Windsor Castle

Most people know Windsor Castle because it's the resistance of the Queen for, according to the audio guide, most weekends. It's actually rather easy to get to Windsor. There is a train from Waterloo passing Clapham Junction as well that goes straight to a lovely little train station from where you can see the castle when you look left.

Just a walk up the hill brings you to the entrance. It's 18 pounds for students – my run-out student card from school still works since no one really takes a closer look once they see it's German. If you get a signature in the end you can come back for free for a whole year though, so it's definitely worth it if you don't have enough time or want to see a section that not open all year long. And the prize includes audio guides!

The castle is hugh, just to warn you. At the end it's actually hard to pay attention or care about whose portrait it is or how old the china is. You can see the guard change if you arrive on time (and only on Sundays I think), visit the state appartments, Queen Mary's Dolls' House which is probably worth more than my future university education as well as the St. George's Chapel unless it's a Sunday. There is also a little part where you can learn more about Shakespeare and why Windsor is an important place for the historic play writer.

It's really nice, especially the garden you can see around the Round Tower, including a little waterfall, don't cease to amaze. Just watch out for Guards shouting when you get in there way as we had to find out ourselves.

Luckily the grounds are so big that you don't feel cornered. And if you are lucky and the sun is out, you can get some really good looking photos.

After a few hours we left and went to get lunch at the Nando's across the street. The Guy taking my order was red-haired and called Harry, I don't even wanna know how many jokes he has to endure. Also, who the hell manages to eat an entire chicken, I only had 1/4 with hot sauce, spicy rice and sweetcorn and I was full.

The rest of the afternoon we spent making our way through the shopping street and having a little walk along the Thames. We would have probably spent more time there, but it was getting cloudy and we could feel the first raindrops falling. I'm sure it would have been lovely if the sun had shone though, it all looked very peaceful.

The train ride back was rather uneventful apart from my very first ticket inspection in the UK so far. So there are actually keeping track of illegal passengers.

Hindu Temple

Did you know that the biggest Hindu Temple outside Asia is located in London?

Yeah, me neither.

So when a friend of mine asked if we wanted to go there I was actually really surprised. Good thing I didn't have anything planned. With only three busses and a bit of waiting we made our way to Shri Swaminarayan Mandir.

First thing you had to do was leave your bag outside the whole area and once you enter the building, you also had to get rid of your shoes. The entrance hall is very high, with beautiful wooden walls and carpets. Once you go to to through the left door you have the choice between a Hindu museum, which explains the origins and most important aspects of the religion as well as the temple itself, and the small praying hall. 

(pic from londonpass.com)

We went to the praying hall first, which is made of a very bright stone (marble as far as I remember) that is carved into small lovely details. Panels all around the room explain the importance of several deity and their relationship with one another. 

Don't forget to look up at the ceiling and the inside of the dome!

(pic from lbc.co.uk)

The museum (the only part of the temple you have to pay a small fee of 2 pound for) is a mix of explanations of how the religion was founded, which people and deity are the 'most important' or most commonly known and facts about when and how this specific temple was built. It's weird to know that it was built in just about three years. And lets not forget how advanced the people hundreds and even thousands of years ago were in maths, medicine, language and many more in comparision to Europe. Somehow it's easy to forget about all of that when you never really think or even learn about it.

So even if you are not the most religious person, you should definitely pay it a visit. It will be worth it. We can only truely understand and therefore accept other people when we open our minds to their believes and way of living and thinking. Ignorance is not acceptance after all.

A Day in... Edinburgh (2)

Day 3

After waking up to my third day in Scotland, I went out to have a proper Full Scottish Breakfast (which is basically an Full English Breakfast with Haggis and black pudding). I even asked the guy at the front desk which place he recommands. Sadly it turned out the one he referred me to wouldn't open for another half an hour, so I went to City Dinner instead, an American Restaurant with good prizes. And let me tell you, I'm happy I only got the small portion! I was honestly not able to eat anything for lunch, but that's perfectly normal after a breakfast like that.

Next stop was the Edinburgh Castle. I can be expensive if you are on a small budget but totally worth it. There are different museums, for example for the Crown Jewels, the Royal Guard, an old war prison, the World Wars as well as a memorial for fallen soldiers and the medieval dining hall (right before Christmas even with a small presentation of Victorian Christmas traditions).
And don't forget the canon going off at 1pm that once signaled the time to every ship owner!
I spent just about four hours here and even though you get tired and easily distracted after a bit I think it's a wonderful place to spent your day.
Tip for the grown ups: just before I left I went to the Whiskey shop where a Whiskey testing takes place and got two small bottles of really good Whiskey for my au pair parents.

After that I just walked through the city, but the weather was so annoying that I went to the Black Medicine Coffee Company (one stop on the Harry Potter trail from day 1) to get something warm to drink and then back to the hostel rather quickly to just sit down with my copy of A Game of Thrones. This was really important to me: a hostel where I would feel comfortable enough to spent some time in. No use in saving money if you feel umcomfortable after all.

Day 4

On my last day I went on a little hike. And with a little I mean that the hike was ok, it is the destiny that was a surprise.

Arthur's Seat has nothing to do with King Arthur - I checked - it is merely the highest mountain around Edinburgh. It's very easy to get there, just walk down the Royal Mile until you get to the end where the Scottish Parliament is, turn right and there it is. A lot of people were there with me considering that is was rather muddy and windy, but I guess nothing can stop a tourist who arrived with the knowleadge what the weather would be like.
So I made my way up. it's actually a wonderful place for pictures, there is just one problem. As soon as you get close to the top, the wind gets terrible. I had to pack away my camera as well as my hat because I was afraid it would be blown away. And I was not the only one. On top of Arthur's Seat - which is actually just a stone, nothing special - everybody sat down when it got too bad and tried to not fall off. That's why I don't have any good pictures from up there, sadly.
But it's the experience that counts, so whatever. I even had a little conversation with an Asian man who thought I had trouble when I was actually just sliding over to make some room for him. Really nice guy.

When I got down I still had a few hours to kill, so I went to the National Gallery, a Forbidden Planet store I found on my first day as well as a smaller shop where I got a croptop from Hell Bunny and a black wood belly button piercing After that I went back to the hostel where I watched some more TV and waited. Btw, you can keep your luggage in the luggage room even when you already gave back your key. And you can't get in there without asking at the front desk, so everything should be safe.
Another thing I saw before leaving is a Christmas special again. A light show at the Royal Mile with christmas music playing. I only stayed a few minutes as I was already on my way to th coach station with my backpacking rucksack and smaller bag and wanted to get there as soon as possible.

The drive back was about as 'wonderful' as the first one, but that's the downside of a coach drive you just have to deal with.
The thing is, if you like to be quick and comfortable, you just either take your own car or a train. The coach is good because it actually takes all night to get to Scotland and this way, you get there in the morning and it is way cheaper. So it really depends on your financial situation as well as the destination.

A Day in... Edinburgh (1)

First Christmas alone. A lot of au pairs go home for the festive holiday, but I decided to stay in the UK and visit Scotlands capital city instead. Well, not on Christmas itself, but right before that.

Taking a coach like I did has its pros and cons. It is way cheaper than a train and you can take a night bus, but it isn't as comfortable and fast. But this can also vary depending on the person. I was not able to get a good nights sleep on my way to Edinburgh, just a few little naps. Arriving at 7:45am, I took my backpack and headed to the next McDonalds to get some breakfast. And this was amazing already; standing on the street that is so different from London, on the top of a hill with a good look at the sea. However, my way was headed for the castle. My hostel Castle Rock Hostel was basically right at the base of the castles hill. It's great, everyone is very helpful, the rooms are big, there is hot water in the shower and the facilities are very comfy. 10/10!

(view from the front door)

DAY 1

Anyways, I was so tired that I hang around the breakfast/ meeting room for another hour before going on a little tour through the city. First I went into a little church since it was Sunday and the 4. Advent. The people there were really welcoming, three people asked me independently who I was and how I was doing as they didn't see me before. While having a cup of tea right after the mess I talked to some of the locals, or at least people now living in Edinburgh, who gave me the typical tourist places to go to, told me to try Haggis no matter what and so on. I already knew I wanted to go to the Harry Potter Trail in the afternoon, but until then I got to see the Christmas Market, got lunch and just wandered around a bit.

The Harry Potter Trail is a great, and free!, walking tour for every Harry Potter fan. It's only about 90 min long and takes you to the graveyard that inspired some of the characters names which is right next to the real life Hogwarts, the uni Rowling graduated from, the two cafès where Rowing wrote the books as well as the inspiration for Diagon Alley. The tour guide comes in full outfit and lends everyone a diy wand. Really great experience, which also lets you find new friends. 

