Westminster in London

Last days in London

2009-12-18T05:59:00.000-08:00

Terri & Mary like the dumplings at Jen's.
MTH 110 students in Trafalgar Square.

On Monday & Tuesday, Mary wanted to see London & I was exhausted! So sadly, she saw more than I did those last couple of days -- we did see the National Gallery with the MTH 110 class. Mary & Chuck also saw the National Portrait Gallery, St Martin in the Fields, British Library and the Victoria and Albert museum. We also did some shopping in Covent Garden.

On Thursday CAPA hosted a going away party for us at the Drayton Arms. It was a nice, but brief, party. Friday, we packed and went out to Thai Thai with Jamie for our last London meal. Then it was up at 3:30 am for a very LONG day traveling back to Pittsburgh. Getting checked in and through security in Gatwick was horrid, but here we are!

A Belgian Weekend & a Visit from Mary

2009-12-09T11:03:00.000-08:00

Westminster Abbey at 5 pmThe view of London from the Eye
Mary & Chuck in the Eye

On last Thursday, Mary came to visit us in London and suffered a week sleeping on our couch. We were excited to see her - our first and only sleep-in visitor. Ray & Chris were our other visitors, but they were smart enough to stay in a hotel room!

Thursday evening we went to Evensong at Westminster Abbey which is song by the choir and was wonderful. Then it was on to the London Eye. Our first weekend in London rode the Eye in the daytime and now we rode it at night. It was an awe-inspiring sight with the city lit up and a full moon in the sky. The 30 minute ride seemed to go by in 30 seconds!

Friday was a very, very early start, especially for Mary - we needed to be at the Belgium tour pickup location near Victoria Station at 6 am. This meant we left the flat at 4:30 am (remember Mary is still on Pgh. time - 5 hours earlier). The bus took us to a ferry in Dover where we crossed the English Channel and saw the white cliffs of Dover.

White Cliffs of Dover

Our first stop is Bruges - a fairy tale town with crooked streets, hundreds of cobble stones and lots and lots of chocolate shops (and those who know me will realize why I liked Bruges so much). Jamie, Mary, Chuck & I wandered the streets, ate frites (fantastic fries), sampled chocolate and the local mulled wine (Gluhwein). I'd love to return.

Bruges

Both nights we stayed at Oostende on the North Sea. Our hotel room was large and quiet - quite a change from our flat in London.

Saturday it was on to Brussels, where we again saw the Christmas markets, sampled chocolates and gluhwein, and enjoyed the scenic town. The city hall in the Grote Markt was lit up with constantly changing lights set to music. Wow. We also saw a famous statue of a boy pissing (dressed up like St Nicolas) and the Atomium - a huge structure composed of the atoms of a molecule created for the 1958 World's Fair.

Brussels City Hall

Pissing boy statue dressed up as St NicolasAtomium in Brussels
Sunday, St Nicolas Day, we saw St Nicolas in the local Oostende bakery giving treats to the children (I got a kiss) and then it was on to Antwerp. No Christmas markets there yet, but we saw brightly dressed men with horns marching into church, Rubens in the local cathedral, more chocolate shops and ate waffels for lunch. After a long bus ride, ferry crossing and more bus riding we ended up back in London and back in the flat. In my next blog entry, I'll report how Mary wore us out on Monday and Tuesday in London!

Antwerp Guild Houses
St. Nicolas in Oostende

North Sea in Oostende

Christmas decorations & cards

2009-12-01T08:42:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, we spent some time in the Marylebone area and then on Oxford Street (huge shopping mecca). I was amazed at the variety of Christmas decorations, yet confused about the umbrellas (brollies) on Oxford St. (2nd photo). The theme is related to A Christmas Carol and still I'm confused about the decorations! The first photo is from Carnaby St. and the last one is from Marylebone.

We then went over to the Marble Arch area for dinner with Ed. Ed is a sociologist from Texas and has sublet a flat across from Hyde Park and near the Blair's house. It was a small, but lovely flat and the dinner was lots of fun!

Today, Tuesday, we had to leave the flat for while for its weekly cleaning. So we headed to Picadilly Circus and found St. James Church with its antiques market. Two packages of Christmas cards and some rocks later ... Eventually we ended up at Thai Thai on Old Street which is a short 15 minute walk back to the flat. Jamie's coming for dinner so I'm trying to simmer soup in 2 small pots on a stove that won't go low enough to get a simmer, not a boil!

What? No after Thanksgiving sales?!

2009-11-27T08:25:00.001-08:00

Chuck & I slept in this morning and then headed for Oxford Circus tube station. Our mission? To find the Broad Street Pump, instrumental in helping to spread cholera in 1854, and to find the University of Westminster. Mission accomplished! Our our way to Broadwick Street (formerly Broad Street) in Soho, we detoured via Carnaby Street and enjoyed the 1960s style Christmas decorations above the street.

We easily found the pump and the John Snow Pub. Dr. Snow is credited for realizing that cholera might be spread via water and having the pump handle removed to stop people from drinking cholera-infected water. Over 600 people died in just over 2 weeks. Very sad.

Then onto The University of Westminster on Regents Street. We found the main administrative building and then learned that the University is spread out over a wide area. So much for finding the bookstore ... we were a good 6 + miles away!

