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| An evening view of the Thames |
I feel happiest whenever I am going somewhere. I mean this in utterly every sense. It's as though I need to feel like I am in motion in order to feel satisfied with where I am, or even where I'm going. As long as there's a destination waiting for me at the other end I can almost feel the back beat of life, unheard, keeping me dancing along. These last few days I gave in to the desire to get away for a weekend, albeit one that I probably couldn't afford, and I took a trip with some girlfriends, leaving behind my quaint little city of York and exchanging it for the excitement of London for a few crazy days and nights.
The trip started early in the morning on Friday, and I got back just in time (within minutes) for a choir rehearsal Monday night (prepping for an upcoming concert of Handel's 'Solomon' at York Minster later this week!). I didn't sleep the night before we left, feeling so excited to get up and go. I met my friends just after 6 am, and we made our way to the Megabus stop in city centre, backpacks and sleeping bags in tow. Before I go too far I first need to take a moment to celebrate the fact that I can get to London for £9...Arriving there, surviving a weekend there, etc...is an entirely different story, but still! £9 to get to London! I hope it never stops thrilling me that London is a relatively short, inexpensive hop on the bus/train away. I was determined to sleep, but I managed to keep my eyes open long enough to watch some sheep safely grazing along the way. I also noted a Yorkshire Tea truck delivering tea to a shop, as well as an "unusally-sized load" truck carrying an ancient steam engine on its back. I am more accustomed to cheap mobile homes being carried atop/behind trucks like these, so to see a giant steam engine was sort of amazing. Germa and I shared a good "did you just see that?!" look (one of many throughout the weekend) as we passed by on the highway. It's small things like these that remind you you're not in America any more. You notice a woman putting on fluorescent pink nail polish on the train, but then just as you realize you've probably been staring too long and too noticeably, a man pushing a trolley of sweets, teas, cakes, and biscuits blocks your view while collecting a pound or two and repeatedly singing out a chorus of "cheers" to/with his happy customers until he pushes on to the next carriage. But not until he's paused there long enough to remind you where in the world you are. And when the trolley driver has finally moved along, the woman with the nail polish has put the bottle away, and it's time to look out the window, beyond the confines of this fast-moving train to the alien world outside where every bit of shifting landscape seems drastically different from the scenery that comes next. What's great, really, is that none of this even matters because - Next Stop: London!
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| Platform 9 3/4...heading to Hogwarts, or something like it |
When I stepped out of the train I was standing in St. Pancras Station, right next to King's Cross, so after hugs had been bestowed upon our friend, Hannah, who had come to meet us/pick us up there, I suggested we run over and start things out right, with some photo ops at the makeshift platform 9 and 3/4. It was such a fun, silly way to start out our weekend, and the day only got better from there.
