Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
The Traveling Gnome
Supposedly there is this little Travelocity Gnome that is supposed to go with you on your travels and take pictures with it. One of the girls here, Betty, has one and we took pictures with it today when we went places and later this evening we got drinks and gelato and it had some also. It's pretty funny and makes things interesting!
This morning Jay (my teacher) let us sleep in till 9:30, usually he is going to make us get up at 7:30 and then we had a "survival Italian" lesson so we can get around with a few words and phrases. We then had lunch at a cafe across the street and left for the Heart of Rome! We first went to the Spanish Steps and it was so hot that I just wanted to be in the shade!
Afterwards we walked to the Trevi Fountain, a popular tourist destination so it was really crowded. The saying goes that if you throw a fountain in the water facing backwards...you are ensured a trip back to Rome - of course I threw a coin in!
Next was the Pantheon and it was closed so we were bummed about that.
Then on to the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva...a church was built over the Temple of Minerva, the greek goddess of wisdom among other things. From the outside the church is pretty blah but inside it is gorgeous! I love the archways and the candles. There is a statue called Christ Bearing the Cross here by Michelangelo and it's interesting because it shows Christ with an athletic body which wasn't shown often.
Lastly we went to the Piazza Navona. There are 3 fountains here, a church and delicious gelato! There was a mariachi band singing songs in the middle so that was fun also.
Buona Notte
Goodnight...in Italian. It's midnight here in Rome and I just finished showering after a busy day full of walking and sweating! Today was day 2 in Rome and I'm already in love with it...a lot of it has to do with there being a Gelateria on every street corner, kinda like Starbucks in America. Gelato is my new obsession...it's an Italian ice cream and I think I'm back to my addiction on sweets. I cannot pronounce most of the flavors so I have to point and butcher them to even taste one. I had mint today and started a trend cause just about everyone else got mint.
Yesterday we woke up at 3:30am in order to catch the 4:09am bus near our hostel in London to get us to the Train station. We just assumed that we could take the underground to the train station but luckily we asked the night before and they didn't open until 7sam! The hostel workers gave us a bus schedule and when we lugged all of our luggage there the next morning...the drunks were just getting home from a night at the bars!
After traveling on the train, and the plane to Rome and another train to our school...we arrived at St. Stephen's (our school) yesterday in the afternoon. It was so nice to be able to unpack somewhere and call a place home rather than staying in a dirty hostel.
We had a home cooked meal (pasta, salad, bread) which tasted amazinggggg!! So nice to have dinner provided for us! Afterwards we walked downtown a bit...saw Palentine Hill and Circo Massimo (Circus Maximus) which was the old place for chariot races.
It was fun being around everyone for the first time and getting to know the people I will be spending one of the most amazing months of July with!
Yesterday we woke up at 3:30am in order to catch the 4:09am bus near our hostel in London to get us to the Train station. We just assumed that we could take the underground to the train station but luckily we asked the night before and they didn't open until 7sam! The hostel workers gave us a bus schedule and when we lugged all of our luggage there the next morning...the drunks were just getting home from a night at the bars!
After traveling on the train, and the plane to Rome and another train to our school...we arrived at St. Stephen's (our school) yesterday in the afternoon. It was so nice to be able to unpack somewhere and call a place home rather than staying in a dirty hostel.
We had a home cooked meal (pasta, salad, bread) which tasted amazinggggg!! So nice to have dinner provided for us! Afterwards we walked downtown a bit...saw Palentine Hill and Circo Massimo (Circus Maximus) which was the old place for chariot races.
It was fun being around everyone for the first time and getting to know the people I will be spending one of the most amazing months of July with!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Astor Quest
This was the name of the hostel we stayed at in London. It was quite cheap for 5 nights...about 25 pounds per person for each night. Hostels are usually dorm like in setting, with sometimes as many as 15 people in a room. We requested the 4 person room which was the smallest one available. Our 4th roommate was a very nice English guy (bloke) from just a few hours away, in London for business. His name was Nick and he wore cologne that was disgustingly spicy. But...he was a great roommate and we had fun asking him to pronounce English words so we could practice our accent.
The building itself, and the people were a different story. The workers as well as visitors were very nice but quite different. It seems like the workers visited London once and then just decided to stay there...permanently. The other people staying in the hostel would hang out on the steps at all hours of the day it seemed like...when we were leaving in the morning having their morning cigerette and in the evening getting drunk off of cheap beer. We couldnt go inside one night for a little bit because the police had to investigate something which was a bit freaky. They wouldnt tell us what happened but rumor was that someone had headstroke and passed out so they had to take pictures for some reason...dont let mom freak out too much about this!
