So Much To Be Thankful For

Though I may be 4,500  miles away from home and family, and unlikely to find the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade on the "telly" here, it is still Thanksgiving, and as anyone who has seen this blog knows, I have so very much to be thankful for.

Not least of which was getting to celebrate the holiday with friends and a traditional feast of turkey and all the trimmings this past weekend.  We spent the afternoon and evening cooking, crafting and of course, eating.  A far cry from the turkey burger I enjoyed during my last Thanksgiving in London* it was an amazing meal (the arrival of Whole Foods in London has transformed the expat Thanksgiving experience) and a wonderful evening spent with friends.

*That was also a wonderful Thanksgiving in its own way: I had an internship and had to work on Thanksgiving, but my co-workers (who knew it was my first holiday away from home) took me to lunch at the only place they could find nearby that served anything turkey (thus the turkey burger), had me tell them the story of Thanksgiving, and then promptly put me in the conference room with the international calling card so I could chat with my family on the holiday.  I still get a little teary eyed when I think about it.  

In less than two weeks, I will be headed to Heathrow, with overstuffed bags to be sure, but also an overstuffed heart full of the wonderful people I have met and places I have seen. Rather than bore you with a laundry list of the many reasons I have to be overflowing with gratitude today, I will just say that I am so thankful to have had this amazing opportunity,  for the wonderful friends I have made along the way and especially for my friends and family who supported and encouraged me to take this leap (and continue to do so daily). Thank you hardly seems sufficient, but for now it will have to do.

To my dear family and friends, near and far, I thank you and wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Hogwarts at Christmas

From the first time I saw Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (yes, I saw the movie first, before reading the books, gasp!), I was hooked on the magical world of Hogwarts and the adventures of Harry, Ron and Hermione.  I subsequently read every word of every book, anxiously awaiting the next installment, and savoring every film.  My mom and I even ventured up to the Universal Studios Harry Potter theme park a few Christmases ago.  So when I woke up to a particularly cold and rainy day in London this week, I decided it was the perfect day to escape to Hogwarts (aka, the Warner Brothers Studio Tour, where guests can tour the actual sound stages where filming took place, complete with original sets, props and costumes used in the films) conveniently located just outside of Central London (and easily accessible by public transport!).

From the cupboard under the stairs, our tour took us to Hogwarts...

…where we arrived to a great feast in a delightfully decorated Great Hall.

Dumbledore and the rest of the faculty and staff were on hand.

Harry's original robes from the first film were on display in the Gryffindor section of the Hall.

Speaking of Harry's robes, here's his Invisibility Cloak in the Gryffindor Common Room

Dumbledore's office and Hagrid's Hut (fun fact, most of the canine actors that portrayed Hagrid's dog Fang were rescues!).

The Borough, home to the Weasley's and of course, Diagon Alley.

Getting to walk down this set was a treat!  Then we moved on to darker places...

Voldemort's robes were the only ones that were not made of heavy materials, they were made of silk so that they would be more dramatic.

Copies of the Daily Prophet, a few of the (many) letters inviting Harry to attend Hogwarts, and the Marauder's Map.

One of my favorites parts of the tour was seeing the original sketches and miniature models of the sets.

  

But the "showstopper" was the giant model of Hogwarts, used in the first seven films to depict the exterior of the castle.  The final film used a CGI version.

The lighting cycled from day to night, highlighting the amazing detail in the model, with twinkling lights and miniature owls tucked away.

I had a lovely (one might say magical) day in the world of Harry Potter.  If you enjoyed the series, I would highly recommend a visit.

I went to Oxford (for a day)

After my lovely trip to Cambridge, I was promptly informed that "Oxford is better." The person who uttered these words has a reason to be biased; a friend from my Canterbury days, Ashley went to Oxford for graduate school (smarty pants) and, determined to prove herself right (or actually just because she's really nice), kindly offered to show me around town, and I could not have asked for a better tour guide!

We started at Pembroke College, where Ashley was a student.  It was a treat to get to go beyond the doors and actually see the inside of a college, especially one so pretty!

