The Final Week

It’s unbelievable to think that I’ve only got another five full days left in London. These past eleven weeks have just flown by! So… What’s been going on this week…

On Monday evening, the group headed to the Royal Opera House (where the BAFTAs were held this year), where we watched the ballet, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. I can’t recall having seen any ballet before “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, however, I vaguely remember going to see “The Nutcracker” in Chicago many, many years ago. I really, really enjoyed “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. I thought the costumes and sets were absolutely beautiful. The Royal Opera House has a much larger stage than the venues we’ve been at during the past eleven weeks, so the performance could afford grandiose sets, complete with massive stack card towers, screens dozens of feet high, which would display extraordinary visual effects which enhanced the entire performance.

You guys, it was great. The way the actors told the story, and the effects used were incredibly clever and I was thoroughly impressed. Chad, Andy, and I were sitting in front of this older gentleman, who turned out to be there by himself, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, who was just having the time of his life and would giggle and guffaw at the most inappropriate moments. Chad would turn to me and ask, “Am I missing something?”. We had a good time though.

“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”

It easily made my list of top three favorites out of all the other theatre we’ve experienced during the semester. Which, if I had to compose that list, would look something like this…

1. The Phantom of the Opera

2. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

3. Jersey Boys

Honorable Mention: Moswell Hill or One Man, Two Guv’nors (Too close to rule one out, so why don’t we have both?)

If there wasn’t such a deep-seeded affection for “The Phantom of the Opera”, then “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” might have taken that number one spot.

On Tuesday evening, I met Uncle Archie and Pat at the Royal College of Pathologists, where he works and teaches (and is temporarily living until he can move into his new house), and headed just around the corner to the club where RCP members relax. I can’t remember the name off the top of my head, I’ll find out though. But it was in this magnificent building, with a large lounging area upstairs, complete with libraries full of priceless books you can’t find anywhere else. Archie, Pat, and I shared a drink upstairs in the lounge before the three of us headed to the restaurant downstairs where we ate.

Pat was meeting co-workers, while Archie and I shared a table to ourselves. He’s heading to Cape Town for business on Thursday, and Pat will be in Venice for the remaining days of the week and into the weekend, so Tuesday evening was the last time I was able to see them while in London this semester. I can’t thank Archie and Pat enough for the kindness they’ve shown me since I’ve been in London. I know Pat has a picture of the evening on her phone, so once she sends it my way, I’ll be sure to throw it up here.

On Wednesday, the group was up early and met just outside the Tower of London, where we spent the rest of our morning. Being inside Tower of London during the day was cool. We’ve been inside during the evening for Ceremony of the Keys, but we were able to see more of the castle, including the crown jewels, which were breathtaking. Wednesday was an educational day. Not our last field trip though, for we’ll be at St. Paul’s on April 2nd.

Outside Tower of London

Inside Tower of London, looking down Water Lane.

We finished up at Tower of London, grabbed some lunch, and headed to spend a few hours in Hyde Park, as it was a beautiful day outside. We had spotless skies with temperatures, pushing 80 degrees for the better half of the day. We brought a soccer ball along, Chad brought a his guitar, and the group had a very relaxing and enjoyable afternoon before we headed back to the flats.

Cigars & Guitars – A tradition Chad and I will continue back at school next semester.

As of today, I am finished with the classes here at City of Westminster College. We finished up with History of British Pop Music on Tuesday, and finished with Introduction to Theatre and British Life & Culture today. Andy and I performed our final, which consisted of a performance of a short script, which we’ve been practicing for the past week or so. We were able to get a good video recording of it in just one take, so hopefully I’ll be able to get a copy and see how it looks… Before I determine whether or not I should put it online… British Life & Culture ended with a few final grades being returned to students and just some general information about leaving the flats provided by the Ball State instructor here with us, Dr. Pierce. I’m going to try to write one more time before I leave for home on Wednesday morning, because I feel the last few days here will merit a separate post.

As always, thanks for reading, everyone! Can’t wait to see you all in a matter of days!

Another Week

Although Paris was one of my favorite places I’ve been to this semester, it was good to be back in London. We started the week with the stage production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Adelphi Theatre featuring Michael Ball (Recognized British musician and actor) as Sweeney Todd and Imelda Staunton (Professor Umbridge in the Harry Potter series and well-known actress who’s appeared in numerous films and theatrical productions) as Mrs. Lovett. I enjoyed the stage production of Sweeney Todd, yet, I made the mistake of seeing the Tim Burton adaptation for the screen staring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter when it came out in 2007.