Here's Chuck in our flat after we've decorated for Christmas with 2 small trees - one for us and one for Jamie!

Happy Thanksgiving in London

2009-11-26T14:53:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, Jamie arranged for a guest speaker from Bethlem Hospital (psychiatric), nicknamed Bedlam (the hospital, not the speaker). Caroline was marvelous and I really enjoyed the talk especially the case studies and before/after photos of patients from the late 1800's.

Today, Thanksgiving, was an odd day. It's my first time out of the country for this, my favorite, holiday. I don't teach on Thursdays, so Chuck & I headed out to Greenwich where the prime meridian is (longitude 0 0 00). We took the #188 bus from Russell Square which wandered about the city for a good 90 minutes before reaching Greenwich. In a car, it would have taken us about 20 minutes ... It was fun to see the neighborhoods and expand our understanding of London's geography, but on the way back we got off at a tube stop for the Northern Line which took us to Old Street in 1/3rd the time.

The Royal Observatory at Greenwich is up a steep hill with a gorgeous park in front. The view of London from the top is spectacular!! We got our photo taken in front of the meridian -- each in a different hemisphere. There were telescopes, clocks, and lots of interesting views of the surrounding landscape.

Tonight, CAPA arranged for a Thanksgiving dinner with the American students in London. There were speeches, silly hats, drinks, turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie for dessert. Just needed some American football on the TV to make the evening complete. Happy Thanksgiving one and all!

Dumplings and used books

2009-11-21T12:16:00.001-08:00

Friday's afternoon party with 10 WC went well. It's a good thing that only 10 of the students were able to attend, since they filled up our "reception room." I had a good time and am still enjoying the gorgeous roses that Jamie brought me.

We lazed around on Saturday morning and then headed to Chinatown, Leicester Square and Covent Garden -- tons of people there today! We spent some time in the antique book stores and only bought one book. Bought a Christmas gift in Covent Garden for Jerry. Then, Chuck & I had lunch at a dumpling place in Chinatown -- yum -- and then back to the flat. Back up to Angel again late afternoon for a massage; I'm going to miss Ben!!

Chuck made great sandwiches and chips for dinner tonight and now we're lazing around again ...

only 2 more Saturdays in London ...

A Tale of Two Jamies

2009-11-20T03:59:00.001-08:00

Christ Church in Oxford
Thursday Chuck & I caught a bus (Oxford Tube) to Oxford University. The drive was great - we got to see green stuff (it's been awhile). We spent about 3 hours in the town, peeking into the colleges and touring the churches. Lovely.

In the evening, Chuck, Jamie, Pam, and I had 6:30 dinner reservations at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen. He trains 15 young Brits in the restaurant business and they run the place. The London 15 is just 3-4 blocks from our flat. Since it was Jamie's birthday, the four of us celebrated at 15. The dining room has a pre fix menu. It was marvelous. The food was good, the service was good, and we were there for almost 3 hours. I had (1) fantastic salad of coppa with salad of chargrilled Comice pear, radicchio Castelfranco, gorgonzola piccante and aged balsamic, (2) cappellacci with Italian stem artichoke and baked ricotta 'Agricansiglio' finished in a caper butter sauce, (3) Pete Gott's rare-breed Cumbrian pork roasted in radicchio Trevisano, balsamic vinegar and bay with braised fennel, spinach and pan juices, and (4) chocolate and espresso tart with mascarpone and crushed honeycomb. There was also focaccia with salami and olives, a raw scallop palate cleanser and chocolate truffles. Wow. 18 hours later and I'm still stuffed. (By the way, we got to take a menu home so don't be impressed by the recitation of menu items!)

Today, we're hosting some of the students at our flat from 2 - 5 pm. Luckily, not all can make it! I say "luckily", because the flat won't hold even 1/2 of the 30 students!

Happy birthday, Jamie!

A Tale of Two Days

2009-11-18T12:43:00.001-08:00

Chuck & his new Egyptian friends at the British Museum ...

Russell Square park ...

Tuesday is a lovely, sunny day. Chuck & I decide to return to the British Museum on Russell Square to spend some time with the Egyptian artifacts. As we walk through Russell Square, we end up sitting on a bench enjoying the sunshine for awhile. The museum is fun and in addition to the Egyptian collection, we see part of the Straffordshire hoard -- a recently found Saxon hoard (spring 2009).

Then time to shop for Christmas gifts. Our way home is marred by the closure of the Northern line at St. Pancras due to a body under the train. That's the second one this week. Ugh.

Wednesday we head for CAPA early since I've got lots to do today. I've got a huge zit right by my mouth and discover a large yellow stain on my top which won't disappear with "lashings" of water! Of course - I'm skyping the WC faculty later in the day.

The printer isn't working and off-site tech support must be called. Getting this afternoon's quiz printed takes a little work, but with Elena's help ... Worked frantically for 4 hours before my first class - Math Perspectives. It was a frustrating class; students panic at the thought of calculating the area of a circle! This is middle school material! And when I try to explain, they start talking among themselves so I end up repeating myself and repeating and ... Argh.

