Sky Above, Earth Below, Fire Within

Hello there! Another highly eventful week has flown by, and I am brimming with tales of adventure to share. However, like last week, there is not enough time in the day for me to wax eloquent about what's happened, so it will be similar to last week's post. Truly, though, England has ignited a fire within my soul..

This, my friends, is the English Channel off the Isle of Wight. Even cooler, Queen Victoria used this spot as her private bathing (read 'swimming') area. The entire royal family utilized this island as their holiday home. I had the immense pleasure of swimming in the Channel! Like many of you already read from my Facebook post, the water was pleasantly warmer than that of my native Rigby Lake. While swimming here, I felt nearly every indie dream of mine come true. It was lovely.

Osbourne House--Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's summer getaway. Nevermind the fact that my own house isn't even worth a tenth of this!

We went to the Borough Market the other day, a large and lively food market in London. What a smorgasbord of tastes and smells! In the end, I decided on a spicy lentil fajita with hummus and other goodies I can't even remember. It's been my favorite new food so far. Mmm.

On day one of our week-long excursion, we stopped in Bristol. This incredibly beautiful work of art was in the cathedral of St. Mary Redcliffe, and come to find, it is actually a modern reconstruction. Even so, I loved it. What made it more special was that it was in the ladies' chapel. 

This one is particularly special to me. You see, one of the items on my bucket list has been to walk in an old cemetery attached to a cathedral/chapel in England. Preferably in the morning. Specific, I know. Well, as you can ascertain from my picture, I did just that. It was a deeply spiritual experience for me as I weaved between graves, pondering about whose loved ones these people were and what contributions they made to the world around them. I'll always remember it.

No, I am not joking. We ran into this hilarious shop in a mall in Cardiff. Would you believe they charged £12 for a box of twinkies?! (Not that I would buy them for a reasonable price anyway.)

This isn't a joke, either. You're looking at Snowdonia National Park in Wales, probably my favorite place we visited this trip. Breathtaking, isn't it? What I wish I could show you is what it looked like at night when we were driving up to it: shades of black and grey coming together to form mountains covered in dense fog with misting rain. It was ancient and fearsome and beautiful. 

Mumford & Sons became even more relevant in my life, if that's possible. Firstly, they're a British band; and second, while riding on the bus to another site, I found serious comfort in their song 'Sigh No More.' I'd had an emotionally rough night, and this song reminded me that God loves me and that He will never lead me astray. God and England are so good to me.

The picture doesn't do justice to how cold and exhilarating this was. We rode a train to the top of Mount Snowdon and then climbed a bit to reach the summit. Mount Snowdon nearly had Idaho beat in terms of wind and cold! Nonetheless, I loved it. For a while, we were completely surrounded by fog and mist. It seemed as though we were at the mercy of Wales' elements--a thrilling experience.

Say hello to Conwy Castle, which is also in Wales. Though I've seen many castles (you have no idea how cool it feels to say that), this one was by far the most well-preserved. I clambered all around in its courtyard, hallways, turrets--everywhere. My favorite part was standing on top of one of the turrets and beholding the amazing view. There was the adorable town, the marina, some train tracks, and forests off in the distance.

A sign we stumbled upon in Chester, England. Hooligans, beware.

During our exploration of the Chester Cathedral, we discovered this small yet wonderful courtyard. Its beauty speaks for itself.

Liverpool didn't make the favorites list, but it is noteworthy enough to mention. Here is a view of one of the docks, along with a fun ferris wheel and--can you tell? A yellow submarine! After all, Liverpool is the birthplace of  the Beatles. 

I feel bad for forgetting his name, but this guy brought out my silliness.

(Mum and Dad, this one's for you.) In Preston, we went on one of the most enjoyably informative tours I've ever participated in. Mr. Peter Fagg took us to several important sites pertaining to the history of the LDS Church in England. This spot--the River Ribble--was where the first baptisms took place! How cool!

I couldn't resist sharing all of these. They're from the same place, called the Ribble River Valley. Everything was so quiet and quintessentially English. There was even some steady rainfall, which I loved.

The Lake District thrilled me to no end. Our hostel was legitimately a mere couple of yards from the shore. Imagine a place where every plant is vividly green, the air is fresh and a bit crisp, and a body of glass-green water sits under a bright sky. That is essentially where we stayed. Much to my great pleasure, I swam in Lake Windermere. My professor was the first one in, and I quickly followed suit, lest any other student be the first to experience the water. I remember the water rushing toward me as I jumped in, and the brief shock of hitting the water. Oh, the cold! I came up with a gasp that ended in an exhilarated scream. The other students emerged with squeals and shouts, too. Up until then, I hadn't experienced such an icy dip. My screams soon melted into laughter, however, and my arms numbed up enough for me to swim around. I stayed in there for a good, long while. 

Lastly, here is the Preston, England LDS temple. I really enjoyed being on holy ground and feeling the Spirit here. I will go inside someday! 

Stuff of Legends

With the exception of today (homework-laden as it was), this last week has been loaded with some of the greatest adventures--of the past and of my own. I have neither the time nor the emotional stamina right now to go into detail about each experience, but I will post pictures with a caption for each.

The Tower of London! It is incredible just how saturated with history this place is. Yes, I saw the Crown Jewels. No, it was not like Moriarty's epic jewel heist from Sherlock. Personally, I enjoyed the Bloody Tower the most. 

Kensington Gardens--essentially the most beautiful public park I've ever seen (and where Kate Middleton lives. That's important, right?) This particular scene is from the Roman Garden portion. Simply gorgeous. 

Leonardo da Vinci's Madonna of the Rocks--my favorite piece of art I've seen in the National Gallery so far. I love the way da Vinci depicts Mary's face; it made me proud to be a woman. 

This is Trafalgar Square. If you look closely, you can see Big Ben in the background. Coming out of the National Gallery, I was surprised to the point of shock to see this. Please understand, before this moment, I'd never seen Big Ben in person. The mere sight of it brought me to tears, as if warmly welcoming me, "You've made it at last." I will treasure this forever. 

Here I am with a bunch of my cute friends at the Globe Theatre to see A Comedy of Errors. Do yourself a favor--the next time you find yourself in London, see a play in the Globe. The performance transported me back to a simpler time, and I loved every giggle-filled minute of it. 

My first glimpse inside the Salisbury Cathedral. As I walked throughout, hymns played in my head, and I wished I had worn a dress. It seemed as if an older incarnation of the Spirit dwelt there. 

Ah, Stonehenge. While I am privileged and glad to have seen this, I wouldn't see it again. A cool sight, nonetheless.

Stourhead Gardens possessed this simple and elegant natural beauty. Looking around, I could easily imagine several of Jane Austen's beloved characters living out their stories there. Speaking of which, can anyone tell me the significance of this building? Hint: think of the 2005 Pride & Prejudice film. 

My first fish and chips! Oh man, was it a treat. For the record, I actually took a picture of my friend's, so nothing in the photo is really mine.

St. Michael's Mount, a castle majestically sitting on the apex of a small island off the coast of southern England, was a sight to see. Some of the girls and I agreed that being queen of this castle would have been pretty great, seeing as how the ocean would be part of the domain, too.

The more I think about it, the more I realize this place was probably my favorite of those we visited. This is next to Tintagel Castle in Cornwall. I stood on another cliff to take this picture and then ventured out to the one in the photo. Absolutely stunning. With nothing before me but sea and sky, I'm not sure I have ever felt more alive.

It was worth the rather rigorous trek to see the Glastonbury Tor. Regardless of where you looked, you would get an eyeful of sleepy towns, rolling hills, and misty, verdant fields. I applauded the ancient saints who made similar excursions up there.

Apparently I have a thing for cathedrals. Each one I've visited has been astoundingly lovely and spiritual. This one is Wells Cathedral--my favorite so far. I almost missed this gem of a room--the Chapter House--since the entrance is a humble little door among so many ornate structures.

Say hello to the Roman Baths! I grew up watching Rick Steve's travel shows, and ever since I saw him visit Bath, I've wanted to go. For me, the best part was trying the water (cleaned and purified, of course), which was horribly disgusting, but an item off my bucket list all the same. 

Well this one totally snuck up on me. Some friends and I were going to get theatre tickets when I suddenly spotted it. We're going to pretend I was dignified and mature about it. ;)

We stumbled upon Fashion Week. Naturally, I'm being a dork. 

Last one for now! My first time in any sort of China Town. The entire time we explored, I eagerly searched for the places they filmed in the Blind Banker episode of Sherlock. I will definitely have to visit again. 

London Called, I Answered

The amount of fatigue I feel is almost embarrassing, but it cannot smother the utter delight I've also felt today. Another hour without sleep means nothing compared to the fact that right now,

I am living my dream.

It is the most wonderful thing--every second I have to stop and think, "Wait, I'm in living in London. All these sights, sounds, smells, and experiences are real, and they are mine!" Can I tell you about the incredible day I've had? 

My oceanic flight seemed to last eons, but when we finally landed and the flight attendant said, "Welcome to London" I cried shamelessly. Another student on my study abroad program met up with me later on, and we embarked on the enjoyably arduous journey of getting to the London Centre. All along the way, little things like accents, different spellings, the old, dusty green of the foliage, and the humorously courteous Tube announcements kept me grinning like a fool. Guys, even the flipping Tube lines are beautiful. Everywhere we went, people were kind and helpful. Lisa and I were both carrying the entirely of our lives for the next four months (aka, really heavy suitcases), and both times we had to tackle stairs, these really kind men carried my bags! The gentlemen of England really do exist, ladies. Another great example of that was when Lisa and I were on the wrong street (Ossington instead of Palace Court), and this nice man pointed us in the right direction with a smile and a "Have a great day!" Absolutely wonderful.

Then there was the matter of our home:

27 Palace Court. Holy cow.

While I haven't gotten any pictures of the ground floor yet, I do have some of my room. There are four student bedrooms in the Centre, each on different floors--one for the boys, two for the girls, and a private one for one of the girls. It's a really fun mixture of old and new since the Center's exterior remains the same, but its interior has gone through some major renovation. 

My nook

This is one room, folks.

This room is incredibly cool. We each get our own closets (complete with hangers!), reading lamps, built-in shelves, and storage bins. And get this: we have our own gigantic bathroom with  heated towel racks. What is this life? 

But that wasn't even the best part of the room. For me, at least, the best part is the view. 

You might not be able to fully appreciate the archaic beauty of these buildings because of the picture's size, but let me assure you, they're magnificent. They, along with the cute little street lined with luxury cars and the gorgeous grey sky, create a scene I could stare at for eternity. I can see it now, though this time streetlamps cast an orange glow over the darkened, quieter street. Plus, you know you're in Europe when the windows are huge, old, and without screens. It feels like you're actually letting the outside in a bit. 

After unpacking and settling in, I started talking with some of the other girls in my room. The other end of the room has a balcony that leads to the fire escape (we didn't know that's what it was at the time). We decided to explore and go to the very top. As we climbed higher and higher, we could see the mossy, chimney-adorned rooftops of the other buildings nearby. Soon enough, we were on our own rooftop! Carefully but deftly, we ran across the shingles to see the street below--and don't worry, the roof was structured so that we were safely behind some decorative architecture. From that vantage point, though, I could see everything. It was breathtaking and magical and a little bit scary. I remember thinking of Sherlock up there, marveling at how he had the tremendous courage to leap from a height so great. At the same time, I felt invincible up there, which is likely what Sherlock felt, too. The girls and I had some fun conversations up there. It's one of my new favorite memories. 

Nearly right after the rooftop excursion, Lisa and I set off to tackle our first London Walks assignment of getting to know the neighborhood. Man, I must have looked like such a dweeb, what with my ecstatic exclamations and near-constant picture taking. Ah well. Anyway, the two of us simply strolled through London and identified the shops and sights the book told us to. If that isn't an amazing experience, I don't know what is. The smells constantly changed from sweet patisserie aromas to the not entirely unpleasant scent of smoke to pine needles and savory spices. People walked everywhere, chatting on phones or to each other in their beautiful accents. Double-decker buses trundled by. All was moving and alive. 

The first telephone box I'd ever seen in person! It's kinda like a first kiss. ;) 

Lisa! This shortcut was gorgeous.

For that hour or so, the city was mine. As we traversed from one side of town to another, Ed Sheeran's song "Sing" played in my head, and it was the perfect soundtrack. London is such a hip place. I had an immensely fun time with Lisa while we discussed how crazy it is to be here, in England, and what shops we wanted to duck into on a different day. We got somewhat lost a few times, but we made it back to the Centre without too much delay. 

Don't blink!

Ha! The English equivalent of the dollar store. 

We helped with dinner--astoundingly good pea soup, fresh salad, and artisan breads--and afterwards I remember wiping down the tables as I looked out the window. I saw a group of guys and girls my age walking by, laughing together and looking really cool. For a moment, we made eye contact. Weirdly, in that millisecond, I felt even more a part of London, like I'd been acknowledged as another being belonging in this great city. 

And you know what? 

I do belong here.