I chose mid-afternoon on my first full day as the time to break up my Paris post because mentally I have a divide there, as after the Orsay museum is when I started to finally get the hang of Paris and start to like the place. After touring the museum, I was definitely read for dinner, and so decided that, if trying to find a good place on my own was frustrating, I would use my brain and the technology of the 21st century and ask the internet (thank you Orsay Museum for the free wifi!). With a plan now in mind, I walked along the Seine towards le Marais for some Breton crêpes. Le Marais is an interesting neighbourhood, previously built on a marsh (as the name suggests). After being re-energized by some delicious buckwheat crêpes, I proceeded to stroll the neighbourhood, taking in the sites, smells, and macarons.
I also managed to revive my very efficient way of seeing the famous sites. Since I feel obliged to see famous things, but not necessarily interested, I basically just see them, take a photo, and keep going. This is what I did with Notre Dame while walking to the crêpes. After all, absent a particular interest in a certain site, it's not entirely pleasant to stand in a throng of tourists all trying to see the same small thing.
The next day, I had a more concrete plan. I started with the Luxembourg Gardens, having discovered my love for European gardens, and then went to Montparnasse Cemetery, which hosts many important thinkers, authors, etc. (though I was only able to find Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir's grave). From there, I headed to the Institut du Monde Arabe. This wound up being the only place where I paid to enter a museum-not because I had to, mind, but because I accidentally went to see the special exhibit on Osiris first, thinking you had to to get into the museum. This turned out not to be the case, but it was an interesting exhibit none-the-less. I had also learned my lesson from Versailles, and planned my trip to the IMA museum for the time of the day when I usually crash, so that I could be leisurely strolling through interesting exhibits rather than stuck in a crowd of tourists. At the end of the Museum, a staff member recommended heading up to the top floor's viewing deck, and sure enough there was a fantastic view of Paris.
I wasn't particularly interested in the main tourist sites other than to see them, and very much did not want to be stuck with the crowds paying too much for coke, so I had made the plan to sit down, enjoy a nice coffee at a café, and steel myself for an afternoon of efficiently and briskly walking by the main attractions. After reaching a zen-like state at a Quartier Latin coffeeshop, I braced myself and headed for the Eiffel Tower. Not going to lie, I was a little surprised at how much I liked it-it's an impressive structure (moreso from a distance, where it towers over much of the city). After about 5 minutes, I was rather done with that, and continued onwards to the Arc de Triomphe and then the Champs Elysées, in the direction of the Louvre. The Champs Elysées is, as promised, mostly filled with major international companies now (I certainly didn't come to France to go to H&M), although this has its advantages, if, like me, you're cheap enough to go into McDonald's solely to benefit from the 1€ drinks (I resisted the urge to buy a Royal with Cheese just for the Tarantino reference).
A friend had told me I wouldn't be able to do the Louvre in an evening-seeing as I'd been knocking museums out at a rate of several per day, I took this as a challenge. In truth, I walked through maybe 40% of it, and actually took in about 30% of what I saw. The scale is inhuman, and I can't help but think it would be better to split it up into smaller museums in different cities, to spread the tourist dollars just a bit (after all, Paris is hardly struggling to attract visitors). I did the Louvre the same way I do most museums-focusing on the things I was interested in, and only seeing the rest if I walked by. Yes, the Mona Lisa is impressive, and I saw it (though not up close, due to the throngs of tourists), but it's also not as though I don't know what it looks like, and so I felt my time to be better spent seeing the rest. It was also interesting to me what was and wasn't highlighted on their maps-the Hammurabi Code, the world's oldest legal code and the source of "an eye for an eye," was very unceremoniously just sitting in a room. This did have the distinct advantage of there being no tourists around it, making it actually approachable for an awestruck law student such as myself. By about an hour before closing, however, I had reached my limit of museums for this trip (though I saw everything I wanted to see), and left the Louvre to enjoy some more crêpes and walk through the Marais some more.
My last day in Paris was another long one-I left the hostel around 9 AM, but my bus didn't leave until 4:30 PM. My plan, which I followed well, was simply to walk and buy pastries all day. Crème Brûlée for breakfast, Opéra for slightly-after-breakfast, a nice noisette (hazelnut) coffee in the Quartier Latin for lunch, browsing through some bookstores and taking a snapshot of the Assemblée Nationale before tracking down a bottle of wine as a souvenir, and some brie and baguette to eat on the bus.
Overall, I liked Paris, although not at first. Chalk it up to a cold, bad planning, or simply the fact that Paris is a hard city to really get into, but I didn't think I liked it until I was there about 24 hours. When I came home, though, I realized that I really did love Paris, just not as a tourist city so much-I'd rather travel through the French countryside than join the masses wandering down the Champs Elysées. But I also think it would be a great place to live, since much of its most attractive features-the little bookshops, cute cafés, and bakeries- seemed better savoured over time rather than crammed into a few days. I was also didn't realize how nice it would be to be back in a place where I speak the language (being able to respond appropriately to cashiers is such an underrated pleasure), or how much easier that would make getting around. Unlike in Montréal, where my bizarre mix of accents is often taken as an excuse to just address me in English, it turned out to be true that Parisians love a good Canadian accent. I also definitely appreciated Paris as being an easy place to get back into the swing of travelling-remembering little things like taking a bottle around for water, taking breaks from attractions to actually eat, etc. Being in a place where I spoke the language, where the climate wasn't too much hotter than Maastricht, and where tourism is well developed (and thus infrastructure exists) really helped with that.
