London, England

17-27 December, 2011

After our trip to Paris, Cara, Allie, and I made our way back to England to explore London. We got in rather late, so the first thing we did was check into our hotel, The Phoenix (Best Western). This hotel was a great find because you get more bang for your buck (or note in the UK). We were provided with four twin beds, television, kettle, free Wifi, and decent sized bathroom. If you are one to like heavy pressure on the shower heads, just know that you will not find that here. The Phoenix also offers a sit-down breakfast. If you would like to add this to your package, it does cost a little extra. However, there is a flaw in their system; the hotel does not check whether or not you have paid for the breakfast, but they offer it to their guests regardless. So, don't pay the extra fee and enjoy a variety of breakfast foods on the house! The options include a variety of cereals, yogurt, fruit, corssiants, spreads such as Nutella and jam, juice, and toast. Though the options are plenty, I did find it annoying that you had to wait to be seated. The waitresses had the best of intentions, but it got frustrating when they would only allow a certain number of people to specific tables. For example, our party of three was not allowed to sit at a table for four or five (God forbid!). Overall, the experience was good and I would give it another shot if I were visiting London on a budget.

It was nice great to see the buildings that I have only heard about like Big Ben. It is amazing how tall a clock can be! It was also neat to see Buckingham Palace, not only because this is where I will spend most of my time being married to Prince Harry, but you can imagine being there the day Prince William married Kate and kissed her twice on the balcony. If you can, try to visit Buckingham Palace while the Royal Family is away on holiday. They allow tours in the Palace during that time, and I hear it is something you should make time for.

Big Ben

            

                                                    

Westminster Abbey

Buckingham Palace

If you didn't know already, I am slightly obsessed with Harry Potter. Visiting Platform 9 3/4 at Kings-Cross Station is essential for any Potterhead. Because of the construction London is currently conducting for the 2012 Olympics, they have currently moved this site to the outside entrance of Kings-Cross. It may be a slight disappointment to some because it isn't placed in a significant location, but you will regret not going. On another note, I strongly suggest London tourists to experience a double-decker bus ride. Yes, using the tube is faster most of the time, but you miss out on seeing what London has to offer. 

Contrary to popular belief, navigating the Underground system is not that difficult. I was rather impressed with myself for being able to learn how to navigate the Tube in under a week. If you are new to Underground travel, I strongly suggest getting a Tube map. It provides users with the various routes and lines that are available. It is a good idea to plan out your journey in advance because figuring things out in the stations becomes difficult with the amount of people walking around. Word of advice, follow any and all signs. They will help you get out of the station and how to get to different line connections. Warning signs are also important, like the ones that tell you to stay to the right on an escalator. Trust me on this one, if you don't stick to the right side, you will be run over. If you are traveling around any holiday, it would be wise of you to check the availability online before you begin your travel on the London Underground website. Oh! And remember to "mind the gap" as you get on and off the Tube.

The following YouTube video is a song that London natives taught me. The lyrics are rather colorful, so please mind your ears as you listen along.

Basically, what made me love this trip was the amazing shopping district! All of your favorite stores and more can be found on and around Oxford Street. Everywhere you turn you can find musical talent, markets, and vintage shops!

Furthermore, you can turn down various alleys of your choosing and find yourself in a whole new area with different shops and wonderful places to eat like St. Christopher's Place.

While in London, you have the opportunity to try a variety of food. Click on the links below to view some of the places I went. I recommend you give them a try if you happen to stumble upon these pubs, cafes, or restaurants.

 Lamb and Flag    

                                                                          Garfunkel's

                                Chilli's Mexican Restaurant                                        Caffe Concerto

We were able to meet up with a couple of our friends that we met in Ireland for a drink! It was great to see JP and Mikey. We met up at Prince-Alfred. This pub is a great place to just chill with a beer or glass of "vino." They have a lot of sitting room both upstairs and down, and offer a few nights with a live band.

