Markets & Macaroons

Ladurée is opening their first stand alone London tea salon in Covent Garden, and it just looks gorgeous. They can expect me in September! Click here to see the article.

Anglophile: Required Reading for a Student in London

My fellow college students, I am about to reveal something about myself to you that may change our relationship. You may love or hate me for it, but I am a student. It’s not a part I enjoy playing so that I can wear serious-looking boots and meet cute study partners. I genuinely enjoy learning (are you gasping in disbelief?). I actually read the textbooks, attend the lectures, and take meticulous notes – and most of the time, I enjoy it. Now, that doesn’t mean I don’t love a party. To be sure, there are plenty of situations in college where the opportunity to challenge your liver and exercise your social skills is more compelling than anything a classroom has to offer you, and often we go in search of vodka redbulls instead of intellectual stimulation. When the keg and the econ homework beckon, which call do you answer? Do you head to the Hillman, or to a house party on Semple to celebrate thirsty Thursday?

Anyways, I wouldn’t like to make you choose, so back to my topic du jour. Last semester, my economics professor declared that time is the most valuable commodity in the world. I agree. This is why we buy guidebooks, hire travel agents, and browse websites that compare options for us: it allows us to make an informed decision with minimal time and effort.


The constant struggle of the study abroad student, with limited time in Europe and a shoestring budget, is to maximize time and minimize spending. Planning becomes ultra important, to make the best use of both time and money. 

The first time I went abroad,I often travelled on weekends, and my budget on these trips was usually around 150 euro (for transportation, lodging, food, admission to museums, tours, and shows). This tight budget was always compounded by a 36-hour time constraint. Thankfully, I found the solution to this dilemma one afternoon in my favorite cafe/bookstore, Book in Bar, in the form of a Rick Steves guide book. Rick Steves had been recommended to me by friends in Florence, who referred affectionately to his guidebook as “Rick,” or occasionally as “Rick Steves, Travel God.” I soon felt the same way. Reading his book taught me a valuable lesson: with precious little time and money, researching in advance is the only way to make the most of your trips. 


With Rick's help, I discovered that the art of travelling when you’re low on time and money is being able to live in the moment with a full awareness of its significance. Don’t waste time and money by getting lost or overpaying. Research. Plan. Enjoy. 

So, being the enthusiastic student that I am, I have typically acquired a mini-library of books on London, England, Britain, the United Kingdom, and the British Isles. I want to know where I’m going to minimalize culture shock and hit the ground running with new experiences. So what books am I reading now, in preparation for my semester-long sojourn abroad? Read on. 

Rick Steves, of course, and LIFE magazine's Royal Wedding Feature. 

Prince William and Kate Middleton are the world's most famous newlyweds. The April ceremony at Westminster Abbey was broadcast internationally, and several billion people tuned in. The married life of Will and Kate (or the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, if you please) will certainly be very closely observed in the British tabloids. It would be foolish to go to the capitol of England without being at least conversational on the subject of the royal family. 

More guide books on London and Great Britain, published by DK Eyewitness Travel. 

These are my mother's guide books, and I think her favorite thing about them is their photographs, illustrations, and maps. They are not strictly pictorial, however - they have lots of useful information and interesting facts. Worth a read if you have the time, but although they are thin books they are so much heavier than my Rick, and I'd probably rather leave them at home than tote them on trips. 

And a few quirky extras. 

The Traditional Shops and Restaurants of London and eat. shop. london. are not quite so practical as travel guides... but they are loads of fun to read as they catalog quirky boutiques and restaurants. They focus on the one-of-a-kind, the original, the unique, the inimitable. The women that write them actually have a voice that comes through in their reviews and recommendations, and their personality is the antithesis of many dry, objective travel guides. If their interests match yours, they can be a spectacular resource. 

Anglofile: Movies and Actors

I’ll admit that I was in a poor mood earlier today – I worked the lunch shift at my summer job, and on my break I popped a tire. Buckets of sweat and $120 later, I was in no mood. Usually when things go wrong, I quickly set myself to formulating a plan to pull out of it, to fix it… but today, there was nothing for my problems. I had a parking ticket to pay and was $120 poorer for having hit a curb pulling out of the bank parking lot – it’s a tough break but you just have to live with it. And so it was that this afternoon, escapist that I am, I needed to leave my troubles behind and immerse myself in a story. Reading books is a fantastic option, and I love to read, but when time doesn’t allow for a full novel, I turn to movies. Relatively short, full of emotion, visually engaging… for 90 minutes or less, and the day is turned around.

