A Weekend in Paris

For me, the concept of hopping on a train to Paris for a quick look at the Eiffel Tower seems pretty far fetched. For most Brits though, a visit to "Gay Paree" is so simple that it's viewed as your average weekend trip. My weekend journey was certainly far from average. I apologize for the delay in reporting on my excursion, but hopefully you will enjoy reading up on some of the highlights I experienced while in Paris.

I was woken up at 6:30 AM friday morning by the sound of my alarm, and a reminder note that read "GET UP AND GET MOVING TO PARIS!". My travel crew and I (a group of 10 of us) met downstairs in our building lobby, and headed to the Eurostar station to catch a 7:55 train. The two- hour ride itself was painless (with the time difference we only lost an hour), and to be honest I slept through most of it. I knew once we got to Paris, our two days were going to be packed with exploring and sightseeing, and I wanted to make sure I had enough energy as possible.

Once we arrived in freezing Paris, we headed straight to our hostel to drop off our stuff and get the ball rolling. We booked three rooms in the ever-classy resort known as the "Peace and Love Hostel", and I spent the entirety of our 20 minute walk over conjuring up all types of images of my home for the next two nights. In all honesty, it really wasn't that bad. Though it wasn't the Ritz Paris, the people who ran the place were full of "peace and love", and as long as I had my giant winter coat to sleep in, all I needed was a bed, blanket, and pillow. Mom, if you are reading this, I wore my winter coat because it was cold...not because I had any concern over bed bugs.

After we got settled, we grabbed our first of many ham and cheese baguettes, and headed out to conquer the city. To quickly sum it up, here's a list of Friday's activities

1. Arc de Triomphe and the Avenue des Champs-Élysées: Here we captured the token kodak moments in front of the Arc, and gawked at all the designer shops and lavish car dealerships along the avenue that we could not afford. 
2. LaDuree. Yes, NYC has LaDuree. No, it doesn't even compare. The french macaroon connoisseurs could not have gotten it more right. The flavors I picked? Salted Caramel, Coconut, and Chocolate Pure Origin from Santo-Domingo. They were exactly as delectable as they sound in case you were wondering.
3. A walk from the Champs to the Eiffel Tower. We decided to fight the frigid weather despite my concern that my toes were going to fall off, and make our way down to the one MUST SEE sight in Paris. Though we couldn't hang out for that long due to our fear of freezing to death, we got the pictures we wanted in front of one of the most beautiful sights in the world

After an exhausting day packed with traveling, sightseeing and walking, we were able to end our night meeting up with two of my close friends from Michigan who are studying abroad in Barcelona. It was the perfect way to end day one in Paris. Even though I was beat, I was ready to take on Paris day two.

Here are some pictures from Friday:

Michigan in Paris!

My "Pajamas"

The next morning, we were up pretty early, and already laid out a general plan for the day. You only Paris once (except I'm for sure coming back again at some point in my life), and we were determined to fit in as much as possible. Here's a little summary of how Saturday went down.

1. Sacre-Coeur and Montmartre. Our friend Meredith insisted that this was a place we needed to check off our lists, so we headed to this hill in the North of Paris. The Sacre-Coeur (the Sacred Heart) is a breathtaking church that sits atop the hill. The incredible view of the city was certainly worth the hike. For those of you that have seen Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris", the Montmartre is where this movie takes place. We stopped for breakfast in this adorable little town that is known to have hosted studios of famous artists such as Salvador Dali, Monet and Picasso. The omelet and croissant that I enjoyed was just the tip of the iceberg for what made this my favorite part of our trip.
2. Casual run in with my man Kevin Costner. During our stroll through Montmarte, I asked everyone if it would be okay if we went down this really obscure cobblestone street so I could say a quick hello to my friend Kevin. He had told me a few weeks back he would be there filming his new movie, "Three Days to Kill", and I really wanted to make sure we caught up while I was in town. (Note: This is brooding sarcasm. Kevin and I did not know each other at the time, but we quickly became best friends in the two minutes that we spent together as we watched him film the movie.) 
3. Incredible chocolates and another baguette to keep us going. Before leaving Montmarte, we made sure to grab some truffles on the way out. Once we got to the Louvre, we grabbed lunch on the go and enjoyed perhaps the best tasting ham and cheese baguette to ever exist. I kid you not.
4. The inevitable trip to the Louvre. For those of you who have been, you know it is physically impossible to conquer the entirety of this Museum in one day. We decided to narrow down our choices by walking through the various exhibits on the path to the Mona Lisa, and end with a look through Napoleons "apartments". I put this in quotes because my conception of what an apartment entails does not come close to what Napoleon seemed to have thought. One difference between London and Paris, is that the museums in the UK are free. Though the Louvre is free for students of residence in Europe, our City University student cards were not cutting it for the stubborn woman at the entrance. After a few minutes of pleading with a museum manager, we were able to convince him to escort us inside free of charge. I also asked him to take us in past the woman who had initially rejected us, mainly so I could give her a little smirk as I walked in for free! 
5. Ending the night in the Jewish Quarter with some yummy falafel. If there was one thing I knew was high on my list, it was getting to see the historic Jewish quarter of Paris. Home to famous people like Picasso, the area was simply a delight to walk through at night. Lots of great clothing stores, and of course delicious food. 

