Entry 3:

Bonjour from Paris!!! This past weekend I spent a lovely weekend in Paris, France for our travel break. In two days, Katie, Sally, Dr. Williams, and I crammed in everything we possibly could so that we could see as much of the city as we possibly could.

We arrived on Friday morning around 10 o'clock and almost immediately after we set our stuff down at the Hotel Bonaparte we hit the ground running. We started with a little shopping around the area of St. Germaine and St. Sulpice before stopping for lunch at this darling little cafe. Then we headed off to the Musee d'Orsay where we saw some really interesting paintings from Impressionism and Post-Impressionism eras. My favorite paintings were a self portrait by Van Gogh, Starry Night, and Whistler's Mother. After touring the Musse d'Orsay we walked across the river Seine to the Louvre. The Louvre is absolutely amazing and very big. We decided to do a self-guided tour from my Frommer's Paris Guidebook that highlighted eight works of arts. We saw of course the Mona Lisa, but also Venus de Milo, "The Winged Victory of Samothrace", and the coronation crown of Louis XV. All of the exhibits we saw were at opposite ends of the museum so as we walked we got to see a majority of the Louvre and its massive collection. After the Louvre, we rode a ferris wheel at a local carnival where we got a great view of the entire city. We then made our way towards the Eiffel Tower where we got tickets to go to the secon tier of the tower. The view and the landscape from the tower was absolutely amazing and I could literally see almost the entire city from the second tier. The Eiffel Tower was beautiful during the day but at night it was a whole different spectacle, which we found out after we got dinner and came back again to see. The tower glowed blue as the sunset and as it got darker and right as I was taking a picture it started flashing. It was one of the neatest things I've ever seen and really amazing to see something you read so much about and see so many pictures.

On Saturday we decided to visit all the historic churches and cathedrals in Paris. We went to St. Sulpice where they filmed the Da Vinc Code, we went to the famous Notre Dame and heard the bells toll, and in the evening we headed up to the quaint little neighborhood of Monmartre where we saw St. Pierre and Saceur Coure. All the churches and cathedrals we visited were so elegant and sophisticated. They were not as ornate or as flashy as the English churches and cathedrals we have been in, but the stone architecture was absolutely amazing and the craftsmenship of each building was so unique and breathtaking. We ended our last night in Paris the traditional French way by going to a caberet called the Au Lapin Agile or the Agile Rabbit. The caberet is famous throughout Paris because Picasso was a frequent visitor. We enjoyed a night full of French music that included drinking songs, sing-a-longs, and other French classics. Although I didn't understand a world of what we being said or sung I loved every minute of it and thought it was a great way to end our holiday to Paris.

As I head into my last week in London, I am sad and excited all at the same time because I hate to leave this beautiful city I've grown to love, but I'm excited to go to Salzburg and Vienna next week and then home to tell my family and friends to tell them about my wonderful summer experience. I've learned so much about the culture and the people here that I had really no idea exsisted. I have seen some amazing sights that I've only read about in books and learned so much history. I've also learned a lot about myself and how independent, self-sufficent, and confident I can be in another culture and although I'm sad to leave I know I will always have this experience and it most certainly will not be my last trip aboard because I've already started generating a list of more things I want to do and see.

Entry 2: July 15, 2008

Hello from London once again! I have now hit the halfway mark in my trip. I am so excited as I get ready to cap it off with a trip to Paris before hitting the last leg of my stay here in London. But before I get ahead of myself, I wanted to report on the many things I have been up to since I last wrote.

The majority of this past week I have been seeing many concerts and plays. I was privileged to hear soprano Dame Felicity Lott and pianist Graham Johnson at Wigmore Hall. Dame Lott sang a program that included the “Wesendonck Lieder”by Wagner and two pieces from Berlioz's “Les nuits de'ete,” and some beautiful art songs by Manuel de Falla. At the complete other end of the spectrum of music, I also got to see “TheLion King” at the Lyceum Theatre at the West End and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing some of my favorite songs like "Circle of Life" and "Can You Feel The Love Tonight". I have also had my first Globe Theatre experience as a groundling. Katie, Chelsie, Sally and I went to see a production of “The Merry Wives of Windsor.” I can now say that this play was one of my favorites of all time. Standing right next to the stage looking up at the actors for 2 1/2 hours was a once in a lifetime experience. I also got to see Igor Stravinsky's “Rake's Progress” at Covent Garden's Royal Opera House. The program I saw had a modern Hollywood twist to the staging and costumes, which added a very different perspective to this neoclassical opera.

In addition to all the musical events I have been attending, I also went to the Cabinet War Rooms and Churchill Museum. It was fascinating to see where Winston Churchill and his staff ran England during WWII. We saw the boardroom that is in the same condition as it was when WW II ended in 1945. We took an audio tour of the Cabinet War Rooms, which included the Transatlantic Telephone Room where Churchill communicated privately with President Roosevelt and the Churchill private kitchen, dining room and bedroom. Perhaps what interested me the most was learning about Winston Churchill himself. I am ashamed to say that before coming to this museum I knew very little about the famous Prime Minister, but I learned very quickly that he was more than an outspoken politician. He was a soldier, a painter, a writer, and a deeply devoted husband to his wife Clementine. My favorite exhibit was scrolling through a screen with some famous quotes. I particularly love the quote that adorned the entrance of the exhibit, "We are all worms. But I do believe I am a glow worm."

