So I can't seem to leave the blue waters of Nice behind! I've extended my stay twice...once because I wanted another day to fit in St. Paul de Vence that is nearby and again because...well, I just wanted to! :) The trains to Spain have posed a bit of problem...all of them require long travel times and connections. But we'll see...I needed another day to figure it out, and of course, ya know, lie on the beach while doing that!
I really won't regret staying here this long either...it has truly been a relaxing time and I've met many great people during my stay. Last I wrote I was heading to the Alps for the day but those plans changed a bit.
When I took my night train from Paris, I used my Eurail Pass....you are supposed to write in the current date before you board the train so the ticket agent can just stamp it as they go by. Well because I had to make that 1.50 reservation, the ticket agent stamped the reservation card and NOT my Eurail pass! So the 03/26 I wrote for that day of travel could eeeeeeeasily be turned into a 03/28 and give me another day of travel! ;) I didn't come up with this idea though....Steven and Kate whom I met in Amsterdam gave me the idea. Their logic was "if they don't check it, you should still be able to utilize that travel day!"....and since I only have 10 days of travel within two months on the pass, I thought so too :) So that 03/28 gave me a free day of travel to Cannes and Antibes which are just a short trip from Nice....they never checked my pass on that trip either.
I went all the way to Cannes first and worked my way back through Antibes. Cannes is where the international film festival is held in May so you can imagine how posh and beautiful it is. There isn't too much to do there besides walk around but since it's right on the water, who can complain? I saw where the film festival is held...took a picture on the red carpet! They also had an Allee des Etoiles where all the stars had imprinted their hands in the sidewalk throughout the years. Of course I put my hands in a few...ya know, Bruce Willis, Richard Gere, Julie Andrews, etc. Always star struck :) Anyways, the palm trees and beach were great to just wander through and enjoy the nice weather. I had to wait awhile for a train to Antibes and when I got there, wished I had budgeted more time for it! It was a walled village right on the ocean...you could walk along the sea walls and then wander through the village and shops inside. I'm sure I took 1,000 pictures between Cannes and Antibes but I just wanted to capture the views I was seeing! The camera doesn't do it justice though....just like everywhere else! I found an English bookstore in Antibes and had to curb this craving I've had since England....I bought the 5th Harry Potter book. Haha I have it at home but had already gone through my other books sooooo thought I'd just do it. Can't believe how big of a dork I am....:)
So I hung out with everyone back at the hostel that night...we all made the plan to head to the Alps the next day (this time for sure). I had to checkout and checkin again the next day since I had extended my stay. But they are so accomodating here...always offer to hold our luggage and make sure you have a meal before you head out anywhere, I love it. A group of us headed to downtown Nice and caught the bus to St. Paul de Vence. BUT to my dismay....we didn't head towards the snowy Alps!! It was another village surrounding an enormous church that loomed over this valley of houses and farms. I was a little "villaged out" after Eze and Antibes but it was still a great afternoon with everyone and very quiet, and relaxing as well. It also offered another amazing view of the mountains, countryside, and Mediterranean Sea. So I can't complain since it was just a euro :) Took the bus back to Nice later in the afternoon and headed down to the beach to read for awhile. Fell asleep for a bit and woke up to the sun setting on the beach.....ahhhhh so pretty!! It had started to cool off a bit was such a beautiful sight to wake up to. Headed back along the market and slowly made my way back to the hostel. Made dinner and hung out with everyone for the night...met a few people from Canada, Australia, and Germany. It was a great night and I was glad with my decision to stay another 2 nights.
Today is a "Sally" day and I'm just going to lay on the beach and read all day! Soak up some sun too :) I feel like I've seen most of the sights I had wanted to, in and around Nice, so I'm okay with a relaxing day...plan things for tomorrow. I have decided to make Seville my base in Spain and do daytrips from there...to Granada, Cordoba, and more of Southern Spain. Hope to stop in Madrid or Barcelona first but I don't feel too attached to those places...may just travel through. Have to stay with this warm weather somehow :)
Nice, France
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Finally left the rain behind...
Well I have to say, I can now stop being jealous of North Carolina's warm weather because at the moment it's bright, sunny, and warm in Nice, France! About to get a little breakfast and hit the beach :)
But let me back up a bit! I had to say goodbye to Paris on Tuesday night...which was bitter sweet because I had a great time but the rain was reaaaaally getting to me (just annoying when trying to do things!). But Andrew and his friends made it such an unbelievable time, it will hard to compare :) I took my first overnight train to Nice and that was an experience in itself. I set next to this guy Rob from Minneapolis and he literally talked my ear off about WHO KNOWS WHAT for 3 hours! I was falling asleep with my eyes open and still could not tell you a single point that he made. Note to self: say you have to go to the bathroom next time and find a new seat. Haha :) But it was worth it because I only paid 1.50 for a reservation on the train and used my Eurail pass...so it was basically free. I woke up around 7:45 to see the Mediterranean Sea on my right and the Alps to my left! It was amazing because they were two extremes you know? I completely forgot the Alps were near by and they were just beautiful to wake up to. Anyways, I popped off the train and called my hostel...they offer to pick you up at the train station which is nice. This hostel is the most incredible one I've been in so far....it's a villa located on top of this HUGE hill and you can see all of Nice and the Med Sea from my window! It's very tropical and has a resort feel...finding it hard to believe I got such a good deal! They offer delicious breakfast and do your laundry too...how great!! I now know why they keep announcing that it was named the #1 hostel in the world in 2007....they can brag. So anyways I got situtated and took off to discover Nice. Went down to the flower market and walked around "Old Nice"...very quaint and friendly. Just a quick turn to my right brought me right to the beach and I was staring at aqua blue waters and a pebbly beach....it almost didn't look real because it was so blue! I didn't even expect that from the Mediterranean. It was so nice to just lay out on the beach for an hour...even though it was made up of actual smooth pebbles :) I took it all in and was so completely thankful for sun, flip flops, and blue waters. Took a great hike up to Le Chateaux which used to be a castle I believe....it's right next to Old Nice and offers amazing (free) views of Nice and the Port on the opposite side. Wish I could upload my pictures here but I'll have to wait. There were all these different staircases and they led you around Le Chateaux...you stumble upon waterfalls, caves, archs, ruins, views, etc. around every corner. Couldn't have been a better day :) Walked down and through Old Nice for awhile, checking out all the shops and getting some food from the fresh market for dinner. Headed back to the hostel and made myself a reeeeeally good dinner...fresh pesto and sundried tomatoes over pasta and spinach. It was yummy and I was so glad you can cook at the hostel :) Met up with two of my roommates I met earlier that day and had a glass of wine with them. A fabulous first day in Nice!
Yesterday I decided to take a day trip up the Riviera to Eze Village and Monaco. Traveling here is sooo cheap...it cost be only 1 euro to get to Eze, 1 to Monaco, and 1 all the way home! Kind of makes me want to stay, haha :) Anyways Eze village is a medevil village, one of the last in Nice, and offers incredible views as far as you could see. I was worried because it was a bit overcast on the way there but cleared up as soon as I got to the top. The little pathways twist and wind through cafes, boutiques, and restaurants before you get to an exotic garden at the top with cacti and all these different wild flowers and statues. I felt like I was living in a different century and it was all FREE! Haha a backpackers favorite word :) Took another bus to Monaco after that just to see how it was...it's actually the smallest French speaking country in the world and I believe the smallest country as well? The big casino is there from the movie Casino Royale and that was pretty amazing. It's very ritzy around that area and I almost felt like I was on Rodeo Drive or something. But they have the Prince's Palace on top of a huge rock formation which is great in itself. I didn't spend too much time there but got to walk all along the promenade and take in the views (mainly people watching!). Headed back just in time to hit rush hour traffic on the bus...haha a one lane road all the way back to Nice. But the drive was all along the cliffs and waters edge, so how could I complain? You wind around a bend and there's another breathtaking view of the French Riviera! Unbelievable.
Met up with Jess and Kyle for pizzas at the hostel...they make them homemade here and we enjoyed a bottle of wine with them. Wine is so cheap here and GOOD! Also met Taneil from Australia (another one of our roomies) so we all decided to go downtown in Nice for a little bit. Had too much fun at Checkpoint, this bar recommended to us by our hostel. Got back and hit the sack...I've been getting up early these days so I can't make it much later than 1, haha! Anyways, the days in Nice have been great so far....today I'm heading up to see the Alps. It's only 2 euro to take a bus up there so I'm tres excited ;) Then Cannes and Antibes tomorrow before I head off on another night train to Madrid! Looking forward to it. Love to alllllllllllllllllllllllll XOXO
But let me back up a bit! I had to say goodbye to Paris on Tuesday night...which was bitter sweet because I had a great time but the rain was reaaaaally getting to me (just annoying when trying to do things!). But Andrew and his friends made it such an unbelievable time, it will hard to compare :) I took my first overnight train to Nice and that was an experience in itself. I set next to this guy Rob from Minneapolis and he literally talked my ear off about WHO KNOWS WHAT for 3 hours! I was falling asleep with my eyes open and still could not tell you a single point that he made. Note to self: say you have to go to the bathroom next time and find a new seat. Haha :) But it was worth it because I only paid 1.50 for a reservation on the train and used my Eurail pass...so it was basically free. I woke up around 7:45 to see the Mediterranean Sea on my right and the Alps to my left! It was amazing because they were two extremes you know? I completely forgot the Alps were near by and they were just beautiful to wake up to. Anyways, I popped off the train and called my hostel...they offer to pick you up at the train station which is nice. This hostel is the most incredible one I've been in so far....it's a villa located on top of this HUGE hill and you can see all of Nice and the Med Sea from my window! It's very tropical and has a resort feel...finding it hard to believe I got such a good deal! They offer delicious breakfast and do your laundry too...how great!! I now know why they keep announcing that it was named the #1 hostel in the world in 2007....they can brag. So anyways I got situtated and took off to discover Nice. Went down to the flower market and walked around "Old Nice"...very quaint and friendly. Just a quick turn to my right brought me right to the beach and I was staring at aqua blue waters and a pebbly beach....it almost didn't look real because it was so blue! I didn't even expect that from the Mediterranean. It was so nice to just lay out on the beach for an hour...even though it was made up of actual smooth pebbles :) I took it all in and was so completely thankful for sun, flip flops, and blue waters. Took a great hike up to Le Chateaux which used to be a castle I believe....it's right next to Old Nice and offers amazing (free) views of Nice and the Port on the opposite side. Wish I could upload my pictures here but I'll have to wait. There were all these different staircases and they led you around Le Chateaux...you stumble upon waterfalls, caves, archs, ruins, views, etc. around every corner. Couldn't have been a better day :) Walked down and through Old Nice for awhile, checking out all the shops and getting some food from the fresh market for dinner. Headed back to the hostel and made myself a reeeeeally good dinner...fresh pesto and sundried tomatoes over pasta and spinach. It was yummy and I was so glad you can cook at the hostel :) Met up with two of my roommates I met earlier that day and had a glass of wine with them. A fabulous first day in Nice!