Monday, 21 September 2015
Paris Part I
Well, now that I'm back from two trips, it's time to get down to school work updating my blog with some of my adventures.
My decision to go to Paris was an important one for me: I'd been going back and forth and when and where to travel, and I had this sudden moment of "James, if you're going to travel at all, you need to shut up and do it. Otherwise, you'll spend the semester trying to decide." And so, I decided to shut up and pay €35 (about $50) for the bus to Paris, realizing I was being ridiculous.
The bus left around 8:30. Since I'd managed to get a flat tire on my bike (more on that in another post), I walked to the station. Usually this would be ok, but since I had had a cold for the past few days, getting up early did mean that I was still sick for my first day in Paris. Regardless, at 8:30 I was on a bus to the City of Light! The bus ride went through Liège and Brussels, both in Belgium, meaning that it took about twice as long as simply going directly, but I really didn't mind the drive, especially through the French countryside. As someone who loves the small details that change from country to country, I was amused to observe that Belgian highways have signs warning of deteriorated roadways (the government would go broke trying to put those up in most Canadian provinces). Belgium is also bilingual, but does it very differently than in New Brunswick: in Belgium, there's a French part (Wallonia), a Dutch Part (Flanders), and Brussels,the capital, which is bilingual (there are also German speaking areas, but they're within other regions). The signs are bilingual in Brussels, but not in Wallonia or Flanders; this is a little odd when you consider that the highway from Liege (French speaking) to Brussels goes back and forth between Wallonia and Flanders, sometimes for only a few KM at a time, and each time the signs change language. But it's hilarious when you consider that the places also have different names in the two languages, so the signs point to Liege, then Luik (the Dutch name for Liege), then back to Liege, as you weave between the two regions.
Anyway, on to France, where we arrived in Paris at about 3:00 PM. I went straight to my hostel, which turned out to be far outside of the city (for those who know the area, I was outside the Périphérique, technically in the City of Pantin, near the 19e). After checking in, I decided to go for a walk, which brought me through the 10th district and along the St Martin Canal, where I stopped with a sandwich I'd picked up. I was still feeling defeated by my cold, however, and so by the time I arrived at Place de la République, I was fairly concerned I was going to vomit all over some important French national monument, and so I went back to the hostel to sleep.
The next day, I was up early (thanks to my hostel roommates being loud) and was out at about 8 AM or so. This was actually perfect, as it gave me time to make it out to Versailles quickly. Even though it's not high tourist season, Paris is still a major destination, and getting to places early is advised. I had been wondering whether I would be permitted free entry-EU residents under 26 are allowed in free to most Paris attractions, but seeing as our Dutch residence permits didn't arrive yet, I didn't exactly have convincing proof of this. It really helped that I spoke French, as I was able to explain that I only have a student card to prove it, and sure enough was granted entry for free to this and all other museums where it was offered. This also meant I skipped the ticket-purchasing line, saving a lot of time.
For those who don't know, Versailles was the French royal palace and, as such, was massive and opulent. Room after room was beautifully decorated and filled with portraits and fancy furnishings. The Chateau itself was of course great to see, albeit crowded (I can't imagine at the height of tourist season). Leaving the building itself, one then enters the massive grounds surrounding it. Thankfully, the gardens were large enough to absorb the number of tourists, and I often found myself wandering completely alone. This is where I learned that it turns out that I love European gardens, both for the opportunity to add a bit of nature to my city-trip, but also for the amazing smells of the flowers. I spent a good chunk of time wandering (only some of it due to being lost), before making it to the Trianon, a smaller palace on the far end of the gardens, and then proceeding to the Queen's Hamlet, before exiting the site.
Having had a well-planned and smooth morning, this was of course where my day started going a little sideways. I planned next to walk to Versailles-Rive Gauche station and take a train to Montparnasse. Instead, I walked to Versailles-Rive Droite and asked for a train to Montmartre. After getting on board and looking at the map, I realized I was not going where I intended, and wound up in the centre of Paris. I ended up wandering around, wondering why I was in such a bad mood, until I realized that I also hadn't eaten since breakfast. For those who've never been to Paris, you simply don't want to eat in the city centre-combos that cost €5.90 elsewhere were at about €9.90, and I saw menus that had a glass of Coke for €5.50.
