Denmark and Sweden

For our last group trip, we flew to Copenhagen. The first night we were there, we went to Tivoli Gardens. Tivoli is an amusement park in the centre of Copenhagen. It's normally closed at this time of the year, but was open tonight for a Steve Raich concert, the minimalist composer, so we went. The music was... well... we got to see Tivoli, that's the important thing.



The next morning, we took the train to Louisiana (the modern art museum, not the state). The art was so-so, but the setting was really great. It was right by the sea, and had a lot of great art outdoors.







We continued north up the Danish coast to Helsingør. It has Kronborg Castle on which Shakespeare based Hamlet. We also had a really great lunch with a lot of traditional Danish food... like herring.








Then we took the ferry to Helsingborg, Sweden and walked around there for a bit. Then we took the train to Lund. Lund has a university, so this is us outside the law faculty.

For dinner we went to Malmö. Malmö seemed pretty happening. We went to a restaurant called with Moosehead, which actually had a real Canadian Moosehead beer sign on the outside. Unfortunately they didn't actually have the beer. But they did have an actual moose burger.







We spent the next day walking around Copenhagen. We went to Strøget, the world's longest pedestrian street. Then we headed over to see the little mermaid statue. On the way, we ran into Amalienborg Palace and the changing of the guard.





On the way back, we went to Kastallet, a pentagram-shaped fort which is still used by the Danish military. Then we had coffee in Illium, a department store back on the Strøget, and watched the Danish people go by.

Goodbye Oxford

When we got back from Italy, we didn't have much time left in Oxford to pack up and get ready to leave for the next trip. I was too pressed for time to get over to Catz to say bye to the MCR people I had met. Although, at least I got to complain to Rocco (my Italian roommate and University of Florence student) about how crappy Florence was. I don't think I ever posted pictures of our little house, so here are some.


Our last night out was spent at the Bear, which is the oldest pub in Oxford. It also seemed to be the most crowded pub, and wasn't that fun to be in, so since it was Dave's choice, I decided to reward him by invading his personal space with a goodbye hug.

Florence

After Rome we went to Florence, which I think was a let down for both of us. Florence has always seemed very touristy to me.

The architecture is nice, but I like Rome more. There are tons of stands to buy leather jackets and purses, and the Moroccan guys running them will try to drag you back into their stores. I can usually get a good deal bargaining in French with them, but there’s still always a bit of shadiness that I just don't like about the place.

It rained one morning, so we spent it in our hotel lobby booking the rest of our trip for after leaving Oxford. We decided to go to Copenhagen (I'm actually writing this on the flight there), Edinburgh, Dublin, Paris, and then to spend a few days really exploring London before going home.

Rome

Since we were done with our tutorials, Shahzia and I extended the Italy trip to visit Rome and Milan. Rome was as amazing as I remembered it from 5 years ago. I saw most of the same things – the Vatican, St. Peter's, the forum, Trevi fountain, the Pantheon, the Colosseum.






The food in Rome was great. After all the pasta and gelato, I probably gained a ton of weight, but so worth it. Rome is someplace I could go back to over and over. The only downside is the traffic. The mopeds are insane. By the end of the four days though, I learned that you just have to have no fear - cross when you want, and even though it looks like they're accelerating to hit you, there's at least a 40% chance they won't.

Milan

From Friday through Monday, we took our class trip. Every year, included in the BU-Oxford Tuition is a trip with our professor to anywhere we want in Europe. Since he speaks Italian fluently, the group usually ends up going to Italy. At his suggestion, we chose to go to Milan. Milan was a very industrial city, with lots of cars, and streetcars that can easily kill you. It's unlike other places I've gone to in Italy. I wouldn't recommend it for those looking for a typical Italian experience. It's also the fashion capital, but most of the shops were too expensive to shop in.





We tried to go see Leonardo's Last Supper, but unbeknownst to our professor, you now need an appointment (probably thanks to Dan Brown). So all we got to see is a photo of it. Instead we went to the Da Vinci museum, and saw all his cool inventions.









We also went out clubbing and to an Ice Bar. This was a room entirely made of ice – the tables, chair, even the glasses that the drinks were served in. They gave us these thermal cloaks to wear because it was -5°C inside.

The highlight of the trip was a daytrip out of Milan. We went to Bergamo – a small renaissance town about an hour and a half away from Milan. It was full of really nice shops and gelato places, and seemed like a place where local Italians come to spend a day on the weekend. We climbed a big tower which gave us great views of the whole town.