I, for example, went to get a delicious hot chocolate in the Elephant House - "Birthplace of Harry Potter" with a girl from Germany I met on the tour; don't forget to check out the bathrooms for Harry Potter grafiti including letters to Rowling, quotes from both movies and books and sketches. Later we went for Haggis and let me tell you, it really is better than everyone makes it out to be. Really, it's not different from any sausage you eat, maybe a bit more spicy.

After that I went to my hostel and like I said, the rooms are really big. Everyone has his own locker (free, and don't forget a locket!), the bunks are against walls or divider and grant enough privacy for everyone and there is another space to walk around without feeling cramped. The washrooms are for everyone on the level, but they are spacy and hot, so that's ok. And seriously, nobody cares if you walk around in your PJs, everyone does it.

DAY 2

The day starts with a breakfast (1,5 pound) consisting of a bread roll, cereals and orange juice. The atmosphere is very relaxed and sleepy. Taking into account I was still rather tired and slept in, it was a great and easy way to wake up.

After breakfast I headed straight for St. Giles Cathedral, a beautiful place to start the day. I got postcards for my family and friends and went on to Calton Hill with the National Monument of Scotland. It was dizzy and windy, but once I made the first few pictures the weather cleared up. It's a great place to see Edinburgh from about while still seeing a lot of details. Up there is the old astronomy tower with the old telescope, a half finished monument in ancient greek style as well as a small little cafè. In total I spent about 1,5 hours up there taking photos, reading the info charts and enjoying the view.

Next stop is the National Portrait Gallery to come down and getting warm again. Apart from the old portraits (lets be honest, you get tired of those) there was also an exhibition about portaits of differents styles from all over the world. It is amazing to see how different the drawing and painting styles are. There were the once that looks so photorealistic you had to look twice, the once with minimalistic lines and colours, the expressionists and realists. Truely breath-taking.

And that was about it. The first part of my vacation was mostly a mix of museums and walking, really. Photos tomorrow!

Theatre

Trying to get tickets for Hamlet in the Barbican Centre is like climbing an active volcano; everyone thinks it's cool, only a few do it and it may result in death.

Therefore, I decided to turn up as early as possible without camping outside. Difficulties getting there included my alarm being set but only from Monday to Friday, me leaving the bus a stop too early and being tired of course. At least I got one more hour of sleep than planned, which means waking up at 3:30am. I actually got there at 5am. Waiting outside wasn't really bad as it cold but not freezing. I also had breakfast from McDonalds and a lukewarm cup of coffee to keep me awake and going. The girl that came after me actually offered me one of her newspapers to sit on and after a while we started talking about ourselves as well as the differences between Germany and Singapore.

When they let us in into the warmth I tried to take a nap, but as usual it was hopeless. Instead I allowed myself a hot chocolate, of course exactly at the moment when they started to get up and moving.
This was possible one of the worst moments so far. Not knowing if you get a ticket, let along two. Not knowing how many the others in front of you want. There were about forty-ish people and most of them only got one apparently, but you never know for sure.
When I got called to the desk it felt like the weight of the world got lifted off my shoulders. I wasn't the last one. Two tickets, ten pound each, for Shakespeare's Hamlet at 1:30pm. I was finally going to see my first Shakespeare play, and I was going to see Benedict Cumberbatch live.

After a bit of trouble meeting up with my friend we headed to the Museum of London for a really rushed tour. It was still nice, especially because it is a really interactive museum that also shows the culture from the 20th century, a period of time often left out or not shown a lot about.

Speedwalking back to the Barbican Centre to find our seats, B47 and B48 on the highest level, we didn't have time to sit down and eat calmly, but what were we suppost to do.
The play itself was breathtaking. The stageart and scenery was impressive and a mix of old and new just like the costumes. A mix of Nike shoes, band T-Shirts and official uniforms showed exactly who belonged on which side of the conflict. The actors themselves were realistic and obviously deep in character, though I'm no expert on this matter. The change from the first to the second part was so significant, you can only admire everyone who works behind the scenes and has to do this twice every day. Benedict Cumberbatch himself have a little speech about the refugee crisis after their bows which deserves our respect - not everyone would use their fame for such a matter, at least not at the end of a stage play.

Of course we waited outside the stage door after the performance, but as a member of staff told us Benedict himself wouldn't come out as he needed to rest. a lot of people left after this, but we waited for about twenty minutes for some of the other actors who would gladly sign our tickets.

