the last of London

Some items on the London List proved to be impossible or better left to a future trip. Lydia, Alex and I tried to rent Barclays bikes in Regents Park, but you have to register, pay online and possibly have a credit card that has a chip instead of a strip. That day in general just wasn’t going our way; Lydia spilled espresso all over herself and although the forecast said sun it was very gloomy. Despite that fail, we still managed to check a few things off the list:

The Harry Potter Studio Tour: This was magical. We took a train 20 minutes outside of London and then a special bus took us to the lot where they filmed all eight movies. They sit you down to watch a short video of Emma, Rupert and Daniel explaining how the cast and crew was one big family and how much time they spent where we were about to go. After the film ended the screen lifted up and there was the great hall. Apparently our tour guide at Oxford was misinformed because they did not film the great hall scenes there, they merely based the set design on Christ Church’s dining room. From there you enter a massive space filled with sets like the Gryffindor common room, Dumbledore’s office and the potions room and costumes and props actually used in the movies. The time and attention to detail that went into every single aspect of the films is incredible. They handwrote things that weren’t even seen or featured, that were just there to fill space. Next you go outside for some butter beer, which tastes like cream soda, and to see the night bus and other larger sets they had to build outdoors. The third part, lot K (the first was lot J), showed how they made all the mystical creatures come to life using mechanics and makeup. They also had concept drawings and models on display, which shows the process each scene goes through before it is even filmed. Then you step into a massive room that holds a model of Hogwarts. It was huge and incredibly detailed, and they actually used it to film wide or arial shots of the castle. The last room before the gift shop is filled with shelves of wand boxes each labelled with the names of everyone who worked on the films. Even though I haven’t read all of the Harry Potter books, I absolutely love the films and it was so interesting to see how they were made.

Covent Garden: Landon finished his month-long Euro trip by spending a few days in London last week before he jetted home. He was sick of sightseeing and being a tourist, so after doing the major things like Big Ben and the Tower of London I took him around to do some things I hadn’t yet. One of these things was Covent Garden, which is an outdoor shopping center with lots of food choices and people. I really liked it and wished I had gone there sooner. 

Abbey Road: After Covent Garden we went to Abbey Road because some of us still hadn’t gone. The crosswalk doesn’t look much different than any other zebra crossing in London, but it was cool to see the actually studio and the wall outside covered in signatures and lyrics. It is actually on kind of a busy street, so we had to be quick while Landon snapped some pictures. Even though we aren’t really walking in unison, the photos turned out well and we were all laughing our heads off. 

Hampstead Heath pond: (This wasn’t on the list, but it was something we had never done before.) It has been really hot and humid here, so we looked up places to take a dip and found out there are ponds in Hampstead Heath open for swimming. After finally finding the all female pond we were surprised to find that many women were sunbathing topless. Susan and Kristin both didn’t have bathing suits and the lifeguards wouldn’t let them swim without one, so they had to borrow suits that had been left behind. I thought it was hilarious because it is gross to wear a stranger’s bathing suit even if it is washed and Kristin’s top said I love England and gold-digger (because those things seem to go so well together). The pond was so beautiful and secluded. Everything was so green and lush; it reminded me a lot of Seattle because of all the vegetation and Cape Cod because they have tons of swimming ponds there too. There was even a mama duck with her babies swimming on the edge of the water, which was pretty cold, but it felt so good.

 

Prague by park

The next morning Kristin, Lydia, James and I (Jennifer and Susan went to Bratislava for the day) trekked to the river in search of food. We found a place, which was really just a simple barbeque and picnic tables, on the bank of the water, and after failing several times to get the waiter’s attention (he refused to make eye contact) he told us we would have to wait 20 minutes to order because there was no room on the BBQ. Even though we were willing to wait, he got sassy with me when I tried to place my order so it would be first in line when a few more sausages could be cooked. Confused and now delirious with hunger we made our way to what looked more like an actual restaurant where I tried another Czech dish, goulash soup, and this one was served in a bread bowl.

