Sunny Day in Hackney

  It truly is a sight to behold when the clouds go away and there is a warm, sunny day in London! This weekend, a 3-day bank holiday weekend, was perfect timing for such a day (or two!).  I spent Sunday out at a park, soaking up all the Vitamin D I possibly could, and picnicking with new friends :) When the sun comes out, everyone rushes out to lay in it, wearing as little as possible, then a cloud with come and it will be cold again-- all of us praying for the sun's return.  This particular park was very lovely, with a pub attached on the grass at one end, and basketball, concrete ping pong, and other sports courts littered throughout.  There was also a section of the park designated to barbecuing, which smelled delicious but was just a big field of smoke to the untrained eye. Culture was apparent everywhere with people from outrageous fashions, hipsters, people with dogs and children, to young people enjoying some drinks together while "playing footie" (kicking a soccer ball around...or futbol...you know what I mean), it was apparent that there was no conflict among anyone but everyone just wanted to enjoy the sun.  I actually got really excited when someone said they were going to buy a football for the park, since I have a really good arm and can throw a sweet spiral, but he returned with a soccer ball (to Americans, anyway) and I suck at that sport. Boo. :) Also, there were a number of "off-license" liquor stores littered around the park that offered an open shop to get food and drinks, since every other store in sight seemed to be closed on Sundays. It was a Sunday, lovely Sunday.

Abbey Road...the Beatles one!

Our Beatles Day, WHERE to start?! Well let's begin with the fact that instead of looking up WHERE the Abbey Road The Beatles made famous was located, I looked at a tube map and found an Abbey Road tube stop.  Logically, it made sense to us that this was the Abbey Road we desired...BOY, were we wrong! We ended up in a very slummy area where we stood out like a sore thumb with our hippy/tourist attire.  Luckily we ran into a family from Spain who also was looking for the famous Abbey Road and ventured back together to the tube.  There we found several signs we had overlooked before, one of which is pictured below:

    ^^This made us feel a lesser form of idiots, since obviously we weren't the only ones that had made this mistake.  Must feel sad for people in that area though, "Oh, you probably came here by mistake, no one wants to come here on purpose, hardly". Anyway, we then traveled another 30+ minutes to the "wanted" Abbey Road, at St. John's Wood, and found what we were looking for.  
     When we finally arrived it was fun to watch how angry the cars got at the endless groups of people walking across the crosswalk and pausing for pictures. Then we did it--several times--and people were applauding because apparently we were one of the first groups at that time that had a foursome that (attempted) to pose like the famous Beatles photo. It was either that, or they liked our outfits, because we were asked to be in a few pictures with others! Right next to the road is Abbey Studios, where you can sign the wall where countless others have proven their attendance at some point in time.
The day then proceeded on with us on a mission for food, which apparently was an impossible task.  We eventually found our way to St. Johns high street, where there is a nice collection of shops and restaurants, and went into the first pub we spotted, assuming the food wouldn't be GREAT, but edible nonetheless. We were pleasantly surprised with the eclectic menu of Indian, Mediterranean, and I want to say asian (because of the wooden boxes certain things came in) fare! We got a medley of hummus, dips, naan bread, chicken satays, dumplings, spring roles, and Stella Artois:

      This meal alone is a prime example of what a melting pot of cultures London is.  All the nationalities and their foods from home meld together to create almost a new category. 
     Our last stop of the day was Paul McCartney's home, which we may or may not have been peepers out in front of for a short period of time. We wouldn't have ever known about it, but ran into a very friendly girl from Texas who was attending a university there that gave us directions, "if we wanted to check it out, and Stella lives across the street"...ummm, yes please.  Mr. McCartney is a clever one though, because the brick wall was to tall for me to see over without being painful, but my taller friends were more lucky.  We had such an adventure, and all of our efforts were well worth it. :)

