Oh, What A Night!

Today Jake and I went to the Prince Edward Theater box office to get last minute tickets for Jersey Boys at 3PM.  We were able to get 62.50gbp tickets for 25gbp.  The cashier said they were the best seats available and he was right!  We sat in row J, eight rows from the stage slightly to the right.

Before going into the show we went across the street to an American style diner for milkshakes and sundaes.

The show was amazing!  I didn't realize how many of their songs I knew.  The actor that played Frankie, who we believe was the understudy, had an incredible voice, understandably so.  I had a hard time not singing along to the songs.  They of course ended the show with Oh, What A Night!

Jake, the birthday boy

November 20th was Jake's 21st birthday.  He was lucky it fell on a Saturday as opposed to my birthday during midterm week. 

We went to an Italian place in Covent Garden called Bella Italia.  We first split an order formaggio fritto which were similar to mozzerella sticks.  Jake had spaghetti and meatballs as a main dish while I had carbonara.  Both were delicious and we finished every bite.  As a surprise I told the waitress it was Jake's birthday and asked if they did anything special.  Awhile later, the lights to the restaurant turned off and the waitstaff came out singing "Happy Birthday" to him with an ice cream sundae and candle to blow out. 

At the flat we had red velvet cupcakes which I bought from the grocery store and the roommates sang to him again.  Later we went to a pub nearby and had a drink to celebrate his coming of legal drinking age, in America. 

A day long wait for the Harry Potter premiere

On November 11th, I waited all day long for the London premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.  I showed up at 9AM and luckily had a friend that got there at 5AM.    I was able to sneak in with that group and get into the gates to Leicester Square about 10 minutes later.  We were some of the last few to be let in so those who got there after 6AM waited for nothing.  I made plans to go with a friend from Syracuse who actually lives near Rochester as well.  A few of her friends were there too so I met some new people.  I had a great time despite the typical London weather.  At one point the rain was coming down so heavy and at an angle.  While I was wearing a raincoat, the back of my jeans got completely soaked.  Then the sun came out a few times but then the rain would fall and the cycle continued. 

The stars finally showed up around 5:15PM.  We could hear them being announced then a few minutes later saw them being interviewed on the big screen.  After awhile a few of the characters came over to autograph books and take pictures.  None of the main stars came over like Harry, Ron, Hermione or the Weasleys but some smaller characters did.  Luckily, I bought the last book in the bookstore a few hours before.  The signatures I got were from Luna Lovegood, Gellert Grindelwald, Lucious Malfoy, Draco Malfoy and... J.K. ROWLING!  She surprisingly autographed everyone's books and took pictures.  However, she does owe all of her success to the loving fans like myself. Jake and I booked a trip a day trip to Edinburgh in the beginning of December so I'll be able to live out more Harry Potter fantasies by going to the cafe she wrote the books at and the cemetary where she got names for several of the characters. 

 

Jake and I just booked a day trip to Edinburgh in the beginning of December so I'll be able to live out more Harry Potter fantasies by going to the cafe where she wrote the books at and the cemetary where she got names for several of the characters. 

Brighton Beach with the Doues

On Sunday November 7th, I went to Brighton Beach for the day with Jake's family.  We took the bus around 10AM and got in just in time for lunch.  We walked halfway down the pier and stopped for lunch.  I had fish and chips for the first time ever.  I know, I know.

After lunch we headed down to the Royal Pavilion and stopped into the museum on the way.  The museum had a room designated to the town and history.  There was also a 21st century art collection, Egyptian artifacts, and various other exhibits.

After going through a small portion of the museum we went to the Royal Pavilion.  We used audio guides to tour through the large palace.  King George IV obtained a property in Brighton and then added on to make the Royal Pavilion what it looks like today.  The interior is decorated with an Asian style and has very intricate details.  While I wasn't allowed to take pictures I was able to find some online of the rooms.  There were black ceramic butterflies in every room placed as a current exhibition to show the excess of wealth.  I found them quite scary and distracting actually.  I think my favorite room was the kitchen because of how big it was.  I would never run out of counter space in that palace. 

We took the bus back to London around 6PM then I said goodbye to the Doues.  They left for Logan the next morning.  It was great to spend the day with them in Brighton and get to know them a little better.

Christmas celebrations at Harrods!

On November 6th, 49 days before the big day, I went to the annual Harrods Christmas parade with Emily.  It started at 8:30 but we got there around 8 for the pre-parade entertainment.  Employees were giving out candy and juice boxes to children (and me) during this time.  Some of the characters from the parade were going through the crowd to talk to children and take pictures.

A few of our favorite holiday celebs showed up to celebrate Christmas a little early Harrod-style.  Maybe you'll recognize a few...

After the parade Emily and I went to the Georgian Restaurant inside Harrods for a special buffet breakfast.  The buffet offered yogurt parfaits, fresh fruit, lox, cheese, salami, and other meats, muffins, breads, an extensive assortment of pastries, an omelet bar, eggs, potatoes, mushrooms, tomatoes, baked beans, eggs benedict, and toast.  I had three platefuls and didn't eat for the rest of the day.  I'm pretty sure I ate my money's worth.

Fall Break, Part III - Nice

On our first day in Nice, we took the tram to the main square in town.  It was so warm the whole time we were in Nice and I wore shorts, and skirts everyday.  What a change from Switzerland!

We first walked through Cours Saleya, the flower market in town which also had spices, fruits and vegetables, pastries, olives, and souvenirs.

Next we headed for the beach.  Oh la la!

From the beach we started our trek to the top of Chateau Hill which has the best views of the area.  The higher we climbed, the more we were able to see.  It was definitely worth all of the stairs to the top.  The views were breathtaking, no pun intended.  As you can see we got some great pictures.

After this we headed toward the harbor to walk around and then stop for lunch.  We sat outside at a cafe right along the harbor while I enjoyed salmon fettucine. 

After lunch, we took a stroll down the English Promenade which runs along the coastal line.

Our last stop for the day was the Russian Orthodox Church which I only have views of from the outside and then the Joan of Arc Cathedral.  The Russian Orthodox Church was very interesting inside.  All of the paintings were adorned with beads and jewels.  The Joan of Arc Cathedral was very modern and simple.  A lot of the artwork was very contemporary and portrayed the biblical characters atypically.

On our last full day in Nice, we took the bus to Eze Village and then Monaco.  Eze village is a medieval village on a hill.  The whole village was similar to a maze.  We found ourselves wandering up and down streets wondering if we had gone that way already because everything looked the same.  We went through the exotic garden on the side of the hill while there.  In the second picture you'll see what they call the "Point of Contemplation" which we devoted a few minutes to, obviously.  We had crepes for lunch before heading to the next destination.

In Monaco, we first stopped by the Casino.  To even enter the gambling rooms you have to pay 10gbp.  We decided it wasn't worth it so we walked around the Casino grounds then headed toward the harbor.  We saw where the Grand Prix race takes place.  We were surprised by the lack of information and signs for this event.  There was some kind of carnival right there so we got a fried food snack.  Apparently, carnivals attract the same kind of people wherever you go, even in Monaco.  We walked down by the boats and chose which ones we would like to have.  We took the bus back to Nice to have dinner there and relax for the night before our travels the next day.  My camera died while we were there so I'm not able to show as much of what I saw, sorry!