London with Grace: Day 3 (23/5)

Grace and I had already been in London two days and not gone to Harrod's so I had to change that. After breakfast we too the Tube over to Harrod's. It was just opening as we arrived there and once we got inside the first thing we checked out were the food halls. The food halls are just so cool and have so many delicacies, including Krispy Kreme, which is a favorite of Grace's, so naturally we had to pick up a couple doughnuts. They did not disappoint and tasted just like Krispy Kreme does in the US.

After having some doughnuts we looked around the Toy Kingdom and the Pet Kingdom (apparently Harrod's likes monarchy's). I think Grace enjoyed seeing Harrod's and we each got a souvenir. I bought myself a bottle of Burberry London perfume for special occassions (I thought that it doesn't get more legitimate than buying Burberry London while at Harrod's in London) and Grace bought a Cuban cigar, something that she can't get in the US. My perfume was also somewhat special to me because it was a pre-flight ritual of mine to spray on Burberry London from the tester at a store in the airport (as I've mentioned, airports are like malls in Europe) before flying out of Dublin. And the men working the perfume section were so cute in a stereotypical British way.

After we had our stylish green bags from Harrod's we headed over to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. Once we got there Grace could not resist her Cuban any longer and had to light it up. Here is photo evidence:

A video recap of Grace's London experience:

I had to see the sights that my guidebook suggested (as always) so we headed over to the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain (not that great) and the Peter Pan statue. It was a cute statue and we got a cute sister picture in front of it.

Next stop: Baker Street. Yes, we did see 221b Baker Street from the outside but the reason that we traveled there was to go to a Beatles store. Grace got some socks for her friend Nancy that were purple with yellow submarines on them. We then got some coffee drinks and went back to the hostel to start re-packing for our trip to Paris. After getting back to the hostel we also called our mom to update her on our British adventures. Nothing too exciting.

Since it was so good the first time and we don't have a good Thai restaurant at home we couldn't resist going to the Thai restaurant we went to the first night before Les Miz. It was named Thai Square and it was just as good the second time as the first. Grace got a virgin pina colada and we also got a this great chicken dish that tastes just like Tommy's* Thai basil leaves. If you closed your eyes they tasted the same and Grace and I were just shocked. Too bad this place is all the way in London or we would go there all the time.

After dinner Grace and I walked over to Piccadilly Circus to look around and then headed back to the hostel to get ready for our 3:30 am bus to the airport. I had to finished packing and also arrange a taxi to pick us up to take us to the bus that would take us to the airport outside of London. I'm sure you won't be surprised by this, but I freaked out about getting to the airport on time to catch our flight and could barely sleep that night because I was so worried. I also had to call my mother and stress about it to her.

You'll have to tune in next time to see if the Fisher Sisters make it on the plane to Paris!

*Tommy was the owner of Bahn Thai, the Fisher's favorite Thai restaurant. He moved back to Thailand and is very greatly missed, especially his basil leaves and the pork dish #49.

London with Grace: Billy Elliot

Livin' the Dream

Billy Elliot was so amazing the first time that I saw it that Grace decided that she wanted to see it while in London and our neighbors were generous enough to buy us tickets. It was really a dream come true.

After napping we got ready in our hostel to hit the town that night. After getting ready we went to the general area of the theatre and found a restaurant which happened to be Italian. It was good food and we got in with plenty of time to get to the theatre.

Grace and I had tickets for the first row in the Grand Circle which were great seats, although sometimes the rail would get in the way. Also, here was a sign that was in the theatre:

I think it's pretty funny considering the whole show is about embracing dance but apparently Westminster doesn't want any of that happening  in their theatre. Another funny thing is that I've seen 3 different Billies after seeing the show only twice. That is because about halfway through this show one of the Billies went offstage and never came back. Instead the production manager came on stage and told us that he was unable to finish the show and a new Billy would take over. I had my concerns that this Billy would be subpar compared to the other one who I liked, but it was the opposite. This Billy was amazing! And you could tell that he was loving every minute on stage (you can always tell who is really having fun out there).

Here are some other points about the show:

• I had the same Michael and Mrs. Wilkinson (no complaints) but a different Dad and Debbie.
• I frequently shouted "Billy Elliot" during it because I loved it so much.
• Grace loved it too, so much so that she got a t-shirt that matches the one that I got in February.
• Grace and I waited outside the stage door and saw many of the little girls come out, as well as the actor who played the brother (which I thought did a great job!)

After a great show the two of us took the Tube to the hostel, talking about how fantastic it was all the way back.

London with Grace: Day 2 (22/5)

London is so magical

Our second day in London started off uneventful- we woke up at 9:30 and ate breakfast in our hostel before hitting the town. Our hostel was fairly close to Westminster so we started there. As many of you know, having photo shoots with my sister is one of my favorite things to do so we climbed on a lamppost on Westminster bridge and shot some pictures...

