This morning I awoke to a “wintery mix,” as we would call it in New England. From the sky, it looked like snow, but the time it hit the ground it turned to rain. This made for quite the wet commute to work, but I have to say, even the hint of snow made the cold that much bearable!
Today begins the final four days of our internship, but the first day at my new desk. Our team has relocated to the opposite side of the floor, which has its pluses and minuses. I’m right in front of a two-story floor-to-ceiling glass window (in which I can see the top half of the London Eye!), but the company around our desk area isn’t nearly as fun. At least I only have to deal with it for three more days!
I spent my morning unpacking and organizing the new desk, before checking the trading system flows and following up on some e-mails. My nickname should be “the hound”; whenever someone doesn’t respond to an e-mail within a day or two, my boss instructs me to send a “follow-up” e-mail, but essentially, I’m just being a noodge (Yiddish for pest)! The morning surprisingly flew by, and before I knew it, it was time for lunch. I braved the cold once again to head to Lebaneats, a restaurant I pass every day on my commute and have been dying to try since I started. So, I figured my last week was an appropriate time to try it! Definitely worth the wait. After some lentil soup, falafel, tabbouleh, and hummus (and some chocolate candy from last night’s Winter Wonderland visit), I was set for the rest of the afternoon.
The snow continued to bluster steadily through the afternoon, putting the office in quite a panic. My boss is also the manager of BCP (Business Continuity Planning) and by mid-afternoon she had already booked ten hotel rooms for employees to stay in over night… to ensure they would be able to make it into the office tomorrow morning. The snow isn’t even sticking, people! These are the times I appreciate my East Coast upbringing!
My original plan for the evening was to meet Carolyn and Maggie at the Somerset House to go ice skating, but around 10:30 this morning, I got an e-mail (forwarded to me from my boss) with complimentary Billy Elliot tickets! They sell out in minutes, if that, through the online system, so as soon as I got the e-mail, I clicked through and secured three! Let me preface by saying all semester we have been dying to see this show, but because they don’t do Student Rush tickets, we were not willing to risk the £60. No guarantee on how great the seats will be, but hey, they’re free! Very, very excited!
My boss told me I could "head out early to avoid the snow" (??) around 5 o'clock, but, since I was meeting Maggie and Carolyn at 6:20, I passed on the offer I normally would have jumped at! When I arrived at the theater, Maggie and Carolyn were already waiting, so I grabbed the tickets (5th row balcony!) before we headed off to Giraffe for dinner.
The show was INCREDIBLE. You all know how I love dance and little kids, so couple the two together and I was in heaven. There were a few bits of British humor that I missed out on, but other than that, seeing it in London made the experience that much more enjoyable. Our seats had a perfect view, and the boy who played Billy was phenomenal. I learned only after returning to Courtfield that last night was his premiere performance! You would have never guessed. Incredible. I can't wait to see it again on Broadway : )
Cheers,
LC
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Royal Tour of the Royal Borough
This morning marked the start of our last full school/work week here in London...seriously, where has the time gone? Before heading to our class this morning, we received a special visitor: Molly missed her flight to Barcelona last night, so after her mom headed off this morning from the hotel, she made her way to Courtfield and spent the morning here. Shortly after her arrival, Lauren and I made the chilly walk to Harrington Gardens for our second to last Architecture class. Since there was a tube strike today, our original trip to Greenwich (which requires a long tube ride) was postponed until next week. Instead, we spent the morning taking a walk around our area, formally known as "The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea." Lauren and I have tried to explore Kensington as much as possible, but we are the first to admit that we have not strayed far outside our normal routes, so we were excited to see a little bit more of our home turf!
We began our walk through a myriad of super posh streets, each one prettier and more picturesque than the next. Our professor explained the history of each area but, more importantly, made sure to point out a few celebrity homes along the journey (she knows us too well). Although she only pointed us in the direction of Hugh Grant's street (which we fully intend on visiting before we leave), we passed directly in front of Kylie Minogue, David Bowie, Tom Ford, and Kate Middleton's (!) flats. We also got to see the homes of more historical figures, the highlight being A.A. Milne's (author of Winnie the Pooh) quaint house. We made our way to King's Road and walked along the river until we reached the Royal Hospital in Chelsea. This is a place for military men to come and live if they have no where else to go; as residents, they are provided with shelter, food, clothing, and pretty much anything else they need. We walked through the grounds, which feels more like a college campus, and got to peak into the chapel and mess hall. Along our way we passed by numerous old men who cheerily greeted us as we walked by; Lauren's and my heart melted! From the Hospital, it was only a five minute walk (thank goodness...our legs were numb at that point) to our final destination, the Saatchi Gallery. Charles Saatchi is a world renowned advertiser, but his interest in modern art led him to open this cutting edge, and often controversial design space. We were free to roam around the galleries, but within two minutes of seeing the pieces shown, Lauren and I bolted. A ceramic horse with a mink coat over its head does not say "art" to us, sorry. After successfully sneaking out, we were able to find a bus back to South Ken for the afternoon.