While wandering looking for reasonably priced food, I made the decision to spend a few hours in the Orsay Museum. This was also free, and, unlike the horror stories I've read from high tourist season, took mere minutes to get a ticket. The museum is in a former railway station, which itself is impressive, and hosts an array of beautiful artwork that even an uninitiated person such as myself could appreciate. I was also highly amused to note that there was a ban on selfie sticks on the inside.
My decision to go to Paris was an important one for me: I'd been going back and forth and when and where to travel, and I had this sudden moment of "James, if you're going to travel at all, you need to shut up and do it. Otherwise, you'll spend the semester trying to decide." And so, I decided to shut up and pay €35 (about $50) for the bus to Paris, realizing I was being ridiculous.
The bus left around 8:30. Since I'd managed to get a flat tire on my bike (more on that in another post), I walked to the station. Usually this would be ok, but since I had had a cold for the past few days, getting up early did mean that I was still sick for my first day in Paris. Regardless, at 8:30 I was on a bus to the City of Light! The bus ride went through Liège and Brussels, both in Belgium, meaning that it took about twice as long as simply going directly, but I really didn't mind the drive, especially through the French countryside. As someone who loves the small details that change from country to country, I was amused to observe that Belgian highways have signs warning of deteriorated roadways (the government would go broke trying to put those up in most Canadian provinces). Belgium is also bilingual, but does it very differently than in New Brunswick: in Belgium, there's a French part (Wallonia), a Dutch Part (Flanders), and Brussels,the capital, which is bilingual (there are also German speaking areas, but they're within other regions). The signs are bilingual in Brussels, but not in Wallonia or Flanders; this is a little odd when you consider that the highway from Liege (French speaking) to Brussels goes back and forth between Wallonia and Flanders, sometimes for only a few KM at a time, and each time the signs change language. But it's hilarious when you consider that the places also have different names in the two languages, so the signs point to Liege, then Luik (the Dutch name for Liege), then back to Liege, as you weave between the two regions.
Anyway, on to France, where we arrived in Paris at about 3:00 PM. I went straight to my hostel, which turned out to be far outside of the city (for those who know the area, I was outside the Périphérique, technically in the City of Pantin, near the 19e). After checking in, I decided to go for a walk, which brought me through the 10th district and along the St Martin Canal, where I stopped with a sandwich I'd picked up. I was still feeling defeated by my cold, however, and so by the time I arrived at Place de la République, I was fairly concerned I was going to vomit all over some important French national monument, and so I went back to the hostel to sleep.
The next day, I was up early (thanks to my hostel roommates being loud) and was out at about 8 AM or so. This was actually perfect, as it gave me time to make it out to Versailles quickly. Even though it's not high tourist season, Paris is still a major destination, and getting to places early is advised. I had been wondering whether I would be permitted free entry-EU residents under 26 are allowed in free to most Paris attractions, but seeing as our Dutch residence permits didn't arrive yet, I didn't exactly have convincing proof of this. It really helped that I spoke French, as I was able to explain that I only have a student card to prove it, and sure enough was granted entry for free to this and all other museums where it was offered. This also meant I skipped the ticket-purchasing line, saving a lot of time.
For those who don't know, Versailles was the French royal palace and, as such, was massive and opulent. Room after room was beautifully decorated and filled with portraits and fancy furnishings. The Chateau itself was of course great to see, albeit crowded (I can't imagine at the height of tourist season). Leaving the building itself, one then enters the massive grounds surrounding it. Thankfully, the gardens were large enough to absorb the number of tourists, and I often found myself wandering completely alone. This is where I learned that it turns out that I love European gardens, both for the opportunity to add a bit of nature to my city-trip, but also for the amazing smells of the flowers. I spent a good chunk of time wandering (only some of it due to being lost), before making it to the Trianon, a smaller palace on the far end of the gardens, and then proceeding to the Queen's Hamlet, before exiting the site.
Having had a well-planned and smooth morning, this was of course where my day started going a little sideways. I planned next to walk to Versailles-Rive Gauche station and take a train to Montparnasse. Instead, I walked to Versailles-Rive Droite and asked for a train to Montmartre. After getting on board and looking at the map, I realized I was not going where I intended, and wound up in the centre of Paris. I ended up wandering around, wondering why I was in such a bad mood, until I realized that I also hadn't eaten since breakfast. For those who've never been to Paris, you simply don't want to eat in the city centre-combos that cost €5.90 elsewhere were at about €9.90, and I saw menus that had a glass of Coke for €5.50.
While wandering looking for reasonably priced food, I made the decision to spend a few hours in the Orsay Museum. This was also free, and, unlike the horror stories I've read from high tourist season, took mere minutes to get a ticket. The museum is in a former railway station, which itself is impressive, and hosts an array of beautiful artwork that even an uninitiated person such as myself could appreciate. I was also highly amused to note that there was a ban on selfie sticks on the inside.
Monday, 7 September 2015
Cars that yield to bikes in a round-about? What is this place!? Or, List of Observations of the Netherlands #1
Howdy folks!
