Cheers!

Sunday was the last day in the ward, and it was really sad to say goodbye! I was touched by how sad the Primary kids were that we were leaving – Poppy said, “I think it’s raining because you guys are leaving us.” I love that girl! All of the kids gave us about 20 hugs, and at the end they wanted our phone numbers so they can call us if they ever come to the U.S. :) I wish I could look into the future and see where they all end up! They’re such great kids, I want every one of them to be happy and do great things. The Primary leaders gave Sam and I a huge box of Cadbury chocolates and were so grateful for all we had done. Ward members I had never really talked to before came up and gave me a hug and said they would miss us! I had such a great time in this ward – it was a very different experience, but I loved having the chance to serve! Like I said before, the BYU students make a huge difference and it’s amazing to be so appreciated. (I will NOT miss the hour journey to get to church, however. I felt this way even more so because it rained on us during our half hour walk.)

My Primary class! (Left to right: Alex, Annabelle, Poppy, Julian, and Felicia)  

That evening we had our farewell fireside, as I mentioned before, and it was one of the highlights of the entire trip. It was the moment I realized how much I had come to love everyone there, and how much I had learned! One of the girls made a slideshow, so it was so much fun to look back on all the good times we’ve had. There were the classic sleeping-on-the-bus pictures – everyone had one! We all just looked incredibly uncomfortable. You’re kind of on the edge of your seat, waiting for your turn, and crossing your fingers that your mouth isn’t completely open. (Luckily mine was closed! I was just slumped all the way down in the chair, with my neck bent in a very unnatural position, my hair a frizzy disaster. Oh well, it could be have been a lot worse.) Those pictures are a great example of how we all got so close to each other in those short seven weeks. By the end we had no secrets – we’d all seen each other at our worst! Whether it’s sleeping with your mouth open on the bus or coming to class with no makeup on or eating breakfast in your pajamas.

After the slideshow, the six boys in our group gave us another surprise! They had written every girl their own personal letter and then gave everyone a chocolate bar! It was so thoughtful – we’re lucky to have had such sweet boys!

After the fireside we had our last Cookies and Conversation. I don’t know if I mentioned that before, but every Sunday the Crowe’s brought Digestive cookies down for everyone, (the name isn’t appetizing at all, I know, but they were so good! I will miss them) giving us the opportunity to sit and chat together! This is where I had some of my best conversations with the Crowe’s – I’m telling you, they are the best people!

Monday brought finals, and it was the best finals experience I’ve ever had! First of all, I was so glad that I decided to take English and Fine Arts instead of History. I had to do a lot of work throughout the semester, but it meant that most of my work was done by the end. The History kids didn’t have many assignments throughout the semester, but they had three papers due on the day of finals. It was a very stressful few days for them! A few pulled all nighters. Also, they had a multiple-choice test with no study guide, so everyone stayed up really late Sunday night studying. My English final required no studying, and was actually kind of fun! For the first part we played Catchphrase, using phrases from the seven books we had to read during the semester. I totally failed on the first word I got (in my defense, once the timer went off and I said what my word was, no one else knew what it was either!), but for my second word I was able to tie up the game! Our team lost in the tiebreaker though. The next part of the test was in groups and we had to change the historical setting of one of the books. My group was assigned was Treasure Island, and we changed it to a Western – Treasure Canyon! The last part of the test was less fun – three short essays, but I got through them all right. It felt so good to be done with that class!

Class photo after the final

My Fine Arts final was even more unique. We had to turn in an essay talking about our favorite artists, museum, etc., but for the second part we had to go to the Saatchi Gallery and do a three-minute presentation with a group about one of the pieces. The Saatchi Gallery is postmodern art, so a lot of it is very strange, and you have to really work to interpret it, but I had so much fun with Alison and Hillary picking out the piece we wanted to present! As we walked around the gallery, I realized how much I’d learned about appreciating art, especially postmodern art. And it was fun to listen to everyone else’s presentations! Every group had such good insights – sometimes people in the gallery would stop to listen to whoever was presenting, and I was so proud of our class because they really sounded like they knew what they were talking about! This final is exactly why a study abroad is such an amazing experience – how often can you have an art final firsthand like that?

There was a lot of excitement at the center on Monday because President Samuelson was in town, and was supposed to be stopping by. The directors made sure we all had our beds made and rooms cleaned because President Samuelson was getting a full tour! (Our room was unrecognizable – one of my roommates finally picked up the garbage that’s been surrounding her bed for the past seven weeks – gotta love having 14 roommates.) We weren’t sure if we were going to see him, though, because he had a lot of places to be and was only going to stop by. Alison, Hillary, and I were very lucky, because we ran into him on our way to the Tube station as we went to the art gallery for our final! He and the other people from BYU he was with stopped and shook our hands. Everyone was hoping he would come back for dinner later that night, but he didn’t make it, so I was so glad I at least got to meet him!