Yesterday I decided to take a day trip up the Riviera to Eze Village and Monaco. Traveling here is sooo cheap...it cost be only 1 euro to get to Eze, 1 to Monaco, and 1 all the way home! Kind of makes me want to stay, haha :) Anyways Eze village is a medevil village, one of the last in Nice, and offers incredible views as far as you could see. I was worried because it was a bit overcast on the way there but cleared up as soon as I got to the top. The little pathways twist and wind through cafes, boutiques, and restaurants before you get to an exotic garden at the top with cacti and all these different wild flowers and statues. I felt like I was living in a different century and it was all FREE! Haha a backpackers favorite word :) Took another bus to Monaco after that just to see how it was...it's actually the smallest French speaking country in the world and I believe the smallest country as well? The big casino is there from the movie Casino Royale and that was pretty amazing. It's very ritzy around that area and I almost felt like I was on Rodeo Drive or something. But they have the Prince's Palace on top of a huge rock formation which is great in itself. I didn't spend too much time there but got to walk all along the promenade and take in the views (mainly people watching!). Headed back just in time to hit rush hour traffic on the bus...haha a one lane road all the way back to Nice. But the drive was all along the cliffs and waters edge, so how could I complain? You wind around a bend and there's another breathtaking view of the French Riviera! Unbelievable.
Met up with Jess and Kyle for pizzas at the hostel...they make them homemade here and we enjoyed a bottle of wine with them. Wine is so cheap here and GOOD! Also met Taneil from Australia (another one of our roomies) so we all decided to go downtown in Nice for a little bit. Had too much fun at Checkpoint, this bar recommended to us by our hostel. Got back and hit the sack...I've been getting up early these days so I can't make it much later than 1, haha! Anyways, the days in Nice have been great so far....today I'm heading up to see the Alps. It's only 2 euro to take a bus up there so I'm tres excited ;) Then Cannes and Antibes tomorrow before I head off on another night train to Madrid! Looking forward to it. Love to alllllllllllllllllllllllll XOXO
Monday, March 24, 2008
Oh goodness!
Wow, I feel like it's been forever since I've written but I just think so much has gone on instead!
To start, this has by far been the best leg of my trip. It could be because I'm around a familiar face or that Andrew's friends are amazing or that I'm in a beautiful city or maybe a combination of all three! But it has been SUCH a great week/weekend, I will never forget it. I'll have to back up a couple days to make sure I get everything in but don't worry...it'll be worth it :)
So backing all the way up to the third night here (Friday)....like I said in an earlier post, we met up with some Fat Tire tour guides to do the Pompidou that day. I was a littttttle disappointed that I missed going to the Louvre for free that night but stopped thinking about it after a couple minutes...I'm going tomorrow so it's all good. Anyways, Andrew's friend David invited us over to his apartment, right near Musee D'Orsay and cooked stir fry for us. A lot of the tour guides live together in different apartments so many of them were there as well. It was great to have a homecooked meal for a change...and veggies too! It's hard to get my greens in here, ya know with all the good bread :) So we all had a great time eating, drinking wine, and playing cards. A very relaxing night but with so many laughs....I felt like a local being there with them all, it was awesome. We had planned on doing Fondue that night but this turned out to be a nice change of pace. Took a late cab home in the rain.
So we saved Fondue for the next night.....oh the next night! Haha :) We had a late morning and a relaxing day just hanging out. Andrew got himself a cell phone, finally, and we met up with David to go this great flea market that is in the northern part of Paris. It was in a pretty rough neighborhood but it was like 15 acres of flea market.....crazy! Of course, the insane weather in Paris had us rained on a couple of times....oh and hailed on. I swear, it will be sunny here and then 10 minutes later hail like crazy...then rain for a couple hours before returning to sunshine. It's so sporatic you cannot leave the house without your umbrella. But I'm seriously used to it now....rain on me all you want, I'm still touring this city! So we came back to the better side of town, near Notre Dame and shopped for a bit (needed some dry socks) before heading to have Fondue. Had coffee in a little cafe and tried to dry off a bit (only to get poured on again on the way to dinner). This is where the night got verrrrrrrrry interesting and GREAT!! We met up with Kelly who was also visiting another one of the tour guides and the four of us went to have fondue over near Sacre Coeur (which by the way gets an explanation of its own later on). This place.....oh this place. It is no bigger than a living room, only has 2 long tables, and serves wine out of baby bottles!! No joke, actual baby bottles (pictures above). So you're having fondue elbow to elbow with absolute strangers...oh but they're your best friends by the end of the night! So we waited outside for awhile since they don't take reservations and take you inside depending on how many people are in your group. And drinking on the streets is legal in Paris so we grabbed a bottle of wine on the way, making our wait a little more enjoyable :) We get inside...only way to get to your seat is to literally step over the table. We instantly meet our neighbors....to the left we have a group of Parisians and to the right Sergio and Grace from Portugal. Only I got in serious trouble by the French waiter for talking to our neighbors! I think I just had bad luck because everytime he came to our area to take an order or ask me a question, I was talking to them. It was just bad timing! And he was NOT nice about it....of course I'm American and that didn't help but at one point he grabbed my EAR to get my attention!! It was crazy...that's the first time I had been treated like that here....but apparantly it's a normal occurence according to Andrew. They literally ignore you when you ask for another glass of wine or for the ticket, it gets a little ridiculous. Kelly had way too much fun with the chocolate cake that was brought after fondue and wore it home! We proceeded to have the absolute best time and made so many friends there! The wine was flowing and they convinced us to come to a nightclub right next door to Moulin Rouge.....oh goodness, that's where the title of this blog comes from, haha. Of course we say yes, grab another bottle of wine for our walk there, and make our way to O'Sullivans! One of the best moments of the night...singing the Moulin Rouge song with David as we dance and take pictures right in front of Moulin Rouge. Cracks me up still thinking about it....haha :) We had a great time at the club, danced way too much and paid for it the next day! Haha it was seriously such an enjoyable night....SO many laughs that my stomach hurt incredibly bad the next day. We ended up all taking a taxi to David's place and crashed there for the night, had a little slumber party.
So I woke myself up pretty early to beeline it to Notre Dame for Easter Sunday mass. I'm SO glad I did because even though I had to wait in line and also stand in the middle of the church, it was well worth it. I didn't understand much since it was all in French but it was ok....I mainly just stood there with my mouth open, gaping at the ceiling and all there was to look at...not believing that I was actually standing there on the holiest day of the year. It was excellent :) So after that I headed back to Andrew's and we all had a lazy Easter Sunday. Got to talk to my parents a bit at night which was great! It really didn't "feel" like Easter until I talked to them and they proceeded to make me jealous telling me about all the food they were cooking. I missed homemade macaroni and cheese!!! :( Oh well, we went out to eat here and even though it didn't beat Easter dinner at home, it was great hanging out with everyone. Renee's (Andrew's roommate) brother and sister flew in from Charlotte yesterday and they joined in the fun last night. It was an early night though since they were both a bit jetlagged. We had our fun the night before so were welcoming an early night to bed.
Today was also a wonderful day...had my baghette and nutella for breakfast of course (haha my diet the past few mornings!) :) and then FINALLY did the touristy stuff....haha on my last full day in Paris! We did things in reverse here but it was fun anyways! Andrew and I met up with David for lunch again at a cafe near the Louvre. We then braved the rain and walked throught the Tuillerie Gardens, through Place de la Concorde and all the way up Champs Elysees to the Arce de Triumphe....did I mention in the pouring rain?? Haha Andrew was a trooper having done all this before (in better weather I'm sure). But we took some great pictures...in the middle of the busiest road in Paris....and found great pastries along the way. Ahhh such a touristy day, I loved it :) We met up with Renee and her siblings to see Sacre Coeur and the great view of the city it has to offer. 264 steps later, we were viewing all of Paris and the immense creation that is Sacre Coeur! Like I said, it deserved a blurb all of it's own. Took my breath away and made me cry! I don't know what it is about churches here in Europe....I get this heavy feeling in my chest inside each one and I can't figure out why. I guess I just find them so beautiful and moving because each one is so different, old, and has so much meaning. Anyways, it was definitely a highlight. We came down from the Sacre Coeur hill and found a place for some dinner and drinks. An Irish pub first and then a kebab shop for dinner...haha so random but so good for some reason. The others are going on a tour to Versailles tomorrow and I'm leaving to head to Tours, France so we came back here around midnight. Can't believe my time here in Paris is almost over because it has been so great! Still, have to move on and see more :) I'm meeting up with a friend, Janea, whom I used to work with at the YMCA tomorrow for lunch before I head out. She's studying abroad here in Paris and it'll be great to see her after all these years! I also need to fit in the Louvre and another picture or two of the Eiffel Tower during the day. I can't leave without seeing the Mona Lisa right?
Turns out I'll have a travel buddy to Barcelona, Spain on Friday! Andrew's friend David was looking to take a little weekend trip and we were both heading there at the same time....so we're taking a night train on Thursday to Barcelona for a few days. I'll stay there and head to Madrid after but it'll be great to have some company! And David is hilarious :) Can't wait and DEFINITELY can't wait for some warm weather! I'll write again when I get to Tours which will be until Thursday. Xoxo
To start, this has by far been the best leg of my trip. It could be because I'm around a familiar face or that Andrew's friends are amazing or that I'm in a beautiful city or maybe a combination of all three! But it has been SUCH a great week/weekend, I will never forget it. I'll have to back up a couple days to make sure I get everything in but don't worry...it'll be worth it :)
So backing all the way up to the third night here (Friday)....like I said in an earlier post, we met up with some Fat Tire tour guides to do the Pompidou that day. I was a littttttle disappointed that I missed going to the Louvre for free that night but stopped thinking about it after a couple minutes...I'm going tomorrow so it's all good. Anyways, Andrew's friend David invited us over to his apartment, right near Musee D'Orsay and cooked stir fry for us. A lot of the tour guides live together in different apartments so many of them were there as well. It was great to have a homecooked meal for a change...and veggies too! It's hard to get my greens in here, ya know with all the good bread :) So we all had a great time eating, drinking wine, and playing cards. A very relaxing night but with so many laughs....I felt like a local being there with them all, it was awesome. We had planned on doing Fondue that night but this turned out to be a nice change of pace. Took a late cab home in the rain.
So we saved Fondue for the next night.....oh the next night! Haha :) We had a late morning and a relaxing day just hanging out. Andrew got himself a cell phone, finally, and we met up with David to go this great flea market that is in the northern part of Paris. It was in a pretty rough neighborhood but it was like 15 acres of flea market.....crazy! Of course, the insane weather in Paris had us rained on a couple of times....oh and hailed on. I swear, it will be sunny here and then 10 minutes later hail like crazy...then rain for a couple hours before returning to sunshine. It's so sporatic you cannot leave the house without your umbrella. But I'm seriously used to it now....rain on me all you want, I'm still touring this city! So we came back to the better side of town, near Notre Dame and shopped for a bit (needed some dry socks) before heading to have Fondue. Had coffee in a little cafe and tried to dry off a bit (only to get poured on again on the way to dinner). This is where the night got verrrrrrrrry interesting and GREAT!! We met up with Kelly who was also visiting another one of the tour guides and the four of us went to have fondue over near Sacre Coeur (which by the way gets an explanation of its own later on). This place.....oh this place. It is no bigger than a living room, only has 2 long tables, and serves wine out of baby bottles!! No joke, actual baby bottles (pictures above). So you're having fondue elbow to elbow with absolute strangers...oh but they're your best friends by the end of the night! So we waited outside for awhile since they don't take reservations and take you inside depending on how many people are in your group. And drinking on the streets is legal in Paris so we grabbed a bottle of wine on the way, making our wait a little more enjoyable :) We get inside...only way to get to your seat is to literally step over the table. We instantly meet our neighbors....to the left we have a group of Parisians and to the right Sergio and Grace from Portugal. Only I got in serious trouble by the French waiter for talking to our neighbors! I think I just had bad luck because everytime he came to our area to take an order or ask me a question, I was talking to them. It was just bad timing! And he was NOT nice about it....of course I'm American and that didn't help but at one point he grabbed my EAR to get my attention!! It was crazy...that's the first time I had been treated like that here....but apparantly it's a normal occurence according to Andrew. They literally ignore you when you ask for another glass of wine or for the ticket, it gets a little ridiculous. Kelly had way too much fun with the chocolate cake that was brought after fondue and wore it home! We proceeded to have the absolute best time and made so many friends there! The wine was flowing and they convinced us to come to a nightclub right next door to Moulin Rouge.....oh goodness, that's where the title of this blog comes from, haha. Of course we say yes, grab another bottle of wine for our walk there, and make our way to O'Sullivans! One of the best moments of the night...singing the Moulin Rouge song with David as we dance and take pictures right in front of Moulin Rouge. Cracks me up still thinking about it....haha :) We had a great time at the club, danced way too much and paid for it the next day! Haha it was seriously such an enjoyable night....SO many laughs that my stomach hurt incredibly bad the next day. We ended up all taking a taxi to David's place and crashed there for the night, had a little slumber party.
So I woke myself up pretty early to beeline it to Notre Dame for Easter Sunday mass. I'm SO glad I did because even though I had to wait in line and also stand in the middle of the church, it was well worth it. I didn't understand much since it was all in French but it was ok....I mainly just stood there with my mouth open, gaping at the ceiling and all there was to look at...not believing that I was actually standing there on the holiest day of the year. It was excellent :) So after that I headed back to Andrew's and we all had a lazy Easter Sunday. Got to talk to my parents a bit at night which was great! It really didn't "feel" like Easter until I talked to them and they proceeded to make me jealous telling me about all the food they were cooking. I missed homemade macaroni and cheese!!! :( Oh well, we went out to eat here and even though it didn't beat Easter dinner at home, it was great hanging out with everyone. Renee's (Andrew's roommate) brother and sister flew in from Charlotte yesterday and they joined in the fun last night. It was an early night though since they were both a bit jetlagged. We had our fun the night before so were welcoming an early night to bed.
Today was also a wonderful day...had my baghette and nutella for breakfast of course (haha my diet the past few mornings!) :) and then FINALLY did the touristy stuff....haha on my last full day in Paris! We did things in reverse here but it was fun anyways! Andrew and I met up with David for lunch again at a cafe near the Louvre. We then braved the rain and walked throught the Tuillerie Gardens, through Place de la Concorde and all the way up Champs Elysees to the Arce de Triumphe....did I mention in the pouring rain?? Haha Andrew was a trooper having done all this before (in better weather I'm sure). But we took some great pictures...in the middle of the busiest road in Paris....and found great pastries along the way. Ahhh such a touristy day, I loved it :) We met up with Renee and her siblings to see Sacre Coeur and the great view of the city it has to offer. 264 steps later, we were viewing all of Paris and the immense creation that is Sacre Coeur! Like I said, it deserved a blurb all of it's own. Took my breath away and made me cry! I don't know what it is about churches here in Europe....I get this heavy feeling in my chest inside each one and I can't figure out why. I guess I just find them so beautiful and moving because each one is so different, old, and has so much meaning. Anyways, it was definitely a highlight. We came down from the Sacre Coeur hill and found a place for some dinner and drinks. An Irish pub first and then a kebab shop for dinner...haha so random but so good for some reason. The others are going on a tour to Versailles tomorrow and I'm leaving to head to Tours, France so we came back here around midnight. Can't believe my time here in Paris is almost over because it has been so great! Still, have to move on and see more :) I'm meeting up with a friend, Janea, whom I used to work with at the YMCA tomorrow for lunch before I head out. She's studying abroad here in Paris and it'll be great to see her after all these years! I also need to fit in the Louvre and another picture or two of the Eiffel Tower during the day. I can't leave without seeing the Mona Lisa right?
Turns out I'll have a travel buddy to Barcelona, Spain on Friday! Andrew's friend David was looking to take a little weekend trip and we were both heading there at the same time....so we're taking a night train on Thursday to Barcelona for a few days. I'll stay there and head to Madrid after but it'll be great to have some company! And David is hilarious :) Can't wait and DEFINITELY can't wait for some warm weather! I'll write again when I get to Tours which will be until Thursday. Xoxo
Friday, March 21, 2008
Is Paris burning yet?
Ahhh so I'm in the romantic city right now :) Even though it's tres expensive, it's unbelievably beautiful so I guess that makes up for it! I got here on Wednesday afternoon....Andrew met me at the train station (holding up a sign that said Sally...made me feel so special, haha!) and we figured it had been 2 1/2 years since we had last hung out....and now we get to meet up in Paris! Funny how things work out :) Anyways, he brought us back to his apartment which is in an area called Alesia. I'm still not oriented with Paris, unsure of where everything is actually located around us but his apartment is in a great area. His two roomies, Renee and Kim, could not be any nicer and it's extremely comfortable here :) So glad I logged onto Facebook that day and saw that Andrew was in Paris!
So anyways, we headed right out into Paris when I got here. Took the metro to Notre Dame and the Latin Quarter where I got a bit of a tour from Andrew and had my first french crepe (sooo delicious!). Andrew's roommates are tour guides for this company Fat Tire Bike Tours and he's learned a lot of details about the city and about the main sights. Sooo he was a great tour guide at Notre Dame, pointing out things I never would have seen. It's Holy Week too so it was a bit crowded but that definitely wouldn't have stopped me heading in there :) I'm going back for Easter Sunday mass too which I'm so excited about....I don't care if I have to stand in the way back, I'm squeezing in there! We grabbed some dinner and drinks after that...it was a loooong night since the bartender in there was from Seattle and proceeded to load us up on free shots. And of course you cannot deny anything "free" in Paris!! So it was a fun night to say the least :)
Andrew had it rough yesterday morning but I went to breakfast with his roommate Renee at Breakfast in America. Haha I know I should have had a french breakfast but I couldn't resist eggs, bacon, and chocolate chip pancakes...not crepes, pancakes!! Oh it was amazing. Andrew and I decided to do one of the Fat Tire bike tours last night and it was an absolute blast! It was from 6-midnight and you go all around Paris. And I'm not sure if everyone would agree with me but Paris looks 1,000 times better at night!! The Eiffel Tower sparkles every hour on the hour for 10 minutes, there are twinkle nights in all the trees lining the Seine, all the bridges are lit up, and every building seems to have this magical glow! Ohhh it was awesome. My favorite part of the entire tour however was biking through the Louvre. We biked down this bridge (where the last episode of Sex and the City was filmed, haha) and went right into the Louvre square. I can't describe the feeling I got as we just rode around and around the fountain in there....a saxophonist was playing off to the side and the square was empty besides us being in there. Oh wow, I couldn't believe where I was at the moment, it really took me back. And it may have just been the wind but there were a few tears....hehe :) I'm a sap for beautiful experiences! Anyways, we also took an hour boat cruise that was included in our bike tour (oh and wine too!) so it was great sailing up and down the Seine. It had started to rain by then but that definitely didn't put a damper on the tour. It was the greatest night :)
We headed out for a bite to eat with the tour guides once we got back but called it a night pretty early. Got up this morning and had lunch near Notre Dame and went to the Pompidou. Andrew is an artist and his mecca is on the floor with Jackson Pollock. So he let us experience modern art....which I'm still having a hard time understanding. But I guess that's the point....to not understand it, just have your own impression of it. Anyways, saw some Picasso and Kandinsky also, which was great. We were going to do the Louvre after because it's free on Friday nights if you're under 25, but we were exhausted after the Pompidou....walking around so slowly really takes it out of you. So we decided to relax a bit and save the Louvre for tomorrow. Not much planned for tonight besides some dinner. Will definitely upload my pictures so I don't get behind again. Anyways, that's all I have for now....Paris is amazing :)
So anyways, we headed right out into Paris when I got here. Took the metro to Notre Dame and the Latin Quarter where I got a bit of a tour from Andrew and had my first french crepe (sooo delicious!). Andrew's roommates are tour guides for this company Fat Tire Bike Tours and he's learned a lot of details about the city and about the main sights. Sooo he was a great tour guide at Notre Dame, pointing out things I never would have seen. It's Holy Week too so it was a bit crowded but that definitely wouldn't have stopped me heading in there :) I'm going back for Easter Sunday mass too which I'm so excited about....I don't care if I have to stand in the way back, I'm squeezing in there! We grabbed some dinner and drinks after that...it was a loooong night since the bartender in there was from Seattle and proceeded to load us up on free shots. And of course you cannot deny anything "free" in Paris!! So it was a fun night to say the least :)
Andrew had it rough yesterday morning but I went to breakfast with his roommate Renee at Breakfast in America. Haha I know I should have had a french breakfast but I couldn't resist eggs, bacon, and chocolate chip pancakes...not crepes, pancakes!! Oh it was amazing. Andrew and I decided to do one of the Fat Tire bike tours last night and it was an absolute blast! It was from 6-midnight and you go all around Paris. And I'm not sure if everyone would agree with me but Paris looks 1,000 times better at night!! The Eiffel Tower sparkles every hour on the hour for 10 minutes, there are twinkle nights in all the trees lining the Seine, all the bridges are lit up, and every building seems to have this magical glow! Ohhh it was awesome. My favorite part of the entire tour however was biking through the Louvre. We biked down this bridge (where the last episode of Sex and the City was filmed, haha) and went right into the Louvre square. I can't describe the feeling I got as we just rode around and around the fountain in there....a saxophonist was playing off to the side and the square was empty besides us being in there. Oh wow, I couldn't believe where I was at the moment, it really took me back. And it may have just been the wind but there were a few tears....hehe :) I'm a sap for beautiful experiences! Anyways, we also took an hour boat cruise that was included in our bike tour (oh and wine too!) so it was great sailing up and down the Seine. It had started to rain by then but that definitely didn't put a damper on the tour. It was the greatest night :)
We headed out for a bite to eat with the tour guides once we got back but called it a night pretty early. Got up this morning and had lunch near Notre Dame and went to the Pompidou. Andrew is an artist and his mecca is on the floor with Jackson Pollock. So he let us experience modern art....which I'm still having a hard time understanding. But I guess that's the point....to not understand it, just have your own impression of it. Anyways, saw some Picasso and Kandinsky also, which was great. We were going to do the Louvre after because it's free on Friday nights if you're under 25, but we were exhausted after the Pompidou....walking around so slowly really takes it out of you. So we decided to relax a bit and save the Louvre for tomorrow. Not much planned for tonight besides some dinner. Will definitely upload my pictures so I don't get behind again. Anyways, that's all I have for now....Paris is amazing :)
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
PICTURES!!
Since I got a few comments calling me out on my lack of pictures...I spent 4 euros on 2 hours of interent time to get them up on Shutterfly and all new ones on here (scroll down and all around, they're all new!!). I can't load them on Facebook on this computer but I can send the link to people via e-mail if anyone wants to be bored with the ungodly amount of pictures I've taken. :)
Anyways, I've really been enjoying my time in Bruges. I'm so glad I decided to stay here a couple of extra days and really see the city inside and out. I don't even need a map anymore to get around, how exciting! Hehe. I switched hostels halfway through my visit and ended up sharing a room with 3 awesome girls from Indiana and Illinois. They were studying abroad right outside of Dublin (seems like I meet everyone from Dublin!) and on spring break over here. I rented bikes with them again yesterday...the weather was a bit rainy at first so only Elizabeth and I braved it for the whole afternoon. The other 2 took a boat tour which turned out to be great...and they told us all the fun facts they learned so it felt like we benefited too :) Elizabeth and I rode all around the city and seriously hit up every chocolate shop! Haha well maybe not every one considering Bruges has the most chocolate shops in one city in the world....but it felt like a lot. I don't think I've ever consumed that much chocolate within a 4 hour period. But I've also never tasted anything like it! It could be a bad thing, however, because I'll always compare chocolates from now on....oh well :) We went to see the Madonna with Child again since they didn't know that a work of Michelangelo was here. They were greatful I shared the info and I was glad they showed me the best thing my money has bought so far.....a belgian chocolate covered rice crispy treat. It was definitely a fair trade off. Anyways, we met up with the other girls back at the hostel and headed out for dinner. We did Medara again for 3 euro pasta....even though it's carb-ilicious, it was still worth the money and soooo good. The atmosphere is really nice too...family run and their kids are running all around. It was St. Patty's Day and DEFINITELY didn't feel like it in Bruges. No one was wearing green and there weren't any decorations in any of the stores....such a shame. But we did end up finding the only Irish Pub in town and of course had a Guinness to celebrate. It wasn't the same as back home (or would have been in Ireland, for sure) but it was nice that I had the girls to spend the holiday with. We had a lot of fun and it was sad to see them all leave this morning. I went around the city again today...wanted to see the Basilica which contains the Holy Blood and it's only open from 2-3....it's amazing!! True Catholics are deadset believers that this is actually Jesus' blood brought over from Jeruselam and I find it hard for anyone to question it. It's so sacred that they only take it out for an hour and only 4 days a week. There was a little ceremony when they brought it out and really a great thing to see during Holy week. I'm completely taken back by every church I've seen so far but this really blew my mind. We got to lay our hand on it as we passed over the altar also which was a great experience. Other than that, I just grabbed some more chocolate for Andrew and have just been walking around aimlessly today.....it's been great :)
Heading to Paris tomorrow on an early train. I thought it was so much farther from Bruges but it's really only an hour from Brussels! So I'll be there around lunch time...ready to eat some great food of course :) More later from France!
Anyways, I've really been enjoying my time in Bruges. I'm so glad I decided to stay here a couple of extra days and really see the city inside and out. I don't even need a map anymore to get around, how exciting! Hehe. I switched hostels halfway through my visit and ended up sharing a room with 3 awesome girls from Indiana and Illinois. They were studying abroad right outside of Dublin (seems like I meet everyone from Dublin!) and on spring break over here. I rented bikes with them again yesterday...the weather was a bit rainy at first so only Elizabeth and I braved it for the whole afternoon. The other 2 took a boat tour which turned out to be great...and they told us all the fun facts they learned so it felt like we benefited too :) Elizabeth and I rode all around the city and seriously hit up every chocolate shop! Haha well maybe not every one considering Bruges has the most chocolate shops in one city in the world....but it felt like a lot. I don't think I've ever consumed that much chocolate within a 4 hour period. But I've also never tasted anything like it! It could be a bad thing, however, because I'll always compare chocolates from now on....oh well :) We went to see the Madonna with Child again since they didn't know that a work of Michelangelo was here. They were greatful I shared the info and I was glad they showed me the best thing my money has bought so far.....a belgian chocolate covered rice crispy treat. It was definitely a fair trade off. Anyways, we met up with the other girls back at the hostel and headed out for dinner. We did Medara again for 3 euro pasta....even though it's carb-ilicious, it was still worth the money and soooo good. The atmosphere is really nice too...family run and their kids are running all around. It was St. Patty's Day and DEFINITELY didn't feel like it in Bruges. No one was wearing green and there weren't any decorations in any of the stores....such a shame. But we did end up finding the only Irish Pub in town and of course had a Guinness to celebrate. It wasn't the same as back home (or would have been in Ireland, for sure) but it was nice that I had the girls to spend the holiday with. We had a lot of fun and it was sad to see them all leave this morning. I went around the city again today...wanted to see the Basilica which contains the Holy Blood and it's only open from 2-3....it's amazing!! True Catholics are deadset believers that this is actually Jesus' blood brought over from Jeruselam and I find it hard for anyone to question it. It's so sacred that they only take it out for an hour and only 4 days a week. There was a little ceremony when they brought it out and really a great thing to see during Holy week. I'm completely taken back by every church I've seen so far but this really blew my mind. We got to lay our hand on it as we passed over the altar also which was a great experience. Other than that, I just grabbed some more chocolate for Andrew and have just been walking around aimlessly today.....it's been great :)
Heading to Paris tomorrow on an early train. I thought it was so much farther from Bruges but it's really only an hour from Brussels! So I'll be there around lunch time...ready to eat some great food of course :) More later from France!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
In Bruges...
Glad I didn't see the movie "In Bruges" before I got here :)
It's been a couple days since I've had internet access but I finally found a place not too far from my hostel so I can check e-mail and write here. Got into Bruges on Friday after only 2 days in Amsterdam. I had a good time there but was ready to step down a bit from another big city...the guidebooks were right, city's start looking the same after awhile. Amsterdam was a blast though...went to a small Dutch town on Friday morning with Kate and Steven (from Alabama...also doing 2 months around Europe) and even though it was freezing, it turned out to be a lot of fun. We got a bit lost on the trains and I'm pretty sure I overpaid for my ticket...thinking we were going farther than we actually did....but finally got to the town. There were supposed to be people with authentic Dutch clothing walking around but we didn't see any of them (maybe too cold). There were little shops and museums scattered around and also windmills on one side of the town. My camera battery was dead so Kate said she'd e-mail me her pictures. We also went to a cheese shop where (after tasting many) we bought some smoked herb goat cheese which I'm still eating today! The whole town smelled like chocolate too...we couldn't figure out where the smell was coming from. Ahhh it was driving us insane. We did find a small chocolate shop on the walk back to train however, and had to buy something just to satisfy the craving! So anyways we got back into Amsterdam and Kate and Steven were heading for Bruges. I headed back into Amsterdam and walked around for awhile....got a bit lost heading back to the hostel but it wasn't bad...I got to see more of the city that way. Stopped for groceries and ate at the hostel. Met a guy named Mike in the common area and he offered to walk around with me at night so I wasn't all alone walking through the crazy streets! We walked through the Red Light District which was hilarious...shouldn't have been but it was such a twisted sight, I found it funny. The women varied in age, size, and beauty but all in all, I couldn't help but wonder if these women had any self-respect! They make really good money though so I guess that's the attraction. But seriously, there were girls that didn't look over 15....crazy crazy. Anyways, it wasn't as big as I thought it was (I had visions that it took over half the city) but you found them there during the day too....it was funny sightseeing the Old Church and then walking up on a row of brothels right around the corner! The church is proud to be the only church in the world that is bound by prostitutes on all four sides....haha. Mike and I went into a couple "coffeeshops" just to see what they were like and that experience was a funny one as well. There were a lot of spring breakers around the city and most of them packed into every coffeeshop and smart shop, haha. Anyways, Amsterdam itself is a beautiful city despite the drugs and sex. Went sightseeing on Friday afternoon as well before I took a later train to Brussels and Bruges. Just wanted a little change of pace after Amsterdam :)
Got into Bruges really late and turns out my hostel has a bar on the bottom floor. They were hosting a concert though and I've never had such a hard time checking into a place! The place was called Charlie Rockets and the bar was also the hostel check-in point....made for a loud explanation of where our room was and whatnot. But I got there at the same time Claudio (Italy) and Craig (England) did so they put us all in the same room together. Our room was crazy hard to find...a maze of staircases and doors but it was in such a great location (and HUGE!). We all went out for a beer and walked around Bruges for a bit....it's so pretty at night and completely safe. Craig was actually there surprising his mom for her 50th birthday...his parents were staying at a posh hotel on the other side of town. So Claudio and I went sightseeing all day yesterday....we rented bikes to get around the city and it was SO much fun!! You get around so much faster that way (obviously) and we saw everything by 3. Plus, you can ring the little bell on the bike and people just move out of the way, scared and all :) We found Belgian chocolates for only 3 euros so we split them and had chocolates for lunch (hehe). Then found a Belgian beer shop right next door and both got a beer we'd never heard of (which was most of them for me!). After more touring we went to the De Halve Maan brewery which is the only brewery left in Bruges. It was a great tour, the guide was hilarious, then they give you a free beer at the end...Brugas Zot Blonde. Delicious :) We were going to bike to the North Sea after that but Claudio had only 1 day to see everything so to save time, we drove there in his car. Thanks to his GPS system we made it there in no time and took a picture in the water....haha just our feet though. It was nice to say we touched the North Sea...and almost froze our toes off, hehe. I might bike there tomorrow since I'm here until Tuesday but it depends on the weather. We came back to Bruges and went out for a cheap Italian meal (only 3 euros for a HUGE bowl of spaghetti with meat sauce).
Of course it is rainy and cold again today! Today is a day to do laundry and move into another hostel (couldn't find 4 days straight in one) so it's okay that the weather isn't the best. I'm headed for Paris on Wednesday and staying with Andrew for bit while I'm there. He's so nice to offer his place to me and it's been forever since I've seen him! He should be a good tour guide too :) Anyways, I'll write sooner than later...and as I write this, I'm uploading ALL my pictures so I won't be behind anymore!
It's been a couple days since I've had internet access but I finally found a place not too far from my hostel so I can check e-mail and write here. Got into Bruges on Friday after only 2 days in Amsterdam. I had a good time there but was ready to step down a bit from another big city...the guidebooks were right, city's start looking the same after awhile. Amsterdam was a blast though...went to a small Dutch town on Friday morning with Kate and Steven (from Alabama...also doing 2 months around Europe) and even though it was freezing, it turned out to be a lot of fun. We got a bit lost on the trains and I'm pretty sure I overpaid for my ticket...thinking we were going farther than we actually did....but finally got to the town. There were supposed to be people with authentic Dutch clothing walking around but we didn't see any of them (maybe too cold). There were little shops and museums scattered around and also windmills on one side of the town. My camera battery was dead so Kate said she'd e-mail me her pictures. We also went to a cheese shop where (after tasting many) we bought some smoked herb goat cheese which I'm still eating today! The whole town smelled like chocolate too...we couldn't figure out where the smell was coming from. Ahhh it was driving us insane. We did find a small chocolate shop on the walk back to train however, and had to buy something just to satisfy the craving! So anyways we got back into Amsterdam and Kate and Steven were heading for Bruges. I headed back into Amsterdam and walked around for awhile....got a bit lost heading back to the hostel but it wasn't bad...I got to see more of the city that way. Stopped for groceries and ate at the hostel. Met a guy named Mike in the common area and he offered to walk around with me at night so I wasn't all alone walking through the crazy streets! We walked through the Red Light District which was hilarious...shouldn't have been but it was such a twisted sight, I found it funny. The women varied in age, size, and beauty but all in all, I couldn't help but wonder if these women had any self-respect! They make really good money though so I guess that's the attraction. But seriously, there were girls that didn't look over 15....crazy crazy. Anyways, it wasn't as big as I thought it was (I had visions that it took over half the city) but you found them there during the day too....it was funny sightseeing the Old Church and then walking up on a row of brothels right around the corner! The church is proud to be the only church in the world that is bound by prostitutes on all four sides....haha. Mike and I went into a couple "coffeeshops" just to see what they were like and that experience was a funny one as well. There were a lot of spring breakers around the city and most of them packed into every coffeeshop and smart shop, haha. Anyways, Amsterdam itself is a beautiful city despite the drugs and sex. Went sightseeing on Friday afternoon as well before I took a later train to Brussels and Bruges. Just wanted a little change of pace after Amsterdam :)
Got into Bruges really late and turns out my hostel has a bar on the bottom floor. They were hosting a concert though and I've never had such a hard time checking into a place! The place was called Charlie Rockets and the bar was also the hostel check-in point....made for a loud explanation of where our room was and whatnot. But I got there at the same time Claudio (Italy) and Craig (England) did so they put us all in the same room together. Our room was crazy hard to find...a maze of staircases and doors but it was in such a great location (and HUGE!). We all went out for a beer and walked around Bruges for a bit....it's so pretty at night and completely safe. Craig was actually there surprising his mom for her 50th birthday...his parents were staying at a posh hotel on the other side of town. So Claudio and I went sightseeing all day yesterday....we rented bikes to get around the city and it was SO much fun!! You get around so much faster that way (obviously) and we saw everything by 3. Plus, you can ring the little bell on the bike and people just move out of the way, scared and all :) We found Belgian chocolates for only 3 euros so we split them and had chocolates for lunch (hehe). Then found a Belgian beer shop right next door and both got a beer we'd never heard of (which was most of them for me!). After more touring we went to the De Halve Maan brewery which is the only brewery left in Bruges. It was a great tour, the guide was hilarious, then they give you a free beer at the end...Brugas Zot Blonde. Delicious :) We were going to bike to the North Sea after that but Claudio had only 1 day to see everything so to save time, we drove there in his car. Thanks to his GPS system we made it there in no time and took a picture in the water....haha just our feet though. It was nice to say we touched the North Sea...and almost froze our toes off, hehe. I might bike there tomorrow since I'm here until Tuesday but it depends on the weather. We came back to Bruges and went out for a cheap Italian meal (only 3 euros for a HUGE bowl of spaghetti with meat sauce).
Of course it is rainy and cold again today! Today is a day to do laundry and move into another hostel (couldn't find 4 days straight in one) so it's okay that the weather isn't the best. I'm headed for Paris on Wednesday and staying with Andrew for bit while I'm there. He's so nice to offer his place to me and it's been forever since I've seen him! He should be a good tour guide too :) Anyways, I'll write sooner than later...and as I write this, I'm uploading ALL my pictures so I won't be behind anymore!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Taking the rain with me to Amsterdam
Hey hey :) Finally got into a hostel that has free internet! Yesss which means...pictures finally!! Some of them at least...at least I can catch up with ones from Scotland.
Galway turned out to be my favorite place so far! I had an absolute blast there and met a lot of great people. There were a lot of Americans there on spring break and what not but it didn't matter because they were still awesome. Yesterday was a really long day (because right now it seems like weeks ago!) but one of the best yet. I went on a tour to the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher....they're on the west coast of Ireland and south of Galway. I was iffy about taking a bus tour because they say you drive too quickly through the sights but this was a great one. We drove through little Irish towns for awhile and then stopped for a few coastal pictures as well before heading to the Burren. The weather has been really bad in Ireland for a week or so (apparantly the worst they've seen in a year) so the tourguide was on edge with how much we were really going to get to see. LOTS of wind and rain/hail so it didn't make for the best weather for outdoor activities. But we got to the Burren in just enough time to do about an hour and 1/2 walking tour up the mountain. It's a limestone mountain and very rugged. The views were absolutely amazing though!! You could see all the way to Galway Bay and the surrounding Burren mountains. We slid down this limestone slide and all...really fun and the rain held out the entire time so we could enjoy the hike. Of course it poured right as we got back into the bus, making us nervous that we would miss the Cliffs of Moher but we headed up there anyways. Apparantly the day before, the winds were so bad (reached about 90 mph), they tore off the windshield of a coach bus and it flew into a girl, breaking both her legs!! The windshield was still lying there in the grass because the wind was still too dangerous to move it. So they were being super cautious with us....unfortunately. I would have been pissed if we had missed it. But we got up there and they weren't kidding about the winds!! Seriously, at times I couldn't even put one foot in front of the other. It was blowing peoples hats off all over the place and glasses too. Oh man, I wish I could have photographed wind because words just can't explain how crazy this experience was! But the Cliffs were amazing and the wind just added to the fun :) Got some great pictures of them and also of the O'Brien castle. We stopped at a pub on the way back and had some bailey's and coffee to warm up...deelissssh :) Also stopped at a few more picture spots...couple churches and castles along the coast. The tour was totally worth the money and I'm so glad I did it. Jen and Leigh (the two girls I met on the bus to Galway) did the Aran Islands and they experienced the same kind of crazy weather. Of course it was beautiful when I left Ireland today....go figure. We all went out last night and met a few more people...Emily who was in my room went out with us (another NJer!) and we met a couple Germans at the pub. It was such a fun night and so sad to say bye this morning to everyone at our hostel. I get used to being in one city and hanging out with the people I meet and then you have to move along....hard to do sometimes, especially when it was such a good time. I find myself getting homesick the first night in every new city but I think it also might be a "homesickness" for the city I just left! Plus Í'm usually traveling for awhile the days I come into a new city so it just leaves a lot of alone time to think about the great times....haha.
SO on that note...I got into Amsterdam late tonight after a bus back to Dublin from Galway, a bus to the airport, a flight to Eindhoven, Holland and then another bus to Amsterdam! I hadn't booked a hostel for Amsterdam yet because I didn't get on the internet late last night so I popped into an internet cafe and found one close by. It's in a great part of the city...apparantly right near all the bars and night-life (haha but not in the Red Light District). From what I've seen of Amsterdam so far, which isn't much because I was exhausted when I got here, it's pretty interesting :) Haha I'll have to bring back some of the pamphlets they were passing out here though....it's a COMPLETELY different culture than the U.S. (which isn't new news for anyone, I know). So I'm looking forward to looking around tomorrow. I met Steven and Kate in the common area today and they asked if I wanted to do this train ride to this little Dutch town that's right outside the city tomorrow morning. I thought it would be a great chance to see some of the countryside before I headed into the heart of Amsterdam, haha.
Galway turned out to be my favorite place so far! I had an absolute blast there and met a lot of great people. There were a lot of Americans there on spring break and what not but it didn't matter because they were still awesome. Yesterday was a really long day (because right now it seems like weeks ago!) but one of the best yet. I went on a tour to the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher....they're on the west coast of Ireland and south of Galway. I was iffy about taking a bus tour because they say you drive too quickly through the sights but this was a great one. We drove through little Irish towns for awhile and then stopped for a few coastal pictures as well before heading to the Burren. The weather has been really bad in Ireland for a week or so (apparantly the worst they've seen in a year) so the tourguide was on edge with how much we were really going to get to see. LOTS of wind and rain/hail so it didn't make for the best weather for outdoor activities. But we got to the Burren in just enough time to do about an hour and 1/2 walking tour up the mountain. It's a limestone mountain and very rugged. The views were absolutely amazing though!! You could see all the way to Galway Bay and the surrounding Burren mountains. We slid down this limestone slide and all...really fun and the rain held out the entire time so we could enjoy the hike. Of course it poured right as we got back into the bus, making us nervous that we would miss the Cliffs of Moher but we headed up there anyways. Apparantly the day before, the winds were so bad (reached about 90 mph), they tore off the windshield of a coach bus and it flew into a girl, breaking both her legs!! The windshield was still lying there in the grass because the wind was still too dangerous to move it. So they were being super cautious with us....unfortunately. I would have been pissed if we had missed it. But we got up there and they weren't kidding about the winds!! Seriously, at times I couldn't even put one foot in front of the other. It was blowing peoples hats off all over the place and glasses too. Oh man, I wish I could have photographed wind because words just can't explain how crazy this experience was! But the Cliffs were amazing and the wind just added to the fun :) Got some great pictures of them and also of the O'Brien castle. We stopped at a pub on the way back and had some bailey's and coffee to warm up...deelissssh :) Also stopped at a few more picture spots...couple churches and castles along the coast. The tour was totally worth the money and I'm so glad I did it. Jen and Leigh (the two girls I met on the bus to Galway) did the Aran Islands and they experienced the same kind of crazy weather. Of course it was beautiful when I left Ireland today....go figure. We all went out last night and met a few more people...Emily who was in my room went out with us (another NJer!) and we met a couple Germans at the pub. It was such a fun night and so sad to say bye this morning to everyone at our hostel. I get used to being in one city and hanging out with the people I meet and then you have to move along....hard to do sometimes, especially when it was such a good time. I find myself getting homesick the first night in every new city but I think it also might be a "homesickness" for the city I just left! Plus Í'm usually traveling for awhile the days I come into a new city so it just leaves a lot of alone time to think about the great times....haha.
SO on that note...I got into Amsterdam late tonight after a bus back to Dublin from Galway, a bus to the airport, a flight to Eindhoven, Holland and then another bus to Amsterdam! I hadn't booked a hostel for Amsterdam yet because I didn't get on the internet late last night so I popped into an internet cafe and found one close by. It's in a great part of the city...apparantly right near all the bars and night-life (haha but not in the Red Light District). From what I've seen of Amsterdam so far, which isn't much because I was exhausted when I got here, it's pretty interesting :) Haha I'll have to bring back some of the pamphlets they were passing out here though....it's a COMPLETELY different culture than the U.S. (which isn't new news for anyone, I know). So I'm looking forward to looking around tomorrow. I met Steven and Kate in the common area today and they asked if I wanted to do this train ride to this little Dutch town that's right outside the city tomorrow morning. I thought it would be a great chance to see some of the countryside before I headed into the heart of Amsterdam, haha.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Change of plans....
Well it's been a couple crazy days....busy but good :) Last I wrote I was heading to Dublin...got there safely even though my flight was delayed a couple hours. Got into the city during the exciting mess of Ireland playing Wales in rugby...everyone dressed in red and green and going absolutely CRAZY in the streets (even though Ireland lost!). It was a great experience to see public drunkeness at its finest! Checked into my hostel which was in the heart of it all. It was called the Litton Lane Hostel and it was converted from the recording studio used by U2, Sinead O'Connor, and Van Morrison. So you think it would be pretty cool right? Wrong, it was nasty. The bathroom walls were splattered with blood and the showers so gross, I didn't even shower that night, haha. Luckily I was only staying there for 1 night (only place I could get during the rugby weekend). But I went out and walked around for awhile, enjoying the craziness :) Got up early the next day and had to check into my other hostel...I'm getting better at moving around so quickly! Then I toured Dublin all day....headed to Trinity College, Temple Bar, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and ended at the Guinness Warehouse. That was a blast...I took the tour and learned all about how the thick stuff is made and when I got to the 7th floor, got a fresh pint of it for free! And you'll be happy to know that I, avoiding every ounce of temptation, did NOT take the glass home with me :) Didn't want to get caught in Ireland, of all places! It was a great day...walked the whole city and surprisingly, the sun was out the entire time. Came back and met up with Yan, one of my roommates and we went out for a couple beers around the city. Went to a church that was converted into a bar (and of course I forgot my camera that night), Temple Bar, and ended up back near the hostel at O'Sheas for live Irish music. SO many people were out on a Sunday night...I couldn't believe it. I don't know how they get up for work the next morning.....or if they get up at all! It was awesome though :)
The next morning I decided I had had enough of big cities for a couple days so I cancelled my booking at the hostel that night and hopped on a bus to Galway (west coast of Ireland). I was lucky to cancel without getting charged and just booked the next couple nights in Galway instead. Met Leigh, Mark, and Jen on the bus there (all from the U.S. - Leigh is studying abroad in Dublin and the others visiting her) and we spent the rest of the day together, walking around Galway in the pouring rain! It was still beautiful though and such a low-key city (felt more like a town). Favorite part was a cathedral right across the river....just absolutely gorgeous and we seriously just sat there for 1/2 hour staring at the ceiling and architecture. Makes me wonder how I'm going to handle Paris and Rome :) Came back to dry (literally soaked to the bone) and get some food. All of us plan on going out to hear some Irish music (Galway is known for it) and have a couple beers later. There are a few great pubs nearby and also a jazz wine bar which we will hit up as well (Mark found in a guidebook actually). We're also going to take a tour of the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren tomorrow.....it's supposed to be beautiful (even the brochure is gorgeous) so let's hope the weather holds out! I can't take any more rain!! This hostel is so great here too...so clean and definitely a step up from Dublin. Promise I'll post a few pictures tomorrow or the next day....it's been hard trying to upload them on computers here. Anyways, now that I'm paying for the internet, the posts might be a bit shorter ;) Xoxoxoxox
The next morning I decided I had had enough of big cities for a couple days so I cancelled my booking at the hostel that night and hopped on a bus to Galway (west coast of Ireland). I was lucky to cancel without getting charged and just booked the next couple nights in Galway instead. Met Leigh, Mark, and Jen on the bus there (all from the U.S. - Leigh is studying abroad in Dublin and the others visiting her) and we spent the rest of the day together, walking around Galway in the pouring rain! It was still beautiful though and such a low-key city (felt more like a town). Favorite part was a cathedral right across the river....just absolutely gorgeous and we seriously just sat there for 1/2 hour staring at the ceiling and architecture. Makes me wonder how I'm going to handle Paris and Rome :) Came back to dry (literally soaked to the bone) and get some food. All of us plan on going out to hear some Irish music (Galway is known for it) and have a couple beers later. There are a few great pubs nearby and also a jazz wine bar which we will hit up as well (Mark found in a guidebook actually). We're also going to take a tour of the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren tomorrow.....it's supposed to be beautiful (even the brochure is gorgeous) so let's hope the weather holds out! I can't take any more rain!! This hostel is so great here too...so clean and definitely a step up from Dublin. Promise I'll post a few pictures tomorrow or the next day....it's been hard trying to upload them on computers here. Anyways, now that I'm paying for the internet, the posts might be a bit shorter ;) Xoxoxoxox
Friday, March 7, 2008
At the Elephant House....
Yesssss, the place where J.K. Rowling scribbled down the beginnings of Harry Potter and Hogwarts on paper napkins! Haha, I swear, Harry Potter things are following me around England and Scotland, haha. I'm really not that obsessed, just happened to stumble upon this place the other day. It's a really cute cafe and has internet access so woot woot. Anyways, it's cold and rainy in Edinburgh today which was fine by me because last night was a late one so it's been nice to just relax today. Yesterday I checked out the Botanical Gardens and they were so so pretty...it was warmer out too so I really enjoyed just walking around and basically getting lost there. Took a bus down to the beach too to check it out (Portabello Beach) but it was nothing to brag about. It was actually kind of dirty but it could just be because it's the dead of winter and the beach hasn't seen anyone but a few occasional walkers in months! I liked it nonetheless because it was salt water and sand :) You could see over to Fyfe (sp?) because the water is actually an estuary, not the actual North Sea. But it was a pretty afternoon so just being outside was enjoyable. Came back to the hostel to do laundry and get some dinner and met a few people in the lounge area. I also met my roomies from Chile who were just finishing up their vacation all around Europe as well. They had been gone for a month and just kept explaining how tired they were! Made me nervous that I'll look as rundown as they do! The hostel hosted a pub crawl last night so I met up with everyone downstairs. We had a group of about 10 and I had SUCH a good time!! Met some really great people...a few from Canada, New Zealand, and even Southern Cali, haha. It was a really fun night...went to about 4 different pubs and ended up at a club where I killed my legs even more and danced, haha. We all got along really well though and took so many pictures (haha go figure) so Ill have to post them soon on here. We decided at 3 a.m. to meet for breakfast the next morning because greasy food sounded so good at that moment!! So Victoria, Chad, and I had a Scottish/Irish breakfast at a pub across the street this morning...including black pudding (which I'm pretty sure is clotted blood....never again). It's been rainy here today so instead of the hike I wanted to do up to the hills overlooking the city, I went to see Juno instead, haha. I had wanted to see it before I left the states but it was a perfect rainy day thing. AND the chance to relax my legs! Not sure if I'll go out tonight....I'm going to try and do the hike tomorrow before I have to check out at 10 and wouldn't be able to get up if I have another night like last night :) Flying to Dublin tomorrow around 2 so I'm ready for another change of scenary. Can't wait though, Ireland was the place I've been looking forward to the most (and of course Italy....for the food). Next time I'll write will be from there so here's to hoping I make it there okay in the little Aer Lingus plane!
OH and I heard from Andrew Bishop in Paris (he used to work at the good ole Outback with us) and found out he might be traveling a bit with me...most likely to Interlaken and possibly to Barcelona. It will be fun to have a travel buddy! He just found an apartment in Paris and offered to let me crash there while I'm in the city. That would be great because of course Paris is another crazy expensive city! So that's exciting.
OH and I heard from Andrew Bishop in Paris (he used to work at the good ole Outback with us) and found out he might be traveling a bit with me...most likely to Interlaken and possibly to Barcelona. It will be fun to have a travel buddy! He just found an apartment in Paris and offered to let me crash there while I'm in the city. That would be great because of course Paris is another crazy expensive city! So that's exciting.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Edinburgh....finally learned how to pronounce it
Finally got to a computer today! It's been pretty hectic the past couple days (which isn't a bad thing) and a different experience from London all together! I took a 9 1/2 hour bus ride (ugh) to Edinburgh, Scotland on Tuesday and got a see a lot of the English countryside...nothing but farms really, nothing too exciting. Although, when we crossed over into Scotland it was awesome because the North Sea basically slaps you in the face and you're driving on the side of cliffs. Extremely pretty AND it was sunset, so what more could you ask for?
It's soooo cold in Edinburgh and getting there at night didn't help! This was the first place I've tried couchsurfing. Brian picked me up at the bus station and I stayed at his apartment Tuesday and Wednesday night. He was really nice and has hosted a lot of couchsurfers over the past couple years. I had a mixture of feelings when I got to Scotland though...I guess it's because at this point, I was really on my own. Even though I didn't know Lolo in London, she seemed like instant family because she was associated with it! So it was strange staying with a person I didn't know from a hole in the wall but it turned out to be great. He is big into Tango dancing (still don't know how I feel about a guy doing this) and took me to his Tango class with him. Well, it was more like a place where everyone who knows how to dance can go and dance with various partners. It felt like a high school dance with chairs along the walls and guys and girls waiting to be asked to dance! Really entertaining. I definitely didn't dance (these people were really good) so just sat and watched...but it was an interesting experience.
Brian showed me around Edinburgh all day yesterday...we walked the entire city and geez it is hilly like San Fran in certain parts! My legs were killing me by the end of the day but it felt great. We went up to highest point of the city and you can see forever!! The sea, mountains, and the entire Edinburgh skyline...pictures came out great. We also hit up a couple museums and basically he just showed me every area of the city. I bought a ticket to see Shout, the 60's musical, last night at the Edinburgh playhouse and it was really good. Besides sitting next to a creepy guy who was talking to himself the entire time, I had a great time! Lots of great music and costumes...too bad I missed the theater in London, I'm sure it would put Edinburgh to shame. Oh well!
Since I only told Brian I was staying with him for 2 nights (didn't want to wear out my welcome) I checked into a hostel this morning called Budget Backpackers. It's such a cool place...run by Australians and everyone is so friendly. I'm in Edinburgh until Saturday so I'll stay here 2 nights. I'm not sure if I'm going to get to Glasgow or not...not really feeling another big city before Dublin so I'm going to try and get to the outskirts of Edinburgh tomorrow, see some coastal places. But we'll see...I'll see what I get accomplished today and figure it out from there. Think I'm going to check out the Botanical Gardens today and more of the city :) Anyways, I'll have internet access for these 2 days at least so I'll keep in touch.
Xoxo
It's soooo cold in Edinburgh and getting there at night didn't help! This was the first place I've tried couchsurfing. Brian picked me up at the bus station and I stayed at his apartment Tuesday and Wednesday night. He was really nice and has hosted a lot of couchsurfers over the past couple years. I had a mixture of feelings when I got to Scotland though...I guess it's because at this point, I was really on my own. Even though I didn't know Lolo in London, she seemed like instant family because she was associated with it! So it was strange staying with a person I didn't know from a hole in the wall but it turned out to be great. He is big into Tango dancing (still don't know how I feel about a guy doing this) and took me to his Tango class with him. Well, it was more like a place where everyone who knows how to dance can go and dance with various partners. It felt like a high school dance with chairs along the walls and guys and girls waiting to be asked to dance! Really entertaining. I definitely didn't dance (these people were really good) so just sat and watched...but it was an interesting experience.
Brian showed me around Edinburgh all day yesterday...we walked the entire city and geez it is hilly like San Fran in certain parts! My legs were killing me by the end of the day but it felt great. We went up to highest point of the city and you can see forever!! The sea, mountains, and the entire Edinburgh skyline...pictures came out great. We also hit up a couple museums and basically he just showed me every area of the city. I bought a ticket to see Shout, the 60's musical, last night at the Edinburgh playhouse and it was really good. Besides sitting next to a creepy guy who was talking to himself the entire time, I had a great time! Lots of great music and costumes...too bad I missed the theater in London, I'm sure it would put Edinburgh to shame. Oh well!
Since I only told Brian I was staying with him for 2 nights (didn't want to wear out my welcome) I checked into a hostel this morning called Budget Backpackers. It's such a cool place...run by Australians and everyone is so friendly. I'm in Edinburgh until Saturday so I'll stay here 2 nights. I'm not sure if I'm going to get to Glasgow or not...not really feeling another big city before Dublin so I'm going to try and get to the outskirts of Edinburgh tomorrow, see some coastal places. But we'll see...I'll see what I get accomplished today and figure it out from there. Think I'm going to check out the Botanical Gardens today and more of the city :) Anyways, I'll have internet access for these 2 days at least so I'll keep in touch.
Xoxo
Monday, March 3, 2008
Last night in London....
Even though I'm looking forward to the next step, I'm sad to be leaving London! I've had such a great time with Lolo and just here in general, it's hard to pick up and go. But I guess that's a good sign :) Have to catch an early bus tomorrow on the other side of London so getting up reeeeally early. These past two days have been great...felt like I ate all day long yesterday, haha. Just heavy meals I guess so they stuck with me all day. We went out to a pub for a Sunday Roast and oh my goodness, it was delicious. I could definitely only eat like that one day a week but it was well worth it...roast beef, yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes, stuffing things, peas, carrots...you name it, it was probably on my plate! AND they give you a free pint with it so it felt funny drinking ale at 1 in the afternoon. But hey, I wasn't going to pass up a free ale, as I'm trying to sample many different kinds. Lolo's a vegetarian so she got the veggie version of a sunday roast...just doesn't seem the same!
Met up with Kate afterwards in Covent Garden and we talked for a couple hours, catching up with everything and reminscing about freshman year at MWC...haha always makes for a good conversation (and a little heartache when I think of that place!). I am so impressed with where she is right now...getting her PhD at London SOAS and heading to Nepal in September for a year to do her fieldwork. She's been everywhere it seems and she's definitely so intelligent. She still keeps in contact with Caleb too which is awesome because he's always been one of my favorites :) Anyways, we had coffee too and then had to say goodbye unfortunately...maybe I'll see her in another random city again! You never know. Lolo and I went out for Turkish food for dinner (thanks SO much to Michelle!) and it had to be one of the greatest meals I have ever eaten....and I'm being entirely truthful. I don't even remember what it was I had but I'm still thinking about it today. Even though English isn't known for their food, I've tried some great things these past couple days! No complaints here. We went to the Shakespeare in Stoke Newington after for some cider and walked through back streets to get home. It was such a nice night, felt like I was a true Londoner! Haha if that's a word :)
Took an early bus to Oxford for the day today.....completely blown away by it because in my mind I had a picture of what Europe would be like (just in general) and this place was like the exact image thrown all around the city! Just the architecture, atmosphere, people, accents, weather....everything seemed so perfect in a way. A lot more laid back than London and obviously a college town. But seriously, I know there are more beautiful places that I still have yet to see, but I just really enjoyed Oxford. I took SO many pictures within the amount of time I was there but it was worth it because I could pick and choose which ones I liked the best. I didn't have a plan there, just walked down any street I could and every time I turned a corner, there was something more amazing than the last. Saw another place where a Harry Potter scene was filmed (haha I'm loving that) and had a pint in an Oxford pub. It's a small enough city that you can see it all in just a couple hours. Once the sun went down it got really cold so I just headed back to London (takes about 2 hours by bus). Sat beside a bunch of private school girls and their conversations were cracking me up. They were only on the bus for a short time but I knew all of their gossip and crap before they got to their stop! I just loved listening to their accents and slang though, it was great. Posted a few pictures of Oxford above and moved the other pictures to below the blog....I'm going to have to swap pictures out eventually to make room for more!
Anyways, Lolo had her driving lesson again tonight so she wasn't around much but I just packed my stuff and got ready to head out tomorrow. Next time I write I'll be in Scotland so woot woot for that!! :) This was long but had to write for 2 days...sorry about that! Hope everything is going well :) Xoxo
Met up with Kate afterwards in Covent Garden and we talked for a couple hours, catching up with everything and reminscing about freshman year at MWC...haha always makes for a good conversation (and a little heartache when I think of that place!). I am so impressed with where she is right now...getting her PhD at London SOAS and heading to Nepal in September for a year to do her fieldwork. She's been everywhere it seems and she's definitely so intelligent. She still keeps in contact with Caleb too which is awesome because he's always been one of my favorites :) Anyways, we had coffee too and then had to say goodbye unfortunately...maybe I'll see her in another random city again! You never know. Lolo and I went out for Turkish food for dinner (thanks SO much to Michelle!) and it had to be one of the greatest meals I have ever eaten....and I'm being entirely truthful. I don't even remember what it was I had but I'm still thinking about it today. Even though English isn't known for their food, I've tried some great things these past couple days! No complaints here. We went to the Shakespeare in Stoke Newington after for some cider and walked through back streets to get home. It was such a nice night, felt like I was a true Londoner! Haha if that's a word :)
Took an early bus to Oxford for the day today.....completely blown away by it because in my mind I had a picture of what Europe would be like (just in general) and this place was like the exact image thrown all around the city! Just the architecture, atmosphere, people, accents, weather....everything seemed so perfect in a way. A lot more laid back than London and obviously a college town. But seriously, I know there are more beautiful places that I still have yet to see, but I just really enjoyed Oxford. I took SO many pictures within the amount of time I was there but it was worth it because I could pick and choose which ones I liked the best. I didn't have a plan there, just walked down any street I could and every time I turned a corner, there was something more amazing than the last. Saw another place where a Harry Potter scene was filmed (haha I'm loving that) and had a pint in an Oxford pub. It's a small enough city that you can see it all in just a couple hours. Once the sun went down it got really cold so I just headed back to London (takes about 2 hours by bus). Sat beside a bunch of private school girls and their conversations were cracking me up. They were only on the bus for a short time but I knew all of their gossip and crap before they got to their stop! I just loved listening to their accents and slang though, it was great. Posted a few pictures of Oxford above and moved the other pictures to below the blog....I'm going to have to swap pictures out eventually to make room for more!
Anyways, Lolo had her driving lesson again tonight so she wasn't around much but I just packed my stuff and got ready to head out tomorrow. Next time I write I'll be in Scotland so woot woot for that!! :) This was long but had to write for 2 days...sorry about that! Hope everything is going well :) Xoxo
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Before a Sunday roast....
Catching up with the blog since I didn't write yesterday....I'm so glad I have use of a computer here at Lolo's but it'll probably change one I move on! So I'll take advantage of the luxury while I can :) We got a late start yesterday since the night before left us a littttttle hungover. I actually woke up before Lolo! That's a first too, because we know I can sleep. Anyways, she made me my first cup of English tea (deelishhhh) then went out for brunch at this place called the Blue Legume in Stoke Newington. It was very San Francisco-ish and the food was amazing...all organic and fresh. I had stopped there for coffee the day before but was so glad to come back and try the food. We walked around "Stokey" for awhile because it was finally gorgeous out. Hit up a farmers market and bought a couple locally brewed beers for later...an ale and a wheat beer (both turned out to be great). Also gave into temptation at a vintage shop and bought a couple pieces of jewelery....in total it was under £8 so I am still staying within my budget! Lolo treated herself to a couple dresses....she has a great style just like EVERYONE in London. No joke, I have not seen even one person that is not completely in style...it amazes me. I definitely stick out like a sore thumb because I only brought a limited amount of clothes! Oh well, if I look like a tourist, so what right?
Lolo had her driving lesson in the afternoon so I hit up Camden Market (couple pictures above). This places was incredible...all the vendors were set up in old horse stalls and the cobblestone streets winded around everyone. Everyone was selling great food, clothing, and everything else you could think of. It was really packed but definitely an experience. Literally every kind of person there, so people watching was fun too :)
Got back for some dinner and beer with Lolo before we headed back to Camden for a show. A band called the Priscilla's was playing at the Purple Turtle and it was an absolute blast. The lead singer is actually from New Jersey. She's only been her for 6 years but when we talked to her after the show, I found out she had completely taken on a British accent. Too funny but I guess it's easy to when you're surrounded by them. No matter what age you are or whatever your background is, you sound so intelligent with a British accent! It just sounds so proper, I absolutely love it. The show was really really good though...definitely different music than I'm used to but I'm so thankful for Lolo being here because I never would have found this place on my own. It was St. David's Day (sort of like the Welsch St. Patrick's Day) so they threw out tulips to the entire crowd and when they were trampled later that night, the whole place smelled like fresh tulips!! It was awesome...we had a great time. OH and before the bus ride home we shared a thing of chips. Haha they were completely amazing....even though I broke my Lent promise, it was well worth it. How can I come to London and not try the chips? I'll do without the fish though. We befriended a couple Australians on the bus ride home...they were hilarious.
Well, we're off to a traditional Sunday Roast across the street. I'm looking foward to it....it might be a bit heavy for lunch but I'm excited to try Yorkshire pudding :) Meeting up with Kate this afternoon for coffee near Covent Garden. Can't wait to see her! Doing a day trip to either Stonehenge or Oxford tomorrow...haven't decided which one yet. Leave for Scotland on Tuesday morning which is good because they're supposed to get snow in London on that day. It would be pretty but not fun to walk around in :) Anyways, we're off....talk soon!
Lolo had her driving lesson in the afternoon so I hit up Camden Market (couple pictures above). This places was incredible...all the vendors were set up in old horse stalls and the cobblestone streets winded around everyone. Everyone was selling great food, clothing, and everything else you could think of. It was really packed but definitely an experience. Literally every kind of person there, so people watching was fun too :)
Got back for some dinner and beer with Lolo before we headed back to Camden for a show. A band called the Priscilla's was playing at the Purple Turtle and it was an absolute blast. The lead singer is actually from New Jersey. She's only been her for 6 years but when we talked to her after the show, I found out she had completely taken on a British accent. Too funny but I guess it's easy to when you're surrounded by them. No matter what age you are or whatever your background is, you sound so intelligent with a British accent! It just sounds so proper, I absolutely love it. The show was really really good though...definitely different music than I'm used to but I'm so thankful for Lolo being here because I never would have found this place on my own. It was St. David's Day (sort of like the Welsch St. Patrick's Day) so they threw out tulips to the entire crowd and when they were trampled later that night, the whole place smelled like fresh tulips!! It was awesome...we had a great time. OH and before the bus ride home we shared a thing of chips. Haha they were completely amazing....even though I broke my Lent promise, it was well worth it. How can I come to London and not try the chips? I'll do without the fish though. We befriended a couple Australians on the bus ride home...they were hilarious.
Well, we're off to a traditional Sunday Roast across the street. I'm looking foward to it....it might be a bit heavy for lunch but I'm excited to try Yorkshire pudding :) Meeting up with Kate this afternoon for coffee near Covent Garden. Can't wait to see her! Doing a day trip to either Stonehenge or Oxford tomorrow...haven't decided which one yet. Leave for Scotland on Tuesday morning which is good because they're supposed to get snow in London on that day. It would be pretty but not fun to walk around in :) Anyways, we're off....talk soon!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