I figured that, seeing asit's rainy out and I don't want to do any school work yet I've been here for almost two weeks (!), it's time to make a first list of things I've seen here that are different from home. Now, of course, because Maastricht is my only experience with Europe so far, this list is going to include things that are unique to Maastricht, UniMaas, Limburg, the Netherlands, Europe, etc. without me really knowing the differences in most cases. That is, of course, one the risks in writing about a culture from the point of view of an outsider. That said, let the first list begin!
1.Bikes are everywhere: Yes, I know it's cliché to point out how many bikes are in the Netherlands, but it's cliché for a reason. Circling around looking for parking is nothing new to me; circling around looking for a spot to park my bike is. Almost all Dutch roads are divided into three parts: in the middle, you have the cars, on the edges (usually marked with a different coloured pavement and often with a cement barrier) you have the bikes, and then of course are the sidewalks at the very end. As the title of this post eludes to, this applies even in the ever-present traffic circles. Now, if you followed my explanation of lane-placement, you probably already realized that, in a traffic circle, bikes are on the outside lane, requiring all motorized vehicles to cross bike traffic to exit. Whereas in Montréal this would result in utter chaos and mass casualties, in Maastricht even busses wait (patiently, it would seem, though I may learn that's not so true as my Dutch improves) for cyclists to be out of the way before turning.
2. Students at UniMaas don't raise their hands to speak in class (something this mild-mannered Canadian may never adapt to) and clap at the end of every lecture.
3. You can't chose your own PIN code for Dutch bank accounts. Apparently this is estimated to reduce debit card fraud by around 30%.
4.This country really seems to like plants. Beyond the mass amounts of greenery outdoors, there are a large number of flower shops, including at train stations (so much so that the national railway website lists florists alongside ATM's and washrooms as amenities in train stations). Even the low budget grocery store across the street from me (for reference purposes for Montrealers, I'm talking about a grocery store that makes PA look fancy) has plants.
5. Line-ups don't really happen at the bank here. Either you take a number, or, when they're not busy, the number machine simply instructs you to sit down on the big round sofas. Somehow, the staff are able to make sure people are served in order.
I figured that, seeing as
1.Bikes are everywhere: Yes, I know it's cliché to point out how many bikes are in the Netherlands, but it's cliché for a reason. Circling around looking for parking is nothing new to me; circling around looking for a spot to park my bike is. Almost all Dutch roads are divided into three parts: in the middle, you have the cars, on the edges (usually marked with a different coloured pavement and often with a cement barrier) you have the bikes, and then of course are the sidewalks at the very end. As the title of this post eludes to, this applies even in the ever-present traffic circles. Now, if you followed my explanation of lane-placement, you probably already realized that, in a traffic circle, bikes are on the outside lane, requiring all motorized vehicles to cross bike traffic to exit. Whereas in Montréal this would result in utter chaos and mass casualties, in Maastricht even busses wait (patiently, it would seem, though I may learn that's not so true as my Dutch improves) for cyclists to be out of the way before turning.
2. Students at UniMaas don't raise their hands to speak in class (something this mild-mannered Canadian may never adapt to) and clap at the end of every lecture.
3. You can't chose your own PIN code for Dutch bank accounts. Apparently this is estimated to reduce debit card fraud by around 30%.
4.This country really seems to like plants. Beyond the mass amounts of greenery outdoors, there are a large number of flower shops, including at train stations (so much so that the national railway website lists florists alongside ATM's and washrooms as amenities in train stations). Even the low budget grocery store across the street from me (for reference purposes for Montrealers, I'm talking about a grocery store that makes PA look fancy) has plants.
5. Line-ups don't really happen at the bank here. Either you take a number, or, when they're not busy, the number machine simply instructs you to sit down on the big round sofas. Somehow, the staff are able to make sure people are served in order.
Friday, 4 September 2015
First week of classes? Check!
I figured that it would be a good idea to write a post after having been here for a full week. Having been too lazy to so on time (since I've been here a week and a half now), I'm instead opting for writing a post after finishing the first week of classes.
As can be expected, a lot of the last week has involved running around and getting little things done. Opening a Dutch bank account. Finding classrooms. Having fingerprints taken for my Residence Permit. Walking into the kitchen to cook, realizing I'm missing half the things I need, and walking to the grocery store. That sort of thing. In and amongst that, there've been a few ISN (International Students' Network) events thrown in, adventures to different places around the city, and, yes, even the occasional moment or two of studying.
After where my last blog post left off, we had the official introduction day to the Law Faculty on Thursday. My roommates who are in SBE (The School of Business and Economics, which has over 400 exchange students out of a total of 700 some) had two full days of orientation, but, contrary to what I've come to expect, the law school kept it short and sweet. We had an introduction from the Dean, followed by a tour around Maas (in the rain), followed by dinner (and drinks). Later that evening, ISN hosted a pub crawl, which essentially consisted of waiting in long lines to enter small bars and then leave again quickly because it was too crowded. Thursday was also the day I bought my bike (more on that later). On Saturday, I went to a Dutch Dinner hosted by ISN. The dinner consisted of sausage, chicken, three different types of mashed potatoes, and sauerkraut, and we followed it up with some waffles. The rest of the week was spent on the aforementioned running around, as well as my first tutorial and first lecture (I'll write more about Maastricht's particular form of teaching, PBL, in a few weeks).