In the 30 minutes between classes, I realize that (1) the Audacity software I downloaded last week is gone because there's a different computer in the room, (2) the ALICE software I have on my Macbook isn't viewable because I brought the wrong connector for the projector, (3) downloading ALICE to the computer that is connected to the projector will take 2-3 hours, (4) the Internet connection keeps going down, (5) none of the podcast files students have e-mailed me are working on Audacity (once I download it, again), and (6) none of the students were able to get ALICE downloaded onto their computers. Plus I have a constant stream of students who want to discuss their projects... so I have no time to think of alternatives. My entire 2-hour class is down the tube! And I can't tell you how many hours I put into getting ready for these classes! And sadly, this is not an unusual situation. Mondays are usually worse since the computer there doesn't have any sound at all and I have to plan for the technology portions to occur on Wednesdays...

In addition, Chuck pops his head in to inform me that there's another body on the tracks for the Picadilly Line -- that's 4 we've heard of since Monday. So sad.

At 4:30 pm I need to stop class (30 mins. early) to participate in a Faculty Forum at Westminster. It relies on having Skype, which in turn relies on a good, constant Internet connection... I did mention that our Internet connection was up and down. It fails at least 5 times during the Faculty Forum and I miss a question directed to me ...

Finally, we can leave CAPA. It's now 5:45 pm and completely dark; it gets dark around 3:30 these days. The tube lines are open and I even got a seat. And some chocolate for dessert. Life will improve. Now if I could only find something on TV. Friends anyone? Or Dart championships?

One month left

2009-11-12T07:11:00.000-08:00

Prince Albert Memorial in Kensington Park

Kensington Palace

We leave London on Dec. 12, in one month. My list of places to go, things to do keeps growing! The British Museum (again), Chinatown, Tower of London, Royal Albert Hall ...

Monday, Chuck, Jamie, Pam (Paul's sister) & I walked from CAPA to Kensington Palace and to the Orangery for tea. It was a long walk (for me), but a gorgeous, sunny afternoon. We passed the Royal Albert Hall (that may be the closest I get) and into Kensington Park. The leaves were glowing in the sun and lots of people were walking in the park. Lovely.

The Orangery is part of Kensington Palace, down an alley of huge evergreens, and into a large, white room. The cream tea was great -- cucumber sandwiches, scones, orangery cake and, of course, great tea. Great company.

Tuesday, I headed to Westminster Abbey for a shopping trip at the gift shop. It's Remembrance Week (like our Veterans Day), so the Abbey yard was filled with crosses and poppies in remembrance of dead soldiers. Very moving.

Today, Thursday, Chuck & I had arranged for a trip to Oxford & the Cotswolds. You'll notice the photos below are NOT of the Cotswolds. Our trip was canceled late on Wed. So, we decided to go the Tower of London. We had a great time exploring the bloody history of the Tower and lusting after the Crown Jewels!

A sneezing, hacking week with a cold

2009-11-06T09:24:00.000-08:00

Nothing to report this week of any fun -- came back from Paris with a renewed head cold & have been sneezing and coughing all week. Taught on Wed. sounding like a cross between a frog (my voice) and a seal (barking coughs). Spent the last 2 days moving from the bed to the couch to the shower (steam) to the bed ...

In the meantime, here's some photos of our cooking class in Paris with Paule -- much more interesting than my health! http://www.promenadesgourmandes.com/moxie/kitchen/paule.shtml

We met Paule at Stroher's pastry shop on the Rue Montorgueuil, which is a neighborhood market with fish mongers, butchers, vegetable shops and shops to buy pastries! Stroher's is the oldest pastry shop in Paris. The pastries were GORGEOUS, but we headed for Louie's to have 2 pain au chocolat and an apple turnover and ...

Our lessons started with visits to the shops, geography lessons and lessons in seasonal produce. Don't buy goat cheese after October because goats are milked in August & the cheese is sub-par after 2 months... don't buy produce out of season or not grown in France... buy line caught fish, net caught if you must & never buy farm raised fish... it was fascinating!

Paule's new apartment & kitchen was large, sunny and complete the the latest equipment. Here's a photo at the

end of Chuck, me, Paule & Tynisha (the other student). We made pumpkin soup, a morrocan fish dish, and a chocolate tarte and had a cheese lesson. We were with Paule from 9 am to 3 pm and left shortly after lunch finished. Yum.

D'Orsay Museum on Friday

2009-10-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

Last night we ended our evening by climbing to the observation deck of the Arc du Triumph -- actually we bypassed some of the 265 steps & took an elevator partway up! The views were spectacular, especially of the Eiffel Tower and the blinking lights.

Today we successfully used the Metro & transferred lines to travel to the D'Orsay museum, a former train station. They have a marvelous collection of Impressionist paintings, which are a favorite of both Chuck & me. We saw familiar artists and met some new ones.

I've fallen in lust with Parisian pastries -- they look beautiful and taste better! We spend an inordinate amount of time gazing at the window displays in the Pastry & Boulanger (bread) shops!

Tonight we walked along the streets of Paris and a kind woman took our photo.

Paris Museums

2009-10-30T10:53:00.001-07:00

On Thursday, we took the Paris Metro to the Louvre Museum. We didn't enter through the glass pyramid (which I like), but through the underground shopping plaza from the Metro. Chuck had purchased a set of Metro tickets and a museum pass while we were in London. The museum pass allowed use to by-pass the ticket lines at the museums - a great deal. The Metro tickets weren't such a good deal -- about 50% of the time they didn't work! If there was someone in the ticket booth, we could get the tickets exchanged, but that didn't happen often.

