Not that much to report today, but any day in which a long-standing entry on one's Things To Do Before I Die list is fulfilled has to be a good one.
After spending a fun morning reading and photocopying after the UCL library, headed down to a certain London retailer, only to discover that previously unbeknownst to me, my favorite author -- yes, a certain Mr. Gaiman -- was doing a signing there THAT EVENING.
I did not actually manage to get anything signed, but, well... hell, I am in awe of the man, and simply seeing him in person is just surreal. And I have the photos to prove it.
Friday, 30 March 2007
Wednesday, 28 March 2007
Walked up to the top of the Sacre Couer (oh, yeah, my hostel was right near it -- forgot to mention that) for the last time in the forseeable future this morning.
The trip back to London was thankfully uneventful (except for when I feared I had lost my passport -- turned out that I just misplaced it in a location other than the usual). Left Luton smoothly, and got my train to King's Cross on time.
Arriving at Bencie's flat, unfortunately, was not so smooth a process. Well, getting there was, but I had some trouble with the locks... fortunately, all figured out now.
Bayswater is a very nice area -- lots of stores and a cinema right nearby. And most of all, a supermarket. Seems like that's what I'll be relying on while I'm staying here and on my own for food (pre-Pesach, that is... and parents, I could use some help pointing to a place to buy some matzah). This is not necessarily a bad thing. Sure, it's not gourmet eating, but it liberates my diet from the constraints of the Nottingham meal plan (or the "traveling in Paris and buying a lot of street food" meal plan). I mean, it's been months since I've had a PBJ -- practically Ambrosia. And without a convenient supermarket, there's no way I'd be able to get a box of the wonder that is Cracklin' Oat Bran (or "All-Bran Crunchy Oatbakes," as Kellogg's has dubbed it here in the States).
Plus, cheap supermarket stuff leaves money for a very well-regarded gelato place just around the corner. Between that, Paris, and Rome, no shortage of frozen desserts on this trip. Ah, me and my sweet tooth...
The trip back to London was thankfully uneventful (except for when I feared I had lost my passport -- turned out that I just misplaced it in a location other than the usual). Left Luton smoothly, and got my train to King's Cross on time.
Arriving at Bencie's flat, unfortunately, was not so smooth a process. Well, getting there was, but I had some trouble with the locks... fortunately, all figured out now.
Bayswater is a very nice area -- lots of stores and a cinema right nearby. And most of all, a supermarket. Seems like that's what I'll be relying on while I'm staying here and on my own for food (pre-Pesach, that is... and parents, I could use some help pointing to a place to buy some matzah). This is not necessarily a bad thing. Sure, it's not gourmet eating, but it liberates my diet from the constraints of the Nottingham meal plan (or the "traveling in Paris and buying a lot of street food" meal plan). I mean, it's been months since I've had a PBJ -- practically Ambrosia. And without a convenient supermarket, there's no way I'd be able to get a box of the wonder that is Cracklin' Oat Bran (or "All-Bran Crunchy Oatbakes," as Kellogg's has dubbed it here in the States).
Plus, cheap supermarket stuff leaves money for a very well-regarded gelato place just around the corner. Between that, Paris, and Rome, no shortage of frozen desserts on this trip. Ah, me and my sweet tooth...
Tuesday, 27 March 2007
Last night in Paris
So, my time here is reaching its conclusion...
I should give an update. Yesterday, I spent most of the day at the Louvre, which necessitated enough walking to produce blisters on my feet. I was far more interested in the ancient Egyptian and middle eastern artifacts than in the classical paintings, so I mostly skipped the latter. I did, of course, see the Mona Lisa.
Also managed to visit Reid Hall, the building where the Wesleyan-Vassar Paris program, along with several other American overseas programs, is based. Not really that exciting, but the facilities seemed decent enough.
The two of us had dinner together at a place to which Nathan had been wanting to go -- a fondue restaurant, Les Refuge des Fondus, that happened to be right near my hostel. It was excellent, though not exactly nutritious (you could choose from bread dipped in cheese, or raw beef and potatoes that you cook yourself in oil, then top with cream-based sauces.) Also, the meal includes a baby bottle (yes, actual baby bottles) full of wine. Needless to say, the place is popular with visiting students. A truly raucous atmosphere -- noisy, graffiti all over the walls, and you have to climb over the table if you're sitting against the wall. Would go again.
