Normalcy: Traveling Sutton and Brighton

Hanging Around

So still in London, although spending having a bit more downtime now (although homework and projects still loom). So got to do some normal things, like meet up with friends and drag luggage across town (always fun). Got to ride around in a backwards car.

Got to go to supermarkets. And wander around. Found the  'world eats' sections.

                                                       

Also found british coke with cute british words.

Also saw one that said 'mate' somewhere. Love this ad campagin.

Did some homework, hung around. Today I got to go to Brighton, which was cool. Walked around among loads of shops and vendors and stuff. Just walking around. Enjoying the sights. Bought stuff.Played some skeeball and arcade games. Ate ice cream for lunch. Hung out at the Brighton Pier.

Having a great time and totally ready for more adventures!!!

Introducing....

New Friend

So today I found a friend. He needed a home and he thinks that the library will be a perfect place to live.

Dash is what his tag said, but he has clarified that that is only a temporary traveling name and he is waiting for a real name to go along with his real home. He's been traveling with me and has had a great time so far.
He's a bit small, but that doesn't stop him from being adventurous (think of the trouble he could get into with the bears when they have their sleepover).

Teddy Bears breaking into the Director's
 office at last year's sleepover.

He's also great at making 
friends wherever he goes.

He is happy to travel with me but he is just as excited to return home. Follow his adventures with me!

My Photo Book: London 2014

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Turn your favorite photos into a photo book at Shutterfly.com.

A dragon, a bear, and Shakespeare, a story of 11 bookbenches

THE RIVERSIDE TRAIL

I had promised you guys a while back to talk about the bookbenches of London so here we go. The project is called books about town and they have placed benches from dozens of iconic British books all over London. I've been catching a few here and there, but a while ago I went on a mission.

My mission was to complete the riverside trail. 11 benches. 11 books, some of which I knew and others I did not. All were inspiring pieces of art in their own right and I was glad to have seen them.

Front and back of How to
Train Your Dragon

Because I am on the track for youth services in librarianship, I took some particular time to look at the children's books mentioned. I have created a Pinterest board here of them as well as links to the books about town site and my local library catalog (so if you wish to read them). And if you have read any please share with me on Pinterest or on my blog (I am open to anoymous comments) about it. This trail had seven children's books.

Some of my favorites were: Paddington Bear, War Horse, How to Train Your Dragon, and Dr. Seuss. 

If anyone is interested about Pinterest as a forum for discussion, watch my video here.

COMPLETE!!!

Tea Tuesday

PETER PAN GARDENS

Today was an easy strolling day. We got to walk around Hyde park and Kensington gardens. Lush rolling green fields and fountains and just beautiful.

We also got to see the Peter Pan statue, which was really cool (despite my issues with the book, I love the idea of Peter Pan nonetheless). We also did a Peter Pan pose as a group.

Got to walk around Kensington palace where Prince George and his parents live (although they live very far away from the part open to the public, of course). Got to see some 
really interesting things, including
fashions throughout the ages up to 
princess Diana. 


TEATIME


 


We got the full setup. Tea, sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and a multitude of desserts. It was amazing and I can't believe that we don't have more of this at home. I am going to do tea again before I leave.

For sure. 

                 

Then we went to find some more bookbenches (that post is coming, I promise) and met up with some others who were also bookbench hunting (including a fellow librarian!) we wandered around together l for a bit and got to see some really interesting pieces of London including Little Compton street which is below Old Compton street. 

Next up: Antony and Cleopatra!!!

Paris Day 3: What, What, WHAT are you doing !?

RUNNING ABOUT

Started the morning in the morning because I had some sites to hit today and be done by 4ish, because our train back to London was at 6:13pm, with half an hour for pre-boarding shenanigans and half an hour for travel.

My plan was Notre Dame first, but someone reminded me that it was a Sunday. Sunday means mass. And Notre Dame does a lot of masses on Sunday. So I switched up my schedule and went to the Louvre first instead.

The stop that is directly outside the the Louvre was closed for construction purposes so I had to attempt to find my way from the next stop. I found it without much trouble because the museum is huge.


One cannot comprehend the hugeness of this museum. I still can't and I was there. I again decided to forego the audio guide (even though the program ran on a 3Ds, which was awesome). You could have spent days in the museum just walking around. 



I only got a super tiny taste of what the museum had to offer although I did make sure to visit the Mona Lisa, the statue of Venus de Milo, and the statue of Cupid & Psyche, all of which were amazing.

After walking about a million miles of hallways and stairs (Europe has a love affair with stairs) wandering around through different artistic periods and ages, I finally found the Mona Lisa. The crowd was crazy but I managed to snap a photo or two.

Note: I was particularly impressed with the accessibility factor if the museum. While one who was in need of accessibility would have had to make a lot of u turns to see everything, it still seems like the most accessible museum I've seen so far. There was even space set aside at the Mona Lisa for a person to be able to see the painting (because they would never be able to normally).

BREAK-FAST

So finish the Louvre, off to Breakfast in America. It's a small casual place that endeavors to be American cooking. I did not get there with enough time to get a burger since Sunday brunch ran till 4pm, but I did get a hella good milkshake.