Our plan was to go south to St. Paul's Cathedral after that, but we walked straight past the street we intended on using and instead made a little detour. Not that we complained about it, because on our way we saw a little wedding party leaving a church. Wanting to see the bride and the dresses of the guests we slowed down to a halt and watched when suddenly, a person caught my eye that looked fairly familiar.
Tom Hiddleston.
Tom Hiddleston, sporting an elegant suit, glasses and blonde short hair left the building. At first I couldn't believe it, I mean what are the chances?! But it was obviously him.
After a bit of awkward standing and sneeking obvious glances, obvious because he looked over several times, he made it clear with a headshake he wouldn't take pictures. Ready to walk away I was surprised when he came over really quickly to shake our hands, tell us that he wouldn't take pictures as it is a private wedding and that he was sorry. Which is understandable, so we assured him hastily that it is ok, said goodbye and turned around to go our way. he actually wished us a good day in the end. Now this sounds really nice and normal, but I'm pretty sure I looked like a crazy fangirl that stalked him or something. But well, at least I got a handshake and a little talk out of embarassing myself. It's not like he's gonna remember me.

Still a bit shaken (at least me, my friend didn't even know him!) we finally found St. Paul's and went inside. Little tip: go during a mess to get in for free. It looks amazing, you get to see the priest and hear the choir.
To get us warmed up we got a drink at Starbucks and then went down to the Thames to make a few night pictures. I'm still getting used to my camera, but I think the modus "night without tripod" makes the cloudy nightsky look really cool.

And again, that was about it. by now I wouldn't even be surprised if we ran into the Queen at Tesco considering everything that happened the last few days. And maybe I will learn to hold a conversation at some point!

(24. October 2015)

Movie Premiere

What happens if you mix a day in London, two teenage girls and a bit of luck together?

You get one of the best days possible!

But lets start from the beginning: After sleeping in after what feels like a hundred years of early mornings, my friend and I had breakfast and headed to Central London. We actually managed to get to Buckingham Palace in time to see the guard change without even planning it. I have to say, it was nice but not really interesting.
Then we went down Birdcage Walk straight towards Westminster with the famous Big Ben. Which means a private photoshoot of course. And lets not forget about the squirrels in St.James Park that like humans more than I do sometimes.

Actually getting through the crowds of tourists on the Westminster Bridge is a task itself, but you feel so much better once you break free and have some room to breath. Taking a little detour along the Thames past the London Eye towards the Golden Jubilee Bridge leaded us right towards the National Gallery and Trafalgar Square. After a little meal deal we went to see a little part of the Gallery; the Im- and Expressionism of the 19th century. after all, it's nearly impossible to see everything in one go.

What came after that however was the real highlight of our day. At Leicester Square we saw a group of people behind barriers waiting for someone. Quickly we figured out it was the premiere of Ed Sheerans movie "jumpers for goalposts" about his three shows at Wembley Station earlier this year. After a short trip to the M&Ms shop and a walk through China Town we came back and decided we could wait and see.

And again it proved that asking nicely is the best way of getting what you want. We actually got into the divided boots right along the green carpet. Right across from us were the standing places of the press, which means famous people were stopping in front of us to get interviewed. And let me tell you, waiting and freezing out there was totally worth what happened. Not only did we see Ed Sheeran himself (though we didn't get a photo with him, but that's ok), but also other invited guests like Justin Bieber, Maisie Williams, Olly Murs, the new Spiderman and different youtubers. That alone was amzing enough, but towards the end, when the promis already went inside or left, one of the managers of the event came to us and gave us free cards for the premiere. Yes, we actually got to see it for free.

Inside Ed came on stage after a quick introduction and between answering fan questions from twitter he gave live performances from free songs.
The film itself was very interesting, even if I wouldn't normally go and see it in a cinema. You get a view into Ed's private backstage life, his friendship with Elton John and how amazing it is to be on stage, to feel the adrenalin, to be famous. It makes you wish to experience it just once for yourself. And of course, you want to be friends with Ed even more after watching it and seeing how much he cares for his team, family and friends.

Outside I ran into Niki from NikiNSammy (at least I think it was Niki) and I was my awkward little self asking for a selfie. Because we were tired we headed straight to Piccadilly Circus and then down to Buckingham Palace and to Victoria Station to get on our bus home.

I really don't know what to say. I still can't believe it happened to be honest. But here I am, and I can say that was the most amazing day I ever had.