Paris Days 1, 2, and 3

Day 1: Today is Tuesday, February the 8th. I left the flat at approximately 8:30am. My flatmate Monica and I hopped on the Tube to King's Cross station, which is only one stop from our nearest station to the flat. We soon arrived at Kings Cross and went to the Eurostar turnstiles and waited with the group of students from AIU and of course Tony. Around 9:30am we went through security and I got my second stamp in my passport for Paris, France. Our train left at about 9:55 am and we were off to an unfamiliar land. It was only a two hour ride on the train that goes underground through the English Channel and above ground for 75% of the time. The first half of the ride was above ground and also under long passages in the ground. Much of what i saw above ground was land that was either green and peaceful or random areas with buildings that seemed run down. At this very moment I am on the train above ground writing this entry and the view to my right out the window is just farm land that disappears in the distance. Eventually, we arrived at the train station and Tony told us how to use the metro and gave us out first French metro tickets. We took the metro all the way to glaciere station near our hotel and then got our first breaths of Paris air. After walking a couple of blocks, we found the hotel and dropped off our bags. Tony then guided us around Paris on the metro and we saw the palais royal, the birthplace of modern fashion, and contains designer stores and what used to be the residence of King Louis 13th. Later King Louis the 14th, who built versailles and then the Duke moved in. We also got to see the outside of the Lourve, one of the most famous museums and one of the largest. If one were to walk around it, it would be 2 miles. If someone were to look at every work of art in the museum for 10 seconds, it would take 3 months everyday from open to close, pretty crazy! Tony then guided us to Avenue Montaigne that had designer name stores one after another. Most of the first couture houses were established on the nearby Rue Saint Honore from the end of the 1700s. Tony told us to stand in the middle of the street or crosswalk and look straight ahead, what did we see, nothing other than the Arch De Triomph in the distance. We then went back to the sidewalk and headed to Jean Paul Gaultier. We got to inside and look around at all the amazing colors and fabrics of the intricately designed clothing. After wandering around the Golden Triangle, we went back to FIAP, our hotel, to get our room keys and find our rooms. We then had dinner at the hotel, I must say the food was fabulous! I had a ricotta cheese ravioli with a delicious alfredo sauce, a salad, a croissant, and a custard like slice of dessert, yummy! I could not wait for 7:30pm to come around because we were going to the iconic Eiffel Tower in all it's glory, sparkling in the night. Now, the Eiffel Tower, was built in 1889 for the worlds fair to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution, it also stands about 1,000 feet high as a symbol of the city. So, all of us tool the metro to a station near the Eiffel Tower and when we arrived we saw it shimmering it's sparkling lights and then got to go up to the second level. As I was on the elevator, which is most definatley not traditional, I noticed it went on a side slant up the tower. It went up at a good pace, but I was still scared because of the heights we reached. Soon I got off and realized I could see all of Paris' iconic buildings! The Notre Dame, The Lourve, the military headquarters and the glistening river. It was such a lovely view and at night, so everything was lit up. After taking multiple photos, I headed back down and waited with the rest of the bunch to see the whole Eiffel Tower lights sparkle again at 10pm. Of course I captured the kodak moment on camera, what a sight to see. After that amazing experience we headed back to the hotel and went to sleep after a long and tiring day.

