Italian Adventure

Bonjourno everyone!!

I tried to keep this short, but as you know I’m terrible at that plus I did SO much this week that it’s hard to narrow it down. Thanks for supporting me and reading my emails, someday you’ll get a reward for humoring me. Really though, thank youJ

Ok I love London and every week here has been so good for so many different reasons but this has definitely been one of my favorite weeks ever! A group of five of us left at 4:00 Wednesday morning and headed off for a four day trip to ITALY. We flew into Treviso airport and started off our adventure in Venice. When we got there we so badly wanted to go on a gondola ride but for 80 euros we decided it was good enough to take the water bus and just watch the gondolas go by.

 It was so cool to drive through the streets of water and see all of the buildings and houses just right on the water, it really is such a beautiful city! We went to St. Mark’s square and saw Doge’s Palace and went through the basilica and that was great. After that we just walked through the little shops along the water and of course double fisted gelato a couple timesJ. I’m not even ashamed to say that I ate more pizza and gelato this week than I have in my whole life. I kept a tally and all of us ended up eating at least 14 scoops of gelato within four days—disgusting right? It’s okay though, we were walking a minimum of ten miles every single day so I don’t even feel bad! It was so much fun just wandering around the city with no definite plans.

We ended up catching a train at 6:30 and headed up to Florence. I was so excited to have my first real train experience and it didn’t disappoint. The train was empty so we just spread out and relaxed. It reminded me of White Christmas and I broke out singing “Snow” but nobody knew what I was talking about so I just looked like an idiot. It was a great way to get across the country though! I loved Venice, it was a quick trip but we got a taste of it and I hope I can go back in the summer sometime in my life and have a gondola driver/accordian player to take me around the city!  The first day was definitely a success and I was so excited to spend our next day in Florence.

I’m obsessed with FLORENCE!!! Our first priority in the morning was to see the David. We found a good pass for the Accademia and Uffizi that let us skip the lines-so worth it. The David was even more amazing than I was expecting and Ufizi was one of the best galleries I’ve seen. It started off so great when we were standing at the entrance going through security and we saw a group of missionaries. We were all so excited to see them and were going to say hi when I heard “LeAnn?” I turned around and my friend Chris Middleton was standing there!! It was so crazy, I forgot he was even on his mission there and I couldn’t believe the odds that I would see him! I loved it though, it made me so happy! The gallery itself was so impressive plus I saw Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus”—so great. After the gallery we went and climbed the Duomo.

Even though it took going up 400 something stairs it was one of my favorite things. It’s such an incredible view and Florence is such a beautiful city, I could have stayed up there forever. But the rest of the day was so fun with markets, dinner, more gelato, the Piazelle de Michelangelo and the carousel.  So far Florence is one of my favorite cities in the world.

Friday was another exhausting but great day!

We got up to make the 5:00 train to Rome-Hogwarts style baby, complete with our own private room. The travel time wasn’t bad and we made it to Rome by 8:30. I was pleasantly surprised by Rome, it is so much more cityish than I was expecting. Ruins on one side of the street; giant train station on the other. It’s crazy! You come out of the subway and bam-there’s the Colossum!

So we walked through that, the Forum, Palentine Hill and it was all amazing to think how old everything is and how much has happened there! We also got to see Capitol Hill, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps and make a wish in the Trevi fountain, it was such a successful day!

Our next day was just as good, all day in Vatican city. And yes, I have now seen the Sistine Chapel!!! It seriously is AMAZING! I know I use that word a lot but it really is the only one good enough to describe so many of the things I see here. So sorry for my lack of vocabularyJ. But Michelangelo sure can paint, I just stared at “God creates Adam” for literally 20 minutes, ah I loved it! I also went in St. Peter’s basilica which was so cool because I remember spending so much time on it in my art history class. After Vatican city we spent the rest of the day outside.