After the dining incident, we moved to conquer the few things left to do in Prague. We walked across the artist and tourist invested Charles Bridge that, like most of the city, had beautiful architecture. On the other side of the river are the John Lennon Wall and the “Venice” part of Prague. The wall was covered with images of freedom, inspirational messages and, of course, Beatles lyrics. I signed my name although it will probably be covered long before I return, and then we walked over the tiny lock bridge (I wasn’t aware that practically every European city has one of these).

Charles Bridge

We walked through the Venice area and eventually ended up at a tiny street that only one person can walk down at a time. There is a red and green light that lets you know if it is clear, even though you can easily see the end of the walkway. Next we climbed a huge hill to enjoy a drink at a beer garden that overlooks the entire city. It was the perfect place to relax after sightseeing, although it would have been awesome to see the sunset from there.

Everyone told us to go to “the five story club” (apparently there are two in Prague), so we decided to go to the one that sounded coolest in the guidebook. Cross Club was definitely out of the city center, but well worth the trek. The entire inside is made of twisted metal and gears and has everything from dance floors to t-shirt shops and restaurants. One of the floors was so short that you couldn’t stand and there was only room to sit. We had a lot of fun and tried a fried cheese sandwich on the way back to our hostel. It sounds weird, but it was delicious.

Saturday night was Sensation, a rave and the main reason we came to Prague. But before the festivities we walked through the massive park that includes the beer garden we visited the day before. It was nice spending a day relaxing and enjoying the beautiful weather rather than sightseeing. Initially I wasn’t happy about spending six days in Prague (and you can really see the city in two or three), but by the end I was glad we had time to just walk without the pressure to be a tourist.

During our last day in Prague we walked (actually more like hiked because the journey was kind of a struggle) through a park to climb Petrin Tower, which looks like a miniature Eiffel Tower. There were breathtaking views of the city at the top and it was well worth the slightly scary climb up. I had a great time in Prague and couldn’t really believe it was the last time I would be flying a cheap European airline or staying in a hostel for awhile.

Czech me out

Prague was my last trip away from London, which was kind of funny because it was the first thing we booked at the beginning of the semester. Our flight was extremely early on Wednesday the 16^th (sorry it’s been so long since I posted) so once we arrived at the hostel covered with intimidating cat signs reminding us to lock the door behind us or to take economic showers we were ready to grab a bite and take a nap. None of us knew what to expect from Czech food, so once the waiter described a potato pancake made with garlic and filled with pork or chicken we were sold.

After a little snooze we walked toward a large park we found on the map to enjoy the last of the sun while Susan, Jennifer (Susan’s friend who just graduated from USC) and Lydia each ate a quarter of a watermelon. I chose candy. The woman who worked at our hostel basically told us all of the restaurants are the same and didn’t give us any recommendations even when we asked, so we wandered around for a place that looked normal for dinner. People in Prague are obsessed with dogs and it is perfectly acceptable for any K9—big or small—to lounge inside a restaurant beside its dining owner. One man even fed his black lab the foam from his beer.

View from Prague Castle 

Later we met up with my friend James, who is studying in Amsterdam, at a bar. He accidently booked his flight for a day earlier than the rest of the Amsterdam kids, so he joined us for the rest of our touristy activities while in Prague.

The next morning we woke up early to go to Bohemia Bagel, which was recommended to me, and the bottomless, filtered (almost unheard of in Europe) coffee was very welcome. We joined a 3-hour long tour that started in Old Town Square where there is a beautiful clock tower, churches and the astronomical clock. It is the center of the city and reminded me a lot of Trafalgar Square in London because they had events set up almost every time we walked by during the trip. The tour took us all over the city, which is pretty small and very walk-able, so we got to see all the highlights—including the Jewish quarter and cemetery and a church with a human hand that has turned black with time hanging from the ceiling— and hear the history of the city. Coincidentally, the tour also stopped at Bohemia Bagel for a break.

Old Town Square

After the tour we crossed one of the many bridges in the city and climbed a hill to Prague Castle. Apparently the castle is way more impressive from the outside, so we didn’t pay to go in. We did walk through the church there and saw some very pretty stained-glass windows, and the view of the city from the castle was amazing. The Czechs love sausages and they sell them on every corner so obviously I had to get one. It was warm and sunny so I was in heaven.

