Saturday 8 November 2014

Venezia!

Venice is the floating, sinking city. So you might want to find your way over there before it becomes a modern day Atlantis. This was the second time i had the privilege of visiting Venice. And before both visits i was warned of the odor the city is known for. There was none. It was winter during both visits and maybe that's why there was no special 'smell' that everyone was talking about. So if you don't like your cities to smell then perhaps visit in winter.

The other thing about Venice is the birds. The Giant mutant birds that dominate St Mark's square. Walk through that square with food  and prepare to be attacked. I'm speaking from experience here.

When you step out of the train station it's like a completely different world. A water world filled with Canal after canal, arching bridges, little (and expensive) cafes by the waters edge and gondolas, everywhere.  It's stunning. i could spend a lifetimes exploring all the little alleyways and hidden canals and never tire of it.


Like most places throughout Italy there are souvenir shops in abundance, in Venice, Venetian masks and Venetian glass ( murano glass) is the top stocked items. The sheer amount of them and the different kinds makes choosing a mask or a piece of Venetian glass almost impossible. So you may follow my path and just buy a suitcase full of everything that caught your eye. 
This may sound a little pretentious, however i love wearing one one of my Venetian glass necklaces or masks if i'm going to a fancy dress and being able to say "i got it in Venice" when asked. They are great mementos and lovely little talking pieces that can instantly take you back to your memories of this amazing city.


The other thing about Venice in the winter/later seasons is that the city has a slight tendency to flood and become completely covered in water, sometimes waist deep. So they have these platforms stacked up all over the city in case it does flood and they become raised walkways. This was the same during both of my visits, however this latest time the platforms had been tagged with these sayings; "You have never respected water, why should she respect you?" There were a few different ones in English and Italian in some kind of protest against tourism? the residents? the government? i have no idea, but they were pretty cool.   


If you have the time i would highly recommend seeing a glass blowing demonstration for the Venetian glass, it is an incredible sight to witness. 

Venice is probably one of the places i am most dying to get back to.

Tuesday 28 October 2014

Roma!

No matter how many times you visit Rome, it is more beautiful then you could ever remember. I've been twice and am still hanging for a third trip. There is extraordinary amounts of history throughout Italy but it is especially prevalent in Rome, considering their is another country within the city, it's no surprise. 
The architecture is incredible, while there aren't any particularity high buildings in the city (not including St Paul's Basilica of course) the sheer amount of detail in the adornments is mesmerising.
The Colosseum is probably the first stop on everyone's sightseeing list. Unfortunately for us, it had scaffolding around the majority of it. (luckily for me, i had already seen it, sans scaffolding) 
late 2013


early 2012



















Another iconic landmark is the Spanish steps. Unfortunately in winter you won't find them adorned with beautiful flowers. They are pretty lovely non the less, especially when running off from the steps are three alleyways containing all of the designer brands that normal people can't afford. On the right of the steps is a Mary Shelley and Keats museum and it was actually where Keats use to live, which is pretty amazing. On the left is a tea room, Babington's Tea Room, opened in 1893 and while it's a little pricey, it is an amazing experience




If you are interested in Ancient History then a visit to the Roman Forum is a must. See the ruins of the Roman Republic and the masterpieces that are still hanging on today.

Shopping, like everywhere, is abundant. And if you're like me and love to buy tacky souvenirs then you will never be in short supply of them. You see the most fashionable people walking around and all you want to do is go and buy some fancy clothes so people can look at you like that, and so you can feel more fashionable too. During both of my visits i don't think i saw one unfashionable local.Unfashionable tourists however are the norm.

You can't go to Rome without visiting the Vatican. Considering it's technically it's own country, the Pope lives there and it has it's own post office! it's a pretty amazing place. The Swiss guard are everywhere in their traditional (hilarious) uniforms and you have to go through security to enter the museum and all that. The Museum is extensive to say the least. Give yourself a couple of days if you want to see every single section. The painting by  Michelangelo on the roof of the Sistine Chapel is the must see. You aren't allowed to take photos and the Chapel itself is surprisingly dark, however it is incredible. A work of brilliance. If you have the time, the climb to the top of St Paul's Basilica Dome is an incredible experience. Terrifying for those that don't like heights to enclosed spaces...or risk of plummeting to your death, but still amazing and something really worth doing at least once in your life.
View from the top of St Paul's during my first time in the Vatican (i didn't climb it the most recent time)


Thursday 23 October 2014

Firenze!