Per usual, it can be tough to view an adaptation from a book to the screen, or from the stage to the screen because you may have preconceived notions and expectations which will be unreachable. This was the case for me. I knew I had to go into the performance with an open mind, fully knowing it would not be the same. However, I just couldn’t get on board after having seen the film… Which is rare, because there’s only so much Tim Burton I can stomach. Burton’s “Sweeney Todd”, “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, and “Beetlejuice” are some of the few movies that I could probably watch if they popped up on TV.

But that’s neither here nor there. The stage performance was good. I thought Michael Ball made an intriguing Sweeney Todd while Imelda Staunton brought an unusual sense of humor to the dark, sinister story. I didn’t think the humor quite fit in… But that’s simply another consequence I faced having seen the film before the stage musical.

The collaborative philosophy of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp.

Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Since we saw Sweeney Todd on Monday night, we didn’t have any theatre to attend on Tuesday evening. So Tuesday was pretty laid-back, as I organized my portfolio to turn in on Friday. The only class I have on Tuesday is History of British Pop Music, which, as you’d imagine, is a blast. Over the past nine weeks, we’ve explored the bands and the music of Britain since the 1950s. The class on Tuesday and even the week before was dedicated to the 80s. These were the classes I had been looking forward to since the beginning of the semester. This past class went into detail about the history behind Joy Division, New Order, and The Smiths.

I’m not too familiar with Joy Division, having only listened to a few singles, but I’m definitely going to pick up some of their music when I head back home. I’ve only listened to The Smiths’ “Meat Is Murder” and “Strangeways, Here We Come”, but I hope Dennis and Vivian will let me get some of their respective Smiths collection when I get home. Finally, you can never have enough New Order. And you know what? Rob only played “The Beach” during class that day. One New Order song is better than none, though. I’ve got my work cut out for me in terms of what tunes I need to pick up when I return home. Rob did recommend listening to New Order’s “World In Motion”, which New Order recorded for England’s 1990 FIFA World Cup campaign. I dig it, ‘cept for the terrible verse towards the end performed by England footballer, John Barnes… Just ruins it for me. Next Tuesday, I expect we’ll continue on to the 90s and discuss Oasis, The Prodigy, Blur, and Radiohead. We could always throw New Order in the mix… They had an album or two in the 1990s, didn’t they?

On Wednesday, the group took the overground to Richmond, where we rode bikes along the Thames to Hampton Court Palace. We had gorgeous weather – Clear skies and blazing sunshine – for our 8 mile ride.

Post lunch nap. (Tell ’em I just want my naps! Naps on naps, on naps.)

A shot of some homes on the Thames.

A small portion of the group along the Thames.

Standing on a lock just off the Thames.

We stopped for lunch at noon and continued just up the trail to Hampton Court Palace, which was beautiful. It was an impressive building for its time period and exemplified just how wealthy the royal families were. We were lucky to have the gorgeous weather that we did, because it always makes the Wednesday trips even more enjoyable.

Hampton Court Palace

The main entrance to Hampton Court Palace.

So here I am writing this post at the BBC Broadcasting House at Portland Place, just next to Oxford Circus. I was presented with the opportunity to go behind the scenes at Radio 4 and was able to sit on an editorial meeting for “You And Yours”, a consumer affairs program, which I will watch go out live at noon. So far, it’s been an incredibly exciting morning as I was briefly shown the inner workings of one of the world-renowned media outlets. The editorial meeting consisted of the “You And Yours” team sitting down with an outline of the program and making any last-minute alterations to the segments, switching out news stories, and running through how the show will be executed. It’s a humbling experience listening to, and being around professionals who speak about their work with such vigor. After I watch the show go out live, I’ll update on how the rest of the morning went and be sure to include some pictures of the day’s adventures.

A view of the brand new floor which will serve as BBC’s base of operations when it opens in the near future.

Radio 4’s office space located in the Broadcasting House.

Inside the on-air studio with Peter (The host of “You And Yours”) getting ready to record a podcast.

Back at school to finish this post and get started on some final assignments. Watching “You And Yours” go out live was fascinating. The studios and facilities I was able to see were beautiful, and only rivaled by the equipment I’ve used at IPR and WCRD. Inside the production booth was a flurry of activity as producers organized the guest callers for their respective segments while other employees ran in and out of the studio handing everyone a copy of the script for the next segment, containing cues for cutting to audio clips and the on-air phone calls.