When we got back, Lauren decided to stay in and thaw while Molly and I headed out for lunch. We decided on Nando's, a small London chain that specializes in chicken dishes. We had a delicious meal, and afterwards bravely made the freezing walk to South Ken station for a Ben's Cookie...totally worth it. After coming back and hanging out for a bit, it was time for Molly to catch a cab back to Heathrow. It was hard to say goodbye; I'm glad we only have a little over a month until we get to see each other at Wake! Once she was safely in a cab, I decided to head over to Harrods to do my Christmas shopping. I swept through the food halls and gift shop in probably record time, and after making my purchases headed back on the bus to Gloucester Road. It was not long after I returned that I was headed outside once again, as Lauren, Maggie and I decided to return to the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. Although it was bone chilling cold, we ended up having a great time! We started off with dinner at Jamie Oliver's food stand, which was delicious. After our meal we roamed around the stalls, picked up some dessert, and even tried on some furry hats to try and keep us warm (wasn't our look, unfortunately). Once we had successfully perused all the gifts, we crammed back onto the bus and made our way back to Courtfield.
Now we are sitting in bed, listening to Christmas music and trying to plan out our next two weeks! So much left on the to do list, so little time!!
xo Carolyn
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| Kylie Minogue's newly purchase flat! |
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| Katie Middleton's flat...no big deal. |
When we got back, Lauren decided to stay in and thaw while Molly and I headed out for lunch. We decided on Nando's, a small London chain that specializes in chicken dishes. We had a delicious meal, and afterwards bravely made the freezing walk to South Ken station for a Ben's Cookie...totally worth it. After coming back and hanging out for a bit, it was time for Molly to catch a cab back to Heathrow. It was hard to say goodbye; I'm glad we only have a little over a month until we get to see each other at Wake! Once she was safely in a cab, I decided to head over to Harrods to do my Christmas shopping. I swept through the food halls and gift shop in probably record time, and after making my purchases headed back on the bus to Gloucester Road. It was not long after I returned that I was headed outside once again, as Lauren, Maggie and I decided to return to the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. Although it was bone chilling cold, we ended up having a great time! We started off with dinner at Jamie Oliver's food stand, which was delicious. After our meal we roamed around the stalls, picked up some dessert, and even tried on some furry hats to try and keep us warm (wasn't our look, unfortunately). Once we had successfully perused all the gifts, we crammed back onto the bus and made our way back to Courtfield.
Now we are sitting in bed, listening to Christmas music and trying to plan out our next two weeks! So much left on the to do list, so little time!!
xo Carolyn
A Day in Neverland
Sunday, November 28th
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Sundays are always my favorite days at BC because I get to be lazy and catch up on my TV shows, wear sweatpants all day, and spend hours on Facebook. Well, this Sunday in London was no exception. I woke up around 9AM, took a shower, and let the laziness begin. After some Desperate Housewives, blogging, and breakfast in bed, I decided I should cross something off my London list. So, with Carolyn heading out on a river cruise with Molly and her mom, I decided to take (yet another) trip to Harrods to admire the Christmas windows and buy a few small gifts; I can’t fit much more (if anything) back in my suitcase.
I took the packed tube to Knightsbridge, which wasn’t horrible since I’ve gotten used to it with my commute, but Harrods was a mob scene. Let’s just say my patience was definitely tested. Despite the crowds, I managed to meander my way through the food halls and gift shop, with a short stop at Tiffany’s, before viewing the Peter Pan themed windows outside. Although it seems like a very enchanting theme, the displays were quite bizarre (or high fashion… either one), and if I hadn’t known about the Peter Pan connection, I never would have guessed.
After a successful afternoon outing, I returned on the tube (only to meet a family from Suffield, CT!) back to Courtfield for some recently purchased Harrods tea and chocolate Buttons. After a leisurely dinner, Carolyn returned back and we FINALLY watched Camp Rock 2 (don’t judge); it only took us two months to find a time to sit down and watch it! Of course, Joe Jonas succeeded in melting my heart once again.
Tomorrow is the fourth tube strike, which means our travel options are pretty limited. Our field trip for tomorrow has been switched to a walk around Chelsea in order to accommodate, but with a forecast of 2°C, we’re going to freeze! Wish us luck (and warmth).
Cheers,
LC
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Sundays are always my favorite days at BC because I get to be lazy and catch up on my TV shows, wear sweatpants all day, and spend hours on Facebook. Well, this Sunday in London was no exception. I woke up around 9AM, took a shower, and let the laziness begin. After some Desperate Housewives, blogging, and breakfast in bed, I decided I should cross something off my London list. So, with Carolyn heading out on a river cruise with Molly and her mom, I decided to take (yet another) trip to Harrods to admire the Christmas windows and buy a few small gifts; I can’t fit much more (if anything) back in my suitcase.
Tomorrow is the fourth tube strike, which means our travel options are pretty limited. Our field trip for tomorrow has been switched to a walk around Chelsea in order to accommodate, but with a forecast of 2°C, we’re going to freeze! Wish us luck (and warmth).
