Abandoned.

Hi readers, and too-long abandoned blog-

I apologize for such a lengthy period between blog posts. I didn't have much Internet access on the last leg of my European adventure in Ireland and on the Isle of Mann. Both were gorgeous and breath-taking. I do have three albums full of pictures for you all to look through if you're interested. They are links to my Facebook albums, so, once again if you are on an office computer or any other computer that has sites like Facebook and Myspace blocked, you will have to look at them from a personal computer. Here are the links:

Ireland and Isle of Mann I.

Ireland and Isle of Mann II.

Ireland and Isle of Mann III.

I hope you all enjoy these pictures. A lot of them are the result of self-entertainment for myself and my cousin, traveling companion, and roommate for a week and a half; Brooke. It was really nice to have some bonding time with her over the trip. We kept each other laughing constantly and she made me feel, for lack of a better word or phrase, young again. She has an infectious laughter and such a child-like persona all of the time that one can help but be brought up by it.

Life back in the states feels like I picked up exactly where I left off and never left the country for two months. The bump and grind of summer class and getting caught up on laundry, sleep, and with friends has been constant. I only have three weeks left of my summer classes and then get to go home for a couple of weeks before the fall semester starts. It brings with it cool weather, a new roommate, and a new set of challenges and goals to be met. I look forward to what is in store for me. I will try to be better about updating this (Yes, I know you've heard THAT one before), but most of it will be dry, boring, everyday type things. After all, there is no Eiffel Tower in Texas! I hope to continue to have readers and hopefully keep you all updated on how things are for me stateside. Good night all.

I love you.

Always,

Mattie.

Farwell.

Good Evening Darlings-

This post is going to be short and bittersweet.

I am wrapping up my final hours here in London, England. I have not compiled my "List of Things I am going to Miss about London" yet because the current list in my head is infinite. I will have time on my plane ride to Ireland in the morning to get them straightened out and written down. I also plan to make a list of the top things to do/see in London for WHEN each of you come to see it at some point in your life.

I have so many mixed emotions grabbing my heart right now that it is hard to sit down and write this, even though writing has always been therapeutic for me, I really feel like running up and down the streets of London taking it all in one last time. Small pieces of my heart are going to remain tucked away in this city. Forever. I hope to one day come back to visit them. I will miss this place with every fiber of my being. This bittersweet ending to the most incredible experience of my life is sure to drag out in insurmountable amounts of sadness and also joy to being this much closer to seeing my family and friends.

I would appreciate thoughts and prayers of safe travel for me to Ireland tomorrow morning and also safe travel for my grandpa, cousin, and myself on our journey back to the States on 5 July.

A TREMENDOUS THANK YOU goes out to all of my faithful readers. I truly, truly appreciate the support and positive feedback I have gotten about this blog. I am so pleased to have been able to bring little pieces of London to each of you. Thank you, from my whole heart. I look forward to seeing you all in a few days and sharing stories and catching up on everything I have been missing back home. This, of course, is far from my last blog post...I still have Ireland, of course! However, this IS my last blog post from London. Thank you all, once again, for your thoughts, prayers, encouragement and devotion to this blog...you all keep me writing. :) I love and miss each of you.

Good night, one last time, from London.

Always,

Mattie.

Bath.

Hi all-

I am trying something a little different for this blog, so bear with me please. You may have noticed that I did not add a million pictures to this post. Well, I have a simple explanation and possibly solution (that I probably should have been using all along). I usually make large albums on Facebook for all of my pictures before/after I upload them on here. The albums contain more pictures since I can upload them all at once instead of having to do only 5 pictures at a time like I do on this blog. I believe Facebook has a semi-new feature now where I can share these whole albums with you all, even if you don't have a Facebook account. This is going to be a trial and error thing to see if you all can see them. There shouldn't be any problem unless you are on a company computer that has sites like Facebook and Myspace blocked on their network. I will provide the links for all of my albums from London thus far. I should warn you that there can be up to 200 pictures in each album and looking through them will be time consuming, however these pictures will be up for a very long time, so look at them at your leisure.

This list runs from most recently updated to oldest:

London III
Bath
Shakespeare
Paris

Wimbledon

The Beatles
Salisbury & Stonehenge
Football & Cheese Rolling
Oxford

London II

London I

I hope this is easier and more efficient for you all. I would appreciate any e-mails in regards to this being successful or not. Also I should warn you that my "Facebook friends" are allowed to (and have) made several comments on my Facebook pictures and I'm not positive, but some may use offensive language or jokes one might consider unsuitable, so please be aware of that and ignore it if you see it.