Watching Peter (The host of “You And Yours”), Jon (My contact at Radio 4), and the rest of the Radio 4 team work was both impressive and inspiring. Watching how professionals move so seamlessly throughout the preparation process and executing the program was certainly an exciting learning experience. Being in the studios at Radio 4 made me miss my shift and my fellow employees and friends at Indiana Public Radio and WCRD, and had me really looking forward to returning come next semester.

The original entrance to the Broadcasting House.

The new entrance on the recent addition to the Broadcasting House.

Don’t know what the plans are for the weekend, yet. Definitely going to take advantage of the warm weather while we’ve got it! I’ve got a fair amount of work due next week, and I’ll probably end up getting started on those projects this weekend, that way, I’ll be able to enjoy the final weekend here without any additional pressure of finishing schoolwork last minute.

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Paris – Part Two

Saturday was a slow start for me. I woke up around 12:00 PM, after the previous day’s adventures catching up with me. I headed to the McDonald’s down the road to use the wi-fi to map out the day. I took care of the tourist sights on Friday, and still had a few things left on my list to accomplish on my last full day in Paris.

The weather wasn’t as warm as it was on Friday, but it was still warm enough to enjoy walking wherever I went.

My list for Saturday included the locations where “Inception” was filmed in Paris. For some students on this study abroad experience, sights like Stonehenge and Parliament were the selling points that made them study in London for the semester. For me, the selling point was that I’d be a few thousand miles closer to where “Inception” was filmed (only joking). My first stop was the cafe, where Leo DiCaprio and Ellen Page discussed the very basics of creating the world of the dream.

This scene was located at Rue Bouchut, just a 20 minute walk from the Eiffel Tower.

Rue Bouchut

The cafe, Da Stuzzi, that the exploding fruit stand/street scene was filmed.

No exploding fruit from this fruit stand on Rue Bouchut, though.

After seeing this scene, I moved on to the Pont de Bir-Hakeim, where, while in the dream, Leo and Ellen Page are confronted by Leo’s dead wife, “Mal”.

The Pont de Bir-Hakeim.

No massive mirrored doors to be found, however…

The next location I went to was just at the opposite end of the bridge, which is a small overpass, which in “Inception”, Ellen Page constructs in a dream to cross a street to reach the Pont de Bir-Hakeim.

And finally, just 100 feet away, at the base of the underground stop, Passy, are the large doors where Joseph Gordon-Levitt enters to access an abandon warehouse, where he and Leo temporarily set up base as they instruct Ellen Page.

The door of the abandon warehouse Joseph Gordon-Levitt enters in “Inception”.

Being able to see these places in real life was truly an… Earth-shattering, borderline religious experience. Only half-joking. But in all honesty, it was beyond cool.

From here, I headed down to the Champs-Élysées, which was another sight to behold. One of the most famous streets in the entire world, the Champs-Élysées is also home to some of the most expensive retail and real estate in the world. I could have spent all day walking up and down Champs-Élysées, just taking it all in. The streets were packed, but just window-shopping and seeing concept cars from high-end automobile retailers was enough to hold my attention for a better part of the afternoon.

Champs-Élysées

At the end of the Champs-Élysées sits the Arc de Triomphe, which stands at just over 160 feet. Constructed between 1806-1836, the Arc de Triomphe stands in the center of Place Charles de Gaulle, which is the meeting point of twelve straight avenues connecting to form the shape of a star.

The Arc De Triomphe

I walked back down the Champs-Élysées towards the Louvre to see my last location on my list – “Club Silencio”, owned by American filmmaker David Lynch. Knowing Dave like I do (I don’t), he wouldn’t let just any riffraff in. So I got a photo, and poked my nose around the corner hoping to catch him there doodling over a new script… Alas, to no avail. The club operates on a subscription service, where members pay a yearly fee to gain access. Here’s a short description take from the website…

“Until midnight, Silencio is reserved for its members and their escorts. Membership card allows access to concerts, films, and other performances. It is offered primarily for international creative scene (Cinema, fashion, music, visual arts, etc.)… Concerts by artists, distinguished guests, and eclectic DJs. A new experience of cinema with films in preview, showing, or retrospective.”

