Vacation From a Vacation

I just spent a wonderful weekend in London! It was a blast! It was so nice to be in an English speaking country for a few days! I didn't realize how much I missed English until I popped out of the chunnel and could understand all of the signs along the railroad, as well as all of the people once we got to the train station! And this wasn't any old English! I'm talking wonderfully charming British English. It was a lot easier for me to pick up on the language of this country than it has been in France! For some reason the accent just came naturally, that is, after the French wore off. I still tried to say pardon moi and excuse moi as I was getting off the eurostar. It was a wonderful moment when I realized I could speak English to people other than those in my group and they would understand me! It was a very stress free weekend! A much needed vacation from a vacation!




Our eurostar was actually five hours delayed, so by the time we got to London we had to make a mad dash for the theater! We had been planning on seeing Les Miserables (we just can't shake the French theme) and thankfully we were able to get last minute tickets! I am so happy we did! The musical was so wonderfully amazing! I, of course, cried through half of it and had chills from the music the other half. I loved loved loved it!




The next morning we decided to buy tickets for a double decker bus tour of London. Since we aren't as familiar with London as we now are with Paris it seemed wise to not waste time trying to figure out how to get where we wanted to be! We were able to get on and off the bus as we pleased, and we took great advantage of the inside tour while it was raining! Welcome to London, right? This was my first sighting of Big Ben. It somehow seemed fitting that it should be between two double decker buses!



We hopped off the bus here and explored the area. I loved this view of Big Ben, the eye, and another red bus!


My favorite stop on the tour was the Tower of London. It was the closest I could come to one of the amazing castles of England. I loved exploring the towers and the green grounds. There is a wonderful feeling that is hard to describe when you are in places like these. Those of you who have been to England know what I am talking about!

Tower Bridge!

The second night in London we went to an Opera, Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte. This was my first real all out opera experience. I can't say I loved loved loved it like I did Les Miserables, but it was very impressive! The music was beautiful, and the plot was entertaining! It was quite a cultural experience! The opera house, as you can see, was gorgeous! I felt so posh being there! I sat next to two older British women who made the entire production even better. They giggled through the whole opera and made the funniest comments. I was called Love and Deary about one hundred times before the night was over. I also think I was unconsciously speaking with a British accent by the end. It was a hoot!




In the morning a few of us went on a river cruise along the Thames! The views were spectacular! I was so giddy the entire time. I couldn't stop smiling!

I had such a fun time in London. I was thinking on the ride home about the distinct differences between London and Paris. I think as far the actual physical city goes, I like Paris more. London is very proud of being modern, and France is exctly the opposite. In London you see brand new modern glass and metal buildings shoved up against the old beautiful cathedrals and castle ruins. In Paris, if they happen to build new buildings, it is required by law to make it look like it fits in with its surroundings. Hence, everything looks old and beautiful. There is a part of Paris that is extremely modern with high rise buildings, but it is separated from the Old Paris and it feels like it is an entirely different city. What I loved about London, though, was the people and the friendly happy atmosphere. The French are so set in their ways and hardly ever go out of their way to talk to strangers. In London everyone talks to everyone and there is lots of laughter and loud talking. A fine young gentlemen even offered to buy me a drink at a little pub where I had my fish n' chips! Don't worry, I refused. It was such an interesting experience to be in another European city and see all of the cultural differences! I was only a two and half hour train ride from Paris, but it felt like I was in a whole other world! I may have the opportunity to go back to England while I am here, and I want to see if I can spend some time out in the country side in the little villages. That is the England I know I will fall in love with, even more than London! For now, I am back home in Croissy ready to jump into another week of my French speaking, pastry eating life!