So how are things going? So far, so good. Maastricht is a beautiful, old city, and I'm still waiting for the day I manage to walk somewhere without stopping to take photos (I'm basically starting to overtake Google Street View at this point). It's quite interesting to me how the historical parts of the city are just that-part of the city, rather than preserved museum-style as we tend to do in Canada. Cafés line the squares, ancient bridges are still in use, and numerous old churches have been converted into everything from hotels to archives to a bookstore with a coffeeshop. I've also been quite impressed with the exchange student community so far, everyone is really friendly but also quite engaged and enthusiastic about being in the Netherlands.
As far as activities, that's really it so far. Keep an eye out for another blog post that will talk more about the observations I've made about life here so far, which will be writtenwhen I get around to it very soon.
As can be expected, a lot of the last week has involved running around and getting little things done. Opening a Dutch bank account. Finding classrooms. Having fingerprints taken for my Residence Permit. Walking into the kitchen to cook, realizing I'm missing half the things I need, and walking to the grocery store. That sort of thing. In and amongst that, there've been a few ISN (International Students' Network) events thrown in, adventures to different places around the city, and, yes, even the occasional moment or two of studying.
After where my last blog post left off, we had the official introduction day to the Law Faculty on Thursday. My roommates who are in SBE (The School of Business and Economics, which has over 400 exchange students out of a total of 700 some) had two full days of orientation, but, contrary to what I've come to expect, the law school kept it short and sweet. We had an introduction from the Dean, followed by a tour around Maas (in the rain), followed by dinner (and drinks). Later that evening, ISN hosted a pub crawl, which essentially consisted of waiting in long lines to enter small bars and then leave again quickly because it was too crowded. Thursday was also the day I bought my bike (more on that later). On Saturday, I went to a Dutch Dinner hosted by ISN. The dinner consisted of sausage, chicken, three different types of mashed potatoes, and sauerkraut, and we followed it up with some waffles. The rest of the week was spent on the aforementioned running around, as well as my first tutorial and first lecture (I'll write more about Maastricht's particular form of teaching, PBL, in a few weeks).
So how are things going? So far, so good. Maastricht is a beautiful, old city, and I'm still waiting for the day I manage to walk somewhere without stopping to take photos (I'm basically starting to overtake Google Street View at this point). It's quite interesting to me how the historical parts of the city are just that-part of the city, rather than preserved museum-style as we tend to do in Canada. Cafés line the squares, ancient bridges are still in use, and numerous old churches have been converted into everything from hotels to archives to a bookstore with a coffeeshop. I've also been quite impressed with the exchange student community so far, everyone is really friendly but also quite engaged and enthusiastic about being in the Netherlands.
As far as activities, that's really it so far. Keep an eye out for another blog post that will talk more about the observations I've made about life here so far, which will be written
Wednesday, 26 August 2015
London: The Finale
My final day in London started with yet another Full English. This time, I was joined by Richard, and we managed to actually find the greasy spoon I had been recommended. Today's breakfast turned out to be better than the one the day before, although one thing I appreciated both times was that the meal essentially took care of the need to eat until about 6 PM (perfect for a day of sightseeing).
The big attraction of the day was to see the British Library's exhibition celebrating the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta. While the exhibit promised to really be quite something, I assumed that there wouldn't be that many people there-and boy, was I wrong. Reading the panels morphed seamlessly with a queue, slowing one's progress through the exhibit (though perhaps also forcing one to really consider the artefacts, and allowing the time to read everything). The whole exhibit took a lot longer than I expected-2:30 hours; nearly every minute, however, was riveting. The Magna Carta has a fascinating history, not just for what it is, but for what the very idea of it (and often a misconception at that) has inspired in others. The exhibit was also impressive in its thoroughness- in addition to two of the four known original copies being on display, we were treated to numerous accounts of the different personalities involved, reactions, and how it was used over the years. Original copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, as well as displays covering human rights history post-Magna Carta really rounded out the exhibition.
After the Library, Richard had to head on his way, and I was on my own until dinner. I had a hard time deciding what to do, and nearly went to the Greenwich observatory before deciding that I didn't want to have to come back from there during rush hour. Instead, I went to take a look at the Tower of London (actually a castle), and sat outside in the torrential downpour, eating fish and chips.
I then headed back to Harrods. On the outside, Harrods resembles a giant version of the Bay store on Ste Catherine Street in Montreal. On the inside, it consists of several floors containing a variety of departments selling some of the most expensive and luxurious items you care to see. I saw everything from Audrey Hepburn's signature (for sale) to £29 000 watches.
