Fall Break = Really long post!

In case you were wondering what has happened to me since it has been nearly 2 weeks since I last posted in my blog, I will remind you that I was on fall break!! I was traveling to Ireland and Italy for my ten day break from my internship and classes (not that any of it is something that one needs a long break from!). There is much to cover in this one post, so bear with me! Let's start with 2 Thursdays ago...

Back on the morning of Thursday, October 20th, our Contemporary Britain class went to the Churchill War Rooms for a fieldtrip. It was really interesting, but a LOT of information to take in, especially right before all of us were about to head off for break. I don't think many students stayed and actually took much of it in. That evening, Sarah, Dan, Chelsea, Margaret and I left on a train at 11:30 to begin our long journey to Ireland. We took 2 trains (with a not-so-fun 4 hour lay-over in a freezing train station in the middle of the night) to get to Holyhead, Wales, where we waited a few hours till a ferry took us over to Dublin. The ferry was a very cool experience; a lot more fun than I had anticipated. It was almost like a cruise! When we arrived in Dublin, it was Friday afternoon, and we had planned on renting a car to take us to our cottage about an hour outside of the city. However, we had some trouble, even though we had booked the car online ahead of time, and it ended up costing us a lot more money than it was supposed to. It all had to do with the age you have to be to rent a car, which is 23, even though we were told ahead of time by the car rental company that it was fine. Needless to say, we were all quite upset and frustrated. We finally got a car, and Sarah drove us to our cottage. It was quite nerve-wracking driving in Ireland, where the non-main roads are extremely narrow, and of course it is on the other side of the road. She got used to it eventually though. Our cottage was so adorable and very nice. It had 4 bedrooms and a decent sized bathroom, a living room with a fireplace, full kitchen, and an outdoor patio area. Unfortunately, it rained the entire weekend I was in Ireland. The scenery there was still beautiful; we were staying close to Wicklow Mountain National Park, which we visited one afternoon, along with the nearby beach. It was a great time with my new friends (well one old friend ;)). We had a lot of good quality time hanging out in the cozy cottage. Monday morning, they drove me to the Dublin airport and I flew back to London to meet Margaret who went back the day before. Sarah, Dan, and Chelsea stayed in Ireland for the entire fall break; I went back because Margaret had to go back for classes on Monday, and we traveled together to Italy for the remainder of break.

Italia!!! So, at 3:30am, last Tuesday morning, Margaret and I left Vandon house on a bus towards Stansted airport, where we left for Rome at 6:10. We landed in the ancient city by mid-morning and headed to the hostel we would be staying at for the next 3 nights. That afternoon, we explored the ancient ruins, including Palentine Hill, the Roman Forum, and of course, the Colosseum. We had supper then went back to see the ruins all lit up in the dark. So cool!

The next day, we ventured to the Vatican. We had bought a Roma Pass for the trip, which got us into 2 museums/archaeological sites free as well as gave us free public transportation. It was quite a deal, especially since we got into more than 2 for free! So we took their version of the tube, the Metro, which is only 2 lines (compared to about a dozen here), and the trains were covered in graffiti. The stations were dirty and not many people use the system like they do in London. Anyway, on our way to Vatican City, we ran into "the Squad" aka 5 guys from the London programme, Greg, Johnny, Ryan, Jarred, and Zane. We knew they were going to be in Rome the same time as Margaret and I, but did not expect to actually see them! We went to the Vatican with them, but went on our own private tour of the museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica. The Pope was speaking that day, so the crowds were never-ending, but we were able to skip the lines with our tour that we paid a little extra for. We actually had tickets to see the Pope but the line was extremely long to get in and we only had 20 minutes till our tour started so we had to instead watch from the large tv screens outside. Our tour guide was so knowledgeable about everything in the Vatican, we spent around 3 hours in the museums alone. It got to be a little overwhelming towards the end, especially since Margaret and I had not eaten much yet that day as the tour went over lunch. The Sistine Chapel was my favorite; I could have just sat in there for a while, if it weren't for the sea of people pushing you through. After our short walk through St. Peter's (again due to the crowds and hunger) we finally had a meal at a nearby restaurant and then met up with the boys again to go to Castle of Saint Angelo, which had spectacular views of Rome from the top. Later that evening, we went out to a bar with the boys as well. The drinks there were very strong, which made for an entertaining night (I limited myself, the boys may not have so much).

