Friday, December 18, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
My Last Two Weeks
Well I'm three days away from my flight home, but its been a while since my Rome update so let's backtrack. These last two weeks in the UK have flown by. The Christmas season is upon us over here which means my annual post-Thanksgiving rule goes into effect: nothing but Christmas music playing on my iPod. Some might find it nauseating, but I've never been happier!
Last weekend: On Saturday, I woke up in the best mood. After my last full week of interning, I needed last weekend and it turned out to be so relaxing and enjoyable. I started my day (with iPod in hand) heading over to the Piccadilly/Bond St. area to do some last minute Xmas/souvenir shopping for everyone. I walked into Fortnum and Mason and was taken aback by the sheer number of people once in the door. If you've been following this blog since the beginning, you'll remember that F&M is where I learned that the Queen gets her tea from and it's one of the most revered shops in all of London. A must-see if you are here. I made my way upstairs to the second floor where Mel and I had sampled Oysters a few months ago. It was now transformed into a Christmas land and I was just so excited. I got some goodies to bring back to the States and then exited and did some wandering. I ended up walking through Piccadilly Arcade (which is a narrow outdoor "tunnel" of old school English shops, apothecaries, perfumeries, wooleries, and tea supplies. Inside, they were playing more Christmas music and there was garland everywhere I looked. I actually remember thinking that day that I will miss this part of London so so much. The cute, Christmas-y English part of London where men in top hats and tails open doors for you and literally everyone is in good spirits.
At the end of the tunnel, I saw a storefront that looked familiar. I know I hadn't been on this backstreet before, but I had seen the storefront somewhere. I realized that this shop was featured in an issue of GQ that I read a while back and they had rated it one of the best men's stores in the entire world for grooming, shaving products, barber supplies, etc. Its called the Taylor of Old Bond Street and it was exactly what I thought of in terms of a quintessential English shop. I had to go in. I took this picture of the front of the store for you to guys to see!
After I left Bond Street, I met Mel who was in the area after coming from the Notting Hill market. We went for sushi at Itsu and I got this great salmon sashimi and ginger juice that was infused with lime. twas delish.
After my festive morning in the city, I headed back to get some work done before going to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park! Imagine if a good chunk of Central Park was sectioned off for a giant festival of carnival rides, food vendors, a huge market, and live music. It was a crisp night outside and a perfect time to go!! We got there and I just went insane. I got a german bratwurst, mulled wine, a hot donut, and rum balls. It was not the healthiest of nights, but most definitely satisfying. Here are some photos from Winter Wonderland!!
That was two weekends ago. The following week goes by. This past weekend arrives. Now I can continue...
THIS Past Weekend: We went to Oxford! We got up early and took the train from Paddington straight to the town of Oxford, about an hour northwest of London. I'm actually so glad that we saved this day trip for the end of my time in the UK because it was just unbelievable to see at Christmastime. It was everything you would think of and more thanks to Harry Potter movies and the school and town were like nothing I've ever seen. The whole place was very collegiate-looking covered in ivy and since the school was hundreds of years old, you could feel the history around you. We walked past a cemetery outside of one of the churches that was entirely green with beautiful moss that covered the withered stones. I got some really nice pictures that day. We also made it to one of the campus stores and I got myself a souvenir Oxford University rugby shirt! Here are some pictures from our day!
