paris holds the key to your heart... day 2.

Two words for Tuesday, sore feet.
Audrey and I woke up around eight, got dressed and had breakfast. We then left with our group to catch a train to Versailles.
One word for Versailles, golden.

The ladies and I in front of the gate to (heaven?) Versailles.

Caitlin, Audrey and I behind the palace.
We started off by walking through State Apartments which I think could house a whole country if needed and then barely even stick our toes into the immaculate gardens. I am sure I could spend a week walking through the gardens, they are never ending. We were all starving so we stopped at a convenient little stand just down from the palace and all ordered overpriced paninis.
We then took the metro back into Paris and went to the Mouffetard which is one of the oldest streets in Paris.
Katie and I on the mouffetard.We first stopped at Nicolsen’s for the most amazing chocolate I have ever tasted in my life. Yes, it’s that good.
We then walked along for a little while and then realized where we wanted to go next was the opposite way so we walked back. On the way Caitlin and I stopped and got a snack of chicken legs and potatoes that were cooking on the street, the men there loved us. After a few more minutes of walking we were where we wanted to be, Amorinos for most delicious gelato in Paris that they shape to look like a flower. I had vanilla and nichola.
Yum-o as mom would say. Next was on to the Champs Elysees, my favorite street. One day I will walk into Louis Vuitton and drop a couple thousand euros like it’s no big deal but until then I am content with just looking. Once we had walked one side of the most expensive shopping street (ever?) we walked under the largest round about in the world to the Arc De Triomphe, where we climbed all 300 stairs to the top (that may not seem like a lot but you try it). At sea level I am out of breath... just can’t wait for that altitude in Rexburg. The view was fantastic. We stayed up there for a while to take it all in, and maybe because we were still winded from the stairs.
Now I know why Ky has such a love for this place.
After ascending the stairs was walking down the other side of the Champs Elysees we stopped for dinner at Henry V, a place where Audrey had eaten with her family when they were in Paris. By the time we were done eating all of us girls were just about falling asleep so we headed back to our hotel to turn in for the night.

spring break in... PARiS! (day 1)

Monday morning we woke up around 6:00 a.m. to get ready to go to St. Pancras station to catch a Eurostar train to Paris! I sat next to Michelle and we took a lovely little nap on the way there. When we got into the city we waited about an hour for our coach and then made our way to Chartres. We had about an hour until our tour of Chartres Cathedral so Audrey, Caitlin, Emma, Katie and I stopped at a little shop and got our first French crepes.

For some reason Roger pronounces it "shart".....

We then were given a tour and brief history (well actually no so brief) of the cathedral by Malcolm Miller, who has been giving tours of and seminars about the cathedral for over fifty years. The cathedral had the largest collection of medieval windows. While we were there nine of these windows were taken out to be cleaned so there was a frigid draft inside which made it hard to concentrate to Malcolm. We then drove the two hours back into Paris and checked into our hotel. Audrey and I were roommates this trip! After setting our luggage down we walked down the street to a little café where we ate dinner. I had a margarita pizza, figures I would eat Italian food my first night in France. After dinner Emma, Caitlin, Britin, Katie, Audrey and I went to see the Eiffel Tower!
These are my best friends. and I love them to death.

Audrey Me and Emma.
It is beautiful and about three times bigger than I pictured it to be. We walked around, took loads of pictures, talked to a few locals, and then crossed the street to get a snack and ride the carousel. I had a crepe citron which is a crepe with sugar and lemon juice. That crepe alone was worth the whole trip, I am in love.

I love when it twinkles :)

Paris is beautiful.

pendant que j'emballe

My life the past few days has been completely boring. Hence why I have barely written anything for a little while. We have had two test this weekend and I have been cooped up inside my flat for about three days straight besides the occasional gelato with Emma. But now I have finished my tests and I am packing for what is going to be, I hope, my favorite week.

PARIS!!

I can not wait to go to a place that my older sister calls a second home. I absolutely love our french friends Roger and Liliane Gondelmann and their children and families so I am hoping to meet some french people who are just as wonderful. But honestly I doubt they get any better. Sadly we have to be back to London for classes on Friday or I would be traveling out to Valenciennes to visit with them.

