This past weekend ranks up there among my favorite trips. It honestly was such a magical and breathtaking weekend that I would do again and again. Let's go back to Friday night...
Friday night in London usually means one thing...Mexican food and a show...and sure enough that is just what happened. I decided that I wanted to see the musical Legally Blonde, because I love the movie and because it is no longer playing in the states and this was my one chance. So I headed to the theatre early to get tickets, however the only seats left were around $120 and no way was I paying that. The reason it was almost sold out was because it just premiered in London on the 15th of this month. Anyways, I decided I would stick around for the lottery, where I could get my name drawn out of a hat, for the $120 seats for only $20. And guess what...my name was pulled...and I got front row seats!! What a great way to start the weekend.
Saturday was my trip to Belgium and I was just fascinated by this place. After taking a ferry across the channel, we landed in France and then drove to Bruges, Belgium. Because of a late departure from Dover, we unfortunately had only about 2 hours in Bruges but it was totally worth the long travel. The architecture of the buildings was amazing and the canals that ran through the city were so pretty...even in the light drizzle. Even though I haven't been to Venice...I can see why they called this place the 'Venice of the North'. After a 45 minute walking tour, which I didn't really pay that much attention to because I was taking pictures of everything, we had about an hour or so to explore on our own. The girls I was with and I decided that we wanted to go get the traditional Belgium food and drinks. So, we went to a little place in the square and enjoyed chocolate covered waffles and cherry beer. Ha, an interesting combination but a delicious snack. After some souvenir shopping we boarded the bus to head to a local chocolate factory, which we found to be closed when we got there. This was disappointing, but overall I very much enjoyed Belgium.
Sunday was another full adventuresome day. It started with a visit to Bath, and man, was this place just amazing. We had two hours to explore the town and baths, but I actually spent the entire time inside the baths. I found them quite amazing. There was the main bath which still has warm water in it today, and then one other steam pool, the rest were the remains of the baths, temple, walls, etc. To think that Romans once stood here, in the times of Julius Ceasar, just was fascinating. I thought back to my Latin classes in high school, as I remembered reading about these baths. I was not able to go into the Bath Abbey as it was closed on Sundays for services, but the outside of the place was another incredible sight. The next stop of the tour was the mysterious Stonehenge. WOW! Yes, it is a bunch of rocks, piled in a mysterious way, but to be right there, there is something magical about them. I had been looking forward to seeing the real Stonehenge for so long, after making trips to Hunt, Texas to see a replica of Stonehenge. One can just wonder why the rocks were put the way they were, how they were placed that way, and who put them there. It is fun to just imagine, because nothing is known for sure. The final stop of the day was at Salisbury Cathedral, which has the tallest spire (123 meters) in England. This cathedral also houses one of the four original Magna Carta's. It was interesting to see this, as one of the other originals is at Lincoln Castle (which I have seen before). The cathedral itself, it technically closed on Sundays due to services, however, everyone on the tour split up and pretended to be interested in the service, as we wandered around the interior. Once again, I wonder how cathedrals like this were built. Another spectacular wonder of God.
The entire weekend was absolutely amazing, and one that I will definitely never forget. It was one of the highlights of my time here. Pictures will be posted on my Facebook sometime this week.
Now back to work...
Monday, January 25, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Girls Night
Last night two of my co-workers and I had a girls night. Katy and I went over to Lorien's after work, where we enjoyed a nice dinner, had some wine, and watched two movies...Sex and the City and The Eye, and then had a sleepover. We went for a chick flick and then a scary movie. :-) It was so relaxing and was so nice getting to spend time with my two favorite people from work. It was times like last night, and this past weekend which made me realize that I really am going to miss all of these new people in my life when I leave. But...I know to make the most of my time left and I most definitely am. As of earlier this morning, I filled my last open weekend with a snowboarding adventure in Switzerland. So now, every weekend left is booked, I am checking off many 'places I want to visit' off my list and I am having and absolute blast...which is the most important thing!
