Arriving back to London from Munich was a little stressful, since I had three days of midterms before Mom and Nana arrived!!! Up until that point classes had been interesting and quite fun!

 In my Media in Britain class we took field trips to the Guardian, the BBC, and the Telegraph. In my British Life and Cultures class we got a tour of the Globe Theatre. Unfortunately, the theatre season closed that week so there were no more performances that I could go see.   

Lch Liebe Dich

Oktoberfest, the one place where people all over the world come to celebrate their love of beer. Before studying abroad, everyone at Santa Clara who had already gone abroad said their favorite weekend of traveling is to Munich. Now, I understand why. 

 Not only was Oktoberfest amazing, but the city of Munich was so beautiful as well. First off, Munich has one of the coolest airports that I've ever traveled to. When you walk out of baggage claim this is what you see! ...And there are planes flying over it! I am proud to say that we were able to conquer the transportation system, even in another language with a completely different alphabet. We had an hour long train ride from the airport to the center of munich, where we found our hotel -- about three blocks away.


After settling in, we decided to check out the area! Before reaching Oktoberfest we stumbled upon St. Patrick's Church. Inside, Hilary and I lit candles for our grandparents before climbing up hundreds of stairs to reach the top of the church that overlooked the entire city. It was amazing to see all of the Oktoberfest grounds before entering the area. Oktoberfest consists of tents after tents of beer houses (with beer maids, who bring you your beer), as well as rides, games booths, and more fattening food that I've ever seen in one place.

We checked out Oktoberfest, went into a few tents to see thousands of people singing, eating, and drinking beer. The majority of people visiting Oktoberfest wear the traditional attire, which is Lederhos'n and a checkered shirt for men and the Direndl dress for women. At the festival, all of the Santa Clara kids meet at the Hofbrauhaus Tent. We decided to go to the actual Hofbrauhaus house, located in downtown Munich for dinner and our first beers! The jugs are absolutely huge, and I must admit I did not finish mine that night (each jug ranges around 4-6 beers)!

Saturday Morning we rose at the crack of dawn (7 am) to get in line for the Hofbrauhaus Tent! We got into the tent and started the Santa Clara table, were more and more broncos continued to join in! There were over 50 Santa Clara kids covering two rows of tables. It was incredible being able to catch up with so many of my friends who are studying across Europe from Rome, Sienna, Madrid, Barcelona, and Sevilla. Hilary and I toasted our first beer - which I drank! Shocker, I know. My friends and family are well aware of my dislike for beer; however, beer and I were able to put aside our differences for one day to enjoy the festivities. 

Oktoberfest was one of the coolest things I've ever experienced in my life. Not only was it amazing to experience this culture, but also to meet the hundreds of people who travel from across the world to experience it. We sat with men from Switzerland who drove to Munich for the day for the annual Oktoberfest. Hilary and I also went on rides in the afternoon and met the Austrian men's soccer team! 

One of the best parts of Oktoberfest is the atmosphere. Everyone, and I mean everyone is so happy! Here, Eloise and I were about to take a picture, when this boy wanted to jump in! I hope one day I can go back - and maybe even bring Brendan! :)

WWW.GUIDEZEKI.COM

The past three weeks have been a whirlwind. I have traveled every weekend, from Istanbul to Munich to Milan and have finally settled back in London for two weeks before our Fall Break! Since a blog post is long overdue, I have decided to break up my adventures!

Istanbul is one city that I never imagined traveling to.  Back on Thursday September 22nd, four of my flat mates and I woke up at the crack of dawn to catch the tube to Heathrow Airport. Our adventure to Istanbul was a field trip for my religion class, Understanding Civilizations Islam & the West. After a three hour flight we arrived in Turkey to explore a culture that I had never experienced before. 

A Mercedes bus picked us up from the airport and brought us to our Hotel that had a patio on the 5th floor that overlooked the entire city. It was gorgeous! Our group, all 46 of us, had dinner together at a nearby restaurant, where we stuffed our selves with lamb kabobs, rice, and the best humus I've ever had. After dinner we decided to go to a hookah bar with two of our teachers, all I can say it was quite entertaining.

Friday and Saturday consisted of two full days of a guided tour to the Suleymaniye Mosque, Rustem Pasha Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome, Topkapi Palace, and Blue Mosque. 

The Suleymaniye and the Rustern Pasha were the first two mosques we saw in Istanbul. After learning about Islam for four weeks it was impressive to see the artistic beauty in each sacred place. Both had the same religious elements, however, the artwork and decorations looked drastically different.

Later in the day we took an hour boat cruise around the Sea of Marmara, which separates Turkey between the European and Asian continents.
Now, I can say that I have officially been in Asia! Other highlights of my trip include shopping at the Grand Bazar, getting a Turkish Bath, and having the best baklava ever!

A Weekend of Celebration

I am one of the lucky few who is able to celebrate their birthday abroad. Since my birthday was on Saturday, the entire weekend ended up being a celebration! It started Friday Evening. After attending a pre departure meeting for my Istanbul trip (which I CANNOT wait for!!), Janey, Mackenzie, Alex, Max and I all went to the Thames River and took a trip on the London Eye. We had tickets for 7:30 - a perfect time, since the sun had just set and the entire city was lit up. 

The London Eye is very similar to a ferris wheel. The entire ride is about 30 minutes spent of the entire group taking photographs and looking at spectacular views of the city! 

Once we got back from the London Eye, the entire flat celebrated my 12:01! I popped my first champagne bottle (which I found out is a lot harder than it looks), while party poppers of confetti exploded all over me. It was a great way to start my birthday off right.  Mackenzie and Janey knew I was a little sad that I wasn't going to see my parents on my birthday, so they made every effort to make my birthday even more special.  That morning, I woke up to balloons and decorations all around our flat.  In the afternoon, Janey and I went shopping and saw the musical Legally Blonde. The production was incredible, definitely one of my favorites! 

A group of girls in our flat all went out for dinner to an Italian restaurant around the corner from our flat on Gloucester St. Not only did we feel like we were in Italy inside the restaurant, but our meals tasted phenomenal. I know I speak for everyone when I say we would all go back there in a heartbeat! After dinner we all got very dressed up for a night on the town - as you can see in the pictures above. I am so glad that I was able to spend my twentieth birthday in London and could not have asked for a better day with my friends!

Pure Royalty

On our day off from class a few of my flat mates and I decided to step into the life of royalty and tour Buckingham Palace. We reserved tickets in advance to see the Royal Wedding dress, which is only on display until the first week in October. Upon entering the Palace, every guest receives an audio headset that gives information about all the rooms that are visited. At first, the tour reminded me of the White House tour that I went on with my family in second grade; however, even the White House could not compare when it came to decorations and architecture. Each room had at least one chandelier with hundreds of crystals sparkling in the light. There were jewels throughout the entire palace and the Mosaic Egg, Royal Faberge Exhibition was phenomenal. Throughout the tour I couldn't stop thinking that I know a Princess, who would fit in here, right Pooj?  Additionally, each stateroom was adorned with beautiful pieces of artwork along walls. As I listened to the audio, I became more interested in all the Paintings and really wished that I had taken an Art History class at some point in my life. When I reached the stateroom that displayed the Duchess of Cambridge's Wedding Dress, I stood in awe. Every girl dreams of her Wedding Day, from the location, to the flowers, and the man waiting down the aisle, but I cannot picture ever getting married into the Royal Family at Westminster Abbey!

The dress was even more magnificent in person. The intricate details of the dress were so breath taking that it took everyone about 20 minutes to walk around the display. Seeing the dress has already been one of the my top highlights here in London! By the end of the tour, once we reached the Gardens we were finally allowed to take pictures!

 

Spending the morning at Buckingham Palace was such an amazing opportunity that only made me fall more in love with London.  The final highlight of the trip was while exiting the property we were able to do something that I have always wanted... take a picture with a Bobby!!

That night I had a field trip for my British Life & Cultures Class. My Professor told us to meet him at the Chalk Tube Station, where most of us thought he would bring us to a Pub. Instead we got a nice workout walking up Primrose Hill to the most amazing view of the entire City! 

 

I am excited to spend my last weekend before a long stretch of traveling by sightseeing around London as well as celebrating my twentieth birthday!

Student then Tourist.

I have not updated my blog in a few days since I only have a few adventures to share! Going abroad, it is easy to get caught up in the city and forget the main reason why I am here. Of course I want to be immersed in the culture and become more globally aware, but school has to be my number one priority. Monday and Tuesday I did not venture outside of my apartment except for the 15 minutes walk to and from class and to go to the gym. This was due to homework, mainly the preparation for my first presentation, which I had today in religion class. Two of my friends and I presented about Islamic Art and Architecture for thirty minutes; describing everything from the three visual characteristics of Islamic Art including calligraphy, geometric patterns, and arabesque to the dome architecture of mosques. Our presentation was created to enrich our classmates about the foundation of Islamic artwork before we visited the V & A (Victoria & Albert museum) during the second half of our class.

Upon walking into the museum I was surprised and excited to be greeted by a Chihluly chandelier in the hallway! Immediately, I asked our guide if that was a Chihluly piece, which it was, and she was quite impressed with my observation. I learned about this artist when I visited the MFA this summer to see Sarah, while she was interning there! (Thanks Sarah!!!)

During the rest of the tour we visited pottery, textiles, and metalworks that were all Islamic, but from different geographical regions. I took a few photos for you, Dad, because I thought some of the pottery looked similar to all the ones that you collect in China Town!!

Since our tour was only about an hour and a half we did not get to explore nearly half of the museum so I am planning on returning later in the month to check more of the exhibits out. One of the best things about London Museums such as the British Museum, V & A, Tate, Natural History, and National Gallery, is they all have free admission. There is no better way to explore a museum than to get lost in one full of magnificent and ancient creations that tell stories of our history. 

After having class from 9 -12, 1-4, and then a trip to the museum I was quite exhausted, yet found energy to continue exploring. Janey and I decided to head to China Town, near Piccadilly Circus for dinner! Although San Francisco Chinatown is still my favorite, walking through the streets we both agreed that we did not feel like we were in London at all! We wandered up the streets peaking through restaurant windows looking for a busy place with the most authentic food. It did not take us long to make a decision and we settled our growling stomachs in no time!

While leaving Chinatown we decided to continue exploring the area, since it was early in the night. The first treasure we found was the M & M Store. Yes it is just as big, if not larger than the one in Time Square. Janey and I ran around the store taking pictures and remembering our childhood halloween outfits. (We learned that we both were blue M & M's for Halloween when we were in 2nd Grade)! 

Not only did we get to take our picture with the yellow M & M (who decided to smush our faces together), but they also have a set up of M & M's on Abbey Road, known for the picture on the cover of a Beatle's Album.  Upon leaving the M & M store we saw the set up for the premiere of a new Hugh Jackman movie! Unfortunately, we weren't able to catch a glimpse of him! 

The best part of the night was finding our way home. Even though we knew what bus to take we decided to venture in another direction toward cute shops. It was then we stumbled on many hidden treasures! First we came across Carnaby Street, which is hidden behind the main roads of Oxford Circus with local Pubs, quaint boutiques and preppy shops such as Jack Wills!  Our luck continued as we found a back alley of about ten restaurants and an Ice Bar!  By the end of the night Janey and I were so excited by our findings that we couldn't wait to get home and tell the rest of the crew so we can go back and explore more tomorrow, during our day off from classes. 

Today I realized the satisfaction of spontaneity. We randomly decided to head to Chinatown for dinner (since we had run out of groceries) and wandered into hidden treasures. For the rest of my time in London, I am excited to wander off the map and find the local spots that most of the tourists don't know about!

A Day of Remembrance

I cannot believe today is already the ten year anniversary of September 11th. That day will always be remembered by ever American during the exact moment the planes hit from how they felt to what they lost. Instead of attending a Polo match, I thought I could better spend my day remembering all the heroes who lost their life ten years ago. This afternoon, my entire flat watched President Obama speak at the Ground Zero Memorial, which moved many of us to attend mass. We went to Westminster Abbey, where the royal family's wedding ceremonies take place, to sit in on a special memorial service for 9/11. I can say that I have never been in a more beautiful church in my life. Westminster Abbey was overwhelmingly magnificent, with all the detailed architecture and stained glass. The ceremony was not only beautiful, but I have never heard a choir sound so brilliant before! When mass ended we were able to walk down the aisle, like Kate Middleton when she married Prince William! Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures from inside the church because photography is not allowed. This will not be my last time in Westminster Abbey. I hope to go to mass another Sunday as well as attend mass at St. Paul's Cathedral, known for where Princess Diana got married.

Being 9/11, we all decided not to take the Tube for safety reasons. Now we truly know how much faster it is to take the subway than the bus in London. We were stuck in traffic for about an hour, which should have only been a twenty minute ride. Before going to Westminster Abbey we took the bus to the London Eye, where there was the Thames Festival along the River. The Annual Festival is a weekend event that includes booths of food, jewelry, clothing, and performers. After walking along the entire river we decided to splurge on some fudge that was to die for!

When we left our flat this afternoon it was gorgeous outside. About 70 degrees, bright and sunny, with what looked to be no chance of precipitation. Boy were we wrong! While at the festival, the sun slowly vanished behind clouds, only to be rained on ten minutes later without an umbrella or rain jacket. Lucky for us, we were on our way to Westminster and did not have to be outside in the terrible weather for long.

Yesterday we experienced a very similar encounter with the weather. We spent most the day in Notting Hill (right where the movie was filmed) at the Portobello Market. This market was by far the best market I've ever encountered. It continued for two miles of shops, stands, restaurants, and antique tables. (Yes I took some pictures for you Dad...they even has some really cool old watches)!

The market was beautiful, closer to high 70s, until the rain decided to downpour on us without any warning. None of us had umbrellas or even jackets and all of the girls were wearing sundresses, not the best clothing for a rain storm.

To all of my Kappa Sisters.. It did not take long for Mackenzie and me to find fleur de lis!
We hope you girls have an amazing time with recruitment and we look forward to meeting the our new epsilon class!

If this weekend has taught me anything, it would be never go anywhere in London without an umbrella because you never know when the rain will come pouring down!