Day 36 - The rains of Edinburgh

At the risk of admitting that I still have not seen an episode of "Game of Thrones", the title best describes the day's events. 

Weather in Edinburgh is quite like a lot of other cities this side of the hemisphere. So, with the rain pouring down all day, Heather and I made the right choice to spend most of it indoors.

After a late morning start, we ate breakfast and visited the National Museum of Scotland and saw A LOT of things only on one floor. It's such a gorgeous place and the exhibits were amazing!

Later on, we stumbled across The Elephant House cafe, which is famous for being the place where JK Rowling wrote the "Harry Potter" books. 

Also, at the delicious cost of some coffee!

With the rain still at it, we braved the "storm" to get into Edinburgh castle. I didn't take pictures because of the amount of wind and rain, but the place is incredible! It's a beautifully old castle that sits atop an old hill with an awesome view of the rest of the city below. 

We got to see 3 exhibits: two on the Scottish regiments and war histories, and the Scottish Crown Jewels. 

Later, we met up with a friend from the program and had dinner. Now, we're relaxing and preparing for tomorrow's next big excursion: the Highlands tour!

That's all for now! I'll leave with a picture of one of the souvenirs I bought today that I proudly own. 

Day 35 - A warm Scottish welcom!

Our trip to Edinburgh made Dublin feel like a distant memory upon seeing the large rolling green hills near the city. 

I believe the bus rides we have taken are quite efficient to get a feel for a city and also a lot cheaper! To be able to go back to pounds after a couple days felt nice, although even the Scottish notes look a little different.

This city is gorgeous, I tell you! I love the idea of rolling hills with old cathedrals that line the streets.

Heather and I are settled in nicely at our hotel. We'll be ready to take on the sights  tomorrow and make more memories. 

Day 34 - Where the streets have no name

(Oh, that red-head is Heather!)

Dublin is surprisingly easy to navigate when you really look at your surroundings. 

There are multiple cafes cleverly named "Insomnia" along the bustling sidewalks of tourist sites and the winding little river that is central to the city's geography (though not quite as massive as the Thames in London). 

Dublin. A city that loves to puff its chest and downs a Guiness after a long day. 

And it certainly was long for us! We got to see several sites, like the National Gallery, the National Library (saw two exhibits, one on Yeates), Dublin Castle, Dubh Linn garden, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Christchurch cathedral, and a bridge with a unique structure akin to a harp. 

I won't forget this rugged little city. I'd say it's euros well spent!

Day 33 - It always(?) sunny in Dublin

Do people think of wild things to do while in Dublin? Maybe it's the simpler things that makes a difference in the course of the day. When Heather and I woke up this morning, our plan was to go at a steady pace. 

A lot can be done by a good long walk!

We walked all the way from our hotel to see Trinity College and The Book of Kells, which were both beautiful a find. We even spent time at the National Museum on Archaeology, which also had some amazing displays on history.

But because it was Sunday we could only see so much that was open long enough. We eventually found a small grocery market near our hotel to pick up some food. 

Also, there happened to be a big football match nearby that ended, so crowds of people swarmed the sidewalks to leave while we walked!

All in all, it was a nice, surprisingly sunny day that gave us a fun perspective on the Irish city. :)

Day 32 - Cheers from Dublin

The picture you see is the view from my hotel room. Yep, I made it to Dublin!

And what a trip it's been to get here. 

I couldn't sleep very well, but managed to get up around 6am to head to Euston station. After meeting up with my friend, Heather, we were on our way to the train. 

We can honestly say we saw Wales, but it went by the time I woke from my nap. The views were beautiful, though! Hopefully I get a chance to visit Cardiff someday. 

The ride was long, but we got on the ferry to get to Dublin port. Wow, that was one fancy ferry ride. It had a lot of things I would expect on a cruise ship, like a cinema and a whole restaurant. 

Getting to our hotel was interesting. We got a taste of the city by public transport and familarized ourselves with the €. Thankfully, the bus drivers we encountered were helpful enough to point us to the right direction!

Now we're settled and comfy in the hotel. Lots to see tomorrow in the city!

As the locals say, "Cheers!"

Days 27-31 - The SUPER update!

As I write, I am preparing my bags for the Mid-Term break. I've been so busy trying to make sure that all my laundry is folded and packed away and my plans are finalized.

But this whole week has been so busy, I had to make a blog post for the end of the week!