Chelsea Gardens

Based off of directions from a woman at the bakery we had breakfast, a friend and I mistakenly took this garden for the Chelsea Flower Show, and paid the 9 pounds to get in.  Looking around for the masterpiece the Australian Gardeners has so colorfully explained the night before, it took us nearly 15 minutes to realize we must be in the wrong place (and subsequently got laughed at by several locals because apparently we did not realize what a big "to-do" the Chelsea Flower Show was--turned out to be 50+ pounds for entry). We were glad to have stumbled upon this beautiful place, though. Flowers are a huge part of the culture and everyday life around here. From flower shows, multiple gardens, to an outdoor flower shop at nearly EVERY tube stop, you really can't get away--for all you flower-haters.  What I found most intriguing is the plants labeled Anesthesia.  Is that, in fact, the plant used to derived the drug used in surgery, or just a coincidence? Anesthesia, to me, seems it would be created by a bit more complicated a procedure.  The tulips are ENORMOUS, just sayin'. You find bigger tulips and I will buy you a soda. Another aspect of the garden, and calling upon the healthy eaters out there, is the edible foods section of the garden! In the last photo, you can see a kale plant, flowering! Completely different from how I envisioned kale growing, this plant is more like a tree; tall, beautiful flowers, and random bunches of kale (bunches about the size we would buy at the store in the US) growing up it.  There were countless other cool edible plants as well, like plants used to derive oils, ginger roots, different berries, and more. In a country where fresh ingredients in a must, the importance given to gardens and edible plants is no mystery. :)
That's all the time I have today folks, off to Stonehenge and Bath! XOXO

London Breakfast

I LOVE LOVE LOVE London breakfasts!...minus the baked beans because I'm just not there yet. The two middle pics are examples of the traditional Full English Breakfast, which nearly every bakery or breakfast shop offers.  This consists of two eggs, toast, hash browns, bacon, a sausage link, baked beans, and a tomato slice (you know, to keep it healthy...) The last photo was from a little bakery/coffee shop called Gail's.  It is spinach greens, portobello mushrooms, brie, and a fried egg all on a nice big slice of fresh baked bread (some sort of wheat). Breakfast is big here, probably because you've got to fuel up for your long journey to work and would rather sit on the tube with a full belly than sit on the tube all hangry (hungry+angry). I still don't understand the love for baked beans and BBQ sauce with your breakfast, but maybe I will learn soon enough. It could be borrowed from Western culture, but maybe baked beans just taste amazing with eggs, bacon, and sausage...this girl may never know.  What I do know, and it would be hard to miss, is Londoners' love for eggs.  When I say love,...I mean LOVE.  You'll find eggs in many dishes from the obvious breakfast staples to halves floating in your Ramen at the Chinese Restaurant, to a half an egg randomly (to me) added to your plate local pub. Hey, eggs are a magical food, so more power to you, I'm lovin' it.

Janet's Pub and the Chelsea Flower Show

Janet's Pub! We stumbled upon this hidden little gem of a pub while wandering around the other night.  It s a unique little pub tucked under the stairs of the Brompton hotel by South Kensington tube stop. Packed full of Aussie gardeners celebrating their victory at the Chelsea Flower Show earlier that day (which apparently is like "the Grammy's for Gardeners", and attracts loads of press and prestigious guests like Prince William, Duke of Cambridge--proven through the many photos that were shown to me on various phones). From an inflatable Santa Claus hanging from the fan, to the various other seemingly random decorations, apparently this bar screams Australian flair. :) Janet's Pub was opened by a New Yorker named ....Janet, I believe ;), and though no larger than a bedroom, it was overflowing with a fun and inviting atmosphere. We sat and talked with the Australian Gardening Team, who won first place trophy in the Flower Show, and I learned that their piece took 19 days to build and, if I'm remembering correctly, $1.4 million dollars worth of plants, sand and stone imported from Australia. If I am wrong on that number, it was more. You've got to keep it authentic! They compete in the show without pay and the prize is a glass trophy and bragging rights. Trust me when I say they were so passionate about what they do, that's all they wanted and could have boasted and celebrated all night (which I am sure they did..and are continuing to do!).  They explained it to me by stating, "It's not about money, we do it because it's in the heart, it's deeper than that, way deeper than that"(Australian Gardener #1). It was such a fun experience listening to them explain what it took to reach their goal, and getting to see all the pictured of the works of art and celebrities in attendance. :)

Pre-departure :)

Hi guys!

Abby here.  I am a Senior at ASU, majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies; Business and Economics.  This blog was created as my own personal travel blog to keep track of my experiences, adventures, and learnings over a 7 week period I will be abroad.  The ability to travel to various spots in England and Scotland, a weekend in Germany, and an amazing internship opportunity at my fingertips, this is looking to be a summer to remember.  I hope I learn a lot, grow as a person and as a professional, and create many memories that I can hold on to for many years to come! I am excited to leave the USA and experience different cultures and their people.  I am excited to soak it all in and learn valuable skills from my internship that I can apply to being a successful entrepreneur in the future.  I plan to come back slightly wiser, slightly happier, and way more focused for endeavors to come!  Follow along with me. XOXO.

                                  -Abby M. ;)