Now that you are caught up on my past two weeks following the trip to Rome, I can fill you in on this past week. On Monday and Tuesday, I finished the last days of the three classes I took here. In British Life and Cultures, we got our final exams back (A!) and then the professor took us out to his favorite pub and treated us to a drink. In media, we watched a film and learned that our professor was planning a visit to DC in February or March and said he would contact me because he wanted us to take him out to a diner. I also finished up my internship with Elemental Design on Wednesday. I never thought that I would be sad to say goodbye, but it was very strange. Seeing as I don't know if or when I will be back to London anytime soon, the goodbye at my office was just weird because it was more than just "thank you for an amazing experience, see you around". It was like "thank you and have a great rest of your life". I wish them all the best and hope to stay in contact! Today is Thursday and I slept late, watched Christmas movies, and oh yeah it snowed here. Apparently it never snows here and the one weekend I have a cross-continental flight, they are predicting inches of snow. Crossing my fingers everything goes according to plan!! Tomorrow I am doing one last lunch at my favorite Whole Foods on High Street and then going to the Oxford Street area. On Saturday, I have to pack up the last four months of my life and mentally prepare myself for the 10+ hour flight back to Miami!!!!!!
Expect one more post before I leave the UK.
Cheers!
Last weekend: On Saturday, I woke up in the best mood. After my last full week of interning, I needed last weekend and it turned out to be so relaxing and enjoyable. I started my day (with iPod in hand) heading over to the Piccadilly/Bond St. area to do some last minute Xmas/souvenir shopping for everyone. I walked into Fortnum and Mason and was taken aback by the sheer number of people once in the door. If you've been following this blog since the beginning, you'll remember that F&M is where I learned that the Queen gets her tea from and it's one of the most revered shops in all of London. A must-see if you are here. I made my way upstairs to the second floor where Mel and I had sampled Oysters a few months ago. It was now transformed into a Christmas land and I was just so excited. I got some goodies to bring back to the States and then exited and did some wandering. I ended up walking through Piccadilly Arcade (which is a narrow outdoor "tunnel" of old school English shops, apothecaries, perfumeries, wooleries, and tea supplies. Inside, they were playing more Christmas music and there was garland everywhere I looked. I actually remember thinking that day that I will miss this part of London so so much. The cute, Christmas-y English part of London where men in top hats and tails open doors for you and literally everyone is in good spirits.
At the end of the tunnel, I saw a storefront that looked familiar. I know I hadn't been on this backstreet before, but I had seen the storefront somewhere. I realized that this shop was featured in an issue of GQ that I read a while back and they had rated it one of the best men's stores in the entire world for grooming, shaving products, barber supplies, etc. Its called the Taylor of Old Bond Street and it was exactly what I thought of in terms of a quintessential English shop. I had to go in. I took this picture of the front of the store for you to guys to see!
After I left Bond Street, I met Mel who was in the area after coming from the Notting Hill market. We went for sushi at Itsu and I got this great salmon sashimi and ginger juice that was infused with lime. twas delish.
After my festive morning in the city, I headed back to get some work done before going to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park! Imagine if a good chunk of Central Park was sectioned off for a giant festival of carnival rides, food vendors, a huge market, and live music. It was a crisp night outside and a perfect time to go!! We got there and I just went insane. I got a german bratwurst, mulled wine, a hot donut, and rum balls. It was not the healthiest of nights, but most definitely satisfying. Here are some photos from Winter Wonderland!!
That was two weekends ago. The following week goes by. This past weekend arrives. Now I can continue...
THIS Past Weekend: We went to Oxford! We got up early and took the train from Paddington straight to the town of Oxford, about an hour northwest of London. I'm actually so glad that we saved this day trip for the end of my time in the UK because it was just unbelievable to see at Christmastime. It was everything you would think of and more thanks to Harry Potter movies and the school and town were like nothing I've ever seen. The whole place was very collegiate-looking covered in ivy and since the school was hundreds of years old, you could feel the history around you. We walked past a cemetery outside of one of the churches that was entirely green with beautiful moss that covered the withered stones. I got some really nice pictures that day. We also made it to one of the campus stores and I got myself a souvenir Oxford University rugby shirt! Here are some pictures from our day!
