Day #42-43: Last Week in London: Part 1- "Let It Be"

Day #42: Alas, woe is me! I never thought it would come...my last week in London :( How swift, thou fleeting time, ye steal precious time from me...A POX ON YOUR HOUSE! (Shakespeare lingo is  ingrained into my system now). Not wanting to waste a single second, we packed these last couple days. So much nostalgia already! Monday morning was our Shakespeare final, and after being one of the last people to leave (I. write. so. SLOW. It's a miracle I get through these blogs!), we set off for a very iconic street...Abbey Road :)

Look at that! We thought about dressing up exactly like the Beatles, but wanted to be somewhat original ;) We lucked out with this pic right before a bus rushed by :/ Roma pants were so awesome the bus HAD to stop ;) To the left of this pic was Abbey Road Studios where not only The Beatles recorded, but the film scores for all the Star Wars and Lord of The Rings movies were made! (Ba-ba-ba-ba-bada-ba-bada! Name that movie!) The wall in front of the recording studio has been signed by the hundreds of visitors who've taken the same walk across the street was we did...see!

So somewhere in our crazy escapades, we forgot to got to THE museums of English museums...THE BRITISH MUSEUM, duh! (Talks about it in Michael Buble's "A Foggy Day in London Town" song...which was always in my head!) So culturally overwhelmed... It had everything from historical artifacts to more paintings! (Honestly, I never need to see another museum in my life...but I will cause I LUV 'em!) You can only take so much before this happens...

This is also how we get without food, so we took the scenic route through Borough Market before heading home to write our final Shakespeare essay (Halle-freakin'-lluah!). The sweetest man to ever grace the Southbank gave us a free chicken wrap since he was closing up and didn't want to waste it! WOOHOOO!

Yum :P Unwillingly, we went back to the flat to write our papers... boo..."I don't want tooooo"... 3 hours later... "CAN'T TAKE IT ANY MORE!"... *Insert me yelling down our hallway then sprinting across the street with my confused friends trailing behind* Needless to say, a study break in Kensington Gardens seemed fitting for our pent up energy ;)

And then I found a solution for not seeing Swan Lake at Royal Albert Hall :)

Lesson learned from our study break? Spontaneous adventures are the ones you remember forever :)

Day #43: Last day of class = Wooohoooo! Our final was the best I've ever had to take (weird...I liked a final!) because it had no math or essay questions. We we're given half an hour to do a scene from a play  we'd studied...but there's a twist! Literally...we had to add a twist to it ;) (sometimes I think I'm really funny) As fun way to end the semester, our professor gave "awards" for our impromptu performances, and mine was "Best Musical Outburst"...yup! Story of my life. I swear, there is a perpetual radio inside of my head that will NEVER turn off! I don't mind too much :) Instead of a trophy we got to pick out of a bag of prizes (1st graders at heart), and I lucked out with rockin' head scarves! ("Am I European yet?" -Miranda)

We checked our list of "Must Do's" from the previous year's group, and went to Hampstead Heath for the day! Supposedly, Hampstead has the best crepes in London, and being amateur crepe critics, it was necessary to try! Soooo we did :)

Hampstead Heath turned out to be a park, but felt more like a forest. So green! Like museums, I don't need go to a park/ garden again! (But I will go because I LUV 'em!) Guess what movie was filmed here?! The irony is beautiful...NOTTING HILL! No joke! It's the scene when Julia Roberts is doing a Victorian set movie and Hugh Grant overhears her talking bad about him, remember? I didn't until afterwards! But the movie I thought was most fitting to have been filmed at Hampstead Heath was much more epic/ medieval ;) Any guesses??...

We took some liberties with the script, but you get the idea! Forget the Shire, couldn't Hobbits live in the Heath?? Frodo would've liked this spot ;)

After our unexpected journey through the depths of Hampstead (get it?!), we stopped at Primark- the "Forever 21" of Great Britain! Although the awesome prices I got for my London jumper (sweater in British lingo) and crazy leggings won me over, the 1 pound ($1 in the States) pack of fruit Mentos sold me on Primark ;) I needed something to make leaving London less painful. (Stop it. We aren't leaving. that's a funny joke, Brianna! We're are tying ourselves to Big Ben and staying here forever. Stop saying such ridiculous things!) Maybe candy for the plane ride back might work! We had to call it an early night since the next day we would be waking up at 5am to see a certain British celebrity... ;) 

To be continued!

