Day Trip To Oxford

Last month, I went with the school on a day trip to Oxford. Home of Oxford University. The one that Emma Watson attends. She was no there the weekend I went, but the sun was out and it was such a pretty day! Oxford is mostly a college town, but there was a chocolate festival AND a book festival there that weekend! I was in heaven! Here is a look at what I saw:

This is a HUGE bookstore that I want to live in!

How cute is that little bridge?

I'm going to have a replica of it to put in between the east and west wing of my home when I get my own pad.

I love gargoyles.

I really want this book.

This is Christ College, the book festival was next to it.

Susan "cupcakes just find me" B.

Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland Ballet

Ever since I was a little girl, my favorite Disney character has been Alice from Alice in Wonderland. When I was in the fourth grade I dressed as Alice for Halloween and then again when I was in high school and 3 more times as an adult. It's not just the blond hair that attracts me to Alice, nor the pinafore adorned dress. She's someone I can relate to. Not all of us aspire to be a princess. Now, I find myself wandering through a foreign world with professors as mad as the Hatter and the feeling of comfort that appears and disappears like the Cheshire cat. So I get her, Alice. Even more now as an adult then when I was a child. I have devoured this story in all it's forms. I've read the book not to mention every variation of written material, watched the countless versions of the movie adaptions, seen the play/musical, bought Cd's who's compilations were inspired by the story, watched the made for t.v. shows, and now, my latest, I have seen Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland the Ballet.

Shahida and I went to a performance at the Royal Opera House. It was magical! I think the perma-smile on my face was bigger than the Cheshire cat! It was so beautiful. The set, the props, the dancing-PERFECTION! I couldn't take pictures during the performance, but I got some off the web. I tried UBBER hard to upload two videos of the ballet, but it would not work. So you are going to have to watch them on You Tube.

Waiting for the show to start!

This is what the poster that I saw in the tube station looked like. I nearly flipped my lid when I saw it!

The view from our seats.

Ah, I love the Mad Hatter!!! He did a tap dance that was INCREDIBLE.

The Red Queen was SUPERB! Why do I always love the characters you are suppose to not like?

Yeah, the portrayal of the Cheshire Cat was amazing.

Susan "I'm late! For a very important date!" B.

Final Iceland Post

These are the last of the Iceland pictures. It was a great week. I learned lots, for example, I learned that I am a California girl through and through. I need sunshine and light to keep me happy and flip-flops and only one layer of clothing.

Icelandic Viking.

Fun fact: Icelanders "believe" in trolls. They have legends and stories about them. It's believed that if you put your sweet, loving child to bed at night and they wake up the next morning mean and bratty, then a troll must have stolen your sweet child and replaced it with a devil child. True story.

This is Maggie! She and I became fast friends this semester and I adore her. She didn't go to Iceland with the other students and I, but she met up with me for a few days of fun!

This church was directly across from my hotel. In fact, if I looked out my bedroom window, this is exactly what I would see. For a few kronor you can go to the top of the chapel and look down at all of Iceland. So I did.

Inside the church.

First view.

Little boxes: There's a green one and a pink one and a blue one and a yellow one and they look just the same.

While I was up top the church taking pictures, the clock stuck! Man Alive! It was LOUD.

Around the city of Reykjavik (Ray-k-vic)

This building is a music hall. At night the whole building is lit to look like the northern lights. Oh shoot, I forgot about those. If I get pictures of the northern lights I will post them.

This sign was in a souvenir shop. Made me chuckle. Funny Icelanders.

Bill Clinton ate at this hot dog stand...and so did I.

That's my hotel.

Random street.

This is their city jail. Pretty fancy huh? I learned that women are hardly ever convicted of a crime. If a women goes on trial for something or is accused of something, the Icelanders will assume that a man drove the woman to commit the crime. Example: A woman steals a bow and arrows from the local convenient store, then a man must be after her and she needed protection and it was the only way to get. She is set free. You have to love Iceland.

Parliament, not much security.

And now, graffiti that I enjoyed around the city.

"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass."

My vans made a heart in the snow.

Susan 'From now on, all my crimes will be committed in Iceland" B.