The stairs had this disgusting smell of beer and cigerette smoke lingered constantly...I swear it wasnt unbearable but it was quite interesting to say the least. The toilet was separate from the sink, which was in our room, and the toilet was one of the smallest rooms ever. The shower was in this tiny room, with no ventilation and I almost passed out one morning because of my low blood sugar and the heat of the steam...that was scary! Luckily the voice of my nurse mom was in my head to put my head between my legs..haha thanks mom
The building itself, and the people were a different story. The workers as well as visitors were very nice but quite different. It seems like the workers visited London once and then just decided to stay there...permanently. The other people staying in the hostel would hang out on the steps at all hours of the day it seemed like...when we were leaving in the morning having their morning cigerette and in the evening getting drunk off of cheap beer. We couldnt go inside one night for a little bit because the police had to investigate something which was a bit freaky. They wouldnt tell us what happened but rumor was that someone had headstroke and passed out so they had to take pictures for some reason...dont let mom freak out too much about this!
The stairs had this disgusting smell of beer and cigerette smoke lingered constantly...I swear it wasnt unbearable but it was quite interesting to say the least. The toilet was separate from the sink, which was in our room, and the toilet was one of the smallest rooms ever. The shower was in this tiny room, with no ventilation and I almost passed out one morning because of my low blood sugar and the heat of the steam...that was scary! Luckily the voice of my nurse mom was in my head to put my head between my legs..haha thanks mom
Friday, June 26, 2009
Hobnob
Hobnobs are cookies (biscuits) here in London...haven't tried one yet but I like the word! Also I've tried to start saying I need to use the loo (or toilet) rather than the bathroom. Bloke is just an average guy. Smarties are smaller M&Ms....and Oreo McFlurry's are even better here! haha (we were really craving ice cream and the only thing open at 12:30 was of course American fast food) Oh also Illy's ice cream is amazing..: )
Per Adrienne's request...for breakfast we eat it at our hostel since it's free...and I just have corn flakes with some milk...two bowls actually. Breakfast is served in the basement and it's interesting to see what all the different foreigners eat for breakfast..not that there is much to choose from but many people like to eat white toast with Nutella!
One of my complaints so far...MY HAIR! I couldn't bring a straightener over here because American straighteners are too strong so now my hair is a complete mess. We are showering at night here so we can just get up and go in the mornings so I usually go to bed with wet hair and wake up in the morning with a lovely bedhead surprise. My bangs are horrible, my hair is wavy in every wrong direction and my hair feels dry. Gotta love it...NOT! So when I show you all my pictures from this trip....forgive me on my silly hair.
So I almost got ran over the other day because I forgot the cars drive on the left side of the street here...and they do NOT yield! I don't know who has the right of way...but it definitely wasn't me!
hmmmmm what else...oh I LOVE the tube station. Not only is it beyond easy to get anywhere in downtown London within 15 minutes but they come so often! Unlike bart which I always have to wait 15 minutes for...and every Underground line is a different color with maps everywhere for us people who aren't the best with direction. Jen (a girl I'm traveling with) is super good at directions so I just hand her the map and say have at it!
That's all for now....: )
Per Adrienne's request...for breakfast we eat it at our hostel since it's free...and I just have corn flakes with some milk...two bowls actually. Breakfast is served in the basement and it's interesting to see what all the different foreigners eat for breakfast..not that there is much to choose from but many people like to eat white toast with Nutella!
One of my complaints so far...MY HAIR! I couldn't bring a straightener over here because American straighteners are too strong so now my hair is a complete mess. We are showering at night here so we can just get up and go in the mornings so I usually go to bed with wet hair and wake up in the morning with a lovely bedhead surprise. My bangs are horrible, my hair is wavy in every wrong direction and my hair feels dry. Gotta love it...NOT! So when I show you all my pictures from this trip....forgive me on my silly hair.
So I almost got ran over the other day because I forgot the cars drive on the left side of the street here...and they do NOT yield! I don't know who has the right of way...but it definitely wasn't me!
hmmmmm what else...oh I LOVE the tube station. Not only is it beyond easy to get anywhere in downtown London within 15 minutes but they come so often! Unlike bart which I always have to wait 15 minutes for...and every Underground line is a different color with maps everywhere for us people who aren't the best with direction. Jen (a girl I'm traveling with) is super good at directions so I just hand her the map and say have at it!
That's all for now....: )
Old Timer
I am only 21 and the two girls I am traveling with are around the same age....and we are EXHAUSTED from traveling!! We get up and out of the hostel around 9:30 in the morning and don't return until about 11pm. I wore my pedometer the past few days and yesterday we walked 26,000 steps and today we walked 19,000! Today after getting back from the Tower of London, we knocked out on our beds and didn't wake up until 10pm and decided we should go get some dinner. Since I am such a picky eater, I've been having some rough times with the different types of food but I'm managing.