Day #39-41 How to Brighton up your day!

Day #39: There is no rest for LTSA 2013 (London Theatre Study Abroad...to clarify!) until you're home! Even though we just back from Stratford the night before, on Friday morning we got on ANOTHER bus! Where did we go this time? Brighton! It was a gloriously bright day to be by the sea (by the sea, by the beautiful sea! You and me, you and me, oh how happy we'll be!...anyone? Random song I guess) so we soaked it up!

Brighton Pier was exciting! Full of carnival games, treats, sun, and the greatest ride ever...The BOOSTER! Enjoy me freaking out! (Uploaded on my youtube page)

http://youtu.be/6ACLBGUCdVg

When I first saw it I thought YOLO!...but once we got strapped in, the panic started rising out of my throat! "NOOOOAHHHH!" And this is how I felt when I got off...eh!

I'm awake now! Geez, it felt like I was plummeting into the ocean one second then soaring through the sky the next...it was AWESOME! My body was shaking for 10 minutes afterwards. Walking along the shore, we made it to the best donut stand in Brighton...fresh off the line and oh so sugary they melt in your mouth! (donuts are my favorite treat- no joke. I should be a policeman...) Baby angels! We walked along the beach and chased the waves before laying out in the sun (can you tell I'm getting sun burnt already??)

We checked the local shops, and then made our way to The Royal Pavilion which looks like Aladdin should live there...(I'll ride a magic carpet!)

...then relaxed on the beach before hauling back to London town for the evening! I really want to live by the ocean now... (Well, this video worked *sigh*)

Day #40: Saturday had a late start after such an eventful week, but we made the most of it by going to The National Gallery! Seems we've left the best for last in regards to museums because this one was filled with Monet, Van Gogh, and Da Vinci! I even saw "The Girl with the Pearl Earring" that my uncle Stuart loves! Art never ceases to amaze me. The detail a single painting can contain...*no words*.  I loved it!

You know what we still couldn't get enough of...Shakespeare! That night we went to our 1st movie in London which was "Much Ado About Nothing" by Joss Whedon and realized a couple things.

1. Being a student rocks with all the discounts in London
2. British movie theaters are less uptight (can bring in own food/ not fancy/ no ushers)
3. Its called "Cinema" instead of "Movie Theater"

It's showing in select theaters back home, so just in case we could find one, we watched our 8th Shakespeare performance :)

Day #41: Our last Sunday in the London North ward was bittersweet. We had just gotten to know the ward members and now had to go back home :( Even with being late from getting lost, I loved going to church in London! We stayed after for a baptism of a young woman named Shila and it was the most enthusiastic baptism I have been to! She was beaming and wanted to do it again! The missionaries we so proud it was adorable to see their excitement! All the members were warm in welcoming her! I didn't want to leave! But sadly, our last week in London is soon to begin... Better make the most of it!

Day #36-38: Stratford Week..."I Looove it! ANOTHER!"

Day #36: After waking up from wonderful dreams of Harry Potter (I was flying on a broom stick and...oh wait! I actually did that-HA!), on Tuesday morning our group loaded a charter bus at 6:45am (reminded me of seminary..."Where are the donuts?!") for Stratford-Upon-Avon...but not before we made 3 epic stops along the way! I was totally out of it when we got to Coventry Cathedral (passed out on the bus and had a dream about aliens and waltzing and then my elbow slipped and I hit my head on the window...ouch!) but I perked up once I found out it was where the Lady Godiva (chocolate, what?!) legend originated! I sang a song about her in 5th grade honor choir called "She Shall Have Music"(remember, Ellie??)...its a beautiful story...so I'll tell it :D Lady Godiva's husband put an unfair tax on the peasants of the village, so in defiance she swore to disgrace him by riding nude through the town. The peasants heard of her defiance and collectively closed their windows in respect to her! That's my version at least!

Our second stop was at Kenilworth Castle, a mysteriously beautiful ruin that turned out being a fantastic playground. I had more fun than I should have! Don't think rock climbing was allowed...Oops!