Cheers,
LC
Richoux & Regent Street
Saturday, November 27th
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Although my alarm was set for 9 am, it was about 10 that I actually woke up and pulled myself out of bed. This morning we finally had hot water, so taking a shower was a luxury compared to my experiences in the past three days. Around 11 I received a call from Molly, who had just woken up along with her mom. We decided we would meet at the Grosvenor at noon and start our day from there. Lauren and I made our way to Hyde Park Corner and down Park Lane until we reached the hotel. After meeting Molly and her mom, we walked back to the tube and headed to Leicester Square in hopes of finding somewhat inexpensive tickets for a show that night. We started at the booths right inside the station, but unfortunately every show we asked about was either completely sold out or their seats were extremely pricey. Apparently with the holiday crowds starting to pick up, tickets are very difficult to find...hopefully I'll be able to see my last few shows within the next two weeks! After weighing our options, we decided we could certainly find something else to do tonight and made our way to Piccadilly Circus. We had decided that Molly needed to experience afternoon tea while in England, so we settled on Richoux, my mom's favorite tea spot. There are three locations throughout the city, but we settled on the Piccadilly location as it's closest to the best shopping! The restaurant is beautifully decorated, with floral fabric walls and dark furnishings, and from the first looks at the delicious pastries in the display cases we knew this would be a good place. Despite a bit of a wait, we enjoyed a lovely lunch together. While I ordered the traditional afternoon tea, Molly had a simple cream tea (scones and tea), while Mrs. Riazzi and Lauren opted for pasta dishes. Everything was delicious; it was the perfect way to warm us up on this chilly day!
After lunch, we walked back down Piccadilly past Fortnum & Mason (Mom, you would love the windows!) and popped into Waterstones bookstore so Mrs. Riazzi could purchase some reading material for her plane ride on Monday. By the time we were done there, we were all exhausted already (we're going to blame the cold on this one). Molly and Mrs. Riazzi decided they would return to the hotel for a rest, while Lauren and I headed towards Regent Street. Today both Regent and Oxford Streets were closed to traffic to allow visitors easier shopping. The place was absolutely packed; parents and their children were everywhere, while various street performers and promotional people were handing out vouchers and balloons to passers by. We even got to enjoy a little Jersey Boys on one of the big screens on the street! :) Lauren was very patient and helped me do some of my Christmas shopping, but eventually we parted ways as I had a few places on Oxford Street I still wanted to visit. When my arms became sufficiently weighed down by shopping bags (my giant Crabtree shopping bag broke completely), I hopped in a cab back to Courtfield.
A few hours later, I headed back to the Grosvenor, where I met Molly and Mrs. Riazzi for dinner. We were planning on trying an Italian place in Marleybone that the concierge had recommended, but we ended up down the street at giraffe (l'Entrecôte was actually right next door, which would have been extremely tempting if the line was not curved around the street!). The dinner was absolutely delicious; I'm glad I got to show them one of my favorite places! After dinner, we decided to go to the Rose & Crown, a pub only a few minutes' walk from their hotel. We chatted and enjoyed some cider before it was closing time, and after saying goodbye parted ways for the night. Upon my arrival at Courtfield, I popped some Tylenol PM and called it a night. Tomorrow is Molly and Mrs. Riazzi's last day here in London so we want to make the most of it!
xo Carolyn
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Although my alarm was set for 9 am, it was about 10 that I actually woke up and pulled myself out of bed. This morning we finally had hot water, so taking a shower was a luxury compared to my experiences in the past three days. Around 11 I received a call from Molly, who had just woken up along with her mom. We decided we would meet at the Grosvenor at noon and start our day from there. Lauren and I made our way to Hyde Park Corner and down Park Lane until we reached the hotel. After meeting Molly and her mom, we walked back to the tube and headed to Leicester Square in hopes of finding somewhat inexpensive tickets for a show that night. We started at the booths right inside the station, but unfortunately every show we asked about was either completely sold out or their seats were extremely pricey. Apparently with the holiday crowds starting to pick up, tickets are very difficult to find...hopefully I'll be able to see my last few shows within the next two weeks! After weighing our options, we decided we could certainly find something else to do tonight and made our way to Piccadilly Circus. We had decided that Molly needed to experience afternoon tea while in England, so we settled on Richoux, my mom's favorite tea spot. There are three locations throughout the city, but we settled on the Piccadilly location as it's closest to the best shopping! The restaurant is beautifully decorated, with floral fabric walls and dark furnishings, and from the first looks at the delicious pastries in the display cases we knew this would be a good place. Despite a bit of a wait, we enjoyed a lovely lunch together. While I ordered the traditional afternoon tea, Molly had a simple cream tea (scones and tea), while Mrs. Riazzi and Lauren opted for pasta dishes. Everything was delicious; it was the perfect way to warm us up on this chilly day!
After lunch, we walked back down Piccadilly past Fortnum & Mason (Mom, you would love the windows!) and popped into Waterstones bookstore so Mrs. Riazzi could purchase some reading material for her plane ride on Monday. By the time we were done there, we were all exhausted already (we're going to blame the cold on this one). Molly and Mrs. Riazzi decided they would return to the hotel for a rest, while Lauren and I headed towards Regent Street. Today both Regent and Oxford Streets were closed to traffic to allow visitors easier shopping. The place was absolutely packed; parents and their children were everywhere, while various street performers and promotional people were handing out vouchers and balloons to passers by. We even got to enjoy a little Jersey Boys on one of the big screens on the street! :) Lauren was very patient and helped me do some of my Christmas shopping, but eventually we parted ways as I had a few places on Oxford Street I still wanted to visit. When my arms became sufficiently weighed down by shopping bags (my giant Crabtree shopping bag broke completely), I hopped in a cab back to Courtfield.
