Sangria Saturday

"The recession is no excuse to drink bad wine"

That’s why we made sangria out of 3 for £10 bottles of Chardonnay and Merlot from Tesco!

The majority of the Marist flat contingent is out and about traveling (boys in Amsterdam, girls and a couple in Paris), so the Vassar kids are holding down the fort along with Aly, Trisha, and Alana from Marist.  Besides the obvious bonuses of reducing the amount of people in the flat to a mildly reasonable level, the highlight must be the kitchen availability.  We seized the opportunity and decided to make a batch of red (with apples, pears, and kiwis) and a batch of white (with peach schnapps and pineapple) sangria last night before going out in preparation for Sangria Saturday.  There have been talks of such an event since arrival, and it’s nice to have it finally come to fruition.  Needless to say, it’s going to be a delicious day!

I knew staying in London on the weekends would have its perks

First Out Cafe Bar

‘Ello mates!  I write to you from First Out Cafe Bar in Soho.  Avey and I decided to escape the blaring sound of Rock Band and idle flatmates in favor of spending some night time in a neighborhood that isn’t royal.  I hope to get a few posts done, but I’m running low on battery, there are no plugs (then why free wi-fi?!), and it closes at 11pm.  Here’s hoping!  And here are some photos from our journey here in the meantime:

Chinatown

Chinatown

Chinatown

First Out Cafe Bar

Avey!

Sublime Sunday

*reading this post requires a map! go utilize Google Maps: Notting Hill, London, UK*

My first Sunday in London was exactly what I wanted it to be!  I headed off on my first solo-adventure without any time constraints, bag stocked with my A to Z map, Let’s Go London guide, and Not For Tourists guide, with one goal: to follow any whim that should come over me!

First stop was 11:30 a.m. mass at Our Lady of Victories on Kensington High Street.  It was wonderful and the church was beautiful; it had a peaceful alcove that set the church back from the bustle of High St.  After the service, I noticed a statue of St. Therese and decided to donate and light a candle in front of her.  She is my patron saint as well as my grandmother’s (we share the name Marie Therese), and it just seemed too good to be true that she would be a permanent fixture in my local church.  It was very comforting, just like the mass, and served as the perfect way to start off my day!

Next, I decided to head north on Kensington Church Street to Notting Hill Gate to explore the area.  I first walked along the famous Portobello Road to the market named after it, explored the side streets like Elgin Crescent, then headed across Westbourne Grove and through the residential Pembrige Villas and Pembridge Road.  I absolutely loved how eclectic the area was; the alternative and thrifty shops along Portobello Rd. neighbored a beautiful area of boutiques and more upscale shops that definitely had a heavy Italian influence.  All in all, I definitely feel as though I successfully explored the area, though I’m sure there’s much more to it!  There were so many cute places that I can’t wait to return to.  I tried to document my journey as best as I could via pictures, stopping to snap anything that caught my eye or any time I found myself saying “wow” in my head.  Flying solo really came in handy in this respect, since I got to stop whenever I wanted without feeling like holding others back and got to wander without the burden of inconveniencing others by getting a little off course.

I eventually headed back down to Notting Hill Gate, where I met up with Mike who headed up to the area through Kensington Gardens.  We headed home together and decided to explore the park more in doing so, including crossing over The Serpentine into Hyde Park.  It was extremely serene and refreshing, and the scapes were unreal!

As if the day wasn’t sweet enough, my Vassar flatmates and I decided to whip up a (very large) batch of homemade cookies for the flat.  In addition to using UK measurements (big moment) they featured delicious chunks of Cadbury chocolate and the UK equivalent of a Heath Bar.  Besides being delicious, it was great to have heat and sweet aromas from the kitchen, and it was really nice bonding with our other flatmates.  Nothing brings people together like the smell of fresh baked cookies!  Ironically enough, they are from Marist; Poughkeepsie relocated?  A bit, but it’s nice to have a little piece of home at our temporary home.

Walkway into Alcove

Our Lady of Victories alcove

Fountain for the Blessed Mother

Rouge Cafe – Kensington Church Street

Lancer Square entrance

Lancer Square…a little shopping/dining oasis!

The Churchill Arms

striking on Kensington Church Street

funny bus stop sign

Notting Hill Gate

Portobello Market directional sign

I can spot that tongue from a mile away!

I’ll take the pink one, k thanks

actually, that pink one!

“A teenage excursion”

(from across the street)

The Travel Bookshop

look familiar?

(from across the street)

where I would be taking daddy <l3

I read about this slogan art in the NY Times Magazine

my first London boutique!

tea!!!!

pictoral note for (hopeful) future reference

my first free sample!

my second.

The Broad Walk thru Kensington Gardens

The Sunken Gardens walkway

The Sunken Gardens

random royalty everywhere!

panoramic of the lake: 1

2

3

Bandstand

“Physical Energy”

nuzzling bears = cutest fountain ever

modern & historical

The Serpentine

West Carraige Drive

beautiful structure…and a bar!

Emerging onto Kensington Road

First UK Cookies!

As you can hopefully see, it was probably my favorite day thus far.

Home Away From Home

*Disclaimer: the photographic medium cannot and will not do what I’m seeing justice!*

Driving from Heathrow to South Kensington was breathtaking (on two levels: nerves from being on the left side of the road; sheer architectural beauty and character).  So much to explore!  But also a lot of business to take care of…

First stop: Metrogate House on Queen’s Gate Terrace, the 24-hour Residential Life reception, to pick up our keys.

Queen's Gate Terrace...move over, Brownstones

Then to Manson Place to put them to use!  Up four flights of stairs to Flat 17, first left into room F.

First Glance at Manson Place

17F

Kitchen/Living Room

The best feature of my room: the window.  I mentioned before coming that I hoped to have a decent one with a good view, and that apparently went from my lips to God’s ears!  It lets in amazing light all day and makes the four-floor walk-up totally worth it.

My favorite moment so far in my room has to be waking up to the sunrise on my first morning in London, and realizing how grateful I am for the window situation.  After getting only 5 hours, I woke up with a full bladder, an aching body, and a brain with way too many things to think about.  So, I stayed up…

The Break of Day and More Adventures

To the left - Queen's Gate

I was told that London has a certain “glow” about it, something that already became evident during my first but was extremely confirmed by this moment.  Another amazing day was ahead of me, but first a hot shower while every one else is still asleep…