Day 25 & 26 - A spontaneous Easter weekend

Whew! What a weekend. At this point, making the most of spare time becomes a task all on itself. London is a city with loads to do and if you have an idea, GO FOR IT.

Saturday, I happen to spend time with some extended family here in London. It was the first time I have met most of them and they were wonderful for letting me visit.

Day 24 - A Good Friday indeed

As one professor noted about the Easter weekend is that although Christmas gets a lot of commercial attention, Easter tends to be the one that brings in the masses.

In place of our usual classroom meeting, Good Friday is a big deal for the UK, so we instead attended Matins at St. Paul's Cathedral...

...and, wow, there are no words to express its grand beauty.

Day 22 & 23 - From Stonehenge to Dock Street

These are some of the most visually pleasing days I've had so far!!! On Wednesday, we had the whole day out in the English countryside scouring for ancient stones and beautiful landscapes. On Thursday, it was mostly the historically shady streets of East End.

It's amazing what a change in weather can do to make the day that much better!



The three places we visited on Wednesday was Stonehenge, Stourhead, and Avebury, by coach bus.

You can't miss the opportunity to see Stonehenge, even with a barrier to protect from further damage.

What a legend.

Proof that I was within proximity!

We then made our way to Stourhead with was once owned by a slave owner, Harry Hoare, who happened to have a very beautiful estate.

Could this place be any more magestic?

Yes it can.

Even here, this looks too perfect.

A chapel that was seen in the 2005 movie, "Pride and Prejudice"!

Afterwards, we had a long drive over to Avebury, which is a small little village that was build around ancient stones that were also built around the time of Stonehenge. My battery was running low at this point, but I found some great shots!

We can actually touch these rocks.

Different shapes and sizes.

I can't get over this beautiful scenery!

 For Thursday's class, I managed to not bring my camera today, even though I should have. After Theatre class, some of us went to eat some delicious meat pies and looked around some funky street market things. I'm definitely coming back more often!

Also, we made our way to East End for our tour of its historical significance. I really enjoyed it for its eclectic environment and seemingly "dark" aesthetic with the more modern developments. It's got its own charm, that's for sure, and I am probably gonna go back at some point.

We even got to have a group photo near the Tower Bridge because it was so close!

Tomorrow is Good Friday, so many of us will be attending matins at St. Paul's Cathedral in the morning. It's definitely gonna be the start of a wonderful weekend!

Day 20 & 21 - Hello, sunshine!

Wow, this is already such a nice week with all the sunshine we've been having! Weather is something that is hard to ignore when in London.

For this post, I'm combining entries on two different days because of how busy I've been.

On Monday, it was dedicated mostly to the Theatre class, then on Tuesday, today, has been about Victorian Literature and Contemporary Britain.

Day 19 - Victoria loves her Albert

So much was happening this weekend, especially today being the London Marathon and also the Olivier Awards!

But the best we few people chose to do was visit the British Museum and walk around Kensington Park.

Day 18 - Chocolate and the Hogwarts Express

This is one of the most unique weekends I've had so far here in London!

Today, me and a few other people went to a chocolate festival and visited Platform 9 3/4.

Yeesssssss

Day 17 - Catch-Up day!

I wonder a lot on how busy I've been this week mainly because of my less regular updating. 

I will say that it's probably a good thing! Them Friday rolls along and I find myself exhausted and wanting to relax. 

Today was as normal a day as I had this week because I went to class and then had lunch with peers, then went home. This beautiful weather we're having has inspired many of my classmates to travel outside of the UK!

I, and the number remaining, made the choice to stick around. I heard of some cool events to check out, like a chocolate festival. Also, visiting London's free museums are always a bonus!

We'll see what this weekend will bring for me. 

Day 15 - Always look on the bright side of life!

This was a very long day, but worth the experience because of the trip to Hampton Court and watching Spamalot!

The day was an early one for me and Brie. Getting to our destination became quite a journey mainly because we had to get there for the 9:45 train over at Vauxhall station. The train itself wasn't so bad, but I was very tired!

Day 16 - Striding through Hyde Park

This is a late entry, as is the last one, because time has been so short in the span of this week.

For now, I'll briefly summarize, like always, the events of the day with best of my memory!

Today was spent on Theatre class and the Contemporary Britain class, which the latter involved an interesting tour around Hyde Park.