The Louvre is overwhelming in both the size of the palace and the size of the collections. We started by seeing the Mona Lisa and Winged Victory. The Mona Lisa is behind glass and behind ropes - you can't really get too close. The Winged Victory is on the landing of some stairs & was very impressive. We also spent some time looking at the Egyptian collections and some statuary.

Our hotel is right down the street from Guy Savoy's restaurant where you can start with a $75 appetizer and most meals run well over $500 without wine! Wow. I'm not certain ANY food is worth that price. You can take the girl out of New Wilmington, but you can't take ....

Paris in October

2009-10-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

I can't think of enough superlatives to describe our time in Paris, so far. It's been a blast! On Monday, we took a Eurostar train from London to Paris. Our train compartment was filled with children who didn't want to be trapped on a train, but the time went by quickly.

Our hotel, Royal Magda de Etoile, is near the Arc du Triumph and is a nice, small place. The staff has been very kind, especially when Chuck practices his French! Our room is small, but the bed is much better than our London flat's bed, so Jamie, you're on your own in London!

Monday, we walked around our general neighborhood and had two great meals -- French onion soup for me & ceasar salad for Chuck; roasted chicken and chicken fricasse for dinner. And of course, several pastries ...

Tuesday we decided to use the on/off tour bus of the major sights in Paris and spent from 9:30 - 5 pm getting on & off at various attractions. We spent considerable time in & around Notre Dame Cathedral and ate sandwiches in their side park. We also spent some time at the Eiffel Tower, but did not go to the top due to the lines.

We enjoyed every stop, but boy was I tired by 4 pm! Dinner Tuesday night was in the Chinese restaurant across the street. Most restaurants don't open until after 7 pm & most French eat dinner at 8:30 pm.

Wednesday, today, was our cooking class in the Maris area of Paris. We took a taxis to a market area and spent an hour wandering the street (and eating pastries) before meeting Paule Caille, our cooking instructor. She took us to various stores to purchase our supplies and then on to a bus to travel to her apartment (in a converted workshop for a button maker). We then spent 6 hours, cooking and eating. It was lots of fun. However, the photos will have to wait until we return to London since my camera is acting up - again - and Chuck didn't bring the cord for his camera.

Terri & Chuck vs. the British Museum

2009-10-23T10:29:00.001-07:00

Ten years ago, Chuck & I traveled with his sister Bev & Bev's husband, Steve, to London for a week in April. It was cold and rainy for our entire trip & we had trouble finding good food-- I loved it! We stayed in the Russell Square area at the Hotel Russell (see above) in a small hotel room with very friendly staff. Our favorite restaurant was a French place called Denise's with 2 course lunch menus and 3 course dinners; of course, I fondly remember the desserts!

On Thursday we returned to Russell Square to revisit the hotel and for lunch at Denise's. Chuck, who has never met a stranger, engaged in a lively conversation with the restaurant's owner who has been in business there for 20 years. The meal was as wonderful as we remember and the tarte tatin for dessert was tre bene!

Then it was on to the British Museum, which is a short walk away. Ten years ago we focused on the Egyptian artifacts, having been in Egypt the previous year. This time we explored the Asian Galleries and were floored by the carvings, golden Buddhas, and the size of the collection. Ninety minutes later, the British Museum won! We were exhausted and have seen a small fraction of the museum, once again!

From the Great Stupa of Amaravati

Today, Friday was a sunny day & we headed back to Covent Garden to purchase some Christmas gifts, including some colorful hand painted silk ties & some sweatshirts for the nephews. Then Chuck headed to the Tate Britain while I returned to the flat & spent the afternoon avoiding grading exams!

Tomorrow it's the Tower of London if the weather holds. {Gray, rainy day - went to Camden instead}

Wednesday - a 2 museum day

2009-10-21T10:41:00.000-07:00

Today the cluster course was assigned to explore the Darwin Centre at the Natural History Museum. The technology here is just fabulous! Chuck & I met the group and then did some exploration of other parts of the museum (went to the Darwin Centre earlier this semester with the PSY 101 students). We saw part of the mineral collection -- wow -- in a long room with lots of windows and lots of display cases. I wanted it all.

My greed grew when we crossed the road to the Victoria & Albert museum with their collections of decorative arts. Today in our first, but not last visit, we focused on the jewelry collection, which is stunning (I think that's the first time I've used the word "stunning" in my blog this semester). I was so enamored that I purchased a book detailing the V&A's jewelry collection. We'll definitely be returning.

No photos today, sorry! Forgot the camera, but here's a photo of me in my new gift from the kind and generous Doreen!!!

Tuesday with Freud

2009-10-21T02:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Jamie's PSY 101 class met at the Freud museum off of Finchly Road (see above). Chuck & I tagged along and I'm very glad we did. After a scramble to get there, we walked up a steep hill and down a tree-lined street. The house itself was lovely with large, well-portioned rooms, and a wonderful stairway with a large, window-filled landing. My favorite part of the tour was the home movies of the Freud family. And of course, I was very tempted to lie down on Freud's famous couch -- ropes stopped me right there!

Jamie, Paul & Chuck in Baker Tube .

Afterwards, Chuck, Paul & I had a 5 course Indian lunch in Islington, which was tasty. I love the nan bread.

