Italy

I know his blog post about my spring break is way over due but I've been extremely busy with my internship (which I absolutely love) and sightseeing around London. But anyway here goes:

Day 1
For spring break or rather mid-semester break seeing as it was only the middle of February I went to Italy with my friends Julie, Rebecca, Bailey, Aaron, Louis and Liz. We arrived in Rome around noon and the first thing we did was check into the hostel. The flight was okay but flying from stansted airport is no fun as it's an hour and a half outside of London which means we left at 4:30am to make our 8:50 flight. But ryanair got us to Rome okay so I can't complain. We weren't crazy about the hostel but it was ok and everyone there was very nice. Then we went and had our first Italian meal in Italy! Julie and I both ordered the same thing (something we did for most of the trip) and got the rigatoni. It was delicious. Afterward, we went to the train station and bought our tickets for Florence. By that point we were tired but still wanted to sightsee because the weather was beautiful out (we actually lucked on on the entire trip with the weather). So we decided to take a tour bus around the city. It was a good way to get a general view of the city and we enjoyed it for the most part. That night we went to the Trevi fountain and I made a wish as thats what you're supposed to do. Then we had another amazing meal (I love Italian food in Italy - there's nothing better) and then we had gelato yummm. We were too tired to do anything else that night so we went to bed early.

Day 2
Our second day (and only full day) in Rome was action packed. We got up early and took the metro across the city to the Vatican. We went through the museum and saw the Sistine Chapel. We ran into Lindsey, Melissa, Sarah and Kristen at the Vatican as well as Scott and his mom and sister. Scott and Lindsey decided to hang out with us the rest of the afternoon and we enjoyed a delicious pizza lunch followed by more amazing gelato. I had mint flavored and it is definitely my favorite. We crossed a bridge over the River Tiber and just wandered around Rome. Just walking on the cute and tiny cobblestone streets was my favorite part of the trip. We walked to the Pantheon which was cool and then went to Piazza Navona, the Colosseum and Forum. We didn't get to go in the Colosseum because it was closed for the day but just seeing it was incredible. Then we went to a cafe and julie and I split really good tiramisu. After that we went back to the hostel to rest before dinner. For dinner we went to camp di fori and I had amazing vegetable lasanga. It was also a great group dinner because they played American music and we sang along the entire time. Then we went to a bar/club to hang out and dance for the night.

Day 3
Julie, Aaron and I got up early to go inside the Colosseum and it was definitely worth it. If you go to Rome you cannot leave without going inside the Colosseum. It's just incredible to see the ruins and picture how it once was. We also stopped off for breakfast at a cafe and had the best croissants ever! lol. Then we met up with our friends and went to the Spanish Steps in the afternoon. While Liz, Louis and Rebecca relaxed on the steps, Julie, Aaron, Bailey and I wandered around the stores (it's similar to 5th Ave.) and we went to Gucci, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, etc. We had a great time but couldn't stay too long because we had a train to catch!

The one bad part about the trip was definitely our train ride. It was supposed to last an hour an 40 minutes but instead was close to 3 hours. I wouldn't have cared that much because the Tuscan scenary out the window was so beautiful but my cousin Scott was meeting us at the train station and he waited for 2 hours for us! If I had known how late we would be I would have told him to go home but I had no idea because there were no conductors on the train to ask questions to so poor Scott had to wait forever for us. I felt so bad! But we finally arrived and Scott helped us find our hostel. We stayed at PLUS Florence which is really more like a hotel and is the nicest hostel I've ever stayed in. We all then went out to dinner and then for the best gelato ever (thanks to Scott's suggestion). We also met up with Katie for dinner (she had been in Venice while we were in Rome) and a few of us went to visit Scott's apartment afterwards. It was really nice and spacious for only 3 people. Then my friends and I went out to a club at night. It was an authentic Italian club that played mostly techno music and we all had a good time.

Day 4
For our one full day in Italy we did a lot of sightseeing and I met up with a lot of people, including some other BU people. First we climbed to the top of the Duomo. It was so many steps I can't even count them but were exhausted by the time we reached the top. But it didn't matter because once we took one look at view it was all worth it. One of the most spectacular views I've ever seen. Firenze is so beautiful!!!! After climbing the Duomo my friends went to see the David while I went with Scott to his favorite cafe. Then we met up with his roommates and went to see the David. The sculpture was a lot bigger then I expected and definitely worth seeing. I was able to sneak a picture :) Afterward, Scott took me to his favorite pizza spot and it was definitely one of my favorite meals in Italy. It was also nice just to hang out with him alone and catch up. Then I left him to meet my friends at the Ufittzi museum. We also walked to the river and crossed the ponte veccio, famous bridge. While we were there I randomly ran into my friend Meg who's studying in Dublin for the semester (who was also on break). It was great to catch up with her because I didn't get to see her when I went to Dublin. Later that night we had dinner with Anna, one of my close friends from BU who's studying in Grenoble, France for the semester. It was so awesome to see her and catch up. She's actually coming to visit me in London in the beginning of April and I can't wait. That night we all went to a club called Space Electronica which was so much fun. I actually went with Scott and his friends got in for free because they did VIP. I met up with my friends at the club and we all had a fabulous last night in Florence.