Our last stop was at Warwick Castle = a mini Disneyland & Medieval Times combined. We got to see a real catapult launch, a falconry show, roaming peacocks, archery, and Merlin (Colin Morgan!) set tour! I rather enjoyed that part ;)

By late afternoon we finally made it to Stratford where we got to stay in the cutest bed in breakfast that ever graced England...but really. It was called Forget-Me-Not! I died with romantic contentment :D

We went to the oldest pub in Stratford called Ye Old Garrick were Shakespeare went himself for fish and chips before seeing our first show at the Royal Shakespeare Company Theatre... *drum roll* As You Like It! BEST PLAY I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE! My words can't do it justice AT ALL, so here is footage from the production :D

*Yet again, some of the videos won't load but this link will work, or so help me...*

http://youtu.be/cHL6LzDpZ_4

Is that not amazing?! But really. I had to write a response paper about it for my Shakespeare class and MIGHT have gushed a wee bit ;)

"Of all the productions I have seen during this London Theatre Study Abroad, As You Like It is by far my favorite. I was completely absorbed from the moment that Orlando unofficially came on stage to rake leaves with Adam. This choice by the director, Maria Aberg, was one of many genius ideas to make the daunting Shakespeare more relatable. Instead of the overdramatic entrances one typically associates with Shakespeare (as seen at The Globe), this smooth transition into action relaxed the audience. We were able to cast off that intimidation associated with seeing a Shakespeare play, and able to simply enjoy the timeless story."

Day #37: Wednesday started with a full English breakfast provided by the sweetest couple at our B&B...we were very happy about it :)

 

...and still very tired (our bus driver was next door and watching a game show on repeat the WHOLE night. Paper thins walls had me humming the show tune til 2am! It was delightfully catching! Ba-BAA-Ba-Dub-Ba). We had a Shakespeare OVERDOSE day! We went to his Birthplace, New Place (his home during The Tempest), Nash's House (Daughter's house), and Hall's Croft all before lunch. It was beautiful and cozy! Perfect place to retire! I'm moving to Stratford with my adorable husband, opening up a bed & breakfast and seeing shows at The RSC until we die...yeah that would be perfection :)

Instead of lunch, we had teatime...AGAIN! *Sigh* wish I was British so teatime could be all the time! Opened two weeks earlier by a couple who used to work at The RSC as stage managers, The FourTeas  is the cutest 40s themed teahouse at a fabulous price (should do commercials for them...let's say tea ONE more time.)  "I LOVE  IT!" (So let me explain this quotation... in the course of our study abroad, we have coined signature phrases for each other. For example, Siera's is "Seriously, though...", Charlotte's is "Soooo, yeah...what?", and mine is "I LOOOVE IT!" We still haven't perfected Miranda and Jenna's! But they make us laugh soooo yeah...;) We then went on a backstage tour of The Royal Shakespeare Company theaters and got to see how all the sets, lights, and costuming all comes together. It was mind boggling how many costumes there were...dress up anyone? Next, we made our way over to the Holy Trinity Church were Shakespeare is buried, and I had to take a quiet moment out of respect for The Bard. Props for writing some of the best stories England has to offer. Taking the scenic route from the cathedral, we happened upon the greatest find in Stratford= ROW BOATS! They all were named after female lead in Shakespeare play, so we choose Rosalind a set off down the river...except NOT really. Do you know what difficult? Trying to row a boat with two people at the helm freaking out because you can't turn the boat in the right direction before a river cruise crashes into you! That's stress, people! But once we got the hang of it, it start raining (like The Notebook...where's Ryan Gosling when you need him?), making the whole situation even funnier :) 

That was Charlotte's "Oohp!" Five seconds later the rain started...Goodness, I loved that day so much :) For real, no sarcasm! Later that night our group saw our last show together, which fittingly enough was Hamlet= the quintessential British theatre play of all time! It. was. INTENSE. Guess what the director's name was? David Farr! That's my oh so awesome grandpa's name! (Hi Papa!) The show was modern day also and had you on edge the whole time! My two favorite actors from the previous night's show who played Rosalind and Orlando were now Ophelia and Horatio in this show. Talk about exhausting! When we were walking home, someone brushed next to me on the sidewalk, and when I loved over, it was her! Rosalind/ Ophelia (real name Pippa Nixon) making a beeline to The Dirty Duck (popular pub across the RSC where the actors hang after a show)! So what do you think I did? Have I overcome being starstruck? NOPE! I stared with a gaping mouth mumbling to Siera and Miranda "Its...thats...oh my...Rosa...Oph...LOOK!" Pretty sure I saw her look back at my outburst-Oops! I would've asked for an autograph but she looked desperate for some peace and quiet. I'd be too after such a dramatic death scene! There she is though... the blurry blob :D

Day #38: Waking up to clouds mirrored my mood... I didn't want to leave Stratford at all! But the smell of another full English breakfast got me out of bed ;) Did you know they serve beans with their breakfast? Mmm! We went to Anne Hathaway's cottage (not the actress, but Shakespeare's wife) and the Mary Arden Farm before leaving and soaked up the beauty of the garden and quaintness of the barn (saw the biggest pig of my life! Mammoth pig! It's how I felt after breakfast!) 

On the road back to London, we stopped at Blenheim Palace! Yet again, another place I had never heard about or thought significant UNTIL I overheard this was where they filmed Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet...WHAAAT?! SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!! Let the "being" not the "not being" BEGIN! To complicated? How about "To be or not to be..." (Aww! Flashback to my 1st blogpost! "To blog or not to blog")

It was huge and breathtaking! I have never seen so much cut grass in my life...it was immaculate! The library looked like it was straight out of Beauty and the Beast! We spent a lot of time in the Secret Garden (yes, SECRET! HaHA! So cool.) when we found a little waterfall to throw wishes in. Cute, right? Not with my luck! My pence (not penny!) landed on a leaf! Does that mean my wish still comes true??

Obviously Miranda and I couldn't get enough of Shakespeare, because what did we do right as we got back from Stratford? GO TO THE GLOBE! "Another! *crashes cup*" (Name that Avenger whose movie was directed by Kenneth Branagh!) We waited last minute in line and got awesome standing tickets for The Taming of the Shrew! Woohooo! That's the way to end a very Shakespearean Week :)

Day # 33-35: Harry FLIPPIN' Potter Studio Tour!!!...I can die happy :D

(Bad WIFI in Stratford put me a week behind in blogging, so this past week will come in parts! This entry begins a week ago!)

Before getting to THE BEST DAY OF MY (Geeky) LIFE, I must cover my last full weekend in London town! A quick overview, I promise ;)

Day # 33: A big check off the Study Abroad  bucket list was achieved on Saturday when we took a day trip to the London LDS Temple! It was such a beautiful day :) Wanting to call ahead and double check if we could go, I got to use a telephone booth for real! I woke up early and scurried across High Street Kensington to the classic red telephone and felt like a real local :D Luck was on our side and we got to the temple surprisingly easily! (thats a lot of -ly's...apparently I use that too much! Never! ) I loved my peaceful time contemplating on all the blessings the Lord has given me since being here in London. It took awhile- there are so many :)

We saw another play as a group at the National Theatre called The Children of the Sun and BOY! Was it explosive...literally! I had to buy the script because it had sooo many awesome monologues. If you ever go to London and want to see an amazing play, just make a trip to the National because they always are fantastic! Gah! I love theatre :D

Day #34: So on Sunday I was asked to give a talk and wanted to get there early! Funny thought to try and get to church on time when you have to depend on London Transportation! If I hadn't noticed a random back road we passed on the wrong bus, we never would've made it, BUT we did after a panicked prayer. Running into the building, I saw the relief on the Bishop's face, and then walked right up to the podium and  gave my talk on What Choosing the Right has meant to me :) I lucked out again and got to look over the nursery which had three adorable little girls who loved bubbles! Melt my heart! "Jesus wants me for a sunBEAM to shine for Him each day..." Can't wait for my own kids one day :)

Day #35:

 This is me in class on Monday: "HARRY POTTER!!!" 

My professor: "...and then our final will be a compilation of essay questions..." 

Me: "TWO HOURS UNTIL HARRY POTTER TOUR!" 

Professor: "Ok, I think that's it for the day!" 

Me: "AHHH!!! LET'S GOOOO!" 