Founded by King James I, the College is known for having a strong Boat Club and was where J.R.R. Tolkein wrote The Hobbit and the first two Lord of the Rings books while he was a Fellow.  Fun fact: the founder of Washington's Smithsonian Institute, James Smithson, was a student at Pembroke

My fabulous tour guide, Ashley

After getting an insider's look at life as an Oxford student, I made my way through town to the Bodleian Library for their Reading Rooms tour, taking a few pictures along the way (naturally).

Usually closed to the public,  Duke Humfrey's Library with its rare books and the Radcliffe Camera Reading Room were stunning, and well worth the trip!  Sadly, photography is not permitted in the Library, but I was able to take photographs in the Divinity School, where the tour began.  If it looks familiar to you, then you are a Harry Potter fan! This is where they filmed the infirmary scenes from the first film.

After the tour I met Ashely at the coziest pub I could imagine, the Turf Tavern, for a proper Sunday Roast.

Then it was time to wander over to Hogwarts, I mean Christ Church College. Many thanks to Ashley for her patience as I continued to snap away.

Christ Church Hall was the model for the fictional Hogwart's Great Hall (sadly, no enchanted ceiling or sorting hats in the real one, but incredible nonetheless). The college is also the setting for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, as Lewis Carroll studied and taught at Christ Church.

After a walk along the river and a visit to the boat houses, we enjoyed a pint at the Eagle and Child, a favorite of Tolkein and his friend C.S. Lewis and their literary club, The Inklings.

All in all it was a wonderful day with an old friend, I am so glad that Ashley and I have gotten reacquainted during my time in London.

All text and images copyright © 2013, Capital Citizenne.  All Rights Reserved.

Autumn in London

Leaving Paris was not easy, but I returned to a dazzling London full of beautiful Autumn weather.  Crisp, cool days, clear skies, and leaves starting to turn golden hues every where you looked.  Hyde Park is just a short stroll from my Notting Hill flat, so I was able to make the most of the weather with daily strolls along its many paths and on a particularly lovely Sunday, I organized a picnic on Hampstead Heath with my friend Scott - a perfect way to get readjusted to London living.

I am within the two month mark of the time I have left on this leg of my adventure, and I cannot believe how quickly it has gone.  As much as I have loved it, I am also a bit ready to return to my little house in Washington (despite how crazy it seems there these days!), my friends and family, and of course, my pup.  That said, I still have a few more excursions planned and a few visitors in the queue!   I am looking forward to having two fellow lovers of London visit in the next few weeks and rediscovering this city with them!

All text and images copyright © 2013, Capital Citizenne.  All Rights Reserved.

Leaving London (for now!)

In less than 24 hours, I will be saying good-bye to my little flat on Finborough Road and boarding a EuroStar train bound for the CIty of Light to begin my month in France.  It is almost impossible to believe the first "leg" of my adventure is coming to a close.  I have been living in London for nearly three months, and while some times those first few days getting settled feel lightyears away, other times it feels like I just got here!

With the exception of being a British germ magnet, and a few pangs of homesickness generally brought on by seeing Cavalier Kings Charles Spaniels,  I have loved being back in London.  So much has changed since I was last here, for both London and me, and I have really enjoyed getting to know each other again.  Especially exploring new-to-me neighborhoods like Borough, Angel/Islington, Maida Vale, Battersea and Marylebone.

The hardest part about being in London this time around, is that while it did come with some wonderful friends already in place, and I have made some new ones as well, I am on my own a lot of the time.  This is a complete 180 from when I was here as a student, sharing a two bedroom flat with seven other girls and having half of my college friends roaming around the city.  There was always someone to play with.  Back then, escaping to a museum, taking a long walk in Hyde Park or seeing a matinee in the West End was half for the experience of being alone (not that I didn't love you girls)!  Now, I crave those times when my friends are available to join me in my adventures.  But this is what happens when you move to a new city and don't have a job (especially in a city that works as hard as this one!): you have a lot of time to yourself, which is not such a bad thing when you are tasked with tackling some of the big picture questions.  Thankfully, I rather enjoy spending time with myself,  and since it is pretty much impossible to be bored in London, I certainly have not been moping about!