I will write more after my adventures this week. Belgium on Saturday. Stonehenge, Bath and Salisbury Cathedral on Sunday!!!
I will write more after my adventures this week. Belgium on Saturday. Stonehenge, Bath and Salisbury Cathedral on Sunday!!!
Monday, January 18, 2010
First Trips of 2010!
Another weekend has passed, meaning another adventure is over, but boy, did I enjoy my most recent trip. This past weekend I headed into London to see all of my Canadian friends as well as some other people. 3 of the girls had just moved into a new flat, and so they were having a house warming party. It was a fun night, and I got to meet a bunch of other 'Bunacers' (other kids on the same program I am) and hear their experiences abroad.
Saturday was a day of rest. After sleeping in, we all went to a Portuguese restaurant and enjoyed a delicious chicken meal. The rain then started pouring down, and so we headed back to the flat. It really was so nice just to lay around, watching scary movies, eating snacks, and just talking with each other.
Sunday, Sam (one of the Canadian girls) and I woke up early to meet our tour group. The first stop was Leeds Castle. This place was incredible. It was one of the most well kept castles I have visited, as it still is in use for banquets, weddings and meetings. While visiting the castle, we also got to see an aviary filled with endangered birds. There were parrots of all types, toucans, cockatoos, and many more. The aviary is actually trying to get the birds to reproduce, so more of the endangered birds can exist. And although you would like to see the birds not in cages, most of the birds at the aviary could not survive in every day life. The highlight for me at the castle, was the maze. This was one of those mazes made completely of hedges, and wow, it was difficult. It took Sam and I an entire 40 minutes to make it to the center, and that was with help. Without help, we would have missed our bus! The next stop on the tour was the village of Canterbury. This place was very neat as it had both modern and historical sections. After a quick lunch, we toured the Canterbury Cathedral. Once again, another spectacular cathedral, from the size, the stained glass windows, and the architectural design. Following this stop we went to see the white cliffs of Dover. I had seen them before on a cruise with my parents, but they were still neat the second time. The tour stopped at the beach for about 15 min. in order for everyone to get pictures of the cliff, the fort, and the ocean. The water was quite chilly, as I experienced when I got soaked by a huge wave, that hit me when I was trying to just feel the water. Our final stop of the day was Greenwich village, known for being zero degrees latitude. Unfortunately we did not have time to sight see here, as we were catching a boat ride on the Thames River. This boat ride was very neat as it took us underneath the London Tower Bridge and the London Bridge. The views of these bridges, as well as the views of the Tower of London, The Eye, and the Big Big Bend area at night, were amazing. It was a great end to a very great weekend.
More adventures to come next weekend...stay tuned!
Saturday was a day of rest. After sleeping in, we all went to a Portuguese restaurant and enjoyed a delicious chicken meal. The rain then started pouring down, and so we headed back to the flat. It really was so nice just to lay around, watching scary movies, eating snacks, and just talking with each other.
Sunday, Sam (one of the Canadian girls) and I woke up early to meet our tour group. The first stop was Leeds Castle. This place was incredible. It was one of the most well kept castles I have visited, as it still is in use for banquets, weddings and meetings. While visiting the castle, we also got to see an aviary filled with endangered birds. There were parrots of all types, toucans, cockatoos, and many more. The aviary is actually trying to get the birds to reproduce, so more of the endangered birds can exist. And although you would like to see the birds not in cages, most of the birds at the aviary could not survive in every day life. The highlight for me at the castle, was the maze. This was one of those mazes made completely of hedges, and wow, it was difficult. It took Sam and I an entire 40 minutes to make it to the center, and that was with help. Without help, we would have missed our bus! The next stop on the tour was the village of Canterbury. This place was very neat as it had both modern and historical sections. After a quick lunch, we toured the Canterbury Cathedral. Once again, another spectacular cathedral, from the size, the stained glass windows, and the architectural design. Following this stop we went to see the white cliffs of Dover. I had seen them before on a cruise with my parents, but they were still neat the second time. The tour stopped at the beach for about 15 min. in order for everyone to get pictures of the cliff, the fort, and the ocean. The water was quite chilly, as I experienced when I got soaked by a huge wave, that hit me when I was trying to just feel the water. Our final stop of the day was Greenwich village, known for being zero degrees latitude. Unfortunately we did not have time to sight see here, as we were catching a boat ride on the Thames River. This boat ride was very neat as it took us underneath the London Tower Bridge and the London Bridge. The views of these bridges, as well as the views of the Tower of London, The Eye, and the Big Big Bend area at night, were amazing. It was a great end to a very great weekend.