To say I was distracted and anxious to get out of class on Monday was an understatement. I was FLIPPIN' OUT! #1 on my London Bucket List was the Warner Brother's Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter and it was finally happening! I am a HUGE Harry Potter geek/dork/nerd/fan/whatever you want to call it and have been ever since kindergarten when I finished the Soccer's Stone :) Harry Potter was my childhood and I probably wouldn't have my BFFs Ellie, Kate, and Renee without that common love of HP! ("I see Diagon Alley!" *run into back stop*) When I was eleven, I asked for a Gryffindor cloak for Christmas! I cried when I didn't get my Hogwarts letter! I went to so many midnight book releases and movie premieres! I really am the Harry Potter Generation and proud of it! Read the 1st book in kindergarten and the final movie came out after my senior year in high school. So bittersweet when it was over, BUT! It's NOT over! I got to tour the set of all the movies and was crying the whole time (no shame at all!) 

Beside the two cups of Butterbeer, inside look of the Gryffindor Common Room, stroll in Dumbledore's office, walk on the Hogwarts Bridge, petting of Buckbeak, ride in Hagrid's (Sirius') motorcycle, my favorite part had to be the flying on a broomstick...FOR REAL! ;) Enjoy one of the happiest moments of my life...

*Insert video of Brianna flying on a broomstick like Harry Potter in front of a green screen*

(Couldn't get it to load here, so check my FB!)

YES! Its that not the greatest thing you've ever SEEN?! Just when I thought this tour couldn't get any better, it did...turning a dark corner I saw before me the most nostalgic building of my childhood= Hogwart's Castle :') I've never had so many chills at once- I'm so pathetic! But looking at the castle brought back countless memories of growing up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione running around that very place. In the words of J. K. Rowling herself...

"Whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home."

Day #27-32: "Big Girls Don't Cry" ;)

Day #27: After such an eventful week touring Europe's infamous Rome & Paris, its safe to say we were a wee bit tired! That's an understatement...I WAS DEAD ON MY FEET! You know that moment when you're so tired that absolutely anything could make you laugh/ cry? That's when I get really slap happy, and countless inside jokes are made! This hit us on the tube ride back to our flat in Hyde Park :P Here's our before and after Travel week in a nutshell...

Needless to say,  we were wrung out and ready for a slower week! The next day was Sunday and we miraculously got to Church on time! Helping with the Nursery was the sweetest part of my day! Two of the little kids tried feeding me their pre chewed cookies..."No, thanks!" It's the thought that counts :) When I got home, I thought, "Oh, I'll just lay down for a second..." *5 hours later* CRAP! I about crumpled to the floor when I got up, because after calculating it, we must have walked well over 10 miles a day. Woohoo!...Yay!...I'm just gonna...Zzzzzz *snore* I'M AWAKE! We had a group devotional about lessons learned form travel week, and this is what we concluded: We need to take in the beauty of the world and the people in it instead of speeding through life. It's so true! Stopping and smelling the roses makes life more meaningful in my eyes!

Day #28: This week has sped by with catching up on homework...BOO! Well, we got to be prepared for our final in 2 weeks, I guess. No way... I'll be back in 2 weeks?! Can't think about that now! Too soon! Besides catching up on homework, this week had some priceless moments :) On Monday night, we saw the award winning Warhorse at West End, and it was PHENOMENAL! So random side note: I've never been a big animal lover, but growing up, I rode horses every summer. They hold a special place in my heart that reptiles, amphibians, and insects NEVER will! The movie version came out recently, but the play version is slightly different...like how there aren't real horses on stage. They're giant puppets! 5 minutes in, I was completely absorbed by the horses (not so much on the actors, but hey! Its WarHORSE!)

Day #29: On Tuesday, we had our Country Walk through the countryside of Kent lead by a former stake president...it was BREATH-TAKING! I'm a flowery, romantic, daydreamy kind of girl (and proud of it!) so strolling (more like hiking! 12+ miles, what up!) through the rolling hills of England made me break into song...no joke!