With finals over, we were free to spend the last day and a half finishing up the things we wanted to do in London before we left. On our way home from the gallery, we got a celebratory Ben’s cookie, and then had a picnic with the whole group in Hyde Park for dinner. After dinner, Hillary made Alison and I ride the carousel with her – I’m glad she did, I’ve been walking past it for seven weeks, I needed to do it!

There were still a few things I needed to do before going home, the first being a visit to Abbey Road. It was weird to feel like a tourist again, but we had to get the classic Beatles picture! It’s not as easy at it looks – Abbey Road is still a functional street, so you have to stand on the curb, in ready position, waiting for the perfect gap in between cars. Once you have it, you have to run out into the street, stop, pretend like you’re mid-stride, and then run back onto the sidewalk because by then there’s a car speeding towards you. Honestly, I’m surprised there aren’t more accidents there. (This is totally random, but at the Tube stations, there’s a sign by the escalator warning you to be careful, saying, “This year on the escalator there were 37 injuries and 1 fatality.” How does someone die on an escalator?!?!) I wouldn’t have it any other way, though – it would be a much less memorable experience without having to dodge the cars!

Recreating our Stonehenge pictures - I can't believe it actually worked! 

Adding my name to the wall by the Abbey Road studio

The other thing I had to do before going home was to see Big Ben at night. I don’t know why it took that long to do, but I’m glad it happened! I never get over how beautiful I find the Parliament building – and it’s even more so at night. Is it weird to be so in love a building? We just sat on the bridge that overlooks it, along with the London Eye and the Thames, and took in all the lights. It hit me then how completely in love with London I am! I wouldn’t have wanted to do a study abroad in any other city in the world!

Tuesday was my last day, so we tried to make the most out of it! We went to Westminster Abbey first thing, because I hadn’t been inside yet. It was cool to see the graves of Elizabeth I and Mary I, Charles Dickens, Handel, Jane Austen, Isaac Newton, and Charles Darwin. I also liked being able to see where the wedding was! They have a whole exhibition of photos from it in the chapter house (the English are going to keep the wedding hype going as looooong as possible :) ). After this tour I was thinking about how glad I am that I came during the spring semester. It was totally packed with people inside, and with summer coming it’s only going to get worse!

After lunch (at the Harrod’s food hall one last time :) ), I had a whole afternoon in front of me, and I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do with it. Alison and Hillary made me choose, since I was leaving and they were staying for another week. I felt like I had seen all the sights and done all the tours I wanted to (honestly, another tour didn’t even sound fun). So we went back to one of my very, very favorite parts of London – Hyde Park! We just sat on the grass between the Round Pond and Kensington Palace and read books, took a nap, and listened to music. It was an absolutely perfect last afternoon in London – the weather was beautiful, making it even better.

I had my last dinner in the center, did a little last minute shopping, then returned to organize myself for the journey home. Somehow I was able to squeeze all my souvenirs in my suitcase! And I made sure, keeping with tradition, to write my message to future occupants on my bunk bed.

I hate goodbyes. Especially when you have to do it 30+ times. But it isn’t really goodbye! We already have our reunion planned – Sister Miller says to plan for the Triple S – Second Saturday in September – and I can’t wait! But I am going to miss everyone so much! I know whenever I see someone on campus it will make my day. Anyway, I got through it, and finally walked down Palace Court for the last time.

We got to the airport via the Underground easily enough, and got checked in and through security without any problems. In fact, a few of the other students and I on the flight were upgraded to World Traveler Plus! It’s so great – our seats were a lot bigger. That’s really the only benefit, but it makes such a difference on a 10-hour flight to have leg room. Also, our section had a curtain so that made me feel pretty important.

It’s sad that it’s over, but I’m also SO EXCITED to finally be home! I had this surge of excitement as I looked at the moving map on the plane and realized we were flying over America. I’m sitting in the Dallas airport right now, and I have never appreciated garbage cans, toilet seat covers, fountain Diet Coke, People Magazine, and friendly people so much in my life! I love America and I love being home!!! (If being in the Dallas Airport makes me this happy, finally getting to Utah is going to blow my mind. I can’t wait!)

London couldn’t have ended on a better note. I did everything that I wanted to do and there was honestly never a bad or boring day, the whole trip, so I am entirely, 100% satisfied with my experience. More than satisfied – overwhelming thrilled by how wonderful it was. I LOVE YOU, LONDON!

My dear friend, Hillary Jones, summed it up better than I could:

The Round Pond
By: Hillary Ruth Jones

Tired, worn, and in need of a clue
A girl crossed The Pond to start life anew.
“The journey was long,” she said with a curse
Little did she know, it was only the first.
Her first discovery was another, smaller pond
Of which she would become awfully fond.
She lived, she laughed, and grew close with friends
“This time,” she thought, “I don’t wish to end.”
The girl’s eyes were opened in the months she was away
She learned to love in a whole new way.
Nevertheless, the time came for her to depart
And beside the Round Pond, the girl left her heart.
“I owe it all to this pond,” the girl said with a tear,
“For teaching me all that I now hold dear.”
As the edge of the pond goes round and round
So infinite was the love that she had found.
Just as the water reflects all of the light,
So would the girl for the rest of her life.
And like the ripples with their far-reaching effects,
The girl returned home, to have every success.