The next day, after much needed sleep, Margaret and I ventured over to Trevi fountain and tossed our coins in then continued walking to the Spanish steps where we sat and people-watched for quite a while. A band even showed up and started playing while we were there. From there we walked through a large park which was a very peaceful getaway from the tourists. There was even a very pretty pond with an old temple of some sort in the middle of the park. It was a nice, relaxing end to our time in Rome.

Friday morning, we left bright and early on a train to Pisa!! I was so excited to go to Tuscany and for the most part, it did not disappoint. I fell in love as soon as we began walking through town to the bed and breakfast we would be staying for the next 2 nights. I loved the colors of the buildings, all painted in yellows, oranges, reds, and browns, with vines spreading from the ground to their quint rooftop terraces. Why can't the U.S. look so beautiful? My heart was slightly broken however, when we had lunch at a cafe with outdoor seating where we were bombarded by the street vendors trying to sell you nothing you need or even want as well as a man who did not understand English begging for money and almost stealing Margaret's phone off the table! Yikes! If it weren't for the beautiful weather and an enjoyable afternoon climbing the Leaning Tower and exploring the nearby shops, our first day in Tuscany would not have been very fun.

The last day of our trip, Saturday, was the absolute best day ever! We began with an early train ride from Pisa to Florence, where we joined a tour that took us about 15 minutes out of the city to the countryside. We were joined by 4 other American students studying around Italy for a tour of a Tuscan vineyard!! We spent the first hour or so on horse back, riding through the hills of the vineyard on an astoundingly beautiful sunny day. After our horse riding tour, we got to see the cellars and get a little idea of how they make their wine and olive oils. It was so cool!! I have never been to a vineyard before! We got to see the villa and had a gorgeous view of the entire property. Then we were treated to a three course meal and 2 glasses of their wine. Our driver even took us out to a gelato shop on our way back into Florence. It was mid-afternoon when we got back into the city, and so we headed to the famous leather markets. What a neat experience! Margaret was able to get a leather backpack for a decent price after some haggling and I a watch. While walking up and down the streets, I got quite a bit of attention from the Italian men. They would call out, "What beautiful eyes!" "I fall in love with you, so pretty!". It was more entertaining than uncomfortable though; Margaret and I had quite a laugh about it all day. From there, we walked over and up to the Piazza de Michelangelo which has the best views of this Tuscan city. So many pictures were taken! We had one last Italian dinner at sunset on the Piazza before heading back to Pisa by train.

This morning we checked out of our bed and breakfast and began the what seemed to last forever journey back to London. Now we have to come back to laundry, classes, internships, and cooking all our own meals again. Upon landing at Luton airport, we were greeted with clouds and drizzle. Yuck. We already miss the sunshine and beauty of Italy, but are still happy to be back.

Less than 7 weeks remain in my London adventure. But, much more is to be done!

Miss you all,

Cheers!

PS: Photos are slowly being uploaded to Facebook. Please be patient as there are quite a lot!!

Pictures

I realized that I haven't posted any pictures on here for those who don't have Facebook to see! Here are a few for your enjoyment!

Standing in 2 hemispheres!
White Cliffs of Dover

And the traveling begins!

Okay all, exciting things to talk about! :)

Let's start with Thursday; in class we talked about the media and the phone hacking scandal that has caused a great deal of anger from the public. I found this to be much more interesting than the discussion of British politics the week before, however we did get a bit off topic during my seminar. The rest of the day was spent just hanging out in Vandon. Thursday night our programme was able to go to a concert by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Cadogan Hall. I enjoyed the music as I am a fan of classical music, but would have enjoyed it more if it was choral. The violins were probably the most enjoyable to watch.

