London

  I am currently on a train to Maastricht in the Netherlands, and I thought I had time to type a few notes on my trip to London (from which I just got back to Poitiers yesterday - I am way too familiar with the train stations of Paris).

  I was so fortunate to have amazing hosts! Saail and his flatmates were accommodating, kind, and a blast to be around. While on the train, a fellow International Studies major and I bonded over similar interests. I mentioned I was involved in theatre and to my delight he said, "You know, Wicked is playing right now..." 

Sign me up. That night, I braved the Tube (the underground metro for foreigners) and ventured into the heart of London. Needless to say, the play was spectacular and even better than the first time I saw it. I had a glass of wine, and sat in the front row. Can't get much better than that.

  Day 2 consisted of mainly Portobello Rd. There was a train fiasco, which led me to meet another girl headed to the same market, Johanna. Originally from Finland, Johanna was working in London for schooling. Together, we managed to find our way to the market by taking a train, a bus, and walking our feet off. I must admit, a main reason I had such a desire to visit this attraction was because of the movie, Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Don't judge me. Johanna and I also made it to Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey.

 Why spend the day in London when you can take a coach two hours outside and see something older than the Bible? I took advantage of a tour bus and headed west, near Salisbury to see one of the most astounding things I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing:

  Yes, I took that photo myself. I was there, at Stonehenge. A Canadian student taking classes in Sweden was in London for the weekend and her and I both had the same idea afterwards: Tower Bridge. Continuing on our jaunt, Leceister Square was the next stop. Madonna had a movie premiere that night, so there was a lot of hubub about the square and roads were closed off. That night, after gazing at the countless advertisements in the Tube for plays, I said to myself, you're in London and you have another night. Why not go see another play? So I did.

  Les Miserables happened to be playing just off Piccadilly Circus at Her Majesty's Theatre. I stopped by an Irish pub before and grabbed a pint to kill some time. Having never heard a mass amount of the music, I didn't know what to expect other than the basic premise of the play. I nearly cried at the end, and that's saying something to the magnificent work the actors and orchestra did. 

  

Some things I learnt:

1. I would pick a French driver over a Brit any day. Although both are crazy drivers, the British have a propensity to run yellow/red lights. Constantly.

2. Stonehenge is noticeable from a ways away.

3. It's true: You can't understand Scottish people when they speak (and you're sober)

4. Platforms 9 and 10 at King's Cross Station are nowhere near each other. Sorry J.K. Rowling.

5. It's easy to tell when you're back in France: gothic and renaissance buildings dot the countryside.