A Little Culture in the City

Hedda: Oh courage… oh yes! If only one had that… Then life might be livable, in spite of everything.

--Henrik Ibsen

In my quest to take in as much theatre as possible, this weekend saw the appreciation of a little culture. Where else in the world can you visit a working palace, ancient houses of parliament and see an Ibsen play all in the same day? Must be London.

 

In my quest to follow my own path and do what's right for me I also exercised a little courage this week in giving notice to quit my job here in London. It seems as though this whole year has been one of change and there is only more to come as I will have 2 more months of work and then be heading home to Canada at Christmastime.

 

It wasn't really that long ago that I arrived in London looking for work, a place to live and a life to create for myself. As much as I will be sad to leave this gorgeous city and all its incredible culture and sophistication in a few months' time, I also feel the need to go home and sort out what the next direction will be for me. I've really been going hard since I arrived here and plan to pack in as much adventure as possible over the next few weeks and months. I've already been so inspired, amazed and rejuvenated by this adventure and this city in so many ways that I feel it's time to use this new momentum to carry me forward.

 

That said, I will sorely miss the land of tea and scones, classical theatre and beautiful buildings. Which is why I've been trying to really be present on these gorgeous autumn days in Londontown - walking through the park, drinking tea and breathing in the brisk British air.

So bring on October and the month of Mega Adventures with all the amazing memories that are sure to be made!

 

 

Do You Hear the People Sing?

At the end of the day there's another day dawning
And the sun in the morning is waiting to rise
Like the waves crash on the sand
Like a storm that'll break any second
There's a hunger in the land
There's a reckoning still to be reckoned

 

As you may guess from the lyrics mentioned above, I recently went to see Les Miserables here in London. It was pretty epic, to be sure. The songs had special significance as they reminded me of some truly prime rehearsals experienced during my theatre school days.

 

I don't know that I will ever get my fill of seeing great theatre, especially in this city. Don't get me wrong - I haven't loved every show I've seen so far....just most of them. I enjoy these productions so much because they are just well done. The actors are amazing, they have money to spare on lighting, costumes and production value, and they are out to entertain you. I know that not all theatre can be like this, but it sure is something to see when and if you can. So I'm trying to take in as much as I can.

 

The day when I will no longer be able to pop down to the West End is nearing all too soon so I mean to treasure these days as much as I possibly can!

 

I'm entering a period of what one might call Mega Adventuring! October will be filled with many fun times, featuring a trip to Munich for Oktoberfest as well as my parents' subsequent visit to London and our trip to Edinburgh. Perhaps I will revisit Stratford-upon-Avon somewhere in there, just for kicks.

 

It is important, when enjoying Mega Adventures, to take things one day at a time:

One day more!
Another day, another destiny.
One day more
One day to a new beginning
There's a new world for the winning
One day more!

Stratford-Upon-Avon: A Visitor's Guide

 

Upon visiting Stratford-upon-Avon, which of course is the town of Shakespeare's Birthplace and other important Historical sites, you will be welcomed by the kind, generous people of Stratford. My good friend Katie and I encountered several of these people during our recent time in Stratford - taxi drivers, cashier clerks, ticket sellers and others. Many tourists from London will choose to visit Stratford-upon-Avon on a day tour, led by a touring company, riding a coach to and from London within the same day....only a few intrepid travellers will attempt to visit Stratford the way we did: with enthusiasm, spontaniety and oh so many assumptions...

 

 

 

There are 5 official sites of the Shakespeare's Birthplace trust, which you will want to explore. We visited 4 of them on this day. This includes the house Shakespeare was apparently born in, the house he most likely bought and returned to live in until his death and the houses of his supposed daughter and son-in-law, John Hall. There is not a lot that can be said with certainty about Shakespeare's life in Stratford-upon-Avon so it is interesting to view the historically accurate wording of most things in this town, but there remains a good chance that he is one of the most brilliant playwrights in the world, ever.