A few hours later, I headed back to the Grosvenor, where I met Molly and Mrs. Riazzi for dinner. We were planning on trying an Italian place in Marleybone that the concierge had recommended, but we ended up down the street at giraffe (l'Entrecôte was actually right next door, which would have been extremely tempting if the line was not curved around the street!). The dinner was absolutely delicious; I'm glad I got to show them one of my favorite places! After dinner, we decided to go to the Rose & Crown, a pub only a few minutes' walk from their hotel. We chatted and enjoyed some cider before it was closing time, and after saying goodbye parted ways for the night. Upon my arrival at Courtfield, I popped some Tylenol PM and called it a night. Tomorrow is Molly and Mrs. Riazzi's last day here in London so we want to make the most of it!
xo Carolyn
Friday Freeze
Friday, November 26th
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Working the day after Thanksgiving was not high on my priority list; working Thanksgiving day was bad enough! It had been a very long week, and if I couldn’t be participating in Black Friday shopping back home, all I wanted was some free time to relax and get things done (like work on the blog!). Instead, I woke up at 6:45, bundled myself up, and hit the streets for a frigid commute to work.
The morning was busy with sign-offs on a few projects, phone meetings with colleagues in NY, report updates, and, of course, entering more trades. By lunch time, I needed to get out of the office, so I headed to EAT (a take-away cafe of sorts) for lunch. It was only about a minute walk, but it was long enough. It's been the coldest November on record in London in 25 years, with no relief in sight. How lucky that I get to be part of that record breaking!
As soon as it was 6 o’clock, I dashed out of the office, very ready for the weekend. Back at our flat, I met up with Ashley, Maggie, and their friend Elizabeth (who is studying in Rome but goes to Wake as well). From there we headed back on the tube to Covent Garden for some delicious Mexican food at Wahaca to warm us all up. Although we had to wait an hour for a table, the food was definitely worth it (as always).
By the time we got back to Courtfield, it was almost 10:30. Carolyn met us back at the flat, where we, along with Ashley and Allie, talked for a while about our days and plans for the weekend before calling it a night. Although I attempt almost every evening to get to bed early, somehow it never happens. By the time everything was wrapped up, I got to bed around 1AM; but at least tomorrow morning we get to sleep in as long as we like!
Cheers,
LC
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Working the day after Thanksgiving was not high on my priority list; working Thanksgiving day was bad enough! It had been a very long week, and if I couldn’t be participating in Black Friday shopping back home, all I wanted was some free time to relax and get things done (like work on the blog!). Instead, I woke up at 6:45, bundled myself up, and hit the streets for a frigid commute to work.
The morning was busy with sign-offs on a few projects, phone meetings with colleagues in NY, report updates, and, of course, entering more trades. By lunch time, I needed to get out of the office, so I headed to EAT (a take-away cafe of sorts) for lunch. It was only about a minute walk, but it was long enough. It's been the coldest November on record in London in 25 years, with no relief in sight. How lucky that I get to be part of that record breaking!
As soon as it was 6 o’clock, I dashed out of the office, very ready for the weekend. Back at our flat, I met up with Ashley, Maggie, and their friend Elizabeth (who is studying in Rome but goes to Wake as well). From there we headed back on the tube to Covent Garden for some delicious Mexican food at Wahaca to warm us all up. Although we had to wait an hour for a table, the food was definitely worth it (as always).
By the time we got back to Courtfield, it was almost 10:30. Carolyn met us back at the flat, where we, along with Ashley and Allie, talked for a while about our days and plans for the weekend before calling it a night. Although I attempt almost every evening to get to bed early, somehow it never happens. By the time everything was wrapped up, I got to bed around 1AM; but at least tomorrow morning we get to sleep in as long as we like!
Cheers,
LC
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Pilgrims in London
Thursday, November 25th
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
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Although Thanksgiving is considered one of America's most special holidays, here in London the fourth Sunday in November is just another day. I can understand why they don't acknowledge it; it's the day we Pilgrims said "see ya" to the English...can't blame them if they're just a bit bitter. Although this might be the case, it did not mean that we were not going to celebrate it to the fullest! Unfortunately, Lauren and I had a full day of work ahead of us when we woke up. I was the first in my office this morning, the next person being my boss. She asked if I was celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow (they truly don't care, clearly) and I told her I was actually having dinner tonight. "It must be so odd for you to be in an office in Thanksgiving? It's almost sacreligious for an American to do that!" When I nodded in agreement, my spirits were lifted for a minute in the hopes that she might say I could have the day off, but when she turned around and walked back to her office in silence, I realized I would have no such luck. Oh well.