Of course our last day was the best weather; the sun was out and it was warm, we couldn’t have asked for a better day. I kept thinking of Groundhog Day when Phil toasts to Rome-the way the sun hits the buildings in the afternoonJ it really is so pretty though, I’m a big fan of Rome and am so excited to spend more time there someday!

I’ve seen and learned so many new things this week:

A) Many men in Italy have no shame, if they want to stare-they will.

B) Don’t fall for the tourist scams no matter how much they compliment you.

C) Don’t let strange men tie bracelets on our wrist-they will follow you and try to charge you 18 euros.

D) Nuns are everywhere and if you don’t watch where you walk you are bound to bump into one, nearly knock her over and feel so guilty.

E) 14 scoops of gelato in four days WILL make you sick

And F) Traveling with very few plans and a list of “must do’s” is SO MUCH FUN! There were some close calls and a few times where we were a little worried but we were definitely being watched over and everything worked out perfectly! It’s been a long tiring week but I had the time of my life just backpacking through Italy with four of my friends.

Stonehenge, Stourhead & Bath

Another fantastic week in London! I got quite a few things crossed off my “must do’s in London” list so that feels nice. The weather has been pretty nice, my favorite since we’ve been here actually. I LOVE FALL! Even though it’s getting colder, the sky is clearer and the air is crisp and it has made this week even better! We started off the week by going to The Orangery by Kensington Palace for crumpets and tea and that was a fun British activity and of course we fit right in with all of the proper people thereJ. We American girls laughing and taking pictures of everything at our table…even if it’s something we have at home. Since we’re here in England, it’s somehow different and we must document it all! Later that night a group of us went to Les Miserables. It was incredible!!! I know I’m no theater expert but that’s going to be a hard show to beat! I loved the music, they were all phenomenal singers and the set was so impressive, I loved it all!

Wednesday was the best, it quickly made its way up to the top of my list of favorites. Our first stop was Stonehenge Yes—I have finally been to Stonehenge and I love being able to say that! I’ll be honest though, I was a little confused when our professor told us to look over to the side of the road and, yep, there it was—a pretty small pile of rocks just right on the side of the road. It wasn’t so much the size that shocked me but the fact that it was just right there next to the highway. I was expecting it to be in some huge empty field tucked away from everything. Well even though it’s not in the enchanting location that I was expecting, it was still a pretty unbelievable thing to see. The stones are bigger when you’re standing close to them and it’s pretty amazing to think about how long they got there and how long they’ve been there. I still can’t believe I saw Stonehenge-I’m so happy!

After finishing up there we made our way to Stourhead. Pride and Prejudice anyone? Yes, I also got to see the famous bridge Elizabeth runs over right before Darcy confesses that he loves…he loves…he loves her. Unfortunately the bridge was closed as well as the Temple of ApolloL. That was a huge disappointment to a group of 40 hopelessly romantic girls hoping to take proposal pictures at the temple, but it’s hard to be upset when everything in that garden is so beautiful. It really is one of the most amazing places I have ever been. Not to mention, it was definitely one of our best weather days since we’ve been here and that made the gardens all the more pleasing. We had time to just walk around and enjoy everything; it was a perfect day!

Next--rub a dub dub 40 girls in a....Bath:). This is the home of some Roman baths--hence the name Bath, so the city has a very Italian feel (I imagine) and I love it! The baths were really cool, again, it’s amazing what people were able to create so long ago, my mind is blownJ. After we went through the bath, we sat outside of the cathedral and sketched while we listened to the bells and a man play the cello, it was the perfect end to a perfect day!

Another cool thing we did this week was the Churchill War Museum. That is such an interesting place, especially since it’s more recent and I love learning about wartime history. I have a lot more respect for Winston Churchill too, he was a good man who did some great things for this country (plus, he's great to take pictures with) and it was really cool to see what went on here during World War II. The rest of this weekend has mostly just been spent studying for midterms. The center has been fairly tense but considering that most of us have three big tests to take on Monday, I’d say it hasn’t been too bad!

