Sunday, October 31, 2010

This is Halloween! This is Halloween!

The Brits may not know how to celebrate Halloween...but the girls (and boys) of 27 Palace Court sure do.















Happy Halloween! From our flat, to yours.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

The best one yet.

So I’m still a tad bit behind in my blogging, but my goal is to catch up this week. I’m almost there! I would also just like to point out that I’ve been better at writing in my journal the past couple of weeks. Just in case you’re wondering. Yay for me! Anyways, here it is…

The best week yet, other than maybe France, was last week. I LOVED every single thing about it (other than maybe Sunday, when I had to teach the chastity lesson to a room full of teenage boys…but that’s a whoooole other story).  So we’ll just start with Monday.

Monday began with letters from my mom, my dad, and a poem from Elena. My dad is possibly the funniest person that I know (second only to LeAnn) and this is why:

“Olivia, I am writing this card because mom is making me so I am pretending that I am writing something profound and inspirational, so as long as I look like I am writing you something and I seal the envelope I won’t get in trouble. Well I am running out of words and, thank goodness, out of space, and now I can go to bed so I can get up and go to work to pay for your wonderful trip. I love you and miss you and am pooped. Love you, Dad.
PS This is why mom gets the better rest homes.”

Thanks dad, love you too.


Monday night we went to….the BALLET!!! At the Royal Opera House…which is beautiful.  I loved every minute of it. It was four different mini ballets all in one show it just made me so happy.


Wednesday was our day trip and it was fabulous. We stopped first at Sandham Memorial, which is a little chapel filled with paintings commemorating the Great War. I didn’t know very much about it, but the paintings portrayed the love and brotherhood of war rather than horrors, and it was such a good feeling to sit in that tiny room and just appreciate it all.


Next was Jane Austen’s house, and only those of you who know me best can comprehend how happy this made me. I’ll admit, I’ve found most of the houses that we’ve visited to be not terribly exciting…but I LOVED Austen’s. She’s my favorite author, and to see where she lived and where she wrote her books had me giddy. I celebrated with a copy of Emma and a copy of Persuasion straight out of the 50s, complete with colored illustrations. I know I should probably find a better adjective to describe this experience, but happy is just too perfect. After that we made a quick stop at Salisbury Cathedral, which was gorgeous and probably one of my favorites so far.





After that we took off to the one and only Stonehenge, which also was just amazing. It was so incredible to see something that I’ve learned about and seen pictures of my entire life. And to see where Tess dies in Tess of the D’Urbervilles, which was probably my favorite part about the whole thing (shout out to Mrs. Clark…and Ben). So lucky once again for sunshine, but it was still as cold as a winter’s day. My only regret? Not buying a “Stonehenge Rocks” t-shirt. What was I thinking?



On Friday, rather than our regular London Study, we took a second day trip and set out for Portsmouth –home of the HMS Victory—the oldest warship in the world. Also the ship used in Master and Commander. It really was so incredible to be able to tour the ship and see what life would have been like for the people who lived on it back then. Sadly, we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside, but it really was amazing. Fun fact for the day: When Lord Nelson—captain of the ship during the Battle of Trafalgar—passed away on the ship, he asked to not be buried at sea, but rather in his homeland. So the men stored his body in a barrel of rum, which preserved it perfectly. And then all the men drank the rum in a toast to Nelson. Lovely isn’t it?

  


After touring the ship we set out to find the Cadbury chocolate factory—the true reason for the trip. We all stocked up with enough chocolate to last the rest of the trip, as well as to bring plenty home to our families.


And then it was on to Brighton! Where we played on the beach, ate fish and chips on the pier, and just enjoyed the sunshine. We finished up with some homemade donuts, and got back on the coach to head to our final destination...the London temple. I loved being able to see it and a few of us were able to go inside, so we stayed for most of the night.





Sadly, we ended this fabulous week with a Jane Austen test on Saturday, but the rest of the week was so great that I honestly just didn’t even care. Now tomorrow we leave for a weekend in Wales and lots of more exciting things to see. Yay for London! Cheers!

Monday, October 25, 2010

North trip.

So two weeks ago we hopped on the coach and took off for the extremely long drive to…the NORTH!!! Where the wind is even colder and the wifi is extremely overpriced. But really though, I loved it. It was a very relaxed week with lots of free time to explore and amazing things to see.