Club Silencio

Having seen everything I intended for Saturday, I meandered through the city for another hour or so before I headed back to the hotel to pack up and prepare for departure on Sunday. The following are just some photos I collected from Saturday… Mostly of the most tempting sweets you’ll ever lay eyes upon…

I started walking back to the underground stop, when I turned to catch the Eiffel Tower just as it was exploding with flashing lights.

Come on, in Paris, you’re looking at these nearly everywhere you go… And the fresh bread and the crêpes… To die for, my friends.

Whereas in London, I’m looking at this on the walk to school…

Fried chicken and kebab joints like this are like the weeds of the eateries in London.

Paris was, without a doubt, one of the highlights of the entire semester so far. It’s a shame I only have this upcoming weekend left to travel outside of the UK, and I have a preexisting engagement, however, I would head back to Paris in a heartbeat and spend an entire week there. London is great and I’ve seen amazing sights here, do not get me wrong. But in Paris, being challenged with a language barrier that I’ve never experienced before, taking in the different sights on the streets, and everything else I don’t normally experience in London, made Paris one of the most exciting and memorable places I’ve been in my life. I look forward to the day when I have the time and the means to travel back and spend more time in of the most breathtaking cities I’ve seen during this semester.

Paris – Part One

I left for Paris in a rush on Thursday night. I was waiting for our British Life & Culture professor to come around and explain in detail our next two assignments. Nonetheless, I was able to get to Victoria Coach Station in time for my bus, which left London at 9:30 PM.

The bus ride there wasn’t bad at all. I had a seat right up at the front of the bus, which made getting on and off for border patrol quick. We got on a ferry for 90 minutes to cross the English Channel, and then proceeded on to Paris upon arriving.

I got into Paris around 6:45 AM (Scheduled to get in at 7:30 AM). Despite being a little early, I was able to gather my bearings at Gallieni before I headed out for the day. The smell of urine and stale body odor greeted me as I descended into the subway to catch the next train. The undergrounds were not nearly as clean as the underground in London, but it didn’t matter, I wasn’t sleeping there. Besides, I doubt there would have been any room for me at all… The homeless were taking up space.

From Gallieni, I took the underground to Reamur-Sebastopol, where I switched lines and continued on to St. Michel. It was just under an hour after I arrived in Paris  as I headed out along the Seine. The St. Michel underground stop was just a short walk away from Notre Dame, so that’s where I went first.

A view of Notre Dame with the sun rising.

Outside the St. Michel underground stop.

Notre Dame

Notre Dame was beautiful. Unfortunately, I was unable to take photos inside the cathedral, but I can assure you, it was breathtaking. Notre Dame is actually getting ready to undergo some serious renovations beginning this year and ending in 2013. The renovations include changing the five bells and general restoration to stained glass windows and the ceilings.

After walking through Notre Dame, I headed outside to… No, not the opening song from “Beauty and the Beast”, but the square bustling with everyone heading to their respective work/schools/crêpe stand. Simply being in the middle of all of these people speaking all sorts of foreign languages, watching children being dragged along by parents to go to school, or the homeless rise, only to take a pull from their booze. I continued walking along the Seine, away from Notre Dame and the rest of Paris, just to see more of the area outlying the main tourist attractions. Just from the first 30 minutes of walking, it was clear, the streets in Paris were built with motorbikes and bicyclists in mind. There was enough room on the streets for the actual vehicles, plenty of room for those on bikes, and even room on sidewalks for pedestrians.

I turned around and headed back towards Notre Dame as more and more people started to join me on the sidewalk beginning their respective days. I didn’t mind arriving in Paris this early, as opposed to getting into Amsterdam at like, 5:30 AM. I didn’t mind because, everyone was out and about with me. Whereas in Amsterdam, it was my three travel companions and myself wandering the streets until stores started opening up. It also helped that the temperature reached a high of 75 degrees…

I continued walking along the Seine, stopping at whatever caught my eye. I walked through a small park with the Saint-Jacques Tower right in the middle.

Saint-Jacques Tower

I found myself on the other side of the Seine after the Saint-Jacques Tower.

A view of the Seine.