My day was spent helping Roz, the woman who sits next to me and who, quite conveniently (or inconveniently, however you want to look at it), is in charge of the company's food line. I had to enter data from various taste tests she had done in the office in the weeks before and figure out what products were the most popular. As there were many that had to be done it took the whole of my morning. When lunchtime arrived, I excitedly headed to Whole Foods to meet Lauren (my friend from Wake who is living with Maggie and Ashley) and Sierra (my other friend from Wake who was visiting London from Athens!!). We all love our one in Winston Salem, but once I took them through the High Street store, they were amazed; it does not even compare in size!! We all enjoyed Mexican (Sierra almost cried she was so happy...Mexican cuisine is apparently not a strong point in Greece) and chatted for a bit until I reluctantly headed back to the office. My afternoon was spent on various little tasks, including cleaning out all of the old food samples and neatly packing them up to be stored for future references. At 5:30 I said goodbye to everyone and made my way back to Courtfield to get ready for the night!
My mom has been asking me since probably no more than a week after my arrival where I would be making Thanksgiving dinner reservations. Well, today was the day, and I have made my mother proud. After getting pretty, (our) Lauren, Sierra, Maggie, Ashley, their friend Elizabeth (who was visiting from Rome), and I made our way on the tube to Covent Garden. We arrived at PJ's Bar and Grill just in time for our 7:30 pm reservation. This cozy little restaurant is known for its pre theatre fare, but when I discovered they had a 3 course Thanksgiving meal for 20 pounds, I knew it would be the perfect place to spend our holiday. Joining us after we sat down were my roommate from Wake, Molly, and her mom! Mrs. Riazzi was kind enough to skip her usual holiday trip to Dayton and fly across the pond to spend the weekend with me and Molly, and we (especially Molly) could not have been happier! After we had all greeted and hugged each other, we started into our meal. Soup, turkey, vegetables, mashed potatoes, and bread and butter pudding/pumpkin pie for dessert...even though PJ's is in the heart of London, they sure do know how to make a wonderful American meal! We were all so happy to be eating our favorite Thanksgiving foods, and although I think we were all missing our families, we enjoyed each other's company immensely.
Completely full - just the way one should be on Thanksgiving - we bundled up again and decided to take a quick stroll around Covent Garden Piazza. We walked through the market stalls (although all closed) and admired the Kissmas Tree (it lights up when you kiss under it!) and the giant topiary reindeer. We didn't stay for too long though, as that cold front made the air just a little too nippy. While the rest of the group headed back to Courtfield, Sierra and I joined Molly and her mom at the Grosvenor House (where they were staying...so posh) and enjoyed some wine before heading back to South Ken on the tube. Once we reached home, we collapsed in our beds, well into our turkey comas.
Although Lauren and I were missing our beloved Thanksgiving traditions, we both agreed that our holiday abroad was a wonderful one. It was so amazing to be able to spend it with friends from home, school and ones that we have made here in London. I am so thankful for them and my family - I don't know what I would do without them!
Happy Thanksgiving!
xo Carolyn
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
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Although Thanksgiving is considered one of America's most special holidays, here in London the fourth Sunday in November is just another day. I can understand why they don't acknowledge it; it's the day we Pilgrims said "see ya" to the English...can't blame them if they're just a bit bitter. Although this might be the case, it did not mean that we were not going to celebrate it to the fullest! Unfortunately, Lauren and I had a full day of work ahead of us when we woke up. I was the first in my office this morning, the next person being my boss. She asked if I was celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow (they truly don't care, clearly) and I told her I was actually having dinner tonight. "It must be so odd for you to be in an office in Thanksgiving? It's almost sacreligious for an American to do that!" When I nodded in agreement, my spirits were lifted for a minute in the hopes that she might say I could have the day off, but when she turned around and walked back to her office in silence, I realized I would have no such luck. Oh well.
My day was spent helping Roz, the woman who sits next to me and who, quite conveniently (or inconveniently, however you want to look at it), is in charge of the company's food line. I had to enter data from various taste tests she had done in the office in the weeks before and figure out what products were the most popular. As there were many that had to be done it took the whole of my morning. When lunchtime arrived, I excitedly headed to Whole Foods to meet Lauren (my friend from Wake who is living with Maggie and Ashley) and Sierra (my other friend from Wake who was visiting London from Athens!!). We all love our one in Winston Salem, but once I took them through the High Street store, they were amazed; it does not even compare in size!! We all enjoyed Mexican (Sierra almost cried she was so happy...Mexican cuisine is apparently not a strong point in Greece) and chatted for a bit until I reluctantly headed back to the office. My afternoon was spent on various little tasks, including cleaning out all of the old food samples and neatly packing them up to be stored for future references. At 5:30 I said goodbye to everyone and made my way back to Courtfield to get ready for the night!
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| Happy Thanksgiving! |
Completely full - just the way one should be on Thanksgiving - we bundled up again and decided to take a quick stroll around Covent Garden Piazza. We walked through the market stalls (although all closed) and admired the Kissmas Tree (it lights up when you kiss under it!) and the giant topiary reindeer. We didn't stay for too long though, as that cold front made the air just a little too nippy. While the rest of the group headed back to Courtfield, Sierra and I joined Molly and her mom at the Grosvenor House (where they were staying...so posh) and enjoyed some wine before heading back to South Ken on the tube. Once we reached home, we collapsed in our beds, well into our turkey comas.
Although Lauren and I were missing our beloved Thanksgiving traditions, we both agreed that our holiday abroad was a wonderful one. It was so amazing to be able to spend it with friends from home, school and ones that we have made here in London. I am so thankful for them and my family - I don't know what I would do without them!