Since the theme of my life this summer is enjoying myself and preparing for a term abroad in London, I decided to compile a list of my favorite British movies and actors. The list may seem odd, and highly variable. Ranging from silly to serious, profound to surface,  laughter to tears… Some are classics, some are more recent blockbusters… Some are set in the UK, others outside… All of them are fabulous, and there’s at least one for every occasion and mood. Now I’ll just work my way through the list until I no longer need movies to transport myself to London… my flight to Heathrow will take care of that ;)

I’ll start with the movie that I reached for first this afternoon – a romantic comedy that always cheers me up: Bridget Jones’ Diary. Renee Zellweger is totally inspiring and utterly relatable, and although being American I don’t have a perfect ear for accents, to me Renee’s is believable. It doesn’t hurt that her co-stars are two of England’s finest male actors – Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. The name Hugh Grant immediately calls to mind a series of classic films… Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, About a Boy, Sense and Sensibility, Love Actually… with his quick-witted comedy, the subtle back-handed compliments, the sarcasm… I just love Hugh for a laugh, and even more when it comes to matters of the heart, and he steadies those blue eyes on the camera and becomes so sincere. Colin Firth is an equally impressive actor, who recently received a Golden Globe, a SAG award, a BAFTA, and an Academy award for his role as King George VI in The King’s Speech. Although he mostly takes serious, dramatic roles, he did loosen up with Amanda Bynes in What a Girl Wants – a movie (set in London) that I loved when it was released in 2003 – and in Nanny McPhee (set in 19th century England) in 2005. The latter’s cast included Emma Thompson, another great English actor. The first movie I remember seeing with Emma in it was Sense and Sensibility with Kate Winslet and Alan Rickman. And while we are on the topic of films adapted from Jane Austen novels, let’s not forget Pride and Prejudice. My favorite version stars Kiera Knightley. Kiera is a young but incredibly versatile actor who has played a soccer champion (Bend It Like Beckham), a duchess (The Duchess), a pirate (Pirates of the Caribbean), and a barbarian (King Arthur). One of my most recent obsessions is the Young Victoria, starring English actress Emily Blunt.

As certain points while making this list I had to ask myself - do British accents really make a great British movie? Do I love Hugh Dancy or just his accent? What about Jude Law? At last I had to ask myself - Do I really care? No, I don’t need to discern or distinguish which it is I really love about British film. Lovely accents are just the icing on the cupcake.

Now, let’s move on to some great films from the 1960s that I really love. How about To Sir With Love starring Sidney Poitier – and although he is not British, this movie makes the cut because it is set in the slums of London’s East End, the storyline is brilliant, and the rest of the cast is English. And who else made more iconic movies in the 60s than Surrey-born actress Julie Andrews? The Sound of Music! Gone with the Wind! Mary Poppins! Or what about some more recent films set in the 1960s? The Boat that Rocked (released in the US as Pirate Radio), where Bill Nighy steals my heart – could I please have him as my quirky great-uncle? Or An Education, where Carey Mulligan plays a naïve Francophile schoolgirl who falls for an older man?

This list could go on for quite a while – obviously I’ve loved London and British accents and films for a long time – just one more reason I’m so looking forward to being immersed in the culture as a study abroad student. I’ll just list some actors and movies that I left out, and if you are so inclined, you can rent them (and hopefully enjoy them as much as I have).

           

The Edge of Love
Finding Neverland
Shakespeare in Love

Sherlock Holmes

Shaun of the Dead

Closer

Charlie Wilson’s War

All of the Harry Potter Movies

Circle of Friends

Snatch

Billy Elliot
Notes on a Scandal

Judi Dench

Sean Connery

Orlando Bloom

Minnie Driver

Emma Watson

Michael Caine

Anthony Hopkins
Gerard Butler

Ian McKellen

Daniel Day-Lewis

Ralph Fiennes

Paul Bettany

Ewan McGregor

Helena Bonham-Carter

Gemma Arterton 


There are also some movies I haven’t seen, but hear are well worth the time and effort of seeking out: London Boulevard, the Constant Gardener, Jane Eyre, the English Patient, the Remains of the Day.

Anglofile: Music

So, it’s been a while since I last sat down and added new music to my iTunes library, but at last the day has come. You’ll notice the anglofile heading, which is a play on the word “anglophile,” referring to a person who loves the UK or British culture; my intention is to channel my excitement for my semester abroad with the CAPA program in London in the fall into a series of blog entries. This one is about music. Unsurprisingly, I want to collect some music by British singers, songwriters, and musicians. I already have a bunch from older bands and performers: The Beatles, the Smiths, Elton John, U2, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys, Sting, etc. I began to search for some more modern music artists, with the hope of adding some women to the list. What I found was several female artists whose music ranges from soothing ballads to quirky, upbeat dance anthems.

