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:)
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
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!
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!
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