Day 2: Today we all met up at 8:30am and headed out for Premiere Vision Exhibition. This is a very large and busy place to be and included many European and World Fabric manufacturers stalls. As I walked into the exhibition, it was a sea of people, mostly textile buyers, fashion industry workers and students. I was lucky enough to see where the key trends and colors for spring and summer 2012 season are outlined too! It was stall after stall of fabrics from wovens to intricately detailed laces. I also got to talk to some fashion forecasting companies that have websites where one can get the 411 on the future seasons to come, if subscribed. By about 1:00pm, we left the exhibition and toured with Tony to see the sights. Our firsr stop was the Notre Dame, ever heard of the hunchback? As I was inside, I was awstruck by the massive size and heights of the cathedral. Stained glass windows twice or more my height, and the gothic style arches were such masterpieces. The Notre Dame is also famous for having the crucifix sculpture of Jesus being held by Mary after being taken off the cross. Next we saw the exteriors of the Lourve, which holds the Mona Lisa. We walked through it's courtyard and gardens which stretched more than 500 yards! We then made our way over to a bridge that crosses the river and walked to a building that looked much like a caslte. It was not, it was the police headquarters and used to be a prison and torture chamber. Tony told us that Marie Anntonette was held prisoner here before her execution. Also because of the French Revolt, at the time the people wen t up against royalty and got rid of Louis and Marie by beheading them with a guillotine. Th sight of this incident is marked by a metal tile in the ground up a ways from which Marie was paraded through the city on her way to be executed. This stop was our last for the day and we were free to venture off. So Monica my flatmate and I decided to go and try some macaroons. What they are is a little round pastry with almost like a custard filling and a soft shell on teh outside and they come in many flavors. I chose vanilla, it definately hit the spot and basically melted in my mouth. We then went shopping in a department store that was pretty expensive, so we decided to leave and get our first french crepes. Mine was nutella and banana slices, yummmm! As I began to eat it I noticed that the nutella was melting and moving the banana, so it became difficult to eat, but I eventually managed to eat the whole thing. Monica and I were pretty tired and so we went back to the hotel on the metro. We then had dinner at the hotel again. This time I had a different type of pasta noodles that looked like big macaroni with mussels and a marinara sauce that was heaven! I haven't mentioned this, but the French love their croissants with hazelnut spread, otherwise known as nutella. Even the cereal was chocolate flavored for breakfast. I must say French food is very good. Continuing on, after dinner we all got to go to a jazz club that was famous as the first place in Paris jazz was played, called Caveau de la Huchette. It is literally a cave in the basement of a parade of buildings. Once we arrived there, we waited for the jazz show to start. It was 10pm and the piano/organ and the drums began to play the upbeat jazz you'd hear in the 20's and 30's.  Couples would dance swiflty  and the women woudl twirl around. We even could go out there and dance too! I was just watching on the side and all of a sudden a little old french man was standing next to me watching the show. It seemed like he really was into the jazz music and he then turned to me and spoke in french and put his hand out. I knew what that meant, he wanted a dancing partner, but I told him I didn't know how and he insisted I still dance. Even though I didn't know how, I decided I would try. I danced with the little old french man and got twirled around and moved my feet beack and forth as he led. It was definitely a cute highlight of the day, just  thinking that I probably made his night when it seemed he no longer had a Mrs. the smile on his face was priceless and sweet and I will never forget it. Some of the girls in the group went out on the dance floor and tried out some jazz steps too! The atmosphere was so energetic with the musicians bobbing their heads and people snapping their fingers, along with the fast pace dancing. What a night and a fun one at that!

Day 3: In the morning we set off at 8:45am to Trend Union, a trend forecasting company. We were lucky enough to see their professional presentation they had just shown to industry people. It was shown on a rather large white wall, and there were four sections that looked like four photos had been set next to each other. So, when the presentation started each panel would alternate images ranging from fashion to objects, nature or abstract photography. It all coordinated in many categories and there were words that would pop up on the screen to explain what kind of photos and images were being shown. Music was also included and went with each category flawlessly. Around noon we ventured off to go and meet Madame Pico a french couture draper/pleater, who worked for Madame Gris, a draper/pleater that taught Pico a very secret technique. We all listened to Madame Pico talk in French about her career and how she got to create dresses for Jacqueline Kennedy and many other famous people. I was lucky enough when asked if anyone would like to try on one of the two couture gowns she had brought. It was royal blue and fit me perfectly, the length and the shape was flawless. See that's the thing about couture, its about customization and fit, but just by chance this one happened to fit me! I was ecstatic and thrilled that I was one of the two girls that got to try on such a special gown and expensive one. It was estimated that it would be worth 35,000 euro!! Crazy crazy! Lunchtime soon came around and I went to eat with a couple AIU students. We found a great French restaurant that offered all sorts of burgers, figures. Mine was delightful though, it had bacon, avocado and cheese with of course the patty, mmmmmm. Later after lunch, everyone headed to Collete, a well known boutique in Paris. It is known for its collaboration with music and fashion and covering a large target market. Collete signs artist with their own record label and sells some merchandise like Cd's, jewelry, music players etc. It also has more clothing low end to high end, which one won't know unless looking at the label. The price is also unknown because the store wants you to buy something based on the fact that you actually like it and are not buying it purely for the brand or label. It was such a fantastic store and creative too. So, now it was time to go to the hotel and collect our things to take the Eurostar back to our housing in London. The train ride was pleasant, and I basically typed up this novel on my iphone much of the time on the way back, but wow what an unforgettable trip I will always treasure. Paris hopefully I'll see you again someday! This is Ames signing out:)

