Hello from London (and these cheeseballs!)

Sunday, March 1st 2015

You know that scene at the beginning of Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince? The one where that bridge is attacked and collapses? Well, we were there today, and we can assure you that this time around it did not get attacked nor did it collapse. The reason we make this comparison is that we are writing this blog post while chilling in the movie room at our hostel, and guess what movie is playing? (Hint: Read the first sentence again) 

Not this. This is bad. 

This. Much better.

Also, a fun little tidbit about this bridge. It seems someone has taken it upon themselves to make those nasty bits of gum a bit more pretty. So there are adorable little illustrations all over the walkway. Like these for instance.

Anyway, let’s get down to business and tell you about our day! 

First, we overslept. As in we were going to get up, but then we didn’t. We woke up and were left with 6(ish) minutes to eat breakfast. If you know us, you know that’s a problem. Sleepy and hungry...and rushed? Not really that super. But that’s okay! We survived, and got food! At breakfast there is only toast and cereal, so most people have a balance of the two, while Matt and I (Dani) make towers of bread on our plates that could last us until lunch. Today’s score: Matt: 4 slices, Dani: 5.

When we made it out the door it was cold again. Even when you’re coming from -10 degree weather, we can assure you that 46 degrees in London is not as warm as you’d think. And that wind is something fierce. Case in point, Eden’s hair (and her face). 

We made our way onto the Circle Line, which is the yellow line on the Tube, to find the Tate Modern. Breaking news though, our train terminated one stop prior to Mansion Hill due to construction. IMPROV TIME! We walked up to the nearest green line station, while taking a pit stop to see the Tower of London and the Gherkin. If you don’t know, these are a big deal – a former place of torture and imprisonment, and a building shaped like a pickle, respectively of course. 

Some interesting things about the Underground (commonly referred to as the Tube by londoners) include the fact that unlike the boring subways in NY, the trains in the Tube are color coded to correspond to the line you are on. At least so far they have been. So the Circle line (the yellow one) had yellow handles and railings. Also, “Mind the Gap” is a thing, and you really do need to be wary of the space between the platform and the train. Keep those feet safe!

Next stop, Tate Modern! But first, a group photo-op!

The Tate is somewhat similar to MoMA in NYC, but its architecture is way cooler. We saw some work by Alexander Calder, Richard Serra, Louise Bourgeois and many more. There were some really cool things to look at. Our main goal was an exhibit on Russian Constructivist Posters, most of which were propaganda posters for Lenin and Stalin. Attached to this show was a small show of Alexander Brodsky’s and Ilya Utkin’s illustrations. These were dreamscapes, worlds created to exist as if from a dream. The detail in them was amazing! 

Another somewhat scary piece was a dark room with screens on which images of people quickly flashed by. There was some nice poetry outside of the room (example below), but the room itself was rather unnerving. (Thanks for holding my (Eden) hand Josh! I know it was mostly because of the complete darkness so we wouldn’t lose each other, but yeah, it was freaky in there, so thanks)

  

There was also a sculpture in the corner of one room that Dani was very pleased to see. So pleased that she failed to yield to the cord on the floor keeping her at a respectful distance, and tripped and knocked over the priceless work…needless to say, this and the subsequent arrest were the most exciting moments of the day.

Eden’s just kidding guys, I’m not in jail and the work is fine. But I really did trip over that cord.

Finally, a very interesting piece was a video installation of a documentary by Artur Żmijewski from 2010 called Blindly. This showed a group of blind people creating works of art. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a clip to share with you. But if you ever do come across it, watch it!

Of course, our ventures in the Tate ended in the gift shop where it took an awful lot of willpower to not buy every single design book they had. However, some of us spent way too much money on books and may not eat much for the rest of the trip. Sometimes as designers, we must make sacrifices. On top of the books, they also had an excellent selection of very nicely designed magazines (again, the willpower had to be strong, and it was, but damn, it would have been nice to have weak willpower and the money to support it.) Here are just a few of the beautiful finds. 

Ugh. Just look at them. And look at all these design books. So. Hard. To. Walk. Away.

Anyway...