More adventures to come next weekend...stay tuned!
Friday, January 8, 2010
Another week in snowy England
It's been a week now since I was lying on the beaches of the Caribbean and what a difference a week makes. It has snowed every day that I have been back, and I don't mean just a little. Bryan actually close Castlet on Tuesday due to the amount of snow and icy conditions that were taking place. From what I everyone told me...he NEVER closes early. Last night I had a little fun in it with Bryan's grandson, Ben. I taught him how to make snow angels, and lets say by the time we went inside, there were about 100 little angels around the yard. We also attempted to build a snow man, but to no success. The snow was all powder, and even water didn't help it clump together. Oh well.
Last night I stayed up the entire night to watch Texas lose to Alabama in the championship game. As I said, only a dedicated football lover would stay up to watch the game, being overseas. None the less, I am a little tired today and will be sleeping after work this afternoon.
Other than that, I have pretty much booked every weekend with trips from here to there. The tours, in no particular order, are Leeds Castle, Oxford, Canterbury, Dover, A ride on the Thames River, Bath, Stonehenge, Salisbury, Stratford, the Cotswolds. I am going back to London a few times, as most of the tours leave from there. One of my visits will include seeing the premiere of Love Never Dies, the second Phantom of the Opera musical, which comes out in March. Then I have a longer trip to Dublin for St. Patricks Day planned. Plus, I am going to Prague with....my SISTER and NEPHEW!!! She informed me the other day that she and Asa were coming over for my birthday and as you can tell I am super excited!!! Other than that, I am making a decision between Venice and Paris...and that pretty much does it. I will look forward to sharing all of my adventure with y'all!
Last night I stayed up the entire night to watch Texas lose to Alabama in the championship game. As I said, only a dedicated football lover would stay up to watch the game, being overseas. None the less, I am a little tired today and will be sleeping after work this afternoon.
Other than that, I have pretty much booked every weekend with trips from here to there. The tours, in no particular order, are Leeds Castle, Oxford, Canterbury, Dover, A ride on the Thames River, Bath, Stonehenge, Salisbury, Stratford, the Cotswolds. I am going back to London a few times, as most of the tours leave from there. One of my visits will include seeing the premiere of Love Never Dies, the second Phantom of the Opera musical, which comes out in March. Then I have a longer trip to Dublin for St. Patricks Day planned. Plus, I am going to Prague with....my SISTER and NEPHEW!!! She informed me the other day that she and Asa were coming over for my birthday and as you can tell I am super excited!!! Other than that, I am making a decision between Venice and Paris...and that pretty much does it. I will look forward to sharing all of my adventure with y'all!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
A Happy New Year!!
Yes, it has been a while since I last posted, but I have been on an amazing cruise with the best family a girl could ask for. I will back up a little, and tell you all the events of the past week...although I feel like my vacation was a lot longer!
On Christmas Eve, I said goodbye to my co-workers, as well as the Carr's, and headed into London. I was staying at a hotel near the airport because I had an early flight Christmas morning. And so my Christmas was spent in a plane, pretty much the entire day. And, lets say my flight to Miami was one of the worst flights I have ever been on. There was a medical emergency an hour into the flight...due to this emergency, for the remaining 10 hours of the flight, no food or drink was served. On top of all this the plane was bouncing up and down the entire time. But, I made it to Miami, hopped on another flight to Puerto Rico where my dad picked me up!!!! We headed to Ruth Chris Steakhouse, where my mom and grandmother awaited my arrival. It was so great to sit down and be with my family, especially on Christmas night. Walt, a family friend, and his wife, met us as well, and we all enjoyed a delicious Christmas dinner. Once we got back to the hotel, my family and I enjoyed opening gifts.