Warwick Castle, Stratford, King Lear and Billy Elliot

So this past Saturday I went with AIU students to Warwick Castle, it was beautiful! Here's a little history lesson on this castle:
The castle was built by William the Conqueror in 1068 and was used as a fortification until the early 17th century, when Sir Fulke Greville converted it into a country house. It was owned by the Greville family, who became earls of Warwick in 1759, until 1978. From 1088, the castle traditionally belonged to the Earl of Warwick and it served as a symbol of his power. The castle was taken in 1153 by Henry of Anjou, and later Henry II. It has been used to hold prisoners, including some from the Battle of Poitiers in the 14th century. Richard Neville, also known as "Warwick the Kingmaker" owned Warwick castle and was used in the 15th century to imprison the English king, Edward IV.
Since its construction in the 11th century, the castle has undergone structural changes with additions of towers and redesigned residential buildings. Originally a wooden motte-and-bailey, it was rebuilt in stone in the 12th century. During the Hundred Year War, the facade opposite the town was refortified, resulting in one of the most recognizable examples of 14th century military architecture.
In the 17th century the grounds were turned into a garden. The castle's defences were enhanced in the 1640s to prepare the castle for action in the English Civil War.Robert Greville 2nd Baron Brooke, was a Parliamentarian, and Royalist forces laid siege to the castle. Warwick Castle withstood the siege and was later used to hold prisoners taken by the Parliamentarians.The Tussauds Group purchased Warwick Castle in 1978 and opened it as a tourist attraction. It is protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade I listed building.
After climbing 536 steps to the top of one of the castles winding staircases, I was able to see an astounding view from the top! It was gorgeous, all the fields with sheep, a river, and the towns surrounding the castle. It will be a view I will never forget!
 On to Stratford we went, the city Shakespeare lived in and was buried in. I got to visit the house where he grew up, which is in some of my photos. I was also taken to his wife's cottage, Ann Hatheway. They were known to have a scandalous relationship because he was 18 and she was 26 when they got married and she was 3 months pregnant when they tied the knot. Also, in Stratford I got to have traditional English breakfast tea and a crumpet with my two friends Haley and Monica. It was delicious!!! They have this amazing cream or butter like stuff that you put on the crumpet, which is like a biscuit and then some jelly to make it sweet. It definitely hit the spot, yummmmy!
On Tuesday night I went to see King Lear, a Shakespearean play at the Roundhouse. The roundhouse was really a neat stage and it actually was round. When I walked in to be seated, I was basically backstage and there were ramps for people to get to their seats as well as the actors to run out when it was their scene. I could also see one of the actresses getting her makeup retouched because the entrance to my seat was literally behind the set. I thought the acting was really good, but I was a bit confused with the middle english they used, kind of hard to follow. I thought it was a good performance though.
Tonight, I just saw Billy Elliot the musical. It's basically about a boy who gives up boxing for ballet and times are hard because the town is going through unemployment. His father is a miner and does not want him dancing, until he is convinced Billy has a shot at something. Overall, I really enjoyed this show, very fun and the boy that played Billy was such a great dancer and actor!