The hills WERE alive with the sound of music, just in Kent not Austria :P It was an all day endeavor filled with lots of Lord of the Rings/ Hobbit references. We had the film score playing all day from someone's mini speakers, so we felt pretty epic! We picked flowers, wades through streams, bought homemade ginger beer (Not alcoholic! Just really bitter...yuck!), and got a little sunburnt! Bless you sunshine for a beautiful day to literally stop and smell the roses :)

Day #30: Wednesday was spent writing an intense paper on Hamlet :) Yes, that' a smiley face. What of it?! I like complex tragic figure and Hamlet takes the cake on everyone! After watching various clips in class (Kenneth Branagh wins EVERYTHING! Seriously, he was put on earth to perfect Shakespeare. But David Tennant's version was amazing, too) I've come to the conclusion that Hamlet is not crazy! You can't put a label on madness, because what defines madness? How would you deal in his situation? Granted, I highly doubt you'd go on a revenge induced killing spree (its a play, they get special liberties!), but you'd be messed up to. That's probably why we still talk about Hamlet 400 years later- you can't label him! I bet Shakespeare is laughing at our attempts to figure out the method to his madness ;) Besides that, we took a tour of the National Theatre that night before the various shows started. Kinda cool to go behind the scene- literally! Random tidbit I remembered: The theatre has been voted for most comfortable seats and been kept purple since it was Lawrence Olivier's favorite color! No way... mine, too! :D

Day #31: Thursday morning took us on another train ride... to Hampton Court! It's considered the English version of Versailles and what do you know, I was there last week! Known most for Henry VIII living there, it had some pretty depressing exhibits (like "Secrets of the Royal Bedchambers"- TMI!!! However, testing the mattresses was fun... they kicked us out when we started snoring- Oops!) but the gardens made up for the oh so uplifting history secreted in the walls. Good thing I looked up the Ghost stories associated with Hampton court AFTER visiting or I wouldn't have been quite as curious in wandering around. Creepy stuff! There's Catherine Howard aka "The Screaming Lady in the Haunted Gallery" & Sybil Penn aka "The Grey Lady" (Harry Potter inspired??) who've had multiple siting over the past hundred years...yikes! That's all I got too, because then I got the heeby jeebys! Can't handle that stuff (except Goatman's Bridge... shout out to Lewisville, TX!), so we recreated Romeo & Juliet in the gardens...Naturally!

You know what we realized when we got home... we hadn't seen a musical in over a week! London Theatre Study Abroad BLASPHEMY! How spoiled to have so much quality theatre at our fingertips...I'm going to miss that. We made the very wise decision to see JERSEY BOYS = Favorite Musical (besides Les Mis- thats on its own playing field!) thus far! Its got everything: top notch singing, acting, dancing, set, costumes, lighting, depth, theme, etc! I woke up with "Sherry" stuck in my head :) I LOVED IT! We showed up 10 minutes before and got front row tickets! WOOHOO! I could feel the bass guitar from the speakers in the stage! And Frankie Valli did a knee slide right in front of me :D I wanted to cry it was so amazing, but Frankie says that "Big Girls Don't Cry" ;) 

Day #32: After class today, we went to a Puppet Theatre show in Little Venice, London for a little change in scenes, and it was...interesting! Props to the puppeteers for not getting the strings tangled, (I would've in 2 seconds! "Why you no work?! Move!" Then I'd drop it and the whole allusion would be ruined along with the innocent dreams of the children in the audience "They aren't real??" Yeah, don't put that pressure on me! Crap... I have to take a puppetry class for theatre ed! Better get tangled! ) but I had no idea what the story was about... beside it including a tap dancing mule! That was hilarious, maybe unintentionally, but it brought a smile nonetheless!

Shortly afterwards, we went to another show! I've counted, and I'm up to 21 shows seen in London! WOW! I'll need to learn how to manage my expectations of theatre when I get home for sure. There is a certain finesse and professionalism in British Theatre that I want to incorporate in my performance and teaching in years to come :)  We saw "The Alchemist" by Ben Jonson, a contemporary of Shakespeare, so there were many similarities. Reading them can be hard and confusing, but if the actors know what they are saying, the story is even better performed! It was in The Rose Theatre built in 1587 and the 1st Elizabethan theatre in Bankside... so apparently a big deal, right? Yet another priceless experience in London town :)

Travel Week (Days 23-26): Part 2 of Roaming through Rome & Parading through Paris!