Today, visited the Memorial de la Shoah, a moving (and free) Holocaust museum, based on a parental recommendation. Definitely worth my time.
Afterwards, met up with Nathan at a very good gelato place, then had a cheap and filling lunch at L'As du Fellafel, reputedly the best felafel in Europe. Kosher, too. (Walking through a Jewish neighborhood felt very comforting, in a way I can't quite put my finger on.)
Then -- the Eiffel tower. I did not want to spend the money or time waiting in line to go all the way to the top, but I did walk up to the 2nd floor. Not so good for my feet, but the view was worth it. Then, for some reason, I decided to abuse my feet a little more, and walked to the lovely Citroen park - full of quasi-futuristic landscaping. Lots of parents with cute lil' urchins.
Tonight, I met Nathan at St. Michel, an area with lots of street vendors and many bookstores. Paid a visit to Shakespeare & Co (I think that's the name), an English-language bookstore that was quite fun to browse around.
I'm going to miss French pastries. Cheap, relatively speaking... I indulged quite a bit over this trip. What can I say -- it's France. I'll have to take something with me tomorrow -- there's a bakery conveniently located right across from the hostel. Heh, heh.
This trip has been my first-ever hostel experience -- and it has proved quite successful. Thank goodness.
That's all for now. A trip "post-mortem" and pictures later... I think. Can't upload till I get back to London.
I should give an update. Yesterday, I spent most of the day at the Louvre, which necessitated enough walking to produce blisters on my feet. I was far more interested in the ancient Egyptian and middle eastern artifacts than in the classical paintings, so I mostly skipped the latter. I did, of course, see the Mona Lisa.
Also managed to visit Reid Hall, the building where the Wesleyan-Vassar Paris program, along with several other American overseas programs, is based. Not really that exciting, but the facilities seemed decent enough.
The two of us had dinner together at a place to which Nathan had been wanting to go -- a fondue restaurant, Les Refuge des Fondus, that happened to be right near my hostel. It was excellent, though not exactly nutritious (you could choose from bread dipped in cheese, or raw beef and potatoes that you cook yourself in oil, then top with cream-based sauces.) Also, the meal includes a baby bottle (yes, actual baby bottles) full of wine. Needless to say, the place is popular with visiting students. A truly raucous atmosphere -- noisy, graffiti all over the walls, and you have to climb over the table if you're sitting against the wall. Would go again.
Today, visited the Memorial de la Shoah, a moving (and free) Holocaust museum, based on a parental recommendation. Definitely worth my time.
Afterwards, met up with Nathan at a very good gelato place, then had a cheap and filling lunch at L'As du Fellafel, reputedly the best felafel in Europe. Kosher, too. (Walking through a Jewish neighborhood felt very comforting, in a way I can't quite put my finger on.)
Then -- the Eiffel tower. I did not want to spend the money or time waiting in line to go all the way to the top, but I did walk up to the 2nd floor. Not so good for my feet, but the view was worth it. Then, for some reason, I decided to abuse my feet a little more, and walked to the lovely Citroen park - full of quasi-futuristic landscaping. Lots of parents with cute lil' urchins.
Tonight, I met Nathan at St. Michel, an area with lots of street vendors and many bookstores. Paid a visit to Shakespeare & Co (I think that's the name), an English-language bookstore that was quite fun to browse around.
I'm going to miss French pastries. Cheap, relatively speaking... I indulged quite a bit over this trip. What can I say -- it's France. I'll have to take something with me tomorrow -- there's a bakery conveniently located right across from the hostel. Heh, heh.
This trip has been my first-ever hostel experience -- and it has proved quite successful. Thank goodness.
That's all for now. A trip "post-mortem" and pictures later... I think. Can't upload till I get back to London.
Sunday, 25 March 2007
Brief update from Paris
Bencie, the woman who is letting me stay in (and use) her London flat for much of the holiday, is a lovely person.
Notre Dame and the Sacred Couer church are absolutely stunning. Photos later.
Travel advice:
--Be on time for your airport train. I got there an hour later than I had planned because of missing the first train, and had a rather terrifying ordeal (thought I was going to miss the flight... not fun).