Day 14 - A time to sit, and a time to stand

I imagine that I don't have a bright future in careers involving sitting for long periods on hard surfaces. Or standing for long periods of time without moving. I wonder how some people in London can bear those.

I had several instances where my legs would feel pinched after a long period of time, and tight seating arrangements don't help that. So, anytime I had a chance to stand, I felt an immediate feeling for relief to be able to be mobile and free to stride without pain.

It all sounds serious in a way, but it's not, I promise! This is kind of a flowery way to complain about sitting for long periods of time during lecture classes in cramped classrooms on quite uncomfortable seats.

But I digress. Let's talk about Dickens, UK/European politics, and Wes Anderson.

Day 13 - Hear it for the boys

I'm writing this late after the events of the day mainly because by the time I got home from the play, Another Country, I was ready to turn in.

For now, I'll recap in bullet format:

• New SIM
• Theatre Class antics
• Dinner time fun
• Travel time fun
• Beer talk
• Another Country + and meeting the cast

But I'll take the time now to elaborate a little more on those topics.

Day 12 - Easy Sunday

In the same spirit of yesterday's mild activities, my Sunday was spent in a mild manner. This time, I spent part of it with a fellow study abroad classmate and friend, Selam. We took a leisurely stroll around Muswell Hill and even I saw some things that I didn't get to see my first few times around!

Day 11 - Bet your horses!

Today will be as simple as I can possibly make it in blog form. Mainly, it's because I stayed indoors all day.

Why? Because laundry. It's not that bad! Actually, I managed to do my first loads of laundry in the UK and not lose any socks.

But also, today was the Grand National!

Day 10 - Friday Fish and Chips!

It's strange to feel so drained at the end of the week when there's so much more to do!

My Friday was such a calm end of this whirlwind of an educational trip. The morning started with hoping that the Picadilly line didn't stop during its usual journey, then our Victorian Literature class continued without a hitch! I'm gonna be honest that I am still behind on the Oliver Twist reading, but I'm at a good part, so I'll spend some time this weekend reading to catch up!

Day 9 - Party on the Picadilly Line (but not really), and a brisk walk through Westminster and Buckingham Palace

One of the things that any person who lives in London or knows of London is the importance of the tube. If something were to happen, things can go wrong fast.

I learned the hard way of how my whole day can be altered if the tube trains were to suddenly not function if their signals went wrong!

Day 8 - A sudden meeting with Charlie and Vivien

The Tower of London and Big Ben are definitely staples of the ultimate London sightseeing points, but there are some gems you just can't find if you stay in the hustling streets of the city.

Today, I joined the Art, Architecture, and Society class on their walk. Warm as it felt, the winds kept sweeping down from the water and kept me cool even with my coat.

We walked around the Holborn neighborhood and looked at places like a small museum just around the corner to getting a grand view of St. Paul's Cathedral from the Millenium/"Wobbly" bridge.

One of my favorite moments was the surprise I had seeing a couple very familiar names in St. Paul's Church in Covent Gardens.

Day 7 - London time travelling day!

Today's classes are two starkly different, yet interconnected, concepts about London, from Victorian era to Contemporary times.

This morning, not only am I not completely caught of up with Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist, I don't even have the suggested edition that our professor assigned! I hope I can manage for the next few class sessions. I am powering through Book 1 of the story, but I'm glad I'm still reading it.

We talked a lot about how place, culture, time, and art is all here in London, as well as other places around England. Crockenwell Street, which is just down the road from our classroom on Great James, is where Oliver Twist is running down after being accused of stealing a wealthy old gentleman's handkerchief. Walking down there, I felt a slight chill imagining a little boy scurrying down the road in 1830's London.

The second class was focused on more current events, where we discussed politics and history throughout the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. London is one of those everchanging cities where history overlaps with current times and the country is constantly in turmoil with itself.

Plus, a few jokes about colonization from our British faculty. :D

Maybe I'm still trying to adjust, but today seemed pretty mellow and easy going. I am still not entirely sure how my weeks or weekends are panning out because I'm still half-way across the Atlantic.

Tomorrow, I'll be joining the walking tours of Arts, Architecture, and Society class to maybe get some inspiration again. I've still got many weeks to be adventurous!

Also, because it's April Fools Day, my facebook is filled with people getting "engaged" and into relationships. For me, today was still my adjustment period!