 

Visitors may enjoy a traditional English cream tea, a walk along the River Avon, and a performance at the Royal Shakespeare Company here in Stratford. A delightful afternoon in the gardens at Anne Hathaway's Cottage on one of England's last fine days of the season is sure to be a treat.

 

Around 5:00 pm, you will begin to notice shops and stores closing up, even though it is still early evening. This is because most tourists will be heading back to their coaches to return to London for the night, unless, of course, you Choose Your Own Adventure and decide to make your own way home from this quaint village.

 

You will of course have purchased an advance train ticket to take you home to London from Stratford-upon-Avon, and will have examined the time on this ticket very closely. About one hour before this train is due to leave in the evening, I would recommend heading to the train station, leaving enough time to say your goodbyes and remembrances to the beautiful village of Stratford.

 

 

If, when you arrive at the Railway Station at Stratford, this is the view you are confronted with, it is likely that you may ask yourselves a few questions. Such as, why are there no other human beings at this train station at 9:30pm in the evening on a Saturday?

 

It is important to check the time table AT the train station so that you are aware of what time the last train to London is. Then, if this time is earlier than the time printed on your ticket, it is important to catch the last train to London.

 

In the event that you ARE in fact stranded in Stratford-upon-Avon overnight, use your mobile phone to call the local Travelodge and book a room. Yes, it may be money that you had not planned on spending, but at least you will not be spending the night sleeping on the benches in the picture above.

 

When travelling, always look on the bright side! Yes, things may not always go right, but now you have extra time to explore Stratford! You can visit the 5th Shakespearean site - a farm which is just outside of town that Shakespeare's mother lived at. You don't need a map to find it - walking is probably fine and won't take you more than one hour or so through the grass, thorns and rain.

 

After your visit to the farm, take a cheap 9-minute taxi ride back over the route you walked miserably along in the rain earlier in the morning, and say your last goodbyes (really) to Stratford.

 

Get to the train station in plenty of time so that you can purchase another expensive one-way ticket back to London. Alternatively, use your most desparate voice and plead with the ticket officer to let you ride back to London  on the grounds that your tickets were woefully uninformative.

 

After your relaxing mini-break in Stratford you may want to take the chance to refresh your clothing, have a warm shower and rest. You can recount the endless fun times had in this charming English village and how clever of a traveller you and your companions truly are.

Festivities

 

I did not drink any champagne on my birthday, but it was a good one anyway. I enjoyed my day at work, even though I was at work. Everyone knows you only have to work half as hard on your birthday anyways and besides there was cake at the end of the day, so all in all that was pretty excellent.

 

A group of us went out for some yummy Lebanese food for dinner (falafel, hummous etc) and then made our way into Central London to get some drinks.

 

A brief interlude on the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral was definitely a pretty awesome moment, and then we walked across the bridge to Shakespeare's Globe theatre who had conveniently scheduled a midnight showing of As You Like It on my birthday!

 

The show itself was awesome - I have had amazing experiences at the Globe both times so far and I only hope to see more. It was a perfectly warm summer night, which is pretty magical for London. What could have been a shivering uncomfortable experience was downright balmy instead.

 

Our car brought us safely back to West London at the sensible hour of 3:30 am, at which point I proceeded to putz around in my room for another half hour or so. Cue exhaustion for the rest of the weekend!

 

But seriously it was a pretty stellar birthday all things considered, except possibly for the fact that I was not with my family back in Canada. BUT I received several cards and many well-wishes, which always make a person feel good.

 

This year has certainly started on a high - me, living the dream in London and doing things that I set out to do. I can feel myself being pulled forward in some sort of timewarp to more adventures and other goals as I know that 2013 will almost certainly bring only more change and transition. But for the time being and on my birthday the goal was and is to Be Here Now.

 

So thank you to everyone for all the birthday love, which I intend to try and carry with me into the brisk autumn air of London.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almost 24

There is a tide in the affairs of men.
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat,
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.


Julius Caesar Act 4, scene 3, 218–224

 

As I ride out the last few hours of being 23, I will take some time to reflect upon how much has happened during the past year. It has certainly been an incredible one, proving that you never can tell where time and life will take you. When I think back to the place I was in my life one year ago tomorrow it is a little mind-boggling. I was living in Vancouver, dreaming of plans and trips, working at a soul-slaying restaurant job and feeling generally inadequate in various departments of my life. I celebrated my birthday with a group of friends and a delicious dinner in the little apartment I called home in East Van.

 

Since then, I have moved house three (and a half) times, visited six new countries, gotten my first "grown up" job, filled four notebooks with journalling, seen twelve West End shows, visited Shakespeare's Globe and made London my own. I have climbed the Eiffel Tower, admired the beauty of Stonehenge, seen the famous white cliffs at Dover, been horsebacking riding in Wales, sat in a boat on the English seaside, seen a clog-making demonstration, been to the edge of the world in Norway and seen a real live reindeer. I've waved to the Queen, watched an Olympic event, and figured out London's tube system.

 

I have grown in so many ways that it is difficult to quantify them, especially while I am still in the midst of this whirlwind journey. I've become more confident in my self and my abilities - in all things. I did something I was really afraid of (i.e. moving to London on my own, not knowing anybody in the entire city...) and survived! I feel more joyful, more open and like I am living the life I am supposed to lead.

 

That's an awful lot to be grateful for in one year, and an awful lot to process as well. I try to remind myself every day of where I am and how lucky I am to be here, but it's not always easy to appreciate the magnitude of something while you're living it. There are still growing pains every step along the way. But for today (and hopefully tomorrow) I just want to be present in my life. The life that I have created for myself here, in beautiful London.

 

The thing about birthdays is that they sure are once in a lifetime, so I must grab the turn of this tide and carry it on to fortune. Who knows what the next year of adventuring may bring?

Paris Through The Window

Croissant number one was in fact purchased in the UK but enjoyed with that unforgettable French joie de vivre en route to Paris, so I have included it in the overall croissant count for the weekend, which was not nearly as high as I had originally imagined. It seemed my ambitions were larger than my stomach....

I did eat quite a few delicious pastries though, and wine and cheese and some delicious homemade French liqueurs...but that's another story...

On Saturday I met up with my friend Scott who was travelling through Europe and his French hosts, which was certainly a treat. We wandered the streets of Paris and made our way to Montmartre, the artists' district of Paris, where Moulin Rouge is situated and also that Really Big Church (also known as Sacre-Coeur). Definitely some spectacular views in that city to behold, and the weather was stunning for the rest of the weekend.

Then I ate another croissant.

I enjoyed that this visit was spent mostly walking around and just taking in the city. There is an atmosphere (at least for tourists) of romance and beauty in the city, and the chance to simply be there and try to take it all in was wonderful. At one point, Scott and I were having a cappucino at a little cafe on the streets of Montmarte and a couple of newlyweds came running up the streets taking their wedding photos. How romantic can you get?

 

We climbed the Eiffel Tower, of course, and saw Les Catacombes, the underground tunnels/quarries/graveyards of Paris. Very creepy - they used the old quarries as "graves" in the 1800's when the cemeteries of Paris began to overflow and they were running out of space. Then a cruise along the river Seine to view all those historic buildings that Paris is filled with.

 

By the end of the weekend I was in love with Paris again, even though I think it is dirtier and smellier than London. I love how French people are so incredibly French that the stereotype may actually be true in some cases. I love that there is so much good food and wine and art in the city, and that I was on holiday walking around for three days! I love nutella, crepes, and red wine, and that everyone everywhere is selling you something. I won't soon forget my stay at the aptly named "Young & Happy" hostel, the flash mob of MJ dancers in the park who were so bad they were good, and running into a London pal at the lifts on the Eiffel Tower proving just how small the world really is.

 

I was glad just to allow myself to be there and practice all that "in the moment" stuff everyone is always talking about.

 

As a wonderful songwriter once wrote about the City of Lights:

 

"Nothing that happened/and nothing we saw/in the week that we stayed could compare/To simply being there..."