Ireland

Thursday, June 11th

Howth, Ireland

Today I decided to leave the busy city of Dublin and take a short ride to the costal town of Howth. Kacy and Tara told me about a hiking trail along the cliffs there so I decided to check it out.

After about a 25 minute ride, I stepped off the train into a cute little seaside town. There were a few shops and restaurants lining the main street and two piers that created a U shaped bay of water. I decided to walk out to the end of the first pier towards a sign that said "Howth Tourist Office". I was interested in what sort of tourism things they had and was hoping to get some information of somewhere to eat and maybe even a map showing where the path to the cliffs were. I walked into the "tourist office" to find that it was actually a "tourist hallway" with one sad rack of "tourist information" which was really just a postcard with a painted map on it...a map with no streets, or any information really. It was more a general picture of what Howth was shaped like and where things are generally located (of course with no directions or streets to help you find them). I took the postcard and figured it was better then nothing and decided to just wander. I went out to the edge of the pier and climbed a big wall so I could better sea the water and enjoy the breeze. It was beautiful! Off in the distance there was a small island, the water was very blue, the sky had only a few clouds in it. The air was filled with sounds of waves crashing on the rocks below and seagulls calling, you could smell the sea water and fish...I couldn't stop smiling. :) I stayed on the wall for a bit and then headed out to explore the rest of Howth. As I walked back along the pier I noticed some people looking into the water below and curious, I joined them. Below there were some sea lions peacefully swimming. They would occasionally surface and just stare up at all the people looking at them. It was quite funny. Some of the people bought some fish from the market across the street and started feeding them. It was fun to watch them dive and fight the seagulls for the food. After each fish they would pop back to the surface and just stare at us...they even followed me as I walked back along towards the main road.


I decided to skip the ferry ride out to the island they had and head towards the cliffs instead. Kacy drew me a rough map of where they were and told me that if I passed Tara Hall I was on the right road. So, armed with my postcard map and my picture from Kacy I set off up a steep hill hoping I was headed the right way. (I figured it wasn't that big so how could I really get lost?) About a mile up the road I finally came across Tara Hall (thanks Kacy!) and shortly after that I was at the beginning of the cliff trail.





The walk along the cliffs was amazing! Being the safe person I am, I of course, ignored the danger signs and strayed from the path to get closer to the edge. At one point I sat on a rock that was less then 3 feet from the edge. It was totally amazing! I took pictures over the edge and just sat there for a long time enjoying the sights, smells and sounds. I cannot describe how much I loved today. It has been probably one of the best days of the whole trip! I have wanted to go to Ireland my whole life and the realization that I am finally here and able to do it alone has be so great! I spent about 3 hours walking along the cliffs and sitting and watching the water below. It couldn't have been a better day-it was sunny and there was a cool breeze the whole time. (I even got a sunburn...didn't expect that in Ireland!)

When I started to feel hungry I figured it was time to head back to the town for lunch. The walk back down was just as beautiful as the walk along the cliffs. There are some gorgeous homes up there! At the bottom of the hill I consulted my "map" and saw that the village and shops were somewhere in the middle of green...helpful. I roamed the streets and did happen upon some small shops and restaurants, but nothing too special. One thing I did notice is an insane number of barbers/beauty shops. I counted at least 5, and that's a lot considering there were probably only 20 stores/restaurants! I'm still not sure if I found the "village" the map told me of, but if I did I would definitely say that Howth is not really a place to go if you want to eat cheap or shop. There really wasn't anything to do or see in the village itself. The cliffs are definitely the main attraction (for me anyways).

Since I didn't find anything real exciting I decided to just take the train back to Dublin and eat there. I spent the rest of the day roaming O'Connell and surrounding streets in Dublin. I ended the night with a Bulmers and a burger in a pub near my hostel and then headed back to pack and get ready to leave the next morning. I will really miss Ireland, but know I will be back in the near future to explore the rest of the country!



Yes, Toot came with me to the cliffs too. :) This is a shot from the rock right on the edge of the cliff. It's hard to tell, but he is straight out over the cliff and that is a HUGE drop below him to the water. Pictures can't really capture how impressive it was.

Ireland

Sorry I re posted this because it bothered me that it went on the blog before my other entries. :) I did add to the Tuesday part though, so read on!