Cheers or should I say Au Revoir!

didn't spend a pence.

I am so proud of myself right now. I went an entire day without spending a thing without just sitting in my flat! I woke up and had breakfast of the usual yogurt with cheerios and juice. Then I worked on homework until 11:30 when it was time for class and to finally give my presentation with Jake that we have been working on. It went great, although I really don’t think anyone but Susan cared what we were saying. After classes I was exhausted… so I took a nap. I planned on it being a thirty minute but my body had other plans and three hours I was nicely woken up by Audrey telling me it was time for dinner and to get ready for the night.

After dinner I finally got out of my sweats and Audrey, Caitlin, Emma and I headed to Piccadilly Circus to go see Les Miserables. While we were waiting in line a sweet young woman came up to me and asked me if I wanted a free ticket because one of her friends wasn’t able to make it to the performance. I happily took the extra ticket off her hands and thanked her because these were no cheap seats. The show was fantastic and not only because I was seeing it for free. I had never seen Les Mis and the only song I knew was the one that Susan Boyle sang in her audition that because famous. Other than picturing her in my head a few times it was a great show. It was a good day to not spend any money.

I am dead tired now so I am going to bed.

(sorry no pictures today)

Cheers!

anticipated post?

My day all alone turned out to be wonderful. After taking a much needed nap at home I woke up and one of my roommates that stayed home told me that I should go see “39 Steps” so I did. It was hilarious! The show was an Alfred Hitchcock spoof where four actors play over fifty characters and they were fantastic. My seat was literally right in the middle of a huge class of fourteen your old boys, talk about just wonderful timing to be alone (kidding). During the intermission one of the boys said in his adorable English accent, “Are you all alone?” The next few minutes of the intermission were a little awkward. After the show I got on the tube to go home and I looked over to see that Britin and Caitlin were on the same car on the tube as I was. I have never been more excited to see them! When we got off the tube everyone else was waiting for the lift and we were reunited. I know I was only separated from my friends for a few hours but I missed them so much. After dinner Audrey, Caitlin, Emma, Katie and I went to see Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. It was fantastic and I loved the story line he created along with the Alice story.
I realized I do not like to do things alone; I am a people person at least when it comes to doing things that are usually done with people.

Wednesday morning was extremely stressful as it was time for me to register for spring classes. Of course my school’s website was on the verge of crashing and after waiting ten minutes for on page to load it was time for us to be on the coach and off for our day. It was a day trip completely dedicated to Jane Austen. We went to Stourhead, where parts of the movie Pride and Prejudice were filmed, Chawton, to see Jane’s house, and Winchester, where she is buried.

The fab 5 at Stourhead

We walked all around at Stourhead, it was BEAUTIFUL!

It was a beautiful day and the sun was shining the whole time we were out. When we got back I ran off the coach and up the six flights of stairs to my lap top which was just where I left it… still loading. I was scared the whole day that they wouldn’t be openings left in a few of my classes but to my surprise I got into every class that I wanted to. I am extremely happy with my spring schedule. I am taking a floral arrangement class, three communications classes and an American foundations class. Best part is I gave myself Fridays off so I will be having extra long weekends! The rest of my night was spent in the attic working on a comparison presentation with Jake. I love it here but I am honestly excited to go home. Feeling a little homesick maybe? Cheers.

not a happy day so far...

Today started out great. I woke up, went and had breakfast, packed my lunch for the hike with President Chittock and got ready. Jenny, Caitlin, Emma, Audrey and I left the center in time to get on the tube and make it to our train, but the tube was late. Then when we got off the tube I pretty much ran to where we were supposed to meet with our professor to get our train tickets, no professor. I soon realized that I had no idea where my girls were because I had ran infront of them not thinking that they might not know where I was going. I looked around for about twenty minutes but Victoria station is a big big place, I was lost.

I am now sitting on my bunk all alone. I feel like an idiot an was almost in tears because I have been looking forweard to this hike for weeks.