Thoughts

Tonight we had our Farewell Fireside, and I absolutely loved every minute of those two and a half hours. I honestly wish I could have written down every single word that was said! Every person was given the opportunity to take a few minutes to say a favorite memory or London experience they’ve had on the study abroad. I was so overwhelmed by the precious memories and thoughts that came to mind that as I listened to my peers and reflected on my time here. Here are just a few of those thoughts – forgive me for being a little scatterbrained.

First, one of my favorite things about this London experience is how by the end I really felt like a Londoner! That’s something you don’t get during a week’s vacation. I was remembering how terrified I was when I got off the plane, not knowing how exactly I was going to make it to the Center. Now, I hardly even have to consult the Tube map to get around. In fact, I know the system so well that when I’m waiting for a train to pull up I know I need to walk towards the back of the train, so that when I get off at Queensway I’ll be as close to the exit as possible. It’s so satisfying to have people stop me and ask me for directions – and that a lot of the times I can give them!

On the other hand, as well as I know my way around London there is always, always, always something new to discover! Yesterday, I was walking out of the Queensway station – something I do every single day - and I saw this frozen yogurt store that I had never noticed before! This is just a silly example, because there have been so many times I’ve come out of a station to an entirely new neighborhood full of many things to discover. I think I could be here for a lifetime and still find things I’d never seen before.

On a few occasions, as I’ve been sitting on a train or wandering down a street, I’ve looked around at all of the faces surrounding me and thought about how many people there are in the world! Every person has their own story – memories, family members, heartaches. And I realize that all these people are more than just faces, they all have value and something to offer. I want to try and be more aware of this throughout my life – to be loving and kind to everyone around me, because Heavenly Father is aware of them and loves them just as much as he loves me!

While most of our experiences have been in the city, we’ve also had some powerful experiences in nature, and truly seen some beautiful places. Hillary Jones once asked me, “Do you think green is God’s favorite color?” :)

As I sat in the fireside, listening to all of the powerful and insightful thoughts from my classmates, I was desperately trying to remember every thing that was said. It makes me sad that soon London will seem like a dream, and inevitably memories will fade. One thing that I will never forget, though, is the friendships I’ve been able to make while I’ve been here! I couldn’t have been here with a better group of people. I love and respect them all so much; I’ve learned a lot! I’m so excited to run into them on campus and remember all the good times we shared in London. These friendships are the best souvenirs. :)

I also feel so lucky to have had the Crowe’s and the Miller’s as our directors. I’ve learned a lot from them! Not only in their actual classes, but also through their examples. They’re all such kind, happy, humble, Christlike people. I have no doubt that they love and care about every person here. They were always so patient and I didn’t them upset or stressed once. And they were so fun to be around! There were many times I just sat and talked with the Crowe’s. I already told Professor Crowe I’m going to come visit him at BYU next fall. (It’s a good thing I liked them so much – otherwise it might be awkward that my professors have seen me with no makeup, right after I get home from a run, and dead asleep with my mouth open on the bus.)

I also feel very, very lucky to have studied and lived in the London Center. BYU only owns two buildings, London and Jerusalem, and all the other study abroads live with families throughout the city. I’m so glad that we had the center for two reasons: first, because it was awesome to be able to go to class in my pajamas and second, because it allowed me to get so close to everyone. I’m coming home with 40 new friends! I would have missed out on that if I only saw everyone a few times a week during class.

Finally, I have to say how grateful I am to have been here with Alison Jones and Hillary Jones. They were both acquaintances before the trip, and when we figured out we were all going to London I knew we were going to be good friends. But I never could have imagined how much I would grow to love these two girls! It feels like I’ve known them for years, not just a few weeks. They’ve become two of my best friends, and I know they will be for many years to come! Thanks, you two, for making this London trip even more special!

I’ve just totally overwhelmed by what a lucky girl I am! The experiences I’ve had these past seven weeks have truly been once in a lifetime. It’s changed the way I look at the world and I know I’m a better person because of it! I was taken completely out of my comfort zone, but I was somehow able to figure it all out – it’s satisfying to know that I can take care of myself! I also feel like this gave me a new perspective on life and where I fit into the world. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mom and Dad for making this trip possible and for always encouraging me to go!

High Tea and Cricket (I'm practically English now)

Monday evening we had a very special fireside at the center. George Chittock, the president of the Hyde Park Stake, came to speak to us about his experience as a young boy living in London during World War II and the Blitz.