I proceeded up the Seine towards central Paris. Soon, I saw a sign for the Louvre, and I figured it was still early, I had better get over there before the lines started getting long. A few friends had visited earlier in the semester, and they said the line outside the Louvre was unimaginably long. I was able to get into the Louvre with just a 30 second wait. That had to be around 9:00 AM, no later than 9:30 AM. Just seeing the Louvre made me stop in my tracks and just be like, “whoa, there it is”. Like Stonehenge, it’s something I remember learning about in middle school, and here I was, about to enter. I had access to all three wings inside the Louvre – the Denon wing (Italian and Spanish paintings, 19th-century French paintings, and arts of Africa, Asia, and the Americas), the Richelieu wing (14th-17th century French paintings, French sculptures, Islamic art, and decorative arts from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance), and finally, the Sully wing (Pharaonic Egypt, History of the Louvre and Medieval Louvre, and 17th-19th century drawings and pastels).

Outside of the Louvre.

The Mona Lisa

Inside the Louvre

Tuileries Gardens

I have dozens of other pictures I want to upload, but I’ll do that once I have more time at my disposal. I want to get Part One written before the battery on my computer runs out.

After about the length of “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended Cut)” (200 minutes), I had barely scratched the surface of all of the material inside the Louvre. There was still so much to see, but it was time to get going, seeing as the museum was filling up. After the Louvre, I headed out to the large park directly outside of the museum. The temperature was picking up, and the travels through the night were starting to catch up with me. I found a clear spot on the grass in the park, and closed my eyes for a few minutes. Being under the bright sun, hearing people laughing and conversing, and the light breeze put me out, and I awoke a new man, with purpose renewed. I walked through the park (Tuileries Gardens) towards the rest of the city.

My nap spot in the park, after I left the Louvre.

As the sky, still hazy from the early morning, began to clear, I could begin to make out the Eiffel Tower on the horizon, and I knew where to go next. It was such a beautiful day, it would have been a crime not to walk everywhere! I take the bus and the underground all the time back in London, and with the weather I had on Friday, it would have been a waste not to take advantage of it.

A view of the Eiffel Tower in the distance.

I headed towards the Eiffel Tower, stopping for a ham and cheese crêpe, which was delicious.

After waiting in line for nearly an hour and a half, I was on my way up the Eiffel Tower… To the very top.

The Eiffel Tower

Going the the top of the Eiffel Tower was exciting… And nerve-wracking. You’re in this elevator, looking out at the city shrinking beneath you as you climb higher, with nothing but the glass, and what seems like rinky-dink support rods that make up the upper part of the tower. It was worth it, though. Being at the top was breathtaking. The whole of Paris was sprawled out at my feet. As I walked around the top, couples kissed, infants cried, and tourists were steadily redefining the order “pose for the picture!”. There was even  a small champagne bar where you could nice and liquored up 1,063 feet above the ground.

Champagne Bar

A view from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

The shadow of the Eiffel Tower from the summit. One of my favorite photos from Friday.

I stayed up at the top for about 10-15 minutes before I took the elevator back down to the next level on the tower.

A view of the Trocadèro from the second level on the tower.

The Trocadéro, site of the Palais de Chaillot.

The Champ de Mars, just next to the Eiffel Tower.

After the Eiffel Tower, I did more walking, and general sight-seeing. There was some kind of small auto show happening at the Trocadéro on Friday, and what looked like some of the most expensive cars I’ve ever seen were parked out front on display.

I walked back along the Seine after more sight-seeing towards the St. Michel underground stop, and headed back towards where I was to be staying for the weekend. My hotel is just a stop away from Galliene, so that will make Sunday easier. The neighborhood I’m staying in is not as inclined to English speaking tourists such as myself, but I’ve stumbled my way through basic conversations without insulting anyone, so that’s a good thing, I suppose.

I forgot to bring an adapter for my charger to fit the European electrical outlets… Such a rookie mistake, I know. Fortunately, I was able to get on the Internet to do some writing and look up directions. I’ll post more pictures from Friday and have “Part Two” up tomorrow night upon returning to the flats in London.

My first day in Paris was great, and I can’t wait to share more of it with you tomorrow.

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Phantom of the Opera / Stonehenge & Bath

I figure I should get a post out before I leave for Paris for the weekend, because I’m sure that will deserve its own individual post.

On Tuesday night, the group went to see The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Piccadilly. The Phantom of the Opera was one of the theatre nights I had been looking forward to since the beginning of this semester. My parents took my brother and I (I can’t remember if Ellery was with us or not) to see The Phantom of the Opera in Chicago when we were very small. I think we even went a few times after that, but according to my parents, it had been about 13 or 14 years since I’ve seen The Phantom of the Opera. It was just as enjoyable as I remember it back in the day. The tunes were great, I thought the actors did a great a job, and we had decent seats for one of the most popular shows on stage in London. I’ve made a point to check out the 2004 Joel Schumacher  film with Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, and Patrick Wilson, simply to see how it stacks up against the stage performance.

