I returned to England on Tuesday 8/23 and headed back to the shire. That week was so bittersweet, I was so glad to be back with Rich and to be back in an English speaking country, it it was also my last week in England for awhile, so depressing. It was nice to just hang out with Rich, since I don't get to see him until next summer, it was kinda crucial. But we didn't do anything crazy, just hung around in Newbury. Luckily I was able to finally work out with a free week pass so that was cool. Later on in the week I got my hair done by one of Sue's ladies and she did a wonderful job! :) Friday, (8/26) Rich and I saw the Inbetweeners movie which was soooo hilarious! And after we went to Grandma's for a nice roast :) We had lamb and veggies and of course, steamed pudding! My favorite. His family is so nice it's ridiculous, and that made it even more hard to say good-bye. Sunday, Sue and Trev came in from the airport from their holiday from Greece and Sue got me some really lovely pressies! That weekend, of course was the whole Hurricane Irene dealio and I seriously wanted my flight to be cancelled since it was on Monday. I even had Sue call up Virgin to ask them if someone else seriously needed my flight on Monday and I could fly out another day because it wasn't urgent that I got back to NYC that day.
Of course they said it would actually be easier for me to fly out on my designated day, but that was THE nicest thing they have ever heard and no one had ever offered that before. So I felt special :)
Going to the airport sucked. It was so hard to realize I was actually leaving England and my boyfriend for a year and it made me realize all the cool things I was able to do while I was in Europe. Luckily when I got to Heathrow, Virgin upgraded me to an window exit seat on the upper level! There was so much room I didn't know what to do with myself.
The good-bye's were really hard, obviously had to do a bit of crying, but at least getting through the airport and security was really easy and there wasn't any difficulty. But after the flight, once I landed at JFK, it was such a weird feeling, I literally didn't want to be there, I wanted to go back so bad. Europe has made me think that the way the country is run in America doesn't really make much sense, and they still have a lot of catching up to do...
Besides the point, I'm still not used to it, I've already left my bank card in the atm on accident because I forgot you need to take it out, or dip it shall you say.
I miss already, Pret, Eat, Marks and Spencer's, percy piggies, Tesco/Sainsbury's 3 pound lunch deals, driving on the other side of the road/car(now it seems normal), fish n' chips, chips in general, crisps, biscuits, puddings, ghetto phones, top-up's, vodaphone, bbc, RADIO 1 and 2, British television, being able to drink legally, CIDER, Sue's food, really good butter and milk/cream, GREEN GRASS, the spastic rain, the tube, the oyster card, sweating out in the tube, cream tea's, tea all together, brown sugar in tea, lemon in tea, full cooked english breakfast, HP SAUCE, English people, english accent and but what I really miss the most is, obviously, Richard.
Thursday 1 September 2011
The best is yet to come
Starting back off from the 16th of Aug. Tuesday my cousin and I went into Privas, the town to walk around and get some macrons and coffee's. It's such a cute village, something you'd expect in the movies from the late 50's or something.
Wednesday we headed to the beach. It was so amazing! The Mediterranean Sea is so freaking fabulous, so clear and no waves. I absolutely loved it. It wasn't my first time in the Med, I went when I was in Italy. But this time it just seemed better because it was in the south of France!! After getting crispy, we went to my cousin's husband's mom's house for dinner and to stay the night. Later on, we went to this small village to get ice cream, it was served in a giant shell bowl! And it was so deliciousssss! The next day we went to Nimes, which is known for having a lot of Roman architecture left in the city. There's a ton of statues left. We went to the Roman gardens first, and where they had the old Roman Bath's. It's amazing that most of the architecture is still intact. Unfortunately, the pipes are a little clogged, so the water doesn't run as smoothly through it, so it's a bit flooded. None the less, AWESOME. After that little adventure we went to lunch at a cutesie cafe and had a nice frenchy salade. Later on, my cousin and I went to the colosseum like thing in Nimes, it's not as big as the one in Rome, but it served the same purpose. It's so amazing how old these things are and that they are still standing and still in use. This one in Nimes holds concerts and performances still.
On our way back home, we stopped at the Pont du Gard. Which is one of the oldest aquaducts still standing in France, and it's phenomenal! They've now made it more into a tourist attraction where you can go swim and lay on the "beach." But it's really expensive. A few years it used to be free and you could walk up on the upper levels of the aquaduct, not anymore.
