July 9th 2009:
Today started with me taking the Tube to Oxford Circus and running all the way back to our hotel like Forest Gump on a chocolate high. I'm still under the disillusionment that I will actually keep up my predetermined exercise plan and run every morning of the trip. We'll see how that turns out. I quickly and sweatily ate the continental breakfast and showered before my first classes in London.
In Professor Zusman's music class, we listened to Montverde and Purcell and analyzed both composer's techniques and works. In English we started talking about the 19th century novel, which included an introduction to the works of Jane Austin.
After class, we took the train to Picadilly Circus and walked to Oxford street for some more shopping. We went to this department store, Selfridges, and Ernie bought himself a fine pair of Pradsky sunglasses. I got myself some plaid red shorts and a matching skinny red plaid tie, so I was more than satisfied with our shopping experience there. I had to get back to the hotel to meet up with Andrew and Professor Zusman for a performance of "Dido and Aenaes".
We were supposed to meet up with Zusman at 6 pm in the lobby, but he was no where to be found. After waiting a long while for our teacher to show up, Andrew and I had little time before the start of the performance, so we cabbed it trying to scramble around and find St. Mark's Church, which was where the performance was being held. By the time we got to St. Mark's, we were ten minutes late to a performance that didn't even exist!
Apparently our lovely Proffé had mixed up the information and sent Andrew and I on a wild goose chase. Luckily we were close enough that we walked to the King's Cross/St. Pancres/Harry Potter Tube Station. We are slowly beginning to realize that one cannot live in this city without taking the tube at some point.
The two of us had failed to eat anything that day since breakfast, so our game plan was to take the train to the Waterloo station to get dinner. Little did we know that Waterloo was the busiest tube station in the city and right next to the river!
We weeded our way through the mess that was Waterloo and into the light of day. There to our right was the London Eye and the River Thames. As we walked by the London Eye, I was reminded of it's price of admission: "For 40 quid, I'm not doin' that shit." ((*** I never did get on the London Eye the entire trip.))
I was able to take the obligatory photo that makes it look like one is jerking Big Ben off!
We crossed the bridge and walked to the front of Parliament. We took pictures of Big Ben, the river, and Parliament House.
Then we walked by Westminster Abbey and nearby was this random statue of Abe Lincoln. We walked so far and were so hungry that by the time we reached Trafalgar Square, we were famished and delusional. It was nearly 9:30 at night by this time. Finally, we made our way into this cute little American-esque Italian restaurant and were able to eat away our hunger.
We never did get to see "Dido and Aenaes", but we sure did get to see a lot of London…all unexpectedly.
