Let's see, where to start. Audrey and I left campus on Friday at 11, met with beautiful, spring-like weather both in Brighton and London. We bought our lunch in the train station in London and ate outside in a park. I couldn't help drawing a comparison between the fact that we were seeing a musical called Spring Awakening and the fact that it felt like spring really was awakening in London. We walked to Trafalgar Square to take pictures and explore the National Portrait Gallery. My favorite part was a small gallery of striking (tasteful) nude portraits of Olympic athletes. It was a benefit for an AIDS foundation, and their nudity was representative of the fact that everyone is vulnerable to getting HIV/AIDS, regardless of the shape they are in. I decided to take a break and get a Coke in the cafe, and it came in a glass bottle and with a straw! Classy.
After the museum we went to check in at the hostel, which was in a residential area about 20 minutes outside of central London. We roomed with girls from Australia and France who seemed to be there more long-term - either that or they just traveled with a LOT of stuff. We dropped off our backpacks, changed into nicer clothes for the night, and then went to Westminster Abbey. Unfortunately we were too late to get into the Evensong service, but it was all right because there would be another service on Saturday afternoon. We took pictures in the sunset and had a leisurely dinner at a cheap Chinese buffet nearby. Then we went to Spring Awakening!
The theatre, the Lyric Hammersmith, was very non-descript. It just said "Lyric" on the side, and there was no sign for Spring Awakening or anything. I actually doubted we were at the right place until I saw people with programs inside. It took a couple of elevator rides to get to the actual theatre space, so I had no idea what to expect. The theatre itself was beautiful, and our seats were unbelievably good. Fifth row, close enough to have an unobstructed view but not so close that we had to crane our necks. I seriously could have died happy as soon as we sat down. Good thing I didn't, though, because the show was FABULOUS. It's impossible for me to actually express in words how much I loved it. I laughed, I cried a little, I smiled so much my face hurt, I got goosebumps, basically everything you'd want from a musical. The girl who played Wendla (the female lead) looked exactly like Emma Watson from the Harry Potter movies, and the guy who played Melchior (the male lead) looked like Elijah Wood and was, well, attractive. Very attractive. But the entire cast was excellent, even though for several of them it was their Broadway debut. I loved seeing the songs come to life after listening to them so many times and discovering things about the plot that you don't get until you see them.
After the show two fantastic things happened. 1) As we were walking out, Audrey realized that we were walking next to Jake Shears, one of the lead singers of the Scissor Sisters, one of her favorite bands. She was able to strike up a conversation with him, and he turned out to be one of the most casual celebrities I have ever met. I mean, he was wearing a hoodie and he talked to Audrey about what she was majoring in. We took pictures before he left. 2) I convinced Audrey to wait to see if we could meet some of the members of the cast (luckily she didn't take much convincing). A woman at the ticket counter said that the Lyric didn't really have a stage door so that the actors would probably just leave through the front door. After we waited by the front door for awhile, a security guard came to tell us that some of the cast members were having drinks in the bar upstairs. This security guard wins for nicest security guard ever. Also, that would NEVER happen in the U.S. Anyway, we went upstairs and there, indeed, was the cast having drinks. As I told Audrey, "Inside, I'm fainting right now." I just missed meeting the guy who played Hanschen, but I did meet Aneurin Barnard, the guy who played Melchior, who I plan to marry someday soon. It's been awhile since I felt that starstruck. I tried to explain my story to him of how I was studying abroad and I was upset about missing the tour at home until I found out that there would be a London version and so I made it my mission to come while I was abroad. I don't know how coherent I was, but he was super sweet and modest and took a picture with me. Yes, I'm in love. Needless to say, Audrey and I both left with big smiles on our faces.
So that was just Friday, and we were planning to stay in London through Sunday! We basically passed out at the hostel on Friday night, got up in time for breakfast (there were French guys sitting next to us who traveled with their own personal jar of Nutella), and set off for day two of our London adventure. Problem: London transit sucks on the weekends. There were entire lines on the tube that were shut down, and of course they were the most direct routes for where we wanted to go. After a little negotiating we made it to Tower Bridge, which we were able to tour for free (yay disabled prices!). You can go into observation decks inside the bridge and then the engine rooms underneath. My favorite part was reading about the bus that didn't stop in time when the bridge was being raised and had to make a 3-foot "jump," and the time when the bridge was painted red, white and blue for the Queen's jubilee. I don't know if I necessarily would have paid for it, though.