Artist: Katie Melua (born in Georgia, but moved to the UK at age 8, so she’s included**) 

Favorite Song: “No Fear of Heights”

Artist: Adele [English singer-songwriter]

Favorite Song: “Set Fire to the Rain”

Artist: Duffy [Welsh singer-songwriter]

Favorite Song: “Warwick Avenue”

Artist: The Noisettes [London-based indie rock band]

Favorite Song: “Never Forget You”

Artist: The Ting Tings [English duo]

Favorite Song: “That’s Not My Name”

Artist: Lily Allen [English recording artist, glam rock and alternative]

Favorite Song: “Smile”

Artist: Laura Marling [English folk musician – only one month older than me!]

Favorite Song: “Blues Run the Game”

Artist: Corinne Bailey Rae [British singer-songwriter and guitarist from Leeds]

Favorite Song: “Is This Love (Bob Marley Cover)”

Artist: Amy Macdonald [Scottish singer-songwriter]

Favorite Song: “This is the Life"

Artist: Natasha Bedingfield [British pop singer-songwriter]

Favorite Song: “Strip Me"

Artist: Florence + the Machine [English musician]

Favorite Song: “Cosmic Love"

Artist: Amy Winehouse [English singer-songwriter]

Favorite Song: “You Know I'm No Good"

Artist: Natalia Kills [English singer-songwriter]

Favorite Song: “Mirrors (Doctor Rosen Rosen Rx Remix)"

Artist: Eliza Doolittle [English singer-songwriter]

Favorite Song: “Skinny Genes"

**[Note to Americans: "Georgia" here refers to the country between Russia and Turkey, NOT the state... come on, I know you were thinking it]

Retrospective: Parents Visiting Over Spring Break

The weather in Pittsburgh is dreary, so I'll include an e-mail that I sent to my mother earlier today. It details our week on the French riviera during spring break in April 2010, which was not included in my original blog. Enjoy!

Something that's been cheering me up despite the dark grey skies and freezing rain in Pittsburgh: les mémoires de notre séjour sur la Côte d’Azur (the French riviera)! 

Meeting up in Nice, and stopping for wine near the Mediterranean - which I was allowed to order! Remember being forced to get café at a MacDo on the Promenade des Anglais? And then when we revisited Nice, enjoying some nicois cuisine at a restaurant on the Cours Saleya, where we had bought table cloths during the flower market earlier. I remember ordering tomatos farci. And did one of us order a Daube (beef dish)? Everything we ate was wonderful. And do you remember climbing those stairs up the side of the Colline du Chateau? There is a waterfall at the top, which we wanted to see but it was too late in the day. The elevators were not operating, so we took the stairs next to the rue des Ponchettes. 

And how about our first night in Avignon - singing ABBA for karaoke at Bar l'Americain? You and I went to that restaurant in the Place de l'Hotel de Ville and got some local wine and paella, and then on our way back down the rue de la Republique we grabbed 'un hamburger pour beau-pere,' who was watching the U.S. Open? Oh, look - there's you in front of the Palais des Papes in Avignon before our tour of the region and that fantastic wine tasting in Chateauneuf. If only we could have stayed longer in Gordes at that cafe, seated by the fireplace! Remember we bought tartelettes topped with fruit to bring on our trip? 

And of course, casually stopping at the Pont du Gard near Remoulins, one of the most famous Roman Aqueducts. It had those three rows of arches. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Sight, and we walked across it! And once we were across, we saw that 800-year-old olive tree. Check you out on the Pont, all smiles!

And the river Gardon below...

And here is a pictures of you and Jamie sneaking a moment overlooking Monaco at the Jardin Exotique - caught on camera! ;)

Beau-pere in heaven with the succulent plants! And you and I slowly winding our way down the mountainside together, not sure which was more fascinating to look at - the exotic plants or the sweeping view of the Principality of Monaco against the backdrop of the Mediterranean. 

Remember how overwhelmingly good the Fragonard perfumerie smelled? Then, getting a late afternoon tea at that 5 star hotel in Eze - was it the Chateau de la Chevre d'Or? And buying santons de Provence on the way out of the village. 

Memories not pictured: Eating macaroons and crepes in Aix before we went to Marseille - and we took that rickety little tourist train up to Notre Dame de la Garde for the breathtaking views of Marseille and la mer. And taking the boat out to the islands - the Chateau d'If! I miss the beautiful Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and having ice cream with chantilly in the tea room. I wish that eccentric baroness still lived there. 