WHY ARE ALL THE STOPS I NEED CLOSED?

Then back to the underground and off to Notre Dame. Wandered around numerous other beautiful buildings attempting to find the one beautiful building I needed. Found it, but my time was limited and I have a thing for churches so I would've like more time and an audio tour. (Didn't get one at the place that I actually wanted one because the cashier people must have thought I was with someone else or something and never talked to me, so I just moved on down the line instead).

Could have planned
that a bit better, Paris.

Walking back trying to get to a different line on the metro (I didn't want to switch multiple times to get back to the hotel) and the stop is closed.

Again.



Seriously, Paris. What, what, what are you doing? Three of the key items and tourist destinations of Paris (the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and Notre Dame) have their direct stops closed. 





Got the luggage, went back to the train station and returned to London without further incident. Excited to be back and ready for the next adventure!!!

Harry Potter: A Story in Props

Harry Potter: A Story in Props Follow the story of Harry Potter. Made using photo and video I took at the Harry Potter Studio Tour, London or in various London locations. There is a small movie clip from DHPt2 CC music: November:Bensound http://ift.tt/1mGsjP7 Bensound: Happiness: http://ift.tt/1qDn1ZQ

Harry Potter Studios

HARRY POTTER

Today was full of Harry Potter. Harry Potter Wednesday. (Ideally it should be Harry Potter Day everyday). We got to ride in a special double decker bus (I don't believe there are any Knight bus tours...)

Spent ages at the Studio, looking through thousands of props and collecting the stamps for the Harry Potter Passports (unfortunately I did not have a passport, but I did manage to collect all the stamps because my backpack carries many things). There were three pieces of the studio, two indoor stages and an outdoor stage where some of the larger props hang out, like the Knight Bus and the Ford Angelia. 

HARRY POTTER

The tour was amazing and I got to wander around and learn about everything from prop-making and makeup to the animal actors that were crucial to the films. There is a room at the end of the door that is floor to ceiling with Ollivander wands, each one emboldened with a name of one of the people that helped to make the magic real to the rest of us, over 4000 names in total. There is also a model (1/64 size) of Hogwarts at the end, and I cannot even begin to describe how amazing the castle was.

HARRY POTTER

Harry Potter follows the trials and adventures of an orphan boy wizard from the ages of 11-17 and fulfills several of the requirements for a school story(as Harry essentially attends a boarding school), something that is not particularly common outside of British Literature. As the story progresses and Harry ages, so do the complexity and depth of the stories, moving from the space of children's literature into the realm of Young Adult. 

Harry Potter is more than that, however. Harry gripped the nation and then the world. The seven books and eight movies (in addition to the supplemental stories and texts as well as the website Pottermore) have all contributed to the sense of wonder and awe that the Harry Potter novels inspire.

Even now, seven years after the publishing of the last book and three years since the last movie, Harry Potter popularity has not faded. The Studio Tour was full of people. Harry Potter is an enduring presence that will be a part of the literary landscape for years to come. 

The stories we love 

best do live in us forever. 

So, whether you come back 

by page or by the big screen, 

Hogwarts will always be there 

to welcome you home.

-J.K. Rowling

Westminister and a Crypt

WESTMINSTER ABBEY

Back in London and back on the street! Got to take a bus to Westminister Abbey (offical name: Colligate Church of St. Peter at Westminster) today. We had an awesome tour guide that was super in-the-know about everything. While we were not able to take pictures (as Westminster is a working church) we got to learn a lot. Among some things we learned were-


-The Church was built as a get out of jail free card for Edward the Confessor from the Pope (the king had made a promise to the pope to pray with him, but his advisors did not like the idea since he had only just been returned from a kidnapping so the pope said 'build a church and dedicate it to St. Peter'). He does so and builds it near the palace.


-That the enclaves with statues were not filled until the 90s and the theme was martyrdom so among the included are Martin Luther King. (He is on the middle left.)


-That the Queen in a deck of cards is based off Elizabeth of York (mother of the infamously well known Henry VIII).

-Royal weddings happen at Westminster Abbey. On occasion there has been a wedding at St. Paul's Cathedreal. Two marriages were that of Catherine of Aragon and Prince Arthur (Henry VIII's brother) and the marriage of Diana Spencer and Prince Charles some 480 years earlier. (Both of these did not end well).


-During a period of confusion and upheaval, the bishop of St Paul takes money from Westminster for his church and the saying "robbing Peter to pay Paul" comes from this.

-There are over 3200 people buried at Westminster and numerous others have commemorations. Some of these burials/commemorations include: Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Shakespeare, Byron, Lewis Carroll, Jane Austen, etc...David Frost was recently commemorated in 2013.

Shakespeare is also surrounded by famous and great actors that performed in his plays.

Then we went off to walk about Trafalgar Square, which was great. Visited the National Gallery (no pictures) which was full of interesting paintings and history. I slid into a tour that was going on and got to hear some really interestng things about a few paintings, which was also cool.

