Less than a week left?!?

This week has been a very interesting one.  I remember getting back from London on Sunday and thinking about how these last couple weeks would probably take forever since we are all about ready to go home, but that wasn’t true at all!  This week flew by and now that there are only 6 days left here it seems crazy.  Monday we spent recovering from the weekend in London, then on Tuesday Becca and I headed out to Manchester.  The old Manchester United captain, Gary Neville, is retiring from football, so they were holding one last game against Juventus in his honor.  They started to sell tickets for it a couple of weeks ago, and luckily we heard about it and got some.  We were so excited to get to see some of the great ManU players like Rooney and Giggs in action.  The best part about this is that David Beckham is Gary Neville’s best friend, and he was playing in the game too!!!  Becca and I spent the entire day in Manchester shopping and looking around the stadium until the game.  It was such an amazing atmosphere and I was beyond ecstatic to see THE David Beckham play in person…he is amazing!  We also saw Rooney score a goal which was really cool.  Due to some mishaps with the transportation, we didn’t get home until very late, so the next day we just relaxed and watched movies.

Yesterday was our last Friday night at Keele, so needless to say we all wanted to celebrate.  The night started out great with us hanging out and getting ready to go to the union, but it took a turn at about 10.  We were leaving to go out and while we were walking down the stairs Becca slipped and fell down about 6 of them.  At first she was laughing and we thought everything was ok, but then it started swelling REALLY bad and she was in a lot of pain.  My friend Dave and I called the ambulance and went with her to the hospital in Stoke.  We got there at 11 pm and didn’t end up leaving until about 7 this morning.  There was a really bad care accident that night and all the doctors were occupied for a long time, which is why it took so long.  Luckily she didn’t break it; she just really badly tore some of the soft tissue around her ankle.  After 8 hours in the ER we were all exhausted, so we can home and sleep the entire day.  That wasn’t the ideal way to spend our last Friday, but at least everyone is ok.  Luckily we still have Woodstoke, a big carnival/party that last from 5 pm on June 1 until 5am on June 2.  It should be a lot of fun and a great way to end the semester.  Until then everyone is going to be packing and saying goodbyes.  I cannot believe there is less than a week until I am in the US again…time flies!!  J xoxo

Weekend get-a-way in London!

So the past few weeks have been pretty laid back.  After finishing my essays and work for my independent studies, I pretty much spent my time hanging out with my friends and not doing much productive things.  Because we got a bit bored sitting around Keele, my friend Becca and I decided we should take one last trip while we were here.  On Thursday we set off nice and earl to London.  We got there around 11:30 and after checking into our hotel, we went shopping in Oxford Circus which has tons of amazing stores.  After our afternoon of retail therapy we went back to the hotel to get ready for the evening.  Becca got us tickets to see a newer musical called Priscilla Queen of the Desert.  She had already seen it and absolutely loved it, so I decided to give it a try.  Before the show we got a few drinks in the theater district and then headed towards the Palace Theater to see it.  Oh. My. Goodness.  Priscilla was PHENOMINAL!!!  I would almost say it was my favorite show I had ever seen.  It’s about 3 drag queens who are travelling from Sydney across Australia in a big bus (called Priscilla).  It sounds strange, but it was so much fun and such an upper!  The music was great, and I even got to go up on stage and dance with them!!!  I had such a blast there and I would recommend the show to anyone because I cannot imagine someone not liking it.  After the show we went to grab some dinner, then headed back to the hotel for some sleep. On the way back we saw one of the funniest things ever in the underground.  It wasn’t very crowded since it was so late, and there was a businessman sitting on one of the seats.  He kept wobbling around, clearly drunk.  Then he put his head between his legs and looked like he had passed out, but when we stopped he stumbled up, looked out the door for about 5 minutes and then sat back down.  After that he proceeded to throw up everything he had drank, and right at the perfect moment this group of French tourists started to sing him happy birthday, it was hilarious!  Becca and I got off at the next stop and couldn’t stop laughing.  Overall it was a fun and perfect evening.