I've eaten my weight in chocolate today trying to beat the melancholy of the weather outside - but these photos did the trick quicker, and for fewer calories. 

Weekend Getaway: Barcelona

Hola!

The ability to simply purchase a bus ticket one day and arrive in a different country the next is undeniably one of the greatest perks of studying abroad in western Europe. This afternoon I am writing this blog post from my bedroom in France, but the past two days, I woke up in Spain! This entire trip was very last minute – my friend Jenny and I bought our Eurolines tickets after class last week and boarded the overnight bus to Barcelona on Friday night (after a glass of wine with some friends, of course). Eight hours later, we arrived at Barcelone Sants station a bit northeast of the city center. We ate a picnic breakfast (consisting primarily of baguette and brie) on the benches in the main terminal while waiting for the metro line that would take us to our hostel. The sun was just about to rise and the station was fairly empty; the only noises were the rolling wheels of suitcases, the soft music on the radio, and the near-constant clicking of the times and destinations changing on the Arrivals/Departures board.

I’ll include the briefest of introductions to the city in which we found ourselves that morning: Barcelona is a clean seaside city on the eastern coast of Spain, with a well-organized metro system and incredible architecture. Spanish and Catalan are the co-official languages - the city strikes a perfect balance of well-preserved culture and modern worldliness. Barcelona is accessible, and the fact that the Catalan culture remains perfectly intact despite the volume of international business conducted there is wonderful. 

So, after checking into our hostel – which was slightly out of the way, but very clean and within our budget (for those of you who are wondering how much a trip like this costs, we spent about 75 euro for the bus tickets and 20 euro for the hostel) – we headed navigated to the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia. Despite the drizzly, dreary weather, the church was awe-inspiring. It is so unique, it’s almost disorienting the first time you see it – the organic shapes, the colors – it’s unlike any cathedral I had seen before. The facades, the stained glass windows, the interior, the geometry – and the most mind-boggling aspect of all: the church has been under construction since 1882! And the project is far from complete, with the anticipated completion date being 2026. The architect was the renowned Antoni Gaudi, whose masterpieces can be found throughout the city. I wish I could recall what it had looked like when I first toured the cathedral back in spring 2007, while on vacation with my sister, mother, and grandmother. In any case, Jenny and I spent two hours there following a tour in my Rick Steves’ Best of Europe guidebook. From the Basilica, Rick suggested a public bus and a scenic walk to the Parc Guell, which we happily followed. At the Parc, we saw Antoni Gaudi's house and his inspired ideas for a gated community – plans which were eventually abandoned and the site was turned into a park. Below, I am seated at the vibrantly tiled (and ergonomically designed) benches that line one of the park's terraces. 

Below is a picture of Rick and me at Parc Guell - inside the guidebook are two drawings I bought from an artist there that were too intricate and beautiful to pass up. 

An hour of wandering the Parc Guell was about all that we had energy for after our busy morning, so around one o’clock we went to our hostel to formally check in and eat lunch on the rooftop terrace there. The sun had finally emerged and we enjoyed a long picnic lunch of tomatoes, chicken sandwiches, and white wine.

It was late afternoon by the time we left our hostel for a stroll down Las Ramblas, starting at the Colombus monument near the port and ending at the Plaça de Cataluyna at the top. We found a Starbucks several blocks from Le Meridien, where I stayed back in 2006. The barista thought my name was Lila, or maybe he just preferred that name for me. I grabbed a quick, rejuvenating vanilla latte and we headed back out into the fray of street performers and tourists. We watched several acts (wary of pickpockets, as per Rick’s advice) before heading down to the cathedral of Barcelona in the Barre Gotic. The walk was scenic and there were talented acoustic guitar players scattered throughout the streets. We arrived just as a mass began, and the hymns sand by the choir added a great ambiance to our self-guided tour. For dinner, we rendez-vous-ed with two of our friends from the CEA program in France – the engaged couple Caitlin and Adam. The four of us enjoyed tapas and sangria on the port. During dinner we were solicited to join a pub crawl later, which we debated but ultimately tossed the idea aside because it started to pour! We dashed into the subway (and by dashed, I mean that we wandered lost for twenty minutes) and went back to our hostel. Our feet were aching and we were exhausted. By midnight we were fast sleep.