Happy Thanksgiving!
xo Carolyn
Walking in a Winter Wonderland
Wednesday, November 24th
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Wednesday morning was another freezing cold wake-up call, and a work-order was sent in to maintenance, as our room felt like an ice box. I bundled up for work and made the journey to the City; you know it’s cold when the tube windows start to fog up underground!
My day was busy with trade inputting (making sure, because of the U.S. holiday, they book correctly as a spot or forward), sending e-mails, conference calls, and testing averaging trades. I can’t say I’ll miss entering trades when I get home!
I made my way back to Courtfield around 6:30, and Carolyn and I had a flat dinner with Maggie, Ashley, and Allie before heading back out into the cold. We’d had our eye on the “Winter Wonderland” in Hyde Park since we first saw an advertisement in October, so we figured tonight was as good as ever to check it out.
A quick tube ride to Hyde Park Corner let us out to an extravagant Christmas wonderland, complete with gift vendors of all types, rides (including ferris wheel and roller coaster), ice skating rink, and of course, lots and lots of delicious food. Carolyn, Maggie, Ashley, and I walked the entire perimeter of the area, scoping out all of our delicious options (I was upset we had already eaten dinner!) before choosing our dessert locations. Ashley, Carolyn, and I got poffertjes (like the ones
I had in Amsterdam!) with nutella, vanilla custard, and powdered sugar, while Maggie opted for a fill-it-yourself candy bar, complete with everything from chocolate-covered almonds to gummy ropes to fudge!
After about an hour and a half of ooh-ing and ahh-ing at all the food and gift prospects, we all decided we’ll definitely be returning soon… with a lot of money and, more importantly, on an empty stomach!
Cheers,
LC
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Wednesday morning was another freezing cold wake-up call, and a work-order was sent in to maintenance, as our room felt like an ice box. I bundled up for work and made the journey to the City; you know it’s cold when the tube windows start to fog up underground!
My day was busy with trade inputting (making sure, because of the U.S. holiday, they book correctly as a spot or forward), sending e-mails, conference calls, and testing averaging trades. I can’t say I’ll miss entering trades when I get home!
I made my way back to Courtfield around 6:30, and Carolyn and I had a flat dinner with Maggie, Ashley, and Allie before heading back out into the cold. We’d had our eye on the “Winter Wonderland” in Hyde Park since we first saw an advertisement in October, so we figured tonight was as good as ever to check it out.
I had in Amsterdam!) with nutella, vanilla custard, and powdered sugar, while Maggie opted for a fill-it-yourself candy bar, complete with everything from chocolate-covered almonds to gummy ropes to fudge!
Cheers,
LC
Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful....But Really
Tuesday, November 23rd
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Today began our second to last week of placements...hard to believe!! A cold front has settled in on London as well as the rest of England, so Lauren and I made sure to bundle up as we walked to our respective offices.
My day was not too eventful, consisting mostly of replying to various emails and working on the quarterly newsletter. In the afternoon, I had to run a few errands around Knightsbridge; our Brompton Road store is closing this coming weekend, so I picked up a few promotional materials from the manager. I felt so bad taking things away, especially with the holidays coming up. It must be hard for them, but unfortunately the world of high rent and low sales reigns - hopefully they will be transferred to different London store locations. After returning to Kelso Place and completing a few last tasks, I was free to venture back out into the cold and head home.
After Lauren came home, we had a quiet dinner with Maggie before coming back to the room and lounging for the night. I want to get a good sleep, as I'm having some guests arrive tomorrow that I am super excited about!!
xo Carolyn
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Today began our second to last week of placements...hard to believe!! A cold front has settled in on London as well as the rest of England, so Lauren and I made sure to bundle up as we walked to our respective offices.
My day was not too eventful, consisting mostly of replying to various emails and working on the quarterly newsletter. In the afternoon, I had to run a few errands around Knightsbridge; our Brompton Road store is closing this coming weekend, so I picked up a few promotional materials from the manager. I felt so bad taking things away, especially with the holidays coming up. It must be hard for them, but unfortunately the world of high rent and low sales reigns - hopefully they will be transferred to different London store locations. After returning to Kelso Place and completing a few last tasks, I was free to venture back out into the cold and head home.
After Lauren came home, we had a quiet dinner with Maggie before coming back to the room and lounging for the night. I want to get a good sleep, as I'm having some guests arrive tomorrow that I am super excited about!!
xo Carolyn
Two Field Trips and a Nap
Monday, November 22nd
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After a much needed good nights sleep, Monday morning's wake up wasn’t horrible… but then again, waking up at 8:30 is sleeping-in compared to the rest of the week! Today our architecture paper was due (2000 words about the architecture/history of sites on a route of your choice), so Carolyn and I stopped quickly into the Student Affairs office to hand them in before class at 9:45. We had a scheduled tour at the Design Museum at 10:45, so we left Harrington immediately (no lecture yay!). To get there, we took the tube to Tower Hill, and walked across the Tower Bridge! Although it was quite frigid, Carolyn and I were happy to cross it off our list… it keeps getting longer, and our time is quickly getting shorter.
