Last Week of January

As week three (and January) comes to an end, I find myself falling more and more behind on my weekly updates. Beware this one is pretty long as it has almost two weeks in it. (Feel free to skim or skip it completely! Sorry Jess, no cliff notes). I keep putting off the updates because there are so many things that I want to write about that I feel like I never have enough time. I last wrote last Monday, before attending the conference on Haiti, which didn't live up to my expectations. While the panelists had very impressive backgrounds and accomplishments, they were poor public speakers and were not very engaging. Nevertheless, I thought the discussion about the humanitarian aide response in Haiti was interesting. On Tuesday, I got my first letter from my Melissa Owens! It made my day :) After a run to and around Regents Park in the early afternoon, our group attended Les Mis that evening. Until then, I have only seen Chicago, Lion King, and Wicked, so Les Mis was quite different (more emotional). I absolutely loved it, and even cried at the end. The singing was outstanding and the special effects were great. 

After class on Wednesday, we went on our weekly field trip, which this time was a walking tour of the City of London (the square mile financial district). We are all really starting to love our tour guide, Angie, a short lady in her 70s who wears a fur coat every tour and is very witty. This tour was interesting, but not my favorite. It was the first time while in London that I have actually been very cold. I didn't realize that we were going to be outside for three hours straight, so I didn't prepare well enough. While in the financial district, Angie would show us buildings and explain their significance, but then say how it was bombed in World War II, so the new building isn't the same. Basically, we spent most of the time using our imagination. However, I absolutely loved how streets are named after the item that used to be sold there (Milk Street, Wood Street, Oat Lane, Bread Street, Fish Street Hill, and my favorite, Pudding Lane). After having dinner with out roommate's mom, we went out to a bar called Roadhouse, which was a blast. The bar looked like it was straight out of the 80s and the music was great. Plus, it was karaoke night, which is always entertaining. 

Before class on Thursday, I went for a run (the same one I have been doing since I've been here--to Regents Park and around the outer circle and back, for a total of 6 miles). Thursday's class is definitely my favorite. The teacher, Justin, is hilarious and seems to know everything there is to know about music. Last week we talked about Jazz and the Blues, and got to listen to the earliest recordings and hear the progression over the years. After class, I packed for DUBLIN and tried to call it an early night because Friday morning we were up at 5am. 

After an early start, eight of us (Me, Grayson, Sonya, Megan, Jamie, Stephanie, Matt and Adam) headed to the airport to catch our Ryanair flight to Dublin. If anyone has ever flown Ryanair before, they can assure you that it is the world's worst airline. I can honestly say that they try to charge you for everything. Even the bathroom on the plane costs money! Since checking a bag cost 20 pounds, I was forced to pack lightly and carry on my bag. Luckly, I made it through the strict weight and size limits (shocking, I know). We arrived in Dublin safely and got to our hotel, which turned out to be very nice for what we were paying. Turns out Grayson's parents were able to get a deal through their travel agent, so we were in luck! Since we got to Dublin around 10am, we had all day to explore on Friday. We decided to take a hop-on-hop-off bus tour of the city, which took us to 20 different stops where we had the option of getting off the bus and walking around. Since the buses come every 15 minutes, it was a really great way to get to see the things that we wanted to see. For lunch, we stopped at O'Neils pub that had a sandwich and soup bar. I got tomato and onion soup which was more like french onion soup without all of the cheese. And, I tried my first pint of Guinness! It was better than I expected, but not my favorite. On the bus tour, we walked around the Trinity College campus (right by our hotel), the Molly Malone statue, the wonderful colored doors (as well as the most photographed and most famous door in Dublin), the Government buildings, the National Gallery (much of which was closed for renovation), and Dublin Castle. I absolutely loved seeing the seemingly endless rows of red brick houses with different colored doors. Dublin Castle was amazing as well, although we didn't get to walk around inside very much because it was pretty expensive. Walking around the streets Friday evening, I was amazed at the number of bands playing really good live music in the street. We stopped and watched a few different, very entertaining and talented groups. For dinner, we went to an Italian restaurant that turned out to be more expensive than we had thought. So, I ordered the cheapest thing on the menu (Margherita Pizza) and it was great! I have been loving pizza lately. Friday night we encountered more incredible music at a Pub in the Temple Bar area, where a woman and man were singing together and playing guitar. They played mostly cover songs, but they had the crowd electrified and the energy in the room was amazing. They played everything from Stevie Nicks to Journey to the Beatles, from "Cotton Eyed Joe" to "Eye of the Tiger" to traditional Irish songs. The woman had a fantastic voice and the guy was amazing on guitar, especially on his solos. They were so great that we we made sure to go back again Saturday night.