The Phantom of the Opera leading Christine Daaé to his lair in the cellars.

We had an early start on Wednesday as the group departed from the flats at 7:00 AM. We drove up to Lacock first, a small village in Wiltshire. We had a short breakfast of pastries and coffee at the Red Lion Inn and explored the village for an hour before we headed off the Bath. Lacock is recognized as being one of the few villages that has remained virtually unchanged by development.

The main street in Lacock.

The Lacock Abbey. Scenes from the Harry Potter films have been shot inside.

After Lacock, the group got back on the coach and continued on the short drive over to Bath, which was absolutely beautiful. Despite the cloudy weather, I still had a great time touring the Roman Baths and had a delicious lunch in a nearby pub with a small group of good friends. The Baths were quite fascinating. The man-hours and level of engineering and planning that went into the construction of these facilities is baffling. The fact that some of the smaller structures are still intact is beyond impressive.

A view of one of the baths.

These stands were used to support floors and would help circulate heat throughout the room.

One origin of the water that emptied into the baths.

After Bath, we proceeded on to Stonehenge. Stonehenge was much smaller than I imagined it would be, nevertheless, it was certainly a spectacle to behold. Seeing Stonehenge up close and personal was one of those experiences where I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. For me, Stonehenge was something that I remember learning about in grade school, and now, here I was looking at it. The skies cleared up for our time at Stonehenge, which ended the trip on a high note.

A view of Stonehenge.

The open countryside at Stonehenge.

Wednesday was a great time, and I’m glad the group was able to experience everything we did that day.

I’m sitting at school writing this now. The Introduction to Theatre class just ended, and the class was rehearsing our short scripts for the final “performance” in two weeks. My friend and flatmate, Andy and I are working together to perform a scene from Five Visions of the Faithful (I am the Knife) by Torben Betts. Here’s a description from the script…

“Five Visions of the Faithful is a series of short plays which explore the concept and applications of cruelty. I am the Knife is set within a prison and the Inmate (Andy) is an enemy of the state who has been sentenced to death. He is visited by the Priest (Me) who tries to persuade him to sign a confession in order  to save his life and be freed.”

We present our scene to the group on March 29th and I think these performances will indeed be recorded… So I’ll try to get a copy of ours and put it up on the blog.

If I can’t get a post up while I’m in Paris, I’ll be sure to write as soon as I return to London.

Thanks for reading! See you all very soon.

Trip to Manchester and Liverpool

We’ve had a busy past few days this week. On Monday evening, the group went to “One Man, Two Guvnors” at Theatre Royal Haymarket. The play was about one man (Francis Henshall), and his entertaining misadventures as he tries to work for two bosses whose respective tasks end up conflicting and cause Francis a great deal of trouble. We only have three more shows to attend while in London – The Phantom of The Opera, Sweeney Todd, and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

On Tuesday, our History of British Pop Music instructor gave us the final assignment to be turned in before we leave London. In 1,000 words, we’ll be writing a review of one influential album out of a selection of ten albums. The selection Rob gave us is as follows –

Dark Side of The Moon – Pink Floyd

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club – The Beatles

Who’s Next – The Who

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars – David Bowie

Led Zeppelin II – Led Zeppelin

Never Mind the Bollocks – The Sex Pistols

The Fat of the Land – The Prodigy

London Calling – The Clash

Beggars Banquet – The Rolling Stones

(What’s the Story) Morning Glory? – Oasis

While I’d enjoy writing about any of these albums, the first two albums that popped in my head were “Fat of the Land” and “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory”. I haven’t decided yet, but I’m leaning strongly towards “Fat of the Land” by The Prodigy.

On Wednesday morning at 6:00 AM, the group boarded the coach bus towards Manchester. Our first stop was the football pitch of the Manchester United F.C. – Old Trafford.

We received a brief tour of the stadium, and were able to see inside the locker room of the football club.

Inside the locker room.

Following our tour, we got back on the coach and proceeded on to downtown Manchester, where we spent a few hours.

A mailbox that survived the WWII bombings in Manchester

Manchester City Hall.