Today was a pretty exciting day. We went combing the river bed of the Thames River (because of low tide this morning) for treasure. There are a ton of broken pipes, plates, bones, tiles, etc. that surface on the river bed. I found a nearly completed pipe from the Elizabethan era (which was in the time of Shakespeare himself in the 17th century!!!) so it is VERY old. They used to sell tobacco in pre-packed pipes because it was too expensive to buy a pouch or can of it. These pre-made pipes were smoked and discarded and now fragments of them litter the Thames River bed. I found a nearly whole pipe. Yes, this sounds gross to some of you, but it's really cool that it is several centuries old and could have been used by one of Shakespeare actors, or Shakespeare himself. I like to hope so. Haha. There are also tiles from London buildings from the 17th century. Some of the tiles are blackened from the devastating London fires of 1666. Yes, there are tiles that are several hundred years old! It's astonishing. I collected one of those as well as some pretty pieces of broken China plates. After we combed the river bed, the class went via the tube and our professor via his motorcycle to meet outside of the National Gallery and walked to the National Portrait Gallery where we saw famous portraits of everyone from Queen Elizabeth I to Henry the VIII and this portrait of Shakespeare. It was really awesome and our professors knowledge and explination of each picture and it's relevence to Shakespeare was astonishing. I have become so much of a Shakespeare fan after the conclusion of this Shakespeare class, it's unbelievable! My professor took us on a small tour of the Tuder section of the gallery and parted with "I am going to find my rose!" (referring to his wife whom he calls his "English Rose"....everyone together: "awww...") After the National Portrait Gallery, I went to King Cross train station to find Platform 9 3/4 from the Harry Potter movies! I dearly love Harry Potter, so this was a must before I leave London. Mission was successful. I had some nice Asian girls take my picture in front of it and then one of them wanted a picture in front of it with me?! Maybe because I am American? They were really sweet about it. I got home fairly early this afternoon and have been working on my final to turn into class tomorrow. I just have to turn in this final by tomorrow afternoon and then it's pack, pack, pack and leave for Ireland Saturday morning...so I am down to almost my last 24 hours in London!! It hasn't hit me yet that I will soon be leaving this amazing city full of cool weather and kind people. I will probably make my "What I Am Going to Miss About London" list very soon. I absolutely fell in love with it and am sad to leave. I am looking forward to seeing Ireland and, of course, seeing some of my family! I have never been away for so long...ok, I am starting to ramble and I need to finish my final. I love and miss each of you...I will be back in the States in a week and a half! I hope everyone has an amazing evening and a great weekend.

Always,
Mattie.

Regent's Park.

Here are a few pictures from "Much Ado About Nothing" that I went to see at the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park. This is the cast I watched put on the performance (I did not take these pictures, but I gave credit where it is due). You can also go read more about the production, cast, story, and see more pictures at the Open Air website. There are not words for how astounding this play was.

Claudio (played by Ben Mansfield) was amazing. The actor did a great job of bringing the "Handsome Florentine" Claudio to life. I may have fallen in love a little.

The Open Air has very interesting program and pamphlet art. I like it.

One of my favorite Shakespearean couples. Beatrice (played by Samantha Spiro) and Benedick (played by Sean Campion). This couple is one that has a history, they are one of the more mature couples of Shakespeare's works and really seem like they will make their relationship last at the conclusion of the play. They have a great battle of wits between each other and they work because they constantly keep each other on their toes. The actors had great chemistry and made Beatrice and Benedick completely lovable to the audience.

The best character of the show (in my opinion) was Beatrice (by actress Samantha Spiro). She had so much energy and was a witty, vivacious character. She really brought a spark to the play. (Photograph: Alastair Muir)

A matinee audience watch a production of Much Ado About Nothing at the Open Air Theatre, Regents Park. I went to a matinee show and it was great, I had really close seats and the actors bring the audience in and really make them feel like part of the production. (Photo: Getty Images)

Ben Mansfield as Claudio, again. (Photos: Alistair Muir)

Samantha Spiro (Beatrice) overhears Anneika Rose (Hero) and Sarah Ingram (Ursula) praising Benedick aiding in the love she already has (but won't show) for him. I strongly recommend you to read "Much Ado About Nothing" or at least watch the movie or a theatre production of it. It (like most Shakespeare) is phenomenal. (Photo by Alistair Muir)

The "overheard" scene of Benedick overhearing the Prince and Claudio praising Beatrice. (Photo by Alistair Muir)

These pictures are mostly for your aesthetic pleasure. They are all of the different varieties of flowers and other flora and fauna that the beautiful Regent's Park has to offer. I watched the matinee of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" at the Open Air theatre there and then went on a picture-taking expedition afterward and these pictures were the result. Enjoy. :)

The entrance to Regents Park. I believe this has been in an earlier post, but this is a better picture.