...actually I was kinda chicken so Grace climbed on the lamppost first.

And we posed while people stared at us.

Precious

And while we were shooting photos....

...we took the necessary London snapshot.

Grace on Millenium Bridge

After taking a bunch of pictures we began a stroll down the Thames, crossing it at Millennium Bridge. Grace saw Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on one of our maps (I usually carry around mulitple) and said she wanted to check it out so that was our destination.

Here are some facts we learned while on the Globe Theatre tour:

• Shakespeare's Globe Theatre was made with all the original materials, including a thatched roof. The original Globe's thatched roof lead to its downfall when a flaming ball of rags used as a cannonball during a performance of Henry VIII got lodged in it and set the roof on fire. Thatched roofs are banned in London (because they are a fire hazard)but this replica is allowed to have one.
• The Globe Theatre's season is from April to October. Shows are not longer performed in the winter because the actors and the audience are exposed to the elements, which brings me to my next point...
• The actors perform during the rain. The Globe is somewhat doughnut shaped and therefore the stage can get rained on, but the show must go on.
• Actors who perform in the Globe have to learn to "play the building." Because they do not use mics the thespians must learn where the dead spots are and how to make sure they are heard throughout the entire house.
• We also got to watch some actors rehearse (Henry VIII)

After the tour we got matching bags that say "All the World's a Stage" in the gift shop.

We had already accomplished one "must" in London (taking pictures in a phonebooth) so up next was mastering riding the Tube. Grace and I bought a day pass for the Tube, got a map, and descended into the bowels of London. Our first destination...

Abbey Road

Our second destination...

Platform 9 3/4

We worked up an appetite visiting all these tourist attractions so Grace and I bought a ham and cheese sandwich to split at King's Cross. After that we were pretty tired so we decided to head back to the hostel so that we could nap before seeing Billy Elliot.

London: Les Miserables

(Written the night of the show, May 21, 2010, from my hostel in London)

Tonight Gracie and I went to go fulfill another lifelong dream of mine: seeing Les Miserables in the West End and it did not disappoint.

We had a long day getting to London and doing some sightseeing, so before going to the three hour long show Grace and I snuck in a little nap. After resting we got all dolled up to go to the theatre, Grace wearing her cute little coral coloured dress and me in my black Ann Taylor dress. After all, going to the theatre is all about the experience and dressing up is part of that.

Another part of that is getting dinner beforehand. While walking over to Piccadilly Circus we saw a Thai restaurant that had a deal for a three course "Pre-Theatre" meal for 15 GBP so we stopped in there. The food was very good (amazing Pad Thai) and we got a lot of it too. I, of course, was very stressed* that we would not get to the show in time but my fears proved to be unfounded.

We got to the theatre and I squealed a lot, as I do when I get excited. When people asked me what I wanted to do when I went abroad I told them that the only thing that I had to do was see Les Miz in the West End and here I was standing in front of the Queen's Theatre with my ticket in hand.

A very excited me

Fulfilling dreams is fun!

We got in a took our seats in the upper circle, row J, which was not necessarily close to the action but also not a bad view. And the the show started.

• I loved the set and how it rotated around and the way that it was used. Very cool. I'm sure it would have been even cooler seeing it from more of a ground level. Being up so high we did see a couple of characters that should have been dead come back to life, drink some water, fix their hair, and then die again.
• "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" was a tearjerker, as was Fantine's death scene and the ending.
• The actors had amazing voices (I would expect no less). The actors playing Eponine, Jean Valjean, and Enjolras were especially talented.
• Little Cosette was adorable!
• I thought I would cry a lot more. Maybe it was because I was already familiar with the story.

Afterwards we took a black cab home which just added to the phenominal London experience. Seriously, my life could not get any better when I was riding in a black cab coming home from Les Miserables in the West End wearing a cocktail dress with my little sister.

*Throughout the entire trip I was stressed but luckily I had Grace there to calm me down and remind me that sometimes you just need to take it easy.

London with Grace: Day 1 (21/5)

Welcome to London!

(I don't feel like I'm in London until I see Big Ben)

Here is the last couple hours in Dublin and our first couple hours in London with a few bullets:

1. Left Roebuck Hall for the last time at 4:45 am after packing and cleaning that night.
2. Took cab to airport.
3. Tried desperately to rearrange things in order to avoid fees.
4. The flight was scheduled to leave at 7:55 am but was delayed but we didn't care because as soon as we sat down in the plane we fell asleep.
5. Took train to Victoria Station and took black cab to hostel.
6. Nice hostel worker named David at the Walrus Waterloo Hostel (I would recommend it).
7. Went out to explore London!
8. First went past Westminster to Trafalgar Square, stopping for lunch.
9. Went to see Buckingham Palace and took some pictures of it. A nice lady offered to give us directions.
10. Walked over to Piccadilly Circus.
11. Grace bought a purse made of candy wrappers near Piccadilly Circus.
12. Bought Billy Elliot tickets for tomorrow night (35 GBP each) which was a generous gift from the Wittenberg family who are our neighbors.
13. Headed back to hostel for short nap and to get ready to see Les Miserables (and fulfill a dream of mine).

