Britain Study Abroad Spring 2008

http://s269.photobucket.com/albums/jj61/eyoun546/Scotland/

http://s269.photobucket.com/albums/jj61/eyoun546/Scotland%20Part%20II/

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Today I went back to Windsor Castle because I hadn't really explored the town or Eton much when I was there; I had really just visited the castle. So, I caught a train from Waterloo Station at about 900am and travelled for about an hour out there. When I arrived, I immediately noticed that the main street leading up the castle was blocked off, and decided to ask a police officer standing by what was up. He said that it was because tomorrow, the French President Sarkozy comes to visit on a State Visit. I went towards the castle more, and found that they were actually doing parade rehearsals down the street - complete with the Queen's band and lots of guards. Watching it was really interesting, and I got to meet this one lady from Arizona who was also watching the parade.
Afterwards, I walked around Eton College, which is across the river Thames from Windsor but just a 5 minute walk or so. This college is where Prince William and Prince Harry went to what we would call 'high school'. The entire village was really quiet because it must have been Easter Holiday that week.
After walking around the entire campus, including the chapel and visiting the Museum of Eton Life, I walked back to Windsor and browsed the shops a bit. Then I made me way BACK up the hill to the castle. It was kinda fun being around the castle, because there were SO many french people there for the visit. There were also a lot of press people going nuts, which I found a bit humourous.
The state rooms were closed in Windsor castle because of the state visit (but thats ok cuz I got in for free) but I did get to talk to one of the guards there. He said that the entire castle staff was going completely mad with cleaning. Carpets are being cleaned, furniture is being moved, and EVERYTHING is being dusted and polished. I remembered that there had been an entire room filled from floor to ceiling with weapons like swords and guns, (probably one thousands weapons in that room alone) and I asked him about that. He said that everything had to be taken down in that room and cleaned properly. It was crazy!
So, that's my story for the day~

http://s269.photobucket.com/albums/jj61/eyoun546/Windsor%20and%20Eton/

So, I just was looking through my blogs and realized that I never blogged about going to Stratford Upon Avon. It's a bit late, but better late than never.

I got up at like 7am, and we left for Stratford around 8am. On our way out, our tour guide Martin showed us some sights, including Wembley Stadium which is where my Chelsea Football Club was playing the Carling Cup Final that day. We got to Stratford around 1030, and its a little picturesque town that looks almost exactly like it would have when Shakespeare lived there - minus the high end shops on the main street. Me and a bunch of my friends decided to walk around a bit before our tour of Shakespeare's house started, so we walked down the road a bit. We grabbed a coffee, and then strolled down the road back to his house. On the way back, we saw this guy playing the accordian, and he was playing some song from Mary Poppins, and it was really cute! We toured the home, which was cool ,but not my favourite. But then we toured the town a bit more, and went to the chapel where he and his family is buried. We also ate lunch at the Rose and Crown which was and probably still is the greatest meal that I've ever had over here. I ate beef, pork, potatos, carrots, stuffing, bread, and even brocolli! I know, mom, you're really proud of me for eating my vegetables
My group also went to The Courtyard Theatre and saw Henry V be performed. It was good besides that fact that I still had a really bad cough from when I got sick right after Ireland, and had a coughing fit in the middle of the performance, but it was still good. Stratford was pretty cool, but it was REALLY touristy, so it wasn't necessarily my favourite place in the country.

http://s269.photobucket.com/albums/jj61/eyoun546/Stratford%20Upon%20Avon/

So, I went randomly to Stourhead Estate which is like 2 hours or so straight west of London. This is where they filmed part of Pride and Prejudice, and I kept telling my family that I would find where they filmed the proposal scene. So, I did... and I found some other pretty cool stuff too.

http://s269.photobucket.com/albums/jj61/eyoun546/Sourhead%20Estate/

10 March 2008

So, it's been exactly one month to the day when I went to the BAFTAs and met a whole bunch of celebrities. I think it's something about the 10th, cuz I also got to meet the members of one of my favourite bands, Panic at the Disco.

http://s269.photobucket.com/albums/jj61/eyoun546/Panic%20at%20the%20Disco%2010%20March%202008/