The next day we started by going to Madame Tussaud’s wax museum.  The wax figures are so realistic it’s almost creepy!  They were all really amazing and I liked seeing all of them.  In Madame Tussaud’s after you see all the wax figures you go on a little ride that shows you the history of London, then a superhero 4D show.  The whole thing was really cool and worth the money I thought.  After the museum we went over to the London Eye.  It was really cool going up into the eye and you get a fantastic view of the city from up there.  Earlier when we were at the museum there was a lady selling cheap theater tickets, and they had ones for Chicago so we decided that we might as well make the most of our time there, so we went to see that too!  After the eye we grabbed kebabs, went back and changed and then headed to the show.  It was fantastic too!  I had always wanted to see Chicago on stage since I love the movie, and the musical was just as good.

On Saturday we went to Camden Market.  Holy crap, it was AWESOME!  If any of you go to London this is a must do!  It is a massive outdoor market with people selling everything you can imagine.  We lucked out because it was a gorgeous sunny day outside and not too hot, so it was perfect for exploring the different vendors.  We got there around 11 and didn’t leave until about 8.  We were exhausted (shopping takes a lot out of you! Lol) so we went back to the hotel, watched a movie and just relaxed.  Sunday we had to check out of our hotel pretty early, so we went to the cavalry (where the Queen’s horses are held).  Most people don’t know this, but the guards in the traditional outfits don’t stand at Buckingham Palace, they stand there but don’t always have their red uniforms on.  We took some pictures with them, then grabbed lunch and hopped on the bus back home.  It was an absolutely incredible weekend, one of my favorite ever.  I know I say this all the time but I am seriously so thankful that my parents have helped me so much and allowed me to have the opportunity to travel, because weekends like this past one are so amazing and without their help I would not have been able to do it J  Only 11 more days until I fly home, so I’m going to go make the most of them!!

xoxo

Easter Holiday Part 5: Pompeii and Greece

So originally we were supposed to spend Easter Sunday in Rome, but unfortunately something happened with the ferry company that was supposed to take us to Greece.  This would not have been a problem, except that we were supposed to stop in Pompeii on the way to the coast, and now we wouldn’t be able to.  Because of this everyone had to option to either stay in Rome that day or go to Pompeii.  I had learned about Pompeii in elementary school and always wanted to see it, so I chose to go there.  It was really, really cool to learn about the history and everything that happened there.  It was also amazing to see the ruins and imagine the people who used to live there and their lifestyles.  I was happy with my decision and it was a great experience to go out there.  Unfortunately this was our last night with the entire group because 9 of them stopped their trip in Rome, so we had a huge party and enjoyed our last night with everyone.

The next day we drove to the coast where we jumped on a cruise ship and headed toward Greece.  On the boat we had “quiz night” and played charades (which was hilarious) and went to sleep excited for the next day in Corfu.  At about 10 we docked and got taken to our hotel, which was a gorgeous 4 star one in Corfu.  It was beautiful and the food we got there was incredible.  Once we settled in we took a walk and stumbled upon a restaurant, where we got the most delicious souvlaki EVER!  I had never really tried Greek food before, but it was AMAZING and now one of my favorites!  After that we hung out by the pool and then the Contiki reps took us out to an awesome dinner and out for the night.

The following day was (with maybe the exception of the first day in Paris) my favorite day of the whole trip.  We went on George’s Boat and sailed around the island.  George is a 60 year old, slightly perverted Greek man who was so much fun.  We stopped after awhile at a dock and everyone got a chance to do water sports.  I did the donut and banana boating.  The donut was a BLAST and I was laughing and smiling the whole time.  The banana was really fun as well, although the 8 of us on it were not so good at keeping balance and we tipped like 4 times.  After water sports George made us an incredible lunch and we continued boating around the island.  We stopped many places along to way to swim and have a good time in the gorgeous ocean.  The whole day was just relaxed and fun.  After Georges Boat we had dinner and then some of the girls went shopping in town.  Corfu is such a cute little town and so pretty, I really loved it there.

The next day we rented cars and decided to explore the island.  THAT was an experience.  Luckily I didn’t have to drive, because Greek drivers are NUTS!  The roads were also very narrow up in some of the mountains which was terrifying, but our driver Chelsea did an awesome job with it.  Throughout the day we stopped to swim and sunbathe on Corfu’s many beaches.  The island is incredibly beautiful and probably my favorite place I have ever been.