On Saturday morning, we got crepes for breakfast. YUM. They were absolutely delicious. The place we went had so many choices of crepes, omelets, waffles, etc.. It may not have been a traditional Irish breakfast, but it hit the spot. We got back on the hop-on-hop-off tour to finish it off. We saw the Guinness Storehouse, the Dublin Zoo (where the lion "Steven" from the MGM films lives), St. Patrick's Cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral, the Dublin Spire, and ended at the Jameson Distillery where we took a tour and tried a complimentary glass of Jameson. St. Patrick's Cathedral was by far my favorite. It was absolutely breathtaking inside. The photos I have are amazing, but still dont do it justice. I lit a candle for John and bought a card with our favorite Irish Blessing. I am not a fan of whiskey, but my Jameson and Ginger Ale was pretty good! Saturday night we went back to the Temple Bar area to a few places, and ended up at the place with the live music from the night before. Once again, we had a blast. We found that everyone in Dublin was SO nice. I love Dublin because it is a big city, but with a small town feel to it. The people are incredibly friendly and the live music on the streets was great. 

On Sunday, we woke up early to catch a bus to Galway for the day. Along the way, it was very foggy, but I could still see beautiful green pastures and an old wooden fence that seemed to last for miles. However, when we got there, I asked the woman at the information desk where we should go for the day. The first thing she said was, "well, its a Sunday, so many things are closed, including the tourist information office." And, to our surprise, we found out that the bus tours to the Cliffs of Moher (the one place everyone said we HAD to go to), had left at 10 and 11:30 and unfortunately it was already 11:45 (since the bus took 2.5 hours to get to Galway from Dublin). Such a bummer. Despite the fog and the cold, we still had a great time. We met an older man walking his dog who insisted on showing us around Galway. We saw the Spanish arch, walked along the coast to Salthill, bought chocolate at Butler's Chocolates, and walked through a little market (selling art, leather goods, food, etc.) where I got a nutella crepe. We made it back to Dublin in time for me to get a chance to call my wonderful mother to wish her a happy birthday :) By Sunday night we were pretty exhausted, so we stayed in and played cards. 

On Monday, we flew out in the morning, but not before grabbing one last crepe (three in three days...not bad). We made out with only one catastrophe, when the airline people made my friend pay 20 pounds to check her "oversized" carry-on (which was definitely small enough). Ryanair flights may be cheap, but they really try to find any way to charge you fees. We had class Monday evening, and then stayed in Monday night to get some rest after the long weekend. 

On Tuesday, our class took a field trip to the BBC World Service Trust (where my professor works). The Bush House was a grand (and incredibly complicated) building, filled with people doing amazing things. It was interesting to hear all about the projects that people there are doing all over the world, using media as a means of creating social change, reducing poverty and promoting human rights. It was inspiring to say the least. After class, I ran to Regents park, went grocery shopping, and attempted to do some homework. 

After class on Wednesday, we went on a group excursion to Westminster to see the Houses of Parliament (from the outside only--tours are on weekends, which we will definitely be doing in the near future) and Westminster Abbey. I loved Westminster Abbey, but who wouldn't? I had no idea that so many people were buried there. It was amazing to listen to Angie talk about the attacks it suffered in the 1600's, when the Puritans swept through and defaced statues and eliminated colors, and to be able to see the remnants of the damage that was done. There were two colorful medieval wall paintings that apparently the Puritans "missed," as they had a large statue in front of them at the time, so the paintings were not visible to the Puritans. I also enjoyed Poets corner, where many famous writers are buried (Chaucer, Tennyson, Dickens, Robert Browning) and where there are memorials to many others including Shakespeare, Keats, Shelley, T.S. Eliot, the Bronte's, and my favorite, Jane Austen. I am so excited for the royal wedding in April! I cant even imagine how gorgeous it will be. Wednesday night, I had dinner with Maggie and then we went back to one of our favorite spots called Roadhouse. Since Wednesday is karaoke night, and since I dont have class until 2pm on Thursday, I think "Roadhouse Wednesdays" is catching on. 