Now that you are caught up on my past two weeks following the trip to Rome, I can fill you in on this past week. On Monday and Tuesday, I finished the last days of the three classes I took here. In British Life and Cultures, we got our final exams back (A!) and then the professor took us out to his favorite pub and treated us to a drink. In media, we watched a film and learned that our professor was planning a visit to DC in February or March and said he would contact me because he wanted us to take him out to a diner. I also finished up my internship with Elemental Design on Wednesday. I never thought that I would be sad to say goodbye, but it was very strange. Seeing as I don't know if or when I will be back to London anytime soon, the goodbye at my office was just weird because it was more than just "thank you for an amazing experience, see you around". It was like "thank you and have a great rest of your life". I wish them all the best and hope to stay in contact! Today is Thursday and I slept late, watched Christmas movies, and oh yeah it snowed here. Apparently it never snows here and the one weekend I have a cross-continental flight, they are predicting inches of snow. Crossing my fingers everything goes according to plan!! Tomorrow I am doing one last lunch at my favorite Whole Foods on High Street and then going to the Oxford Street area. On Saturday, I have to pack up the last four months of my life and mentally prepare myself for the 10+ hour flight back to Miami!!!!!!
Expect one more post before I leave the UK.
Cheers!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
When in Rome: Eat Gelatto, Cannollis, Pasta, Street Pizza, Espresso Granitas, Fresh Bread, Suplis, and Mussels
and I am still in the food coma. The food in Italy was just UNBELIEVABLE!! I still can't believe that I conquered Roma. In 48 hours no less! Here we go...
We got there on Saturday morning around 11am Rome time. We instantly got off the plane, onto the train, dropped out stuff at the hotel and then booked it to the Vatican. We were told that the Sistine Chapel closed at 4pm that day so we thankfully got to the Vatican and were able to see Saint Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museum, and finally the Sistine Chapel. I couldn't believe that I was actually standing underneath the ceiling that Michelangelo slaved away over for years and years. I was speechless!
That night, we went to Trestevere and wandered the narrow streets with Wendi as our tour guide. (She's studying at John Cabot in Rome). We sat down to eat at a restaurant off the beaten path, where they spoke no english. I liked it better that way, there was barely any tourists in this neighborhood which made for a more authentic experience. I got basic pasta with marinara and clams! Very basic, but very, very excellent ;)
The following day, we woke up and went to the Trastevere street market and from there walked across the river to the Colosseum, and all the other ruins in that part of the city. It was a really nice day out and the pictures came out really great so I was happy! We did a lot of walking and so my feet hurt at the end of each day, but we did manage to accomplish a lot.
On Monday morning, we flew back to London and I made it to my 3:30 class on time. I now am freaking out with all the work that I have this week, but I'll be fine. By next Monday, I will be 100% completely done with work and just relax and enjoy my last few days in Christmas-y London!
We got there on Saturday morning around 11am Rome time. We instantly got off the plane, onto the train, dropped out stuff at the hotel and then booked it to the Vatican. We were told that the Sistine Chapel closed at 4pm that day so we thankfully got to the Vatican and were able to see Saint Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museum, and finally the Sistine Chapel. I couldn't believe that I was actually standing underneath the ceiling that Michelangelo slaved away over for years and years. I was speechless!
That night, we went to Trestevere and wandered the narrow streets with Wendi as our tour guide. (She's studying at John Cabot in Rome). We sat down to eat at a restaurant off the beaten path, where they spoke no english. I liked it better that way, there was barely any tourists in this neighborhood which made for a more authentic experience. I got basic pasta with marinara and clams! Very basic, but very, very excellent ;)
The following day, we woke up and went to the Trastevere street market and from there walked across the river to the Colosseum, and all the other ruins in that part of the city. It was a really nice day out and the pictures came out really great so I was happy! We did a lot of walking and so my feet hurt at the end of each day, but we did manage to accomplish a lot.
On Monday morning, we flew back to London and I made it to my 3:30 class on time. I now am freaking out with all the work that I have this week, but I'll be fine. By next Monday, I will be 100% completely done with work and just relax and enjoy my last few days in Christmas-y London!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
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