We did a quick walk through of Shad Thames, before arriving at the museum. The building is quite small, with only two floors of exhibits, but it is certainly different than all the other museums in London. The areas it focuses on include product, industrial, graphic, fashion and architectural design, but mainly focuses on the appreciation of modern architecture. Carolyn and I were not huge fans of the museum (pretty much the only thing I took away is that the modern architect showcased on the second floor designed and built the Calvin Klein flagship store on Madison Ave), but it was nice to see something we ordinarily wouldn’t have done. After the museum, we did a more thorough walk through Shad Thames, a historic riverside area along the Thames. It is very industrial looking, with very little tourist appeal, and numerous warehouses. Recently, developers have been trying to encourage residential growth, which has been increasingly rapidly.
Our walk continued down to the City Hall on the South Bank, headquarters of the Greater London Authority (GLA), which comprises the Mayor of London and London Assembly. After airport-like security, we were able to enter inside and explore the Foster building (the famous architecture firm our teacher’s husband works for). After just barely having enough time to thaw, we were out in the frigid weather again to traipse around Southwark, seeing Southwark Cathedral, walking under London Bridge, and walking though Borough Market (closed on Mondays unfortunately!).
Once we finally arrived at Foster and Partners offices, we were given a short tour by one of our professor’s friends before heading back to South Ken. Although the man giving the tour was definitely out of his element, it was still exciting to be in the rooms where some of the world’s greatest architecture projects were imagined and created. From the Millennium Bridge and Wembley Stadium in London, to the Hearst Building in NYC and the MFA in Boston, Foster and Partners is one of the world’s leading architecture firms. They even were one of the major contenders in the Twin Towers rebuilding; they didn't win, but they have been commissioned to build a 78-story office tower to be part of the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site. If you’re ever bored online, take a look at www.fosterandpartners.com/Projects/ByLocation/UK.aspx. It’s incredible how much one firm has accomplished.
Cheers,
LC
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After a much needed good nights sleep, Monday morning's wake up wasn’t horrible… but then again, waking up at 8:30 is sleeping-in compared to the rest of the week! Today our architecture paper was due (2000 words about the architecture/history of sites on a route of your choice), so Carolyn and I stopped quickly into the Student Affairs office to hand them in before class at 9:45. We had a scheduled tour at the Design Museum at 10:45, so we left Harrington immediately (no lecture yay!). To get there, we took the tube to Tower Hill, and walked across the Tower Bridge! Although it was quite frigid, Carolyn and I were happy to cross it off our list… it keeps getting longer, and our time is quickly getting shorter.
City Hall is the Building with the Red Banner; The Shard (being built) is going to be the tallest building in the EU!
Around 1:45 we were on our way back to Kensington, only to walk back from grocery shopping in the rain. After lunch, Carolyn and I spent the afternoon cozied up in our beds, catching up on things we missed over the weekend, and being as lazy as possible! :) Today was also the one double session of our Architecture class; we were to meet Helen (our professor) back at Harrington at 5PM for our second field trip of the day. Around 5:15, the class hopped on the bus outside of Gloucester Station, and made our way to Battersea, where Foster and Partners headquarters are located (and where our teacher’s husband is a partner. No big deal.). Before actually going into the offices, we walked around the area, taking in the architecture and Chelsea at night, while having some pop-culture landmarks pointed out as well: Vivienne Westwood’s design building, the apartment where Dannii Minogue (judge on X-Factor) is currently living, and Victoria Beckham’s fashion-line headquarters! Once we finally arrived at Foster and Partners offices, we were given a short tour by one of our professor’s friends before heading back to South Ken. Although the man giving the tour was definitely out of his element, it was still exciting to be in the rooms where some of the world’s greatest architecture projects were imagined and created. From the Millennium Bridge and Wembley Stadium in London, to the Hearst Building in NYC and the MFA in Boston, Foster and Partners is one of the world’s leading architecture firms. They even were one of the major contenders in the Twin Towers rebuilding; they didn't win, but they have been commissioned to build a 78-story office tower to be part of the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site. If you’re ever bored online, take a look at www.fosterandpartners.com/Projects/ByLocation/UK.aspx. It’s incredible how much one firm has accomplished.
200 Greenwich Street; "Two World Trade Center" Plans
Carolyn and I arrived back at Courtfield around 7:30; after having dinner, we lounged around for the night once again. Busy week coming up!Cheers,
LC
Saturday, November 27, 2010
I amsterdam
Sunday, November 21st
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Despite the fact that four alarms were set for 8 am Sunday morning in our hotel room, each one of us managed to either snooze, turn off or completely sleep through all of them. Cue 9 am as we all groggily wake up to this realization...at least it was light outside! We all got ready, packed up and headed down to breakfast, which was just as delicious as the previous morning's. Nalgenes filled, we made our way back to RAI station to catch a tram into the city center. Our first goal of the morning was the find the infamous "I amsterdam" sign. We had been told we would find it in numerous places around the city, but so far had had no luck. With a faint idea of its location, we walked towards Museumplein, a stretch of land that houses two of the city's best attractions, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. Walking around the perimeter of the buildings, we spotted the iconic white and red letters and all jumped for joy!