The Blitz was 76 consecutive nights of wave after wave of German bombs dropped in London. President Chittock, like many other Londoners, spent every night in a small bomb shelter behind their house. Since these were just deep holes in the dirt, covered with a metal roof, they were usually standing in a few inches of water and there was always the risk that if a bomb landed too close, you would be helplessly buried. I can’t imagine what that must have been like, listening to those planes flying overhead all night! He also talked about the rationing that every Londoner had to endure during the war. For example, one person was given one egg every two months. Each person was given a small, fun-sized piece of chocolate once a week.

These were not easy times in London. Conditions were miserable, many homes were destroyed, and it was a constant struggle to protect the precious monuments in the city. I’m amazes me to see the people’s resiliency! Even after 76 straight nights of continual bombing, they continued to fight.

St. Paul's during the Blitz

During the fireside, I couldn’t help but think back to when Brother Klaus Lassig, our family’s home teacher, told us about his experiences as a young boy in Germany. He told us about the nightly bombings, bomb shelters, and being hungry. There are so many similarities between the two stories, yet they were on opposite sides. There were so many victims in this war! It’s sobering to think of the damage that a few evil men can do.

Tuesday afternoon our group had High Tea at Kensington Palace. How English is that?! It was so fun – we all dressed up, so it felt like a grown-up tea party! We sipped HERBAL tea (hello, it’s BYU) and ate delicious cucumber sandwiches and scones with jam and clotted cream. I wonder what our waiters thought about our group – 45 adults who had no idea what they were doing with the tea bags. (As a side note, yahoo.com told me this week that Will and Kate are planning on moving into Kensington Palace (the former home of Princess Diana). Since Kensington Palace is literally down the street from 27 Palace Court, Will and Kate and I are practically neighbors!)

That night everyone went to see The Mousetrap, the longest running play in London. It’s an Agatha Christie murder mystery that has played every night for the last 59 years. I went in to the play with zero expectations, and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it! It’s a very entertaining whodunit that keeps you guessing up until the last moment. At intermission, we all guessed who we thought the murderer was, and not to brag or anything, but I totally guessed right! Here’s my secret tip for guessing who the murderer is in a mystery: think of the least likely person it would be, and that’s who it is.

Wednesday, everyone woke up bright and early to make the two-hour trek out to the London temple. And it was completely worth the journey! Every temple is just a little different, inside and out, so it’s fun to have a new experience. No matter where you are though, the Spirit in the temple is the same. It was so nice to have those quiet two hours.

The missionaries in my ward told me on Sunday that the London South missionaries were all going to be at the temple on Wednesday too, so I was on the lookout for Elder Folkerson and Elder White! No luck, though. The missionaries were starting to gather in the visiting center when we got there, but those two weren’t there yet.

Thursday night we went to a cricket match! Cricket is somewhat comparable to baseball – except even more boring (if that’s possible :) ). Just kidding, I had a lot of fun! It all felt very English. 90% of the people there were men dressed in their business suits. Classiest sports event I’ve ever been to.

Here are the basics of cricket (I’m leaving out a lot of rules!): The bowler (pitcher) is trying to knock off the wicket, which is a stick balanced on three poles. To do so, however, he has to get the ball past the batter. The batter protects the wicket, and also bats the ball away so that he can run and switch places with his teammate (another batter who stands opposite him) as many times as possible before the ball is thrown back. Every time they switch places they get a point. If they bat the ball outside the white lines, they get four points. The bowling team will try and throw the ball back so they can knock off the wicket before the runners get back. There are only two innings in cricket – each team bats and bowls only once. I found that this reeeally brings down the suspense. Basically the first batting team just tries to rack up as many points as possible, and then the last batting team does the same, hoping they catch up/get more than the other team. Since there can be over 150 points in an inning, it’s really difficult to see if a team is behind, ahead, or making a dramatic comeback.

That probably makes no sense to anyone who hasn’t seen cricket in action before, but I think I do a better job explaining than the Brits! This is “Cricket: As explained to a Foreigner…” (As seen on a souvenir towel in the gift shop):

You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side thats been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay all out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game!

So that clear it all up for you? Anyway, I had a really good time at the match – even though it was more because of the experience and the atmosphere than the actual game. I think I’ll remember the cheerleaders more than anything else - hands down the worst dancers I’ve ever seen in my life.

On Friday our group finally had our much-anticipated tour of the Tower of the London, the former castle turned prison, and the sight of many high-profile executions. The highlight of this visit was definitely the crown jewels – which have been kept at the Tower since the 1200s. (Yes, they kept the crown jewels and the criminals in the same place for hundreds of years. Makes perfect sense.) So many jewels! I can’t even fathom how many millions of dollars were in that room with me. My favorite was the scepter, which holds the Great Star of Africa, a 530-carat diamond.