Tonight's wacky incident -- wandering away from the hostel, I found that it is surprisingly close to Pigalle, Paris' designated red light district. Don't get me wrong -- this was a fairly well-lit area, along the main street, but I still had no desire for further exploration. A gentlemen accosted me about seeing a "show;" I did not inquire as to the precise nature of that evening's entertainment, but I gathered from the card he handed me that it would no doubt be as classy and sophisticated as the area itself.
Notre Dame and the Sacred Couer church are absolutely stunning. Photos later.
Travel advice:
--Be on time for your airport train. I got there an hour later than I had planned because of missing the first train, and had a rather terrifying ordeal (thought I was going to miss the flight... not fun).
Tonight's wacky incident -- wandering away from the hostel, I found that it is surprisingly close to Pigalle, Paris' designated red light district. Don't get me wrong -- this was a fairly well-lit area, along the main street, but I still had no desire for further exploration. A gentlemen accosted me about seeing a "show;" I did not inquire as to the precise nature of that evening's entertainment, but I gathered from the card he handed me that it would no doubt be as classy and sophisticated as the area itself.
Thursday, 22 March 2007
Random British Things That Amuse Me, #1
#1 in an irregularly-updated (if at all) series:
Male chauvinist chocolate bars.
Text elsewhere on the wrapper reads "NOT FOR HANDBAGS!"
Male chauvinist chocolate bars.
Text elsewhere on the wrapper reads "NOT FOR HANDBAGS!"
Tuesday, 20 March 2007
Vacation, all I ever wanted/ Vacation, had to get away
Ah, me and my love of cheesy 80s references.
Clearly, it's been too long since I updated this. Not much to report in the interval, though. I've gotten a good amount of work done for my essays -- lots and lots of photocopying of books had to be done, though. (Since they can be recalled over the holiday, I felt it wasn't prudent to take anything with me.)
Finally got a haircut today. Hooray.
The vacation schedule I mentioned earlier is now definite. Getting back from Rome on the 12th (technically, early in the morning on the 13th).
Clearly, it's been too long since I updated this. Not much to report in the interval, though. I've gotten a good amount of work done for my essays -- lots and lots of photocopying of books had to be done, though. (Since they can be recalled over the holiday, I felt it wasn't prudent to take anything with me.)
Finally got a haircut today. Hooray.
The vacation schedule I mentioned earlier is now definite. Getting back from Rome on the 12th (technically, early in the morning on the 13th).
Tuesday, 13 March 2007
Break plans finally on the verge of being finalized:
Paris - 3/24-3/28
London - 3/28 - 4/4
Barcelona - 4/4 - 4/8
Rome - 4/8 - 4/12 or 4/13
London for the rest of break, maybe with some day trips in there (Stonehenge?)
Received a letter today from the Wesleyan Havurah -- great to hear what the Jews there have been up to over the past couple months.
Paris - 3/24-3/28
London - 3/28 - 4/4
Barcelona - 4/4 - 4/8
Rome - 4/8 - 4/12 or 4/13
London for the rest of break, maybe with some day trips in there (Stonehenge?)
Received a letter today from the Wesleyan Havurah -- great to hear what the Jews there have been up to over the past couple months.
Saturday, 10 March 2007
Lincoln
Following in Mom and Dad's footsteps, made a day trip to Lincoln today. Thanks to a "Visit Lincolnshire" tourist promo weekend, everything was free today -- can't argue with that. The cathedral is amazing. Not sure if it can quite compete with Yorkminster, but still...
Photos:
http://wesleyan.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2019905&l=3bed2&id=4200229
Photos:
http://wesleyan.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2019905&l=3bed2&id=4200229
Friday, 9 March 2007
Another delayed update.
Family visit was wonderful, though it's tough to say goodbye again. Should see Nathan again in the next couple weeks, though, once my month-long (hurrah) Easter break starts.
Heading on a day trip to Lincoln tomorrow -- thanks to a tourist promo thing, the major attractions are all free.
A few miscellaneous tidbits:
British English vs American English (expect more of these on occasion): "revise" is used to mean "review" (ie, study), not specifically to "rewrite"
Also, when I mention to British students that I'm from Philadelphia, nobody ever mentions American history (Liberty Bell, Declaration of Independence, etc). It's nigh-invariably one of the following three that's the first thing they think of:
1. Philadelphia brand cream cheese (yeah, they have it here too)
2. Rocky
3. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air -- for the less culturally savvy among you (IE, parents), this was Will Smith's sitcom, before he got Really Famous. Anyway, he played a character from Philly, who... oh, just IMDb it.