Hi-

Never fear, this is not going to be one of my usually long-winded posts. I am starting to wrap things up here in England. I will be back in the United States in two weeks from today! I cannot beleive it. Time has flown. I will get into Artesia late on July 5, then drive to Lubbock on July 6 to start summer school (with class everyday 9-4) on July 7! Things are never going to slow down this summer! I hope to make trips back to Artesia the first couple of weekends I am back in Lubbock to spend a little more time with my family before getting a job that will more than likely consume my weekends once I've started it.

Once again, I leave for Ireland/Isle of Mann on Saturday to meet up with Grandpa Tom and Brooke (who just arrived there today) for a week long stay on the Isle at a bed and breakfast (hello, nice shower and comfortable bed!) and then I'm homeward bound. I will probably only have one or two more posts after this one to conclude my England trip and hopefully I will be able to post from Ireland as well. If not, I will post all of the pictures from Ireland when I am back Stateside. The last two major events we have before our England stay is finished are "Dirty Dancing" musical tomorrow night and a midsummer boat party on Thursday night. This will be a nice opportunity to say our goodbyes and be together one last time before we all leave early on Saturday morning after routine room checks and check-outs. I am lucky to only be saying a temporary goodbye seeing as how the main girls (Kelsey and Jordan) I hang out with the most here go to Texas Tech too. :) (Red Raiders stick together...there were more of us as a group in this program than groups of other students from same schools.) So I'm sure there will be plenty of "we-miss-london-and-want-to-go-back-NOW" reunions once we are all back in Lubbock.

Well, good night all! I hope everyone has a fantastic week. I love and miss each of you.

Always,
Mattie.

Shakespeare Walk.

This post is for the Shakespeare London Walk I went on for my "Shakespeare in His World" class.

A cool cross in the window at the Salvation Army. This has nothing to do with Shakespeare, but I thought the refection was neat.

Inside the Globe Theatre. This is where I watched "Romeo and Juliet". I actually stood close to the corner at the far end of the stage in this picture.

The stage at the Globe. They were taking down the "Romeo and Juliet" stage set to prepare for "As You Like It".

Some of the costumes used in productions in the Globe's museum.

We all have a little Shakespeare in us:
"On Quoting Shakespeare
If you cannot understand my argument, and declare ``It's Greek to me'', you are quoting Shakespeare; if you claim to be more sinned against than sinning, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you recall your salad days, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you act more in sorrow than in anger; if your wish is farther to the thought; if your lost property has vanished into thin air, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you have ever refused to budge an inch or suffered from green-eyed jealousy, if you have played fast and loose, if you have been tongue-tied, a tower of strength, hoodwinked or in a pickle, if you have knitted your brows, made a virtue of necessity, insisted on fair play, slept not one wink, stood on ceremony, danced attendance (on your lord and master), laughed yourself into stitches, had short shrift, cold comfort or too much of a good thing, if you have seen better days or lived in a fool's paradise -why, be that as it may, the more fool you , for it is a foregone conclusion that you are (as good luck would have it) quoting Shakespeare; if you think it is early days and clear out bag and baggage, if you think it is high time and that that is the long and short of it, if you believe that the game is up and that truth will out even if it involves your own flesh and blood, if you lie low till the crack of doom because you suspect foul play, if you have your teeth set on edge (at one fell swoop) without rhyme or reason, then - to give the devil his due - if the truth were known (for surely you have a tongue in your head) you are quoting Shakespeare; even if you bid me good riddance and send me packing, if you wish I was dead as a door-nail, if you think I am an eyesore, a laughing stock, the devil incarnate, a stony-hearted villain, bloody-minded or a blinking idiot, then - by Jove! O Lord! Tut tut! For goodness' sake! What the dickens! But me no buts! - it is all one to me, for you are quoting Shakespeare.
Bernard Levin "

The costume worn in The Globe's production of "Hamlet".

"All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances..." quote from "As You Like It."

One of the posters for "Romeo and Juliet".

The Globe Theatre, and our tour guide; Sean. He broke out into song and dance after this picture was taken. Yes, I got it on video. It is at the end of this post.

A cute little restaurant.

This is where they used to chain a bear up to a stake and have a pack of dogs attack it and place bets on who would win the fight. The queen would often go watch this barbaric "sport". I will spare you all the gruesome details about the sport, but hence the "Bear Gardens" street name.

