Wonderful Weekend in Wales!

Another week has passed and another wonderful weekend trip took place! Friday after work I caught the train to London. I decided I wanted to visit all of the Harry Potter film sites in London, and so upon my arrival at Kings Cross Station I made my way to Platform 9 and 3/4 where there is a sign and a trolley going through the wall. After getting my picture taken at this famous storybook site, I made my way to the hostel to leave my bag behind. I then adventured to Diagon Alley, or as the Londeners call it, Leadenhall Market. It was very neat to see this, and so easy to picture as Harry Potters shopping center. I continued my walk, past St. Paul's Cathedral, to Gringgot's Bank, otherwise known as the Australian House. While most of the bank scenes were filmed inside (which is not open to visitors), the outside doors did look familiar and it is still great to say that I went Harry Potter's bank. My night only got better from here. I made my way to Trafalger Square and to the Texas Embassy ( a Mexican restaurant that my parents and I eat at every time we visit London). This made me feel right at home as I enjoyed a delicious meal of queso, chips, and quesadillas...boy do I miss this food. Following this I was able to secure 8th row tickets to Mamma Mia...yes I have seen it 7 times before...but it is still amazing. I actually think that the audience in London was more involved with the play than anywhere else I have ever seen it. I left in the best mood, after really an incredible night. It honestly was a night that I needed, as the past week (being on my own as the Carr's were away on holiday in Portugal) was hard for me because it made me miss everyone back home so much.

But Friday nights amazingness wasn't the end of it. Saturday morning I met up with about 30 other people, boarded the bus and headed for Wales. After crossing the Wales border, we stopped in Chepstow. It was here where we enjoyed walking around a castle, a small museum, and a quick bite for lunch. There was also a bridge where you could stand with one foot in Britain and one foot in Wales. After this stop, the bus headed for Tintern Abbey. This abbey, very very old, is not a usual tourist spot as it is off the beaten path, but was really incredible to see. All that is left is mostly the stone outline/structure with grennery growing in some spots. We wandered around the old abbey and then did a little souvenier shopping. Following this stop, the bus mades its way to Hay-On-Wye a small town known for books. Within a 1/2 mile strip of street, there are 26 book stores. We wandered around the streets and stores for an hour before making our way back to the bus. It was then that we made our way to the hotel/hostel that would be our residence for the night and boy was it neat. It was an old mansion, in the middle of no where, on top of a hill. If you picture a haunted house that just sits with nothing but trees and hills around it...that is where we stayed. After a cheeseburger dinner, I just hung out with the other people on the trip and got to know them. It was really great getting to know other people my age, that are away from home doing the same thing I am. The only difference is most of the other people on the trip were from Canada. Around eleven that night we made our way to a disco/club that was on the property behind the hotel. We were told by our sponsers that we needed to experience this place, as all of the local people are actually bussed in every Saturday night to attend the disco. This was a very fun night and awesome way to experience the nightlife, hang out with my new friends and meet some of the local people.

On Sunday morning (after a great nights sleep and an extra hour as daylight savings time started) we enjoyed a great hot breakfast buffet and then headed to the riding stables. It was here where we were split into smaller groups, where we were fitted with riding boots and hats, and then assigned to a horse. My horse Buckley, was a brown and white one, that was very well behaved. We rode for 3 hours, in mostly sunny weather, all through the mountains and fields of Wales. It was honestly breathtaking, seeing the scenery and all of the free land, rolling hills, lakes, and wandering animals we encountered. The ride was adventerous as previous rain had made the muddy trails slippery for the horses. We went up and down hills, over rocks, through rivers, through fields and on roads. By the end of 3 hours I think everyone was ready to get off as the last 15 min. of the ride consisted of a slight rain fall, cold wind, and sore bottoms. But it was an amazing ride. Once we got back to the stables and gathered all our stuff, we took the bus to a local pub where a traditional Sunday roast was waiting for us. The meal consisted of roast beef, yorskshire pudding, potatoe, cheesy cauliflower, carrots, peas and to top it all off, warm fudge cake with ice cream. It was absolutely delicious and very filling. It was now time for the long drive back to London, with a short mandatory stop in Oxford for the driver to rest. We watched a bit of the movie Australia before most people, probably all, fell asleep. Everyone was exhausted from the late night and long day. 3 hours later we arrived in Oxford where we enjoyed a 45 minute break just walking the streets and sipping hot chocolate. By the time we were there most shops were closed so it was a nice time to just talk and stretch. After getting back on the bus we made our way back to London, where I told my new friends goodbye, and hopped on the train for my ride back to Lincoln.

The trip was absolutely amazing. Whether it was my adventures, the scenery or the people I met, it was all great. Now I have people to travel with and people to visit. Another adventure starts on Friday....destination (already booked) to be announced soon!