THIS has been SO LONG IN COMING. I know! I've had quite a challenging time readjusting back to life state-side and everything has been such a complete whirlwind I haven't even had time to breathe. In fact after this, I"m going to do about four hours of reading adn go to bed.
I will still have one more post after this, but the main reason I haven't posted is because I lost the notes on my phone that I had been outlining what I was planning to say. I can base this post off of my pictures, but as for the last one, I am going to keep trying to find what I've lost, because I wrote an entire post for all of you while I was on the plane from Dublin to Boston, and I would really, really like to get it back. It summed up exactly how I was feeling and I fear I won't be able to reproduce that authenticity. Hang in there with me.
But London. LONDON! This I can tell you about. It was my last weekend in Geneva that I was going to London, and I was supposed to be going with one of my friends that was on my program with me. But she bailed last minute and so I ended up crying like a blubbering idiot in front of my tandem partner who was so ridiculously sweet to me about it. He even said we could speak in English that day. Thank goodness because my efforts to speak in French while upset do not work (as I discovered in my traumatic oral exam experience... *phew* that madame did not count that grade".
I digress. The reason my friend and I were going was that we had purchased tickets for a Thursday night showing of the Royal Ballet's production of The Nutcracker (which was originally a short story written by ETA Hoffmann who I am currently reading for a short story class). So I, unfortunately, had to go alone. Not only that, but my flight got delayed and it took me literally forever and a day to finally find a cab once I had taken the hour long trainride from teh airport to Victoria Station. I finally arrived however; myself and a stack of books and studying to do up to my eyes hidden sneakily in an (and quite probably the heaviest) oversized purse. Qutie sneaky if you ask me. I needed it because I didn't want to walk into the ROYAL OPERA HOUSE with an ugly big duffel bag. Turns out, that was a good choice on my part. THe place was beautiful with plush red carpets and marble walls with gilded ceilings and chandaliers. Unfortunately I was late (I arrived in this posh little cab... you think they're only in movies, you're wrong), and so I had to wait outside the doors on a beautiful couch and watch the performance with other late comers on the screen. Unfortunately where we were stationed was around the corner from the most chic and elegant bar I've ever seen in my life, so naturally I got a glass of chardonnay with which to enjoy the first act (I tell you yellowtale is a severe disappointment after all of the great wine I got to consume in Europe). Unfortunately, I had to watch the giant Christmas tree grow on a measley screen, but I did enjoy that wine.
I had paid for what they called on the website the "Champagne Voucher" for intermission, and so after completing that glass of wine, we all filed to the bar, and I picked up what I was to receive with said voucher. To my surprise (and socially-conscious self's horror) we got two glasses of champagne. I was by myself. Walking around the ROYAL OPERA HOUSE double fisting elegant flutes of champagne. Oh my god. What was I to do? You know what I did? Stealthily placed one on the floor, stood up and smiled like I had any sort of purpose for being there and as if I were waiting for a friend to return, and chugged. Then I slyly walked to the bar, put the glass down and returned triumphantly to sip delicately on my second glass. Yikes.
Then we headed back to our seats. I was in the balcony. The theater was magnificent. Guilded with deep red and blue accents, I could literally feel the royalty. Dude. I felt so cool. The second half was dazzling. There is such a huge discrepancy between seeing something on a screen and seeing it live. It was incredible. Remember that guy I told you that I met in Berlin who said he was in the ballet? I saw him. He was one of the Russian dancers. The Sugar Plum Princess and Prince were absolutely jaw dropping. Their dancing, their glittering costumes, everything. The set was also perfect. It was so wonderful I could have cried. I decided then and there that I would like to take a yearly trip to London to see the Nutcracker. No joke. It WILL happen.