The next day we sadly left Corfu.  I could have spent week there enjoying its beaches and beauty, but we had to move onto Athens.  When we arrived in Athens we went to the Plaka District for our last night together.  I absolutely loved everyone in our group and it was very sad that we only had a day left with one another.  We all got very nostalgic talking about all the great times we had throughout the trip.  It is crazy how well you get to know people when you spend 3 weeks with them.  I feel like I had known some of them for years, and I was sad to leave them.  Our final day was spent in Athens at the Acropolis.  The view from up there was awesome and the Parthenon was really cool to see.  Overall this month was the best one of my entire life.  I met amazing people and saw most of the amazingly beautiful sites Europe has to offer.  I spent more money than I thought possible, but the experience was well worth it and I would it again in a heartbeat. J

Easter Holiday Part 4: ITALY!!!

After the French Riviera we headed for our first stop in Italy…Venice!  This was one of my top places I wanted to go to, so I was really excited.  On the way there we stopped in Verona, which was a very pretty little city.  This is where Romeo and Juliet was set, and Juliet’s balcony is located there.  There is a statue of Juliet there, and allegedly if you rub her boob it brings you good luck in love, so naturally all of us did it.  We had delicious spaghetti Bolognese for dinner and rested up for exploring the city the next day.  Our first thing we did was a walking tour with a guide named Anna.  She was great and I was very thankful for having a guide, because if you have ever been to Venice you know it is full of canal, back alleys and extremely confusing roads.  Once we finished our tour we were supposed to go to a glass blowing demonstration because that is what Venice is famous for, but Ellen and I somehow lost the group and missed it.  We went to go get an AMAZING traditional Italian lunch instead and explored everything Venice had to offer.  It was such an extraordinary city and I loved wandering around its crazy streets.  A little later we found the group and went on a gondola ride.  It was so cool!  Seeing the city from the water was awesome and it was one of the highlights of the trip for me J

After Venice we went further south towards Florence.  The traffic on the way there was absolutely INSANE!  We were literally stopped in the same exact stop for 3 hours, which stunk but we kept ourselves entertained by playing games.  Eventually we got out of traffic and stopped at the Leaning Tower of Pisa, it was awesome!!!  Of course we took a million corny pictures of us trying to hold it up, which was a lot of fun.  Once we got to Florence we had delicious lasagna and garlic bread for dinner, and then got ready to go out.  We went to a karaoke bar called The Red Garter.  I had never really done karaoke before, but the atmosphere in the bar was soooo much fun, so with a bit of liquid encouragement me and 3 of the other girls in the group jumped on stage and belted out Bohemian Rhapsody.  I had a blast that night and now am a huge fan of karaoke.

The next day we went on a walking tour of Florence and then a leather making demonstration.  What glass is to Venice leather is to Florence, so we learned all about how it was made and how to spot fake leather.  After that a bunch of us went to get lunch, and I had the most amazing pizza EVER!  We explored the city more and then went to see the statue of David.  IT WAS AMAZING!!! I snuck a picture even though we weren’t allowed because it was so awesome.  Next we grabbed gelato and shopped some more, then went back to the campsite and got ready for our authentic Tuscan dinner which was delicious!  Then we went to a place called Space Electronic Disco, which was really cool but there were like 15 year old boys there!  I don’t know how they got in, but it was kind of creepy dancing around all of these Italian kids so we didn’t stay too long.

The next day was the longest day EVER, but very worth it.  We got up extremely early so we could head towards Rome.  It wasn’t a long drive, but since it was the day before Easter Jen did not want to risk hitting traffic.  We actually made really good time, so we started the day by going on a tour of St. Peter’s basilica and the Vatican museums.  It was PACKED in Vatican City due to Easter so it was kind of stressful trying to keep up with everybody and stay together.  After these tours everyone was exhausted, but we still had more to do that day.  We took a walking tour of the city and saw all of the amazing sites, and although we were so tired by the end of the day I was so excited to see the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon , Coliseum and much more.

