May 22 - HBD P Ry

We had an early morning to start off the most important day of the trip, Professor Ryan’s birthday! We had a quick breakfast and gave P Ry his present, he loved it! We had a busy day ahead of us in Paris so we left pretty early.

We got on the metro and went to visit the Paris Olympic bidding committee. We got there a little early so we walked around the area for a while and got some coffee. At the meeting with the bidding committee we spoke with two people. We learned about their roles in the committee and what they want the legacy of the Paris games to be. We discussed our own interests and were able to critique and complement their bid. It was great to be able hear about the inside of the committee and what they have been focusing on as the bidding process is coming to an end. After the meeting with the Paris bidding committee, we left to go to the French Open. We had lunch first at a restaurant right by the stadium and then walked over. We were there for qualifying matches so we were able to hop around to different courts to see multiple games. It was very hot that day but it was relaxing to watch the matches. It was also cool to see the famous Roland Garros park where the matches are held.

After the French Open, we all gradually went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. We were having a late dinner to celebrate P Ry’s birthday but first had to wait for a table to be open at the restaurant so we went to a place around the corner to kill time and watched some esports on TV, which P Ry was not very interested in. We eventually got to dinner and had a great celebration! Many of us tried new foods to get a taste of the French cuisine such as duck and veal. We also coordinated with the waiter to be able to sing happy birthday to P Ry. To be extra fun, we all sang it in a different language if we knew one. With our diverse group, we were able to have versions sung in French, Spanish, Korean, German, Ukrainian, Hebrew, and surprisingly the only person singing in English was our French waiter. The restaurant was closing by the time we were leaving (everything is so much later in Europe) and they gave us all a free baguette!

May 22 - Celebrating (once in) a life time

Paris Bid Committee

            In order for the Olympics to happen a host city must be chosen to hold the games. Right now the city of Paris is awaiting a decision from the International Olympic Committee to find out if they will host the 2024 Olympic games. At this moment they are trying to outbid Los Angeles. Today we met with the group of people responsible for putting together Paris’ proposal on their plans if they should be chosen to host the 2024 Olympic games. They explain a lot about the process of getting a city ready to host the Olympics and how much planning has to be worked out before they submit the bid. This year Paris is focusing on the needs of the athletes and asking for their input to ensure the success of the games. In order to better understand how they could improve the athletes’ experience they sent out questionnaires to help select the Olympic village. Another strategy they are using to create a stronger connection with the athletes and the city is pairing them with a domestic sponsor that reflects the values of that athlete to help tell their story better. Most importantly the Paris bid has put a large emphasis on sustainability and creating a more environmentally conscious atmosphere for the games. This was a unique experience as they were able to answer many of our questions and we got a first hand look at the behind the scenes of planning the Olympic games.

French Open: Qualifiers

            This year we were fortunate enough to be in Paris at the same time as the qualifying rounds of the French Open. While there weren’t any huge names like Serena Williams or Rodger Federer we still got to enjoy matches from other countries. What makes Rolland Garros so special is that the matches are held on clay courts, whereas Wimbledon boasts grass courts, and the U.S. Open is hard court. I cannot tell you how hot the day was but I can tell you how exciting it was sitting courtside for an international sporting event. We had gotten in too late to watch the USA vs. Australian match but we did catch a USA vs. France match. The two young men competing in the qualifiers were only 19 years old – and I thought getting into college at 17 was impressive. Because we had gotten there later in the afternoon we had missed quite a few matches and the heat was not inviting us to stay longer. However, with some cooler weather and an earlier start I would definitely had stayed all day. What made it so interesting is that the courts are literally back to back with each other and for tennis there was a lot of background noise. You were also able to turn around and watch the match behind you.  Altogether the French Open Qualifiers were much more casual than I would have thought but it was definitely a good time.

Last but not least we finished the evening celebrating our fearless leader's birthday, commemorating his last birthday on the Olympic Odyssey tour. Happy Birthday P. Ry!

May 20th - The other 1/2 of the adventure

Buckingham Palace

            The Palace is the residence and administrative office of the Queen of England. The Palace was built in 1703 by the Duke of Buckingham but did not become the official residence of the British monarch until Queen Victoria in 1837. Since Queen Victoria five generations of monarchs have lived in the palace. Although visitors are not permitted to tour the palace many have witnessed the changing of the guard, notorious for its elaborate procession and precise execution. Unfortunately for us we were unable to see the changing of the guard due to a recent change in policy in which the full ceremony is no longer held on Saturdays. Although there was no show to watch the palace itself is fascinating to visit. 