My last tourist attraction was Hyde Park, a giant green park, which contains both the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, and Speaker's Corner, amongst other thing. The park actually turned out to be quite a bit larger than I expected, and provides for a lovely green space in the city (though it doesn't have quite that abrupt feeling created by Central Park, since London is nowhere near as high rise as Manhattan).
My final night in London ended by meeting Andrew at Piccadilly Circus for dinner in nearby Chinatown, a nod to the fact that we met in Hong Kong. After dinner, it was back to the hostel to pack and sleep before heading out in the morning.
Overall, my impression of London was very positive. The City is extremely walkable, with attractions nearby to one another. There's a lot of greenery for such a large city, not just the impressive parks but also trees along many of the streets. People were quite friendly, and the city has a multicultural vibe, including a large number of tourists. When I first arrived, Max said he thought he could see me living there, and I certainly could as well. I was a little taken aback at how busy I found the city-it could be the effect of arriving directly from Fredericton, but it even seemed more packed than Hong Kong, particularly at any and all tourist attractions. Prices are also, of course, sky high for a North American (as a Canadian, we double the prices to get our dollar), but these things do little to detract from a great city, at least in my opinion.
The big attraction of the day was to see the British Library's exhibition celebrating the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta. While the exhibit promised to really be quite something, I assumed that there wouldn't be that many people there-and boy, was I wrong. Reading the panels morphed seamlessly with a queue, slowing one's progress through the exhibit (though perhaps also forcing one to really consider the artefacts, and allowing the time to read everything). The whole exhibit took a lot longer than I expected-2:30 hours; nearly every minute, however, was riveting. The Magna Carta has a fascinating history, not just for what it is, but for what the very idea of it (and often a misconception at that) has inspired in others. The exhibit was also impressive in its thoroughness- in addition to two of the four known original copies being on display, we were treated to numerous accounts of the different personalities involved, reactions, and how it was used over the years. Original copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, as well as displays covering human rights history post-Magna Carta really rounded out the exhibition.
After the Library, Richard had to head on his way, and I was on my own until dinner. I had a hard time deciding what to do, and nearly went to the Greenwich observatory before deciding that I didn't want to have to come back from there during rush hour. Instead, I went to take a look at the Tower of London (actually a castle), and sat outside in the torrential downpour, eating fish and chips.
I then headed back to Harrods. On the outside, Harrods resembles a giant version of the Bay store on Ste Catherine Street in Montreal. On the inside, it consists of several floors containing a variety of departments selling some of the most expensive and luxurious items you care to see. I saw everything from Audrey Hepburn's signature (for sale) to £29 000 watches.
My last tourist attraction was Hyde Park, a giant green park, which contains both the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, and Speaker's Corner, amongst other thing. The park actually turned out to be quite a bit larger than I expected, and provides for a lovely green space in the city (though it doesn't have quite that abrupt feeling created by Central Park, since London is nowhere near as high rise as Manhattan).
My final night in London ended by meeting Andrew at Piccadilly Circus for dinner in nearby Chinatown, a nod to the fact that we met in Hong Kong. After dinner, it was back to the hostel to pack and sleep before heading out in the morning.
Overall, my impression of London was very positive. The City is extremely walkable, with attractions nearby to one another. There's a lot of greenery for such a large city, not just the impressive parks but also trees along many of the streets. People were quite friendly, and the city has a multicultural vibe, including a large number of tourists. When I first arrived, Max said he thought he could see me living there, and I certainly could as well. I was a little taken aback at how busy I found the city-it could be the effect of arriving directly from Fredericton, but it even seemed more packed than Hong Kong, particularly at any and all tourist attractions. Prices are also, of course, sky high for a North American (as a Canadian, we double the prices to get our dollar), but these things do little to detract from a great city, at least in my opinion.
London: Part II
My busy first day in London ended with me falling asleep at 9:30. Upon waking, I noticed two things
1) It was 4:30 AM, but, having slept 7 hours, I just was not getting back to sleep
2)My legs were in some pretty major pain
Now, number 2 is actually surprising. I walk everywhere, always, and a lot. I can't recall ever having walked enough to put me in the kind of pain I was in in London (eventually I was limping), so I think that's a testament not only to how much I did, but how many things there are to see in London.
Seeing as I wouldn't be getting back to sleep, I decided to head down to watch the sunrise over parliament. The Tube was closed, so I had to take a bus which, to my delight as a law student, turned out to be the Clapham Omnibus! (For those who aren't familiar, the "Man on the Clapham Omnibus"is used often as an example of the "reasonable man" in the law. It's kind of one of those things you have to understand to laugh at). I got off the bus at Westminister Abbey and discovered something pretty amazing-contrary to the massive crowds I had seen a little more than twelve hours prior, there was essentially nobody at the Abbey, Parliament, Big Ben, or on the bridges. I took full advantage, snapping selfies, before walking back up to Trafalgar Square. Given that I was out just when the Saturday night revellers were calling it a day, the streets around Trafalgar Square were a bit of a mess with bottles and trash strewn about-it was quite disappointing, really, to see that some people felt Nelson's Monument an appropriate place to leave their empties. The leg pain kicking back in, I took the bus back to my hostel and rested a few hours.
