Day 4: Une crepe au chocolat, s'il vous plait.

This was the day I've been waiting for my enitre life. I woke up as giddy as ever... not caring that I only slept for 3 hours, not caring that my hair looked ridiculous (again), not caring that I was about to drag my luggage to another country.

Oh hello, train to the land of my dreams...haha. I LOVED traveling on the Eurostar. Such a lovely way to get around!

I got up so so early because getting to St. Pancras station would take a while. My train to Paris was leaving at 8AM. I hopped on the 10 bus that takes you to King's Cross/St. Pancras and arrived just in time... not too early, but not too late.

The train ride was quick... or was it? I remember eating a croissant (how French of me) and I remember attempting to read a page from my book. Then I remember arriving at Gare Du Nord. Nothing in between... I was out before the train even started moving.

When I arrived at Gare Du Nord, I met up with Elliot and Aurelie (his fiance). Elliot's family graciously offered to let me stay at their house for the length of my stay in Paris. Aurelie had just arrived from Brussels a while before and they were there to greet me and take my bags back to the Mourier's house... This was good since it allowed me to get right to seeing Paris without having to trek all the way to their house to drop off my luggage.

Eh, Bounjour, tierre de mes reves... Ah... the excitement to be in France!

Elliot and Aurelie explained the Paris Metro system, and gave me a few suggestions on where to start. I decided to start with Musee du Louvre, but when I got there, I realized the museum was closed, as it is every other Tuesday. I decided to walk around the outside of the Louvre and find a good place to have lunch.

I don't care what people say... The NYC Subway system is nowhere as confusing as the Paris Metro. If it had not been for Elliot and Aurelie's long explanation I may have died of confusion.

I found this adorable cafe called Cafe Palais Royal. It was so picturesque and adorable. I loved sitting there and taking in French culture... Well, or the culture of the French staff since everyone eating there seemed to be a tourist. I had an amazing quiche lorraine with a green salad and of course, a cup of chocolat chaud (Did I mention it was pouring rain and absolutely freezing?). I made conversation with an elderly couple from Pasadena and some boys from Canada. The tables were so close together that I felt like we were all sitting at the same table.

The charming Cafe Palais Royal... Footsteps away from the Musee Du Louvre. Such an excellent way to start my Parisian adventure.

A gorgeous little plaza en route to the Opera House

After lunch, I made my way to the Paris Opera House.. still in the pouring rain. I had a raincoat but my shoes were entirely soaked. When I arrived at the Opera, I found out that the main hall was not open due to rehearsal. I was a little bummed out but didn't want to spend the money on a ticket if I couldn't see the mail hall. I walked around though and took some pictures of the outside.

Beautiful...Paris Opera House. Another borrowed shot because the ones I took are not stellar. 

I randomly found the bus that takes you straight to the Musee D'Orsay which was lucky because I was so so so cold and frustrated that everything I wanted to do and see was not working out. I arrived at Musee D'Orsay to find an impossibly long line, but I stood in it, in the rain, with my newly purchased umbrella (which by the way I paid a lot for).

Musee D'Orsay and the Seine

What I saw inside the museum was worth every minute of standing in that line in the freezing rain. The Musee D'Orsay houses art mostly from the Impressionist period... My favorite! I about died just seeing all the original pieces I had heard about for so long. There was a good mix in between realism and impressionism that I found really charming and pleasing to look at. I focused mostly on the impressionist pieces because I knew I would not have enough time to look at everything. Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, Degas, and that is just the list of the really well-known painters... There were many other less popular by equally stunning pieces.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Bal au Moulin de la Gallete, 1876. My favorite thing about this piece is hands down the way Renoir created light... All those little spots are so amazing. It makes me feel like I am sitting there alongside these people taking in the sun.

Claude Monet, Villas in Bordighera, 1884. I have always loved his choice of color palette. Even when he's using cool colors, his pieces are always warm and charming. I especially love the juxtaposition of the structured architecture and the free strokes used to create the vegetation, ground and sky. 

Monet. I honestly wish I could figure out specifically which of his Water Lilies this is... but I actually have no idea.

 Claude Monet, Essai de figure en plein-air : Femme à l'ombrelle tournée vers la gauche, 1886. 

Top: Edgar Degas, Deux danseuses au repos, 1898

Bottom: Edgar Degas, Danseuse au bouquet, saluant sur la scène, 1878

Edgar Degas, Danseuses Bleues, 1890. My favorite Degas piece ever.

About as classic as impressionism gets. Vincent Van Gogh, Self Portrait, 1889

I was so so sneaky and took a picture.. haha. You're not supposed to but I wanted to remember this moment forever... Musee D'Orsay used to be a train station, and it has been beautifully restored to house all this amazing art.