Saturday morning I enjoyed laying by the beach and pool, until it was time to head to the cruise ship. We met up with Lyle ( a professor from Louisville that I know from the banking school at SMU and who my dad teaches with occasionally) and his wife...they were joining us on the cruise. The cruise was fabulous and very relaxing, which is what we were looking for. We sailed from San Juan to the islands of Grenada, St. Marteen, Barbados, Tobago, and Dominica. Most days we would get off the ship, souvenir shop for about an hour and then head back to the ship and lay by the pool the entire day, but in Tobago and Dominica we took tours of the islands, which took us to forts, waterfalls, churches, botanical gardens, and beaches. We had bright sun most of the time and hot weather, which was a nice change from snowy England. The food was delicious as always, the shows on board were amazing, and people that we met were very nice. All in all a wonderful, relaxing trip.
My trip was extended a day, as my flight was oversold and I was offered $500, plus hotel, food, and taxis, to stay an extra day/night in Puerto Rico. Of course I said yes, and I ended up at a nice hotel, while getting a chance to lie on the beach, and watch the sunset one last time in the Caribbean.
Now, I am finally back in England. The snow is continuing to fall...alot...which according to everyone is the most snow and coldest winter Lincoln has had in 25 year. It's hard to believe I am a little more than half way done with my time here but the fun is continuing as I have exciting trips in the coming 3 months.
I hope everyone has a wonderful 2010 and my blessings and thoughts are with you all!
On Christmas Eve, I said goodbye to my co-workers, as well as the Carr's, and headed into London. I was staying at a hotel near the airport because I had an early flight Christmas morning. And so my Christmas was spent in a plane, pretty much the entire day. And, lets say my flight to Miami was one of the worst flights I have ever been on. There was a medical emergency an hour into the flight...due to this emergency, for the remaining 10 hours of the flight, no food or drink was served. On top of all this the plane was bouncing up and down the entire time. But, I made it to Miami, hopped on another flight to Puerto Rico where my dad picked me up!!!! We headed to Ruth Chris Steakhouse, where my mom and grandmother awaited my arrival. It was so great to sit down and be with my family, especially on Christmas night. Walt, a family friend, and his wife, met us as well, and we all enjoyed a delicious Christmas dinner. Once we got back to the hotel, my family and I enjoyed opening gifts.
Saturday morning I enjoyed laying by the beach and pool, until it was time to head to the cruise ship. We met up with Lyle ( a professor from Louisville that I know from the banking school at SMU and who my dad teaches with occasionally) and his wife...they were joining us on the cruise. The cruise was fabulous and very relaxing, which is what we were looking for. We sailed from San Juan to the islands of Grenada, St. Marteen, Barbados, Tobago, and Dominica. Most days we would get off the ship, souvenir shop for about an hour and then head back to the ship and lay by the pool the entire day, but in Tobago and Dominica we took tours of the islands, which took us to forts, waterfalls, churches, botanical gardens, and beaches. We had bright sun most of the time and hot weather, which was a nice change from snowy England. The food was delicious as always, the shows on board were amazing, and people that we met were very nice. All in all a wonderful, relaxing trip.
My trip was extended a day, as my flight was oversold and I was offered $500, plus hotel, food, and taxis, to stay an extra day/night in Puerto Rico. Of course I said yes, and I ended up at a nice hotel, while getting a chance to lie on the beach, and watch the sunset one last time in the Caribbean.
Now, I am finally back in England. The snow is continuing to fall...alot...which according to everyone is the most snow and coldest winter Lincoln has had in 25 year. It's hard to believe I am a little more than half way done with my time here but the fun is continuing as I have exciting trips in the coming 3 months.
I hope everyone has a wonderful 2010 and my blessings and thoughts are with you all!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