The second time i went to Italy and Florence was with Contiki. The second experience there was filled with a lot more late nights, alcohol and harsh mornings. That, however, didn't stop me from soaking up as much culture as i physically could while there.  

The Ponte Vecchio is my favorite landmark of Florence. While i can't afford the luxury jewelry that adorns the minuscule shops along each side of the bridge, i sure love to stare at them longingly. The view off the arches is also breathtaking. 




The duomo Cathedral probably the most dominating feature among the Florence landscape. Seen standing high among the throng of red roofs. 


The Palazzo Vecchio runs off the Piazza della Signoria and are both pretty spectacular squares, full of ancient architecture, sculptures, little cafes and more. inside the Palazzo Vecchio stands a replica of Michelangelo's David, however the real David resides in The Uffizi Gallery also in Florence. 

One of the most intriguing clubs that i went to was called 'Space' and it was incredible. three levels, great music, reasonably priced alcohol with a card system for their drinks. Every time you buy a drink, your card gets a hole punched in it and before you leave you must go and hand your card over and pay, they then give you a ticket that allows you to leave. If you don't have the ticket then the bouncers won't let you leave. Now while its a solid system, probably not the best considering you can wrack up quite the bill that you might not be able to pay for. 

Tuesday 14 October 2014

The French Riviera! -Monaco

Monaco is a sovereign city-sate on the French Rivera. So essentially Monaco is it's own country with it's own Royal family, King, Queen and all that good stuff.


To become a citizen of Monaco you are forced through a rigorous and lengthy process where only those rich enough can afford to live there. The home of Grace Kelly and know for being a 'tax heaven' Monaco is a draw for the rich and famous.

The main attraction is with out a doubt the Monte Carlo Casino. Before i entered the country i had grand fantasies about the Monte Carlo Casino. While entering the country our tour manager warned us not to get our hopes up. Too late. My hopes had been sky high the second i saw 'Monaco' on the tour map, sitting in my lounge room months before we even booked the tour.

I was disappointed.

While there were million dollar cars parked out front and the building itself was magnificent and the architecture and detail was breathtaking, everything else kind of fell flat for me. Maybe it was because it was the first casino, high class fancy one at that, that i had ever been to. Maybe my expectations were just too high. 

I suppose i imagined it to be like an episode of Las Vegas but more elite. There was a small selection of poker machines as you walk in that we couldn't get to take our money and four card tables (beautifully sculptured card tables) in the center of a massive room. That's was it. Everything was a myriad of golds, reds and crisp whites. The bar was was extremely overpriced. I couldn't afford coke.

At least that was all we had access to. I have to believe that the rest of the casino is some beyond exclusive exclusive members only access with gambling stations up the wazoo and gold fountains filled with champagne, hidden from commoners such as myself. Because that was basically the image i originally had in my head. 



Saturday 11 October 2014

The French Riviera! -Nice

Back into France my Contiki family and i go.

When you're on a Contiki tour the group of people you are travelling with become close very quickly. Bonding tends to start on about the second long coach trip. Little friendship groups form and like High School, everyone tends to break off into groups and exclude that one creepy man that doesn't quite know his boundaries. While getting to know everyone on the tour is your best option, forming a small group of people that you just click with is kind of amazing.

Especially when you have a free day to go exploring the city of Nice, France. It can be difficult to coordinate with everyone when you are staying in a hotel room with one other person and there is no specific 'wake up' times that dictates the other 99% of the tour. Like me you might end up rising super early to take in the day and realise you have no idea when anyone else will get up or if they are already out and about. So you head off with a lovely but awkward Asian boy on a mission to find the Castle Hill and set an uncomfortable 'getting to know one another' conversation while taking in the magnificent seaside town you have the privilege of travelling to.



Castle Hill was not easy to fine, even though it was right beside us the entire time. On one side of the hill is a never ending zigg-zagging trail of stairs buried along the face, hidden within the foliage and on the other...an elevator. A self automated, no pushing of any buttons, elevator. Of course we took the never ending stairs.


 The pay off was worth it though. We got a spectacular view and worked off last nights alcohol. While i was completely expecting an actual castle all we found were castle runes. We probably should have read the brochure.
There is also a breathtaking waterfall that appears more transcendent when looking at it from the streets below.