The last few days in France were very relaxed. Friday, (8/19) my cousin had friends over and she was cooking all day for them. It's crazy how much effort they put into meals for guests. Everything has to be perfect and organized or the guests will think it's rude. And they eat so much bread it's ridiculous!!! Literally if you don't have bread with a meal, the world will end. Oh, and sliced bread is not an option, baguettes only please. So all day was made for eating basically. Lunch was a full 3 course meal and as for dinner, it was the same. I probably should have gone for a run in between those meals to fit them in!
The next day my younger cousin and I went to the river. We took the quad down to where we needed to go. That was treking! And for the first and last time in my life I wore crocs. We treked to the spot where were going to lay out and on the way, we almost fell into the water, my cousin lost her dress and we almost ruined our cameras. So it was really fun. :) But after we finally got to the spot it was really nice and peaceful. No one was around and it was filled with rocks and streams. Later on we headed back up to the quad, this time we took the less dangerous route. Except for when we decided to get back home we took the long way, and little did we know, no one took that route anymore and it was all covered with trees and shrubberies. Of course we tried to get through it. I tried to rev it and get it over this pile but instead it slide almost down the mountain and I almost went with it. Let me tell you, it was quite an adventure! Finally we survived and got it home. After that I had so many scrapes from the bushes.
Monday was my last day in Privas and my cousin and I went into town. Little did we know that the entire town was shut down for people taking holidays! I wanted to get some macrons and little stuff, but couldn't because literally nothing was open but some cafe's. It was unbelievable! But it was ok, I lived.
I learned so much being in France for 10 days, the way they lived and how the people were. It was so different from the US, people don't have a sense of time, they do things when they want and it really doesn't matter when. They care more about family then they do about making money, maybe America should get some tips about that. They take 2 hour lunches so that they can be with their families. And they eat dinner really late, I'm not a fan of that one. But basically I really enjoyed my time spent there and it would be lovely to go back.
Wednesday we headed to the beach. It was so amazing! The Mediterranean Sea is so freaking fabulous, so clear and no waves. I absolutely loved it. It wasn't my first time in the Med, I went when I was in Italy. But this time it just seemed better because it was in the south of France!! After getting crispy, we went to my cousin's husband's mom's house for dinner and to stay the night. Later on, we went to this small village to get ice cream, it was served in a giant shell bowl! And it was so deliciousssss! The next day we went to Nimes, which is known for having a lot of Roman architecture left in the city. There's a ton of statues left. We went to the Roman gardens first, and where they had the old Roman Bath's. It's amazing that most of the architecture is still intact. Unfortunately, the pipes are a little clogged, so the water doesn't run as smoothly through it, so it's a bit flooded. None the less, AWESOME. After that little adventure we went to lunch at a cutesie cafe and had a nice frenchy salade. Later on, my cousin and I went to the colosseum like thing in Nimes, it's not as big as the one in Rome, but it served the same purpose. It's so amazing how old these things are and that they are still standing and still in use. This one in Nimes holds concerts and performances still.
On our way back home, we stopped at the Pont du Gard. Which is one of the oldest aquaducts still standing in France, and it's phenomenal! They've now made it more into a tourist attraction where you can go swim and lay on the "beach." But it's really expensive. A few years it used to be free and you could walk up on the upper levels of the aquaduct, not anymore.
The last few days in France were very relaxed. Friday, (8/19) my cousin had friends over and she was cooking all day for them. It's crazy how much effort they put into meals for guests. Everything has to be perfect and organized or the guests will think it's rude. And they eat so much bread it's ridiculous!!! Literally if you don't have bread with a meal, the world will end. Oh, and sliced bread is not an option, baguettes only please. So all day was made for eating basically. Lunch was a full 3 course meal and as for dinner, it was the same. I probably should have gone for a run in between those meals to fit them in!
The next day my younger cousin and I went to the river. We took the quad down to where we needed to go. That was treking! And for the first and last time in my life I wore crocs. We treked to the spot where were going to lay out and on the way, we almost fell into the water, my cousin lost her dress and we almost ruined our cameras. So it was really fun. :) But after we finally got to the spot it was really nice and peaceful. No one was around and it was filled with rocks and streams. Later on we headed back up to the quad, this time we took the less dangerous route. Except for when we decided to get back home we took the long way, and little did we know, no one took that route anymore and it was all covered with trees and shrubberies. Of course we tried to get through it. I tried to rev it and get it over this pile but instead it slide almost down the mountain and I almost went with it. Let me tell you, it was quite an adventure! Finally we survived and got it home. After that I had so many scrapes from the bushes.