We managed to take plenty of pictures despite a few people (two little girls to be exact) who were casually hanging on the letters. After our mini photo shoot, we continue our walk into the heart of the area, which includes a large field and fountain; it was a beautiful spot that we were excited to find. We eventually came upon a tram stop and decided to hop on and head towards Dam Square. As we exited to tram, directly in front of us was De Bijenkorf, known as Holland's most upscale department store. Naturally, with the shopaholics making up our group we thought it would be quite appropriate to stop in and browse for a bit. Our first stop was the Christmas shop, which all got us in the holiday spirit. We wandered towards the main atrium of the store, admiring the cool displays and even finding some familiar faces (or maybe I should say whiskers)...
After covering all the necessary departments, we crossed the road over to Dam Square Souvenirs, as we were all wanting a little something to bring back home with us. We had noticed the spot the night before as there are life size cows hanging upside down from the ceiling, and we immediately agreed we would have to return on Sunday. The souvenir shop was definitely the best we had been in in Amsterdam so far, and we all managed to pick out a little something to help us remember our Dutch weekend.
We continued our walk along the canals, not really knowing exactly where we were headed but enjoying the beautiful scenery none the less. As mid-afternoon rolled around, we all agreed we should get lunch and navigated our way back to where we had dinner the night before. On our way there, we had spotted a corner place called "maoz," which specializes in falafel. They have this in London, but we figured we might as well try it in Amsterdam and cross it off our London list! The lunch was amazing, as you could choose any topping you can imagine. We all enjoyed our pitas outside on a stoop, which gave our back a much needed break from carrying around a weekend's worth of luggage! With everyone finished, we continued down the road and came to "Winterlund Amsterdam," aka an amazing Christmas market, complete with wooden chalets and skating rink. We got wayy too excited by all the food vendors, and spent the next hour milling over our options and trying anything we could. Lauren and I started off with this amazing little dessert: light mint cream on top of a small waffle all dipped in chocolate - heavenly! Not too long after, we spotted a stroopwaffle stand, which is the signature snack of Amsterdam. Unlike the waffles we eat as breakfast, these are more like the thickness of an ice cream cone, but are cut in half and filled with a delicious warm syrup. They made them right in front of us, and it was definitely worth the wait! Overall the whole market got us even more excited for Christmas, if that's possible.
By the time we finished at the market it was 2 pm and time to head to the airport. We were all sad to say goodbye to Amsterdam, but as always were ready to head back home to Londontown. Back to Centraal Station we went, and from there caught a train to the airport. The ride was actually really cool as it was a double decker train, so we enjoyed the view as we flipped through Us magazine and got our US celebrity gossip fix. We arrived at the airport 20 minutes later, had a quick check in and headed to our gate. It was a bit weird as you have to go through security right before you enter the gate, so the five of us waited outside, read, and tried to use up our Euro change in the gift shop before heading into the gate. The flight was smooth, and we landed at Heathrow right on time (unfortunately, we had to wait 20 minutes taxiing, but oh well). All exhausted, we patiently waited in the (rather long) customs line before hopping on the tube back to Gloucester. For dinner, Ashley and I headed to Nando's for take out, while Lauren and Maggie popped into Café Forum right across the street. We all enjoyed our meals together, talking about our favorite parts of the weekend and chatting about the week ahead.
Only two weeks left of placements! Seems hard to believe, but I know it's going to fly by...let's hope at least!
xo Carolyn
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Despite the fact that four alarms were set for 8 am Sunday morning in our hotel room, each one of us managed to either snooze, turn off or completely sleep through all of them. Cue 9 am as we all groggily wake up to this realization...at least it was light outside! We all got ready, packed up and headed down to breakfast, which was just as delicious as the previous morning's. Nalgenes filled, we made our way back to RAI station to catch a tram into the city center. Our first goal of the morning was the find the infamous "I amsterdam" sign. We had been told we would find it in numerous places around the city, but so far had had no luck. With a faint idea of its location, we walked towards Museumplein, a stretch of land that houses two of the city's best attractions, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. Walking around the perimeter of the buildings, we spotted the iconic white and red letters and all jumped for joy!
 |
| Finally! |
 |
| Paisley's tight with St. Nick |
By the time we finished at the market it was 2 pm and time to head to the airport. We were all sad to say goodbye to Amsterdam, but as always were ready to head back home to Londontown. Back to Centraal Station we went, and from there caught a train to the airport. The ride was actually really cool as it was a double decker train, so we enjoyed the view as we flipped through Us magazine and got our US celebrity gossip fix. We arrived at the airport 20 minutes later, had a quick check in and headed to our gate. It was a bit weird as you have to go through security right before you enter the gate, so the five of us waited outside, read, and tried to use up our Euro change in the gift shop before heading into the gate. The flight was smooth, and we landed at Heathrow right on time (unfortunately, we had to wait 20 minutes taxiing, but oh well). All exhausted, we patiently waited in the (rather long) customs line before hopping on the tube back to Gloucester. For dinner, Ashley and I headed to Nando's for take out, while Lauren and Maggie popped into Café Forum right across the street. We all enjoyed our meals together, talking about our favorite parts of the weekend and chatting about the week ahead.
Only two weeks left of placements! Seems hard to believe, but I know it's going to fly by...let's hope at least!
xo Carolyn
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