Another big event that happened is my excursion to Oxford. We took a bus very early in the morning to Oxford, where we saw Christ Church, which was built in 1525 and founded by Cardinal Wolsey under the reign of King Henry VIII. We also saw The Alice Shop where they sell all sorts of “Alice in Wonderland” memorabilia. We learned that Lewis Carroll based the stories of Alice on a real little girl he spent some time with in Oxford. In the afternoon, we took a walking tour of the city and we literally walked to all four gates of the city. Along the way we were taught about the university system of Oxford and we were privileged to go into New College and Merton College. It was quite an education on how different the English university system differs from our American university system.

Perhaps one of the highlights of this past week for me was going to tour the Tower of London. The tower construction began in 1066 under William the Conqueror and by 1350 the medieval kings had built the rest of the fortress that stands today. I am a big reader of anything about Henry VIII and all his wives so it was very interesting to see places about which I have been reading. In addition to all the towers, we saw the Chapel Royal where all the people executed are buried including Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Thomas More, and Sir Walter Raleigh.

As I head into the halfway point of my journey I am amazed and grateful for all the things I have seen and done and I am looking forward to going to Paris for the long weekend!

Entry 1: July 6, 2008

Greetings from London! Wow I can't believe I have already been here for a week and time has flown by so fast. I have already done and seen so many amazing things and hope there is more to come. It seems like only yesterday I was waving good-bye to my grandparents at the RDU airport off on my study aboard experience.

The first day we arrived we hit the ground running. After a quick shower and brief change of clothes we headed out for a mini lesson on where the ATMs are and another on where and how the Underground Tube works. After a picnic lunch in the Green Park, where we were treated to music from the 60th Anniversary Parade of Israel becoming a country, we headed for a bus tour of the city. Along the way we saw recognizable sights like Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace. I took a lot of pictures! At the Tower of London we got off the bus and had an ice cream break with a local and delicious favorite the flake. Then it was off on a boat cruise along the River Thames where we saw the Tower of London, the Globe Theatre, and the London Bridge as well as several other bridges. Our tour guide was very funny and it made the cruise very interesting. Then it was back to the bus tour where I am sad to say I feel asleep. We definitely joke about it now because I was very much passed out the entire time. Finally we made it back to the center and it was time to end our first day.

The second day after class, Katie, Sally, Chelsie and I decided to take it easy. After lunch we went on a walk around High Kensington Street where we saw great places to eat, an internet cafe, some very cool shops, a charity store, and a music store which was definitely the highlight. We spent the evening in Kensington Gardens sprawled out reading and working on journals and homework. It was a very relaxing day compared to our first day.

On Tuesday Sally, Katie and I set out for the British Library on the instructions of Dr. Williams to look at their collection of music manuscripts. And I have to say I was completely blown away; it was so great to see Schubert's autographed copy of "An die Musik" which is a song I sang last semester, as well as an autographed score by Henry Purcell, another composer I have studied. After the library, we met up with Chelsie, Annalise, Sheryl and Kelley at the British Library, where we enjoyed a picnic lunch on the steps of the museum. The British Museum was a massive building and had so many collections it was a little overwhelming. We tried to pick and choose specific collections that we thought where the most important. We saw the Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles, the mummy exhibits, and lots of neat antique jewelry. Plus I got a great guidebook and a very cool hologram postcard. After the museum we were supposed to go to a Messiaen concert for free but after all day on our feet we were too tired.

On Wednesday, Sally, Katie, Kelley, Chelsie and I headed to the National Gallery after class but little did we know who we would meet on the tube. As we stood just minding our own business who should come walking down the tube steps but billionaire and Virgin Mobile owner Sir Richard Branson! We were stunned and to make things even better he stood next to us on the tube and talked with us for like 20 minutes. It was definitely the highlight of my day! At the National Gallery we took a guided tour with this very sweet and extremely intelligent lady named Ms. Drew. She showed us works by Crivelli, Michelangelo, Monet, and da Vinci with very vivid descriptions.

On Thursday, Sally, Katie and I had tickets to see a master class given by the National English Ballet at Royal Festival Hall. Little did we know we had booked tickets on the front row. I really enjoyed seeing the behind the scenes rehearsal of the company and seeing how they put a performance together is quite interesting. At the end of the performance we went and talked to the conductor of the orchestra and even got to see the score for the Etudes piece. Later that night we met up with some more girls to see the play Major Barbara, which I loved. It was funny and thought-provoking and overall a great show.

We finally made it to Friday --Happy Fourth of July! On this day we visited the Imperial War Museum and got to go through interesting exhibits like The Children's Museum, a 1940s replica house, the First and Second World War rooms, and the Holocaust Exhibit. All of the exhibits were really touching and provided a great insight to the causes of each war, a great chronological timeline, and the effects and sometimes devastating consequences of war.

Saturday was a really good day. It started out very early and rainy but it didn't stay that way for long. As a group we ventured down to Portobello Market where Katie, Chelsie and I found the best deals! Five pashminas for 10 pounds and purses three for 20 pounds. We got a lot of souvenirs for our friends and families back home so be ready to get gifted! After lunch at the Giraffe we headed over to Kensington Palace for a tour. We got to see The Last Debutant of 1958 exhibit and some fabulous evening gowns, as well as Princess Diana's dress collection, and the State Apartments. It was really humbling to walk in rooms that belonged to great monarchs like Queen Victoria and King George V. That night we had dinner at a lovely little pub called The Liberty Bound, where I had the traditional London meal of fish and chips, which was really good!

Sunday morning we attended a church service at St. Paul's Cathedral where we heard a special mass called The Coronation Mass with music by Mozart. It was a music major’s dream and even the sermon was on how music is a gift like theology and we have to use our gifts to spread good news.

My first week has been a whirlwind and I can't wait to report on week because it is already jammed packed with some amazing sights to see!