Downton Abbey

As you may have noticed, I am not a very consistent blogger. These past few weeks have been filled with wonderful adventures. There's so much to share, that it's easy to get overwhelmed with trying to organize it and write it all down. Anyway, here goes Day 3:
I wake up just in the nick of time to have community breakfast (only available 'till 8:30), grab a treasured bowl of chocolate Crunchy Nut cereal and head for the table. Before I have time to sit down, Mrs. Service says,

"Bill (Dr. Service) and I are going to Highclere Castle (better known as Downton Abbey) today, if anybody wants to join." 

I freeze.
If anyone knows me well, they know my fierce love of period films/tv. I am a huge Downton Abbey fan, as are most of my friends.
Not only do I want to go, but I have been acutely aware of the short time span I had upon arriving to visit Highclere. The family was to move back in a week and a half later.
Braeden heard the same announcement and we dashed to the computer to see if we could book a ticket for that afternoon. We called: there were no ticket reservations left. HOWEVER, we could go and "queue up" to see if we could make it inside in the afternoon. The Services were leaving at 9, so I ate a quick bite of Crunchy Nut (I mean seriously, who can resist that stuff?) and ran up the (3.5 flights of) stairs to get ready.
Shortly, Dr. Service, Mrs. Service, Braeden, and I set off for Paddington station on what promised to be a beautiful September day. Even if we didn't get to see inside the castle, we would be content with seeing it from afar.
At the station, we found out that we could buy 4 tickets for the price of 2. The Services would not let us pay at all, claiming that they paid the same amount they were planning to. Braeden and I got a free trip to Newbury, the closest town to Highclere. They wouldn't let us pay for the taxi either, though we protested.
Driving through the grounds up to the castle we saw beautiful rolling hills filled with sheep and centuries old trees.

When we arrived at the house, we walked up to the ticket counter, anticipating a morning of waiting. I asked the elderly man behind the desk how difficult getting in would be and he asked, 

"How badly do you want to get in?"

I looked at Braeden and we responded, 

"Pretty badly."

He smiled and said,

"Well, that will be £8.50."

And that was that. No wait, and we walked straight onto the stunning lawn of Highclere Castle. By this point, Braeden and I needed to be sedated. We were obnoxiously excited. People stared. They also stared when we took this picture: 

 

Nailed it.

At this point, the Services left to walk about the grounds, since their reservation was for the afternoon; and Braeden and I began the tour of the beautiful stately home. Unfortunately we couldn't take pictures inside, but it was so fun getting to walk around where our favorite characters walk. We hummed the theme music to ourselves. More stares. We had a blast. Right outside the house we grabbed sandwiches from the little make-shift cafés they had set up. We ate our luncheon on the grass, more to avoid the bees than for its romantic aesthetic, but we made the most of it. 

The rest of the afternoon we wandered around the beautiful grounds: 

Watching the sheep graze

Visiting ruins

and frolicking through secret gardens.

       

I spent the last hour there having tea and lying on the grass reading William Blake...English major euphoria. I couldn't have picked a better place to read some British Romantic poetry. 

All in all, it was a perfect day. I don't think I would have changed one thing. I am so thankful that the Services thought to invite us and that they graciously provided our transportation. We truly had a wonderful time. 

Cheers, Downton!

P.S. Downton Abbey Season 3 started this week in the UK. I'm a happy girl. 

Of Palaces and World Premiers

Today was a fabulous day in London. We ate breakfast and held our first weekly house meeting, where  we discovered that the class we all thought started today does not start until next week or the following. Thus we had the day to ourselves (and I have a week or so to myself).
This semester I will be taking British Heritage and Culture, Art Appreciation, and Theater Appreciation with British professors. Then, I will be taking Coffee Talk Literature with a Samford Professor in Residence and an Independent Study of post 18th century British Literature. By the end of the semester my plate will be full, but for the first few weeks I have ample free time. I plan on splitting this time between catching up on the London adventures I missed out on last week and getting ahead on my independent study reading. Today was divided in that mannor.
Lia, Claire, and I went to a mall not far from the Shepherd's Bush Market tube stop, which held the closest Foyles (a chain bookstore). I bought two books for my independent study and claire bought some shoes. We had sandwiches at the house before Claire, Jacie, and I set out again. We all got off at St. James' Park, but they went to find the site of their internship and I went to Buckingham Palace (one of those things I missed last week). On the way to the Palace I wandered through the Park and enjoyed the gorgeous day London was having, and the Pelicans.

                     

At Buckingham Palace, I had to sweet-talk my way in. The ticket in my possession was a group ticket from several days ago and unvalidated. That ticket would not get me in, but I finally found a kind "super" who heard my story and secured me a valid ticket. He even changed the time for the ticket so I didn't have to wait at all! So, I toured the state rooms of Buckingham for the first time and they were exquisite. The audio guide played the coronation music from The Young Victoria as I walked up the grand staircase. What more can you ask for? So great.
The Jubilee Diamond exhibit was still open as well, so I got to see the crown and necklace that this classy lady is wearing, as well as dozens of other glittery items.  

Fun Fact about the Palace: QEII has a secret passage from her digs to the state room. So, she's classy AND awesome.

I met Jacie back outside the palace and we went to another Foyles to finish collecting the books I needed. We asked the woman checking us out for a dinner recommendation. Score! She sent us to this place a few blocks away from Charring Cross (the street Foyles was on) to an Pizza place called Soho Joe's. It was reasonably priced and delicious! Jace and I decided it's a definite repeat. 

After dinner we walked down to Leicester square, where Anna Karenina was having it's world premiere. Unfortunately we missed Matthew McFayden, but we saw Keira Knightly and Jude Law giving interviews from a distance! This was my first true celebrity sighting: a monumental moment. All in all, it was a fantastic day! 

Arriving in London

I have had my sights set on spending a semester in London with Samford since very early my Freshman year. This is Samford's only true semester abroad experience and everyone who has told me about it says it cannot be missed. I didn't need too much convincing to set my sights on spending the fall of my Junior year in London.

I arrived in London a little over twelve hours ago and I think I might be even more excited than before I arrived. The Daniel House, Samford's residence in South Kensington, is even more charming than I pictured. It is a true Victorian house; I'm told it's about 140 years old. After taking the taxi to the house, I rang the doorbell and one of our wonderful professors in residence, Dr. Service, ambled to the door to let me in. When I walked through the door I felt like I was walking into history. I think the Daniel House deserves a post of its own, so I will save the detailed descriptions for another time.

After a "second breakfast" of nutella toast, I began to unpack my cases, as the British call them, and settle into my cosy room. I opened the window and leaned out to see flocks of businessmen and women headed to their jobs in the center of the city. When I was finally settled in, I met with our London-based administrator to get caught up on orientation. 

Out of the 11 in the program, only Hayley and I are not interning. So, while the others set out for their work-orientation, she showed me around the immediate neighborhood and we ran errands to the bank, Tube, post office, and grocery store. Later in the afternoon a group of us went to Kensington Gardens to relax and read. It was an uncharacteristically beautiful day. 

We finished off the day with a traditional pub meal of fish and chips and I am ready to put my jet lagged self to bed.