Bon Voyage

I finished my last essay yesterday so I am done! Summer has basically begun. I'm leaving today for Milan for my "class trip". Then I'm extending it to go to Rome and Florence. Then back to Oxford for a bit, then more continental Europe. So no updates for a while!

Blenheim Palace

On Sunday we went to Blenheim Palace, which is the home of the Duke of Malborough. It is one of those amazing ancestral homes, with great gardens and lakes. The first Duke was John Churchill, who is an ancestor of Winston Churchill. The inside is a big Churchill fest, with the room he was born, hair from when he was a kid, where he proposed and got married.

The nicest part was the outside, but unfortunately it was really cold. It would be really amazing in the summer when everything was blooming, but still not a bad place to live.

MCR Handover Party

Friday night was the handover party for the new MCR committee for next year. It was a £3 all you can drink affair, which was good since I wanted to celebrate being done my tutorials. Other than that it was really nice time with a live jazz trio and a chocolate fountain, which was purchased by the MCR president who is in ball form in this picture.

Trip to Parliament

We went back to London on Wednesday last week to visit Parliament. It was pretty cool to see the inside, and to think about 30 minutes after we were in there, Tony Blair and the other MPs would be in the House having it out.

We got to see the judicial conference rooms where the highest court in England hears cases. Unlike the Supreme Court, it was really just a room. But educational I guess.

More British Food Oddities

So the British pickle everything: fish, eggs, tomatoes, everything... except pickles (or gerkins as they like to call them). The only ones I could find were soaked in vinegar and were horrible. So I had to resort to drastic measures and get ones from Poland.




I find this weird since the British have a building called the Erotic Gerkin in London. You'd think if the built a monument to the damn thing they could make it properly.

London Calling

Last weekend I went to London to meet Greg and Mike and his friend Michelle who were coming in from Boston for Spring Break. I wasn't exactly sure how we were going to meet, but we actually ended up in the same car of the same train on the tube.

We hit up all the tourist stuff (including the London Eye - which is 30 minutes of my life I'll never get back, thanks to Greg), and then went out drinking to all of Mike's old bars. The highlight was probably the London hot dogs which were incredible... probably because of all the grease they were soaking in.

The hostel was interesting - especially the 30-something eastern European guy eyeing me in the shower, and the horrible smell in the morning. But we managed to drag ourselves up for another day of sightseeing. We hit the British Museum, Buckingham Palace and the Tower Bridge before I had to leave to go back to Oxford.

Opera

Last night we went to a performance of La Bohème. I didn't think I would really like Opera, but I really enjoyed the story and music. Maybe it's just because I've been without TV for so long, that it was nice to have anything to watch, but I'd go again. I'd also like to see the difference between it being put on in England and in the US. I also wouldn't mind watching some television.

Torpids

Wednesday was the first day of the big rowing race for this term, called Torpids. In Torpids, the boats start staggered, and then try to catch up and "bump" the boats in front of them. Once you bump a boat, you stop rowing, and start in front of that boat the next day, and repeat. St. Catz did really well yesterday. The women's boat bumped the boat in front of them in 5 strokes, and it only took the men about 1 minute to chase down Wadham college.














Update: The men's 1st VIII boat bumped in each of the four races. This means they are awarded "Blades". This is a traditional wooden blade with the colors of the college painted on, with the names of the crew on it.
The women did really well too, they bumped in the first three races, but just missed out on Blades by not bumping on Saturday.

The Trout

On Saturday we had lunch at the Trout, which is an old inn, about a 20 minute cab ride away, next to an open meadow. It is really amazing there - it's next to a river, and there's peacocks running around outside, eating all the food.

The place is amazing, and the food is really great. The peacocks like it too. I got a picture of one of them eating a french fry:

Club

Last Friday after the usual guest dinner, full of port, we decided to go out for some more drinks. We went to the Turf Tavern was is an awesome old bar here. It's the typical old English pub with low beamed ceilings, good tables and ales inside, and lots of great outdoor picnic tables. But like all good old English bars, it closed at 11.

So afterwards we went to a club which are the only places still serving beer. It was a good time, and even the English guy came out of his shell when "Take on me" was played. It was a little weird going to a club in a suit (I didn't go home to change after dinner).
But weirder still was this place having a unisex bathroom. Very Ally McBeal I guess, but unexpected in England.