ST. MARTIN IN THE FIELDS

The group met up for dinner at the Crypt of St. Martin in the Fields, which was delicious. And odd, considering that beneath our chairs and tables there were people. We also got cake to celebrate a birthday of a fellow classmate.

A successful day with a successful ending. 

Good and Lost

Not human. They are allowed
 to be annoying and awake

VERSAILLES 

Went to see Versailles on Saturday. Got a bit of a late start, since Fridays hustle and bustle drained me (4 am is far too early for human life, methinks) 

Already made that mistake before.
Still have maps without wifi.

So I get dressed (today was another super hot day in Paris, although it was nothing compared to yesterday) and plan my route to Versailles, which includes taking screenshots of the directions so I can access them later. 

I buy my special ticket to Versailles and get there with no issue (although I was not able to figure out the self service ticket machine) and make the 35 minute journey to Versailles. 

It was beautiful and amazing, awe inspiring in size, and I could go on and on with adjectives. I skipped the audio tour because I am the kind of person that would have to listen to all of the recordings and it just would've been more of a challenge to complete rather than entertaining. Plus, I planned on getting out around 4ish and getting into a museum that didn't close until about 6:30 or so. 

But the palace was great (loved the hall of mirrors and the chandeliers especially) and I got a tonne of pictures and a bunch if not-so-good selfies, but those were fun too. Also, one of my selfies came out pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.

Underside of Chandelier. 

GARDENS

Focus today: Panoramic view
This is only a small piece of these gardens.

My visitor pass did not cover the garden, so I forked over €7 to get into the garden that had been tantalizing me through the windows of the palace and walked about some more. I don't even think I saw half of the gardens they were so huge (these gardens are large enough that they run mini trains and rent out golf carts if you so choose and have the money to do so). 

I walked the length of the gardens, got all the way to the point where the gardens officially ended and rewarded myself with some delicious ice cream. 

Then I trekked back through the garden and out towards the train station and meander through the souvenir shops and such. I grab a sandwich and did not particularly enjoy it because some guy kept coming around and asking for money and taking peoples leftovers. 

HOMEWARD BOUND?

I finally go to the station which is blocked off. The station is letting no one in to get on the trains and now I'm seriously starting to freak out because I am like 40 minutes out of the city and I've no idea what's happenng. My first thought was 'strike' and I was like 'oh no, oh no, oh no'.

I'm still not sure what it was because the employee told me to turn right and walk 15 minutes to the next station, so at least that nixed the strike idea, which made me feel better.

It was not simple or easy. Instead I wandered for the better part if 2 1/2 hours, looking into shops and taking pictures as I attempted to follow street signs and asked some 7-8 people about where to get (showed them a screenshot I took of the map outside the station because never would have remembered the name properly otherwise). 

It starts to rain. I have a fight with my emergency poncho (it wins) I ask my last person for directions and I FIND IT. 

Most beautiful train station in the world.

I ask for some more directions, because while I do know a way back I can clearly see it is not the best one for this new station. So instead I go towards another route and while I am waiting te line changes (thanking the 5+ years of metro service for being able to understand that an announcement followed by mass movement means a switch. The train that takes its place on line B is even better for me, so I get on it and get back to the hotel with no trouble. Missed all the museums and churches that day, but I made it back in one piece so I'll consider that a fair trade off. 

I am so much better at maps involving the underground and metros than I am with street signs. So much better. 

Never ask me for street directions. 

Please. 

Paris, Full of Adventure

PARIS

So up at 3:30, which is far too early for any mortal and off to Paris. Trains and seats were no problem and I was awake enough to just write a quick blog post and sleep the rest of the time.

From the boat. Eiffel Tower
and Statue of Liberty.

After arriving we got to go on a boat river tour, which was deliciously wonderful. Got to try lots of wine and reconfirmed that lamb is not my favorite, although it was quite tasty.

We started the tour at Moulin Rouge.

Then a walking tour. After stepping out of the air conditioned boat, the 39c (102) heat hit us like a 30ft concrete wall. It was hot. and take the heat and people running on very little sleep and a walk that is crazy exercise on a normal day~

It was not pleasant. But we had a wonderful tour guide that shared some great 
stories with us about people such as 
Van Gogh, Dalida, and the
 man who walked through walls.

39C....

WALLACE

Also she told us about Wallace a gentleman who gave money to the city of Paris for water fountains.

Gotta love Wallace.

Seriously, Wallace's fountains were the best part of the day.

We get to the top of Montparnasse, which offered us a great view of Paris before heading back to the hotel before the Eiffel Tower. 

EIFFEL TOWER

We had some difficulties getting to the tower and up it (a couple of wrong turns a couple of misunderstood directions and an almost fight in line) but we made it to the top.

There is no picture. I ate it before
 I even thought about  taking a picture.

We finished the night with an overpriced crepe.  We were starving and it was amazing. I had coconut and Nutella and ice cream.

Photo Focus: Our photography focus was to spell out out names with pictures that we had taken. My name is rather long, but I think I did all right. B&W and color