Monday was my last day in Privas and my cousin and I went into town. Little did we know that the entire town was shut down for people taking holidays! I wanted to get some macrons and little stuff, but couldn't because literally nothing was open but some cafe's. It was unbelievable! But it was ok, I lived.
I learned so much being in France for 10 days, the way they lived and how the people were. It was so different from the US, people don't have a sense of time, they do things when they want and it really doesn't matter when. They care more about family then they do about making money, maybe America should get some tips about that. They take 2 hour lunches so that they can be with their families. And they eat dinner really late, I'm not a fan of that one. But basically I really enjoyed my time spent there and it would be lovely to go back.
Tuesday 16 August 2011
en France
Unfortunately Friday was my last day in Belgium, which was filled with packing and train riding. I left out of Brussels to head down to my cousin Leah's in Privas, France. Which in actuality, they live in the middle of nowhere mountains! It's awesome!!! It's really nice being somewhere with no people or sounds and their property is really nice too. France is different than any other country I've been to, the people are not similar to people in the states which is nice.
Anyway, I arrived to Valence Friday evening and we headed to get dinner at a local place, so nothing crazy. Saturday was chillaxing too, later in the afternoon I hung out with my younger cousin and went to a cafe for a drink. After that we went to her friend's house to go in their pool, it was really, really hot out. The time I've spent in France has been my hottest summer yet this year since England doesn't have hot weather!
Sunday me and my cousin Leah went on a 3.5 hour walk/hike! It was lovely weather and it got so hot we stopped at this clear water pool thing in the middle of nowhere too. It was so enchanting the way the water dropped off the rocks into the water. It was sooo cold but I was brave and went all the way in, for like 2 seconds, but it sure did cool me off! By the end of the walk it started pouring unfortunately, but only for a bit. Later on that night we had a nice meal and then watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail! Weird that I had never seen it and it's a British comedy, and I watched it in France haha.
Yesterday, We went to Lyon. My other cousin lives there now so we visited him and had lunch. We walked around the old town of Lyon which is amazing saw the little apartments hidden in the buildings and then finally went to place where they invented cinema! Le Institut Lumiere, a really cool museum that showed everything that started the Lumiere brothers to invent the cinema and cameras. Very very informative! Plus, I think I got a bit of color because the sun was blasting! :)
Today is going to be a chill day too, maybe some tanning, macarons, who knows.
Update, hopefully sooner than last time!! xx
Anyway, I arrived to Valence Friday evening and we headed to get dinner at a local place, so nothing crazy. Saturday was chillaxing too, later in the afternoon I hung out with my younger cousin and went to a cafe for a drink. After that we went to her friend's house to go in their pool, it was really, really hot out. The time I've spent in France has been my hottest summer yet this year since England doesn't have hot weather!
Sunday me and my cousin Leah went on a 3.5 hour walk/hike! It was lovely weather and it got so hot we stopped at this clear water pool thing in the middle of nowhere too. It was so enchanting the way the water dropped off the rocks into the water. It was sooo cold but I was brave and went all the way in, for like 2 seconds, but it sure did cool me off! By the end of the walk it started pouring unfortunately, but only for a bit. Later on that night we had a nice meal and then watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail! Weird that I had never seen it and it's a British comedy, and I watched it in France haha.
Yesterday, We went to Lyon. My other cousin lives there now so we visited him and had lunch. We walked around the old town of Lyon which is amazing saw the little apartments hidden in the buildings and then finally went to place where they invented cinema! Le Institut Lumiere, a really cool museum that showed everything that started the Lumiere brothers to invent the cinema and cameras. Very very informative! Plus, I think I got a bit of color because the sun was blasting! :)
Today is going to be a chill day too, maybe some tanning, macarons, who knows.
Update, hopefully sooner than last time!! xx
A week through my eyes: Belgian Style.
So LAST week was really busy. I know, a week has already gone by and I still hadn't updated. But okay, I'm here now :)
Starting Saturday night(8/7), we went to her friend's birthday party, yeah I partied with the Belgians? Very odd experience though. Of course I'm not in England anymore so English wasn't an option. Luckily in Europe, they start language classes really young, not like America where it takes us to be in high school already to start learning something different. But anyway, it was interesting feeling like the "outcast," by that I mean not being able to understand a bit of dutch. It's not like any latin based language where it's easIER to understand some words. Not here. But I got to understand the differences between American "fun" and Belgian "fun." I got to try their national dish too, which is french fries haha. But they aren't the fries we are used to. They are sooo much better. And they put sauce on the top, depending on what you like. Of course I tried some Belgian beer too, a lot better than other stuff, even though I still don't like it. :P
Sunday was nice, her mom made dinner for the family and some of her other family came over. It was a lazy/rainy day so we didn't do much. Just hung out in Belgium!