After the Tate we went in search of food. It was of the utmost necessity. We were all pretty hangry come 2:45 so we went off our separate ways. Eden, Whitney, JFink, Josh, Will, Gina, Matt P and I (Dani) stumbled upon fish and chips at a pub right outside St. Paul’s Cathedral for the great rate of 6.50 pounds (and it was take away - what we refer to as To Go, so we got to eat outside!) I (Dani) don’t even like fish but oh man, I can’t wait to get it again. 
(Can you believe it Mom and Dad?! I actually tried fish and LIKED it!)

St. Paul’s Cathedral was next on our agenda to see the boys choir in their Evensong Performance. The singing was beautiful, and the architecture and painted ceiling frescos were breathtaking. We were asked to not take pictures or video, but here's one we found online to give you an idea.

After this we went our separate ways. Initially the group met up at Starbucks, where Josh and DJ received new and improved names. 

We then made out way over to the Globe (of Shakespeare fame) We only peeked at it from the outside before moving on to a pub for a pint (and to escape the rain). 

So, as any good Brit would end their day, Eden, JFink, Will, Gina, Whitney and I (Dani) had a pint while watching a soccer game to finish our day of adventures.

On that note, we shall leave you. Go out and enjoy a pint and think of us.

Also, here’s some artsy humor for your enjoyment.

Cheers!

Check back tomorrow!

With love,

Eden + Dani

P.S. The true end to our day was dancing the night away with Ann and Jessica in the bar in the basement of our hostel. Right up until someone in the club farted and cleared the whole room. It was an eventful ending to an awesome day. Goodnight everyone!

Saturday, February 28

To start off our morning we all met up in our hostel, Clink 78, in the basement to have breakfast together. We then made our way to the nearest underground Tube. We found out that the courtesy in England is to stand on the right of escalators, so that those walking up or down can pass you on the left. Also, the light turns yellow before it turns green and before it turns red.

From there we found the right line to go to Trafalgar Square, where we started our scavenger hunt. Our first stop was the Horse Guard Parade, which is known for its mounted troopers of the queen, who are always on duty.

From there we proceeded to Westminster Abby where we also saw Big Ben.

Next we found Buckingham Palace, where the Queen was actually home! From there we saw St James Piccadilly church, built in 1684 by the famous architect Christopher Wren.

Our eyes really opened up when we saw that there were several homeless people sleeping on the pews of the church. We also saw Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden Piazza and St. Martin's in the Field.

We all met back up around 2:30 at Trafalgar Square where Josh, Jeremy, and Matt were pulled from the crowd to assist a street performer with his act. We all watched them do ridiculous dances at the performer's command. The crowd watching was huge, and Josh, Jeremy, and Matt were great sports, making everyone laugh.

After their return to the group, we were allowed to go our separate ways, some going to see illustrator Hattie Stewart, and others to see the paintings at the National Gallery. At the National Gallery we saw works from Seurat, Van Gogh, and Monet.

In the Tube, there were several posters and advertisements, however a series in particular that caught our eye was for the Underground itself. This series consisted of the Underground logo reimagined as images related to transportation. The design was simple with flat colors, and created compelling attention grabbing graphics while passing through the busy terminals.

Bridget + Sarah

 Started at 3:15 am this morning at the Lima Lot. Thank you to Peter Heeran for warming up the bus and taking us to Albany Airport. We have to thank Liv Zabka and Autumn Ballard who greeted us with snacks, hugs and help loading our gear. Cheers! That is the St Rose spirit all over.

We had an unadventurous flight to Newark and on to London. A few students took time to catch a few zzz's between flights.

We arrived in London at 9:30pm London time and made our way through customs without a hitch.

Our only hiccup was finding our transport bus. We certainly explored Heathrow airport. Once we were on board, the driver gave us a quick tour of London and then on to our hostel. We arrived at midnight - exhausted.

And now we are safe and sound at the Clink 78 in London! Ready for an adventure.

Preparing for Graphic Design in London 2015

Our trip to London is fast approaching and everyone is gathering together their "Londonwear" and accessories for an exciting adventure.

Fifteen students are making the journey and will be blogging every day with photographs and impressions of their daily experiences.

Our days will be filled with visits to prominent graphic design studios, design museums, and the graduate design program at The Royal College of Art. We will be staying at a vibrant hostel in central London which will provide the opportunity to meet other travelers from all over the world.

The trip begins February 27. Get ready to share the ride with us.