Cara and I have been getting into vintage and made it a point to check out Blitz, a vintage store in Spitalfields. This vintage shop is definitely worth your while. I went away with a new 60's looking jacket from Paris! I also spotted a University of New Mexico basketball shirt featuring the old Lobo, who would have thought? On our way to Blitz, we were able to find a perfect market. Little did we know that this market, the Spitalfields Market, was well known. Now I cannot for the life of me remember the name of this restaurant, but there is a pizza parlor in the middle of the market. It is delicious! So if you need a feeding break while you shop, you can't go wrong with the pizza. 

London is also a great place to look around for tasteful graffiti. It is modern and trendy, and if you are into this sort of thing you will want to take pictures.

Because it was Christmas, my friends and I wanted to participate in holiday events. Winter Wonderland seemed like the perfect place to feed our holiday cheer. Well, not so much as it turns out. I suggest you do not waste any time or money at Winter Wonderland unless you are going to the London Eye. We ate at the Spiegel Saloon that was supposed to have a burlesque show starting at 7 pm. The show didn't start until 8:30pm, the mulled wine was served luke warm at best, the waitstaff were careless while serving and spilled wine all over the table and Cara without an apology, and most importantly, they were attempting to make us pay more than what we needed to. Cara had made a reservation and had to put down a deposit to ensure our spot would not be taken. She paid 25 euros online prior to our visit. Without saying anything, the Saloon put on our receipt that she paid only 15 euros. Thank goodness for e-mail and smartphones, because we were able to clear this mistake up right away, however, it took the manager twenty minutes to resolve this issue. You know how in the United States meals would be comped, free dessert would be given, or your drinks would be free? Not here. Even after a large complaint to management, customer service was not improved in the least.

The whole experience of Winter Wonderland wasn't too bad. It was just unfortunate that the restaurant left a bad taste before we could enjoy the rest of the fair. Allie and I experienced outdoor ice skating! After skating, the three of us road the London Eye and were able to relax as we were able to take in the spectacular views from the top of the wheel. 

Do you remember that children's song "The London Bridge is Falling Down?" Well, this is perhaps the only reason why I wanted to go and see the London Bridge. The most spectacular thing about it is the view of the Tower Bridge. Other than that, it is just a bridge.

This year was the first time I spent Christmas away from family. Thankfully, I was able to stay with Joanna and the Thom family in London for the holiday. Joanna is a member of my rowing team and would not allow me to spend Christmas alone (which I am very thankful for). The Thom family included me in all of their traditions from last minute shopping to dinner with family friends.

The Christmas Tree

The stocking Santa left at my door on Christmas morning

Jo and me wearing our hats from our Crackers

Imi, Mark, Jo and Katy ready to eat our Christmas meal!

Our Christmas Meal

Smoked salmon on bread appetizers 

On Christmas Eve I was able to Skype with my family in Albuquerque, NM. It had been three months since I have seen my family, and it was nice to feel missed. Everyone seemed so happy to see me and acted as if I had been there all along. My favorite memory of the night was seeing my Grandpa's face light up with the idea that he can see me on a computer even though we are 4,800 miles away. He was just so excited! Below is a screen shot I took of the family in Albuquerque (8:00 pm MST) on December 24, 2011 and me at 3:00 am on December 25, 2011 in England.

While I stayed with the Thom family, we kept busy with watching movies and DVDs (Summer Heights High is fantastic), playing games (Who's in the bag? and the Name List games were fabulous), and going on morning runs around different parks. During one of our runs, Jo MADE me run up Parliament Hill. If you are a runner in London, you know about this hill. It is deadly, making your legs feel like jello only halfway up. Other than the hill of death, we ran in some scenic areas. For instance, we were able to go by the house in the film Notting Hill. 

Another area of London Jo took me to was Portobello Road. Small shops filled the street with mearchants selling anything from fruit to records. One of the most popular stores on Portobello is the Hummingbird Bakery. If you are a cupcake or cake enthusist, you must make it a point to visit one of these shops. If you cannot make it to London, you need to go to their website, purchase their baking book, and bake the most delicious cupcakes you have ever had in your life. 

These furry hats really are in!

                              This is where Jo got her ears pierced. She may have been nervous, 

                                   but I think she is happy about the decision to get them done.