Tuesday, June 9

I woke up very early this morning (5:30) to get ready and head to the airport to catch my flight to Dublin.

I was amazed at how easily I made it from the ticket counter to my gate. There was no one in line at the counter and only 2 people ahead of me at security. I can't help but think that security in Brussels (and maybe many other places?) is a lot more lax than it is in the U.S. They check and all but it seems much more laid back.

When they finally called our flight to start boarding I was like a kid getting on a plane headed to Disney World! I was soooo excited to finally be on my way to Ireland. I have wanted to go for as long as I can remember and it was so exciting to realize that my little dream was about to come true. The captain came on to introduce himself and I couldn't stop smiling. His name was S. Fitzpatrick and the flight attendants had equally Irish names and accents. :) It was so great!

When I landed I made my way to the Airlink bus that took me to the street across from my hostel. My hostel is located in such a great area! It is on Bachelors Walk which is right across from the Temple Bar area, and on the corner of O'Connell Street. My room was ready since I was staying in a private double so I decided to drop my things off and wash a few things in the sink before I headed out to explore. My room is on the 4th floor and is super cute. There is a skylight and I have my own little bathroom.

I had read that Trinity College was not going to be open for some of the time I am here, so I decided to head there first to go check out the book of Kells. It was pretty cool to see the book and learn more about the history of how the book was made and what happened to it over the years. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Kells) I walked around the college for a bit afterwards and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

Since I didn't really care where I went I decided to just wander the streets until I found something that looked interesting. I walked down many cute streets lined with shops and pubs until I came across the Dublin Castle. I walked in right as the last tour of the day was getting ready to leave-great timing! The castle is actually still a working government building, so the only way to see it is on a guided tour. Our guide was nice, but she talked EXTREMELY fast! It was kind of hard to understand what she said, but it was still and interesting tour. When we went outside to learn about the exterior of the building we saw one of their National news broadcasters. I guess they were having some big thing at the castle that night so he was there reporting on it. After my tour I found the castle gardens and decided to sit and relax in the sun for a while. The gardens have a big green circle of grass in the middle with a design that looks like a snake running through it. (pictures to come at a later date)

My wondering continued after the castle and led me by Christ Church and then through the Temple Bar area. I watched a band performing on the corner and then got lunch at a place called the Bad Ass Cafe (which I later found mentioned in my guide book).

That was pretty much it for today. Lots of walking and just loving the fact that I am finally in Ireland!



Wednesday, June 10

I slept in a bit this morning because I was exhausted from getting up early yesterday and all the walking I did. It was kinda nice to have a slow start to the morning and take my time getting ready.

My agenda for the day included visiting Christ's Church, St. Patrick's Cathedral and I suppose a sort of religious destination for some...the Guinness factory.

I'm loving the location of my hostel because it really is within a reasonable walking distance from most major attractions in Dublin. I walked down Dame street toward Christ Church first. It was really beautiful inside. The floors are tiled with many difference colors/patterned tiles. The one thing I wasn't too crazy about was that they had this modern art exhibit all through the church. They were little art pieces just mixed in with the church stuff and I thought it kinda ruined the beauty of the church...oh well. In one corner of the church they have a little peace prayer corner that was really cool. I lit another candle there and then at 12:00 the priest announced that there was going to be a peace prayer. It was cool because they asked everyone to stop where they were and pray/be in silence with him. I sat right up front and it was nice to get a little dose of church. Afterwards I got to shake his hand and briefly talk to him. I love these moments God keeps placing in my path along my travels.


After Christ Church I walked down to St. Patrick's. I am really proud of myself for being able to navigate Dublin so well! I suppose it is not too complicated of a city to get around, but I rarely have to look at a map and I find where I want to go! :) St. Patrick's has a beautiful park outside that I spent some time just sitting and enjoying the sun in before I entered the cathedral. The church itself has some amazing history and I enjoyed walking around it taking it all in.





After St. Patrick's I walked towards the Guinness Storehouse (the factory), which was a bit farther than I had anticipated. It wasn't too bad of a walk though. The factory is pretty amazing. I was glad to find that it was a self-guided tour because once you have seen how beer is made (thanks Coors and Budweiser tours!) you don't really care to go through the whole detailed process again. I skipped through most of the boring stuff and went pretty much directly to the best part- the free pint of Guinness! They have a bar on the top floor that has a 360 view of all of Dublin. It was beautiful! I realized as I was walking down the 7 floors after the finished tour that they built it in the shape of a pint glass. Each floor of the tour is on the outside, so when you go to the escalators to go up to the next level you are over empty space. Each floor the space gets a little bigger until you reach the top bar where it looks like the head of the stout. I will show you the map later if you want to know what I mean. I decided to try their restaurant while I was there since it had a view of Dublin, they make all recipes using Guinness, and I was STARVING! I ordered the beef and Guinness stew which was delicious, but seemed to be missing one thing...beef. I think there was only one piece in the whole thing!



After the tour I headed back towards my hostel but got distracted along the way by a busy street that was lined with nice stores...not just the tourist shops. I shopped a bit, but didn't really find anything I could afford...designer clothes cost too much without the exchange rate! :) I did stop to hear an amazing guy who was singing on the street for a bit. He was SO good, if he would have had CDs I would have bought one. Maybe one day he will and I will be able to say that I saw him on the streets of Dublin. :) I decided to head back to the hostel after that because I had been out all day and I was ready to sit for a bit and update my blog. :)

That's all for now!

Brussels (back again)

Monday, June 8

I went to school with Tara today and got to observe her class and a pre-k class. It was fun and totally made me want to teach in an international school!

I went back to their place on my own after lunch and Kacy and I just hung out all day.

Amsterdam

First, I must apologize for my blogs- I know they have many errors in them and are not that well written! I can't get used to this keyboard and trying to type while racing a clock is stressful! :) I can't afford to pay more to edit so sorry!





Freaky hotdog and frite that greeted us upon our arrival at the Amsterdam train station.






June 8-10

Friday, June 8th





Kelly, Mike and I took a train to Amsterdam on Friday morning. We stayed at a hostel called Shelter Jordan, which was cool because it was a Christian hostel. The hostel itself is in a really cute area of Amsterdam and fairly close to a main street that led into the downtown area. We checked in and got an extremely informative introduction/welcome from a guy named Sam, who reminded us of our friend Tony.

After locking our bags in the luggage room we walked down the street to get some lunch at a little restaurant on the corner. The restaurant had two cats that just hang out in it...I thought it was cute. :) After lunch we went to a church on the corner (yeah, I can't remember which one it is right now, but it's kind of a big deal) and then the Anne Frank House. The house is unfurnished, but set up like it was when the Franks were hiding out in it. I enjoyed the tour and it made me want to go re-read the book.

After the museum we walked along the canals and streets of Amsterdam. It was pretty chilly, but somewhat sunny, so it was nice to be outside for a bit. We wondered toward the center of the city and shopped around a bit before making our way to another church (called 'New Church' in English, but of course, I don't remember it's name right now either). After the church we went for a boat tour, and though it was nice to see everything, it was a pre-recorded tour and was rather dry. After seeing many of the sights by boat we walked around some more to find a place for dinner. We ended up eating at a place called Leden, or maybe it was Luden? (I'm good with the names today.) After dinner we slowly made it back to our hostel and hung out in the cafe. While I was waiting for Kelly and Mike to figure their bus out on the computer I met some of the workers and learned of their stories and how they came to be at the hostel. Most of the workers are volunteers who are doing it as a service project. The two girls I met are from the USA and were doing it through their college.

I really like the location of the hostel and felt pretty safe there except that at about 5am I woke up to scary sound in the street below our window. It was so creepy, there was a group of guys causing trouble, yelling, and doing who knows what. Then this scary guy yelled in a deep voice and they ran up and down the street. It was totally frightening. The next morning Kelly said she had heard it too and said it sounded like demons. (That's how creepy they were).

Saturday, June 9th

After eating our free breakfast in the hostel cafe we went downtown to get tickets for a bus tour of the area outside of Amsterdam. We walked to the 'Old Church,' (again, can't remember the real name) which is 'right in the heart of the red light district'. It was pretty funny because as we are walking around the church to the entrance there are women just standing in the windows of the buildings surrounding it in their underwear and the WHOLE time Mike had no clue because he was engrossed in what he was reading in the guide book. :) We decided not to go into this church because it was just an art exhibit and we didn't feel like spending the money on it. (It seems as though the churches downtown aren't really used as churches anymore.) We decided to head out of the red light district (yucky) and go get lunch so we walked back towards the stores and main square.

After lunch we boarded our bus for our tour. Our guide was absolutely crazy...she was so funny though! (One example of her cheesy-ness: 'I'm Dutch and our driver is Dutch--that makes us Double-Dutch!). Our group was a pretty good size and included a group of totally uninterested young Italian guys who later ditched the tour and took a city bus back to Amsterdam.

The tour took us to two old Dutch villages that were right on a lake that used to be connected to the North Sea. We learned that much of Holland is actually, as our guide called it, artificial land. Because of a lack of land to live and farm on, they used the windmills to slowly pump water out of lakes to create more dry land (around 1500). The result is that the land is lower then the water in some places which looks a bit strange.

The towns were very cute and reminded me a lot of being in Holland, Michigan. We took a boat from one village to the next which took about 30 minutes and then we had some free time in the next village. As a bonus (because our bus was late) we also got to go look at a museum in the second village. It wasn't all that exciting, but there was a really cool room that was covered in murals made from cigar labels that someone in the village had slowly made over many years. The mural depicted many famous landmarks throughout the world and was made up of over 7 million cigar labels.

After the villages and museum we hopped back on the bus and headed to the cheese factory and the shoe maker! We got a little tour of both places and tasted all the cheeses they made. I ended up buying a thing of cheese but still have a hard time believing that it will be okay out of the fridge. Apparently you can keep this cheese out of the fridge for a year as long as it is not opened. I guess we will find out when I get home! (It made it and it was delicious!)

We drove to a restored park area that had some old windmills after the little tours and then headed back into the city. I'm really glad we went on the day tour because it was nice to get out of the city to see how beautiful the surrounding area is! We ended the day with a quick (and a little shady) trip out to the bus depot to get Kelly and Mike's tickets, and then an excellent dinner at a little Indian restaurant. (No scary people in the ally that night-hooray!)

Sunday, June 10th

Today was the last day that Kelly, Mike and I all traveled together. We went to the museum area of Amsterdam and went to the Van Gogh museum. I talked a little about this in an earlier blog, so I won't say too much about Van Gogh here. The exhibit was really cool and I am so glad that we got to see it because some of my favorite Van Gogh pieces were in the collection.

We ate lunch in the plaza outside the museum and then walked around a bit. We ended up going in a (free) diamond tour/museum. It was not all that interesting, but was cool to see the diamonds and learn that this company had helped make some pretty famous jewelry.

After walking around and shopping a bit more I parted ways with Kelly and Mike to begin my travels alone. I'm not going to lie, I wanted to cry I was so nervous to go alone. (This was also the midway point of my trip so I think the homesickness was kicking in full time). I walked back to the hostel, got my bag and headed to the train depot. I got there early and had time to kill so I shopped a bit. When I was about to head up to my train platform I heard an announcement that my train had been cancelled. Of course it was cancelled...why wouldn't it be when I am traveling totally on my own for the first time overseas? I somehow figured out which train to take instead but it was a huge hassle that involved 2 changes and befriending a French man and his 4 year old daughter who hardly spoke any English. We helped each other through and I finally made it 'home' to Kacy and Tara's at around 10. (There was much more drama and stress to this part but I am almost out of time and don't have the energy to include it now. Just know it sucked, I almost cried many times, but made it and felt good about doing it all by myself). :)

Brussels

Thursday, June 4

Today was a pretty laid back day. We walked to Kacy's favorite cafe for breakfast and then walked around Brussels. We went by the palace and through some of the pretty gardens in the city.










We also went back down by the Grand Place to do a little shopping and looking. We found the female version of the Mannequin Pis, which was a bit silly. It is at the end of this alley between a few bars so it is behind a gate. I guess there is some legend about throwing coins in there and good luck.


We got our second waffle of the trip which was just as enjoyable as the first! We also had a Belgium beer at Kacy and Tara's favorite pub across from the statue of the boy peeing. :)



Sponge Bob Waffle Pants...he seems a bit angry that we are eating his friends.

Some of the wonderful beers we had at Kacy and Tara's favorite bar.

We had a quiet rest of the day walking through parks and gardens and then back to the apartment for dinner and just hanging out.