Monday we went to Bruges (they say Brugge and pronounce it Bruhhuh). It's the oldest city in Belgium and it's gorgeous! Luckily it was a really nice day, we thought it was going to rain so naturally we wore our rain boots. Most likely we both looked really dumb. Oh well. We walked around the city and saw where the nun's used to live, apparently they aren't nuns but there also isn't an english translation of what they are. So they're nuns to me. We also ate a legit Belgian waffle and coffee. The waffle was amazing! It has sugar crystal's in it to give it a crunch and taste oh so good. And I got my Belgian chocolate fix to take back to the states, if they make it of course...
Tuesday we went to Kortrijk, another old city in Belgium. One of her mom's friends showed us around and told us the history behind some of the old stuff. We went into some very, very ancient cathedrals, after awhile, they all start looking the same, with the architecture I mean. We walked around the old city, went into city hall and at the end, went to a cafe. Kim and I had hot chocolate, so so delicioussssssss! America doesn't have anything this good. That was a good day :) For dinner, we had mussels!!! It's a big thing during the summer, of course near the beaches it's cheaper, but we went into town and I had my first mussel dinner. I've tried them before but it was really delicious there! Glad I'm open minded :)
Wednesday we headed to Gent. This town is more like a college city that's known for the bars and nightlife. Kim and I just went there, had dinner and walked around the city. I love that in Europe everything is really old and the buildings aren't modern. Gent has a tram railway too that goes straight through the city, I've only seen that in San Fran, and it's still different. Later on in the evening we hung out with some of her buddies. Belgian's are really nice but man do they smoke a LOT A LOT. I don't know how they do it. For dinner was simple when we got back into Roeselare, we got frites again but this time with meat and gravy. So good.
Thursday we went to Lille, France. She only lives 30 min from there, it was awesome! We went to the Palais des Beaux Arts, the second famous museum in France, underneath the Louvre, naturally. We walked around the town, it has a lot of shopping and things. We ate a reaaaaaaaaall french crepe too, that was really delicious too. I'm not just eating all the time I swear. But overall it was a great day. Later on we hung out at her house, since it was the last night in Belgium for me. Her mom is so so nice and made us dinner most of the nights too!
Belgium was such an interesting experience but I wouldn't have been able to do it without Kim! I'm so glad I have friends in different countries because it has made my experience 20 times better than just being a traveler on my own :)
Continued on the France Blog :)
Sunday 7 August 2011
Save the best for last
Tues-Sat(2-6) morning: It was my last week in London and boy was it weird. I had been there for a full 6 weeks and it seemed like just yesterday that Rich and his family dropped me off at the dorms. I didn't really do much this week because I feel like I did so much already from the previous weeks and I was burnt out. :P
Tuesday wasn't too exciting, some of the friends went to Student night at the Sports bar in Picadilly Circus, it was a good night to end off in London.
Wednesday I actually met up with my cousin Colleen who was in town! Such a trip, finally got to see some family since I haven't seen any for a while. We walked from Houses of Parliament all the way to St. Paul's for the Evensong service and then down to the South Bank, it was such a hot day but a nice walk :). Thursday was the last day of my London, culture capital of the world class and we had a "quiz." Basically it was silly questions and the winner got a cheezey golden globe trophy. Guess who the winner was!? MEEEEE! I guess being in London for so long paid off : )
Friday was kinda sad, it was my last day in London. I slept in and worked out. At night I met up with my cousin at Hyde Park to see the Diana Memorial and the Albert Memorial. And we went to Wagamama for dinner, bestttt asian food everrrr! I'm in love.
And Saturday, I caught the EuroStar to Brussels! Which is going to be awesome. I'm meeting up with my friend Kim and staying with her for a week : ). I arrived at Kim's safely and picked me up and took me to her house, which is in the countryside and is really pretty! We ate lunch at hers too and had some really good food. I, of course, can't pronounce any of it. But it's way better than American food. This country is really weird, in some parts they speak French, where Kim is its Dutch and others is German. It's so confusing! I got a bit lost at the train station trying to get here, it was crazy.
I'm loving my European adventure and it's only just started really!
Speak soon. x
Tuesday wasn't too exciting, some of the friends went to Student night at the Sports bar in Picadilly Circus, it was a good night to end off in London.