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After this, mom and dad so kindly paid for me to take a cab to my hostel since it was super late and I have 0 sense of direction, and then tried to surprise me by paying for the hostel as well...but that all got guffawed when the people never told me that they had paid for it and I was so confused and sassy to dad on the phone and he was all sad that the surprise was messed up and I still feel bad to this day. *Whew* The hostel was (fittingly) Called Swiss Cottage (that's the tube stop by which it's located). It was adorable. It really looked like an elegant swiss chalet. There was a coat of arms on the staircase....dad made me take a selfie with it. It's epic. The space itself was nice. THe bed had a curtain so as to provide pricacy and there were lockers. Breakfast was simple but good; bread, jam, coffee, fruit, corn flakes. Haha. I got up early because I as traveling alone and had nobody to tie me down and go late or dissuade me from doing anything. And so I did, or saw, or some combination of the two, EVERYthing. Friday morning, I woke up and hopped to it. I found the tube all myself and marked off on my handy dandy map all of the places that I wanted to get to. I got everywhere on Friday except Abbey Road and 221b Baker St, and I never managed to make it to King's Cross (and Platform 9 3/4) and the huge market that's really famous (apparently). My first stop was Buckingham palace. I saw none of the guards... they were stationed inside the gates but in front of the building itself. But it was breathtaking, this immense space that is known all over the globe, and I casually stood right in front of it and took sneaky selfies. There were big iron gates that had gold weaven throughout, and the palace was incredible. THere was a giant Christmas tree under one of the arches.
I then retraced my steps (while taking pictures of the "Telephone" booths), and headed toward westminster abbey. Since I was alone, I walked with my iPod in so it looked like I actually knew where I was going. I put a kind-of sassy face on so that people wouldn't think I was a vulnerable tourist. Until I got lost and whipped out the giant map that was 2x my body width. ANyway, I headed back toward where I'd dismounted the train and walked straight on some road. There were super helpful signs that marked off your immediate area and then made a circle around it whose radius represented what was within a 15 minute walk. This is how I mainly got around. As I walked to find Westminster Abbey, the first thing I saw was the towers that began to show themselves over other buildings. It was so beautiful. Unfortunately it wasn't open to go into, but I got some really nice photos of it. Directly behind the Abbey was the Parliament. OH.MY.GOD. Puts the Capitol Building to shame. The intricate architecture made me want to fall over. And then there's Big Ben, so in and of itself awesome. Did you know that Big Ben is the name of the bell and not the tower? Now ya do. And this all is located right on the Thames on the North bank (I think?). Most of the rest of my route was going to be along the river. THe London Eye was across from where I was, and I swear, next time, I'm riding it.
I continued walking (I swear I walked 9 hours straight in heeled boots and really thought both of my feet were broken by the end), and next came to was St. Paul's Cathedral, which was immanent and imposing, but beautiful. I just sat outside and looked at it and rested my feet. There was a big Christmas tree out front (obviously), so naturally I took a selfie in front of it. Directly across from here, across the river, or really, to cross the river, was the Millennium Bridge, which was super cool. It's this structure that gives the appearence of being warped and twisted, but it's totally safe. When you get across it (Auntie Nikki brace yourself), you get to the Globe. Which I went in. It was SO cool. I bought a copy of A Midsummer Night's Dream for my friend a) because it's her favorite, b) because she couldn't come and c) because we saw a ballet adaptation of it with our program in Geneva. There were other buildings around it which also appeared to have been preserved. I ate lunch at the restaurant which was attached to the theater. I studied while I ate a giant plate of fish and chips with a glass of wine and then a glass of hot wine for dessert. Awesome. Again, huge shout out to mom and dad for helping fund 90% of this trip...