This week was another great one in London and I’m so excited to spend this next one it Italy. I’m so lucky to be here having this experience, doing something I will never do again. I am learning and doing new things that I have always hoped I would be able to and loving and appreciating it more everyday!

Westminster to Borough

     Well this week has been a great week! It was off to a great start when for the first time this whole semester I did NOT get called on in Shakespeare! Hallelujah. I think my professor is finally catching on to the fact that I’m starting to not like him or his class, so he’s being a bit carefulJ. It really was a pretty eventful week around London. Some of us went on a tour of Westminster Abbey and that was really fun, that’s another one of those amazing buildings where you’re just in awe of how they could build something so huge and so beautiful so long ago. It’s crazy! 

     We also went up to Kent and did a 9-mile “country walk” with our Stake President and that was a really fun day! Even though it was wet and cold, when you’re walking through such charming landscapes, it’s pretty hard to find something to complain about. England is so green and has quaint little buildings and churches with graveyards tucked in everywhere and it is so great! No matter how much country I see, it never gets old- -unless I’m on that dreaded bus…

     After about half of us taking a day to get over being sick, we did one of my favorite things around the city since I’ve been here this week. One word—HARROD’S. Oh my gosh, that place is unbelievable!!! I had heard great things but it was so much better than I was expecting! We started out in the food area where they literally have every kind of food you can imagine, including the best mini chocolate coconut cupcakes I’ve ever had! Another thing they have-a place to actually purchase high fashion clothes. I’ve always thought high fashion was a somewhat pointless industry-after seeing some items in person-I realized it is in fact pointless. Who feels good about dropping 3500 pounds on Dolce & Gabbana high heels? Well I felt paranoid just holding them, I can’t imagine actually purchasing them! Crazy rich people. I did however LOVE walking through the designer wedding dress section, there were some incredible dresses! And yes, I did feel like a pauper walking through the store in my purple Vans and bright red rain coat…way posh! Will you tell Bamma that I found a dog bed for Bitsy there, she can get it for the low price of 400 pounds!  Because not only do dogs need to be dressed as humans, they also need luxurious beds? As you can see, Harrod’s is pretty much just a magical place where very few people can actually afford to shop. But it sure is fun to walk around there!

     Another first this week, Borough Market! It’s just like a giant Costco under London Bridge-samples EVERYWHERE! I had some of THE best food! I also turned over a new leaf and tried tons of cheese and actually liked it all, Lyndsey will be so proudJ. I also tried Turkish delight because Chronicles of Narnia has always made me curious. Yeah, it’s not that good. However, the list of good food definitely outweighed the bad, but I’ll spare you those details. It was a really fun thing to do on Saturday though! Another successful week in London!

Come on Fulham!

x

This week was one of less eventful thus far. I actually a fair amount of homework this week! So, no Mom and Dad--it's not just party abroad. Mostly, but not completely :) Although school did take up a lot of everyday, we of course found time to do some fun things around town.

While we're here, we have a "London Walking" class and guess what we do...you guessed it--we walk around London! There is so much to see here!
This week we took the theatre walk through the city of theatres. Seriously, I never realized how many shows are in London, it's ridiculous! I thought I had a long list of "must sees" before, and now it's even longer. I also got to see the famous Drury Lane! Disappointed to report, there is no muffin man, not even anywhere to get a treat on Drury Lane :( that song is so misleading. The walk was fun and it ended at Covent Garden, another outdoor market. That's something I love about London, there's always somewhere to walk and something entertaining to find wherever you end up. This is a great city!