Standing on the sight of the executioner's block

After the Tower of London, we walked across the Tower Bridge over to Borough Market for one last lunch there. It was just as delicious as the last time we ate there! After this, we went to finish our tenth and final walk for the London walks class (Soho to Trafalgar Square). However, what had once been a sunny day had turned rainy and windy in the twenty minutes we were on the Tube. The incredible weather we have enjoyed throughout our trip has lulled me into a false sense of security - I had left the center that morning without a jacket, despite Hillary’s advice to grab one. Also, after carrying around my umbrella in my bag for weeks without using it, I had taken it out just a few days before. (The irony!) We wanted to get the walk over with, though, so I suffered through it! I have never been so happy to be done with a walk.  

On Friday we also visited the Saatchi Gallery, the last museum we needed to visit for the Fine Arts class. This museum displays contemporary art, which can often be strange, unsettling, and seemingly pointless, and requires a lot of patience and thought in order to figure out its interpretation. It’s exactly the kind of art I would have hated a few months ago. But I actually had a really good experience here! I discovered how much I’ve learned about appreciating art as I discussed the pieces with Alison and Hillary. It’s so easy to write something off just because it isn’t pretty, but sometimes you just need to take the time to look a little deeper in order to find something’s beauty! Just because something’s different doesn’t mean it doesn’t have value. (Mom and Dad: this paragraph is proof that I’m learning things and not just playing over here! :) )

We had our final group tour on Saturday morning, and it was a good one to end on: Houses of Parliament. After admiring the building so much from the outside, it was really fun to be able to see it on the inside. It was so interesting to learn a little bit more about British government and compare it to our own! The British have so much history and tradition – it just isn’t the same in the U.S. It’s also interesting to see how the royalty fits in. I have to admit, the House of Lords and the House of Commons (where Parliament meets) are smaller than I would have expected. I have no idea how they fit 600 people in there!

After the tour, we went up to Camden Market for lunch and one last visit. I had a delicious Turkish wrap and the best doughnut ever. Also, we had a little bit more time during this visit, so we got to look around all of the stalls. There are so many fun, unique things to buy, and it’s all so cheap! I had such a good time looking at everything. I was amazed by how huge Camden is! We barely even scratched the surface last time. You would turn down an alley, thinking you were almost at the end, and it would open up to a whole new square full of stalls to explore. Markets are definitely one thing I am going to miss about London!

After all of this, we still had a little bit of afternoon left, so we went to see the Special Collections at the British Library. Here they have original works by Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Da Vinci, music by Handel and Schubert, and handwritten lyrics by the Beatles. They also have a Gutenberg Bible and a copy of the Magna Carta.

I can’t believe I only have three more days! I know it’s going to be hard to leave, but I can’t wait to finally be home! 

J'adore Paris!

Tuesday after lunch most of our group went to see Windsor Castle, which is located just outside of London. We’ve seen a lot of palaces and castles over the trip, but this one was the best for sure! It’s been in use for centuries, so it has so much history. It’s built like a fortress on the outside, and sits on top of this hill with a beautiful view. Henry VIII and Jane Seymour are buried in the chapel, as well as King George and his wife (the one from The King’s Speech!). But the best part of the castle is that it’s still in use! The Queen spends many of her weekends there, and many state events are held there. Hampton Court was fun, but the interior is all just a restoration – Windsor Castle was a million times better knowing that what we’re seeing is real!

There’s an exhibit as you walk into the palace that has the dollhouse of Queen Elizabeth when she was a little girl. This has to be the most intense dollhouse ever made. It was huge – easily as big as my kitchen back at Liberty Square – and it was entirely functional. Everything from the plumbing to the miniature vacuum worked! Don’t ask me why a doll needs indoor plumbing. But all of the details in the furniture and rooms were beautiful.

While waiting in line, the couple behind us heard us talking and asked us if we were American. When we told them where we were from the laughed and said they guessed we were from Utah from our accents (Is it that obvious?!). Anyway, we started talking and somehow I made the connection with them that they are my mom’s cousins! Kent and Pat Parker. It’s such a small world – what are the odds that I would happen to be standing next to my relatives in line at Windsor Castle?

That night I went with a group to see Legally Blonde, the musical! It sounds so lame – but it was really fun! The music was good and the actors were really talented and funny. I’m so glad I went. Also, the play was in the Savoy Theater, which is in the very fancy Savoy Hotel. After the play, we just walked through the lobby and it was so nice. I kept waiting for someone to call us out that we weren’t really staying there.

Our free travel weekend began as soon as class was over on Wednesday (that day I had to give two presentations so it was so nice to get them done!) so that evening we took the Eurostar to Paris! The train ride was fun – we went through the English and French countryside, and for 20 minutes we were all the way under the English Channel!

Stopping by Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station!

At the train station

We arrived in Paris about nine o’clock, and only had to endure slight confusion before making it to our hotel. First, we were trying to buy our metro tickets at the station, but the machine would only accept exact change (which no one had), wouldn’t accept our cards, and the ticket office was closed. We had to leave the station and go to one of the cafes across the street to ask if they could break a twenty so we could use coins to pay for our tickets. Finally we made it on the metro and somehow maneuvered our way through all the French-named stations and trains to make it to our final stop. Once out of the station we walked in the wrong direction for ten minutes before we finally figured out where we needed to be. Needless to say, I was very happy when we were all checked into our hotel! Since it was just us four girls, it was a little strange to be the one who had to figure out where we needed to be going, and not having my always-reliable dad to just follow around!

