Shakespeare and the British Film Institute

  
As we wrap up our last few days of class, we have been busy with tours and assignments. Yesterday we had a tour of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater and later in the evening we saw Measure for Measure at the Globe. We had yard tickets, which means you stand around the stage the entire time. We arrived early and stood by the wall so we could lean against it – a little more comfortable. Unfortunately, being only 5’3″ it was hard to see, especially when two really tall people stood in front of us. Our luck turned around at intermission. A couple told us they couldn’t stay for the second act, so they gave me and Maureen their tickets so we could sit! All in all, the play was okay but hard to understand at times. 

Today, we met with a man at the British Film Institute for class. The BFI has an extensive archive of British films because it was founded to preserve film and has since then expanded into an institute that gives grants to filmmakers, works with schools and screens films. We watched some films from the archive in the Mediateque room – many weren’t the most entertaining, but they were alright. 

This evening we got dinner with about half of our class at an Indian restaurant in Kensington. We got a chicken and rice dish with naan bread. I only ate about half of it, so the other half will be my lunch tomorrow. After that, we started packing since FIE is coming tomorrow to do move-out inspections…even though we don’t leave until Sunday. 

Tomorrow we have a guest speaker and our final, and in the evening is the FIE barbecue with other professors and students – hey, it’s a free meal! 

Enjoying our last few days in London.

-Megan

Bloomberg News Tour

 

Bloomberg European headquarters

 
This morning we met with Chris Elser, a Temple alum and London study abroad alum too! The building was really cool – each floor had a fish tank. Also, there’s a snack and drink area with chips, snack bars, cookies, candy, juice and most importantly, coffee. It’s all free for employees, and it’s a great pick-me-up on a long, stressful day. Even the coffee cups are custom made for Bloomberg. 

 

Caffeine – the most important food group

 
Chris showed us around the building and then talked about his job and how he got to where he is today. Although he’s a journalist, his advice was great for anyone, regardless of career path. 

After our tour, we met back at FIE to go over plans for the week and our final on Thursday. Then we had free time for the rest of the day. I’m still feeling congested and woke up without a voice. I have my voice mostly back, but I have a slight cough. Even though I got a decent amount of sleep last night, I was really tired today and felt a little nauseouson the tube. When I got back to our flat this afternoon, I took an hour nap and felt a little better after that.

Hoping I get my health back by Sunday for my flight home!

-Megan

Lazy Weekend

Maureen and I had a very lazy weekend after returning from Paris. We needed to catch up on our sleep since we had been getting up early the majority of the week for class visits and trips. 

I started feeling the symptoms of a cold on the way back from Paris and I’ve been congested and have a slight cough since Friday evening. It also doesn’t help that the weather has been going from 80 degrees one day to 60 degrees the next, along with the air pollution. 

Today was cold and rainy, so we slept in and then went shopping around Oxford Circus in the afternoon. For an early dinner, we stopped at Honest Burger. The Rosemary fries are our favorite – our parents loved them too when we all went last week. 

Honest Burger – beef burger and rosemary chips (fries)

In the evening, I watched Harry Potter and FaceTimed my mom and dogs. Looking forward to coming home next Sunday! 

-Megan

Bonjour from Paris!

 

View of Paris from the Arc de Triomphe

 
Yesterday, Maureen, our friend Raina and I took the famous Eurostar to Paris. The train reaches speeds of up to 150mph and gets you to Paris in just 2 hours and 15 minutes! And even better, we got free coffee before we left, courtesy of Chop’d cafe and Golden Tours. It was much cheaper to purchase “Paris at Your Leisure” day trip to Paris through Golden tours than to buy Eurostar tickets on your own. Of course there are other trains and buses you can take to Paris, but it will take you much longer to get there. With our Golden Tours trip, we got a day pass for the metro and a cruise on the Seine. 

When we arrived in Paris, we took the metro to the Notre Dame – I was the designated tour guide and metro navigator for the day because my friend had given me recommendations on where to go/what to do. (Thanks bri!) The Notre Dame was beautiful. Unfortunately we didn’t go inside – the lines were too long. If I was in Paris for more than a day I would have waited. Now it’s just a reason to go back! 

 

Notre Dame

  
 
After that, we walked along the Seine through the gorgeous streets. We stopped at the Love Lock Bridge…or should I say what’s left of it. Just last month they had to take the locks off of the bridge. There are still locks along the fencing around the bridge. We continued along the Seine until we reached the Louvre. Every building was so beautiful I didn’t know where to look! 

   
  

Love Lock Bridge

  

The Louvre

   
The lines at the Louvre were too long, so we didn’t stop. Again, if we were there for more than a day we would have waited. More reasons to go back to Paris so I can see the Mona Lisa!