Friday was our day trip to Greenwich. We took a boat ride from Westminster Pier which was lovely but quite chilly. Luckily it was warmer on land and turned out to be a quite beautiful fall day. We went to the Royal Observatory where I was able to stand on the Prime Meridian with one foot in each hemisphere! Lots of fun touristy pictures were taken. We then explored the Maritime Museum a bit and ate lunch at Cafe Sol, a delicious Mexican restaurant with great tacos and margaritas! Before headed back to our part of London, we meandered around the Greenwich Market that had a lot of hand crafted clothes, jewelry, and art, as well as a lot of vintage items.

Saturday, Dan, Chelsea, Sarah and I went around to a few small nearby markets for some fruit and veggies. Since we have to join a club for British Experience Seminar, I decided to go to the University of London Sailing Club "fresher's meal" at Bella Italia for supper. I went, and despite the awkwardness of not knowing a single person, ended up having a good time with 23 of the club members. I had some good food and talked with a few Brits as well as a Psychology masters student from Boston. As kind of an initiation, they had us eat our dessert in a race without using silverware or hands! Not trying to win, I stuffed my face in my chocolate cake quite entertained by the situation. After dinner, they were going to head out to a few bars and clubs, but since it was already late, I headed back to Vandon because I was going to have a very early Sunday morning...

Sunday morning at 7:30am, Chelsea, Dan, and I boarded a bus that drove the 2 and a half hours to the English coastal town of Dover, where the White Cliffs are located. It was an absolutely gorgeous fall day, which we started at the rocky beach. Chelsea was like a little kid in a candy store when she saw the ocean. We found some sea glass to take as souvenirs! We had brunch at a pub in town that was so cheap and delicious! We headed to the Western Heights area first, walking up and around the fortification that was built to protect Dover from the French invasion during the 1860's. We were only able to access the moat, but it was still really cool. From the top of the hills, we had great views of the Dover Castle on the other side of town, the port, and part of the cliffs. We were trying to find the ruins of an old church somewhere in the area, but failed and just ended up walking back and forth for a long while. Chelsea and I then went to tour the Castle of Dover which was massive! One would need a full day to see everything there. We focused our tour on the Great Tower, were we got to see rooms in the castle as they would have looked back in King Henry II's time. We were able to climb to the castle rooftop which had spectacular views! Then we went to the Roman lighthouse, built over 2000 years ago, and the church of St. Mary-in-Castro. Much of the time I felt like I was in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and Chelsea and I ended up quoting a bit of it. ;) We finally began our hike over to the White Cliffs, where Dan was exploring a bit on his own. We met up with Dan and sat and watched the sunset over the cliffs. The views were breathtaking!! Despite being in much pain from hiking somewhere between 25-30 miles total (yes, really) the trip was well worth it. I would love to go back and just spend more time on the cliffs, and go tour the lighthouse that we didn't quite make the trek to.

Today I was quite tired and sore, and after yoga, spent the day relaxing and working on a religion paper. It is now time for bed as I start another 2 days of my internship, and on Thursday we go to the Cabinet War Rooms for Contemporary Britain. Then Thursday night is the start of fall break!!!!!!! I am excited for more traveling!

Homework? What is that?

With midterms approaching, we have assignments due. These assignments are hardly difficult or even that many compared to what a college student is used to, but when studying abroad, finding the time and motivation to complete them is difficult. But, on Sunday, I stayed in and worked on them all afternoon, somehow finding the ability to be productive.

Sunday evening, our religion class attended an Anglican church service. It was in a small building that had previously been a pub, and still smelled somewhat like one. ;) The congregation was small and the service very informal. The priest at the church does not lead the services each Sunday; instead members of the congregation take turns organising and leading worship. The service was simple, and did not really evoke much feeling in me. Definitely different from the Holy Cross Church we visited a week ago, with its formal Catholic-style services that are the same every week. This was the distinction our professor wanted us to see; how while the Church of England is the largest denomination in the UK, each church within it can be strikingly different.