Family visit was wonderful, though it's tough to say goodbye again. Should see Nathan again in the next couple weeks, though, once my month-long (hurrah) Easter break starts.
Heading on a day trip to Lincoln tomorrow -- thanks to a tourist promo thing, the major attractions are all free.
A few miscellaneous tidbits:
British English vs American English (expect more of these on occasion): "revise" is used to mean "review" (ie, study), not specifically to "rewrite"
Also, when I mention to British students that I'm from Philadelphia, nobody ever mentions American history (Liberty Bell, Declaration of Independence, etc). It's nigh-invariably one of the following three that's the first thing they think of:
1. Philadelphia brand cream cheese (yeah, they have it here too)
2. Rocky
3. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air -- for the less culturally savvy among you (IE, parents), this was Will Smith's sitcom, before he got Really Famous. Anyway, he played a character from Philly, who... oh, just IMDb it.
Sunday, 4 March 2007
Family visit
Clearly, I'm long overdue for an update here...
Survived my first graded assignment -- a group presentation for Television Cultures. Got a 65, which is about equivalent to an A- here. Will get my first essay back on Tuesday -- I'm really not too worried.
More importantly, my parents came up to visit the past few days. A brief summary:
-Wednesday -- Dinner at a nice vegetarian cafe near the B&B where they're staying
-Thursday -- Parents visit Lincoln (I'm sure they'll provide more details) during the day -- dinner at an Indian restaurant
-Friday -- My evil twin, Nathan arrives. Lunch at another vegetarian cafe, then some sightseeing -- first, the "City of Caves" -- look it up -- which is, bizarrely, entered through a shopping mall. Corny but fun. Then, to Nottingham castle (not actually a castle) which is a 17th-century (I think) mansion housing an eclectic art collection and historical exhibits. Dinner at a Latin American restaurant.
-Saturday -- Visit Nottingham's liberal synagogue, where Dad gives a d'var torah. Then, a visit to the university campus, and my very messy room. Back into town, took the tram a ways out and back just for the heck of it. Dinner at a Thai place (doesn't beat Middletown, but it suffices), then I said my goodbyes to Mom and Dad. In all honesty, it was pretty tough on me. But I'll manage. Nathan and I then headed off to the JSoc (campus Jewish Society) Purim party, which was... fun.
-Sunday - Nathan and I will meet up, wander into town, and eat lunch at a Vietnamese place. Then, we'll say our goodbyes as well -- not so big a deal as with my parents, because if all goes according to plan, we'll see each other in Paris in about 3 weeks or less.
Survived my first graded assignment -- a group presentation for Television Cultures. Got a 65, which is about equivalent to an A- here. Will get my first essay back on Tuesday -- I'm really not too worried.
More importantly, my parents came up to visit the past few days. A brief summary:
-Wednesday -- Dinner at a nice vegetarian cafe near the B&B where they're staying
-Thursday -- Parents visit Lincoln (I'm sure they'll provide more details) during the day -- dinner at an Indian restaurant
-Friday -- My evil twin, Nathan arrives. Lunch at another vegetarian cafe, then some sightseeing -- first, the "City of Caves" -- look it up -- which is, bizarrely, entered through a shopping mall. Corny but fun. Then, to Nottingham castle (not actually a castle) which is a 17th-century (I think) mansion housing an eclectic art collection and historical exhibits. Dinner at a Latin American restaurant.
-Saturday -- Visit Nottingham's liberal synagogue, where Dad gives a d'var torah. Then, a visit to the university campus, and my very messy room. Back into town, took the tram a ways out and back just for the heck of it. Dinner at a Thai place (doesn't beat Middletown, but it suffices), then I said my goodbyes to Mom and Dad. In all honesty, it was pretty tough on me. But I'll manage. Nathan and I then headed off to the JSoc (campus Jewish Society) Purim party, which was... fun.
-Sunday - Nathan and I will meet up, wander into town, and eat lunch at a Vietnamese place. Then, we'll say our goodbyes as well -- not so big a deal as with my parents, because if all goes according to plan, we'll see each other in Paris in about 3 weeks or less.
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