I spent about two hours inside the museum before heading out to my next stop. I walked along the Seine until I arrived at Place de La Concorde... which was beautiful but really just a stop and look sort of thing. If you stand right at the middle, you get a beautiful view of the Jardin de Tuileries on one side and the Arc De Triomph on the other.

Oh la la! Les Crepes Sucrees! I wish NYC had a crepe truck!

I love this picture... And I love the chiaroscuro effect that the sky and darks in the picture create. Not bad, considering this was a timed photo set up on a little pillar. 

I stopped to take some pictures and eat a crepe that I purchased from a crepe truck (!) just outside the Jardin de Tuileries. By then, I felt more used to the rain and felt more like I was in Paris than I had up to that point... I walked along the Champs D'Elysees stopping at every store that called out to me. It took a long time, but I finally arrived at the Arc D'Triomph just as the sun was setting. It was a beautiful sight. The traffic was insane, so I didn't dare cross to the Arc but I admired it from afar, took many many pictures and decided to call it a day.

Oh, hey... Just practicing my tendus here in PARIS. I have noooo idea why I look like I am doing a tendu. The only disappointment was that if you look closely at the two panels on either side of the arc, they are fabric... covering up the originals, which I am guessing they're restoring currently.

A beautiful sight. I have a postcard that I've kept around for a good 15 years now and I wanted to take my own picture of the picture I've been looking at for so long.

Before getting on the train, I grabbed some dinner at this amazing restaurant which I can't actually remember the name of but it was just footsteps away from the Arc De Triomph. I had an amazing dinner and some sort of dessert the waitress described in English as "Floating Island." No clue what it was... but it was tasty.

Le dessert! 

Then, I hopped on the RER A train towards Noisy Champs where Elliot was waiting to drive me to their home in Champs-Sur-Marne. It was great to meet the Mourier family. They were all so welcoming and I had so much fun just chatting with them and getting to know them.

So, not only do I have to keep things straight between the Metro and the RER lines, but I also have to make sure I get on the right RER A train... So not the one that goes to Boissy but the one that goes to Marne-la-Vallee or Torcy. Tricky Frenchies...

RER A platform at the Etoile station

Noisy Champs station. Picture not from Day 4, but irrelevant any other day. :)

I went to bed completely exhausted but excited for what lay ahead... I fell asleep watching LOST, in French... Ah, Monsieur Locke. You were crazy. 

Day 3: Her Maj, Beware the Ides of March and Singing Nuns

Day 3 was a much easier start than every other day. For one, I slept much better since weird sleeping boys checked out and I had really considerate hostel mates. One of them was a girl from Miami... I forget her name... The other was a guy I never once saw awake... The last was Miles... I actually don't know his name, but he looked like Miles from LOST. He was there as long as I was and was really nice and considerate... he even let me borrow his adapter after I realized mine wasn't working...

Anyway... First thing on the list, was finding a discount ticket to Sister Act: The Musical. Good thing I have my priorities in line. I hopped on a bus that took me to Oxford Circus and spent some time trying to find the Palladium Theater...

Side Note: London's West End is nothing like Broadway.... All the West End Theaters are spread out all over the place, Broadway's are in the same general area...

After purchasing a ticket for only £25, I hopped on the Tube to Green Park, crossed the park, and made my way to Buckingham Palace to visit Her Maj the Queen of England. I got there fairly early and stood directly in front of the gates as I awaited the Changing of the Guard. I would say that the Changing of the Guard is something everyone should see, but I found it a little anticlimactic. Still, I was glad I included that in my Monday itinerary. I didn't see Her Maj (obviously), she must have been out for tea while wearing a fancy hat. Or something.

The only good picture I got. I got tons of video and will post later on...

At the front of Buckingham Palace... That's Green Park just beside it. I sat at this fountain just enjoying the lovely London sun (an oxymoron) and eating lunch.

Visiting Her Maj the Queen of England. 

As per Miss Kayla's orders, I decided to visit the Royal Mews. Buckingham Palace is closed to tourists when the Royal Family is in London, so I wasn't able to tour the palace but I decided to take K's advice and head to the Mews. The Royal Mews houses the State horse-drawn carriages and motor cars which are used for coronations, State Visits, royal weddings, Opening of Parliament and so on. Two of my favorite carriages were the Glass Coach (built in 1881) and the Gold State Coach which has been used for every coronation since George IV's in 1821. The Royal Mews provides free audio tours and I found it so interesting to learn about each of the coaches on display.

The Glass Coach

The Gold State Coach

After my tour, I bought a panini at a little cafe across the way from the palace and headed over to the fountain that faces it to eat my lunch. After this, I took the tube to the right bank of the River Thames in search of the Globe Theatre. I had so much fun walking through the little museum that highlights the accomplishments of William Shakespeare as well as the productions that have been done there since it's reconstruction in the late 1990s. There were a lot of really beautiful costumes, props, scripts and displays to look at and learn about. My favorite part of the museum was an exhibit entitled "Join the Cast" where you can read lines from Julius Caesar, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and A Winter's Tale. The machine reads with you and records the scene, then, you can play it back and listen to yourself as a character. Needless to say, I read every single scene that was available... My favorite was the one from Julius Caesar where the Soothsayer issues Caesar the famous warning: "Beware the ides of March!"

Shakespeare's Globe. Located right on the right bank of the River Thames.. Stunning.

Oh hi. I look so ridiculous in all my winter gear but it was FREEZING. 

I am not sure how I would incorporate this into my life, but I need one. Beautiful gown on display at the Globe.

Tech rehearsal of Henry VIII. He is played by the actor all the way in the front wearing a green-ish/brown-ish coat.

After starring in four of Billy Shakespeare's finest, I headed up to the theater where tech rehearsal for Henry VIII was being held. It was so fun to watch the rehearsal and see the director at work telling his actors how the scene needed to be done. My tour guide told us that the last time Henry VIII was performed at the Globe Theater, was the day it caught on fire... During the play, as a matter of fact...

After the Globe, I walked across the river and towards St. Paul's Cathedral. I loved how airy it was inside... Most cathedrals tend to have a really somber look about them but this one had so many windows that it was surprisingly airy and light. 

This view is stunning. You can see it all the way from the right bank and walk straight into it.

Totally not my picture, but I wanted you to get the idea of how light and airy it is inside. Lots and lots of natural light which is uncommon in this type of architecture. 

By the time I got out of St. Paul's I was completely exhausted. I took the bus back to Oxford Circus and visited the Apple store to use their internet. I felt out of touch with my friends and hoped that they would be online and I could say a quick hello.

Home Sweet Home. The Apple Store in London.

Dinner on Monday was spent at Garfunkel's Restaurant. The food itself was all right. Nothing special, but it was more "English" than any of my other meals while I was in London. Also... what is up with their Fanta? It is so delicious there. Why is that?

Pretty ok. Once more, someone I know might have a lot to say about my chain restaurant food choices, but I'm not going to name any names. :)

I was delighted to be seeing sister Act: The Musical. I found it entertaining and thought it was very well-done. Patina Miller did a wonderful job starring as Sister Mary Clarence and she had the part down to an art. The show was lively and funny and I loved every minute of it. The sets were absolutely fantastic!

The beautiful Palladium Theatre

I loved this show... and what's more... I LOVE LOVE their art... Like their marquis, cast recording, program art...

Part of the set at the end of the second act

After my show, I headed back to the hostel and packed my stuff... I was only one sleep away from La Belle France!

I wanna be a producer...Lunch at Sardi's every day

It's funny how things fall into your lap right when you most need them to... My friends, I am working as a producer for two plays that will run in two of New York's best known theater festivals. I am really excited to take on these projects and be able to work on what I love most.

My producing partner and I are working on Merrily, Merrily, Merrily (Midtown Theater Festival) and How My Mother Died of Cancer and Other Bedtime Stories (New York International Fringe Festival). We're excited and also very nervous... As producers, our job is to raise the funds necessary to put on a production and funding these two shows is a learning process for us.

The good thing about our shows is that both contain messages that resonate well with people and we're confident that the theater crowd will take a liking to our productions.

Some of you may get a letter from me soon... so look out for that!

In the mean time, I'll keep working my way to the Great White Way...

Day 2: Frustration, fingers crossed and a little bit of magic

I woke up at the ungodly hour of 7AM... which is really when I usually wake up but ungodly only because who gets up at 7AM when they're on vacation? Me. That's who. There was not a moment to lose and I felt like a wimp for going to bed before midnight the day before.

It was hard getting ready and getting my stuff out of my locker with three other people sleeping in the room. I kept trying to be so quiet but that didn't work out so well. Ah well, sorry weird boys who made funny noises in your sleep. Maybe you shouldn't come in at 3AM... but you smelled lovely, so at least there's that.

Astor Hyde Park Hostel Kitchen

I headed down to the hostel kitchen to partake in their so called "breakfast" but what greeted me was disappointing. Cocoa pebbles, some sort of coffee drink, and toast. No jammy dodgers in sight. Well, I soon figured out that the Cadbury chocolate spread made up for the lack of breakfast choices.... You eat this on your toast and it is a heavenly delight. Also, Elise told me before I left that I had to eat toast because toast is extra yummy in England. I have to say I agree.