Day 5
We spent our last few hours in Italy in Pisa and saw the leaning tower of Pisa. Unfortunately, that's all there is to see there. It was cool to see the tower though so I'm glad I was able to see it. This whole trip was a great experience (traveling with a big group) and learning to compromise and make decisions together. We all also got a lot closer but especially me and Julie. We talked so much in Italy and even now that we're back in London we're almost always together (when we're not working or in class that is). Julie and I have also gotten really close with Aaron and Bailey and we have this awesome 4 musketeers thing going on that started in Italy. Even though I miss Italy so much, I'm so glad to be home in London.

And that was my spring break. Hopefully I'll put up a new post soon. But here's my upcoming calender.
March 20-22 Edinburgh
March 25 My 21st BIRTHDAY
March 27-29 Amsterdam

Break already?

I know it's been forever since I've written on my blog but so much has happened. First I had an incredible time horseback riding in Gower, Wales. We stayed at this small lodge that was run by the sweetest old woman who cooked (Americanized) meals for us and took care of us for the weekend. We rode the horses up these large hills and cliffs (that seemed also like mountains) and saw spectacular views of the countryside, the beach and the cliffs. There were so many sheep out and even some wild horses running around. Because it was too windy we couldn't ride on the beach but it was still beautiful just to see it all. My horse's name was Kim and she was so fiesty! Kim kept trying to cut people off and eat and just do her own thing. I was able to work my way up from a walk to a trot and had so much fun. I'm definitely a fast learner when it comes to those things. So we spent all day Saturday riding and then at night went into town to a pub. It wasn't very exciting (this was a small town in Wales after all) so we came back to the lodge and hung out. I shared a room with my roommate in London Katie in additon to two other girls Claudia and Libby. We stayed up late talking and it was great meeting new people and having a good conversation. The next day a small group of us went hiking to the beach and up these cliffs that led to the ruins of an old castle. I can't even describe how vast and overwhelming the beach was. I've never seen anything like it and I even took some seashells home with me :) Overall Wales was a great weekend and I'm glad it was my first trip of the program.

The next weekend (end of Jan-beg of Feb) I went to Ireland with friends from my econ class because our Monday class was cancelled so we had a 4 day weekend. It was me, Scott, Ben, Mike and also Anjali (who wasn't in our class but she just left sunday instead). We arrived late Thursday night and ended up staying at Issac's hostel which was exciting because it was the first hostel any of us had ever stayed in. We went out exploring Dubin at night and went to the Temple Bar section where we ate dinner and went to a pub. My favorite part about the pub life in Dublin is that they all have live music which is definitely something that London is lacking.

The next morning we left on a 3-day tour of southern Ireland with Paddywagon Tours. Our tour guide was interesting.....he could be loud and annoying at times but for the most part he was funny and a good person to have for a guide. Our tour consisted of about 10-15 people and the 5 of us were the only Americans placed with all Aussies! It was awesome meeting new people and getting to know them over the tour. We're all facebook friends now and will hopefully keep in touch. We started off the tour at Clonmacnoise where there's a famous monastery and then we went to an old whiskey distillery where we were able to sample the whiskey. Unfortunately it rained most of the day but it was sort of how I pictured Ireland so I didn't mind. Then we finished out the day on the west coast in Galway where we spent the night. We explored the city, had dinner and went to a few pubs with the tour. Basically our diet over the tour consisted of toast (which was given to us free at the hostels every morning) and beer.....yummmmm. Anyway, the next day (Saturday) we had much better weather and saw some of the best views of the entire trip. We went to the Cliffs of Moher, stopped to take pictures at different spots, even rode a ferry to cross the river Shannon (I think) and spent the night in Killarney. Once again we ate dinner as a tour and hung out at some pubs/clubs. Killarney was a quaint town with a beautiful national park outside it. The next morning a few of us rode a horse-drawn carriage into that park and saw an old castle and enjoyed the scenery in a unique way. The last stop of the tour was Cork and we visited the Blarney Castle and I got to kiss the Blarney Stone! This is supposed to bring the gift of eloquence to all that kiss it.