Yesterday we went to Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, Big Ben, Parliament buildings and the London Eye!!! What a day! St. Paul's and Westminster Abbey were my favorites by far of the day. They were such elaborate and gorgeous buildings and the tours we received were so detailed. London Eye was a very touristy spot (very crowded) and it was sooooo hot in there!!! I got lots of pretty pictures though so I can't wait to upload those when I get home. It's crazy to me how ancient the city of London is and how much history is within these buildings. Within Westminster Abbey, I saw the tombs of Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Edward the Confessor and his Coronation Chair, Queen Mary and her sister Anne, and Queen Elizabeth. Shakespeare and other poets were honored there but not buried there. It was so touching to be near all those ancient people and artifacts. The coronation chair is used for every single coronation since the 1600s or so.
Today was a bit more chill since we went to fewer places but were still exhausted. We started the day at Kensington Palace, which is where many royalty have lived as well as Princess Diana's gowns are kept. It was so great to see the place where the kings and queens lived as well as the dresses of Diana. Afterwards we got lost in Hyde Park trying to find the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. After finally finding it...I was somewhat disappointed because it was just a circular litle mote type thing that all the kids were playing in...but then I remembered that she loved kids so it turned out perfect!
We had lunch in a typical English pub...but of course I was too chicken to have "fish and chips" or "sausage and mash" so I had a veggie burger. Of course it didn't taste the same as ours but it was somewhat edible. After lunch we headed to Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Wow....it was HUGE! We were exhausted by this point but we had to go in. The Jewels house was by far my favorite part...who doesn't love diamonds?! Also the bloody tower was interesting because within the walls were carvings from prisoners.
Tomorrow we are going to watch the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace and then off to a few museums!!
Yesterday we went to Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, Big Ben, Parliament buildings and the London Eye!!! What a day! St. Paul's and Westminster Abbey were my favorites by far of the day. They were such elaborate and gorgeous buildings and the tours we received were so detailed. London Eye was a very touristy spot (very crowded) and it was sooooo hot in there!!! I got lots of pretty pictures though so I can't wait to upload those when I get home. It's crazy to me how ancient the city of London is and how much history is within these buildings. Within Westminster Abbey, I saw the tombs of Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Edward the Confessor and his Coronation Chair, Queen Mary and her sister Anne, and Queen Elizabeth. Shakespeare and other poets were honored there but not buried there. It was so touching to be near all those ancient people and artifacts. The coronation chair is used for every single coronation since the 1600s or so.
Today was a bit more chill since we went to fewer places but were still exhausted. We started the day at Kensington Palace, which is where many royalty have lived as well as Princess Diana's gowns are kept. It was so great to see the place where the kings and queens lived as well as the dresses of Diana. Afterwards we got lost in Hyde Park trying to find the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. After finally finding it...I was somewhat disappointed because it was just a circular litle mote type thing that all the kids were playing in...but then I remembered that she loved kids so it turned out perfect!
We had lunch in a typical English pub...but of course I was too chicken to have "fish and chips" or "sausage and mash" so I had a veggie burger. Of course it didn't taste the same as ours but it was somewhat edible. After lunch we headed to Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Wow....it was HUGE! We were exhausted by this point but we had to go in. The Jewels house was by far my favorite part...who doesn't love diamonds?! Also the bloody tower was interesting because within the walls were carvings from prisoners.
Tomorrow we are going to watch the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace and then off to a few museums!!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Hello London!
I am already exhausted from my 2nd day in London! Today we went on a tour bus to a few places...and it was amazing! First stop was Windsor Castle and it was one of the most gorgeous places I have ever seen. It is so crazy to see such detailed architecture and have the buildings be so ancient. Each place we went to had an audio guide tour...meaning you have to hold up a remote control looking thing up to your ear and press buttons at each stop along the way. I can't upload pictures until I get home but here is a picture...
Next stop was the Roman Baths. There was a chief priest there and he gave us a blessing...he was dressed up in character in order to give the real feel of the times the baths were used. The water is super hot but we weren't allowed to feel it. Most of the original structures have fallen but it was still amazing to see the pillars that were still standing.
.jpg)
Last stop of the night was Stonehenge! We were exhausted from the long day (we left at 8am and this was about 5) but it was so worth it. It was very calming to just relax and listen to the history of the stones after such a long day. Ok well this is my friends computer so I have to get off....having a blast though!
Next stop was the Roman Baths. There was a chief priest there and he gave us a blessing...he was dressed up in character in order to give the real feel of the times the baths were used. The water is super hot but we weren't allowed to feel it. Most of the original structures have fallen but it was still amazing to see the pillars that were still standing.
.jpg)
Last stop of the night was Stonehenge! We were exhausted from the long day (we left at 8am and this was about 5) but it was so worth it. It was very calming to just relax and listen to the history of the stones after such a long day. Ok well this is my friends computer so I have to get off....having a blast though!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)