Westminster Abbey 

            Originally commissioned by Edward the Confessor as a royal burial church, the abbey was later rebuilt by Henry III in Anglo-French Gothic style, which remained under construction from 1245 to 1517. In 1540 Henry VIII granted the abbey the status of cathedral after he separated from the Catholic Church in order the marry Anne Boleyn and formed the Church of England. Today the Abbey is used for Royal Weddings, coronations, and burials. The cathedral itself is open to the public to tour, which I would highly suggest doing due to the rich and vast history kept in its walls. Not only does the church contain the burial sites of many British monarchs such as Queen Elizabeth I and King Richard II, but it also servers as the burial or commemorative site of 3,300 other people. The site is also the burial ground of famous historical figures such as Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Sir Laurence Olivier. 

Harrods

            For those of you who have experienced the hustle and bustle of New York City’s Sax Fifth Ave during the holiday season, you haven’t seen anything until you’ve experience Harrods on a Saturday in Spring. The luxury department store sits on 5 acres of land and includes one million square feet of retail shopping. Each department feeds into another and the elaborate Egyptian escalators bring you to the next level of shopaholics. While the shopping itself was a bit overwhelming we did manage to make our way up to the ice cream parlor that our Professor had raved about. The hype was definitely worth the chaos. For nearly $25 American dollars you can get yourself an over the top, decadent, and luxurious ice cream Sunday. However after eating one you might not want to rush off to dinner anytime soon. 

Classic Fish and Chips with a Side of Hackney

May 19th

Today began bright and early with a visit to the Faraday House, the home of SU Abroad London. There we were able to use WiFi to check in on emails, catch up on journals blog posts, etc. I personally spent the majority of that time  drinking the best mint tea I had ever had, It was literally mint leaves in a cup of water, tea could not possibly get anymore minty.

We then had the pleasure of hearing from  Charlie Foreman, who worked with the London borough of Hackney throughout the London Olympic process. Foreman’s main role was to cater to the needs of the community, and ensure that the Olympics left a positive impact of the borough of Hackney. In his presentation, Foreman explained that where the Olympics were held was a relatively  poor part of London, with little resources. The organizers wanted to use the Olympics as a means of revitalization for the 4 boroughs, including Hackney, that  the Olympic park was built in. Foreman discussed the numerous ways he and his team tried to drum up excitement about the Olympics within Hackney, and get the Organizing committee to keep the residents of Hackney on their mind when planning out the games. This resulted in a concert that 30,000 residents of Hackney got to go to, the chance to volunteer for the games, new facilities all over the borough for residents to use, and the implementation of new programs to keep residents of Hackney fit such as the ”Personal Best” program.



After Foreman’s lecture, Professor Kim gave an excellent lecture on the organization of the games, and the major players  involved. We then ate lunch at the famous Borough market where I got a culinary tour from Professor Ryan. It featured an amazing Chorizo Sandwich, Oysters, Turkish Delights, amazing iced tea, some baked treats and more.

We then hiked down the the Thames river as a group, and saw the London Eye. We then split off into groups before dinner to explore different parts of the city. I headed over to St. Paul’s with some friends before the group met up for dinner at an amazing Fish and Chips restaurant.

 

May 20 - Last Minute London Adventures

On our last day in London half of the group started off the day at Portobello Market. We walked around and got the most delicious donuts. They were filled with Nutella!! There were many stands with clothes, knick-knacks, and food. It was a really nice morning and we got there early enough so there weren’t too many people at first.

After the market, we left to meet the rest of the group at the Wellington Arch on our way to the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. We eventually made it to the front gates of the palace when we had a startling realization… there was no changing of the guards on this Saturday. According to P Ry this is the first time in nine years that the changing of the guard has not happened on a Saturday. He was shocked. We still got a nice look at the palace though.

From Buckingham Palace, we walked to see Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. We had seen Ben from afar but now had the chance to take some up-close pictures. We walked by Westminster on our way to lunch in the basement of a church across the street (the dungeon, according to P Ry). We enjoyed some sandwiches quickly and then parted ways. Half of the group went to go see Westminster Abbey and took a tour inside and the other half went to Harrods, a luxury department store. Harrods was overwhelming but the ice cream was good. This is the place of P Ry’s favorite ice cream and a must-see for all.

We met up with some other people from the group at Harrods and enjoyed some candied nuts while planning out the next adventure. A group of us wanted to go to Abbey Road and Primrose Hill to take some pictures. Both were very worth the hike. We took a series of tube rides and walked a way but it was a fun experience. Taking pictures at Abbey Road was a little more challenging than expected because it is actually a very busy road, which most of us did not know. Primrose Hill has an observatory spot to look over the whole city which was pretty amazing.

We had to run an errand after we finished at Primrose Hill to get P Ry’s birthday gift. We took an uber to the store and found what we needed and also picked up a card and gift bag. We then had a little bit of time before dinner so we decided to take a bus to the restaurant. This was much more of an adventure than anticipated as we almost got pooped on by a bird before getting on and then got stuck behind a group bike tour that was going very slow.

We eventually got off the bus and enjoyed a girls’ night out at dinner with sushi! We took the tube back home and had a relaxing night in the hotel. London was great but it was nice to travel to a new city the next day!