A wall with pictures of some of Shakespeare's characters portrayed on it.

The site of the Rose Theatre. They filmed parts of the movie "Shakespeare In Love" here. It's one of my favorite movies so I was very excited. :)

The original site of The Globe Theatre before it burned down due to a cannon being fired during one of the plays and catching the thatched roof on fire. This was the same year Shakespeare retired.

The slightly disturbing soft serve ice cream trucks.

The Anchor. This is one of the oldest pubs in England and this area was one that Shakespeare would have known. This is also where the ending scene in one of the "Mission Impossible" movies was filmed. Tom Cruise has a drink in The Anchor.

Johnson's Tea House had something to do with the Webster Dictionary, but I forgot the significance.

This is where you were hung if you were convicted of a crime or if you were a prostitute of an unruly woman toward your husband. Haha.

An old window that used to have stone glass. It was one of the very few buildings to survive the London fires.

A replica of the Golden Hinde ship. You can have kids birthday parties on here.

The cathedral where Shakespeare's brother Edmund is buried.

A sign in one of the marketplaces in London. The market was used to shoot scenes from movies like "Bridget Jones' Diary" and the third Harry Potter.

Some of the cooler parts of London that I hadn't gotten to see until this walk.

The George, another one of the oldest pubs in London. This is an area Shakespeare would have known as well as Jane Austen. She has this particular spot described in one of her novels.

This is another view of the cathedral where Edmund Shakespeare is buried.

It just wouldn't be England without one of these.

The London Dungeon. I'm not sure what this is, but it's somewhere in Jack the Ripper territory I think.

Saint Olive on the side of a building. This also had nothing to do with Shakespeare, but I liked it.

The history of the London Bridge...before it fell down the first time.

The momument dedicated to the vitims and destruction caused by the London fires in 1666.

Parts of the original London Bridge are in Arizona after an American bought them and had all 200 tons shipped by boat to the United States. He recreated a bridge out of the stones, but the bridge ended up falling down as well. Hence to "London Bridge is Falling Down" song, and not Fergie's rendition, I mean the original. For those of you who don't know what Fergie song I am talking about (or who "Fergie" is) you aren't missing out.

Some details on The Momument .

Our Shakespeare London Walks tour guide doing a song and dance about the weather. He was awesome.

Hi darlings-

This post, as so many before, had most of the information in the picture captions. I thoroughly enjoyed this walk through London. I got to see the small parts of London that the busy, posh area of Kensington can't provide. We got to see hidden pubs and alleys that are so rich with London history. The tour guide, as all have been, was very knowladgable and enthusiastic. The amount of information these London Walks tour guides have never ceases to amaze me. I wish I had enough time to sit down and have a cup of coffee with each of them. There stories are enthralling. I leave for a daytrip to Bath, England tomorrow morning and then I will most likely be attending a matinee showing of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" at the Open Air Theatre. I absolutely live and breath Shakespeare after taking my Shakespeare course here with Dr. Tucker. I feel like I have gained a lifetime of knowledge on his works and have found my thoughts coming in a very Shakespearean language/manner. Dr. Tucker has opend up another world with his incite into Shakespeare's words and the minute detail of meaning behind them. Anyone who is interested, I would be happy to sit down and have a long Shakespearean talk with you and share some of the vast amount of knowledge Dr. Tucker provided me with. It really brings Shakespeare's works to life in the most intriguing way.

On another note, I have already begun to get things ready for my departure back to the States. I got my departure documents under my door yesterday and have been filling out evaluations of the program as well as flight information forms. I will be flying out of London on Saturday, 27 June at 11:15 AM. I will fly into Dublin, Ireland and land at about 12:30 PM to meet up with my Grandpa Tom and cousin Brooke to begin a week long holiday in Ireland and on the Isle of Mann. I am immencely excited for some green Irish country side and firey Irish accents. I do miss home though and look forward to being back on American soil in 2 1/2 weeks.

I will leave you all with a Shakespeare sonnet (of course). It is "Sonnet No. 29" and one that I am trying to commit to memory to conjure up whenever I'm bored, stressed, prompted to recited random poetry, etc. We had a workshop in class today with British actress Jane Wymaker and she suggested we learn a poem and have one ready in our heads for any moment. This is a brilliant notion, and this is the one I am trying to commit to memory:

Sonnet No. 29

When, in disgrace with Fortune and men's eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And troubled deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,
Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate:
For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

I hope all is well at home and that everyone has a splendid weekend. I miss and love each of you.

Always,
Mattie.