In the evening, we headed to Holborn to the Primrose Theatre to see Cirque Cirkor -- 8 Swedish acrobats in a Cirque du Soleil meets Monty Python performance. It was funny, bizaare, and I sat in amazement at the feats of strength and flexibility!

Westminster College Students in London, Fall 2009

2009-10-19T05:38:00.000-07:00

6 weeks in London

2009-10-16T05:56:00.000-07:00

Gifts bought today in Camden Market.

Chuck & Jamie in the Stables area of Camden Market.

Today, Friday, Jamie, Chuck & I got on a bus and headed to Camden Markets. It was Jamie's first visit & our second. After we returned from the Market last week, I was inspired to buy some Christmas gifts. The crowds were a lot lighter today, Friday, compared to last Saturday but there were fewer vendors and the "amber booth" wasn't there! Guess I'll just have to return on a Saturday! Lunch was good - mexican food for Chuck & me and ethiopian food for Jamie.

In the late afternoon we headed to Westminster Abbey for Evensong - Octave of King Edward the Confessor -- a good way to see the church & hear the choirs. Surprisingly, we ran into Chris & Ray who were also going to the same service! In a city of 7 million people ... The music was lovely and the Abbey was spectacular. Afterwards, we had some great Thai food at a pretty place near the Old Street Tube Station.

Terri, Ray & Chris on Tuesday evening.

Terri & Jamie miss Westminster tremendously!

Wikis & Wicked on a Wednesday

2009-10-15T05:15:00.000-07:00

The cluster course created some great wikis and demonstrated them in class on Wed. It was a good ending to a rough week of teaching. Yes, I still have to go to work while I'm in London ... occasionally!

Last night Jamie, Chuck & I went to see Wicked at the Apollo Theatre in London. It's across the street from the Victoria Tube & Train station, which, at 5:30 was jammed! We had trouble finding Jamie, partly due to the hoards of commuters, partly due to our general ineptness when it comes to navigating our way around! Dinner before the show was at a small Italian restaurant with good food & very fast service.

The theatre was large and our seats were in the dress circle, which was sharply pitched - no views of your neighbor's head but I thought I'd hit the man in front of me with my knees! We got the tickets through a tour company & saved 33 pounds each. The stage was great and one of the main characters was marvelous. The rest of the company was adequate and that was a disappointment. Overall, however, I'm glad we went!

Sunday Dinner with Ray & Chris

2009-10-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

We had a quiet Sunday - I graded quizzes and homework and wrote some lectures and Chuck read the Sunday paper. In the late afternoon, we headed to the Green Park/Picadilly Circus area to meet Ray & Chris for dinner. They've traveled from California to London for a holiday & we were pleased to spend some quality time with them over a delicious pub dinner.

Chris & Ray's hotel is on a quiet street with lots of tailor shops for bespoke suits, shirts, and shoes. I thought Chuck would look marvelous in this feather vest -- sadly he said "no"!

Saturday Shopping in Camden Markets

2009-10-10T07:42:00.000-07:00

A cool, but sunny Saturday and Chuck & I head to Camden Town to the markets. Lots of things to buy. Hundreds of little shops and stalls and thousands of shoppers. It's Covent Gardens on steriods. There are tons of clothes and T-shirts, jewelry, sunglasses, purses, antiques, food vendors -- all on cobble stone streets.

We found two shirts that I think Lyndsey or Emily would like, but I need their opinions! The one of the left is a sweat shirt, the second is a top/dress !

We bought a very delicate amber necklace for Rachel for Christmas -- I can announce this here because I don't think Rachel's reading my blog. Plus a couple of other gifts.

Great fun. Right now we're both tired and very unhappy that we neglected to buy any of the donuts or cupcakes we saw!

Shopping on a gray Friday.

2009-10-10T02:08:00.001-07:00

Friday, Chuck & I went to Covent Garden. Jamie is spending the weekend in Scotland & probably didn't miss our shopping trip! We pass the Covent Garden stop everyday on our way to CAPA. Down the street from the tube station, Covent Garden is a covered marketplace (glass & iron) which reminds me of Professor Higgins & Eliza Doolitle.

There were toy shops with fragile paper cutouts, jewelry, chocolate!, restaurants, and clothing. I sat under an umbrella (a little cold, actually), and listened to a wonderful woman sing opera, including Ava Maria. Wow.

We bought a marvelous print of London, some chocolates, of course, and Chuck got a new belt to hold up his pants. Chuck also surprised me with a lovely aqua scarf made of burnt out velvet - very lux. In addition to the marketplace, the area is packed with shops and restaurants from punk to new age to vitamin shops. It was teeming with people.

At the end of the day, we headed to a small courtyard area called Neal's Yard where I had another fantastic massage! Dinner was chicken and mushroom pot pies, bought in Waitrose and baked at home (sorry Jamie, but we fell off the vegetarian wagon without you!)

Tomorrow, Saturday, we're headed to the Camden Markets where I'm hoping to focus on Christmas presents for other people. Sunday, a friend from High School will be in London & we've arranged to meet Ray & Chris for dinner. Cheers!

Vivaldi at St. Martin-in-the-fields

2009-10-04T02:41:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning Chuck & Jamie explored China Town while I practiced voting algorithms in the flat. In the late afternoon, we took the #38 bus from Islington to China Town, headed for the National Portrait Gallery and a concert at St. Martins-in-the-fields.

A quick walk through a very crowded China Town, into Leicester Square (pronounced "Lester") and into Trafalgar Square. The National Portrait Gallery has an impressive collection of paintings, sculptures, and photographs. We enjoyed a special exhibit of Twiggy - she has aged very well. The Tudor gallery was also very interesting with three large paintings of Elizabeth I.

After the museum, we had dinner at a small Italian restaurant. We sat outside, but it was a little chilly. Lots of wind today in London.

Our concert was the Belmont Ensemble of London in the lovely church of St Martin-in-the-Fields. We sat on the side of the church in a wooden box with a partial view of the wind ensemble at the front of the church. Lovely music in a candle-lit space.

Back through the streets and China Town to the #38 bus at 9:30 pm. The streets were jammed.

As You Like It

2009-10-02T10:17:00.001-07:00

Today we rode the #21 bus (my first London bus ride) from Old Street, across the London Bridge, to the Borough Market. Another maze of streets with food vendors in every spot! Gorgeous flowers, breads, meats, polish sausages, fish, cheese, baked goods (owl-shaped shortbread cookies were sampled), granola (bought some ginger granola), desserts (creme brule in small cup), and fruit and veggies. Amazing stalls and amazing smells. I'm surprised we didn't spend all of the money in our pockets. Jamie ended up

with oysters for lunch while Chuck & I opted for lamb burgers that we ate in the shadow of Southwart Cathedral (pronounced "Suffolk"). I'd love to do my weekly grocery shopping here.

Then it was a short walk through winding cobblestoned streets to The Globe where we had seats in the upper gallery for "As You Like It." Luckily Jamie & Chuck thought to rent cushions -- we we

re seated on wooden benches for over 2- 1/2 hours. How lucky are we to see Shakespeare outdoors on a sunny October afternoon in the The Globe?! {Later discovered that several WC students were in the standing section! }

Dinner tonight is mushroom pate and bread bought at the market.

If this is Wednesday, it must be the Science Museum

2009-10-01T02:41:00.000-07:00

Both of my classes, Math Perspectives and The Internet, went on a field trip to the Science and Technology museums on Wednesday afternoon. We had been told that we would need 1 adult for every 10 students and needed to supervise them, but luckily the guard at the group entrance was more flexible! Above is a photo of 29/30 students (K.L. was late!) with Jamie and me.

The museum was very large and dark and somewhat of a disappointment after the Darwin Centre on Tuesday. Chuck & I did enjoy the computer history section with parts of Babbage's analytic and difference engines (only of interest to computer geeks) and half of Charles

Babbage's brain! We got to see the enigma machine, instrumental in decoding German messages during WWII -- in fact, I asked students to find it & the Klein bottles, which were beautiful.

Klein bottles

Babbage's brain below

After the field trip, Chuck & returned to the flat & ordered take-away Chinese food. Not very good, so we won't be ordering again from Kung Food!

Tuesday with Darwin

2009-09-30T01:29:00.001-07:00

Tuesday morning commute is crowded, but this isn't unusual. Here's a photo of some of the people attempting to board the Picadilly trains in Kings Cross. The train is already packed to the brim with people and we wait for the next train...

Our destination is the Natural History museum with Jamie's intro psychology class. The museum is about a 15 minute walk from CAPA along Cromwell Road. In fact, I've been there before the first week when I took a wrong turn out of the tube station! The building is incredible with yellow and blue stripes of stone and very ornate carvings.

But we're here to see the newly opened Darwin Center which is a 7 story cocoon of a building inside the museum. The displays are marvels of technology and I took lots of photos of them. Fascinating.

Jamie, Chuck & I spend a little time in the Jerwood gallery with a Darwin connection and end up behind a one-way mirror. On the other side is a mirror asking people to m

ake faces like the chimpanzees. Much to our amusement, 2 WC students stop & make faces! Here's Jamie telling them they were "caught"!

After lunch at a Thai place (yum), Chuck & I head towards Marylebone (mar-le-bon) because I've arranged for a massage in hopes of helping my knee. We take the tube to Bond Street with very upscale shopping (Prada, anyone?) and start walking and walking and walking. By the time we get to Marylebone High Street, I'm in tears due to the pain. The appointment is at 112 High Street and the first street number we see is #1. Lots of shops and restaurants - I'd like to return to do some window shopping, but in the meantime, we walk and walk and walk. Finally we stop at a pub across the street where Chuck notes the address is #79. Across the street is #39. We're puzzled, but eventually continue walking north and walking and walking until we reach the end of the street! No #112. Turn around and start walking south... when we realize that heading north the street numbers increase from 1 to 50 and heading south they decrease. So #112 is across the street from #20 !!! Sigh. We eventually found the place in a herbal remedy shop called Neal's Yard. The massage is marvelous and very different from any I've had before. I've made appointments for several more in different parts of the city that will hopefully be closer to a tube station. As for the way home? We treated ourselves to a taxi ride for 16 GBP !

Sunday at St. Paul's Cathedral

2009-09-27T10:50:00.001-07:00

A gorgeous Sunday afternoon in London as we head to the Thames River area again. This time to visit the Borough Market and to attend an organ recital at St. Paul's Cathedral. We take the tube to St. Paul's and walk across the Millenium bridge to the South Bank in front of the Tate Modern. Lots of people, caramel peanut vendors, pigeons and street musicians. A classical guitarist serenades us in front of the Tate. Gorgeous afternoon. Here's St. Paul's as we are headed towards the bridge.