Here are some pictures from Saturday:

KEVIN COSTNER!

 

If it seems from my recap that 90% of my trip consisted of eating, you are indeed correct. All in all, I'm giving Paris two big thumbs up, and I highly recommend it as either a weekend trip, or place to go for an extended stay. We may have overextended ourselves with all that we set out to do, but I'm pretty impressed with everything we got done.

What's next? Tomorrow I'm headed out to Bath and Stonehenge where I'll get to see one of the seven wonders of the world. Then next thursday I'm off to Budapest for three days. Look forward to some recaps from me about both of those weekends.

Au Revoir to the lovely Paris, but it is certainly good to be back in London town.

Cheerio Mates!

Sam in Buckingham

Some of the travel group!

"Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see"

It's a little crazy to think that I've been in London for close to two weeks. As my friend Amy so eloquently put it the other night, "our lives have turned into marathons". Sometimes I forget that I have the next four months ahead of me to get to see and do all that London has to offer, and I try and pack 1000 things into one day. That being said, I finally feel like I am settling into my apartment, and more importantly, adjusting to the many distinctions in British culture. Before I get into the main feature of my post, the markets in London, I thought I'd share some of the differences between good old America and Great Britain that I have observed.

1. Where is the regular coffee guys?!? As a native New Yorker, coffee has not only been instilled in my daily routine, but I've come to think that seeing a coffee shop on every block is simply the norm. This is just not the case here. While you've got your big name, chain cafe's like Pret A Manger, EAT, and Costa, it's easy to walk through a whole neighborhood without running into a single "coffee shop". Walk into any of these chain cafe's and ask for a medium black coffee and expect a blank stare. Espresso is the only way to go around here. White or Black Americano is the closest I can get to plain filtered coffee, so don't be surprised when I come back to America with a bigger caffeine addiction than I started with. There is one place, however, where the baristas don't look at you like you are speaking a different language when you ask for black coffee. You guessed it folks...Starbucks. 
2. Mind the Gap, Pardon me and Cheers. For those of you who have experienced it, the NYC subway system is a place where man's true colors reveal themselves. If you are in the way of a morning commuter, you will get pushed, shoved, and if you don't show enough aggression, there is a good chance you wont make it on the train. Here in London, it's just the opposite. The tubes are just as crowded, and the people are just as time-pressed to get to work. Yet the cars packed with angry people and remarks such as "get out of my way", have been replaced with polite Brits who say "pardon me" when my foot accidentally gets stepped on. The angelic voice-over system that tells me to "Mind the Gap" when the doors are closing always brightens my day. The other day the conductor actually opened up the tube doors for a passenger who was 20 seconds late. At home, this said conductor would most likely not have made it home alive that night.
3. It's T.K. Maxx, not T.J. Maxx. No real story here, just thought this was kind of hilarious.
4. What is Oatmeal? Only porridge here folks. Before coming here, the only time I had heard of porridge was in the story of Goldy Locks and the Three Bears. From what I can tell so far, porridge and oatmeal are pretty synonymous though. 

Now that I've touched briefly on some cultural nuances, I want to spend the rest of my time writing about two of London's most popular markets. Generally every Thursday-Saturday, various neighborhoods in London close off a collection of streets, and fill them with white tents and tons of merchants. The first market I got a chance to visit is called "Old Spitafields Market", and it is right outside my door!! The market mainly sells clothing, and knock off purses, though there are a few CD-ROM merchants for all my friends out there who still have boom-boxes. Amy and I didn't spend too long exploring this market, but seeing as how it is so close, I'm sure I'll be back. Here are some pictures from Old Spitafields:

          

Now, onto the most incredible market I've ever been to in my life: Borough Market. I've been told by numerous London natives and visitors that I must spend at least one thursday roaming through Borough Market and trying every sample that the vendors have to offer. This is EXACTLY what I did on Thursday. Amy, Pam and I began our journey through the market and were immediately overwhelmed by all the different food options we were faced with for lunch. Our solution: Try everything. Cheeses, breads, olive oil, vinegars, blood oranges, veggie burgers, quiche etc. (I could go on forever but I dont want to make your mouth water). We tried them all. Most of the merchants loved giving us samples, though the middle aged man at the fruit stand definitely called us out on our game when five minutes had passed and we were still "sampling" his mangos. 

