Last Day

I couldn't have asked for a better last day. I spent all day Friday with Khala! When I woke up (before 11 am mind you, which is an incredible feat for me) I decided that I wanted to go for a run, so Khala took me to Kensington Gardens. The weather as beautiful and Khala and I had some bonding time. It was fun! In the meantime, Rabia went to Westfield mall to meet a friend, which she rather enjoyed.

We had lunch at the apartment with Nana and then headed back out again. We went back to the Globe Theatre because while I was away in Rugby, Khala managed to get a hold of £5 standing tickets for a French production of one of Shakespeare's comedies, Much Ado About Nothing (or in French: Beaucoup de Bruit Pour Rien).




(The Globe again)




(Me inside the Globe)




(Seats in the Globe)

Though we had to stand for 3 hours, we both thoroughly enjoyed the show. As it turns out, we had the best seats (well, spaces) in the house. We were up close to the stage and could see everything. The seats that cost much more were actually uncomfortable (I tried them out the day we did the tour) and had obstructed views.

The French language sounded beautiful - I understood most of what the actors were saying because they spoke in colloquial French. Good thing I had some practice in Paris first!

The comedy was in traditional Shakespearean form. There were misunderstandings, miscarried letters, and of course WEDDINGS. It was funny even to those who didn't understand French because the actors were so expressive. The actors spoke SO clearly too, which helped with my comprehension.

After the show, we decided that we absolutely needed afternoon tea, especially because it was my last chance for a while. Afternoon tea and tea in general are very important to English culture; the UK drinks 165 million cups every day!

As we were walking along the Thames in search of a good place for tea, I spotted someone that I wasn't expecting...Jennifer Lawrence, the star of the Hunger Games movie. I stared at her as she walked by, but it happened so quickly that I didn't have a chance to snap a picture. She was just out walking with a friend. I guess she isn't as well known over here. To confirm that it was actually her, I consulted Google. I found that she is indeed in London visiting her boyfriend. I was 1 foot away from one of the biggest stars in America! Yay!

After all of that excitement, Khala and I headed to Le Pain Quotidien for English tea (how ironic). We had spent the day blending English and French culture - why not continue the trend?

Even though Le Pain Quotidien is a French place, the scones were excellent! We walked through Covent Garden for the last time and had dinner in with Nana and Rabia a few hours later.



(A lovely scone)

After dinner Rabia and I went shopping...for chocolate that is (the best kind of shopping!). We loaded up on Malteasers, Dairy Milk, Twirl, Smarties, Minstrels, and more. British chocolate is the best! And they don't make Dairy Milk and other British chocolate the same in the states, so we had to stock up.

I can't believe I've been to London, Edinburgh, Rugby, Stratford, and Paris all in two weeks. I've had the best time and am sad to leave London now, especially because it is Jubilee weekend in celebration of the Queen of England's Diamond Jubilee (marking her 60 year reign). I've never seen England looking so patriotic! Oh well - I need to get home to have my own celebration - I graduate in 4 days!

Now our bags are packed, we've said goodbye to Khala and Nana, and we are sitting in the airport waiting to board our flight. Not to be corny, but these two weeks have really flown by. Don't worry though, I'm already planning my next trip back!

Time to sign off. Until next time...Cheers!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad