So I've returned from my wee trip to Scotland. It was a strange one. It was good, but strange. First of all, my mom and little brother were supposed to fly over so we could stay at this nice resort type place up in Scotland. Unfortunately, due to volcanic ash in the air, they couldn't come at all. So, we were bummed out for quite a few days together and then my mom recommended I go up to Scotland anyways. After some thought, I agreed, simply because a) it would have been money wasted to not use the train tickets and to skip out on the fancy hotel and b) I would be sitting on my butt in my room by myself anyways, so I thought I'd at least go and sit on my butt with the beautiful Scottish mountains in my back yard.
But in all seriousness, I was kind of looking forward to spending a couple days by myself to catch up on some needed R&R. I had books to read, studying to do, TV to watch (I can't remember the last time I just sat and watched TV), and pools and hot tubs calling out to me. Little did I know it would end up being a 10 hour journey. Well, I exaggerate - only because I woke up at 7:45 that morning and arrived at the hotel at 8:00pm. It's not like the traveling should have been exhausting - I literally sat through the entire trip :-)
I spent Tuesday night exploring the hotel and indulging my love for mountains and lakes. I also watched TV: And British game shows rock!
On Wednesday, I slept in, then considered doing outdoorsy activities (there was an outdoor adventure place nearby) but did not follow through. After attempting to cook without the proper ingredients, I set out on a 4 mile walk to the nearest store. Mind you, this place on hidden on the opposite end of the lake from the nearest town, Aberfoyle. I tried to soak in as much as I could from this little town - it was smaller than Egham! But the people in town were really nice. It was funny to me that seemingly everyone in the town flocked to this one gardening/general store. It was also funny that there were 4 ice cream parlors and candy shops (I tried Scottish Tablet ice cream), but no bank, gas station, or chemist to be seen. I stopped by the Wool Factory and got some treats and pet the sheep outside. Then, God knows why, I faced a sudden urge to try haggis. It was deep fried - apparently this is not 'proper haggis', as a townie soon told me. He also seemed interested, albeit slightly annoyed, in my American-ness and said: "Can I ask you something? And I don't mean to be offensive - but what exactly is beef jerky?"
Thursday was bizarre on many accounts. First, I woke up and ended up somehow losing a filling in my back molar. This led to me freaking out, but then I was eventually resolved when I kicked back and finished my novel that I've been working at for a year now. After taking full advantage of the gym and pool later on, I watched the UK political debates. Pretty interesting stuff. Not as thrilling as our CNN Obama/McCain wars. All relaxing came to an abrupt halt, however, when the entire hotel lost power. This is me, staying by myself in a huge apartment in the middle of the forest with no cell service, no internet, at least 5 hours away from anyone I know, in a different country. I ended up listening to my ipod in the hotel lobby, sitting in a room full of couples in a, quiet, romantic, candle-lit fire side setting. They all seemed to quite enjoy the blackout. It was an odd moment in the life of Eliza.
On Friday, I slept in again, contemplated going outside again, but then was hindered by a pounding migraine. Still not sure what brought it on, but I was kindly escorted to the doctor in town. The doctor, I kid you not, was my age, wearing glittery eye shadow, black rimmed glasses, and converse sneakers. She was very sweet though and prescribed Ibuprofen. I stupidly did not bring any with me, so I was thankful for the free doctor visit (yay European healthcare!) and the kindness of the people working there and at the hotel.
Saturday's journey back was a lot more exciting: I gave myself a project. I filmed the two hour bus ride from Aberfoyle to Glasgow, then spent a good chunk of the train ride back editing it into my first ever Indie film. It's pretty impressive.
So, though I didn't get as much work done as I thought I would, I spent a lot of quality time by myself witnessing the weird things happening around me (can someone please explain "Wife Swap"?). I have some fond and... not so fond memories of Scotland now, but I'm really glad I went. It was a whirlwind adventure, as per usual.
The very next morning after returning from the Netherlands, I met my Grandpa and Dad at a bed and breakfast in Egham. They had arrived the day before, but getting back from the Netherlands was a longer trip than expected.
We spent Saturday getting groceries and walking around the Royal Holloway Campus. Later on, we made an attempt to cook in my flat. It worked out alright! Plus I was just happy to host since I'm usually just cooking for myself.
Sunday was Easter and Dad had to work on his presentation, so Jess and Grandpa and I walked through the Runnymeade National Trust Reserve. It turned out to be a nice day and despite the mud, it was a good walk. We got to see a part of the town that we didn't even know existed. Besides the pretty park and river views, there was a memorial to John F. Kennedy and a monument for the Magna Carta, which was signed there. Then we had a good Sunday roast at The Crown, a pub in Egham.
On Monday, Grandpa and I went in to London. We had lunch at a pub in Picadilly, went to Harrod's, and strolled the South Bank. We discovered the BFI on the South Bank and though we didn't stay to see a movie, we found the media room where you can sit and watch clips and films for free. We watched a bit of a documentary about Jacqueline du Pré which was really fascinating. I'll definitely be going back there.
Tuesday was the day of Dad's big presentation. He had to set up for the majority of the day, and it was a bit stressful at moments, but it was worth it. People came and seemed to enjoy the presentation! He did a really great job. We got to unwind at another pub nearby afterward (seemed to be week of pubs!) before heading back to Egham.
On Wednesday we had a good touristy day. We went to Shakespeare's Globe. I had never been there so I really enjoyed it. The exhibit is just jam packed with any ounce of information they had about Shakespeare and the plays put on at the original London theatres. The theatre itself is absolutely beautiful. I've got to see a production there before I leave!
We had another pub meal, though this was a more up-scale pub on the South Bank :-) We then hopped on some buses as a way to rest our feet and to see sights of the city. Eventually we got to Knightsbridge, stopped at Harrod's and a Starbucks, and then went home to Egham.
Dad and Grandpa managed to squeeze in another sight on Thursday morning: going to the Chiswick House before going to the airport to return home. It was great visit - both busy and relaxing. I'm just glad I got to see family.
Unfortunately, Mom and Lyle couldn't make it out here for their visit. The volcanic eruption in Iceland prevented them from flying. It really stinks because I won't get to see them until June now, but we're trying to make the best of it. I'm going to take a little trip up to Scotland anyways as a change of scenery for my studying. Exams are coming up!
Will post about my trip to Scotland upon my return.
Dad arrived in Paris on the 23rd, and it was so wonderful to greet him in the airport. It hadn't really felt like Christmas before then - I really needed to see some family. He was jet lagged of course, but later on in the evening we went to the Louvre, which was splendidly quiet and pretty peaceful (I hate going to crowded museums). Then we went to a cute restaurant really close to our apartment. Dad got Beef Bourguinon and I got a little chicken on a bed of sauteed mushrooms. It was the best meal I've had since Italy.
On Christmas Eve day, we went out to buy groceries in the morning so I could make Ratatouille for dinner. This area of Paris was so unreal. There were hardly any cars around, but people just walking and sitting in cafes and shopping. Lots of galleries too - it was a lot like Soho or Greenwich Village. Then we went back to the apartment and I made ratatouille... I'm very new to cooking real food, so I'm glad my dad is OK with being a guinea pig. Then we went out again to try to find a little Christmas tree, but everything was very pricey, so we skipped it and decided to find a branch or something later.
We saw Platée by Rameau at the Paris Opera. Not only was the theatre absolutely beautiful, but the production was astounding. It was completely entertaining from start to finish. The scenery was very clever and a great modern interpretation. The costumes were fitting and had beautiful detail and significance. Of course the orchestra and the vocal work was beautiful, but the musicians and performers also had a light hearted, comical attitude that enhanced the beauty of the score and did not take away from it at all. Above all, the choreography by Laura Scozzi really stood out to me. It reminded me of the choreography I'd seen in the DVD of the Nederlands Dans Theatre. It had the strength and structure of classical ballet, but the freedom and personality of modern dance, mixed in with childlike/clown gesture and energy. Even though the production was in French, I understood every moment and couldn't help but laugh and leave with high spirits.
After wards we made a stroll through the rain back to the apartment stopping at Place Vendome and then snagged a couple branches from a bush near the Louvre to make our 'christmas tree', which we swiftly stuck in a empty wine bottle and decorated.
I am a rising senior at Sarah Lawrence College.
This blog is about my yearlong study abroad experience. I traveled to Italy, Switzerland, Czech Republic, France, England, Scotland, and The Netherlands. I studied at Accademia dell'Arte and Royal Holloway University of London.