The Borough Market, however, is not open on Sundays. Oh well.

Lunch in a Pub called the Center Page where we run into WC students who went to Fashion week and plan to go to a service at St. Paul's.

St. Paul's is gorgeous inside. These photos, however, are not allowed -- oops -- so please enjoy! It was a wonderful environment in which to hear the soaring music -- too bad I don't like organ music. Chuck tells me it was very good! (WC students, St Paul's & St Paul's main dome).

Comforts from home

2009-09-26T00:32:00.000-07:00

Although the grocery stores here are very well stocked with meats, fruits & veggies, they don't have all the same items. For example, frozen meals, prepared pie crusts and Crystal Light drink mixes. We brought over one container of my favorite drink mix, but can't find any more. So, we've been rationing it with a glass every evening for Chuck, Jamie & me. It's going fast. This week we were rescued by Pam who sent an expensive care package with 3 containers of lemonade for me & 3 containers of Peach Ice Tea for Jamie. Thank you Pam!

Our TV is equally odd. We have about 20 channels with lots of shopping programs - QVC anyone? - and Friends reruns galore. Chuck has found some home shows which are a fascinating look at the real estate here. Our house is Beaver is definitely a mansion.

Friday was a gorgeous day here with blue skies & mild temperatures. The 3 of us decided to visit Camden Passage, a noted antiques area, which is 5 minutes from the Angel Tube station. Tiny shops on a very narrow & winding street. It was fun & I didn't buy the gorgeous library ladders we saw, but I'm still lusting after them.

Lunch at a Cuban restaurant and an afternoon nap -- yes, I'm working hard.

Kings Cross / St. Pancras

2009-09-24T07:57:00.001-07:00

Today, Thursday, we decided to explore a Tube stop that we pass through every day. We got off at the Kings Cross/St. Pancras tube stop (one up from our usual stop, Angel). It's really two 2 stations, which if I had been paying attention to the names, I might have guessed! Lots of trains stop here & this is where we'll take the Eurostar train to Paris in a month. St. Pancras is a very Victorian red brick building, built in 1863. The inside is covered by a glass dome and has lots of upscale shops. We stopped in one men's clothier & for $100 could have bought a new cotton shirt for Chuck!

It's also next door to the British Library which was built in the mid 1990s. The building is a plain faced and red brick with a lovely soaring center piece of books called the King's Library.

We spent some time in the Treasures room, seeing original scores from Mozart, one of the 4 remaining Magna Cartas, old medievial documents and scores from the Beetles. Wild! We plan to return once we've brought the proper documentation to get into one of the reading rooms.

Lunch at a local pub where Chuck "ran into" the local veg -- mushy peas. Ugh.

A Weekend in Sevilla, Spain

2009-09-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

Chuck & I took our first trip out of London this weekend with a 3-day trip to Sevilla, Spain. Our good friend Laura was headed there (after a week of work in Madrid) to meet her niece, Melissa who is studying in Sevilla.

Below is a photo of a courtyard in our hotel and door into the piano bar !

Our hotel, Casas de la Juderia, is in an old section of the city, with many narrow winding streets.

The streets are one way -- with cars, motorcycles, bicycles, dogs, & people all trying to pass down a space barely wide enough for a single car! Our hotel was an amazing conglomeration of buildings, tiles, passageways, and courtyards. We had to go through a tunnel from the main desk and across an alley to get to our rooms. I wanted to drop bread crumbs to follow ... here's part of the tunnel.

Here's a photo of us with Laura on the left; Melissa & her friend Christine are on the right. We had tapas here on Friday evening. Sorry Jamie, we headed straight for the jamon (ham) - yum.

We toured the cathedral and palace and again the word I need to use is "amazing." The palace must be a popular place to have bridal photos taken - we saw 10+ couples there in all of their wedding finery.

Tuesday at the Tateday

2009-09-21T08:18:00.001-07:00

So, I'm behind a week in updating my blog! Spent most of last week Mon. - Thurs. in the classroom or getting ready to be in the classroom. Chuck & I did go to the Tate Modern museum on Tuesday since it was Jamie's assignment for the PSY 101 class. We went through the 3rd floor with the modern and surrealist works. There was a Matisse I liked tremendously, but honestly, I must need a docent tour since much of it was "beyond me."

It was a cool and rainy day, so we stopped for a warm lunch at the Prince William Henry pub - not bad.

Monday, Monday 9-14!

2009-09-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

Last night we feasted on a shrimp coconut curry that Jamie made. It was marvelous or I guess I should say "brilliant." Got to Skype Mom & Dad & Lyndsey & had a brief talk with Miss Emily in Tennessee. Made me homesick

On Mondays I teach from 9:10 t0 11:00 and 12 - 1:50. It's a long day. Chuck & I are always early so we got to the CAPA building at 8:30. They don't open the building until 9 am, so we sat on the steps next door & watched the world walk by.

Here's the street CAPA is on (Cromwell Road, off of the Glouster Tube station) on the left & the CAPA building on the right.