While we had a great time on the tour the bus broke down on the way back which was not fun. Anjali missed her flight but was able to get a later one. However, because of the snow in London it was diverted to Birmingham and it took her all night to get home. The rest of us had a fun Monday morning that we spent exploring Dublin and visiting the Guinness factory. The skybar at the end where you get your free pint of Guinness was the best part! They made a shamrock on the top of the drink. The views of Dublin from the skybar were awesome. You could see for miles and basically see the entire city. Monday night was not so fun though. Because of the snow in London and Dublin our flight was cancelled and we spent the night at Ben's friend's dorm in Dublin (where he's studying for the semester) but we all had to finish our econ take-home tests that were due the next day. We emailed them to the professor and it all worked out but it was not a fun night at all :/ The ryanair people booked us on a Tuesday afternoon flight but we didn't want to risk it being cancelled so Tuesday morning we took a ferry from Dublin to Holyhead, Wales. We all slept on the ferry which was more like a mini cruise ship and managed to make it back to the UK! Then we had to take 3 trains to get back to London. After this epic adventure I was so happy to be back home in South Kensington and get some rest! That day also happened to be Ben's 21st birthday - poor guy had to spend it traveling but we surprised him with a cake at night (and a birthday shot) so at least his birthday had a happy ending.

After Ireland I was ready to just take some time to recover and explore London instead of traveling outside the island. I visited a lot of museums including the Victoria and Albert museum, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery and the British Museum. I went for a long walk in Hyde Park and found the Peter Pan statue! I've always wanted to see it in person and it was so beautiful! I also took my first ride on the double decker bus! It was so much fun and of course i sat on the top :) I saw the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace and boy was it crowded especially for February. The Queen was in residence that day but she didn't come out.

I've been enjoying theatre and nightlife too. I saw Billy Elliott (it was amazing!!!!) and Sound of Music (not so good). I go out at night with my friends a lot to pubs and clubs and just to see the sights at night. There's still so much to see and do; I need to find time for everything. I also had classes which just ended today with finals and next week I start my internship and final class - London architecture and urbanism which should be so much fun (it involves lots of field trips!).

Last weekend I took a day trip to Canterbury and Dover Castle/White Cliffs. There wasn't much to see in Canterbury accept for the famous cathedral but Dover Castle was beautiful. We went on the beach and you could see the French coast (Calais) in the distance! The weather was perfect and I had such a fun day.

Two last tidbits and then this lond entry is over: I met Robert Pattinson (the guy from Twilight) at Notting Hill Arts Club. He was very nice and took a picture with us.....so be jealous all you rob pat fans out there. And lastly now that I'm on spring break I leave for Italy in the morning. Should be an awesome adventure to Roma and Firenze. I'm also going to see my cousin Scott who's studying in Florence for the semester!!! I'll let you know how it goes when I get back.

It's been almost 2 weeks since I arrived in London and every day has been great. While classes can be long (we have them in 4 hour blocks), the time goes by quickly and then I'm ready to go out and have fun. In the first half of the program I'm taking British Marketing Strategy and European Capital Markets, both of which have proved to be very interesting so far even if it's hard to stay awake the whole time.
I saw all the major sites around London from the boat tour on the Thames and then walked to Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace and through St. James Park. Saturday I took a day trip to Windsor Castle which was beautiful! The weather was perfect and I wandered around the castle and the town with some friends taking pictures and enjoying the countryside. Seeing the dollhouses, St. George's Chapel and the grounds of where the Queen lives (she wasn't in residence that day) was amazing.
Tuesday was an exciting day for all us Americans here in London - President Obama's inauguration! The program got some tv's and pizza and threw us a party. Watching the inauguration felt great even on this side of the Atlantic. The BBC commentary was interesting to listen to versus ABC or any other station back home even if I didn't like everything they focused on. I'm so glad I got to watch it and celebrate with other Americans.
Yesterday I went on a field trip to the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising for my marketing class in Notting Hill. It was my first time in the neighborhood and I loved it. I must go back soon for the Portobello flea market on sundays. The museum was very interesting; it showed how brands and packaging have changed over the years. Some of the artifacts they had were incredible and so old!
That's about all that's new for now. I'm leaving tomorrow night to spend the weekend in Wales! I'll be sure to write all about it when I get back.

Arrival

After worrying for days whether my flight would be cancelled because of a snowstorm on the east coast, I managed to get to London fine with very little delay. The flight wasn't too bad - I slept a little; read my book The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks a little; and watched some tv. It's great to finally be here but it still doesn't feel like I'm really here. I walked around the neighborhood of Kensington and saw the Natural History Museum and Albert and Victoria Museum plus Royal Albert Hall, Imperial College and the shops, restaurants and tube stations in the area. My flat that I share with my roommate Katie is small but we have our own bathroom and mini fridge. Looks like I'm back to my olden days of being on the top bunk of the bunk bed which I don't mind at all. Hopefully I'll be more awake and less jetlagged soon and then I can start exploring London! Tomorrow we're taking a boat trip on the Thames....I can't wait! Check back once in a while for updates on what I'm doing here in London and hopefully I'll be able to put pictures up.