It was around this time that i lost my exploration partner. I still have no idea how. I turn around and poof! i was by myself. But this tale is not a sad one because not five minutes later i heard a slightly american "CONTIKI"! being shouted at my back. I had found a new friend. A friend that hadn't learnt my name yet.

Across Europe during the festive season of Christmas you are able to find Christmas markets. Everywhere. And it's magnificent.
I love Christmas and finally having the opportunity to have another, my second, 'white Christmas' was a dream come true, But what made it even better was the markets. Rows and rows of winter cabin style booths, red and green smothering every inch. It was like heaven, if heaven was Christmas all day everyday to the end of eternity. 

That night in true Contiki style we got ready for a big night out, walked and drank our way through bottles of wine before we danced on tabletops in an 'Australian' style bar until the wee hours. And as our tour manager instructed, turned left at the giant Christmas bauble to find your drunken way back to the hotel...if you can find the giant bauble that is. 




Friday 10 October 2014

Lucerne!

Long, tedious Coach trips can be brutal, But when point B is Lucerne, Switzerland you just don't seem to mind as much. Especially when everything slowly starts to become blanketed by a white substance called snow!
Living on the South Coast of Australia means i have had very little opportunity to see a town covered in snow. Skiing doesn't really cut it for me. I mean actually living surrounded by snow, your roof covered by it and your driveway needing to be shoveled because of it. Lucerne gave me a portion of that experience and i'll be forever grateful.

We stayed at the Swiss Mountain Hotel, aptly named as it is literally half way up the mountain. After a terrifying trip in the coach, winding around too narrow one lane roads with a mountain on one side and air on the other.


When people talk about snow they gush about the softness and the fluffyness of snow, but what they always seem to forget to mention is all the frozen ice that comes with it. And when you're lugging a backpacking backpack across ice and up stairs it becomes an issue. I almost lost myself more than once.


 Lucerne is famous for its scenery and buildings, notably the Wooden Chapel Bridge, Harry's Shop and the Lion Monument. But probably most notably for Mt Rigi.


It takes three stages of cable cars to reach the peak. And for someone who isn't the greatest fan of heights it can be a challenge to get in that last group cable car. Though let me say, going up is a hell of a lot easier than coming back down.




The end result is however worth every second of unease. But again, watch out for that ice because it's Everywhere.

The Wooden Chapel Bridge, or The Kapellbrücke, is another spectacular monument. The bridge runs diagonally across the Reuss River and was named after St. Peter's Chapel which is nearby. The bridge has become such a landmark because of the interior paintings which date back to around the 17th Century. Though the old bridge and many of the paintings were destroyed in a fire in 1933 and were subsequently restored.

It's incredible. I end up saying that about most everything i saw while overseas, but that doesn't subtract from the fact that's it's beyond true. Especially when you live in an essentially 'new' town. that has maybe three or four historical buildings or landmarks.

Harry's Shop Is actually two shops across from one another. A souvenir shop and a Swiss watch and army knife shop. While admittedly i have no need for a Swiss army knife i couldn't go past the Novelty of owning a Swiss army knife. Especially a white army knife as the white knifes are only sold in Switzerland making it, for me, even more special.

And lastly The Lion Monument. This monument is dedicated Helvetiorum Fidei ac Virtuti or "To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss" and sits in a semi-secluded area and at night is very poorly lit, however the majesty of the lion is undeniable.

Top it all off with an extreme overload of genuine Swiss chocolate and you have the perfect couple of days.

Wednesday 8 October 2014

Paris!

It's a sad day when you have to consult your travel journal to refresh your memory about a trip that you, at one point couldn't stop thinking about and reliving. Constantly.
Reading back over a journal of any kind, whether travel or personal is always a bit of a daunting task for me. I never know what to expect from my past self. Generally i'm horrified by the things i thought completely ration to preserve in ink or the completely appropriate sketch of the cute guy opposite me in the coach. I wasn't quite prepared for that. 
They call Paris the city of Lights and Love for a very good reason. I always thought it was a tad clique but after being there and seeing it, i completely understand why.

The hotel we were staying at was a ways out of the center and the coach took us on a 'Paris by night' bus tour around the city. There was a lot of stretched necks swiveling every which way trying to take in the sights out of both sides of the bus at the same time, which never quite works and you always end up missing something. 

Driving around the Arc De Triomphe was actually frightening. I just don't understand how there wasn't a major accident every two seconds with the way the drive!