The next morning we woke up bright and early to start our first day in Paris. We met some of the other girls from our study abroad at the Louvre. Did I say that the V&A was big? Because that was nothing compared to the enormity of the Louvre. There were so many masterpieces and amazing things to see – I think Uncle Mike would have been horrified at how fast we were walking through that museum, but we wanted to see as much as possible in our very limited time! I loved the paintings, but this time I think my favorite part was the sculptures. Psyche and Cupid, by Canova, was so beautiful! Hammurabi’s code was also a highlight!

After the Louvre, we grabbed a sandwich on our way to the next museum – Musee d’Orsay. FAVORITE MUSEUM of the whole trip! It’s all impressionist and post-impressionist art, and includes some of the most beautiful and recognizable pieces. They have rooms full of Monet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, and Cezanne. They have Renoir’s Moulin de la Galette, the painting I wrote a seven page paper for in art history my freshman year. That was amazing to see that in real life after I had spent so much time on it! It’s even more beautiful in person. I also just did a presentation in my art class here on post-impressionism so I got to see a lot of the works I had just been studying!

Next up – we went to see the magnificent Notre Dame. It was fun to walk around and see the inside, but it was even better to sit in a chair after being on our feet for six hours. (Museums really take it out of you! Two in a row was brutal, but it had to be done.) We all sat in silence for a solid half hour before we could get back up again.

Notre Dame

We did get up again eventually, so we made our way over to the Eiffel Tower. I can’t explain how awe-inspiring it is to see it in person! After seeing so many pictures of it, I wasn’t expecting it to be as cool as it was, but I couldn’t stop looking at it! I love it, I love it, I love it.

Our next activity was taking a river cruise that started at the Eiffel Tower and went all the way down the Seine, showing us many of Paris’ best sights. It was the perfect way to see the city! After so much walking, it was nice to see the sights while sitting down, and we went at sunset so it was finally starting to cool off and it made the view even more beautiful. I learned a lot of interesting things from the audio guide! For example, during WWII, when the Allies were approaching France, the Germans were supposed to destroy Paris so that the Allies wouldn’t be able to benefit from its capture. The only reason we still have the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and countless other monuments is because one German general refused to burn the city.

After the river cruise, we finished off the day with a birthday dinner for dear McKenna at a delicious Italian restaurant near the Eiffel Tower. We made it back to our hotel around 10 and I was asleep in less than a minute.

The next morning we were up bright and early again – first destination: Versailles. We took the train to the city and then walked the rest of the way to the palace. We got there by 9:30 and there were already hundreds of people in line! It moved fast, so we didn’t have to wait too long to get in, but as we walked through the palace it was packed with people. It was fun to see the inside, but we were just trying to get through as fast as possible so we could get away from the crowds. The gardens were much better! They’re so big that the crowds weren’t a problem, and we had a good time wandering through all the paths and trees.

The Hall of Mirrors in the palace

The gardens at Versailles

Alison’s family has spent a lot of time in France throughout the years, and they’ve always loved this French candy called CaramBars. They’re kind of like caramel, chewy Tootsie Rolls. Anytime someone from their family goes to France, they have to bring them back for everyone, so as soon as we got to Paris we were on the lookout for a grocery store so she could buy them. On our way back to the train in Versailles, we finally found a store so we went in and Alison literally bought the store out. The French lady checking her out, who spoke zero English, could not understand why this crazy American girl was buying so many CaramBars. She kept laughing in bewilderment and pointing her out to all the other people in the store. Finally, someone who spoke English explained they were for her family, but I still think she thought it was odd – I don’t think CaramBars are that popular here. It was worth it for the ridicule though – they were so good!

We got back to Paris, and after we dropped off the huge bag of CaramBars, we headed back out. We went to the l’Orangerie museum, where they have the huge oval rooms with Monet’s Water Lilies. After that we had dinner in the Latin Quarter at an outdoor café, where we were able to people watch (very interesting here!) and watch the French Open. I’m so disappointed in myself – I didn’t even realize that the French Open would be going on while I was there! Maybe I would have tried to get a ticket or something, but it was still cool to watch a match in a café in Paris, I think.

Monet's Water Lilies at l'Orangerie

Crepes after dinner!

Next we walked up the Champs Elysees to get to the Arc de Triomphe. After figuring out how to cross the street (it’s a huge roundabout with no obvious crosswalk – we finally discovered the underground tunnel you use to get across) we climbed up the stairs to sit on the top! The view was amazing – you can see the whole city.