Peter Pan statue (replica of the one in Kensington Gardens in London...I have pictures of that one too.)

P

back on track..kinda

June 3- Brugge/Brussels

Kelly, Mike and I to the train to Brugge today. I really enjoyed Brugge, it is a cute little city that has a ton of canals and cute old buildings. We went to a really nice restaurant for lunch and then went for a canal cruise. The cruise was nice and our guide was pretty funny. After our canal cruise we walked around quite a bit and explored the cute streets. We got Belgium waffles, which were WONDERFUL! I got mine with strawberries and chocolate-yummy! :) After our tasty treat we walked over to a church that has an alter holding some of Christ's blood. It kinda sounds weird when I say that, but it is true. The church was beautiful, it was so colorful and the alter of the precious blood was really cool too. It was an amazing feeling being so close to something of Jesus'. Another cool thing that happened in Brugge was when we went to a chocolate shop that people recommended and it was closed. We tried the handle just as the owner was walking up and she let us in for a private 'showing' and Kelly and Mike got some chocolate. It was so cool that she opened up just for us!

Back in school

I love teaching/school so much that I decided to wake up at 6:15 on my European vacation to go visit one. :) I am at Tara's school today, so I thought I would take advantage of the times I have to write a little more about the trip. I may have random posts throughout the day.

Tara's school is very cool, it is The International School of Brussels and it one of the top 5 International schools in the world. The school is actually a mini campus with a EC (Early childhood) building, her intermediate building, a middle school, high school, admin building (which is a big white building that used to belong to one of King Leopold's men). There is also a tennis bubble, two fields, an indoor track, and theater on campus. The campus itself is surrounded by a huge forest and is filled with big beautiful trees. It is amazing! The great thing about this school is that they have small classes that get to break out into even smaller groups for more instruction. At some points Tara can have as few as 8 kids! Oh if only... :) The kids come in at 8:45, so I am excited to see how school looks here. At about 10:15 I am going to go visit her friend who teaches pre-k. Her friend has been teaching in International schools for 5 years and taught in Munich before coming here. It will be fun to talk to her a bit and see what her experiences were like. Based on my travels so far, I'm thinking that if my future holds teaching internationally, I would probably start in London. I like the other places a lot, but I really love London! :)

Anyway, I am excited for my day at school and will be sure to add more when I can. The kids are stopping in the room now to fill Tara in on their weekends, so the teacher in me must go participate. (Oh how I love kids! I'm already so fond of one of her students who I have known for all of 5 minutes. :) So glad God gave me a heart for working with them!)

Just wanted to post this quick...

Saw the Van Gogh museum today and was reminded of one of my favorite quotes by him.

"The sight of stars makes me dream."

The exhibit we saw was "Van Gogh and the colors of night" and featured his famous starry night painting as well as many others that focused on his facination with painting the night scene and doing portraits in a night setting. One thing I loved was how he always saw stars as hope, they were his light. He spoke of dreaming of stars the way he dreams to visit all the dots on a map, he had a very magical view of the night and stars which I love. I have often felt the same way about the stars...there is so much magic in them, but also, I have always felt such hope and wonder when I look at them.

I have been thinking a lot about my Uncle this trip. It seems like every time I turn around there is something I would want to tell him about or think he might have an opinion, or idea about. I think being in Amsterdam (Holland) really made me think of him since many childhood memories with him take place in Holland, MI, which surprisingly is similar to the Netherland's Holland. Every church we visit I say a prayer for him and my family, and if I can, I light a candle. It's not much, but I like to think that it makes him, and all of my family, a part of my journey. The candles remind me a little of Van Gogh and his love of the stars. When I light one, I take comfort in knowing that God is with me and that there is hope.

Belgium

I'm already behind on this, so I will just post when I can. The quick recap/plan is this: Brussels June 2-5. Went to Brugge (Bruges) one day, did stuff around Brussels the rest of the time. June 5-7 Amsterdam. Stayed in a Christian hostel, which was nice. Took a day tour out to the small villages in Northern Holland. Saw the Van Gogh museum. Kelly and Mike left for London, I returned by a very long and a bit annoying train ride to Brussels. Tomorrow I go to Tara's school to check it out then leave for Ireland on Tuesday. Will be there until Friday. Friday I go back to London, stay with Simon and Hannah a few days, visit the city more and then fly back to CO on the 16th. Go home for a day then leave for MI on the 18th. Jenny's wedding on the 20th, my Birthday on the 21st, back to CO by the 28th. Jeepers...June is already gone! :) Write more when I can!!