Soooo...where did I leave off? OH yes! Our 2nd day in Rome had quite the exciting morning! (I realize if I'm ever going to get you caught up, I need to spare the spazzy side notes... oh who am I kidding! I'll just minimize them!) After taking our tour bus back to Vatican City, we had the happy chance of seeing THE POPE! IN THE FLESH! Not picture in a tourist shop, but sitting on a platform in front of thousands of people at St. Peter's Basilica= AWESOME! (Shout out to Brittany Bruner! I did it... HAHA!)

We tried getting into the Galleria Borghese (it has my fave Bernini and Rodin sculptures), but...it was booked til Saturday, SO we made a detour into Piazza Del Popolo! I'd never heard of it either, but it had a bunch of fun shops and quaint cafes! This is were the birth of Jenna and I's "Roma Pants" took place and we'd be lost without them... who am I without my Roma pants and hat? Looking back at the pics, I promise I did wash my hair! I just loved that hat too much to not wear it EVERDAY in Rome! I mean, look at that priceless fashion combination!

Not sure if Provo, Utah will embrace this as much as the Italians, but THEY WILL LEARN! Our next adventure took place at the iconic Colosseum, which ended up being our favorite site in Rome... probably for the fun photo opts :) Its amazing to think how old it is and STILL standing! I kept think of all the gladiators, so naturally I had to prove my strength as well ;) HULK OUT!

Now, I know I'm not alone in this...but what is the first thing you think when you hear: Roman warrior... Hercules right? Well ME TOO! If Disney were to make another musical, it NEEDS to be Hercules! Just picture it...the Muses would rock it, and I know just the girls who could fit the bill :)

After the Colosseum, we called it an early night since we needed to be up a 3am for a flight to Paris ( not before we had dinner at pizzeria with a flirty Italian waiter, who thought he could get 3 new girlfriends after dessert- Charlotte's taken mister!) and said Ciao to Rome! It was amazing and we will miss its rustic beauty, ancient ruins, and tasty treats! Trevi Fountain said we'd return, so see you soon, Roma!

Now we fly over to the City of Lights for a whirlwind of profoundly poetic moments, where having a lover would've make the whole experience EVEN BETTER! (To my future husband... we will be going to Paris, ok? Love you! XOXOXO) Not saying that it wasn't awesome for lack of a man, because it was a DREAM! Like, really... we were half awake on the train ride to our hostel after landing and in meltdown mode! "I JUST WANT A BAGUETTE!!! Why is there karaoke on the train?!" Food does wonders people, because after lunch we were ready to take on the city! I about peed myself when we got to our 1st Parisian stop...Opera Gariner! (aka Paris Opera House where PHANTOM OF THE OPERA LIVES! Yes...I said that in present tense, what of it?!) I've read the book, seen the musical, watched the movies and know my Phantom facts! How can I pass up an opportunity to Masquerade down the infamous staircase?!

I even got to peek into Box 5 where the Opera Ghost views each performance :D GEEKING OUT HARDCORE! No shame :) I couldn't find a trap door into the labyrinth, but I will next time I come back! We then trekked over the the most iconic site in Paris...La Tower Eiffel! After a customary crepe to official initiate us into France, we made the long hike of 669 step to the top! And guess what happen... it started POURING RAIN!!! Did you know that the high you get in the sky, the more intense the rain is? Talk about sensory overload! How flippin' romantic! It was too awesome to fathom the first 2 flights, but once we stopped feeling our feet, reality sank in (along with the water sinking into our shoes! WOOT!) 

After getting down, we took a recommendation from a friendly French writer we met on the bus and went to dinner at The Champ de Mars restaurant (mostly because after seeing French onion soup & Creme Brulee on the menu, I was sold!) ... were I got a FRENCH KISS! *Gasp!* Let me 'splain... after being seated, our waiter came to take our order (he was the perfect looking Frenchman... naturally!) and teased how he should kiss me before soup! I giggle and agreed, but little did I know he was an inch from my face when next I turned and SMACK! He held up his bargain! Jenna caught the after math! If that isn't the best way to end a 1st day in Paris I DONT KNOW WHAT IS! ;)

Our 2nd day in Paris (May 31st/ Friday/ Day 25) had a slow start after walking home in the rain and passing out from pure exhaustion the night before! We watched French soap operas while getting ready- it was hilarious adding our own commentary! "NOOO! I love you for finding my long lost sister and banishing my horrid brother for stealing my husband's inheritance, not because you have the face of a Grecian god!" Good times :) With less rain, we made a bigger trail around the city, starting at the Arc de Triumph! It was another set of hefty stairs, but my Herculean legs don't mind!