After this lunch, and finding myself a little buzzed and a lot warmer, I set off to find the London Bridge. FYI for anyone ever trying to find it...the LONDON BRIDGE is just a normal looking bridge....it is NOT the LONDON TOWER BRIDGE which is the famous one that NBC was so fond of showing during the 2012 olympics. I learned this the hard way by accidentally walking under London Bridge about 50 times and being so confused because my map was telling me that I was in the right place between two land marks, and I'd lost sight of the London Tower Bridge, but I'd known I hadn't walked far enough to had gotten there yet. It was traumatizing. And a lot of walking. But I found it, climbed the stairs, and walked across it, just for the sake of it. Once on it, though, I did get a REALLY awesome shot of the London Tower Bridge. So it all worked out. Haha. From there, I decided that I would find my way to London Tower....and it's bridge.
As I was walking, though, I stumbled across this bar called the Hung Drawn and Quartered. I took a picture of it. And then I waited to cross the street and for the light to change for an unrealistically long time, and took that to be a sign that I should, in fact, enter said bar and buy a beer. It was super nice inside... warm colors and decorated for Christmas, kind of 18th century style, with a nice noose hanging off the ceiling. London. Oh you are too funny. After this minor detour, I continued to the tower, which was vast, and took some photos of it. I was cold and tired by this point, but I soldiered on. I found the tube stop where I saw signs to take a Jack the Ripper tour, which would have been really cool had I not been a 20 something woman walking around the streets of London by myself at night (sorry mom). I opted to not, and hopped on the tube to head to Trafalgar Square. It was huge, and beautiful, and jaw dropping, with all of these beautifully architectured buildings and fountains and monuments. I felt like Princess Kate. I bought my London magnet here, and then walked a few blocks down to Piccadilly.
I took a picture of the sign at the tube stop for Grandpa... still need to print it... 'cause we always used to go to Piccadilly pub! There were so many shops all around. It was huge. What's a girl to do?? Obviously I did a bit of shopping, but, surprisingly, none for me. I got some stuff for Ryan as gifts because it's from London and even a sweater is about 500x cooler when you say.... yeah, but this is from LONDON. #noshame. After piccadilly I headed to Hyde Park, but it was dark so I couldn't really see the vastness of it. But there was a gigantic winter carnival which would have been super fun had I not been alone. I ditched pretty quickly and went to find somewhere for dinner along a huge street filled with more shops. I ate at some small greek place and sat next to a coupld who was also from the US. The wife was just finishing a PhD and they were out celebrating. They're from Deerfield. Small world.
From here I tried to get to Madame Tussaud's but it was expensive and now raining and I was without umbrella. Then my phone died and so by this point I was just SUPER pissed so I opted to call it a night. I made my way back to the hostel and passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow. The next morning I got up at 7, headed to Abbey Road to take a picture for mom, and then headed back to where I'd given up the night before to find Sherlock's house. 221b Baker street was cool because it had been untouched by modernity, and still stood with gas lanterns outside and a black and white checkered stone outside as the front step. It was awesome. And it was conveniently located right net to the tube, which I again hopped on, and headed to the library by Victoria Station, which is where I would need to take the train to get back to the airport. I left after a few hours because it was drafty and headed to a Starbucks where I was accosted by a Barista because all I wanted to do was study and I'm a gullible fool and so said that "fine" i'll pay ten pounds to sit in the seat in the corner by the outlet. Four hours later, when I was leaving, he procceeded to ask me on a date. What. One thing that I did notice was that, some of the accents, even though they were english, were harder to understand than most french...hahaha. I was like well gee I guess Switzerland is really rubbing off!
I left starbucks and hopped on the train back to the shuttle which took me back to Geneva, which guided me into my last week filled with finals, tears, and sadness. But that is for later.
I would love to go back for longer and really get to experience the things I was only able to see, but even seeing them was an experience, being there, seeing the people, walking along the Thames, eating the food, being feet from some of the most famous places in history. It was humbling. What I wouldn't give to be back there now.
well all, that's all I've got until the next time I've got another spare 2 hours lying around to do this. loljk this is not spare i now need to go rip my eyes out reading french and Poe. BUT not to worry. More will come. Eventually.
Bisous,
Xx Edie