Our full day in Paris saw our group visit the Eiffel Tower. Completely breathtaking, but again i wasn't too sure about how stable those elevators were, especially the elevator which takes you to the highest level. I swear i thought it was going to do a Willy Wonka and propel itself right out of the top. 


Like a true tourist i couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit every tourist attraction, standing under the dominating presence of the Arc De Triomphe for example or taking a leisurely stroll down The Avenue des Champs-Élysées towards the Louvre and Notre Dame. Admittedly we power walked through the Louver to the Mona Lisa and back but it was still an experience dripping with culture. 


The day was finished off with a spectacular  show at the Moulin Rouge and a visit to O'Sullivan's pub. While it can be defined as a 'glorified titty show' it was a must see and something i will never forget. I mean there was a tank of water filled with Boa-constrictors which rose up from the stage! And ponies! Freaking ponies! 


Paris was unforgettable.      

Sunday 6 April 2014

#NoRegrets


#NoRegrets.


Also prominently known as "what happens on Contiki, stays on Contiki"Unless that somethings a sexually transmitted disease, that hitches a ride home with you.


For some Contiki can be seen as a no consequences limbo in life, between having no responsibility and actual adulthood. A last hurrah of sorts. For others its one of many 'last hurrahs'.


It's their motto; hash tag no regrets. And if you live your Contiki experience by it, it'll serve you well.


Away from the prying eyes of you family members you are able to 'cut loose' and be your craziest self. No judgments. No regrets. And it's okay because whatever embarrassing antics you get up to will be in the coach's rear view mirror the very next day. 


Watch out for the dreaded camera phone however.


In life there are countless moments and experiences that we pass over because we're too scared or nervous, or think we're going to look like fools. It's after the opportunity is passed and gone that we realise how much we regret our decision.

Coniki is you moment. your opportunity to say yes to everything, lose out on nothing, make life long memories and never once say "i regret not..." 

It's a simple concept that should be experienced.


Just keep in mind however that these amazing places are not your own personal playgrounds, it's someones home.


#NOREGRETS


    

Thursday 20 March 2014

Contiki


Running late for a very important date is never a good thing in a girl's scheduled.The date i was running late for? Contiki check-in.


Now for those who have been hiding under your beds this last decade Contiki is a tour company. Similar to the likes of Topdeck and BusABout. An organised chaotic adventure for those 18-35 operating all over the globe. A great way to get a taste of counties, make lasting friendships and drink until your liver disowns you.


Now when you compare Russell Square tube station with the myriad of others dotted around London its recognised as a rather small station. No length after length of escalators carrying you deeper into London'd underground. Just one, albeit large, elevator. Which descends down for who knows how long.


Standing at the back of a very claustrophobic crowd during peak hour with five minutes to spare before your sister goes spare can make a girl desperate. I'll testify to that.


It was a stupidly stressful moment as i felt myself start to panic at the thought of missing check-in. Worrying about the horrific consequences as if i was still in school late for a class. People were unreasonably impatient not allowing me to impatiently squeeze past them towards the elevator. 

Out the corner of my eye i saw the "emergency only stairs" that i had overlooked previous trips. I'm not one to break the rules. 
Emergency only is emergency only, however, through my own reasoning my situation could be construed as an emergency. If you squint. 

It was decided. 


The moment i (of course) saw somebody else run up past that stop sign i would follow...so i didn't look like  total asshole. 


I wasn't even a quarter of the way up that spiral emergency exit of doom when i began to regret my decision. Too late to turn back i continued up that never ending circle. Passing passengers that had the much easier job of descending the countless steps. 

Sweating, out of breath, heart pounding i finally heaved my legs up the last step. I then proceeded to run the rest of the way back to the hotel.

The London base for Contiki; the Royal National Hotel. 


There's nothing particularly 'Royal' about the hotel but it's cheap, relatively clean and where the Contiki tours start and finishes all it's tours.


Sitting in that big room, only knowing one other person, my sister, was rather nerve wracking. Unnecessarily so. We received all the information we required. when to meet the next morning, who our tour manager and driver were and a quick passport check-in. After i ran to the bag storage room to hastily get my passport and Contiki pack.


Organisation people!


With multiple tours piled into the same room it was difficult to tell who would be on the same tour. You found yourself staring at an attractive guy thinking "European Vista" "Be on European Vista". Jedi mind tricks at their best.