(every sunday brother Chittock tells me, emma and maddie about the hike).

Instead of sitting here any longer I am going to go off on an adventure by myself. This is going to be interesting because I have only done this twice and it was only for a few hours. Sometimes I wish I wasn't as independent as I am but I guess in this case some alone time will be good for me. I'll post again later to update on how my "alone" day was.

war horse...

all I have to say is...

War Horse was the worst play I have ever seen.

(for a review see my friend calvin's blog on my favorites)

and

I love these people... hahahahahahahaha :)

sunday fun day.

Quick Sunday post: Today was simply lovely. The sun was shining and it felt warm despite the temperature being thirty-seven. I think we have finally found a little quicker way to get to church but that was after all three of us fell asleep, rode the train 40 minutes past out destination and several methods of transportation. Today was the first time that we have got out of our flat with plenty of time to spear for getting to church, it just happened to be the day that we would get most lost. It took us just under two and a half hours to get to the Catford Ward. Next week we will be prepared.
Maybe we got gelatto while right in front of out tube stop. vacation rules still apply :)

emma and I in front of our chapel.
(I realize that I have completely let myself go. not cute)

during sacrament meeting I thought of these things.
10 things I love…
1. feeling the gentle hug of sunshine on my face.
2. listening to peaceful music and taking time to myself.
3. watching children giggle and run in the park.
4. the feeling of a tidy room and clean sheets.
5. the bliss of watching snowflakes fall on my nose.
6. knowing that at the end of the day everything will be alright.
7. the excitement of driving down my street, almost home.
8. the smell of brand new shoes fresh out of the box.
9. laying on a cozy blanket and watching the stars with

someone special.
10. checking things off my daily to do list

(even if I made it up to just check off).

10 things I need…
1. a massage… preferable full body.
2. currently a toilet but I am too lazy to walk downstairs

and I am a great holder.
3. a break from homework. paris come a little sooner?
4. a box of girl scout cookies.

even the shortbread would suffice.
5. an eye brow wax but I am loyal to tina and will wait until home.
6. my spring schedule figured out, this is adding to my stress.
7. a letter in the mail.

my address is Macy Falke 27 palace court London W2 4LP England. feel free to write.
8. some male interaction. in any form…
9. to get my nasty roots fixed, who ever said roots were in was horribly mistaken.
10. someone to tell me they love me.

10 things I miss…
1. quick phone calls from my parents just to say hi.
2. getting into my pearly white car and going anywhere I want.
3. walking out of my apartment to the house of the Lord.
4. having a sun kissed glow on my skin, pale is not my color.
5. panera bread lunch dates with my mom and dad.
6. shower heads that do more than trickle and room to shave my legs.
7. dragging my little sister or megan to get eat weekly sushi.
8. taking my little Wags for walks as the sun slowly goes down.
9. being woken up by my favorite alarm clock in the world, mom.
10. sunday afternoon bike rides along the canal with my family.

I am completely happy today.

my life if beautiful.

For some reason I keep making writing in my blog a burden. This has got to stop. I want to remember everything I do here and since I gave up on my written journal weeks ago this is my only way of doing it. Plus I get to add pictures and I am sure that’s all anyone looks at on here anyways. So, starting today I am going to become a better blogger for myself, not for anyone else!
Let me start this off by saying that Wednesday I had only gotten about four hours of sleep and after a twenty hour day of nonstop action I was exhausted. Now on to Thursday, an “A” schedule day of classes, which means I have class at 8:45. You guessed it I slept through my first (and last) class. I set an alarm and my roommate Jenny tried several times to wake this sleeping beauty up but I guess I much have been dreaming of prince charming and there was no way of getting me out of that dream becuase we have all be boy deprived for several months now. When I finally woke up it was about 9:58 a.m. and there was no way of me to make it to even a minute of my class, naughty naughty Macy. Normally I would slough it off but when I go to school downstairs from my flat and I live with my professors I try to keep a cleaner conscience. Later when I saw Dr. MacFarlane he addressed my as “champ” and said not to worry about it. The day dragged on as I had British literature, religion and my culture and community class. When I was finally out of the prison of school the fab five (Audrey, Emma, Caitlin, Jenny and I) went for a quick visit to Dr. Johnson’s house, the man who published the first dictionary. To make the visit a little more exciting we dressed up in “euro chic” outfits, complete locals.
Looking euro chic in front of our flat.