View from the top

The only thing left on our list for the day was to see the Eiffel Tower at night, but we still had about an hour before it would get dark, so we meandered down to the tower, got some ice cream, and sat on the hill across the river from the tower and enjoyed the beautiful evening. They turn on the lights around 9:40, and then right at 10 it sparkles! I can’t even explain how magical it is to see this – it was my favorite moment of the whole trip!

Our last morning was again, bright and early. A little too early, apparently, because we got to the Rodin Museum at nine and it didn’t open until ten. We wandered around until it opened, and then looked at all of Rodin’s beautiful impressionist sculptures. Four museums in three days – I’m kind of proud of us! We had these awesome museum passes that got us right into all of the museums and monuments so we didn’t have to wait in ticket lines, we saved money, and we didn’t feel like we had to stay a long time to get our money’s worth.

After the Rodin we went back over to the Eiffel Tower to meet up with the rest of the group and to have lunch. We ate our delicious baguette sandwiches and drank Orangina’s on the grass underneath the Eiffel Tower – no big deal (it was awesome). Next we went back to the Champs Elysees to look at the stores a little bit more, since we were kind of in a hurry to get to the Arc de Triomphe the night before. We also wanted to go back so we could go to this restaurant/patisserie called Laduree so we could try their famous macaroons. I thought I had had good macaroons in London, but there is no comparison. They’re so soft and light and so generous with the filling! I didn’t even know I liked macaroons before this trip. Just what I need – more sweets to love :).

The last sight we needed to see was the Sainte-Chapelle chapel. It’s a small 13^th century church near the Notre Dame famous for its incredible stained glass windows. The stained glass covered all four walls, and it was so bright and colorful! We just sat and enjoyed the view for a good 20 (okay, 30) minutes.

For dinner, we desperately wanted to find savory crepes for our last night in Paris, but we had to walk around for 45 minutes before we were able to find a good place! I was surprised how much harder it was to find crepes over the weekend there than I thought it would be. I was expecting creperies to be on every corner I guess! But it was always worth the wait/walk! That night I had a ham and cheese one for dinner and butter and sugar one for dessert. Perfect end to a great holiday in Paris!

I feel like I said “next” and “then” a lot in those paragraphs – we did so many things! Those three days were action packed and I was completely exhausted when we got home. But it was so worth it – I absolutely loved Paris and am so glad we got to see and do all of the things that we did! As much as I loved Paris, though, my heart belongs in London. I love it here – it always feels so good to be home! There are many reasons why this is so, but here are just four of them. First, Paris was miserably hot and muggy most of the time, and London’s weather is perfect. Second, London is much cleaner and doesn’t have that constant cigarette/body odor smell that Paris does :). Third: English. I felt like an idiot any time I had to pronounce something in French, and it was stressful when someone didn’t understand you! Fourth, I don’t have to consult a map every step of the way in London – I actually know my way around!

I do need to give the French some credit though. I’d always heard that the French were rude, especially to American tourists, but everyone I met was so friendly and helpful! There were a few times when people would stop to give us directions when we were standing on the street looking confused. And many people would start up conversations even though they didn’t know that much English. That never happens in London! The English people ignore you. A few others in our group had some bad experiences with the French, but I really enjoyed them!

Today was our last fast Sunday here (only one more Sunday – so crazy!) so the bishop invited all of the BYU students to bear their testimonies. It was the perfect opportunity for me to reflect on my time in the ward and remember what a great experience it has been! Though I won’t miss the two hours on the train plus the half hour walk to get to church, and my primary class was out of CONTROL today, I really have loved it. The people have been so welcoming and kind. And I love my primary kids. Every week I’m blown away by how much they already know about the gospel!  

Wandering

A map of our northern travels! (Green shows our stops from this trip, pink shows our stops from the trip two weeks ago)

Monday morning came bright and early as we began our journey north. So early, in fact, that I was dead asleep before we even made it out of London. Four hours later, we made our first stop in Lincoln - e weren’t there very long, just enough time to explore the town and eat lunch. The main highlights were the cathedral, the Victorian prison, and one of the four original copies of the Magna Carta. Mostly we tried to do anything that would get us out of the wind – I seriously thought I might blow off the hill! This wind and bitter cold was only the beginning of what we would experience on the trip. I looked like a marshmallow the entire time because I had to have both my sweatshirt and my jacket!

After Lincoln we were back onto the bus, and three hours later we made it to York. We were all very excited about the hotel we had there – they only had two people to a room, and they were really big! It was so nice to have a little bit more space to myself – I had my own full-size bed! I also had a comforter AND a sheet – amazing.

We spent the evening and the next morning wandering around York. We had lots of free time since our only planned group activity was a tour of the town’s cathedral. (Our tour guide was most enthusiastic about the building – it was very interesting and I enjoyed it, but an hour and half of touring a cathedral is very long, let me tell you.)