If anyone had told me this time last year that I would have gone to Wimbledon, the British Open, seen the Rolling Stones in Hyde Park, and spent days wandering through some of the most amazing art galleries in the world, I would have thought they were crazy (but I'd also probably have asked to have whatever they were having, because I like the way they think!).

As much fun as I have had wandering about this city, going on mini travels around the country and just soaking up this experience, by far the best thing that has happened during this time was falling back in love with my camera.  Photography has been something that I have loved for a long time, but something that I never gave enough time.  Now, I rarely leave my flat without my camera and find myself looking at the world in new ways.  I bought my current camera just before my first trip to Paris in 2012, and I am excited to take it back with a bit more know-how.

I am really looking forward to my time in Paris, but it's easier to leave London knowing that I will be back in October (this time, living in Notting Hill!).

A (sick) Day in the Life

I spent this week out on the streets of Soho and the South Bank practicing street photography and photojournalism.  It was a great class, and one that I was really looking forward to, but just as I was surprised by how much I enjoyed working in the studio last week, I was equally surprised by how anxious I was trying to take stealth street photographs! I did get a few interesting shots in Soho (always a hotbed of interesting people and scenes!) on the first day of class, and found myself getting a bit more comfortable with it as the week progressed.

On Wednesdays, we have the day off from class to do an assignment on our own.  This week, our assignment was to document our day in a photo essay, applying the basic structural elements we studied, like establishing shots, detail shots, relationship and portrait shots, while turning the camera on ourself.  I went to bed Tuesday unclear about what my day would look like, but woke up with the horrible realization it was not going to look like much because I was sick.  As in fever, sore throat, can't believe I have to get out of bed and go to Boots (the pharmacy), oh-dear-me I wore sweatpants in London, sick.  I'd like to blame it entirely on some germs picked up on the Tube, but it's probably a combination of public transport, not enough vitamins/exercise and possibly a dose of too much fun.  Needless to say, my photo essay was pretty boring...

  

I managed to make it to class Thursday and Friday despite the bug, and we ended the class with a field trip to Borough Market. Since I already managed to take loads of foodie photos there in June, this time I focused on "street portraits" of the vendors.  One thing that I have learned through this whole course is that if you spend a whole day shooting and you come away with one or two shots you really like, it was a successful day.  For as instantaneous as digital photography is, it requires an incredible amount of patience!  Thankfully, a market like Borough gives you plenty of good excuses to chat with the vendors and ask if they wouldn't mind you poking around with your camera.  Some people posed, others went right about with their work as if I wasn't there.

 

After being out and about so much with class, I am firmly rooted in the flat today in an effort to kick this bug once and for all.  Thankfully, I kept my Netflix streaming account active, have plenty of tea and honey, and despite the actual heat wave that has hit London (it's nearly 90 today, though they have been calling it a heatwave once the temps reached 80...) my little garden flat is relatively cool.  I feel confident that I will be in fine form to celebrate Bastille Day tomorrow and take on Portraiture on Monday!

It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (But I Like It)

Last night I checked one off the bucket list and saw The Rolling Stones in concert.  And not just any concert, but their highly anticipated return to Hyde Park after their landmark show there over 40 years ago.  From the weather to the venue to the band (of course), I really can't imagine a more perfect London evening.

From the opening chords of Start Me Up to the final notes of Satisfaction, the energy in the park from on stage and in the crowd was infectious and exhilarating.

The set list was packed full of hits and crowd pleasers, including Beast of Burden, which absolutely made my night.

Not bad for a bunch of guys hovering around 70...

A Capital Citizenne Fourth!

