7-4-2005 april Thursday

i just got back from a trip to london - that i went on ALL-BY-MYSELF!! it was fantastic. didn't worry not even once (well, maybe that i was looking too touristy when i took out my map). i decided to go their on my own for fear ofnot being able to see all that i want tolof london. i boarded thebus right after class and went there, eating my lunch on the way. 2 hours later i was there, dropped off on some london street corner not quite knowing where to go. i needed a bus to tate modern, but these buses wizzing past me didn't show that they were going there. i kept looking, not quite sure what to do. first thing i probably should do is buy a bus ticket, and i found a ticket vender right in front of me, so i purchased a pass. then i started walking untili figured that my best bet would be to go to waterloo station. i find a bus stop and tentatively hop the next bus that says waterloo. good thing i have a street smarts -yeah. moments later i was dropped off at waterloo - and a costa coffee. i think it was a sign from God, him telling me to congratulate myself for getting this far so i ran inside for my favorite - double choc flake frescato. i took that and easily navigated myself through the streets until i proudly stood in front of the grand Tate Modern. i entered and noticed i had an hour and a half to see everything so off i went - first stop - the turbine hall - the gallery used to be an old mill and the turbine hall is a grand opening - pretty much of nothing. every now and then they will fill it was a huge piece of art,but today it was empty except for the sound ofwhat i believe may have been a turbine - to add to the atmosphere - you could hear it grouning as you went up the escalator. i then turned up the next one and entered the first gallery - picasso, matisse, monet, dali, polluck, degas, rodin, rothko - so many, many, many great works of art! i can't even believe how many masterpieces i have seen. i even saw one of my favorites - watterlillies by claude monet, amazed by how huge it was. i even saw some rooms that were a whole piece in themselves. on of the 30 copies of squeak's favorite, 'tiny dancer aged 14,' by degas was there. for some reason i thought it would be larger, but beartiful just the same. then, after the 2 gallery floors, successfully completing the gallery, i ran down tothe gift store and bought favorites that i saw and a poster tube. i was pretty excited about the poster tube. now i have something to put all my posters in and it says TATE and it's blue.

out the door, i crossed the famous millenium bridge to st. pauls, taking pictures the whole way. after many photographs, i hopped a bus to victoria's station - not knowing it was going the wrong way. so i had to wait for a turn around bus, which didn'tlast long, and then i was off, back to victoria. i hopped off early for food, then best i could see was mcdonalds, so i went for a safe bet with chicken mcnuggets. i then put the food in my backpack and went to locate the bus stop for the oxford tube back to oxford. i found victoria's station and circled it - finding nothing. it now started to rain so i ran to take cover andtake out a map. went back, went down another street and successfully located the bus stop. after a long wait, a crabby bus driver, who i lied to, sort of,when he asked if i had KFC in my backpack (he was my pop in my hand). i told him no, and he said that's what he though. i was telling the truth - i had mcdonalds. found a spot on the top deck, got situated and took out my food - enjoyed my peaceful ride back to oxford. feeling more independent than ever.