Next on our list was the infamous Louvre, where I got to play tour guide in explaining all the mythology behind famous works like the Venus de Milo and Pysche & Cupid before Mona Lisa made her appearance... We've mastered her secret smile, right??

She's not as big in person as I thought, but still... what IS she smirking about? One of life's questions we'll never know *sigh*! Onward we went though! We got stopped on the way to Notre Dame when we saw original paintings of Paris by student artists for super cheap! How could you pass up that deal?! I wish I could paint so bad, but my hand are useless! Lies- they do what they need to, but spaz out if you put a pen, paint brush, or piano keys in them! One day I will muster up the patience to master them, but for now, I'll help an aspiring artist :) So Notre Dame ended up surprising me more than I thought it would... it was MAGNIFICENT. We walked in while the organist was practicing and quietly sat for awhile taking in the beauty of the cathedral. Wow... when I opened my eyes after saying a little thank you prayer, I was overwhelmed by how awe inspiring it all was!

There was no Hunchback of Notre Dame to lead us to the Bell Towers (even after singing "God Help the Outcast" to myself) , so we made our way to the Latin Quarter where we bumped into another group of girls from our study abroad! Small world! Of all the thousands of people in Paris, we find a our fellow classmates! Bless them for telling us about ice cream caramel crepes...they are life changing!

With it being our last full night in Paris, we couldn't pass up the chance to see the Eiffel Tower lit up at night, so taking the advice of our French writer friend when asked what was the #1 thing to do in Paris, we walked along the River Seine at sunset :) Holy Poetic!!! If you take one walk in your life, do it from the Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower during a spring sunset! 

  

Especially if there are a lot of river cruises passing by, because then you can wave enthusiastically and shout random French phrases at them like "Je T'aime!"... they eat it up! By the time we found the perfect spot to camp out for the lights, we were VERY slap happy (for those of you who know what I'm like when I'm tired and get like this... multiple it by 10!) and anxious for the show to start! IT was my favorite part of the whole Travel week :) Like the little girls that we are, we screamed with delight when the Eiffel lit up! Nice hat, Jenna ;)

Our final day in Paris (June 1st/ Day 26) brought us to the most extravagant palace in all of Europe... VERSAILLES! Oooo Ahhh! Walking up to it was blinding... literally. I've never seen so much gold in my entire life! It was all over the roof, gates, beds, walls, chandeliers, mirrors, and ground! I'll be the first to admit that I like sparkles, but even I was overwhelmed! What I would give to live a day in that palace...maybe Marie Antoinette would be there! LET THEM EAT CAKE!

After hearing how amazing Montmartre was from the other girls, we took a train to the stop at Moulin Rouge as our final excursion in Paris before flying to London that night. I had "Elephant Love Medley" stuck in my head and did a little can-can dance when we stepped out of the metro station and saw the big red windmill!

Next to the Sunset walk along the Seine, walking around Montmartre was my 2nd favorite part of our travel week, because it was so uniquely French everywhere I turned! Boutiques were classy and bohemian, the cafes looked like cottages, the street artists had dreadlocks and charming smiles, and an accordion could be heard on every other corner :) I mean, how French does that look! 

Turning the final corner, we saw the beautiful Sacre Coeur Bascilica overlooking the entire city...it was breath taking! And with the sun finally shining, it was the prettiest way to end our time in Paris :) But not until we had one final crepe to send us on our way to the airport! It totally was worth it... in the words of Anastasia "Paris holds the key to my heart!"

After an hour delay on our flight home (due to a bird getting sucked in the engine... thank you pilot for noticing!) we made it safely back to our cozy Hyde Park flat in London just around midnight! Any later and we would've turned into pumpkins, but luckily this dream won't fade from my memory anytime soon :) I can easily say that Travel Week was the most overwhelming and exciting week of my life, and I wouldn't trade it for any Roma Pants or Frenchman's kisses ;)