We headed back to Hannah's place, which turned out to be an amazing little flat within Guildhall School of Music and Drama's housing, in the Barbakan...this is also the place the London Symphony Orchestra calls home (squeal!). It struck me as we walked through the gates of this Guildhall accommodation to drop off our sleeping bags, etc...that I really am living the life, perhaps accidentally, that I've always wondered at. I've read books and books about the music industry, since I was very young, about the harsh world, about 'making it,' about not 'making it.' My library is packed with books like 'Mozart in the Jungle,' and other memoirs of disillusionment from within the classical musical world, but even as I've read these insider stories about the out of control orgy of sex, drugs, and seemingly inevitable diminished appreciation for music that comes with the career I'm pursuing, I've still been determined to be the exception and cling on to what makes this whole classical music world so intriguing and appealing to me. I looked in front, beside, and behind me, and felt a bit overcome, realizing that I was walking into that flat with three gifted string players from Rollins, Peabody, and Guildhall, who also happen to be my friends now. And it dawned on me in a way that never has before that I'm in the 'scene' that I've sort of lusted after forever. These incredible people who I get to make weekend escapes with are just a few of the people I'm blessed to call lifelong friends. But they also belong to the group of my friends and acquaintances, most of whom are in the best music conservatories, colleges, and universities around the world. To get to be a part of that network is unbelievable. I write these blogs, in part, because I'm trying to keep track, and trying to keep some sort of a hold of this crazy reality that gets more impossible to turn away from every day. It's such an addicting life, and it's just so cool (for lack of a better term)! It was amazing, though sometimes maddening, to wake up to singers, organists, and pianists warming up in the practice rooms below my dorm rooms at Westminster, and now that I'm over here it is so COOL to have a place to crash in London where I get to wake up in the morning (or afternoon...) to some of the best up and coming musicians - violinists and jazz trumpeters to be specific - warming up in their bedrooms next door. I'm not blind to the realities of this industry, including the sex appeal that comes with its somewhat incestuous quality, being a relatively (actually) small community, but I'm also really beginning to feel glad to be a part of the generation I'm in. I used to spend a lot of energy wishing I could just skip over this time of becoming and jump ahead to the being, but I'm enjoying right where I am right now, growing every day it seems, probably more than I ever have in my entire life. Sorry, Blair Tindall, but I'm finding that the classical world today is far, far more than the grim world of "sex, drugs, and classical music" that existed in your generation.
Anyway, that's my musician's rant for the day. What I actually wanted to do with this post was to offer a very quick, small 'American's Guide to London' of sorts. I feel equipped to do so not because I have successfully "done" London, but because I have now, on a couple of occasions learned what not to do.
1. A Few Words on Planning: London is actually not that big, but it is well worth taking time to understand its connectedness before trying to take it on by foot. It can seem like it's easily manageable, and it is provided you understand its geography a bit, but for anyone planning a trip, do yourself a huge favor and take the time to familiarize yourself with the tube/bus system, and the layout of the city. It's absolutely walkable, but it's worth planning a few key things to accomplish in your day, and mapping out how exactly you plan on grouping these destinations in order to minimize travel, because it is EXPENSIVE and time consuming to get from place to place. Holy cow, this city is sooo expensive. I'm not an advocate for over-planning a weekend getaway, or even a vacation. In fact I absolutely believe that the best experiences tend to happen on a whim, and in my experience these things are never expected. Romantic, spontaneous love affair in Scotland - case in point. Still, a little bit of planning is a must for London. It's not like with New York where you can just wander anywhere, and everything is sort of magic, and you can always find food at any hour of the day, in any region. In London, instead, you may end up navigating through classy, business districts with hardly any signs of civilization aside from coats on hooks in the windows of modern skyscrapers which stretch on for miles. You may, however, come upon a random square at night that happens to light up below your feet in neon, changing lights (see above picture). My tip: At least make a good plan of which side of the Thames you want to be on, decide which walks are worth doing, and which trips are worth doing by bus or train. Take the time to investigate which areas of the city stay open late. A lot of them shut down surprisingly early. Trust me - it will save you tons of time, money, hungry bellies, and wandering.
2. Night Life: The girls and I went for the sake of dancing, drinking, eating, and basically merry-making together. These things should probably make up at least part of everyone's list of "things to do in London." The night life is supposedly spectacular, right? We did not have especially good luck this weekend, although we still managed to have a great time due to great company, but I think I've figured out why we struggled, and I'd like to save anyone from the dives we went to by offering some advice. Internet guides are untrustworthy, as are travel guides. I'm pretty sure they must be sponsored, and if they suggest free entry details, or cheap cover deals, they are more than likely dishonest or misinformed, or at the very least out of date by the time you get there, if the club still exists by the time you get there...we experienced all of these things. The way to avoid it is to understand this rule of going out in London: You have to go big or go home. There is no such thing, it seems, as a small night out in London. If you do it you have to do it right. Get out early. Pre-game if you must at home, but the best thing to do is to get gussied up, head to a restaurant/pub/bar/club for some food and drinks early (in advance of 8:30 pm I'd say), share a pitcher of cocktails to keep things cheap, and wait it out inside so that you can beat the cover charge to get in. People will get there eventually, and it beats out the alternative of showing up late into the night and having to pay an outrageously expensive cover charge (£15-£20 sometimes UGH!) just to get in. Another must/alternative is to get on the guest list for a reputable place a couple of days in advance....not the day of! If you know you're planning a trip then get to the website of the club and get your name(s) on the guestlist. It might not guarantee you free entry, but it will more than likely get you a half price cover charge at the very least, and that alone makes it worth it. It needs to be done at least a day in advance to make sure you get on though, so don't fall into the trap we did by waiting too late, and be sure to do this ahead of time. It will be well worth it, and it makes even the most 'posh' clubs affordable on a budget.