On Thursday, I got my run in before class. On my way back, it started to snow!!! Just barely, but it definitely did. I must have looked like a little kid in a candy store, as I had a huge grin on my face. It was my first time running in the snow (although, it was so little that I doubt it really counts). Anyways, Thursday's class is fantastic. I love learning all about the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Jimi Henrix, etc., and getting to listen to and analyze music in class. It is such a great way to end the week. Thursday night, we attempted to go out to a bar called Boujis, which ended up being a really snooty place filled with rich people and expensive drinks. Needless to say, it was not our scene, and we were out of there in less than 10 minutes. 

On Friday, we woke up early and went on our first day trip to Stonehenge and Bath. The drive to both places was amazing. We are finally getting to see more of the countryside, which I love. Green pastures, old wooden and stone fences, sheep grazing, etc. I couldn't keep my eyes off of the window. Stonehenge was absolutely freezing and windy...definitely the coldest I've been yet. The wind was blowing so hard that my face was red and cold, and the fact that I forgot my gloves on the coldest day yet made it really hard to take pictures. Not to worry, I took plenty. Stonehenge was really cool. Im still amazed that people in that time were able to move the massive rocks, and that it has stayed relatively in tact since 2500 BC. I loved how the clouds would move slightly and suddenly streams of sunlight would shine down on the pastures behind the site. It made for some amazing photographs. After Stonehenge, we headed to Bath, which was just as terrific. We toured the Museum and the Roman Baths and listened to an audio tour. A fun fact that I learned on the audio tour was about a skeleton of a man, whom coroners were able to tell was rich because of a certain mineral left in his teeth that indicated that he ate a lot of honey, which only wealthy people could afford to eat. After the Baths tour, we had free time to explore the town. We went to lunch and saw the Bath Abbey, the magnificent Royal Crescent, the Jane Austen Center, the Pulteney Bridge (regarded as one of the world's most beautiful bridges), and the River Avon. My favorite experience of the day was going to a chocolatier and asking the man for one piece of chocolate with hazelnuts and one piece of chocolate with almonds. Imagine two pieces of chocolate about 3x3 inches each. He rang me up and said "that will be 8 pounds," and I almost choked. I had him put back one of the pieces, but felt too guilty to not buy something, so I sucked it up and paid 4 pounds for a piece of chocolate that was good, but not 7 pounds worth. From now on I will make sure to ask how much things are before I get rung up. On the drive back from Bath, the sun was setting beyond the pastures of sheep and cows. Words cannot describe its beauty. I was anxious to get off the bus and take pictures, but we were pressed for time, so we didn't. I decided that Bath is one of my most favorite European cities (along with Toledo). I will definitely be going back before the trip is over. 

Yesterday (Saturday), Maggie, Grayson, and I got coffee and walked around Hyde Park (another huge park near us). We then went to Primark on Oxford Street to do a little shopping. I would describe it as the London version of Target, but better. I bought a pair of shoes for 6 pounds! So exciting. We then took the tube to Portobello Market (the weekly Saturday market) at Notting Hill. We all decided that we are coming back as often as possible. They have SO many great things to look at and buy. Grayson bought a fur head wrap (Portobello Market is famous for its fur stalls), Maggie bought a canvas reusable Notting Hill bag, and I bought a small wallet for myself and a birthday present for my Mom. Just outside the market, but still in Notting Hill, we came across Paul Rhodes Bakery (http://www.rhodesbakery.co.uk). Yet another model for my future bakery and the perfect photo opportunity. I dont often see places with Rhodes in the name. We took the tube back to our place and I cooked an Indian dinner for me and Maggie and we all watched a movie. Although today was a relatively simple and relaxing day, I had a blast. My friends here are amazing. 

Today, we plan on attended an afternoon service at Westminster Abbey. It was an amazing experience. I have never heard anything quite like the choir before. This coming weekend, Maggie, Grayson, Megan and I head to AMSTERDAM to visit Alex, Michelle, and Laura. I am SO EXCITED to spend a weekend with my best friends :) I hope that all is well with everyone at home. Please let me know what you have been up to. I got to Skype with Jake and Megan (and Alexa, too!), which was so much fun. If anyone else has Skype, please let me know! I hope you all are enjoying reading about my travels. Sorry the updates are so long, but this is also my way of keeping a journal as I travel, so I don't want to leave anything out. Until next week... xoxox