Goodbyes

My last view of Ireland from the plane

After arriving back in Galway where the Cliffs of Moher tour ended it came time to do the thing that I had been dreading since about Day 2 in Dublin. That, of course, was saying goodbye to Laura. While in Ireland Laura was my best friend, confidant, roomie, and partner in crime. It is really tough to put into words exactly what she meant to me while I was abroad, so it obviously extremely hard to say goodbye to her. Not to mention, she lives in Melbourne so it was not like if I started missing her I could see her without flying 36 hours.

Anyway, we found the bus back to Dublin from Galway and I (of course) started crying. We didn't want to drag it out too much though and I got on the bus with Grace while everyone was staring at me because I was obviously crying (it's not like that is the first time that has happened).

Grace and I got into Dublin around 10 pm and took the last walk to the bus stop. I didn't want to say goodbye to the city that had welcomed me 4.5 months ago, but, as Andrea Bocelli would say, it was "time to say goodbye."

And when we got back to UCD is was not pretty. Basically I had to pack my life up into three suitcases and try to get it underweight before our 7:55 am flight to London. My distress is somewhat evident in my blog entry for that day. I let Grace sleep and began packing (while playing Glee on my computer). We didn't get our bags underweight but everything was packed and ready when we got the cab to the airport at about 5 am.

And before I knew it I was on a plane flying away from the country that became my home...

The Cliffs of Moher and Burren

Laura, me, Grace

We woke up rested in the Amber Lodge B&B and after packing headed downstairs for the full Irish breakfast. We ate our share and then left the bed and breakfast. Our first stop was Laura's hostel for the next night so that we could drop her baggage off before the tour we booked. The tour was with Galway Tour Company and was going to take us around the Burren, which is the land on the west coast of Ireland to the South of Galway and to the famous Cliffs of Moher. The tour was full of all sort of sights, though, and here they are!

First up was the fairy fort. A fairy fort is a fort from the early people of Ireland that is basically a ring of earth that their huts were within. Also, in the center of the fort was a small tunnel that went into the ground. This was used as a sort of ancient refrigerator. The people would simply bring their food down their to keep it cool. However, after these people had left and others found the fairy forts they believed that the tunnel must have been where the fairies came out of the earth, hence the name "fairy fort." It was a very green and beautiful place and the entire time my eyes were peeled for leprechauns; if they were here I was not going to find them anywhere.

Fairy Fort

Can you see the leprechaun?

Up next were the dolmens. These are megalithic tombstones. It is essentially a few rocks laid on one another to form a structure and the body is buried underneath. They are scattered all over Ireland and basically just look like a pile of rocks. Many people don't even know they are looking at them and even if they do they still just look like a pile of rocks.

Dolmen

While on the bus the driver pointed out the famine walls. These walls were built by people during the famine in exchange for food and government aid. It was basically the CCC English style (Ireland was then part of the UK). The major difference between this relief (which came from England, who many criticize as not helping the Irish people enough during the famine) and the New Deal's CCC is that these walls served absolutely no purpose. They were simply walls running up and down the mountainside that were built so the British had a reason to give the Irish food because the British refused to give them something for nothing, even food that keep them alive. All in all, I've learned that The Great Famine is simply depressing; there seems to be absolutely no silver lining to it unless you were worried that the island was getting too crowded.

After driving through the Burren landscape we stopped in Doolin, which is known for its traditional Irish music. We got lunch at a pub and the food was just ok, nothing to write home about and since my blog is in a sense a way to "write home," I'm not going to write about it.

Up next was the main event: The Cliffs of Moher. They are one of the things in Ireland that everyone has heard of or been to, and I have to say, they did not disappoint me. They are just so massive and powerful that  I couldn't help but be taken away by them. We walked up to the cliffs and there was a wall around them so that people would not blow off. Although you may chuckle at this it is not something that they take lightly after too many people have met their fate falling the 700 feet off the cliffs. There is even a memorial there for these victims. Anyway, the wall was distracting from our oneness with nature so we went over to the area that was apparently private property. That of course did not stop hundreds of tourists from going onto this private property and taking in the cliffs without a wall in their way.

And so we took a walk on the wild side (literally) and went into the "private property." As we were taking pictures there a couple that seemed to be kind of giddy asked us to take their picture. While they were posing a man passed and said congratulations to the couple. Then I noticed the giant diamond on the woman's hand so I asked if they just got engaged and she said yes! The man had proposed on the Cliffs of Moher! How cute. And then they snacked on some apples.

The rest of our time at the cliffs consisted of the three of us basking in the sunlight and watching the waves hit the cliffs. It was simply perfect.