One particular stand that caught my attention was the massive grilled cheese station. Giant cheese wheels were placed on a stove top, and people gathered around to watch them melt. You even had the option to add in mashed potatoes. I could probably talk forever about the eclectic food choices that I faced on thursday, but after a whole lot of sampling, Amy, Pam and I settled on a stand called "The Veggie Table" where we enjoyed a handmade super veg quinoa pattie, with two salads made from scratch and a side of fresh hummus. See below for this bite of heaven:

Like I said before, I can talk forever about all the amazing things I got to taste on thursday, but I think posting a few pictures would probably paint the picture much more vividly. In no particular order, take a look at all the juices, curries, cheeses, treats, olives, nuts and incredibly fresh delights that I was able to enjoy. 

 

 

 

                                  

As usual this post was much longer than I intended it to be, but there is just so much to talk about! To be honest, this hardly even scratches the surface of everything I've done since I've been here. In between my classes, I try to fit in all the different Museums that London has to offer. The British Museum is around the corner from four of my courses, and with free entry it would be a shame if I didn't take advantage of it. My challenge in the weeks to come will be finding the line between wanting to do and see EVERYTHING, while simultaneously not overextending myself to the point of exhaustion. Its been snowing a lot the past few days, and the city of London has completely shut down. Luckily, its given me a chance to take a few hours off and get back on my blogging game!

I'll end the post with my British saying of the day:

"And Bob's your uncle": You would be surprised how much you hear this expression around here. I've come to understand it as something along the lines of "and there you have it". I've heard the expression a few times in asking for directions. "Turn left on Liverpool Street, right on Bishopsgate, right onto Middlesex Street and Bob's your uncle, you made it."

Waking up pretty early for my full day of classes tomorrow, so I think I'm going to sign off here!

Until next time mates, 

Sam in Buckingham

First Words From the UK

For my first post in the United Kingdom, I honestly don't know where to start. I have to preface this post by saying that London is truly incredible, and I could not be more thrilled with my choice of city for the semester. This past week I've felt a little bit like Joey in that episode of Friends when the gang all heads to London, and Joey needs to step inside his 3D map to figure out where he is going. Switch the paper map with Google Maps on my iPhone, and you can call me Matt Le Blanc.

In all honesty, before coming to England, I didn't forsee much of a culture shock. I figured that given that we speak the same language, and that our country's roots can be traced back to Britain, how different could our customs be?! Needless to say, though we may use the same alphabet, our ways of life are far from equivalent. For one thing, Europeans put Americans to shame when it comes to the concept of efficiency. Everything from the smaller yet perfectly organized living quarters, to the pre-ripped toilet paper in every bathroom, has shown me that Europeans place a heavy emphasize on maximizing the resources around them to reduce their level of waste. I could probably go on for a few more paragraphs about all the nuances of British Culture, but I'd rather tell you about my past two days. I'll leave you with one more difference: People in London (and I'm guessing all of Europe, though I'll let you know) dont tip! Its just not a thing here. You can imagine how happy our cab driver from the airport was when he received 90 pounds from what should have been a 76 pound fare. I have no doubt that he laughed himself all the way to the pub.

In the future, I'm hoping my posts will be a little shorter and focused on a specific activity, but since I've been working on settling in the past few days, I have a lot of activities to report! To make it easier, I'll just touch upon my weekend. Saturday morning, my roommate Amy and I hopped on the tube to Hyde Park, and decided to go for a long run. Though it was a little colder than I would have liked, the run was a perfect way to see some of the incredible buildings around the city. What I find so fascinating about London is the juxtaposition of the old and modern. Some of the most gorgeous newly built skyscrapers sit adjacent to buildings that are twice as old as America itself. Take a look at some of the buildings and sights that we passed on our run. Not surprisingly, I did need to take the occasional break  in my exercise to snap these photos. We spent the night exploring the Oxford Circus area, and of course somehow ended up in the basement of Top Shop surrounded by the SALE sign.

Earlier today, Amy and I met up with our friend Pam and we headed toward Westminster Abbey area to check out the classic London attractions such as the House of Parliament, Big Ben and the London Eye. I'd say my level of excitement was comparable to Chevy Chase in European Vacation when he gets stuck in the roundabout for about 12 hours. If you don't know the reference, see below:

After we satisfied the American tourist within us all, we decided to take a break from the cold weather and partake in the British tradition invented in 1840 by Anna Maria, known as "afternoon tea". We headed to the Marriott hidden on the left side of County Hall, and were directed by a wonderful and well-informed concierge man to a room known as "The Library". Officially opened in 1922 by King George V and Queen Mary, we found ourself in a room filled with oak bookcases and marble statues of Caesar, Plato and Shakespeare.We were seated by a round table with a view overlooking the water and a straight shot of Parliament. Our server brought us a box of twelve different tea leaves to choose from, and once we made our decision...the feast began. 5 different types of finger sandwiches (all of which were spectacular), 2 different kinds of scones with three spreads, and 4 different desserts. Thank god British people eat such small portions, otherwise things do not look so promising for me in the months to come. Check out some of the pictures below to see what Pam, Amy, and I experienced!

          

I think its pretty clear that we're doing a good job of hitting all the must do and see points of London. I think I could go on for days about everything I've done in this past week alone, but I'd honestly be impressed if you've even made it this far. My first day of classes starts tomorrow, and I actually could not be more excited to get the chance to learn more about British culture. In the morning I have my "Media and UK Politics" class, and then I'll be spending the afternoon in my "Architecture in London" course. Both stuff I'm pretty pumped about learning, so I'll let you know how those turn out. I just booked my first trip for the end of January as well! I'll be heading to Paris, and I honestly can't wait!

While I think I've done enough talking for the night, I've decided to add a feature to my blog known as the "Best British Saying of the Day". Each post ill end with some ridiculous expression that I've heard in the past few days, and try and give my interpretation.

Today's Best British Saying of the Day: 

"Please forgive me if I'm teaching my grandmother to suck eggs by telling you this..." 

Spoken by one of the leaders at our program orientation, the phrase is meant to be used when a person is giving advice to someone else about a subject they already know. 

Thats all for now folks, and I commend you if you made it this far. Hope you've enjoyed my first real post!

-Sam in Buckingham

Last Words from the U S of A

It's hard to believe that the product of months of preparation and anticipation is about to unfold in four days. This coming Tuesday evening, I'll be making my way across the Atlantic Ocean, and beginning my study abroad semester in London. Though these past few days have been especially hectic with all of the last minute details, there is no denying that the journey that lies ahead of me is bound to be one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Therefore, I thought it particularly important that I find a way keep track of all the things I am about see and do in the next four months. I've always been intrigued by the blogging world, and what better way to keep my friends and family up to date (and probably super jealous) with my activities than to start a blog for abroad. Ergo, the birth of "Fish, Chips & Abbey Road". For those of you that wont have WhatsApp or Viber (though even my Mom has this stuff these days), I'm offering you a third way to stay up to date with my activities overseas.

I'm sure I'll have much more to say once I've gotten settled into my new place on Frying Pan Alley (yup, thats a real street name), but I figured I'd write my first post in the U.S. to get the ball rolling. While I've read a few tourist guides, and talked to a lot of past study abroad students about places and things to do, I don't want to lose that sense of discovery that comes from being immersed in an entirely new environment. I'm hoping to find the balance between doing all of the mandatory touristy things and doing more unconventional stuff that would allow for a unique London experience. Stay tuned for how well I can accomplish this! In the meantime, here are some examples of "unconventional" stuff that I hope to encounter. (Note: some suggestions are more realistic that others)

1. Have tea with Andy Murray: If you didn't know, I've been an avid Murray fan since day one. Though the Andy hype has drastically increased this past year with his Olympic and U.S. Open victories, I've idolized the guy since he began making big moves in '05-'06. What better way to try and immerse myself in British Culture than to spend tea time with this UK native?
2. Find out the life story of one of the guards at Buckingham Palace: A challenge, but I think I'm up to the task. 
3. Take the James Bond London Tour: Even though most of Sky Fall was filmed around London, I'm more interested in getting a glimpse into old school Ian Flemming's head.
4. Take a picture crossing Abbey Road, but walking in the wrong direction. Even though this might be considered one of the "main-stream" London attractions, it's too huge to not put on this list. I figure by crossing to the left side, I'm making the experience unique in my own way!

I'm really excited about the prospects of this blog, and I hope you all continue to check back in as more posts begin to surface. I'll be sure to keep you updated on what of the four aforementioned tasks I end up accomplishing. 

Cheerio for now Ol' Chaps!

-The British Sam

P.S.

check out what the view is supposed to be like from my residence hall!!! Stay tuned to see if reality matches this picture ;)