Paris, je t’aime!

We're in Paris! I've been looking forward to this city more than any other on the itinerary, and it's fantastic to be here at last! We arrived on Friday after a long day on the bus. We've been going nonstop ever since, and it's been wonderful! Highlights include:

• a nighttime sightseeing cruise on the Seine River
• a day at the Palace of Versailles
  
• a nighttime view of Paris from the top of the Arc de Triumph
  
• a very Parisian dinner of bread and cheese by the Seine
  
• the Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay
• climbing the tower of Notre Dame cathedral for a close-up of the gargoyles
  
• speaking French
  
• eating crepes
  

Tomorrow is our last full day in Paris before moving on for a few days in Normandy. I'm really going to miss this city!

Paris at night from the Arc de Triomph

View from the tower of Notre Dame

With a friend in front of Notre Dame

Northern Ireland and Bruges

We're currently in Bruges, Belgium. We arrived on Monday night after a long day of travel from Northern Ireland. Our time in Northern Ireland was wonderful. We stayed in a set of cottages in a beautiful semi-rural farming area called Rostrever. We also made day trips into Dublin and Belfast. It was awesome being back in Belfast and revisiting reconciliation sites that I spent weeks learning about last summer.

Here in Belgium we've spent some time exploring this thirteenth century city and its striking architecture. We took a very touristy but extremely fun boat trip around the canals of the city on Tuesday. Yesterday we went around a huge portion of the Flanders area of Belgium seeing World War I sites. Today we have a free afternoon, and tomorrow it's on to Paris! We'll be in France for about a week before returning to Bruges for another five days.

Rostrever, Northern Ireland

Bruges, Belgium

The Last of London

The past week in London has been wonderful. Whether it was visiting museums and landmarks with the group or taking in the city parks on my own, I have thoroughly enjoyed all that London has to offer. On Wednesday we took a little time off from London and went on a day trip Canterbury to see the cathedral. It was especially interesting in light of our studies of pilgrimage and migration.

Canterbury Cathedral

This weekend I went with a group of friends to the Thames festival, which featured a huge market, music, dancing, and an emphasis on multiculturalism. We had also noticed a number of odd sculptures in one area of the waterfront, and once it got dark, we discovered that each sculpture involved fire in some way. The entire festival was lit with these fire sculptures, as well as a number of fire pits where people were welcome to congregate and stay warm. Combined with lots of live music, the entire effect created an awesome atmosphere. The festival was one of the best finds of our time in London.

Nighttime at the Thames Festival

Tomorrow is our last day here. I'll certainly miss London, but I'm also looking forward to Northern Ireland. We'll be staying in the small, semi-rural town of Rostrever, in the same guest cottages where I stayed last summer while studying in Northern Ireland on Mayterm. Rostrever is a beautiful, slower-paced place where there will be lots of opportunity to catch up on school work, spend time getting to know the other members of the group better, and hopefully do some hiking. There won't be consistent internet access there, so my next update will probably be in a week or so from Bruges, Belgium.

Back in London

Last Friday we left Birmingham and came back to London by way of Coventry. In Coventry we looked around the ruins of the medieval Coventry Cathedral, which was largely destroyed in the bombing of World War II, and which today stands as a monument to peace and reconciliation.

Since arriving back in London we've been on the go nonstop! In the past four days I've seen the Tate Modern Art Museum, the National Gallery, and the Imperial War Museum, all as academic requirements. This afternoon as a class we also saw "As You Like It" at Shakespeare's Globe, which has provided some interesting comparisons to a very different production of the same play we saw last week in Stratford with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Today at the Globe we were "groundlings", which meant that we stood the whole time right at the base of the stage, which allowed for some really fun interactions with the actors. This production was lighthearted and fun, so it was a really enjoyable afternoon.

Last night a few friends and I took a break from academic outings and homework and went to see the musical "Hairspray", which is playing just down the street from our residence. We managed to grab some of the last tickets left, which just happened to be in the front row, so we had a blast! Not exactly academic caliber, but certainly some of the most fun I've had so far, and definitely some of the catchiest music I've ever heard!

Tomorrow after our morning class session we'll be going to see Canterbury. The rest of the week is filled with outings around London, including the Tower of London and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Then we have the entire weekend to ourselves!

A sculpture entitled "Reconciliation" in the ruins of Coventry Cathedral

The Imperial War Museum

With some friends at Shakespeare's Globe Theater

Birmingham

Woodbrooke

On Monday we left London and came to Birmingham. We are currently staying at Woodbrooke, which is a Quaker-run facility devoted to the academic pursuits of its residents. It's a beautiful facility surrounded by gorgeous grounds and gardens. Since we're a ways away from the city center, most of us haven't ventured off the grounds, and have taken the opportunity to get caught up on schoolwork. Yesterday was an exception, however, and after class in the morning, we drove to Stratford, Shakespeare's birthplace. After touring the house where Shakespeare was born, we saw a performance of "As You Like It" by the Royal Shakespeare Company. It was fantastic, with first-rate acting and lots of unique and avant-garde production choices. I really enjoyed it.

Tomorrow we're heading back to London for another ten days before moving on to Northern Ireland.

Weekend Highlights

What a weekend! It was a busy couple of days, full of unplanned outings. On Saturday we went to the Borough Market, an open-air market selling all kinds of great food. Then we saw the Tower Bridge and St. Paul's Cathedral. Today a group of us went back to St. Paul's for a church service, which was beautiful. After church we went to the Notting Hill Carnival. The Notting Hill district of London has historically been a settling place for Caribbean immigrants, so the carnival there is a celebration of Anglo-Caribbean culture. There was a huge parade that had a lot of steel-drum bands and lots of dancing. The entire thing felt like a great big block party, and it was a fantastic way to spend the afternoon.

The Borough Market

The Tower Bridge

St. Paul's Cathedral

Notting Hill Carnival

Tomorrow it's on to Birmingham!

Photos

Some highlights so far:

Trafalgar Square


Parliament and Big Ben


British Museum

After a great "field trip" to the British Museum yesterday, we went to see Tom Stoppard's Arcadia. It was absolutely wonderful. The acting was great and the play itself was thought-provoking and hilarious. I know this is only the beginning, but I'm still classifying Arcadia as a highlight.

We have the weekend free, but I'm planning to see the National Gallery, the Tate Modern Art Museum, and possibly Buckingham Palace, which is currently open for viewing. On Monday we move on to Birmingham for four days before returning to London for another ten days.