Bath
Bath is a gorgeous Georgian town -- I definitely felt like I was in a Jane Austen novel. All of the buildings are made of this off-white "Bath stone," which gives the city a charming, elegant feel. Notable facts: It is the site of Roman Baths, and a gorgeous medieval Abbey. People believed the water from the baths to have healing powers and would come to the town to drink and bathe in the waters. We tried some of the water -- not as gross as I thought, but Jordan and I still didn't finish the glass between us. In Bath we spent a great deal of time wandering and laying in parks -- the Circus and the park in front of the Royal Crescent. We also went rowing, which was fun/hilarious. Turning around the boat was....an experience. I had an absolutely delicious latte from Boston Tea Party (notable, because it was awesome and didn't need any sugar). We went to a wonderful museum which was having an exhibition of these interactive pieces of art. I don't think I'll be able to describe them accurately, but they were made out of recycled materials (driftwood, old barbies etc) and they were mechanical. You would pull something or twist something and a bird would look like it was flying or a figure's eyes would move -- it was si cool. Jordan had his first cream tea experience and we took a free walking tour! Oh, and we watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in a pub, which was quite fun. My favorite part was going to this bookshop called Topping and Company. Beautiful shop made more so, as they give you free coffee or tea when you browse -- a pot of tea with ceramic tea cups! In a bookshop!!! It was so much the best. Our airbnb hosts (website where you rent rooms) were also wonderful. We were in this lovely house with a delightful garden and view of the lush hills. Petra would make us coffee or tea in the afternoon and a full breakfast in the morning. She was incredibly fun to talk to, as she has had many adventures of her own! All in all, Bath was very pleasant and a much needed respite from the city.
Oxford
A few of our friends from UCLA are studying at the British Academny of Dramatic Arts at Oxford summer program, so we slept on their floor for two nights. Oxford was rather sleepy. We were tired, it rained a bit and skies were rather grey. However, the town itself is lovely and the colleges are gorgeous. They were dorming at Magdalen, which has a deer park. A deer park! Anyways, we had afternoon tea, went to Blackwells (a glorious bookshop), and laid in the (giant) park. The ducks in that park were the bravest ducks I have ever seen. They swarm you, looking for food! I also watched the many people punting along the river. Jordan and I have decided that punting looks a little terrifying and that we would probably fall into the water if we attempted such a thing. I did see a group of boys in light colored suits (and hats) punting and singing a loud chorus of "God Save the Queen." It was rather amusing. We saw an incredible production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by Oxford's Shakespeare theatre. It was outside at one of the colleges and it was a small cast who played all the parts - to a hilarious effect. It was so fun, and Jordan and I laughed and laughed -- even though we both know the play well! It was so nice to see some good Shakespeare. Other than that, we spent time with Vika and Netta, got glorious cookies and shakes from "SHAKESpeare," and went to the first museum in Britain. It was fantastic to catch up with the girls, and see Oxford's greenery.
Stratford-Upon-Avon
In Stratford, we were greeted by our exuberant host, Johanna, who gave us a nice room with a view over the town. Everything was a red brick -- very picturesque against the gray, rainy sky. We had a kitchen, so we ate breakfast and dinner in, which was so nice. I am tired of eating in restaurants and also hungry for fruits and veggies! Plus, it's cheaper to eat in. Anyways! We spent a great deal of time at the Royal Shakespeare Theater. The World Shakespeare Festival is going on, so they had exhibitions throughout the building. We saw Shakespeare's grave, and took many walks along the river Avon. There are so many swans... So many huge swans. I also had the exciting task of getting a vaccine for grad school while I was there. It's a complicated situation, but basically I had to get a vaccine ASAP, so I could register for classes in August. After many "umm, may I ask why you are getting this here and now?" and many jabs at the US's healthcare system, I received the vaccine and was on my merry way. We saw two RSC plays while we were there -- at decent prices too! We saw "Much Ado About Nothing" from the stalls for 12 pounds (limited view seat, though I didn't notice) and "Twelfth Night" for 5 pound 16-25 year old tickets for the upper circle. We were very high up and on the side, but luckily the actors really do play to the balcony. Much Ado had the coolest ambience. They set it in present day New Dehli, and as you walked into the lobby, incense burned and a girl was selling samosas. The lobby itself was decked out and filled with sounds of a busy Indian city. It was awesome. The show itself was gorgeously designed and well acted, but I didn't think the point of setting it in new Dehli came off. Twelfth Night was phenomenal. The set -- which is being shared by the three plays of the "shipwreck trilogy" (tempest, comedy of errors and twelfth night) -- was incredible. The stage is a thrust, and looked like the deck of the ship, though it arched toward the back. Downstage right, the wood was torn away to reveal water - actual water - the shipwrecked characters made their entrances swimming out from under the stage. So. Cool. The world of the play didn't seem to have a particular time period, but it worked. The actors were great and the show was hilarious -- so well done! I loved it. Afterwards we went to the Dirty Duck, which seems to be the actor's bar. It had a nice, warm, pub feel with various actor's pictures on the wall. I had Pimms for my first time and it is my new favorite drink. YUM. Stratford was just nice -- full of high quality theatre and pleasant scenery.
York
York is old! Everything is old, and has a ton of character. It was nice to be back in a place with a city vibe (though everything closed by 7pm). We stayed in a "boutique hostel," which basically means it was pretty and very clean. We were in an 8 person dorm, which we basically had to ourselves. It was nice in terms of sleeping, but a bit disappointing, as we were looking forward to meeting fellow travelers. Anyways, York was rainy (surprise surprise), though we got some sun. We took a free walking tour, where we learned about the Roman and Viking roots of the city (and also how to tell the difference between Roman and Viking streets). Amusingly, streets are called "gates" there and gates are called "bars." we got caught in the rain, had good Indian food, went to the train museum (found the hogwarts express), wandered a bunch, and got really good coffee at this place called, "The Attic." If you are ever in York - go there. Smoothest Latte I've had in England. We found a beautiful modern art exhibition in a church. Hundreds of glass bells hanging from the ceiling, and a voiceover telling about the temple of a thousand bells - it was lovely. We split a delicious Yorkshire pudding (not actually pudding, but very good) and had our last English afternoon tea at Betty's. Quite good. We walked "new walk" for a while and strolled through the museum gardens. It was nice. York is a great place to wander, with its winding streets and tiny passageways. On our way out this morning, we had breakfast at "The Perky Peacock," which is this little cafe in a little tower next to the bridge (maybe a guard post?) -- delicious breakfast and atmosphere. If I were to go back to York, I would split my time between the attic and the perky peacock - delicious.
Other Exciting Things:
I only have one more week of traveling, which is so bizarre. I'm sad it's coming to an end, but it will be nice to be home.
I have an apartment in New York City! Thanks to my fantastic new roommate, Sarah, I have an apartment all secured for my move to New York! It is within walking distance of school and about a block away from Central Park. I am ecstatic and so thrilled to be moving to the city and into my next adventure!
We're heading to Edinburgh now, for the Fringe Festival. The Fringe Festival is the largest art festival in the world and basically, you can see theatre at any time of day. There seem to be about 50 things going on every hour! I have a feeling it is going to be absolute mayhem, but I'm excited to see lots of theatre and meet lots of new people!
Also, there is a group of men on our train who have been drinking since before 11am. They are actually snorting with laughter. I don't know whether I am amused or annoyed. Oh man.
I hope that was somewhat comprehensible! Summarizing events is not my strong point... More updates soon!
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