The next morning we had to be up before the sun. Though in a British winter that wasn't terribly hard to do.


In the courtyard by seven, bags in tow and standing in our designated corner with similarly nervously excited travelers. Waiting for the coach to pull up. It's always tentative. conversations with strangers. But after about ten minutes of solid small talk it can seem as if you've known them for an age.


Seeing that purple coach pull in with 'Contiki' splashed across the side was an intensely thrilling moment of my life.


Half an hour and bags under the coach later and we were on our way to see the White Cliffs of Dover with out very own eyes.



The White Cliffs of Dover
              

Sunday 2 March 2014

Harry Potter London Studio Tour. A Life Completed.


The Harry Potter London Studio Tour was my ultimate destination while abroad. 


It must be number one on everyone's 'to-do' lists while traveling the UK. 


Magic. Purely and simply magical. My purple prose gets the better of me most of the time, however in this instance it is truly warranted. The website advertises it and the media promises it; 


A magical experience. 


An easy "Overground" tube trip away and you've found yourself at Leavesden studios, where all the magic of the Harry Potter films was artificially produced for our enjoyment. 

If you're a real Potterhead (like myself) then the moment you're standing in front of the studio entrance your pulse will pick up pace and you'll see this imaginary aura of brilliance surrounding the building...or maybe you'll just see a building.

I shudder at the thought of spoiling the incredible secrets revealed within, so i wont and you'll just have to trust my word surrounding its wonderfulness. 


I was one of hundreds, most likely thousands, that visited around Christmas. The Great Hall decked out exactly how we see it in the films at Christmas, the witch flying around the tree and fake snow outside.



     
BUTTERBEER. The most heavenly syrup on earth. Sold in only two places in the world. Harry Potter theme park in Orlando, America and the Harry Potter London Studio Tour. The flavour is almost indescribable. Sweet and cold. Sickly sweet, amazingly sickly sweet. Like golden liquid sliding down your throat with amazingly sweet whipped cream, that doesn't taste quite like cream on top. Just thinking about it is giving me nostalgic mouthwatering flashbacks.
    

Its calling you.



     

Sunday 16 February 2014

Hostel Life


One word that incites a myriad of mixed emotions out of travelers. 


Dirty. Unsafe. A hot bed of bacteria.


Cheap.


Convenient. Sociable. Easy. 


Cheap.


The Hostel.


Hostels tend to get a bit of a bad wrap. And occasionally a good one. It's all rather ambiguous. 

However no young traveler, backpacking their way across Europe can complain about a warm bed, albeit a bunk bed, for less than twenty pounds a night. 
I certainly didn't.    

Across the UK I stayed in multiple hostels all with varying degrees of cleanliness. Some extremely clean and some...well.


But for those traveling alone the cleanliness of your accommodations doesn't always seem to matter when a lonely soul meets other lonely patrons. 


The bunk beds were always my pet hate with hostels. Some missing ladders, squeaking with every shift or turn and some just plain unstable. And for some reason I was, of course, always assigned the-you guessed it-top bunk. Every. Single. Time.

I would say you get used to it, But you don't.
I remember the excitement as a kid when the opportunity to sleep in bunk beds occurred. They were they greatest nights. Not anymore though. Don't be fooled. In a hostel it's just plain inconvenient.  


Bathrooms. A place to be alone. To unwind and a place of privacy. In a hostel? Not so much.

It does take some getting use to. Walking from your ten bed dorm down a couple of corridors to the communal bathroom. Toilet stalls and curtained off shower stalls. You need to get comfortable quickly. 
The term 'co-ed' can scare potential travelers when in conjunction with the word 'bathroom'. When you put it together you get 'the co-ed bathrooms' also known as heaven. I was lucky enough to stay in one hostel that was completely co-ed. Never mind the co-ed dorms, they are everywhere, its the co-ed bathroom you want. That's right. Boys and girls all using the same loos. The term co-ed bathroom means one important thing. Locks. Locks on the shower stalls. No flimsy, translucent-esque curtains. Actual wood and actual locks. It was paradise.      

Two of the best. In my humble opinion.


The Generator Hostel London. 


I loved it so much I stayed here on two separate occasions. Now yes, the entrance is rather creepy and foreboding. Located down a poorly lit alley, and the facade of the building doesn't look all the promising either. However as with most things in life, you shouldn't judge a book by it's alley ways. Inside it's bight, colourful and whimsically decorated. With a bar and live entertainment, movies and hot food made to order, the Generator is definitely a good choice. It won't rob your wallet either. And the selling point? Each floor allocated a whimsical theme. James Bond. Dr Who. I stayed on Mary Poppins. Twice.      



The Generator Hostel
Castle Rock Hostel Scotland, Edinburgh.

Nestled away, right behind Edinburgh castle, the Castle Rock Hostel was extremely pleasing. And contained those all important co-ed bathrooms. The hostel was decked out in a medieval theme to reflect the view that hits you as you step out it's doors while the old style layout and decor makes you feel warm and cosy. Comfortable. Welcomed. I slept in a ten bed dorm filled with a few American guys and men and women of a nationality that has still remained a mystery to me. (While hostels are a great way to socialise, people traveling in packs aren't always the chattiest.) 

Just a moments walk from countless pubs and the Royal Mile, this hostel is in the perfect location.        


Castle Rock Hostel

You can find hostels located in the most convenient places all across the UK, right in the thick of it or a simple five minute walk to the nearest tube station. Some with bars and live entertainment downstairs or common rooms to socialise and cheap breakfasts and other meals. Hostels especially save you a chunk of money better spent on the essentials: clothes and nick-knacks. Good food, good people and a good time.


The towels aren't free though.    

   

Monday 3 February 2014

A Little Town Called Bedford


Bedford.


Never heard of it?


Neither had I until my sister decided it was high time she moved to the other side of the world and live their.


Having heard in long, laborious details about the extensive nothingness of Bedford I still visited. For a couple days at that.


She lied to me. My sister that is. Bedford may be a very small town but it was picturesque as all hell. A beautiful embankment with a plush pub (The Embankment) right on the water front. Cobbled streets and ancient buildings, night clubs and fast food open at three am. What more could a person ask for? 


And it was Christmas, which in England means decorations. Everywhere. That's one thing they do right, their Christmas decorations. 


Sitting, drinking in a beautiful pub surrounded with people you don't know all that well is surprisingly enjoyable. Especially when you're waiting for fireworks. Fireworks to celebrate the turning on of the Christmas lights. Nothing more then in the honour of flipping a switch. Or a button. Or leaver, depending on their turning on methods. It was a beautifully loud sight while shivering in the beyond brisk air.    


 Magic.


Everything in England seems to be tainted wonderfully with Magic. But maybe That's my Rose tinted glasses talking.

One thing I know about small towns, they do their clubs right. Good booze and good music are always the combination for a memorable night, that is if you do indeed remember it. It's not the scale of the club that's important. Though admittedly it does help. 

I had a good night in a town called Bedford. Drink. Dance. And cheesy chips at three in the morning. Drinking games back at the apartment only to see the sun rise and break through the drawn curtains that morning.

Fuzzy Duck. Ducky Fuzz. Fuzzy Duck. Duck Fuzzy...Drink.  

Sunday 2 February 2014

A Town Called York


A good train trip will consist of good music, good company, hot tea and tickets sticking haphazardly out of the backs of the seats.


And a really excellent train trip will end at the town of York.


Everyone at some stage in their existence has wanted to live in a castle. I have. And what a better way of grasping at this childhood fantasy then tasting just a touch of the medieval town of York.


The outskirts are rather deceiving with their unimpressive buildings and monotonous streets. Completely misguiding.


When you hit the walls you'll understand what I mean. The moment i saw the large medieval walls encircling the entire inner city of York I was enchanted. When I hear people describing things they 'love' I tend to listen out for the embellishments, for signs of those rose tinted glasses, but while donning my own pair of metaphorical rose glasses I cannot critique this city.


Within the entirety of my trip, and I do say this a lot and it will be said in the future, York was one of the most magically enchanting places I visited.    


The York Minster itself was on a scale too large to be wholly captured by camera.


Navigating York can send you 'round the twist though, every which way we turned we somehow ended back in the same place and not where we were hoping to be spat out. Makes for an entertaining adventure however frustrating.  


Wandering around a place like York makes you perpetually happy and suddenly through this happiness logic is seen where insanity was previously. Like the logic of eating ice cream during an English winter. It's so cold it won't melt and therefore you are able to savor the taste much, much longer...while your fingers slowly become frostbitten. Logic at its finest.  
Medieval walls surrounding York
 

Thursday 30 January 2014

the Pretension of the Theater

The way I see it, a little Pretension never hurt anyone. And what a better way to dabble in a bit of pretension then to get all dolled up and head to the London theater.

Musicals make life fun. And live Broadway musicals are an extravagant luxury that not everyone experiences in their lifetime. Which is a shame. And a musical centered around The Wizard of Oz? Well that's just the most wonderful production I can personally think of.  


Wicked was my first ever Broadway musical. And it most certainly lived up to all the hype surrounding the musical. It was an experience like none other. The stage design, music, the actors, all incredible down to the last tiny detail. 


I always did like the Wicked Witch.  


Ironically a week after i experienced Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theater the balcony collapsed onto the audience below.


During my limited stint within the Pretension circles I also added Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to my theater repertoire. Brilliant. Simply, utterly brilliant. The sets made the show.  


Being a Tourist in Every Sense of the Word

One of the great things in life is being able to participate in the wonderfully annoying practice called tourism. Locals hate it but when you're the tourist there is a brilliance to it. It's the prefect excuse to have your over sized cameras strung around your neck and glued to your eye. Ostentatious paper maps stuffed in bags. And wear out of date clothes and not feel self conscious. It's truly marvelous.

London had my tongue permanently protruding from my mouth. The architecture was a simply magnificent sight that needs to be experienced by all. Over and over again if possible.


The London Eye, while overrated, is still a dominating landmark that has a longer line than a Star Trek convention on a good day. Stepping on to the slowly moving glass dome is just that little thrill of adrenaline you need to get you through the speed, or lack there of, of the over sized wheel. The sights are unique in all honesty. The London Eye simply is a must.

My first look at the eye
   
London with all it's conveniently placed Tube stops make sight seeing an easy task. Right across from the London Eye, we are awestruck by the detailed building of Big Ben. It seems to jump up out of nowhere when you exit the closets Tube station. To be completely honest I didn't even realise it was in front of me until my sister told me to lift my head. It was bigger then I thought it would be, not surprising considering the name. I think I stared at it for more minutes than should be healthy. Absorbing every detail of the building I had been longing to gaze upon for years, in the literal sense.  
my camera struggling to obtain Ben in his entirety

Hyde Park is truly a wonderland in winter. Three of my nights were taken hostage within the wonderland known as winter. Held within it's removable walls was everything one needed from a night of spontaneity. Christmas markets. Show rides screaming out Christmas jingles. A beer hall. Beer. a revolving carousel bar. Heavenly, Heavenly food. Beer, that definitely needs a second mention. The sign, for once, was not false advertisement. It was a brilliant wintry night and it was certainly my wonderland.

A wonderland on a sight seers destination
The Queen's Guard were as unexciting as I had expected them to be. Granted it was winter and the palace was closed, the vibrant red uniform swapped for the dull colours of winter. I do, however have great admiration for their strength in their composure. No movement whatsoever, except to stretch what must be their incredibly sore legs. When i had found myself lost in London I accidentally came across what must be the back (or at least connected to) Buckingham Palace and two of the Queen's Guard statues. I'll admit, I was beginning to become a little panicky and and i wondered for just a fleeting second, what would happen if I broke down crying, desperately lost and begging for help? Would they move? Give me verbal directions? or just watch my quickly come apart at the seams? I thought about it, Fleetingly before coming to the conclusion that I'm just not that good of an actor. The palace was pretty though.
standing. silently. standing. still.

Oxford Street. Big brands. Big buildings. Fancy people strutting around in fancy clothes that make you feel completely inadequate concerning your own wardrobe and posture. It's a positively exhilarating walk, so long as you don'd gt yourself splattered by one of the countless red double decker buses. If there is one store to enter it would have to be H&M. fashionably 'in' clothes at affordable prices. And don't worry about finding one. They'll find you. H&M stores are everywhere, sometimes two on the same strip. Mental those Londoners.  



Trafalgar Square, appears to me, as a glorified watering hole that you can't even drink from. Not so much of a pity that rule however. For all it's hype i'd say it lives up to it's reputation. Baffling architecture, a calm yet busy atmosphere that I personally enjoyed. Beautiful by day Beautiful by night.  


Piccadilly Circus certainly has the 'bright lights' of the big bustling city. The atmosphere is intoxicating. I will say one important thing on the subject of Piccadilly Circus: M&M World. Enough said correct? It is heaven on earth.

the greatest place on earth