Wednesday I actually met up with my cousin Colleen who was in town! Such a trip, finally got to see some family since I haven't seen any for a while. We walked from Houses of Parliament all the way to St. Paul's for the Evensong service and then down to the South Bank, it was such a hot day but a nice walk :). Thursday was the last day of my London, culture capital of the world class and we had a "quiz." Basically it was silly questions and the winner got a cheezey golden globe trophy. Guess who the winner was!? MEEEEE! I guess being in London for so long paid off : )
Friday was kinda sad, it was my last day in London. I slept in and worked out. At night I met up with my cousin at Hyde Park to see the Diana Memorial and the Albert Memorial. And we went to Wagamama for dinner, bestttt asian food everrrr! I'm in love.
And Saturday, I caught the EuroStar to Brussels! Which is going to be awesome. I'm meeting up with my friend Kim and staying with her for a week : ). I arrived at Kim's safely and picked me up and took me to her house, which is in the countryside and is really pretty! We ate lunch at hers too and had some really good food. I, of course, can't pronounce any of it. But it's way better than American food. This country is really weird, in some parts they speak French, where Kim is its Dutch and others is German. It's so confusing! I got a bit lost at the train station trying to get here, it was crazy.
I'm loving my European adventure and it's only just started really!
Speak soon. x
Tuesday 2 August 2011
So much info, so little time!
Alright, here I go with one of the larger posts I've done so far:
Monday 25 July: Monday one of my friends and I went to Notting Hill and Portobello Market again to wander. It was such a nice day and the markets were actually fully open this time. Before going there we made a pit stop at the BEST cookie shop in the world. Ben's Cookies. No words can even describe the gooey yummy deliciousness of these creatures. You get the point. But just a note: My peanut butter cookies are STILL BETTER than theirs. So ha. Anyway, at the markets we wandered into a shop while they were filming The Apprentice! (UK version of course) And it was awesome! We had nooo idea they were even filming that until I noticed Lord Sugar's right hand woman in the background, so cool. Oh I also bought a cute hat :)
Tuesday 26 July: This day was really sick. I met up with a few friends at about 2pm to get in line at the London Dungeons and didn't even get in the place until 5! It lasted an hour and a half with a bunch of stories about the olden days of London and a couple rides. I actually was burned at the stake when Bloody Mary was queen, no big or anything. The ride at the end was exciting too! It took you up in the chair then did an unexpected drop out of no where! 2 of my friends and I bought the photo it took because it was so funny.
Wednesday 27 July: That day I went to class and then for class, we went to the Globe to see Marlowe's Faustus. It's a very funny and witty play about a doctor who starts refusing in the most common of things and starts getting advice from the Devil. I liked that it had a funny twist to it, not just serious. Then later on Rich picked me up to take him back to his house :) I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful boyfriend and to be able to spend time with his family! They took me to a nice Indian restaurant to have some fabulous curry! Gosh I love them so much. It was a really good night :)
Thursday wasn't anything special, mostly just hanging out in the house, it was a bit cold.
Friday was when the good stuff started happening! Rich and I left early to head up to Alton Towers, a well known theme park near Derby. The rides aren't as crazy and thrilling as they are in the US but still very very fun! The weather was really perfect too, not too hot, not too cold. On the plus side, there wasn't a wait on anything. The longest was on the Flume, which by the way means artificial water channel, oh the Brits and their words. I got soaked on that ride too, but nooo not Rich! But it was so nice. Later that night we headed to Derby to see Rich's friend for the night and had dinner and breakfast with her.
Saturday we headed to Warwick Castle, which is such the touristy thing but had to :) It's sooooo overpriced but it's a really interesting place. They set up the place like a little town and have little boutiques that are set up like they are in the medieval ages. We went into the Castle dungeons, a mini version of the London dungeons then saw Medieval Jousting! That was sooooo coooool! It was a little show they put on. After we went to Merlin and the dragon, not gonna lie, that wasn't too impressive unfortunately. Luckily it was such a nice day and I got a little bit of color : ).
Sunday was soooo sooo nice. We went on a warm walk around Andrew Lloyd Webber's property, it's grossly huge but gorgeous. Rich and I found a wheat field and ran through it, that was funny. Later that afternoon we headed to Grandma's for a BBQ, yes, the English have BBQ's. We had some nice grilled chicken, sausages, pork, you know, the usual. We played darts and petanque as well. That was such a blast. Unfortunately, the Brit's seem to be better at darts than I am. Boo. It was such a great evening though!
Then yesterday, was a nice day too. