A Couple of HighLights

Well i'm a little behind on the whole journal thing, a week without internet will do that to you.  But i will get the rest of the lake district up soon.  There was too much there!

Changing of the Guard
   On Saturday we went to changing of the guard.  We got there way early, like and hour and a half, but the lines were already beginning to form out side of the gates.  I met two awesome ladies right next to the fence and began talking with them.  They were form the states as well.  We became friends and i ended up sitting next to them the whole time.

The guard came in, in all their glory, and style.  It was truly fun to behold.  However, my favorite part of the entire ritual was when they stood just in front of us and performed some amazing musical numbers.  Most of the numbers were popular pieces.  My favorite number was the Imperial March there is just nothing like watching the British guard play the Imperial March.  It just one of those things!




Wicked
   This show hold my favorite musical number yet!  Wow! Talk about blow your socks off!!!  Both of the two main stars of the show were out of this world deva! The sound would almost pin you to the back of your seat! There were no show stopper or regrets!!  So my favorite musical number of all time Defying Gravity!!  One of the fun notes, half way through the show we noticed that there were seats further up on the balcony that were unoccupied so after intermission we moved up.  That is the first time that i have done that but i highly recommend it!

One of the cool things as well was to watch all of the girls come out of the theater crying, its just fun and moving to see those around you so moved and so touched.

I must admit i truly love London and the longer i'm here the more i realize the more there is to see.  Just when you think you have seen it all you turn a corner and there is something even more grand that blows your socks off.  Truly a man who is tired of London is tired of life!

Lake District Day Two

I woke up to a knock on my door...i had agreed to go with Jared to the lake and see the ruins, but i slept in.  In a flash however i found myself ready and at the lake with Jared.  We wandered around and watched the sun continue to rise over the water, the view was truly breath taking, but i must admit i wish i had had my boat and water ski!  

By 8 we were back at the B&B for some poached eggs and toast and then met up with our group at the river house.  We then proceeded to hike up to one of the tallest mountains in the area.  The walk was glorious the entire way and so HOT.  Once on top we enjoyed the view from three amazing summits.  The final summit was my favorite as it looked out over the entire lake.  The is no view quite like it!  Trent and i talked about how for our honey moon we would like to come up there and camp on the side of the mountain and then be up to watch the sun rise.  While on the mountain we read some of William Wordsworth's most famous poems, it was a time always to be remembered and never to be forgotten.

After the hike we took a few minutes for lunch, i on the other hand bought some shorts and sandles instead, i can't tell you how hot i was.  I wore those shorts the rest of the trip!  After lunch we headed off for a night at Dove Cottage.  It was a small quaint little home.  The history so exciting that at one time it used to be a pub.  However this little cottage head one amazing view of the lake and hill side.  One of the man features of this cottage is the garden in the back, with the gardens culmination being a wooden bench at the very time over looking the area.

After touring the Cottage we went over to the Cottage Library and handled some of the earliest copies of Wordsworth's works.  Including the 1st edition of his poetry and the 1st edition of Frankenstein. We also read some of Wordsworth letters and so forth.  It was really a cool experience.  While there a bought a book of his poetry and read it through out the trip make notes of all the places i was when i read them in the book.

Then we took off across town a little ways and visited Wordsworth's grave and church.

Getting back to Dove Cottage we enjoyed dinner there in his home.  It was one of his known dishes with real lemonaid.  It was a great dinner.  After dinner we headed back to Ambleside and i found a great new foot path through the middle of Ambleside that lead down to the lake.  It was another great night at the lake. While at the lake i heard a loud group across the way...i thought they were a bunch of drunks because of how crazy and loud they were being...turns out it was our group...go figure.  

We ended up back at my apartment -- Jared, Evin, and I...we stayed up till midnight talking about our professors and their kids and everything else we could think of...it was a lot of fun!

Welcome to the Lake District

Well can i just welcome you to one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Over the past week i have been in Amableside, Edinburgh, and York.  The trip started in Amblesdie.  One of my favorite parts of this trip is the fact that it didn't just arrive.  The entire way to Amableside was lined with rolling hills and trees and lakes.  It was the most beautiful view from the time we headed out, it only got better when we arrived in Amableside.  When we arrived in Ambleside we stayed all over the city.  All 40 of our were scattered in different Bed and Breakfast hotels.  It was truly a treat.

Jared and Evian stayed in the same B&B as me, they were on the top floor and i was on the ground level.  My room was truly out of this world.  It was be a great place to have a honey moon ;)  One thing that made the B&B's hard was the fact we were all scattered and our schedules for Amableside were divided into two groups; therefore, the two i was staying with (Jared and Evian) were in a different group, so i had to scramble the town looking for people in my group.

In the end i found some girls that were in my group and headed out with them to get dinner.  As we literary wonder through town we came across one of the restaurants that our professor has suggested...it was some of the best food that i have ever eaten--even though it was some split pea thing!

After dinner we raced off meet back up with our group and spent the evening hiking the force (water fall).  It was one of the most beautiful hikes that i have ever been on.  We went up through the trees near sunset as the sun permeated the thick forest canopy.  It was very warm, after reaching the top we hiked down the other side.  A little bit down the trail we found a great place to go and stand in the water fall, as it pooled in one spot.  The pool was shallow at one end and about check deep in the middle.  Now, let it be known that it has always been a dream of mine to swim in water fall and well you can most likely guess what is coming next.  I jumped it!  The shirt was thrown and i swam in the falls.  It was so much fun..you only live once right!  The water was cold on my feet but really i felt it nowhere else...i was too hipped up!  Check that off my bucket list.

Walking down the mountain in wet jeans wasn't the funnest thing that i have ever done, but the falls was worth it.  We continued to enjoy a bunch of bridges and glorious views the entire way down.  After the falls we walked down to the lake.  At the lake side contains more glorious views and the ruins of an ancient Roman fort.  I wondered around with a small group for a while but then when back to my apartment to change into some dry cloths.

After drying off i went back down to the lake and climbed out over the lake on a tree that was suspended over the water.  There i met up with Kaylee, Loren and Alisa.  We sat and talked over the late as the sun finished setting and the night set in.

The night ended with a great walk up to my apartment and a warm shower ;)

Sunday

Just another day.

Church was great and the weather a little bit colder again.  One of the interesting things about living in London is the fact that getting to church requires public transportation...but one fun thing we ended up with an entire tube car to ourselves, for a bunch of college students in London--its just fun ;)

After church did some reading for school and then a couple of us got together and messed around on the piano and the guitar.  It was just fun.

Parliament

If i remember correctly the formal name for Parliament is Westminster Palace.  It was originally one of the kings palaces but fell into disrepair of the years and then was given to Parliament.  Not to long thereafter the Palace was destroyed by the war and by fire.  It was then latter rebuilt specifically for Parliament.

Parliament is very similar to USA, because the USA copied Britain in many respects.  Their government is divided up over three powers: House of Lords, House of Commons, and the Royalty.  The royalty over the years used to be the ruling power over the three but now most of the power resides in the House of Commons.  This is because the House of Commons members are elected by the people.  The number of representatives that one has in the House of Commons is determined by population.  There is still a lot of pomp and circumstance that happens with regard to the queen and parliament but i'm of the persuasion that it help remind them of their past and therefore make better decision now.

Some of the rooms in the palace are out of this world.  The have huge vaulted ceilings with the most intricate detail of decoration on ever square inch.  Every inch is therefore cover with reds, golds, paintings, carpet, and all manner posh.  One is truly blown away by the detail and money that went into building these palaces.  

After touring parliament we set off down town to the Sherlock Holmes pub.  The walk there was almost as fun as eating at the pub.  There was a beautiful garden along the way as well as a great view of the river Tames.  Upstairs, in the pub, they have a fun little display of what his apartment might have looked like.  The food was good but overall it was just a fun experience.

After lunch we walked around Charing cross for a little bit, which is know for its book stores.  They have some of the largest collection and some of the oldest books in these little book stores.  In some of them we found ancient copies of The Lord of the Rings, Jane Austin, Wordsworth, and Shakespeare. It was kind of fun looking through these ancient books.

After our perusing was done, we wondered back the center to finish home work, papers, and everything else that we have to do.  It was a fun and crazy day.

A Day in D Minor

It has been a homework heavy few days.

A couple of days ago we went and toured from a distance the Olympic sights here in London.  It was a lot of fun to see the east end of London.  It was really different from the west end of London.  As per tradition the east end of London is the slums and the poor, you can still see this fact today.  It is still very run down and dirty.  It was such an interesting notice to see that part of the city and to realize why it is that way.

Yesterday we went to a Bach violin concerto by candle light.  It was a wonderful night in classic Briton, talk about skill in order to play those pieces.  They performed

Bach - Violin Concerto in A minor
Bach - Violin Concerto in E major
Handel - Harpsichord Concerto
Pachelbel - Canon in D
Bach - Concerto for 2 Violins

My favorites were Pachelbels Canon and the 4 Seasons which is not listed.  After the concert in a majestic hall we travel to a gelato house called Scoops.  It was a kick just to hang out and get something sweet.



I went to bed at 11:00....whoot that is so early! Booya!  Really, my current schedule is 12:30 to 6:30 its a little rough! I've got figure out this whole school/London thing, tell you what it sucks trying to figure out how to balance the two. Currently London is winning...
 

Just when you thought you had seen it all!

Wow, just when i thought that it couldn't get any better it does! Yesterday, despite the early morning was literally out of this world!

The day started on the bus with a trip to Jane Austins living quarters.  It is in a quiet little town.  We went out to the church were her mother and sister are buried and then to the cottage were she publish and or wrote her 6 novels.

The church was truly old and the grave yard ancient.  This is just stuff that looks made up in the movies.  It was rustic and beautiful.

The cottage was quaint and inspiring.  It is no wonder she had a great time writing here.  While at the cottage we wrote with a quill and smelt lavender.  I also played on an ancient piano.  It was just fun, after reading Sense and Sensibility it was interesting to see the sights that possess her books and writing, as well as to learn in many cases she lived the life captured in her novels.  It was so interesting to walk where Jane had walked to see first had some of the things that surly filled her novels.

After Jane's home we traveled to Stourhead to tour the gardens there.  Upon arrival we grabbed a small lunch, i bought a loaf of sun flower seed bread and a small chunk of mature cheddar and had a great Europe lunch.  After lunch we went into the gardens, I have never seen anything like this in my entire life.  They have literally taken a mountain rang and turned it into a garden.  The Garden of Eden is the only thing that comes to mind.  It is glorious and beautiful.  The entire garden is full of pavilions, water attractions, flowers, every kind of tree, shaded pathways, Lillie ponds, a lake, caves, pavilions, bridges, and grass hills.  The every corner holds a new picture and it looks so glorious that one cannot help but think it is made up.

This is also the place were parts of Pride and Prejudiced were filmed, and yes we stood in the exact spots! It took us three hours just to walk alone one of the condensed path ways.  I have never seen anything so breath taking.

We then traveled to Bath.  We walked all through the ancient Roman bath. I never realized how truly large these were.  They were extensive, very comparable to the fitness centers that we have today.  It was really cool to see this ancient building and see the systems that they designed to use this ancient spring.  These baths were a series of pools with complicated drain systems and supplementary heating systems.  While there i got to try some of the bath water, much to my surprise it tasted a lot like home! Everyone else disagreed with me though.

We finished our tour of bath by walking up the city to see The Circus and The Crescent these were truly cool.  After seeing these ancient building we got some dinner and headed home.  While traveling home i saw some of the most beautiful country that i have ever seen!  Wow England is glorious and awe-inspiring.