Day One:
We flew from Salt Lake City to Boston to London.
It took all day. And I mostly slept.
And read Tina Fey's book called Bossy Pants.
Day Two:
We got to London and immediately went on a bus tour of London's sites.
We started at Hyde Park and Saw Prince Albert Hall and The Royal College of Music.
We drank tea at the cutest little cafe
We watched the changing of the guard
And walked around a lot.
It helped the jet lag.
We ate dinner together at a pub in Covent Gardens (on Druary Lane!)
And later that night, we had a string quartet rehearsal in our swanky London hotel room.
Day Three:
We went to a masterclass at LSO St. Lukes with Nicolaj Znaider
And spent the night in Cambridge
where we played a concert at Great St. Mary's Church.
Later that night Brecklyn and I ate dinner at a crepe place in Cambridge
And since it was "Crepe and Pancake Tuesday" we got free drinks too.
Day Four:
We were coached in a masterclass by an awesome musician named Ian Brown
At an awesome church called St. Pancras Church.
(The patron saint of digestion?)
We also had a backstage tour of the Royal Opera House
And spent more time in Covent Gardens.
Later that night, we drove to Kensington and had a side by side rehearsal
with the Orchestra of the Imperial College.
Day Five:
A group of us took the tube to Harrods.
High end fashion to take your breath away.
Ate lunch at their amazing cafeteria.
Went to a mid-day solo Bach cello recital
Performed by Peter Wispelwey
Attended evensong at St. Paul's Cathedral
And saw La Fille Du Regiment at the Royal Opera House
on the very back row.
It was amazing.
Day Six:
Was lame.
We took a boring tour of the Handel House Museum
And then spent a lot of time walking around trying to find a place to eat.
If you're ever in London, DO NOT eat at a place called Garfunkels. It was gross.
Then some of us took a walk along the Thames River and saw stuff like
The Globe Theater where Shakespeare performed his plays
The Millennium Bridge- (the side suspension bridge in Harry Potter 6)
London Bridge
Tower Bridge
Big Ben
The Parliament Building
and evensong at West Minster Abbey.
Then Brecklyn and I got lost and missed an awesome masterclass
At the Royal Academy of Music.
Which is DIFFERENT than the Royal College of Music.
Day Seven:
Had a chill morning of "lying in" ... the British form of sleeping in.
And much needed practicing. Cause I'm a geek.
Then took the bus to a small town called Chalgrove
Where we had a rehearsal
And then ate a delicious dinner at the Red Lion
Then played an awesome concert
(where a cute old man at intermission told me that I was his favorite)
The church where we played was built in the 12th century!
Day Eight:
Brecklyn and I took the tube to Notting Hill Gate Station
Which is right past Paddington Station
And where you can find Portobello Road
Where truly anything on earth can be sold!
Bought some souvenirs
And the strongest ginger tea of my life,
Then took the bus to another small town
This one was called Pottersbury
Where we had a rehearsal
And then were invited to tea at the Duke's estate called Wakefield
Which is like the Downton Abbey of Pottersbury
They even have their own heard of free-roaming deer.
We played our last concert that night at St. Nicolaus Church.
Which was built in the 13th c. off of an original Roman Road.
Day Nine:
We woke up early and flew from London to Minneapolis
Then spent four hours in the Minneapolis airport before finally flying home to Salt Lake.
I spent most of my time awake
Reading Imagine by Jonah Lehrer.
Coolest textbook I've ever read.