Finally, when you are walking through St. James Park, do not take food unless you want the squirrels to attack you! Squirrels are everywhere around this park and have no issues standing next to humans. They have been known to crawl up a person's leg and snatch food from their hand. They may be entertaining, even cute to some people, but I would keep an eye out for these little guys!

Paris, France

December 14-17, 2011

It is the end of my first term at Durham University. I had just turned in two of my summative assignments and was in need of a vacation. Thankfully my friend Cara and I have been planning to travel to Paris and London before Christmas. Our friend Allie asked to join our adventure, making it a party of three. Cara and I were slightly concerned with the things we have heard about the French people "hating" everyone besides the French. We thought we would have a horrible time navigating ourselves around the city, speaking only English in a French world. Well we thought, here goes nothing. We began our travel from Durham to London by train, where we boarded the Eurostar at Kings-Cross Station. These tickets are not cheap, but it is a better deal than getting a plane ticket. After about 6 hours of traveling by train, we finally arrived in Paris.

I step off the Eurostar onto the platform. My friends and I had to go retrieve our luggage from the first coach. The train conductors had asked that we put all large items in the first coach because the train was booked. It would have been impossible to fit the luggage in each coach otherwise. I walk to the luggage distribution area and spot Cara's and Allie's bags rather quickly. The train workers pulled out bag after bag. A slight rush of panic filled my body as I was worried something had happened to my bag. I gave my bag at the same time as my friends, so, why wasn't it out? Had someone taken it before we got there? Did they somehow lose my bag? Another few bags came out and I started to look around. Just before I was going to verbalize my concern to Cara and Allie, the workers pulled out my bag. Whew! I grabbed my bag and wheeled it toward the exit.

Once we exit, we head to the "queue" (aka a line for us Americans) for a taxi. While we wait, many locals walk by and carry on with their daily life. A dog didn't even seem to mind that guests were in his country considering he took a rather large dump right in front of us. Was this our welcome to France? Perhaps a sign of what's to come? If it was a sign, it sure stinks! We wait about a half hour before we reach the front of the queue. We walk up to the next available taxi and begin putting our bags in the trunk. The cab driver hops out of the cab and says something, but it was French, and I had no idea what the man was saying. All three of us just looked at the man with confusion, but luckily Cara said she had the address to the hotel. "I speak English," said the taxi driver. THANK GOD! Not only did he speak English, but he was an excellent tour guide as well as we drove through Paris to find our hotel. Before our departure, which included a 15 euro cab ride, he warned us about pick-pockets. I hate to categorize nationalities as it comes off as racist in most instances, but if you do go to Paris, watch out for the Romanian children. One may approach you pointing to a clipboard saying that they are deaf and mute. While this child is getting your attention, another will come from behind and pick your pockets. Yes, we did come across this experience a few times, but all you have to do is say no and wave them off. Cara may suggest to you lightly biting your hand between your thumb and pointer finger. If you don't know what it means, try Google.

After paying the cab driver 15 euros, we found ourselves standing in front of our quaint hotel, Hotel Claude Bernard. It is a perfect place to stay if you want to stay within your budget, have clean accommodation, and  stay in a great location that's not too busy, but near tourist parts of Paris.

Entrance area of Hotel Claude Bernard

 The "lift" (or elevator) is rather small and can only squeeze in three people. We had to go up one by one with our suitcases. The only negative we found with this hotel was the fact that the lift only went to the fifth floor, and of course we were on the sixth floor. Most of the time we found ourselves walking up and down the stairs, which isn't horrible, but it was a spiral staircase and would make us a bit dizzy.

Our rooms were the perfect size to fit three twin-sized beds and three twenty-somethings with a bunch of stuff. The room came complete with a decent sized bathroom, wood floors, two window balconies, refrigerator, and a television with an English channel.