My favorite part of the town was a street called The Shambles. It’s basically a street lined with medieval shops, where the top of the building sort of hangs out into the street – kind of like what you see in A Knight’s Tale. I also liked walking on the city wall, as York is the only city left in England that has a wall that goes all the way around it.  Again, we were fighting against the wind so that we wouldn’t blow right off!

The Shambles

City Wall

Tuesday afternoon we continued onward to Edinburgh, Scotland. We arrived in the evening, and Professor Crowe suggested eating dinner at The Elephant House. This café is famous because it is where J.K. Rowling came to work on Harry Potter! So pretty much I ate in the very room that Harry Potter came to be. Also, if you want to join Dumbledore’s Army, you can write your name on the bathroom wall, which is now completely covered in names. I love my fellow Potter fanatics.

After dinner we made our way over to Calton Hill, which overlooks Edinburgh and is the perfect place to watch the sunset. It was beautiful – you can see the whole city, Edinburgh castle, the crags (cliffs), and over to the ocean. The hill was very windy and very cold, but worth it for the view! (But hot chocolate never tasted as good as the cup I had on our way home :) )

View from Calton Hill

We started off our day in Edinburgh (pronounced EH-din-bur-uh) with a tour of Edinburgh castle. This fortress, dating back to the 12^th century, sits on top of a hill overlooking the whole city and has seen centuries of history.  During one part of the tour, our guide was pointing out various parts of the castle and telling us their date of origin. He pointed to one of the gates and said, “That gate is Victorian, only 200 years old or so, so don’t even bother taking a picture.” I love the difference in what Europeans and Americans consider old! Pretty much everything in Utah is younger than that gate, and the Scottish don’t even give it a second thought.

Edinburgh Castle

The castle from below... 

The rest of the day was spent wandering through Edinburgh. We walked for hours and hours, taking in all of the sights. We went through the park where they have a huge clock made out of flowers; down the Royal Mile and through the shops full of plaid; past the Holyrood Palace, where the Queen stays when she visits Scotland; and hiked up Arthur’s Seat, the crags on the eastern (?) side of the city – my favorite view!

Arthur's Seat

After Arthur’s Seat, we had seen a lot of the city, but still had a few hours before we were supposed to meet our other friends for dinner, so we thought it might be fun to walk down to the harbor to see the Royal Yacht. On the map it looked far, but we didn’t really have any other ideas so we just said that if we got tired of walking we would just turn around. The only problem with that plan is that when you don’t know exactly how far away your destination is, it’s really hard to justify turning around because it might be just around the corner. After about 30 minutes of walking, I was starting to think I didn’t want to go too much farther, but it seemed like a waste to come this far if we were almost there. Time kept passing and we had know idea how close we really were, but no one wanted to be the person to suggest turning around and starting the long journey back up the hill. Two hours later – we made it to the harbor only to find out that tours of the yacht had ended a half an hour before. Exhausted, we sprawled out on one of the couches, where Hillary and I just started laughing hysterically. I’m not sure why it was so funny that we had come that way for nothing, but it was. We composed ourselves and took a picture next to the yacht. And then we took the bus back.

The Royal Yacht - this picture is the only thing we have to show for our two hour walk! 

(Note: Scottish people are noticeably nicer than English people! It was weird to go into stores and have the salespeople not seem bothered by your presence.)

On Thursday we were back onto the bus (LOTS of quality bus time this week) on our way to the Lake District. I know I say this a lot, but the scenery was incredible! It’s so … green. When we got to Windermere, the group went on a boat ride around the lake. It was pouring on us for the second half, but you have to ride a boat in the Lake District, right? And it was a good way to see a little bit more of the town!

Our hostel for the night was up in the hills overlooking the lake, so we spent the evening enjoying the view and walking along the country lanes for a little while. (This trip is kind of hard to explain, because so much of it was just wandering and taking in the scenery!)

On Friday we started making our way back to London, but not without a few more stops, of course! The first was in Hawkshead, where we were going to go to the Beatrix Potter Gallery (who’s from the Lake District). After waiting around for an hour for the gallery to open, Professor Miller read the fine print on the sign that said they weren’t open on Fridays. It was too bad – I loved Peter Rabbit when I was little and would have liked to see the gallery!

Hawkshead

Next we were going to hike Holme Fell which, according to Professor Miller, was “shorter and easier than the last hike we had done.” This was false. It turned out to be a four hike up a steep, rocky hill, and through marshy, wet grass. But the view from the top was spectacular and it was a fun adventure, so it was worth it! We just weren’t very prepared for the experience. Many shoes were lost that day. And Tony, our bus driver, was very unhappy when we showed up two hours later than expected.

Goldsworthy art we saw along the trail (We're trying to figure out what modern art pose to do next to the modern art)

View from the top

It was nice to get back to London, even though I spent most of Saturday doing laundry and working on homework. In the evening, Alison, Hillary, and I finally made it over to Trafalgar Square to climb on the lions. We also went through St. James Park and Hyde Park again on our bikes, enjoying the beautiful sunset!