We departed from Manchester around 4:00 PM and continued on to Liverpool. Upon arriving at the hostel in Liverpool, we dropped out bags and proceeded out to explore the city. Our first stop was a pub called the Philharmonic, where our British Life & Culture professor was already imbibing the libations. We stayed there for just one or two drinks and headed out to the Cavern Club, where The Beatles were first noticed and began to pick up popularity. We saw some live music and had a great time. We were out with the majority of the group, which made the night even more fun.

The Phil

Inside the Cavern Club.

On Thursday morning, we began exploring the rest of Liverpool. Liverpool is a very walkable city, and we were fortunate to have better weather than previous groups. Apparently, Liverpool gets rain 360 days of the year, and we were in Liverpool for one of the days where the weather is blue skies and sunshine. We started off the day at the Liverpool Cathedral, which is this absolutely massive building that you can see in the distance from nearly anywhere in the city.

Outside the Liverpool Cathedral.

After leaving the Liverpool Cathedral, Chad, Andy, AJ, and I headed to the World Museum at the opposite end of the city. Although the museum turned out to be more of a children’s museum, we all still got a huge kick out of the exhibits. We didn’t spend too long at the World Museum, so we headed down to Albert Dock, passing through Chinatown on our way there. Albert Dock was mostly populated with restaurants and a few museums.

The Chinatown arch. Constructed in 2000.

Albert Dock

After Albert Dock, we headed towards Radio City Tower, also known as St. John’s Beacon. The Radio City Tower was awesome. We were up some 400 feet above the city, and were able to see inside the facilities of 96.7 Radio City.

Radio City Tower

The view from Radio City Tower

Radio City "On Air" studio.

And perhaps the best parts of the Radio City Tower experience were these little gems…

Will Smith's "Big Willie Style"

Eric Prydz - "Call on Me"

No Doubt's "Don't Speak"

And my personal favorite…

A signed poster of the covers of New Order singles.

After the Radio City Tower tour, we headed back down to Albert Dock to walk along the River Mersey. I preferred Liverpool over Manchester, and really enjoyed the brief stay there. It was considerably more laid-back than London – No where near as loud and bustling, yet there was still plenty to do.

Along the Mersey

I’m currently at City of Westminster College as I write this, so I’m not entirely sure what the plans are for this weekend. The girls of flat #2 have had guests all week, seeing as it’s Ball State’s spring break. Beth’s friend Riz has been hanging with the group a lot, and tonight is her last night here before she heads back to Indiana. We actually won’t be living too far from each other in Muncie next year, so I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of her.

Riz and I at the Cavern Club

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Weekly Recap

It’s been a fairly low-key week, seeing as everyone is just enjoying being back in London from their respective mid-semester breaks. On Monday night, we took a “Jack The Ripper” tour around the Whitechapel area. On the tour, we visited locations where the bodies of Jack The Ripper’s victims were found, and learned about the history of the killings. Aside from the gruesome details, the group was recommended a film about Jack The Ripper to check out if they felt so inclined – “Jack The Ripper” (1998) staring Michael Caine. Following the Jack The Ripper tour, half of the group headed to the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London – A tradition which takes place every night and has done so since the 14th century.

On Tuesday evening, the entire group went to one of our professor’s homes here in London. Phillipa, our tour guide on our Wednesday trips and the professor of the Art History course on the London program, had the group over for some dinner. I was requested to read the opening paragraph from “Bleak House” by Charles Dickens, and sat on the staircase as I read to the entire group. I’m sure there was photographic evidence, and I’ll be sure to get it up as soon as it surfaces online…

Wednesday was one of the more laid-back traveling days we’ve experienced so far. On Tuesday evening, our program director, Dr. Pierce and Phillipa agreed to make Wednesday and optional day. However, the weather was projected to be enjoyable and a trip to Hampstead Heath would be a lot of fun. There was about half of the group that showed up to Hampstead Heath on Wednesday and we walked around the entire park, and the men stood by as the women went to jump into the small swimming hole for a quick dip. We spent the better half of the afternoon in Hampstead Heath and had a great time.

Two of my flatmates picked up soccer balls on Thursday afternoon, so after class on Thursday, six of the girls from flat two and four guys from my flat went to the park just down the street and played a great game. While I haven’t played soccer since the AYSO days, it felt great to be playing and getting some exercise again. While we sustained some minor injuries, we agreed that we’ll have to do it regularly in the last month we have in London.

I forgot to bring a camera along this week, but once I see some photos uploaded on Facebook, I’ll throw ’em on here. Thanks for reading, everyone. See you all very, very soon!