The Hotel offers a "free" breakfast in the morning which consisted of cereal, croissants, baguettes, yogurt, cheese, juice, coffee, and tea. Each morning I would have corn flakes mixed with some chocolate flakes and yogurt and a cup or two of tea. Cara would have either cereal or croissant while Allie wouldn't leave the table without eating two croissants and a bowl of cereal. Her mama taught her how to clear her plate! After breakfast each morning, we would venture out into the streets of Paris to take in the sites. When you are in Paris, you don't have to literally go to a famous monument to see something beautiful, though we did that as well, but you can get lost in the beauty of the architecture of the city. Just make sure you aren't walking in the streets because driving in Paris can only be described as a clusterf*&k. You will get hit by a car if you aren't paying attention. Another tip, don't breathe in too deeply or you might increase your chances of dying from lung cancer. Simply breathing the Paris air is just as bad as smoking an actual cigarette. Just about every person there smokes, but don't let this turn you off from an amazing visit.

                                                     

We started our tour of Paris with the infamous Notre Dame. It is a massive cathedral with beautiful detail inside. There are many tributes to Saints and information about the history of the Cathedral. It is worth your time to walk around the entire building, both inside and out. There is a lot to see and appreciate. The best part is that there is no admission fee!

Notre Dame

St. Therese

Inside Notre Dame

The back of Notre Dame

Another must see is the Louvre. We bought tickets for both permanent and temporary exhibits: the Louvre and Alexander the Great. The cost was 14 euro. I say it is worth the cost to get both because you can see so much.

It is a lot though, and you will probably be tired 1/3 of the way through because not only are you going to see so many works of art, but you have to deal with thousands of other tourists taking pictures and many small children running about on their school field trips. Be sure to get a tour map before entering the exhibits which will also tell you the locations of the most famous pieces. You will get turned around in this large museum so don't be afraid to ask for directions.

Winged Victory of Samothrace

Une Odalisque

Venus de Milo

I must tell you only because I was happy to know this beforehand, that the Mona Lisa is in fact very small (always seems to be portrayed larger than it is in movies), behind a glass case, and you couldn't get closer than fifteen feet from it. Be patient when you visit Mona, there are a lot of people around her and it becomes difficult to enjoy her mystery.  But enjoy it, after all, how often will you see such a famous work of art?

After the Louvre, we began walking down the Avenue des Champs Elysees. This is considered the widest street in Paris, including a round-a-bout that connects twelve (yes, I said twelve) major streets. Now we know why I considered driving here a cluster....

                                           

This street is also known for its amazing shopping! You could spend hours here shopping at Zara, H&M, Abercrombie & Fitch, Nike, and Louis Vuitton just to name a few. There is also a market lining the streets with vendors selling anything from winter hats to crepes and Nutella. I strongly suggest tasting the mulled wine at any of the vendors that offer the product (I preferred the white wine). Even the biggest of skeptics would find it delicious!

 

 Avenue de Elysees is not only full of life, but is also home to the Arc-de-Triomphe. This monument is located next to a rather busy street, not offering you many options for photos. We decided the best shots we could get were across the street so we could capture its full beauty. You can go to the top of the Arc-de-Triomphe, but we decided not to. I wouldn't regret not going up because you can get a better view from a another monument, but do whatever suits your fancy.

On Boulevard St. Michel you can discover a very prestigious area in Paris known as Sorbonne. As you walk past the posh shops, you will find the Jardin du Luxembourg. The park is about 55 acres large and designed by Italian inspiration by request of Marie de' Medici who purchased the domain in 1612. At the northern end, you can't miss the Palais du Luxembourg, which was built between 1615 and 1627.

In the center of the park, just in front of the Palais du Luxembourg, you will find an octagonal pond known as the Grand Bassin. It is lined with many statues of Saints and Greek gods. As you wonder about the park, you will find many fountains such as the Fontaine de Medicis and Fontaine de l'Observatoire.

For all of you Da Vinci Code fans, yes, Paris holds most of the sites used in the book and movie including the Louvre, but does the Rose Line ring any bells? In chapters 19 and 22 of the book, the albino monk, Silas, pays a visit to Saint-Sulpice (Cathedral of the Rive Gauche) in hopes to find the Holy Grail. In the church square, there is a fountain with statues of four bishops during the Louis XIV era. This fountain was the location used to attempt to drown the fourth cardinal before he was saved and became the Pope in the book. 