After the Louvre, we walked to Angelina, a cafe known for its hot chocolate. We got chocolate croissants/pastries and frozen hot chocolate because it was too hot for regular hot chocolate.

  
We continued to the Champs‑Élysées and window shopped. Along the avenue, people were setting up for the end of the Tour de France. (It ends tomorrow). We reached the Arc de Triomphe and walked to the top to see the best views of the city. It was €9.50 for each of us to go up. 

 

Arc de Triomphe

  

View of Champs‑Élysées

 
After taking in the views, we shopped a bit and then took the metro to the Eiffel Tower. By the time we got there it was 4 p.m. and it started to lightly rain – nothing too bad. We were careful with our bags because of pick pocketers. Some of the pick pocketers were really easy to spot…it was crazy. 

 

Eiffel Tower

  
   
From the Eiffel Tower, we took a river cruise on the Seine, which took about an hour. Then, we started to head back to the Gare du Nord station. We took the metro to a station nearby and looked for a bakery to get croissants and French baguettes to take back with us to London. (When in Paris, right?) We also got sandwiches for the train ride back. 

 

When in Paris, you get a French baguette

 
Finally, we reached Gare du Nord and went through customs and check-in for Eurostar. It was really easy and simple – so glad we paid extra money to take Eurostar. By 9:30 p.m. we were back in London. (Paris is an hour ahead, so we left Gare du Nord at 8:13 p.m.) 

Our trip to Paris was everything I had imagined and more. It’s fair to say that Paris is on my list of favorite cities. I will definitely be back to do all the things I couldn’t do in just a day. Au revoir for now, Paris! 

-Megan

Brighton Beach

Brighton Beach

It’s been a busy couple days – we just got back from Paris – so I’m catching up now. On Thursday, our class went to Brighton Beach, south of London along the English Channel. We took a train from London Bridge to Brighton, and it took about an hour and fifteen minutes. It’s not like the typical beach you think of when you think of the Jersey Shore. It’s a pebble beach, and the ocean water is slightly more green. 

   
   
We walked down to the water and then walked to the Pier. There were a lot of stores in town, so we walked into town to look in the stores. Along the way we found a gelato place, Gelato Gusto. It was the best gelato we have ever had. I got tiramisu and dark chocolate, and Maureen got lychee rose sorbet and dark chocolate gelato. 

 

Tiramisu and dark chocolate gelato from Gelato Gusto

 
Afterwards we walked back to the beach and walked along the boardwalk. By mid afternoon we took the train back to London to get ready for Paris the next day. 

Stay tuned for a post about one of my favorite trips during my time abroad: Paris! 

Disney Headquarters in London

  
From 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. we went to Disney headquarters with our class. It’s the Walt Disney Company headquarters for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). In the morning we got to see an advanced screening of Inside Out in 3D. Although it’s already been out in the U.S. for quite some time, the movie doesn’t premiere here until Friday. It was one of the best movies I have seen in a while, and yes, it will make you cry.

   

Watch your hand, Mickey

 
Afterwards, we got (free) lunch at Disney Cafe. Maureen and I had salmon and quinoa. In the afternoon, we met with executives in programming, marketing, animation and production. They were all really interesting presentations, especially marketing because that’s more of what I’m interested in pursuing after college. We also got to see and hear about some of Disney’s upcoming shows they are in the midst of creating. Overall, it was probably one of my favorite days in London. We even got goodie bags at the end. 
In the evening, we went on the London Eye. It took a half hour and had great views of Parliament, the Thames and Buckingham Palace, just to name a few places. Storm clouds started coming in after we got off. 

   
   
Tomorrow we’re spending the day at Brighton Beach and have to get up early yet again to catch the train. Life doesn’t slow down in London!

-Megan

5 Things We Miss in the States

We’ve been in London for almost a month now, and there are definitely things we miss back in the States. 

1. Our dogs. We’re definitely missing our furry friends Lucky and Maisy. Nothing is better than coming home to a happy dog wagging its tail. 

2. American TV shows. We can’t even stream them online because of licensing restrictions outside of the U.S. Basically we haven’t watched much TV besides news since we’ve been here, but it’s not so bad when London is your playground. 

3. Our pool and the beach. Nothing is better than relaxing by the pool or falling asleep on the beach. We’re already planning to go to the beach when we get back in just 11 days. 

4. Air conditioning. We’ve heard that back home, there’s been a heat wave. Well, that’s probably just as bad as taking the tube in the summer with no air conditioning. It feels like a sauna – I’m not over exaggerating. When there is air conditioning, it’s not as strong as in the States, and our flat has no air conditioning at all, so we leave the windows open 24/7. 

5. Greek yogurt. We usually eat Greek yogurt for breakfast. Unfortunately, there isn’t much of a selection of Greek yogurt here, unless like you plain Greek yogurt. 