We took a bus to Westminster, which took an unfortunately long time due to traffic. We finally had a late but cheap lunch at a pub before going to the Evensong service. Being raised Unitarian, it was definitely a different experience to go to an Anglican/Episcopalian church service, but I was mainly there to hear the choir anyway. If you remember from one of my past entries, the choir is made entirely of men and boys, and the boys actually go to school at the Abbey. In other words, they lead incredible lives and sing beautifully, but seeing them made me realize that they are still normal, fidgety little boys. My favorite part was a blessing/recitation done by the reverend - it was like a Gregorian chant, but it was just him saying it. We also passed the gravestones of Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens and Charles Darwin, and the British equivalent of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, on the way out. What an incredible place.
Next on our schedule was riding the London Eye. The Eye is basically a giant Ferris wheel made up of glassed-in pods that people ride in to get a birds-eye view of London. We rode around sunset, so it was lovely, and it was fun to take advantage of photo opportunities that arise when things look smaller than they really are (ie. "squishing" Big Ben with your thumb). The only problem is that everything else in the London skyline pales in comparison to Big Ben and Parliament. They're just beautiful, especially lit up.
When we got off the Eye we met Eric Reif, another Wash U-er studying in London, for dinner on Brick Lane (Brick Alley? I don't remember), Indian food central in London. The restaurant owners were literally standing outside of their restaurants, calling out different deals that they would offer us if we gave us their business. We went with the place that offered complimentary drinks. ;-) The naan was better than the curry, but overall it was decent and cheap. We went to a bakery for dessert, where I bought a traditional Indian dessert that has the consistency of fudge but tastes a little cheesy. I think it's made out of condensed milk, and then you can add flavors to it like almond, pistachio and mango. Audrey and I were feeling pretty tired again, so we briefly met some other people in the hostel while planning our Sunday and then went to bed.
On Sunday we started at the Victoria and Albert Museum, which is pretty dazzling. To give you an idea, they have a Chihuly sculpture hanging in the main lobby. I saw lots of sculptures, a photography exhibit and a fashion exhibit where I fell in love with a Parisian flowered dress (but not to the same degree that I fell in love with Melchior Gabor, mind you). Audrey adored this museum, so we ended up spending some extra time there. Then we met Ruth Howe, yet another Wash U-er, at my new favorite place in London, Covent Garden. There is so much to love about Covent Garden. First there are the street performers - someone dressed in a gorilla suit, opera singers, and a man who ate a balloon and then involved a woman and a little boy in some elaborate knot-tying trick that we didn't stay to see the end of. Then there is the food - my jacket potato (baked potato) with tuna and sweetcorn (I know this sounds like an odd combination, especially on a jacket potato, but it's good!), and the smell of gaufre, and Ben's Cookies, where you can get a cookie for about a pound that has huge chunks of nuts and chocolate. And of course there are the shops, like the old-fashioned toy store that we spent most of our time in. In short, Covent Garden is wonderful, and we only saw a portion of it. I definitely plan to go back.
Our last stop of the day/weekend was Harrods, a department store that I am convinced is actually Willy Wonka's chocolate factory in disguise. Yes, it has everything you'd expect at a fancy department store - clothes, jewelry, perfume. But then it has the food rooms, where you can not only get sushi or sample several other kinds of cuisine, but you can shop for produce under chandeliers decorated with fruits and vegetables (yes, chandeliers), admire display after display of elegant looking chocolates, and buy a sugary cornucopia of a cake for only 10,000 pounds. I don't think you can truly understand the ridiculousness of this place until you see it with your own eyes. I was a little speechless.
Two train rides later, we were back in Brighton. My body was completely exhausted after running around London for three days straight, but I was very happy. Seeing Spring Awakening, and the weekend in general, will undoubtedly go down as one of my favorite study abroad memories.
ps. congratulations to everyone who made it through this marathon of an entry. your prize is a hug, redeemable next time we see each other. preferably somewhere in Europe. ;-)
Indian pudding sounds like Burfi, which you can also get in a variety of flavours at the deli in the Hove branch of Taj. I'm addicted to the chocolate-topped one.
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