Photos of Stonehenge, Lacock and Bath

I can't fit anymore pictures on this blog so follow my facebook link to see pictures from bath and stonehenge:)
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?cropsuccess&id=787932585#!/album.php?id=787932585&aid=361928

Bath and Stonehenge

So, this past weekend I was brought on an adventure to Bath and Stonehenge with Tony our Cultural Activities Director and AIU students!! On Saturday we departed at 8:30am and we were off to our first stop, Stonehenge. It took us about two hours on our big coach bus to arrive at Stonehenge. On our ride there, Tony explained that there are three theories as to why these huge caveman like boulders are in the place that they are and how they are laid out in such a distinct position. These large stones weigh between 1 and 45 tons, that's quite heavy! Construction is believed to have been started by 3,000 B.C. and finished by 1,100 B.C. Theories:

A Religious Site
Sir John Lubbock, the famous mid-19th century archaeologist, was perhaps the first person who made the most credible research on Stonehenge. Based on the bronze objects that were found in the nearby graves, he dated the Stonehenge as a Bronze Age Site and correctly inferred that the site was erected in phases over a long period of time. He compared Stonehenge with other similar stone structure around the world and concluded that the Stonehenge was a place of worship.

Astronomical Observatory
Astronomical basis to the Stonehenge, was first put forth by Sir Joseph Norman Lockyer, a renowned English scientist and astronomer. However, persuasive evidence of astronomical association for the Stonehenge was given about half a century later by an American astronomer, Gerald Hawkins. He found 165 points on the monument that were linked with the solstices, equinoxes and the solar and lunar eclipse. Supporting his theory is the fact that, at the dawn of the summer solstice, the sun, the center of the Stonehenge ring and the two stones - the Slaughter and the Heel Stones are all in a line.

There are still researchers and archeologists trying to figure out how the stones got there but it seems the most common conclusion would be that:
"The bluestones were rafted from Wales by sea and river.  The sarsens were dragged from the Avebury Hills by haulage teams, probably aided by oxen. The stones were then tipped end-first into pits dug into the sub-surface chalk  The lintels for the trilithons were raised on wooden cribs or by using earthen ramps."

 Moving on, we then left the mysterious land that Stonehenge resides and took a 45 minute drive to the quaint and cozy town of Lacock. Lacock happens to be the perfect example of  a small English city. A couple famous movie scenes have been filmed there. Ever heard of Pride and Prejudice, starring keira knightly who plays Elizabeth Bennet and Matthew Macfadyen, who plays Mr. Darcy? We got to see "Mr. Darcy's house", which was a large mansion made of a special limestone that the city of lacock uses to build their buildings. There is also a smaller house that was Harry Potters and Lacock Abbey, a beautiful church  that was used in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. After walking around the little town with only a couple pubs, galleries and lovely homes we ate at the Red Lion and had fish and chips...yummy Haddok!! 
Shortly after eating we explored a bit and I went inside a ceramics gallery. The artist, a man with a grey head of hair and beard began talking to me and my friends Connor and John. He said that he could tell us where we originated from and so we accepted the challenge. He told me, "Ok, you have freckles, red hair, and you burn in the sun, and the shape of your face also gives it away." He then continued on to say that the Irish in me would be from Northern Ireland. He said if you go there they'd love you, haha! He also mentioned it doesn't matter how much you are of something...people just usually end up looking more specifically like they are from one, two or three countries..and usually there is one that is really obvious. I thought he was pretty bright, I am mostly german, but I look mostly irish! This artist told us that he had a famous great great grandfather in politics in London. Then he explained how the grandfather was Winston Churchill, which I still question if he is actually correct because that is someone who influenced London greatly. Not to long after, we all hopped on the bus and headed to the city of Bath, which took another 2 and a half hours. When we arrived we brought our baggage into the YMCA and then explored the beautiful city of Bath. All the buildings were still made of a particular cream colored limestone. It definitely confused me a bit, but I liked it that way, it gave the city a feel that it is complete. Let me tell you this city is shopping central...so many places to eat and shop!! Before dinner we met up with Tony for a drink a traditional English pub. We encountered a very drunken Englishman. He slurred his words and kept telling John, one of the students, that he was so lucky to be surrounded by so many women. Ha, sure was true that there were a lot of women because only two guys and Tony came on the trip, so they were definitely outnumbered. After a delicious pear cider, we all headed to a unique and authentic Indian restaurant, located on a second level of a building. I had some chicken dish that was sweet tasting. Everyone was so full after their Indian meals. Later, some students and I headed to Balouchis another pub and had drinks.
Sunday morning we got to go to the Fashion Museum, which housed clothing that defined each year or decade, it was really inspiring! There was a ballroom attached to the museum. Inside it were intricately detailed light blue walls and gold trim, along with breathtaking crystal chandeliers. The special story behind this room is that the author Jane Austen described this ballroom famously in one of her books, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. In the afternoon we headed over to the Roman Baths. This was unlike anything I had ever seen before, almost indescribable. As I walked through the exhibit inside the museum areas where the artifacts were held, there were windows to look out and see the peaceful steam rising from the roman baths. The water actually comes from a natural hot spring deep down in the earth and has been there for centuries. the Romans once walked on the same ancient stone pavements around the steaming pool. Much of the roman temple and other baths on this property were actually excavated and I had to go down stairs to see the other areas, such as the sacred spring, different bathhouses and finds from the excavation. I also found out that this is the only natural hot spring in the whole UK, pretty crazy!! In my photos you will see what I mean when I say that this place was indescribable and beyond words. The only words I can even compare are peaceful, tranquil, heavenly, mystical and enchanting. By 3pm on Sunday it was time for tea!! We got to have tea at The Pump Room. I chose the english breakfast tea, it was delicious! So, shortly after tea we had to get back on the bus and head home to islington. It was such a memorable trip I will never forget and a trip that opened my eyes to some more of God's wondrous creation!
Photos in next post from the trip coming soon...