The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays.  Not because I embraced living in the nation's capital and enjoyed all of the spectacular fireworks and concerts, no, rather it's because Winston and I usually boarded a flight to Sanibel for "Betty's Annual 4th of July Party."  The house I call home happens to have one of the best views of the Sanibel Island fireworks display, and as a result we have had friends and family over to the house to celebrate Independence Day for as long as I can remember. This year, hopping on a flight to Sanibel simply was not an option, but I was determined to make the most of it.  I am not one of those tourists who immediately looks for signs of home, in fact I actually avoid them at all costs (after all, I have chosen to come live in a different culture!).  But on the 4th, I wanted Americana, I needed it!  Mind you, I wasn't so homesick/desperate that I headed for the Golden Arches, but I will openly admit, without shame, that I stood in line (I can't call it queueing in reference to the 4th of July) for half and hour to enjoy the delicacy that is a Five Guys cheeseburger, fries and a Bud heavy.  In a stroke of good marketing, both Five Guys and Shake Shack opened their first UK outposts on the 4th (just a few blocks from each other in Covent Garden) - being a DC-based gal, I obviously chose Five Guys.

It was actually quite fun to stand in line with both American Five Guys veterans determined to get a taste of home (including a VERY pregnant Chicagoan living in London for the past four years) and total newbies who were concerned they may have chosen wrong ("should we have gone to Shake Shack instead?  will the Little burger be big enough? how many fries do we need" my answers: NO!, yes absolutely, um you can probably share one small order between the three of you...we have portion control issues in the US!)

I have to say, that burger, fries and Bud were exactly what the Dr. ordered (no, not Dr. Who), but the icing on the cake was meeting up with my friend Scott in Borough for an impromptu Independence Day pub crawl.   Scott and I went to college together, studied abroad in London on the same program, albeit one year apart, and have both been in DC for many years, but sadly didn't really get to know one another until recently (thank you Jenn!).  I still think it is some sort of divine intervention that we both moved to London this summer.

We started at The Globe (aka home to Bridget Jones, she made her blue soup upstairs), then headed towards Borough Market where our "Happy 4th of July" overtures received a decidedly mixed reception...

After a visit to Scott's adorable "local" (where everyone was convinced he was Mitchell from Modern Family) we ended the evening sitting on his amazing deck, where we could hear, if not see, fireworks, toasting to being two Americans, trying our best (again) at life in London.

(PS, everyone should be so lucky to have Scott for a friend, foreign country or not.)

Strolling Along the South Bank

After getting sucked into the black hole that is watching Wimbledon for the past few days, my camera and I headed to the other side of the Thames for a day of people watching, photographing and eating on the South Bank. First stop of the day was Borough Market.  I've always enjoyed visiting London's many wonderful and eclectic markets, from Portobello Road to Camden Town, but had never made the trip to Borough.  My dear friend and fellow recent-Londoner Scott alerted me to the area as he is going to be calling it home very soon, and a classmate of mine in photography school -- who happens to be a very clever food blogger  -- gave me the great and helpful tip to visit the market on Thursday to beat (some of) the crowds.

While the markets I mentioned earlier are an eclectic mix of antiques, handcrafts, arts and food, Borough Market is primarily about the food.  Stall after glorious stall of food, featuring everything from English cheeses and charcuterie to more varieties of mushrooms than I have ever seen, cases of savory pies, and loads of fresh breads, seafood, produce and the most incredible looking meringues!

    

 

I smartly decided to eschew the leftovers in my fridge in favor of a market lunch, and after a few laps, I decided on a duck confit sandwich, topped off with a very dainty "scoop" of salted caramel goat's milk ice cream.  Not really a fan of goat cheese myself (cue the shocked cries of "but goat cheese is sooo good, I love it" - I've tried it a million times, you can have all of mine) I was offered a sample, and it.was.good.  So good!