Tuesday, June 2nd



We got up super early to catch a train back to London so we could catch our train to Brussels. I was excited to finally see the so called çhunnel, so excited that I slept right through it. :) Oh well, I imagine it was probably just dark the whole time anyway.


When I did finally open my eyes we were already in Belgium. The countryside was beautiful and I noticed that even the cows embraced the slow-paced, laid-back lifestyle that I heard the Belgians had. (Almost every single cow was laying down sleeping). We arrived at Midi station and easily caught the metro to Kacy and Tara's stop where Kacy was waiting for us. We walked along Louise Ave to their house which is a cute 3rd floor walk-up. The place is quite big and has vaulted ceilings and I love the views of the street from the living room windows. The "Pizza Box" and "Angel Nails" are right across the street making it easy to find our way back to our temporary home at the end of the day. Their apartment sits above a restaurant that sets candles on the stairs leading up to their apartment each night. Though the noise can be a bit much when the windows are open, it sets a nice, though somewhat fire hazardous ambiance when you come home.

After we unloaded our things at Kacy and Tara's we went for a walk down to a park for a picnic lunch of bread, salami, cheese, yummy olive stuff, humus and a red pepper for me. We sat by a lake and watched the ducks and just enjoyed the really nice weather. After lunch we walked to get a true Belgium waffle from the waffle truck (much like an ice cream truck that is parked on the street corner) only to find he had left. :( We decided to try for the waffles later and went across the street to a bar with outdoor seating for a beer instead. We played some cards until Tara was able to meet up with us. Once Tara joined us we walked towards Grand Place, of course, we did have to make a few detours along the way to check out some of the things Belgium/Brussels is famous for: frites (fries, which are soooo good here), chocolate (Belgium, need I say more?), and the Manneken Pis (which is exactly what it sounds like it is... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manneken_Pis ).

Fries originated in Belgium, not France and the legend Tara told us goes something like this...
Every year people in Belgium would have a festival or something where they would fry fish and eat them. Well, one year they didn't have fish (I think she said all the canals froze) so someone took a potato, cut it to look like a fish and then fried it. People tried it, liked it, and then it because a tradition to fry potatoes, thus frites were born. They became known as French Fries after some general or someone from France tried them and liked them and introduced them to France. I'm sure I got many things terribly wrong in this story, but it's my version and I'm sticking with it...google it if you want a more accurate version. :)

The chocolate shop we stopped in was amazing, it is the most expensive chocolate in Belgium. I will edit this later and put pictures up, but the place looked like a jewelry shop. They had elegant display cases and BEAUTIFUL, expensive chocolate filling each one. It was amazing, you felt like you had to be quiet the whole time.

We wound our way through the streets and made our way into the Grand Place, which has some amazing buildings! Tara explained that the buildings on the end were the merchants stores and they are all different sizes based on how much income they had. The most profitable had the end house that was twice as wide as the rest. (Can't remember which that was though..the baker??)

For dinner we ate Greek. It's kind of crazy, all the like-kind resturants are RIGHT next to each other on the same small little streets. You sit outside and there really isn't much that separates the many resturants. The one we ate at is a favorite of Kacy and Tara's and was quite good. After dinner we wondered back to their place and called it a night. By the way, it doesn't get dark here until about 10, 10:30 at night and the sun is up at about 5:30-6:00. It is so wierd to go to bed when it is still light!

England

I love to travel! I am so happy that I am finally on my trip to Europe that I have been trying to do for years! England has been so beautiful and I am just eating up all this history and culture! I think I have been totally spoiled by the weather though, because I am beginning to think that they all lie when they say London is rainy and yucky. When we had a layover here on the way to Nepal it was gorgeous, and it has been sunny every day we have been here so far! :)

This is probably not quite so exciting for all of you to read, but I know there are a few (Mom) who want to know every detail. :) Here is goes...

Thursday, May 28th
After a long and hurried last day of school/packing up my classroom I rushed to my parents to get ready to go to the airport. Our flight left at 8:00pm, which was nice because I was able to sleep through most of the flight. Our plane landed at around noon, so I was able to semi-trick my body into thinking I had just slept through the night and it was now a new day...not 5AM.

Friday, May 29th
Kelly, Mike and I arrived in London on the 29th. After checking into our hotel we went headed to the Thames for a boat cruise. It was nice to see the city before we set out to explore it the next day. We walked around a bit and then headed to Piccadilly Circus to meet up with Hannah and Simon for dinner. We decided to get some authentic English food, so after following the 'blip' on Simon's iPhone we arrived at The Chippy, a fish and chips restaurant near Soho. The food was great and it was fun to begin to catch up with Hannah and Simon. We walked around a bit after dinner and then got some ice cream at Rendezvous, a really cute place we had ice cream at the last time we were in London. We were pretty tired after all of our travels that day, so we said our goodbyes to Hannah and Simon and went back to the hotel.

Saturday, May 30th: London
We started the morning at the Tower of London. We went on the audio tour, which was cool because it had accounts from prisoners and the Beefeaters. The tour was beautiful, but nothing was quite as impressive as the jewels! It's amazing to think of the history each crown and jewel holds. Our tour of the tower lasted about 3 hours, so by the time we were done we needed lunch. We walked the streets of London and stumbled upon a fun pub called the Walrus and the Carpenter (which we later figured out is a chain). I liked it because it was named after a poem in Through the Looking Glass. After lunch we walked to St. Paul's. It is enormous! In fact, the dome is second to only the Sistine. There is a balcony way up in the dome called the whisper room--you can whisper to the wall and a person across the dome can hear you. We of course, decided to make the climb, and I do mean climb, to the room. It was a GIANT spiral staircase that went on for what seemed like forever (since the dome is something like 800 feet, I am assuming around 6 floors). It was fun to try out the whisper, though you did feel a bit silly talking to a wall. :) No dome climb would be complete without a few more flights of even smaller, steeper, spiral stairs, so we went all the way to the top. Despite being completely out of breath by the time we reached the top, this was my favorite part. The top of the dome is outside and you can walk all the way around to see most of London. It was beautiful! From atop St. Paul's we were able to see our next destination: walking across Millennium Bridge to visit the Globe theater. Apparently our bird's eye view didn't help us too much though because we accidentally started walking parallel to the Thames instead of straight towards it...whoops. :) Our diverted journey did take us by some beautiful buildings though. Once we were back on track we walked over the bridge to the Globe Theater and then went to the Taite Museum of Modern Art. Our feet were beyond tired at that point, so we decided to call it a night and headed back to our hotel to eat dinner at the restaurant nearby and to play cards. It was a long, but fun second day.

Sunday, May 31st: Leave London, head to Benton (Hannah and Simon's house).

We left our hotel and took the tube to Paddington (the same Paddington that the bear is named after) to catch a train to Diddcot. Hannah picked us up from there and we set our exploring their cute village and surrounding areas. We had a mini 'pub crawl' (that's what I am choosing to call it) along the Thames, starting in Benton at a grill for lunch then heading to Henley-on-Thames, a cute little town on the river with shops and pubs. We had a cider (YUM) at the Angel on the River and then headed to Wallingford where we had another cider at the Boat House. I liked this place best because it had a really nice patio right on the river. It has been absolutely beautiful the whole time we have been here, so sitting outside has been awesome! After our cider we had excellent Indian food at another cute place across the street from the pub.

Monday, June 1st: Oxford

Kelly, Mike, Hannah and I went to Oxford today, it was so beautiful! We toured the area and did a little shopping. Highlights included going 'punting' on the Thames and getting what the Brits call a 'smoothie' and a cookie. (Well there was a lot more that was fun and great there, but I'm tired now). :)


So that's the trip so far, enjoying every minute of it...even if some are painful (like when the giant wooden sign fell on my shin and instantly bruised the whole of it-don't worry mom, I'm fine. I'm a quick healer!)

Tomorrow we leave EARLY for Brussels. I'm excited to explore a new place and to see Kacy and Tara! I'm sad that we have to leave Hannah and Simon, but I get to see them again before I head back home, so I get to spend some more time with them in about a week! I will try to update more as I go, but not sure when I will have the chance/time again. Until then...cheers! ;)