So, the last couple of days I've been pretty busy with school and off-campus class activities. This week with my History of London Class we got to see St Bartholomew's Church, this is one of the oldest churches in London dating back to 1123. A fun fact, Benjamin Franklin served as a journeyman printer in this church for a year. To find out more about this church check out this website: http://www.greatstbarts.com/

I also got to see where John Bunyan, the author who wrote The Pilgrim's Progress while imprisoned for preaching is buried, at Bunhill Fields. Parliament at the time was trying to stop Puritans from preaching in public in about 1660, so Bunyan was arrested. William Blake the famous poet, painter, printer and illustrator of his own books, is also buried in the same cemetery. The cemetery of Bunhill Fields, was where all the nonconformists were buried during the reformation. There were restrictions on non-conformists during the reformation and after the Civil War. Another trip around London was in the artsy community of Old Street and Shoreditch. This is the place to be during the nightlife because there is a lot of student living in the area. In the daylight, we walked around though and got to go inside a real circus school that used to be a power station. So, it already had high ceilings, perfect for long cables and the rings!  These students major in circus performing and then try and find jobs in the business, like cirque des sole! There also is an area called Finsbury Square and this is an important place due to the fact that it stopped the westward movement, so it would move back East, as far as the development of the area goes. We got to see where Shakespeare's original theater was, though the location was fenced off so we couldn't see. Yesterday, I got to go to the Victoria and Albert Museum and see the Jewelry Collection. The V&A Museum has one of the widest and largest collections of jewelry dating back to the 17th Century!!! I had Fish and Chips today and thought I'd show you all how massive it was!!

Night on the Town

Starting from the left flatmates, Brooke, Ashley-Morgan, Haley, Me, and Laura!

Fun Random Pics friends took

Monumental Tour

Today our group of AIU students and my dear friend Hattie and I followed Tony around some famous London monuments. We went to Green Park and then walked on to see Buckingham Palace and also saw the changing of the guard, and also saw the Royal area that surrounds Buckingham Palace. Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837 and today is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch or Queen Elizabeth II. The Royal Family has other housing available around the Palace, including a couple "smaller" castles.We also went to Trafalgar square where the famous bronze lion Nelson monument is.  Trafalgar Square is the main hub of Central London and was built in honor of Admiral Nelson. This followed his victory in 1805 at the Battle or Trafalgar, which was off the coast of Spain. The Bronze lions actually come from the cannons used at this battle!