After the market, I made my way back to the Tate Modern.  The TM is a pretty divisive museum, much like modern art itself, you either like it or you don't.  After an Art History class that focused on the art of the 1960s, that put the artistic movements in the historical and political context of the times, I became something of a fan, and especially a fan of the Tate Modern.  The space is a converted industrial park and showcases works by the likes of Mondrian, Flavin, Ellsworth Kelly and a fantastic collection of William Eggleston photographs.  I also get a kick out of eavesdropping on other visitors, hearing a lot of "why is this art, I could do that" or just giggles of bewilderment.

a felt sculpture by Robert Morris

One of the biggest luxuries I have afforded myself this trip is time; I don't have to do the whole museum in one visit, because I can come back (did I mention they are free, thanks London!). So after spending an hour wandering the fourth floor, I called it a day (to be honest, the museum was also quickly filling up with school children and getting very crowded!).

Rather than cross the river via Millenium Bridge or Blackfriars, I chose to walk the Thames Path down to Westminster, taking in the sights and sounds of the South Bank along the way.  It's a vibrant river front with loads of street performers and people everywhere you look.

 

And just as it started to drizzle I was back over the river and on my way home.

© 2013, Capital Citizenne

Breakfast (and lunch, and tea) at Wimbledon

For as long as I can remember, I have spent the last week in June and the first week of July relatively glued to the television, watching tennis matches broadcast from the All England Lawn Tennis Club.  When I studied in London, I always meant to take the short tube ride from South Kensington to Wimbledon to check out the museum and grounds, but I never did make the trip. When I realized that I would in fact be living in London during the Championships, I scoured the internet looking for a way in to one of my bucket list sporting events.  What I learned was, A. I was way too late for the lottery, B. the resale market for tickets resembled something like a black market for organs, with asking (and receiving) prices in the thousands of dollars, and thankfully, C. there are thousands of tickets available nearly every day to would-be spectators who are willing to "queue" for the opportunity.

What is The Queue? Having experienced it, I would define it as the largest display of patience, en masse, I can ever imagine.  It's also one of the best traditions in sports; I can't think of another event on the level of Wimbledon where a spectator can show up on the day of (granted, very, very, very early on the day of) and pay face value for a ticket.  No scalping, no price gouging, just a keen interest and a willingness to adhere to the "Queue Code of Conduct."

Which brings me to this morning...very early this morning (some of you back in the States were probably awake when I was waking up!) After the alarm went off, I did a quick scan of the weather (chilly and windy, but no rain forecast) and a Twitter check (The Queue was already long, but not impossibly so) and got myself on the Tube by 5:45.  Thankfully, I live just a few stops away (and thankfully everyone on the Tube knew where they were going, note: the best stop for queueing is Southfields, NOT Wimbledon or Wimbledon Park, thank you fellow Tube-rides/Queuers/tennis fans!).

 

I arrived at The Queue (yes, they give it proper noun status here) around 6:30 and was given my Guide to Queueing and my Queue Card.  As you can see, I was number 3,350.  At 6:30 AM!  Within an hour, I would say our numbers had easily doubled if not tripled, and soon enough they were actually discouraging people from coming to join The Queue.  Andy Murray was scheduled to play on Centre Court, and it seemed nearly everyone in GB wanted to be a part of the start of what they hope is finally his year.

After a few cold hours of waiting, I emerged from The Queue with a Grounds ticket, giving me access to the grounds and any matches not happening on Centre Court or Courts 1 and 2 (so, none of the matches that make it to TV!)

 I had plenty of time in The Queue to plot my day, and smartly purchased a special edition newspaper with the schedule of play and court assignments (though I primarily purchased it because they were offering it with a  fleece blanket that would keep me warm and dry on the grass...and a chocolate bar that, admittedly, served as breakfast!).  But before I got down to the business of tennis, it was already time for lunch, which at Wimbledon must include Strawberries and Cream!

Then I headed to Court 14, which was scheduled for an American double feature.  The first match featured American Vania King vs. France's Alize Cornet.  The match did not go in King's favor, but it was great to watch.

Up next was a star from last year's Championships - and not only for having played the longest match in the tournament's history - the USA's John Isner.  Isner took on Evgeny Donskoy and while Donskoy never took a set, they did play two tie breaks and it was a very exciting match. Seeing Isner's serve in person is something to behold - I did feel for the judges who frequently had to make a call and simultaneously duck for their life!