Easter Holiday Part 3: Barcelona and French Riviera

The next day of our journey was spent driving to Barcelona, and boy was it long.  Luckily we broke up the drive by stopping at some really cool places, like Pont du Gard which is an old Roman aqueduct in France.  It was absolutely incredible and I am always amazed by the fact that without the modern tools we have people were able to create these magnificent things.  Eventually we got to Barcelona and had some dinner, then got ready for a night out on the town.  We went into the city and walked down La Ramblas to a bar called El Bose de la Fades that was decorated like a rain forest inside.  Everyone tried some sangria (which Spain is famous for) and just had a great night talking and relaxing.

The next day we headed out into the city once again, and our day started out with a bus tour and a walking tour of different parts of the city.  One of the most amazing things we saw was the Sagrada Familia.  Antoni Gaudi created many masterpieces throughout the city, and this is his most famous one.  It was started in 1882, and STILL isn’t finished!  You can tell there have been many different architects working on it because the sides are very different.  The city was very different than anything I had seen before and I really loved walking through it.  After the tours I went with some of the other people in the group to the FC Barcelona stadium.  It was incredibly epic and so cool to tour it and see where the amazing team plays.  Next we headed to Parc Guell, which is full of mosaics created by Gaudi.  It was so beautiful and looked like candy land.  After that we did some shopping and then went out for the evening with everybody, which was (as always) a ton of fun.  I did not know what to expect in Barcelona but I had so much fun there and hope to go back some day.

After Barcelona we went to the French Riviera.  The first night we got there we stayed at the campsite, where we tried frog legs…which to my surprise tasted a lot like chicken.  The next day we went into Nice and started the day at a perfumery, where we learned about how it is made and the different types. Our day after that was free for us to shop and enjoy the beachfront.  Later on that night we went into Monaco, which (after Vatican City) is the smallest country in the world.  Monaco is famous for the grand prix and its casinos, the most famous of which is Monte Carlo.  It was GORGEOUS but waaaaay different than a Vegas casino.  There was a very serious vibe in there, but it was awesome to get dressed up like a high roller and gamble a bit, and I actually won!  But then I lost L, which was okay because later we went next door to the Sun Casino where I won 22 euro!  (I know it isn’t a lot, but I was still excited lol).   I loved the French Riviera, but I super excited to leave only because the next day we went to Italy!

Easter Holiday Part 2: Paris and Beaujolais Wine Region

I could not believe I was finally in Paris.  I took French in middle school and high school, where I learned about the French people’s customs, lifestyle, personalities and the famous places throughout France.  I had seen so many pictures of places like the Louvre, Notre, Dame, and of course the Eiffel Tower, but I never imagined how amazing they truly were.  When we got to Paris that first night we had some dinner and then when on a tour of the city at night.  It was INCREDIBLE!!!  I definitely had a moment when I saw the Eiffel Tower all lit up.  We also stopped to have champagne and escargot, which really wasn’t too bad! 

That first night we only got to see all the sights briefly, but the next morning we had the entire day to go see everything.  We started out nice and early.  It was 70 degrees and sunny, which really helped to make the day great.  Our first start was the Louvre.  Incredible.  We saw some of the most famous works of arts in the world, like Venus di Milo and the Mona Lisa.  The Louvre was so amazing, but sooooo crowded, especially around the Mona Lisa.  Surrounding her was a frame, a glass frame, a semi circular wooden barrier and another set of ropes, plus hundreds of people all trying to get a good picture.  It was insane but really cool to see.  We spent a little over 2 hours in the Louvre and barely made a dent, but we had to move on to our next destination, which was Notre Dame.  Oh my goodness it was unbelievable.  We explored the inside and then climbed all the way up to the bell tower, where we got a great view of the city.  After Notre Dame we walked along the Seine, where many people set up booths and sell things like paintings and other cool stuff.  After that we met back up with the rest of our group and went back to the hotel to change and get some dinner.



