Pavilions, Peter (and Arianne), Palaces, and Procrastination

Things are winding down here in London. I've just sat through my last law school class ever, which is more exciting than I can say. I've decided to put off studying for a bit (yes, James, I've been studying for finals) and update my blog.

BRIGHTON
Two weeks ago, Jen and I went on a day trip to Brighton, a seaside resort city. After strolling for a bit along the shore, our first stop upon arrival was the Brighton Sea Life Centre. We saw various creatures--fish, giant sea turtles, rays and skates, sharks, octopii, etc.--and even learned a bit. Apparently, a full-grown octopus can fit through a hole the size of a Euro! The octopii were my favorite, while Jen was partial to the turtles.

By the time we left the centre, the morning haze had burned off; the bright sun felt wonderful. We stopped for some tea and scones at "Darcy's" before heading to the Royal Pavilion. King George IV built it while he was still the Prince Regent; reportedly, his doctor told him the seawater would help his gout. With its Indian-style exterior, the Pavilion sticks out like a sore thumb in the middle of Brighton:



The interior is done in a wonderfully exotic Chinese/Indian fusion style. I can only imagine what people thought of it during the early 1800's. My favorite room was the ornate dining room:



(Sidebar: You were right, Mom, the chandeliers were amazing!)

After buying some fun vintage "Brighton" posters in the Pavilion shop, we relaxed for a while in its beautiful gardens. We really could not have picked a better day to visit. The weather was lovely, and we felt so relaxed and comfortable. We spent the rest of the afternoon strolling through the streets and shopping. We eventually stopped for drinks (sangria) and then sat down to an early dinner at Darcy's (yes, again). Our food was wonderful (I had fresh fish), and we had a nice bottle of wine. We returned to the train station as the sun set beautifully along the shore. On the train back to London, we had a hilariously fun time. We bought mini-bottles of wine at the station and jammed on Jen's iPod (sharing the headphones) while sending text messages to H. We managed to meet up with her at our favorite pub, Montagu Pyke, and caught up on our day. Naturally, the evening ended with me getting hit on by a nice (but much too old for me) man, but what can you do?

PETER AND ARIANNE'S VISIT
We got home fairly early, as Peter and Arianne were supposed to be getting to our apartment around midnight (they were going to crash at our place for the night). I somehow willed myself to stay awake until 3 AM, but they still hadn't shown. I finally gave up and went to sleep. At 9 AM the next morning, they finally arrived, having been delayed because of a flight cancellation. They showered, got something to eat, and were off to Bath until the next day. We met late Monday evening, when I took them to Montagu Pyke for the infamous £5.50 steak and fries deal. They gobbled it up, and we had fun catching up over a few beers. Needless to say, there was must catching up to do! We met up for dinner the next night as well (Wong Kei), and then they saw the "The Producers" while I hit the books.

On Wednesday evening, I took them to Gordon's Wine Bar. Apparently my blog entry on the subject piqued Arianne's interest (okay, maybe Rick Steves had something to do with it too.) We lucked out and found seats in low-ceilinged cellar almost immediately. It's a loud and smoky place, but I love the atmosphere. I think they enjoyed it too. Arianne and I hatched plans for a big Northwestern reunion (since we're all going to be so scattered about come fall), and we all had fun reminiscing and plotting how to spend money we don't have (yet).

On Thursday, I got up early and bought A&P an anniversary present—tickets to my new favorite musical, Billy Elliot. I was tempted to get myself a ticket as well, but I couldn’t justify spending the money or the time. I did meet them later for a pre-show dinner, though, and I’m told they really loved Billy Elliot. I didn’t see them again until Easter Sunday, when they returned from a weekend in Paris. We ordered them take-out from one of my favorite London restaurants, Wagamama, drank wine, watched “Meet the Parents," and ate the Cadbury chocolate egg (see below). Not too shabby.

They've been off to Stratford-upon-Avon, York, and Edinburgh this week. I'll see them briefly tomorow evening before they head back to the States on Sunday. It has been wonderful to see them.

HAMPTON COURT PALACE
On Easter Sunday, I went with Jen and H on a day trip to Hampton Court Palace. The first part of the Palace was built by Cardinal Wolsey, who later gave it to King Henry VIII. Henry, William and Mary, and George II all added to the buildings and gardens, some of which were designed by famous architects Christopher Wren and William Kent.

We progressed through the interior more or less chronologically, starting with Henry VIII's State Apartments. This section was highlighted by magnificent Great Hall and the Great Watching Chamber. Next up were the Georgian Rooms. My favorite was The Hall of Windsor Beauties, which contains portraits of the most beautiful women in King Charles II's court. The Queen's Private Apartments were interesting as well; the audio guide shared all kinds of fun tidbits with us. Apparently, Queen Caroline was particuarly keen on bathing even though it was thought at the time that frequent bathing would cause illness. Oh, the irony... We wrapped up our indoor tour with the King's State Apartments. The neatest room was the King's Guard Chamber, which is decorated with some 3,000 arms (weaponry, not body parts).

After returning our audio guides, we went back in time to the Tudor Kitchens. As you can see from my pictures, they had people dressed up and working the kitchens. They were preparing real food and could tell you all kinds of interesting things about how food was prepared. It smelled wonderful inside, especially near the roasting spit, and it made us all even hungrier. So we set off to the Tiltyard Tea Rooms to have afternoon tea. After having our fill of scones and cake, we started exploring the lovely Palace Gardens.

We first walked through the beautiful Wilderness, where the spring bulbs were blooming. It was gorgeous and smelled amazing. We then made our way through Home Park and over to the Privy Garden, where we took lots of gorgeous pictures. The other smaller gardens were lovely as well. Be sure to check out my photos! We walked back from whence we came and tried The Maze. Being Harry Potter fans, it didn't take long for one of us to compare it to the Third Task in Goblet of Fire (honors go to Jen). It was trickier than it looked, but we made it out in the end and got the sticker to prove it!

Alas, it was time to return to London. I made an unorthodox Easter dinner--my "famous" fajitas--though we had a traditional giant Cadbury Easter egg for dessert. I got to briefly chat with James and Grandma as well. All-in-all, it was a lovely day. Almost as lovely as this photo I took in the Wilderness:



I plan on doing one last update from London before I leave for my two-week Eastern European adventure with James. Now it's time to get back to studying, but before I do, I'd just like to say congratulations to Lisa and Jeff on their engagement. Can't wait to you see guys in Denver!