After Isner's victory, I treated myself to a Pimm's No. 1 and headed up to Henman Hill, better known these days as Murray Mound.  Adjacent to Court 1, the Hill/Mound has a giant screen that broadcasts matches from  the show courts.  I arrived to see the beginning of what turned into the biggest upset of the day (Steve Darcis beating Rafa Nadal!) and settled in for the first set of Andy Murray v. Benjamin Becker.  It was a great atmosphere to watch tennis, even if it was on a giant screen rather than in person.  I can see why so many people queue just to park themselves on the Hill with a picnic basket (fun note: spectators are welcome to bring food into the grounds and many of them do.)

All in all, it was a wonderful and exciting day, and one that I honestly never thought I'd experience!  I may even be tempted to get up with the dawn and join The Queue again later this week!

Tasting London

For quite a long time, London's food scene got a bad rap, but times have certainly changed.  London -- not unlike D.C. -- is buzzing with fabulous restaurants popping up all over the city.  Today, I ventured to Regent's Park to sample offerings from 40 of the city's best restaurants, in addition to a number of specialty food producers, at the annual Taste of London. Not knowing exactly where to start, I started at the most logical of locations, the "world of beer" where I purchased a pint of ale and studied the program and map, plotting my course.  Of course, I changed my mind a million times once I was actually face to face with the food, settling on a delicious risotto, a trio of seafood sliders and a spicy ox cheek doughnut.  As you can see, I also used the day to practice some of the photography techniques and lessons I learned last week -- taking photos in manual mode takes some patience and some getting used to, but I am enjoying it!

Acquerello risotto with 8 year-aged organic parmesan from Babbo

A trio of seafood sliders from The Angler

Spicy ox cheek doughnut with apricot jam from the Duck and Waffle

Everything I tried was delicious, and I would have eaten more but I ran out of "Crowns" (the currency of Taste) at the same time I ran out of room in my stomach, though I also sampled a bite of black pudding as well as some delicious English cheeses that made their way back to my flat!

Tomorrow, I am planning to set my alarm clock for the wee hours of the morning in hopes of joining fellow tennis fans in The Queue at Wimbledon (wish me luck, apparently all of tomorrow's show court tickets have already been accounted for by fans camping out since early this morning!)

Wednesday Wind Up

A quick recap (mostly photos) of what I've been up to this past week. As you may recall, I was at  loss for what to do once I arrived.  Then I remembered one of the things that I love most about London - the walks.  So I have been taking lots of long walks around my neighborhood, including Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park and Battersea Park.

On Friday I took a trip to the National Portrait Gallery to see George Catlin's Native American Portraits (of particular interest as I just read David McCullough's The Greater Journey).

Followed by tea in the Gallery's restaurant, situated on the top floor with stunning views

From that view, I spied a lovely looking rooftop spot nearby, and since the sun was shining for the first time since my arrival, I made my way to the Trafalgar Hotel's Vista - it was a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

After attending Trooping the Colour on Saturday, I went to the Royal Albert Hall to see Swan Lake that evening.  The Hall is stunning and the performance was wonderful.

After a week of playing tourist, it was time to get started at school.  I am taking courses at the London School of Photography, and after only two days, I am really enjoying it and getting used to using my camera in fully manual mode (no more automatic!)

On Tuesday, I was learning to play with shutter speeds to freeze movement - many thanks to my model Ducky for his/her assistance in splashing about (if you want to see the detail of the water drops, click on the photo and zoom in).

And finally, below is one of my homework assignments - I promise I am not actually standing in the middle of traffic!

After about a week and half, there have been good days, not-so-good days, rainy days, and clearly some sunny ones  too.  I have stopped having massive anxiety every time I cross the street (do I look left, then right? Right, then left? why is there never a cross walk - zebra crossing - where it should be!?! Are those cars going to stop?) and become reacquainted with the Tube  - I must say, it is so nice to be in a city with a first rate (first world) transportation system.  Granted, I may get flattened by one of those buses or cabs, but compared to DC, they are practically luxe.