With only 11 days until we cross the pond back to the U.S., we’re making the most of our time here in London, but we’re definitely looking forward to returning home (to the best country in the world).

Bike Tour and Afternoon Tea

  
The last time we rode a bike was probably 10 years ago. Now imagine getting on a bike after 10 years later and riding around a huge city. Well, that’s what we did today. We went on a bike tour with our class and rode all over London. If you could have seen all of our class in the beginning, you would have thought we’d all end up in the emergency room. We were wobbly at first, and I may or may not have almost hit someone, but we all finally remembered how to ride a bike and got into the swing of things. 

It was difficult at times to navigate through the crowded parts of the city…on the opposite side of the road…making sure you don’t get hit or hit a pedestrian or car. Maureen’s bike had some extra sharp edges near the handl bars and breaks, and she got cut on her hand in a couple places, but other than that there were no injuries. 

During the tour we got to see all the typical London sights and saw the end of the Changing of the Guard. 

 

Changing of the Guard

 
We also saw Cecil Court, the real Diagon Alley, where J.K. Rowling got her inspiration to create Diagon Alley. It’s a row of old shops and book stores.

  
Then we went to Goodwin’s Court where Knockturn Alley was filmed. 

Goodwin’s Court where Knockturn Alley was filmed

Overall, the bike tour was a success. We needed the exercise since we knew we were going to afternoon tea afterwards. 

During afternoon tea, we each got to choose what kind of tea we wanted. Maureen and I got Chai tea. It was really good, and we probably each drank at least four or five cups of tea. We also had finger sandwiches, scones with jam and clotted cream, and pastries. 

  
  
Much later in the evening, we had our farewell dinner with our parents. They fly back to the States tomorrow. (And we’ll be home in 12 days but who’s counting.) I told them to give my dogs an extra hug for me. 

Tomorrow we have to get up super early because we will be heading to Disney UK to meet with executives and see a screening of Inside Out (which just premiered on July 18 – much later than the U.S. premiere date). After that, we’re going to the London Eye. 

Getting ready for another busy day!

-Megan

 

Pottery Cafe and French Food

This afternoon, we went to a pottery cafe with our class because we have been learning about visual messaging. We each got to paint a mug, plate, bowl or vase. Maureen and I both chose to paint bowls. Our professor will pick up our pottery next week after it has gone through the firing process. 

The outside of my bowl

For dinner, our parents met us at our flat and we headed to High Street Kensington to find a place to eat. We decided on a French restaurant. My dad got steak, my mom got sword fish, and Maureen and I both got the seafood linguine with clams, mussels, shrimp and calamari in a white wine sauce. It was just as good as it sounds!

Seafood linguine

Tomorrow morning, we have a three hour bike tour of London. Since we haven’t ridden bicycles in probably 9-10 years now, it should be quite an interesting experience. Afterwards we have afternoon tea at one of the hotels in High Street Kensington. Looking forward to another busy day!

-Megan

Welcome to Hogwarts

Warner Brothers Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter

Yesterday, Maureen and I went to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter. We booked our tickets through Golden Tours. Because the studio is about an hour from Central London, Golden Tours provides bus transportation from either Baker Street or Buckingham Palace Road. 

We arrived at the studio in Leavesden about 50 minutes early. Tip: If you want to beat the crowds, book the 10 a.m. tour on Sunday – it’s the first timeslot. Usually the tours start at 9 a.m. but I guess on Sunday’s they don’t open until 10. 

We spent about 2 1/2 hours going through the tour and gift shop. You walk through the two studios used for the making of the Harry Potter series. (Yes, the actual studios that Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson worked in.) Not coincidentally, they were named Studios J and K (J.K. Rowling). It was really cool to see the sets, although a lot of it was filmed on huge green screens in outdoor areas. We got to see the Great Hall, Diagonal Alley, Gryffindor Common Room, the train and Platform 9 3/4, Hagrid’s Hut, a lot of the animatronics, wigs, costumes and so much more. The Great Hall is one of the only sets to be used during every Harry Potter film – one of my favorite sets. It’s also a lot smaller than I had imagined – got to love wide-angled lenses that make everything appear bigger. 

 

The Great Hall

  
    
    
    
    
 
There was also an outdoor area where you could see Privet Drive, the triple decker Knight bus, the bridge to Hogwarts, Chess pieces, the Potter Cottage and again, even more. During your time outside, there’s an enclosed food court where you can eat and order Butterbeer. 

 

Privet Drive (Megan)

  

The Knight Bus

  

Maureen on the bridge to Hogwarts

  

 The tour ends with the huge replica of Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft that was used in every Harry Potter film.  

Replica of Hogwarts

  
  

The tour was indeed magical. I would recommend it to anyone that loves the Harry Potter series. 

-Megan