TFC: the last of London

one [Sat, 12-Dec / Sun, 13-Dec]

I awoke to a beautiful London sunny Saturday shining in through my curtains and onto my bare walls and packed luggage.  This was it, the final day…

Avey and I headed north to the place we shared so many memories throughout the semester: Camden Town.  We strolled through the market stalls, Avey stopped for some nachos, and we ended our brief visit at The World’s End pub, a place we spent several hours and several pints.  We curled up next to the fireplace, sipped our final snakebites, and reminisced about our times there…….and then 100+ Brits dressed as Santas bombarded the pub!  The entire place filled with them while there were hundreds more outside screaming “What do we want?! CHRISTMAS! When do we want it?! NOW!”  It was precisely the note Marie and Avey Camden time needed to end on.

We quickly stopped in Russell Square so Avey could pick up a few final souvenirs at a bookshop she visited during the semester.  We quickly headed back to South Kensington for our 3pm pre-departure flat inspection.  After getting a thumbs up, we headed to Covent Garden and Seven Dials, another area we wanted to say a final farewell to.  I had one final errand on my list in Holborn: visiting the Princess Louise pub, a perfectly preserved old school pub featuring ornate decorations and 8 separate room divisions around the bar.  It was definitely the coolest pub I went to in London, and I’m glad I saved it for the end.  The night was well upon us, so we again headed home for a final pub meal at our local, The Zetland Arms.  We were joined by Mike and all indulged in classic pub grub.  I savored every bite of my Welsch Rarebit with chips and every sip of my final Strongbow pint.

Back to Manson Place we went for final showers and a few hours of shut eye.  We arose at 1:30am for a cup of tea and final packing.  The Marist men returned to the flat and even thought they were drunk they were a great help in getting my 90 pounds of luggage down the 5 flight Mount Manson walk-up, where we stored our luggage in John’s flat on the first floor.  Saying goodbye to our flatmates was definitely strange, but considering we all go to school in Poughkeepsie it was more of a see you later–much more manageable!

Avey and I then embarked on our final London adventure: 3am breakfast at Vingt Quatre, a 24-hour bar/restaurant in the neighboring area of Chelsea.  One of the very few 24-hour eateries in London, it was no surprise that we arrived to a 45 minute queue of extremely drunk and hungry yet still posh (that’s what you get in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea!) Brits.  I can confidently say it was well worth the wait.  Our final meal was a very metaphoric one: Avey had the American Breakfast (pancakes=US) while I indulged in the Full English Breakfast and a Bloody Mary, the final legal cocktail.

We strolled through the borough for the final time and arrived back at Manson Place at 5am with a bit of time to spare before our 5:30am cab.  It came and we were off to Heathrow.  That was probably one of the strangest car rides of my entire life, and I will never forget the last glance of Manson Place I took over my shoulder or the last street sign I saw before entering the airport: the very quintessentially named Devonshire Passage.

My bags just made it in under the weight restrictions (phew!), security went smoothly, and we killed some time in the duty free shopping areas and chatting to a fellow traveler in Costa Coffee.  Our flight crew went MIA so we boarded a bit late, but soon enough we were in our seats with our luggage stowed, our seat backs upright, and our tray tables locked.  And up we went, engulfed by the dense London clouds I so often admired from the ground…

Cheerio!

TFC: London life

two [Fri, 11-Dec]

Lauren, John and I began our day at the Geffrye Museum to learn about the history of the British middle class through their interiors.  It was a very interesting and approachable museum.  Displaying rooms as a guide to presenting lifestyle was a great approach, especially during their “Christmas Past” exhibition where all of the period rooms are decorated with traditional festivity.  Obviously I loved learning about the history of Christmas and its celebration!

From Old Street we headed south across the London Bridge to Southwark for a evening of pub/bar hopping.  We began at The Anchor, a riverside multi-room pub recommended by our teacher Giles.  Lauren and I had our first and last pint of London Gold while John savored a Guinness.  With that coating over our stomachs, we sought dinner and the easiest/quickest solution was Gourmet Burger Kitchen, a chain in London voted as having the best burgers in town.  We walked it off along the Thames Path to Waterloo Bridge and The Riverfront bar/restaurant at the BFI Southbank Centre.  I always love spending time Thames-side and looking out onto a twinkling London was precisely where I wanted to be on my final Friday night.  I’m so glad I got to catch a few final glimpses at the breathtakingly lit Tower Bridge, St. Paul’s, London Eye, Houses of Parliament, etc…

Before catching the Tube at Waterloo, we stopped for a final pint at Hole in the Wall, a pub located next to the station and under a train overpass; the sounds of passing trains could be heard and felt, a very cool feature.  We then embarked on my last late-night, just-before-it-closes Tube ride, and I savored every second of it.

