecuted for stealing because, get this, the court couldn't prove who owned it because England had stolen it originally. Ha. Irony. Anyway, Scotland got it back in 1996 when the Conservative government was trying to win the Scottish vote. It didn't work as Blair and his Labour government ended up giving them their own Parliament which was more appealing than the stone, but they got that too.After that, we went to The Elephant House which is the cafe where JK Rowling started 
writing Harry Potter. She lived right above it and from the window you can see both the castle, but also this school that is pictured. The four turrets are supposedly the inspiration for the four houses of Hogwarts. There is also a graveyard behind the cafe and there are several names on gravestones that JK borrowed for her books including Potter, McGonagall (who was actually a really, really bad Scottish poet), Moodie, and, our favorite, Thomas Riddell (spelled differently, but still!). It was really fun wandering around the graveyard examining each one trying to find the names.
We also hit up two museums: the Writers' Museum and the National Art Gallery. The Writers' Museum is dedicated to the great writers of Scotland: Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Robert Burns. Honestly, it wasn't the best museum I've ever been too, but still interesting as I didn't know a lot about any of the writers. The National Art Gallery was really good though. They had a great collection with a lot of Titian (who I especially love) but also a nice array of Impressionist paintings.
Overall, I liked Edinburgh, but it wasn't my favorite city ever. I definitely like London better and we are all getting extremely sad that we have less than two weeks left. However, Lauren and I have our Europe trip almost completely planned out and booked, and I'm so glad that I'll be coming back here this summer for my internship.
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