On Day 2, I took the 52 bus to Victoria Station to try to find the Big Bus Company that does the hop on/hop off tours. Gav had suggested it to me the night before and I thought it was a pretty good idea. Well, I found the place soon enough and bought a one day ticket. I hopped on the top deck of the bus and we started to make our way through rainy London.

Victoria Station

Big Bus Company Tour getting ready to go.

 I saw bits of London such as Marble Arch, Oxford Circus, Green Park, Regent's Park, parts of Hyde Park (and more specifically Speaker's Corner) and then we got to the Houses of Parliament. My tour guide said we would loop back around and I should have listened. But I didn't.

Marble Arch

Oxford Circus

Green Park

Instead, I hopped off and spent the next 20 minutes taking terrible shots of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. I walked around to the front side and over to Westminster Abbey. The actual church is not open to tourists on Sunday, so I wasn't able to go in, but I walked around to the back and found the entrance to the cloisters at Westminster Abbey. I spent a while walking around the cloisters in complete silence. It was so beautiful. At the end of the long hall, there is a gate that opens to the most beautiful little garden...

Still on the tour bus

Breathtaking view from the Westminster Bridge... 

Because I can't stress this enough... Protesters having a quiet sit-in for peace outside the Houses of Parliament...

Facade of Westminster Abbey

Beautiful stained glass window at the Westminster Abbey Cloisters

Garden at the cloisters

**not my own shot, but you get the idea...

Cloisters... One of my favorite things was seeing the plaques mounted on the walls with the names of people who had in some way contributed to the Abbey or who had some sort of historical significance such as Geoffrey Chaucer who is actually buried at Westminster Abbey.

I loved the detail in these arches/columns... The arches had stained glass windows at the top.

After Westminster Abbey and somewhere in between finding a public restroom... or loo... I lost my bus ticket. The Big Bus Company was not at all helpful. In fact, I got on the tube and headed over there to demand a reprint of my ticket. I was so frustrated that they were not even trying to be helpful.  I was so sad that I had spent like $50 on a bus tour that I took for like only half an hour. I sat on the curb of the alley next to the Big Bus Company and tried to come up with a back up plan.

I decided to hop back on the tube and take the Victoria Line to Oxford Circus. The tour guide had mentioned that it was one of the most popular places to shop and even though I had no intentions of buying anything, I thought it was a good place to find lunch. I ended up going into a restaurant called Spaghetti House. It was pretty good but not as good as the amazing cookie I ate afterwards at Ben's Cookies.

Yummy Spaghetti House... It's a chain restaurant, but at least it's not Pizza Hut (see Day 1)

The milk chocolate cookie was absolute heaven. I loved it so much I couldn't get myself to try a different cookie.

Heaven. Heaven. Heaven... In cookie form

After this, I decided to head over to Queen's Walk. This is the stretch that runs along the River Thames on the right bank. I had so much fun people watching, watching street performances and just enjoying the scenery.

 Street performers at Queen's Walk...

I walked around for a good two hours and then went over to the London Eye. My friend Kayla, who had visited just the week before, recommended I go to the London Eye 4D experience. It was the sort of thing to get you excited about getting on it! I got in line and went up just as sunset began. It was so fun to be able to see beautiful London with the sun setting at the same time. I felt so grateful to be experiencing that moment. It was magical. I took so many pictures and probably twice as much video.

So big it wouldn't fit in the frame... No matter how far away I got from it...

The 4-D London Eye experience... Or a recreation of the movie "The Birds"

Inside one of The London Eye pods...

Favorite view from the London Eye... Westminster Bridge, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and a double decker bus :)

I went up just as the sun started to set... Best idea EVER... Beautiful London town

After the London Eye, I suddenly remembered that I was STARVING. By this point, it was almost 9PM but I was on a roll and did not want to go back to the hostel... To be perfectly honest, I was avoiding it since I had my fingers crossed that weird sleeping boys had checked out and I had been assigned new hostel mates. I stood on the Westminster Bridge for about 45 minutes taking more pictures and enjoying the view. There's nothing like seeing the beautiful Houses of Parliament and Big Ben all lit up. 

Need I say more?

In love with this city....

After taking like 200 pictures I went to dinner at a place just down the road from the Gielgud Theater. I had seen it the day before and thought it looked good. It wasn't. That's all you need to know.

After that, I realized that I had to get to bed so I could start day 3. And day 3 was my favorite day in London...