Lydia, James and me at Prague Castle

For dinner we went to a restaurant that has a sampling of eight different beers on the menu. Originally we ordered three of these for the entire table of six, but soon decided we each needed one. Some of the beer flavors were classic, like wheat, but others were more odd, like nettle (which tasted like nature), sour cherry and banana. While at this meal we also discovered that Czech dumplings are not really dumplings at all, but slices of steamed bread filled with nothing. After dinner some random NYU kids led us to a bar filled with Americans who were probably also studying abroad that played five Christina Milian songs over the course of an hour, not my idea of cultural emersion.  

sundays

I love Sundays in London. Many shops and restaurants close, even some Starbucks locations aren't open. Everyone relishes in the day of rest. Relaxing is something the Europeans have mastered that most Americans can't seem to fully commit to. They close their stores even though they might be losing business. Going on holiday isn't just a far off fantasy, it is a built-in part of the year for most people here.

At USC I associate Sunday's with getting work done. The fun of the weekend is over and it's time to hunker down. Here, especially with classes now behind us, I can do as the Brits do and enjoy the end (or beginning if you want to be technical) of the week. Even though my weeks aren't filled with a 9 to 5 job, I like the calm feeling that comes over this usually bustling city. We also have a semi-tradition (we've strayed because of traveling and such) of going to one of our favorite pubs, The Crown Tavern, on Sunday evenings. Not only do I look forward to a pint of my beer of choice, but we have become regulars with the employees recognizing us as the group of young Americans who come in on most Sundays. It's part of establishing local status or, a phrase I haven't brought up in awhile, London swag.

Today I went to a park and noticed I walk too fast. I walk determined to reach my destination. I'm incapable of strolling, enjoying the time it takes to get where I want to go. It made me a little mad, but I guess I will have to move to Europe so I can fully develop my stroll because there is nowhere to walk in LA. But let's not open the lack-of-public-transportation can of worms...

the London list

I've loved being back in London and am so happy we didn't attempt to squeeze in another trip before we turn in our print projects and hop on a plane to Prague. While we were on our trip, we compiled a list of things we still want to accomplish in London before we have to leave, a day I am dreading. So once we recuperated, Lydia and I went to the Imperial War Museum and Kensington Palace, which has been closed for renovations the majority of the time we've been here, to cross off a few items.

The Imperial War Museum was pretty much what you would expect: planes, guns and uniforms. That's not to say it wasn't interesting; they had "trench" and "blitz" experiences that were very well done, but I especially liked the Holocaust exhibit. Even though we left feeling a little depressed, it was very extensive and informational.

The Kensington Gardens were amazing in full bloom. The last time we were there snow was on the ground, the bushes were bare and Lydia put gloves on her feet to avoid frost bite. Let's just say it was a welcome change. The inside was set up so everyone started in a central room and followed certain threads, which represented different royals, painted on the walls to other areas of the palace. I liked the exhibits focused on Princess Diana and Queen Victoria. Diana lived in the palace and they had some of her dresses and pictures of her on display. The exhibit was covered in a wallpaper that was decorated with different illustrations of the princess and so cool. Victoria grew up in the palace, so her exhibit took us through her entire life, marriage to Albert and her depression after his death. The entire museum was organized and decorated in a very modern way that I found a refreshing alternative to stuffy museums filled with rows of relics. They had games, clues and whispering walls throughout the exhibits that told you stories about the royal family and helped you piece together the history. Admittedly, this aspect of the museum went over my head, but did make me want to read a British history book cover to cover.

It has basically been parents' weekend with Kristin, Lydia and Susan's all visiting. So with the London list temporarily put on hold, I've been pretending to be a freelance journalist while working on print project over coffee at Gail's, a cute cafe/bakery nearby. The weather has been lackluster, which I'm convinced is because in a surge of over-positivity (it was sunny that week) I gave Jen ALL of my rain boots and most of my heavy jackets. It pains me that it's warmer in Seattle right now.

Kensington Gardens