The next day was the first Sunday of the month, and so several popular museums were free for the day. The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC), housed in the National Palace of Barcelona, was our first stop. It was AMAZING. A series of outdoor escalators carried us to the top of the steps, where musicians were playing outside of the museum’s terrace café. We happily gave up our backpacks in the bag check and explored the MNAC for an hour and a half. I instantly fell in love with their art collections: we only had time to explore the Gothic, Baroque, and Modern art, but that was more than enough. I was confused as to why none of our other friends who had visited Barcelona previously had made their way to this museum; it was incredible. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone going to Barcelona. 

From the Museum, we headed down towards the Barre Gotic, with the intention of seeing the Picasso museum for free. Unfortunately, the line was obscenely long, so we bought two beers and settled down on the beach. I passed the time collecting sea glass in a variety of colors – blue, green, purple, clear. There were plenty of beggars and hecklers trolling the beach for gullible tourists, but they were turned away easily enough and we were able to enjoy the siesta hours relaxing there. From the beach, we headed to the church of Santa Maria del Mar. I have pictures of my sister, Amanda, and I standing there from our trip in 2007, so I recreated those photos for fun! Afterwards, we took the Metro to the Block of Discord. I’ll just mention that the Metro is very impressive: it is clean, not a single spray of graffiti, and it runs quickly and efficiently. There were even music videos playing on board!

The "Block of Discord" comprises several houses on the Passeig de Gracia, where rich families competed to have the most creative facades on their houses. Below is a picture of Casa Amatller (left) and Casa Battlò (right, designed by Gaudì, my favorite). The designs are visually stunning, just delightful to look at. By the time we had finished admiring them, we needed to find a place and have some dinner (red wine and fresh seafood) before catching our overnight bus back to Aix at 10pm.

Jenny and I both enjoyed our weekend in Barcelona so much, and it just blows my mind that I could arrive in this city in eight hours. That’s about the same amount of time it would take me to drive from my home in the Philadelphia suburbs to Montreal, Quebec. Maybe I’ll try it once I’m back in the states, since this trip was such a success. Thank you Barcelona, thank you Rick Steves, thank you for reading my blog, and good night!

Day Trip: Toulon

Today, my friend Allison and I took a day trip to Toulon, a city that lies 45 km (nearly 30 miles) west along the southern coast of France. The day began as all of my day trips usually do: bus from the Gare Routière in Aix to Marseille, Gare St. Charles for tickets to Toulon. 
The first thing we saw when we arrived in the upper town was the large fountain in the Place de la Liberté - the large square between the train station and the Boulevard de Strasbourg. 

We crossed over to the Rue Henri Pastoureau, wandering along it until we found a bakery where we could buy some sandwiches for lunch. In the course of our search for the Office du Tourisme, we passed the Stade Mayol, where a soccer match was about to begin and the crowds were frenzied. There were numerous food vendors cooking delicious French stadium fare outside, and what seemed to be a small parade to the stadium entrance. When we finally found the Tourism Office, we snagged a map and some advice from a kind woman behind the desk there - where to wander, which museums to see, etc. From there it was just a short walk to the harbor on the Mediterranean. Toulon has a large military harbor with a major French naval base. We walked along the quay, bought some postcards to send home to our lovely families, then eventually turned up a street that would lead us back into town.

The part of town that we discovered next was the old historic center of Toulon. The old town is, as Wikipedia describes it (of all places!) "a pedestrian area with narrow streets, small squares and many fountains." So much of France is like this, it seems. Especially Aix-en-Provence! We passed by the Toulon Cathedral and through the market on the Cours Lafayette, where the produce looked so fresh that we had to buy some as a snack! I opted for dried apricots - a favorite since I first bought them at the enormous mercado in Florence. At one point, Allison and I turned into an old building where ancient pottery, furniture, maps, etc. were on display. It was just the sort of chance encounter you might expect when you wander the pedestrian streets of any village in France, directionless and content to be so. 

Eventually, we found a photography exhibit in the Musée Maison de la Photo de Toulon. On show were the Lumière du Jour Portraits Nus 1999/2009 of Philippe ODDOART. The quotes featured alongside the photographs were thought-provoking. After spending some time appreciating the black and white portraits, we left the Musée for the Hotel des Arts, the Centre d'Art du Conseil General du Var. On display was an exhibit that had only opened the previous day, of paintings by Jérôme Dupin. His work was abstract, but vibrant and playful - just about the opposite of the elegant black and white nude portraits!  

Finally, we headed into the Galeries Lafayette department store to scent ourselves with expensive perfume and hand cream, and to apply a coat of Chanel lipstick. In the end, we made our way back towards the railroad station, but ultimately decided to take a bus directly back to Aix from Toulon for about 16 euros.