Another fun thing we did was the Fulham futbol game. The fans here are CRAZY! I never realized what a big deal soccer is here--it is THE sport. Ever seen Harry Potter 4? The Quidditch World Cup? Yeah, think of that and what a big deal that is and times it by 10. It was unbelievably crowded and loud and crazy and definitely the most eventful sporting event I've ever been to. The Swiss team's fans were so obnoxious but somewhat fascinating, they cheered and they cheered and they cheered for 2 hours straight. They never stopped! It made me feel kind of bad for the avid Fulham fans, whose extent of cheering reaches "Come on Fulham, come on Fulham, come on Fulham, come on Fulham." Seriously, no tune, no beat, just chanting. It does sound better with a British accent, but we Americans just sounded stupid trying to fake it. It was sad and the Swiss definitely put us to shame. Our cheering couldn't have been too bad though, because we did get a group of high school boys to ask if they could add us on Facebook. One of life's better moments when a nice foreign child asks to add me :) We had to get a picture to remember that night's joke!

On Friday we went to the National Gallery for Humanities. I'm in love with that museum. I've said it before but it is so amazing to see the pictures and artists that I've been hearing about and studying my whole life. I'm so lucky to have such an incredible museum so close to me, I'm going to try and go at least every other week to see the new exhibits.

Saturday was a day dedicated to Shakespeare. Can you think of a better way to spend Saturday? I know I can't! (I hope you catch on to that hint of sarcasm :)) We got back on the bus at 9:30 in the morning. I swear a dark cloud just hangs over that vehicle, there is just something about it that right when you step on, a wave of headache and fatigue washes over you. It's the best feeling in the world. Other than the bus ride, I actually quite enjoyed the things we saw throughout the day. We started out at Mary Arden's house and worked our way to Shakespeare's wife, Anne Hathaway's cottage in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Maybe this is common knowledge to everyone else but I found it interesting to learn that it is called Stratford-Upon-Avon because it is the town of Stratford that sits upon the Avon River. I'm sure you feel like a much better person having just learned that. Anyway, I loved the town because every little shop and cafe is named after Shakespeare or one of his characters. I actually saw a "Timpson" store and had to take a picture for Bampa :) it made me so happy! Anyway, in the center of town is Shakespeare's birthplace. It started by walking through a museum that had short movies in several rooms about his life and accomplishments, it was actually entertaining! After going through the museum, we walked through his house where we saw some of his belongings and a man dressed up in Shakespearean attire reciting sonnets, it was great. I wanted to shoot back some of my Polonius lines at him as a challenge, but I got stage fright.

After walking through his house we had a few hours to burn so we walked around for a while and eventually ended up at McDonalds (I'm still ashamed I go there so much) and did homework and talked for a few hours. That night we went to the theatre and saw "The Winter's Tale" and it was actually a decent play! Shakespeare has been somewhat redeemed, even after my awful experience at the last play. Quick embarrassing moment: I read a sign in the theatre and quickly put my Spanish to use and pronounced it all accenty as one word "mooochadoo". The more I read, I realized it said "Much Ado About Nothing." My professor was close by and I'm hoping he didn't hear me. He already loves to call on me during English class and I know it's because he finds pleasure in making me feel like an idiot. After that experience, I am more convinced that I am in fact a Shakespeare idiot.

General Conference Sunday was by far my favorite Sunday since I've been here. Watching church in your pajamas aside, there's just something so comforting about Conference and seeing all of our Church leaders and hearing them speak. With the time difference, we watched the Saturday afternoon session yesterday morning, the Sunday morning session from 5-7 and the Sunday evening session from 9-11, or in my case 11-1 due to slow internet. There were some amazing talks that I needed so badly to hear. One of my favorites was Elder Holland's, he is such a powerful speaker and gave an incredible talk that I think everyone needed to hear. So conference itself was so good, but we also got THE best meal in the world! Our professor's wife, Jaelyn is an amazing cook and she made us a ten course meal. We helped her most of the afternoon so we could learn her ways. Let me just try and name off everything we had: french toast stuffed with cream cheese and chocolate, quiche, muffins, casserole, salad, cinnamon rolls, mcmuffins, and more that I can't even remember. Confession: I ate EVERYTHING. Worse than that, I don't even regret it, it was so worth the awful stomach ache I'm now suffering from! Good food and being surrounded by great people definitely helped ease the pain of being away from home and my family on Conference Sunday. Even though I miss you, London gets better everyday!