Monday, I went to yoga, then headed down to Brixton to go to Iceland, a UK supermarket chain, to buy some cheap groceries. After lunch, I met with two other girls to plan a weekend trip to Paris. After that, I got a haircut to try and liven my curls a bit. I worked on more homework that night as well.

Tuesday, I spent the morning at my internship playing with 3 young girls (about 1-2 years old) who were there while their mothers took adult learning classes at the centre. I then went to a primary school with Lily, to watch her do her activities. The kids were full of energy today which made it difficult for Lily to get through the session in the already short amount of time. This session, they created a fictional person, named Alex (notice how this name could be used for a girl or a boy), who is 10 years old (same as the students) and dealing with various problems, such as bullying. The kids talk about Alex's problems and how he/she could solve them such as who to go to for help. This school was in the middle of Soho, in a building that looked like it used to be flats. The kids were more knowledgeable than I expected; I don't think 10 and 11 year-old kids in Iowa schools would know what dyslexia or Asperger's syndrome were unless they knew someone who had it. They also seemed to have a larger vocabulary than I remember having at that age! I wonder if it is the UK, or London, or just being in the middle of a multicultural city that this is.

Today, I spent the morning at the Bayswater Children's Centre (not family centre, where my internship is) to help with reception as they were overly busy with clients coming in. When I returned after lunch, the Family Centre was the busiest I have seen it thus far; the phone would not stop ringing and the door would not stop buzzing. I spent the first part of the afternoon helping Lily with the report for her project evaluations, working quickly so I could finish before I assisted another advisor with a meeting with a 12-year-old client with a physical disability applying for disability assistance. My heart broke by the sadness and anger that was so clearly visible on the boy's face. He has a healthy twin and wants to know why he has to live in a wheelchair and be in pain while his brother can run and play like a normal child. His mother is hurting because her son blames her when he lies awake at night crying from the pain and having to be treated like a baby. Anyway, I helped by taking notes and filling out a long form that will need to be finished the next time they come to the centre. The meeting went quite slow, my co-worker going off subject often and not asking the questions that were needed to complete the long form that the family came for. I was also unsure how much I help in a way that was appropriate, I will try to talk to my co-worker more beforehand next time I go in a meeting with him.

Well, classes in the morning, I need to get some sleep! Tomorrow night we get to attend the London Philharmonic and Friday we are spending the day in Greenwich! :)

Cheers!

Fall (weather) has arrived!

Well today I saw Mom and Scott off, and they should be about back to the States by now. In all honesty, I am a bit jealous of them; I am starting to miss home, mainly from me being sick of living in a city, something I am hoping will be relieved as I start my travels. Fall break is in less than 2 weeks! Ireland & Italy, here I come! Anyways, here is what my family and I have been up to the last few days:

On Wednesday, I went to my internship and had a pretty pleasant day there. I began working on a little report for Lily, the Domestic Violence in-school Coordinator that is doing those activities at schools. I am going through the pre- and post-evaluations the students and teachers have filled out from her sessions. I am going through and doing a little quantitative analyses and will create a report for her to put in her files. Nothing fancy, but at least it's finally something I can use a little of my Psychology skills on! I WILL go with her on Tuesday afternoon to help with her activities at a primary school in Soho. From their pre-tests, it seems the kids there, in grades 5 and 6, have pretty progressive ideas about what is expected of boys & girls/men & women. One of the questions on the form asks, "Are there any jobs that are only for girls or only for boys?" and I did not see anyone answer that there were, apart from a few saying something like "policemen are boys, policewomen are girls." I wondered how kids in Iowa schools would respond. Mom and Scott came at the end of the day to see where I am interning, and my mom had a nice conversation with my supervisor about the social services. Then we headed over to the Phoenix Theatre where we saw the musical Blood Brothers. It was a great musical!! I don't know why I don't hear about it more, apparently it has been running for 20-some years. I think I enjoyed it more than Wicked. Before that, we ate at Spaghetti House, where I had the best dessert ever: a kind of layered ice-cream cake that had 3 layers of different flavors of gelato!! :)