3. Markets: Find out where/when open air markets are and head to them for food once in a while, instead of the fancier indoor restaurants. There are SO many options in these markets, so if you're traveling with friends or kids it's easy to please everybody. The food is always really inexpensive, yummy, and you're supporting locals which is always great.
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| Touristy, I know, but it just never gets old looking out on this |
4. Where to Go/Places to See: Like I said, I don't like to advocate over-planning, but if you're looking for the kind of stereotypical London experience, make sure you head over to the Trafalgar Square area, just beyond Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Parliament, the London Eye, etc...If you want to have a lovely day of touristy experience that's worth every minute, wander along the Thames, take lots of pictures, laugh at the awkward street performers, maybe drop them a pound, walk across the Westminster Bridge toward Big Ben but be sure to turn around for photo ops of the 'Eye' especially at nighttime when it's all lit up in a myriad of colo[u]rs. Head on to Trafalgar Square to see the pretty fountain with awe-inspiring, Aslan-sized statues of lions. If you want delicious, somewhat expensive Thai food, Thai Square is always a yummy option, but you can also keep going and head toward China Town, and I'm sure an Asian food craving would be indulged heartily over there as well, and perhaps for much cheaper. This is also, somewhat in the direction of Covent Garden and Leicester Square (where the movie premieres happen). It's just a great, bubbling part of town with amazing energy, lots of tourists, but also lots of classy people indulging in life. Just walking around, which is always free, is fulfilling because there's so much to see, so much people watching to do, and so much fun architecture and scenery to absorb and become a part of for a while. It's also one of the few places I've found still open on a Sunday night in England. We went there for a late night dessert and tea at Cafe Rouge. Again, the trick to vacationing on a budget is doing the right things in the right places. Cafe Rouge might otherwise be a bit too expensive for a budget like ours, but we decided to hold off on the more expensive dessert and coffee at the Thai restaurant, and went to the Cafe to indulge instead. Decadent? Yes. But it is vacation after all, and let me tell you, I ordered a french pastry of cherries and almonds baked in a fluffy batter with Chantilly cream, and my clafoutis aux cerises was worth every pence. That's why it's worth planning a little, to save an unnecessary bus ticket or two, to be able to sit with friends late at night in London and sip away at a great cup of earl grey and a clafoutis.
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| St. Paul's Cathedral |
5. Some more must-see's and do's: The museums are free, and well worth visiting. I'm still yet to work them into my explorations of London. That will have to happen next time, and I will do so knowing exactly where they are in relation to each other so that I can travel between them efficiently this time. The major churches and abbeys- St. Paul's, Westminster, etc...charge expensive tourist entry, but if you go for services you can often get in for free. So plan on skipping the tour, and get to St. Paul's in time for an evensong service instead. It will save you the 12 Quid or whatever it is to get in, and you'll get to hear a concert of worship music, as well as experiencing the church as a living, breathing body, rather than an old, cold, merely fascinating artifact.
Until then, I'm going to do my best not to forget how good this spontaneous dinner at an awesome, classic fish and chips place was:
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