I stayed back in my room until the time of day when places would start opening, and headed back out to look for a classic "full English breakfast". Although Max had recommended a place the day before, I had some trouble finding it. I eventually opted for a place that, while not the one recommended, looked ok. The Full English, for those who don't know, is a sort of classic breakfast, consisting, depending on where, of ham, beans, mushrooms, tomato, eggs, toast, sausage, and sometimes blood pudding. After leaving breakfast, I of course promptly walked past the place I had been searching for for an hour....
Next on my agenda was to meet Richard at the British Museum. After some confusion as to what "meet out front" means at a place with two entrances, I met up with my Canadian compatriot, and we tackled the massive museum. The British Museum has amazing treasures from all over the world. Unfortunately, to some extent, it becomes almost mundane in its vastness- while trying to find your way around, you're invariably passing hundreds of years worth of invaluable artifacts and fascinating history, without even realizing it. The nice thing about this was that exhibits also featured items and cultures we hear about less. The history of clocks was covered, for example, and I learned a lot about Ancient Cyprus. To me, as someone fascinated by language, the biggest draw in the Museum was the Rosetta Stone-no, not the computer program! The Rosetta Stone was a (large) trilingual carving whose discovery made it possible to begin cracking the code on translating hieroglyphics.
The Museum was, of course, packed, and the Rosetta Stone thronged with people essentially at all times (though it was still awe inspiring). After checking out some of the beautiful large-scale artifacts (all of which satisfied both of my criteria for picture taking-big and old), and ducking into the gift shop (which, amongst other things, sold a variety of rubber duckies dressed in different period gear), we headed out. Originally, we were in search of fish and chips for lunch, but we eventually abandoned that search in favour of chowing down on the goodies I had bought at the supermarket. We then headed to Harrod's, one of the world's most prestigious, and pricey, shops (more on Harrods in London Part III).
At 6:30, we had tickets to see Richard II performed at Shakespeare's Globe, a recreation (as faithfully as possible) of the original theatre in which Shakespeare's plays were performed, near to the original site. We got a little lost on the way, but made it just after the opening. Now, I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting to like this-it seemed like something that would make a good memory, and my friend wanted to go, but I really expected to be miserable. But, aside from standing for 2:40 (since we had standing tickets-sitting ones are sold as well), the play was really quite something (and a lot easier to follow along than expected, something aided quite a bit by a digital display showing the lyrics).
After the play, we had big plans to grab fish and chips, and then go out to a pub. Those plans, however, quickly morphed into getting dinner of the 99P menu at McDonald's and going for a walk through an empty Soho, as we discovered that London is night a late-night-Sunday kind of town.
1) It was 4:30 AM, but, having slept 7 hours, I just was not getting back to sleep
2)My legs were in some pretty major pain
Now, number 2 is actually surprising. I walk everywhere, always, and a lot. I can't recall ever having walked enough to put me in the kind of pain I was in in London (eventually I was limping), so I think that's a testament not only to how much I did, but how many things there are to see in London.
Seeing as I wouldn't be getting back to sleep, I decided to head down to watch the sunrise over parliament. The Tube was closed, so I had to take a bus which, to my delight as a law student, turned out to be the Clapham Omnibus! (For those who aren't familiar, the "Man on the Clapham Omnibus"is used often as an example of the "reasonable man" in the law. It's kind of one of those things you have to understand to laugh at). I got off the bus at Westminister Abbey and discovered something pretty amazing-contrary to the massive crowds I had seen a little more than twelve hours prior, there was essentially nobody at the Abbey, Parliament, Big Ben, or on the bridges. I took full advantage, snapping selfies, before walking back up to Trafalgar Square. Given that I was out just when the Saturday night revellers were calling it a day, the streets around Trafalgar Square were a bit of a mess with bottles and trash strewn about-it was quite disappointing, really, to see that some people felt Nelson's Monument an appropriate place to leave their empties. The leg pain kicking back in, I took the bus back to my hostel and rested a few hours.
I stayed back in my room until the time of day when places would start opening, and headed back out to look for a classic "full English breakfast". Although Max had recommended a place the day before, I had some trouble finding it. I eventually opted for a place that, while not the one recommended, looked ok. The Full English, for those who don't know, is a sort of classic breakfast, consisting, depending on where, of ham, beans, mushrooms, tomato, eggs, toast, sausage, and sometimes blood pudding. After leaving breakfast, I of course promptly walked past the place I had been searching for for an hour....
Next on my agenda was to meet Richard at the British Museum. After some confusion as to what "meet out front" means at a place with two entrances, I met up with my Canadian compatriot, and we tackled the massive museum. The British Museum has amazing treasures from all over the world. Unfortunately, to some extent, it becomes almost mundane in its vastness- while trying to find your way around, you're invariably passing hundreds of years worth of invaluable artifacts and fascinating history, without even realizing it. The nice thing about this was that exhibits also featured items and cultures we hear about less. The history of clocks was covered, for example, and I learned a lot about Ancient Cyprus. To me, as someone fascinated by language, the biggest draw in the Museum was the Rosetta Stone-no, not the computer program! The Rosetta Stone was a (large) trilingual carving whose discovery made it possible to begin cracking the code on translating hieroglyphics.