Thursday, I had class and Mom and Scott headed to Windsor Castle for the day. I spent the rest of the day doing laundry and just hanging out in Vandon whilst they were away. Yesterday, Mom, Scott and I went to tour Westminster Abbey, which was an experience much like that at Buckingham Palace and St. Paul's Cathedral. Of course, my mom mostly enjoyed it because of the Royal Wedding held there last spring. (She's kind of obsessed with the Royal Family). ;) They continued on to the British War Museum whilst I went back to Vandon for a while. That night we tried to make it to the end of Portobello Market, but were only able to go into a few of the shops that were still open. They didn't get the full experience of the market, but they at least got to have a taste.

I think my family had a full and fun time here in the great city of London. If you see them sometime soon you should ask them about it, and maybe ask my mom about her experience with the pigeons... ;)

(That is, if they recover!)

Super tourist!

Hello all,

So my mom and uncle Scott arrived here this weekend bright and early on a very warm Saturday. They were both quite out of it after the long trip over, but after freshening up, they were ready to get out. So, we hopped on one of those sight-seeing double decker tour buses to see the city. We sat on the top which was outside, and saw all the main sights of London. Afterwards, we ventured back towards Vandon House and ate at a pub. We took a short walk through St. James' Park to end the evening.

Mom is determined to eat all the English dishes, so the next morning we had lunch at another pub where she had the full traditional English breakfast, which entails bacon, sausage, eggs, roasted tomato, baked beans, mushrooms, and toast. Mom also had her heart set on touring inside Buckingham Palace, but it was the second to last day the Palace was open for touring and we were told tickets were sold out. However, whilst my mom and uncle were checking out London souvenirs at a little shop across the street, there was a sign saying the shop sold tickets. So of course my mom asked, and surprisingly enough, they had some! We bought some and went over to the Palace, somewhat skeptical that they would actually work, but we got in in 5 minutes! I was enthralled by the palace; mainly because of the history I was walking amongst. We saw some State Rooms, Kate Middleton's dress and the cake from the Royal Wedding last spring, and the Palace Gardens. It was a wonderful tour. I decided I want my house to have a balcony overlooking a backyard garden someday. Sunday evening we took a ride on the London Eye just before sunset. This was the second time for me on the Eye but I enjoyed it even more this time since it was nice out which allowed for pretty pictures!

Monday morning we headed over to have a quick tour of St. Paul's Cathedral. So beautiful! I want to attend a service there sometime whilst I am here to get the full experience of the place. I had my yoga class at noon, which I am beginning to really enjoy! It's just really relaxing; I can let out the stress and frustration I am beginning to have from living in a city. Plus, I didn't run into that creepy guy this week! Mom and Scott met me for lunch afterwards and then headed over to Westminster Pier to board a boat that took us down the Thames to Tower Bridge. We toured the Tower of London there which was also incredibly awesome! The highlights of this tour were the Crown Jewels and the Bloody Tower where King Henry's illegitimate sons were supposedly murdered. We ate at The Slug and Lettuce, a great cheap place to eat on Monday nights.

Today, I had my internship. I went to the Queen's Park Children's Centre to help out with some filing over there; so exciting! (Not.) I was supposed to go to a primary school this afternoon to do domestic violence preventive activities, but I did not get back from Queen's Park in time to leave with Lily. I was so disappointed, and ended up doing more boring tasks the rest of the day. I met Mom and Scott at Herrod's afterwards to experience some high-class shopping. I was pretty overwhelmed and felt a bit out-of-place at this huge, designer-label filled store. The entire time I was thinking, "Really? Is any of this stuff necessary for anyone?? So much money could be spent towards a million better things!" I had a slight urge to set such a place on fire or steal or break something.

So yes, these last few days have been quite full and super touristy. The next few days will be a bit toned down, with my internship and classes on Thursday. At least the hot weather has gone!

Cheers for now!