Our first day consisted mostly of driving, with stops at Chatsworth (aka Mr. Darcy’s house) and the Bronte Parsonage. I absolutely loved it because a) I’m in love with Mr. Darcy, and his house, and b) I love the Bronte sisters. Chatsworth was absolutely incredible, with large, elaborate rooms, filled with famous artwork, and surrounded by gorgeous gardens. The Bronte Parsonage wasn’t nearly as incredible, but still just as fun to see. It was just a little house tucked away next to a little church in a little town, but it’s always exciting to see the homes of people you admire.








Day two began with a tour of York Cathedral, followed by a day entirely to ourselves to shop, explore, and eat. I realize that this doesn’t sound like anything special, but I don’t think we’ve ever been so excited for anything the whole trip. Free time is something that doesn’t exist here at the center, and to be given an ENTIRE DAY of it had us giddy. I celebrated with a new pair of rain boots and a pretty new dress, along with Little Caesar’s Pizza and a Starbucks steamer.   
Day three: Durham Cathedral, which I’m sure would have been incredible, but sadly, our tour guide was extremely dull and we just couldn’t wait to get out of there. Next we went to Bede’s World, which is an entire museum dedicated to Bede the monk. Don’t know who Bede is? Neither did I, due to the fact that I didn’t do the reading. But that doesn’t mean that I didn’t love dressing up like him. After that we headed out to Hadrian’s Wall, which was built in AD 122 and marked the extent of the Holy Roman Empire. Not terribly exciting, but the view from the top was very pretty.





And then we were in Ambleside! An absolutely beautiful town in the Lake District, right off of Lake Windermere. Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything as gorgeous as that lake. Our hostel was right off of the water, and the view was so fantastic that it might have been worth the disgusting cafeteria food. While we were there we saw Dove Cottage, which was the home of the poet William Wordsworth, and Beatrix Potter’s home—where I may or may not have bought a pop-up Peter Rabbit book for my little nephew Nate (I told you Ash, I can’t do secrets. Surprise!) And then we took a boat ride across the lake, which was freezing, but so pretty. 

Day five was probably my favorite. On our way home, we got to stop in Preston to take a church history tour, where we saw the place where President Hinckley first preached on his mission, the home in which Heber C. Kimball, Joseph Fielding, and Orson Hyde lived while serving in England, and the river in which the first members of the church in England were baptized. Then on to the Preston Temple! Sadly, we didn’t get to go inside, but it was still fun to go and see it. After that we stopped in Liverpool for a total of 28 minutes, which wasn’t enough time at all, but we did get to see the dock where all of the members of the church left from to start their trek to the states.  




And then we got to sit on the coach and sleep/watch movies for the remaining three hours back to the center. Such a good way to end such a fabulous week.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

A Quick Recap.

Soooo I’ve been a major slacker on the blogging lately. I’m starting to be as horrible at blogging as I am at journal writing, and I’m so disappointed in myself. It’s a good thing I like picture taking, otherwise there would be nothing left of me after I die. If only I could have the journal writing skills of my mother, and the blogging skills of my sister—I could be the ultimate historian. But since I have neither, I’ll just have to make do with the little skill that I have and try to get caught up. So, in the last three weeks I have...

Gone paddle-boating in Regent’s Park. We woke up to sun that morning and were thrilled to finally have nice enough weather to play in the park. Sadly, it started to rain by midday, as it usually does here in London…but we went and loved it anyway.



Witnessed a Shakespearean play as a groundling at the Globe. We saw Merry Wives of Windsor, and it’s officially my new favorite comedy of his.



Traveled to Stratford-Upon-Avon to see 5 different houses that all had to do with Shakespeare’s life. Personally, I probably could’ve been satisfied after just two, but why not see his wife’s house, his mother’s house, and his daughter’s house while you’re in the area?


Seen Kew Gardens. They’re huge and amazing, with different green houses for plants from all over the world, and a bridge built up above the trees that sways in the wind. Sadly it was pouring the entire time, so we didn’t last long, but hopefully I can eventually make it back there on a sunny day.


Toured Glastonbury…the remains of a Cathedral where King Arthur and his wife were believed to be buried.



 Hiked to the top of this mountain to see that ruin



Walked through that gardens of Stourhead—where the proposal scene in Pride and Prejudice was filmed. Also the most beautiful place in the entire world—I’ve could’ve spent all day there, but we left after about an hour in order to get to…




Bath. The city of the Roman baths, Assembly Halls, and really great shopping. Sadly, no shopping actually occurred due to time restraints, but the window displays were fabulous.



And then we took off on the coach for the extremely long ride to the North…which deserves an entire blog entry completely to itself. So, to be continued.