Later that night we went to climb the Eiffel Tower.  I am proud to say I climbed every single step to the second floor, and then from there you have to take the elevator to the third floor.  It was so cool!!!  The views, needless to say, were pretty epic and it was an awesome experience.  I have to say that our first day in Paris was one of my favorite days of my life.  It was completely perfect and a great way to start the trip, and from there every day was just as great. J

Day 2 in Paris started out with a visit to Versailles, which was magnificent!  There was gold EVERYWHERE and the decorations were really cool.  We saw the famous gardens and hall of mirrors where the Treaty of Versailles was signed.  After he palace we went into the city and went down into the catacombs.   They were so cool, but creepy at the same time.  After the catacombs we went to the Musee d’Orsay, where famous works by Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas and many others are held.  After the museum closed we walked down the Champs Elysees, got crepes and saw some famous stores like LV. At the end of it is of course the amazing Arch de Triomphe and the largest round a bout in the world.  From there we took the subway, with some mishaps, to the Moulin Rouge and went to a bar next to it called O’Sullivans.  We had an incredible night out with the entire group. 

Paris was my favorite city we saw and I was sad to leave it, but the next day we drove down to the Beaujolais Wine Region.  On the way there we did some “get to know you” stuff.  Our Contiki group was so

much fun.  Everyone was very chill and laid back, and we all got along really well.  In Beaujolais we stayed in a really beautiful chateau.  We had a wine tasting that night and a delicious dinner.  The next day we all were given picnic baskets and took a long hike up to “the top of the world.”  The view was incredible and we had a nice, relaxed afternoon up there.  Later that night we had a 80’s party at the chateau with another Contiki group which was a blast.  I did not have high hopes for Beaujolais, but it ended up being very fun and relaxed.  I got to know a lot of the other people in the group much better there, and I’m really glad we went.

Easter Holiday Part 1: Madrid and London

Hey everybody!  I know this is looooong overdue, but time has gone by so fast since spring break!  I cannot believe it has been 2 weeks since I got back from the most amazing adventure of my life.  Luckily I kept a travel journal, because remembering every little detail is actually pretty hard, and I need some refreshing!  I am going to do it in parts so no one has to read too much at once if they don’t want to, and I’ll try to give a reader’s digest version of everything we did rather than go into extreme details J

The first part of my spring break was my visit to see my good friend Ann in Spain.  On April 6 I flew from London to Madrid, where Ann met me at the airport.  I was beyond excited to see her again! She lived in Alcala, which is near Madrid.  It was really amazing getting to see where she had spent the last 4 months and catch up with her.  Spain is absolutely gorgeous, and I loved walking around and experiencing the culture.  The first night I got there we had tapas and a glass of wine while we sat and talked.  I love the way that in Spain people spend hours at a meal just enjoying each other’s company.  In Italy they call it “dolce far niente,” or the joy of doing nothing, which I am a HUGE fan of J (who wouldn’t be) and loved doing with Ann in Alcala.  The next day we explored the town and had a delicious traditional Spanish meal.  Later we had tapas again and met up with some of the other study abroad students there and went out for the night in Alcala, which was very different than going out in BG or Keele but a blast none-the-less.  On Friday we went and saw the GORGEOUS city of Madrid.  I love everything about Spain-the culture, the beauty, the food, the language.  I really wish I could have spent more time there with her, but the next day I had to fly to London to meet up with our Contiki group.  I was sad to go but seeing her was incredible, and I was comforted to know that soon I would get to see not only Ann again, but all of my amazing friends back home.

            As mentioned before, on Saturday I flew back to London and checked into the hotel where we met our Contiki group.  That first night we had a meeting and got the logistics about when we needed to be there on Sunday and filled out some paperwork.  I could not believe that the trip we had been planning for months was finally about to begin!  I had dreamed about the amazing places I would see over the next 20 days for such a long time, and in 24 hours I would start to experience them.  That night, although I was extremely excited to start the trip the next day, I was also exhausted from the day’s travels and went straight to sleep after our meeting.  We had to be at the meeting point at 6am to weigh our bags and load everything onto the bus.  We lucked out because the bus holds 52 people, and we only had 26 on our tour so everyone got their own seat.  This proved to be very nice on the days we had to drive for long hours, especially if we had late nights the day before.  At about 7 we set off towards the coast, where we caught a ferry near the White Cliffs of Dover, which were GORGEOUS!  After the boat ride we hopped back on the bus, where our amazing tour guide Jenn gave us a lot of information about France and our tour.  She was so knowledgeable about everywhere we saw the entire trip and so helpful to everybody on the tour.  The next few hours were just driving and getting to know the other people on tour, until about 4 pm when we arrived in PARIS!!! J