Beatles, Bowie, & Bond

Another afternoon to fill…

I decided on treating myself to the Beatles to Bowie exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery.  I again traveled via bus and stumbled upon a Ghost Forest in Trafalger Square!  The exhibit was one I was looking forward to for quite a while, despite the £9 entry fee…with a student concession, and it definitely lived up to my expectations.  The best part had to be reading all of the curator cards and recognizing not only the faces and song titles, but also the London locations where the photos were taken.  It was a great reminder that I am currently living in the city where so many of the musicians and pop icons I idolize got their inspiration, their start, and their iconic image.

After making a quick pit/tea stop at home, I enlisted Mike into heading to the Bond Noel Christmas celebration….and good thing we actually mobilized, since it ended up being one of the most surprisingly ‘worth it’ trips in London yet.  The star of the West End’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Anna Friel, was this year’s “Bond Girl” (so clever), and we inadvertently snagged a spot near the Tiffany & Co. store where she made her entrance.  The street was transformed to a winter wonderland thanks to fake snow, fir trees, and reindeer!  Besides the ridiculously aesthetically appealing high-end retail we strolled through after the switch-on, almost every store was giving away free booze and treats.  Now that’s the festive frugalista spirit!

posing!

reindeer!

Anna Friel at the podium

Anna Friel paparazzi shot

stage

festive Tiffany’s

Ghost Forest in Trafalger Square

Ghost Forest in Trafalger Square

Ghost Forest in Trafalger Square

Primrose & Carnaby

I decided to accomplish a flanerie adventure I’ve been meaning to embark on for a while now: Primrose Hill and Village.  I decided to head up by bus–my newly preferred method of transit as I realize that my days in London are numbered and I want to soak up as much of it as I can, something that is less successfully accomplished while ‘gophering’ on the tube.  My first task was soaking in the panoramic views from atop the Hill; second, strolling through the quaint village at my leisure, including stops into Primrose Hill Books, an adorable children’s bookshop (Tales on Moon Lane), the famous Primrose Bakery, and tea time at The Engineer.  All in all, extremely successful, as the photos below will hopefully prove.

On my way south through London I made a quick pit-stop at Carnaby Street for its Christmas Light Switch-On.  Famous for embodying the heart of “Swinging London,” the theme reflected the 40th anniversary of the decade in which the street became immortalized.

“Merry November!”

So, Tuesday night was basically the culmination of several magical Marie things in London:

1) Disney (if you know me at all you should know why this is number 1)

2) premiere of the new 3-D A Christmas Carol in Leicester Square (thanks to PipeDream Theatre I was in an original musical adaptation of it my senior year of high school and on the original cast recording, 3 Ghosts, in 2007)

3) epic, star-studded Christmas Light Switch On in honor of the premiere, including Colin Firth at the Regent Street stage (obviously where I was…hello Love Actually!), Jim Carrey at Oxford Circus, a ballet at St. Paul’s, and Andrea Boccelli at Leicester Square.

4) attempt and success at breaking the World Record for largest group of carolers singing at one time (don’t think I didn’t belt out every song they played, including my favorite “Silent Night” led by Andrea Boccelli!)

5) Londontown = Christmastown: the lights are on, the stores are decorated, and Starbucks’ red cups can be seen for miles.

I guess when you don’t have the Thanksgiving holiday holding you back, why not go for it?  Just when I thought I couldn’t be more in love with London, it had to go and be the most festive place ever.  I think this is as close as life will come to living in a city run by Disney.  Life even felt like a musical when people were walking down the streets singing along to the Christmas songs being played before and after the event.  Heaven?  Absolutely.

But yes, I do realize it’s only the beginning of November and that over 2 months of Christmas is a bit much…but then again of all people in this world I am the one who cares the least.  Viva la festivity!  As Colin Firth wittily added to the host’s “Merry Christmas!” sign off, “Or Merry November!”

fireworks!

Sightseeing Bus = Press Pit

the first tree to see!

street band

Regent Street

A Christmas Carol

I also took a bunch of videos….coming soon…..(oh the anticipation!)