We paid three pound fifty pence to walk around his house for twenty-five minutes, ridiculous, but we got our worksheets filled out and full points for them. Dinner was next and I ended my day by going to sleep a little early to finally get some much needed sleep.

Friday was a “London outing” day with the group that started off with a meeting with the director of the Kennedy Center from BYU. It was a nice meeting to nicely “complain” about things we thing are wrong with the center or faculty. It was a quick meeting for that reason, beyond the smell of our cooped up attic of a flat and the workload from classes not much was discussed. We then took the tube to a beautiful part of London where we visited the poet Keats’s house. We saw where he had once sat to write “Ode to a Nightingale” and where he once fell in love with Fanny Brawne, the original girl next door.
Some of the girls from our group and I in a tree at Keats's House.

Keats's House. Me and Jerry.

Once we left we were to walk across Hampstead Heath to the Kenwood House, easier said than done. The group of girls I was with ended up turning a thirty minute walk into an hour and a half trek up hills and through mud puddles. We got lost and walked much longer than we should have but I would not trade that hike for ten pounds. We saw one of the most beautiful sigs I have seen here yet. The heath overlooks almost all of London and it was magical seeing our city from a little ways off.

On top of the heath. My calves burn from this. (notice my adorable wellies from Cath Kitson)
Parliment Hill at Hampsted Heath.

After arriving at Kenwood house and quickly looking through we took the bus back to the tube station and went to Camden Market for lunch.

This is what I ate... Holy Chinese food! My dish was the best I have ever had; let’s just say I am defiantly going back. We made it home in time for dinner or should I say “snack time” of chili, mom yours cannot be toped even by out resident chef Teri here. It was good but it was no recipe of Kristy Falke's. Homework consumed my night as I wrote three papers and read some poems for British literature. Then it was sleepy time.

Saturday morning we had class. Oh yeah I just used the words Saturday and class in the same sentence other than this one. We did this because next week we are only having two days of classes because of a day hike taking place on Tuesday. I honestly liked having class, they were shorter and sweet and unlike every other Saturday I have had here I did not sleep in until noon wasting half of my day inside. Right after class Caitlin, Emma, Audrey and I got dressed up and walked across the street to a little place called Kensington Palace (yes that is the same palace where Princess Diana lived... and did I say I live accross the street!)for high tea at the Orangery.

The weather was lovely and my soup and cinnamon tea was delicious.

In front of the Orangery at Kensington Palace.

After we went to Cool Britannia, the largest tourist shop you can find and got some of my favorite candy to send home. Another tube ride and we were at Madame Tussauds wax museum. There I met countless celebrities, hung out with the Queen and Prince William confessed his love to me.

New Boyfriend. Sooooo hot!

Me (Elin) and Tiger. oh and Caitlin (dirty mistress #23)

Jerry, Me and the Queen and chums.

JLo boooooooooooty. baby got back.

Yes, I met Troy Bolton.
It was so much fun, besides the part where we walked downstairs where they had a section of London’s famous murders and an haunted house that included live people jumping at you. My voice box got a little screaming work out the few minutes it took to walk/run through it. After a quick visit to Top Shop it was dinner time and because it was Saturday and we don’t eat at the center, Emma, Audrey, Caitlin and I went to Tortilla. This is one of the places my friend Lauren Hennes who lived in London also told me I had to go to and now I know why. It was fantastic and I had been craving some good Mexican food. (Lauren if you ever read this I love you to death!) I had a naked burrito with pork and chicken, yum!
I ended the night by watching a movie in my little corner bed on my lap top.
I love this place more and more each day. Cheers!

my new youtube obsession.

I almost peed my pants the first time I watched these. you will see why.

I now want an iphone... just so I can be t-pain.

shakespeare overload at Stratford upon Avon.

