Looking back, I'm really not kidding about the 'showers' part. It rained, it seemed, almost every day the weeks following my mom's departure. I spent significantly more time indoors, working on final essays and thinking about studying for exams. Despite the weather, I did manage a few significant outings...
It was not as exciting as I imagined it would be, but I did have my first Red Carpet experience in London. A friend and I headed down to the Royal Opera House for the Olivier Awards (for theatre) in hopes of seeing a few of our favorite British celebrities. While we did not spot any stars from our decent vantage point (we got there a bit late), we did realize afterwards that we spotted a few people we knew (Patrick Stewart, Maria Friedman, etc.). After the Red Carpet emptied, I did get a chance to place one foot on the carpet and snap a few photos, just to satisfy the tiny part of me that seeks some fame someday. We then headed to nearby Covent Garden, where they had screens and a stage set up for the crowds there. We watched the awards show and then got to be a part of the section shot live in Covent Garden. The hosts - Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton - came out and joked with the crowd for a bit before introducing live performances from Jersey Boys and Les Miserables. While it was a bit chilly, the event was free and not horribly crowded, making for a good night out, enjoying the best of London theatre.
Towards the end of April, I finally made the much-anticipated trip to Nottingham. I, of course, wanted to see the land of Robin Hood, as any young person who grew up watching the Disney film would. The city of Nottingham is, I'm sad to say, not very exciting, just another English city with the same stores, same hooligan-esque teenagers, same pubs. The experience was salvaged, however, by an EPIC 3.5 hour tour with Ezekiel Bone. Though not dressed in Hood costume, Bone took a small group of us on a fantastic journey through Nottingham's history. We walked through the various sites associated with Robin as he retold parts of the legends while also enlightening us to other portions of the city's past, including its hey-day as the world's number one lace manufacturer in the late 1800s. Very interesting stuff. I was also fortunate to be there on St. George's Day, so the city had a bit of a festive atmosphere to it even as the rain came down throughout the afternoon. One day in Nottingham was enough.
Robin Hood
Nottingham City Hall
Claims to be the oldest pub in England
St. George
Back in London, exciting things began happening. En route to the Globe theatre, I stumbled upon the London Marathon. I have never seen anything like this. Ever. The amount of people, the colors, the costumes, the cheering - it was really something.
At the Globe, I attended Sonnet Sunday, which was the official kick-off of the World Shakespeare Festival 2012. In order to celebrate London's Olympic ordeal, the Globe's festival this year was dedicated to Shakespeare around the globe. The season would include all of Shakespeare's plays, each being performed in a different language by a company from that country. It truly was something special, and I took advantage of it as much as I could. In addition to Sonnet Sunday (all of Shakespeare's 120+ sonnets being read in different languages, ranging from Cree Indian to Icelandic), I attended performances of Pericles (in Greek) and King Lear (performed in Belarusian). It really is remarkable that performers could keep an audience invested in a play that they couldn't understand the dialogue of. They relied instead on body language, props, exaggeration for the humorous bits, and a comment, now and then, in English. Both companies I saw did an amazing, original interpretation of the plays.
On stage, at the Globe
Sonnet Sunday at the Globe. In the rain.
We now come to one of my favorite trips of the spring. I met fellow-Ashlander Megan, who was studying in Pau, France, in Brussels for a long weekend. Instead of the normal hostel/crazy touring/budget meals ordeal, this was a weekend of luxury. We stayed in a real hotel (thank goodness!), ate our weight in Belgium waffles and chocolate, and enjoyed some of the Belgian beers.
Our hotel
Park Royal
Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula
Waffle!
Brussels is a beautiful city. It is more intimate, more peaceful, but still energetic and full of surprises. There are street performers everywhere, markets, parks, and museums to enjoy. The buildings are stunning - gold detail, elaborate carvings, and bright colors.
Chocolate bar... Lindsey size. :)
Grand Place - Grote Market
Meg and I
Brussels is also a bit of a quirky place. It's most famous landmark - if you call it that - is Manneken Pis. A peeing statue. Ridiculous? Yes.
Beautiful Brussels.
Chocolate hippos!
Bubble Man.
Beer Temple - Favorite Beer: Delirium Tremens Cherry beer. YUM.
In the Brussels metro. With Charlie Chaplin.
On a more cultural note, we made it to the Costume Museum, the Chocolate Museum, and the art museum in Brussels. Cuisine-wise... well, we ate a lot of waffles and chocolate. We did have a lovely Greek dinner one evening (with Spanish guitar serenading us).
Costume Museum
Chocolate Museum. Samples.
Delirium Trememns pub. Cherry beer.
The Palace Royal
Phew. Thus ends the month of April. A great month, full of wonderful memories... despite the weather in London.