For all of you history buffs out there, Les Invalides is a place where you need to go. This one site contains multiple museums as well as the resting place for Napoleon. You have the opportunity to view armor from various centuries from around the world as well as view numerous artifacts from WW1. You will not be disappointed by checking this place out, and only for 11 euros.

What would Paris be without the Eiffel Tower? Well, it would still be amazing, but you can't go and not see the Eiffel Tower. You can see the tip of the Tower from most anywhere in the city. You can opt to climb the tower by stairs, which we did because we thought it was a good idea at the time. But Hurricane Katrina's sister decided to accompany us with her presence and nearly blow me off the Tower! (Yes, I am being dramatic, but it did rain pretty hard.) You can also choose to take the elevator up to the different parts of the Tower. Yes this is easier on your legs, but you have to deal with packing into the elevator with all of the other people who have decided they do not want to get a workout while seeing the views of Paris. The cost of the stair entrance is around 4 euros and the lift is nearly 12 euros. 

 

If you get the opportunity, I would visit the Ile Saint-Louis. It is beautiful to walk around and visit the many small shops. If you want to buy souvenirs that don't literally scream PARIS, this is the place to do it. There are a few places that will sell what I consider classier souvenirs. There are about six nice cafes for lunch. They are a bit pricey, but it will taste lovely. This is an off-beat location and you won't have to deal with the thousands of tourists that you have been dealing with everywhere else.

Now it is time to discuss something that translates to every language... Food! I strongly suggest not eating at places you have at home. How else will you get a full French experience? If you think you can argue that McDonald's tastes better than the food in the pictures below, you haven't lived. If you have found yourself on the Ile Saint-Louis, I recommend Le Louis IX. It isn't one of the first restaurants you will see when you arrive in the area, but it is much better priced than the others if you are traveling on a budget. Le Louis IX offers a variety of French breakfast and lunch foods. Their wait staff is a bit older, but they are very kind and speak a little English. Just to note, if you need the bathroom, you must get a token from the waiter. 

Pizza Roma is perfect if you want one of those cheesy-tourist restaurants that is guaranteed to please any palate. First of all, who can refuse pizza? Second, their desserts are to die for! It was so good, Cara told me I must try it and basically force fed me the dessert. I must say I am glad she did because it was like heaven in chocolate and a cream puff (if you know me, you will know that I am not too keen on desserts). This was a good place for us to go because they open for dinner earlier than most restaurants. As it turns out, the French like to eat pretty late. The owners and staff of the restaurant are very friendly and are not shy to give a compliment on looks. You will find that the owners and staff welcome you like family. They will even eat dinner in turns at the far back table.

If you are hungry around lunchtime, and are on the Avenue des Champs Elysees, try finding Le Ponthieu. Even if it is cold, try eating on the patio. They warm the patio area with space heaters and it is perfect to people-watch. You may notice that most restaurants in France have a patio, and all of the chairs face the streets. So don't be walking around picking your nose, someone will see you.

If you are on a diet, going to Paris may be the worst thing you can do. You will walk by many candy shops and bakeries that have desserts lining their windows that would make your mouth water. Even if you aren't a big chocolate or sweets fan, you can enjoy the craftsmanship.

If you have time and are a big fan of books, try to stop by the Shakespeare and Company bookshop. There are two floors of books stacked on top of one another just waiting to be read. I found it fun to be in a shop that reminded me of a scene from Harry Potter.

I would like to give a shout out to the Odeon Hotel. While my friends and I were lost, searching for the Shakespeare and Company bookshop, they were the most helpful of staff. Not only did they explain to us how to get there, they also printed out a map and highlighted the directions for us. This hotel is close to Notre Dame and is in a great location. I would recommend checking it out if you are in need of accommodation.

If you find yourself in love when you visit the beautiful city of Paris, take a lock with you. You will find that most of the chain-linked fences on the bridges are covered in them. Using the Love-Locks started on the Pont des Arts, which is a footbridge that crosses the Seine over to the Louvre. But now other bridges such as the one behind Notre Dame are used as well. It symbolizes all that is love for a couple.

 Paris has become one of my favorite cities. I am sure you would fall in love with it too. Give me a few years and I will be speaking French and living in Paris! Revoir! xxx