Sunday again was an adventure in getting to church. I fear that this will never end. Emma taught our lesson about Abraham being asked to sacrifice his son. Emma asked us at the beginning to think of the person we love most and then asked us what we would do if we were asked by the Lord to kill this person. I thought to myself I would never be able to do it. It made me realize just how much faith our prophets have to do what they do each day. I am so thankful we have such faithful leaders. In sacrament meeting we had another sermon but this time on church history. I laughed a little because the speaker talked all about the places we had just seen in Wales. Our trek home was even worse going to church. Yes we got a little lost, but being the great navigator I am, that was a joke… kind of, after two wrong buses and going a completely new and different route found our way. After dinner we had to quickly leave and go to Hyde Park chapel for a fireside given by Elder Ford, a member of the seventy. It was the most interesting fireside to me because he spoke on what an area seventy is. I have grown up in a place where we are taught this from primary so it was weird to have a group of young adults learning about this.

Monday and Tuesday were just about the same days besides my nightly activities. I had class all day and then went to the gym after. I am in love with my gym. Not is it only the nicest gym I have been to but all the people who work out there are completely fit. I swear fat British people don’t exist. It’s almost a breath of fresh air. Monday night Audrey, Caitlin, Emma and I went to see Leap year. It was adorable and I now want to go back to Wales to find an adorable boy, have him drive me to Ireland and then fall in love. I only wish that was how things really happened. Tuesday night we went to see my favorite show yet, Hairspray! It was hilarious and I truly mean that. The actors were all perfect and their American accents were almost flawless. It’s funny to me that I am the one with the accent here. Loved it!

Me and Tracy Turnblad!

Me and the actor who played Edna Turnblad. He was hilarious!

Wednesday was a day trip that started out with visiting Warwick Castle aka “want to be Disneyland”. The Brits have turned these ruins into a tourist attraction and I honestly liked it.
Warwick Castle!

We walked up the tower and took a few pictures and then down to stocks and then the bird cages where we found the most adorable Falconer named David Cater. I, along with most of the girls I was with, fell in love with him. I think our lack of male interaction is starting to get to us because any boys we see seem to be perfect.
Calvin and I on top on the castle tower at Warwick. Jenny and Me in the stocks.

David the Falconer. He's welsh, and adorable. I got to hold an owl named Louie, he was gorgeous. I put a leather glove on and held half of a dead chick in my fingers and he flew down onto my hand and ate his treat out of my fingers. I had always though owls were fairly small, not Louie although he did not weigh much. It was an amazing experience that we would normally have to spend about eighty pounds to do but being the adorable American girls we are got to do it for free.

Me and Louie!Our next stop was Anne Hathaway’s cottage where we took a tour and took a gorgeous walk through woods that reminded me of the Village. Again for your entertainment I have a video of the ever funny little boy, Daniel Cooper.

Then it was off to Stratford upon Avon, a very quaint little town where William Shakespeare was born and lived. We went to the birthplace of William Shakespeare and Nash’s House where he retired. I was not impressed and honestly didn’t think it was that cool but I guess it would be for those few people in the world who are obsessed with him. We then took a little walk to the church where Shakespeare is buried and Jenny paid the 50p to see his tomb. If you are ever in Stratford upon Avon, don’t waste your time, his tomb is a slab of concrete on the floor that says Shakespeare on it. Jenny, Sarah, Margret, Kalyn, Shar and I went to the oldest pup in Stratford called The Garrick Inn. I had the biggest serving of fish and chips I have ever seen.

Jenny and I with out fish and chips..I finally ate some spotted dick and sticky toffee pudding for dessert. It was delicious and I am now in love with bread pudding!

Our night was topped off with a long, hot but brilliant performance of King Lear. After a three hour performance and a two hour drive home it was two and I was in my bad at last.

Today is Thursday and all I have done today is class and homework. After I was finally done with classes around three Audrey, Caitlin, Emma, Jenny and I got dressed and went to do a “visit assignment” for British literature. We then rushed home for dinner and I have been doing homework since. What an eventful day… not. At least tomorrow should be better.

Cheers!