The Museum was, of course, packed, and the Rosetta Stone thronged with people essentially at all times (though it was still awe inspiring). After checking out some of the beautiful large-scale artifacts (all of which satisfied both of my criteria for picture taking-big and old), and ducking into the gift shop (which, amongst other things, sold a variety of rubber duckies dressed in different period gear), we headed out. Originally, we were in search of fish and chips for lunch, but we eventually abandoned that search in favour of chowing down on the goodies I had bought at the supermarket. We then headed to Harrod's, one of the world's most prestigious, and pricey, shops (more on Harrods in London Part III).
At 6:30, we had tickets to see Richard II performed at Shakespeare's Globe, a recreation (as faithfully as possible) of the original theatre in which Shakespeare's plays were performed, near to the original site. We got a little lost on the way, but made it just after the opening. Now, I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting to like this-it seemed like something that would make a good memory, and my friend wanted to go, but I really expected to be miserable. But, aside from standing for 2:40 (since we had standing tickets-sitting ones are sold as well), the play was really quite something (and a lot easier to follow along than expected, something aided quite a bit by a digital display showing the lyrics).
After the play, we had big plans to grab fish and chips, and then go out to a pub. Those plans, however, quickly morphed into getting dinner of the 99P menu at McDonald's and going for a walk through an empty Soho, as we discovered that London is night a late-night-Sunday kind of town.
Westminster Abbey at sunrise
The sunrise over Big Ben
My first "Full English"
The British Museum
London! Part I
As most people know, exchanges aren't only about seeing the city you will be studying in (although Maastricht is worth the trip on its own), but also about getting the chance to travel. With that in mind, I decided to spend a few days in London prior to heading to Maas-a decision made all the more justifiable by the need to fly to a major international airport and then take the train to Maastricht anyway. After discovering that the only options were red-eye flights, I decided to leave the same day I finished work, so that I wouldn't be wasting any time, since I would only have three days in London anyway.
My flight began on, essentially, an oversized tin can that took me from Fredericton to Halifax. From there, we left at midnight and touched down in London at 9:35-a full 35 minutes early, and this, even after being put in a holding pattern (which offered great views of the city) because we were so early. After making my way through customs, and playing games with some elevators that just did not want to take us to our floor, I took the Tube and headed into the city to meet up with some good friends from my Hong Kong days. Taking the Tube with luggage wasn't fun, but it was no more unpleasant than doing so in Montréal. The journey into the city probably took around 40 minutes, and after arriving at Holborn station, I was met by Max, who graciously let me leave my bags in his car while we headed out.
Whilst waiting for our third friend, Andrew, to join us, Max took me on a quick walking tour of the area. I was really surprised how compact that part of London is, and how concentrated the mains sites are. We had to stop in the middle of many casual conversations so I could take pictures of things like Nelson's Monument, or Big Ben. After walking down to the Thames, we headed back to a pub where we met up with Andrew (and some cold beer). As a Canadian, I was pretty excited to dig into some pub fare for my first lunch in London, and so went right for the pie of the day-turkey and ham-since it was the most stereotypical English pub food I could think of.
Lunch was followed by gelato, and then by checking into my hostel (which was actually a UCL dormitory), after which Max had to part ways with us, leaving me and Andrew to explore the city. And explore we did: the BBC Building, Piccadilly Circus, Westminster Abbey, Downing Street, Parliament and Big Ben, then over the Thames and back again. Once back across the bridge, we realized that we missed Buckingham Palace, and so we headed in that direction, before wandering the neighbourhood in search of a cold drink, and accidentally ending up at London's main Catholic Church, the Westminster Cathedral. Finally, we took our newly found cold drinks over to Green Park, just next to the Palace, and relaxed under the Park's giant trees, catching up on four years since we'd last seen each other (and enjoying a lovely London summer evening).
Once the sun started to set (and once my brain started to realize I had just walked several kilometres in the heat on zero sleep), we decided it was best to head home. As we parted ways in the station, Andrew asked if I was sure I could find my way back to my room, to which I responded "of course". Which, it turns out, was a complete lie. I probably spent around an hour walking in circles (which, the next day, I would realize had taken me very close to the dorm about 5 times) before finding my way back.
Having only had one meal that day, there was one last thing to do: head out to a grocery store. I tracked down a Sainsbury's nearby, and quickly got to playing one of my favourite travel games: buy all the things you don't recognize. Now, it's true that I cheated a little bit, since I had actually seen many of these items (York Chocolate Bars, Whisps, Minstrels, etc.) at import candy stores, or at Pete's Froutique (a store in Halifax and Saint John), but I still wound up with about £9 of mostly candy.
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