Helped a student with a home stay problem; sometimes adults don't act in their own best interests. Glad she's out of there & a new home will be found soon. Below are 2 photos of the Internet Cluster class in the Kensington Room -- the largest classroom at CAPA. It's a gorgeous space, but the equipment setup is not optimal for teaching. We'll adapt!

Got to Skype Doreen & Jeff which was good, but they gave me a "To do" list!

Sunday, 9-12

2009-09-13T10:28:00.000-07:00

It's a cold, grey day. We spent a lazy morning and then went to the Mayor's Thames River festival on the South Bank.

Rode on the Jubilee line for the first time to the Waterloo Station, which is another huge station. There were lots of vendors selling jewelry, knickknacks and food - lots of yummy food smells. And lots of people, children, dogs, performers. Seems as if all of London was there. Chuck & I left Jamie there as I needed to limp home (having knee problems since I've been here). Jamie's cooking a curry tonight for dinner; can't wait!

Friday at the Palacel

2009-09-11T08:27:00.000-07:00

Today we toured 19 state rooms in Buckingham Palace - open only a few weeks each year. Wow. The rooms were magnificent -- lots of gold, molding, crystal chandeliers, Old Master paintings ... very impressive. It's good to be the Queen. No photos allowed inside, so I'll include some of the gardens. At left is Jamie & me taking tea in the garden cafe which is dismantled after Sept. 30th until the next open state room tours.

Here's a photo from the garden of the Palace.

Chuck & Jamie with the Palace in the background.

Jamie at the Bag of Nail's Pub where I finally got some fish & chips - yum!

2009-09-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

Our neighborhood in photos:

Our flat -- on left first one from the street. Jamie's on the 5th floor.

City Road

Angel Tube station

One week down

2009-09-10T02:01:00.000-07:00

We arrived in London a week ago already. Time has flown by as we've been adjusting to life in the big city. Today, Thursday, I don't have any classes so I'm spending the day in our flat, writing lectures. I'm so used to 60 minute classes at home that I've run out of lecture notes yesterday in both of my classes! I've got to do better next week (not that my students minded getting out early). Chuck is out trying to find printer cartridges (aka computer consumables).

Thought I'd show our flat. We've got 3 rooms - living area with kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. Here's a photo of our frig - we filled it by the second day! Our kitchen is modern, but has very few cooking items. We have 4 plates, 3 pots, 3 skillets and silverware for 4 people. No bowls, no cooking pans, no measuring cups, etc. It's been a challenge for Chuck who has taken on the task of feeding Jamie & me almost every night. Jamie's also h

as us on a vegetarian diet - at least when he's eating with us - but I'm hoping to be bad tonight & find some fish & chips!

Tomorrow we have tickets to visit Buckingham Palace & see 19 state rooms. It's only open a few days each year. Several students have already seen them & rave about it. The students seem to be doing well & are exploring the sights of London.

First day of classes

2009-09-07T03:40:00.000-07:00

It's a ten-minute walk from our flat to the Angel Tube station, then down the longest escalators on the Tube system to catch the North-bound Northern line. One stop. Get out and transfer to the Picadilly Circus line to Glouster Road. This morning Chuck came with me & we confidently headed onto Glouster Road to walk to CAPA. CAPA is not on Glouster Road... it's on Cromwell. We had a pleasant walk 10-15 minutes out of our way!

I'm teaching two classes today : Math Perspectives (MTH 110) from 9:10 - 11 am and The Internet cluster (CS 252) from 12:00 - 13:50. Odd times and on Wednesday I teach them again at different times (12:40 - 14:30) and 15:10 - 17:00.

The room is small and overlooks some train tracks - trains run frequently. Will have to adjust!

Tomorrow Jamie teaches and I'll sit in on his 1/2 of the cluster.

First Weekend in London

2009-09-06T05:24:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo of Chuck sitting at our table, but I've kicked him out to listen to the Beatles, and supposedly write my course syllabus. We're heading out in 2 hours to meet with Jamie to go onto the London Eye - a big ferris wheel with great London views. I'll upload photos when we return.

I'm feeling less cranky as time passes which is a good thing, of course. Thursday evening after no sleep and problems with electronics. Chuck blew out both of our power converters in less than an hour. We've figured out most of that stuff now, but have "broken" the washing machine this morning.

Went to the CAPA offices on Friday. It is in 2 renovated Victorian buildings with lots of steps, but very nice. The CAPA staff were all very friendly and helpful. Chuck will be able to work there if he wants to. There's a small faculty lounge with computers, a frig & an electric tea kettle. Apparently the Brits drink 165 million cups of tea each day! The C

APA folks took us & the students to a cream tea at the Regency hotel on Friday. It was wonderful. Thank goodness we have to walk a lot because I LOVE the clotted cream & scones.

Saturday we played tourist & saw Buckingham Palace and the area. It was a gorgeous day. Chuck cooked dinner for us that evening.

Sunday Jamie hiked around London while Chuck & I lazed around. We then met near the London Eye and spent time among all the street artists before riding on the Eye. What a fantastic view of the city!

Leaving in 2 days

2009-08-30T12:08:00.000-07:00

So much for my good intentions of blogging frequently. Summer is over & we leave for London in 2 days ... me, Chuck, Jamie & 30 WC students. Wow. I'm glad to be packed, but concerned that my carry-on luggage will weigh more than my checked luggage due to the number of books I'm dragging with me.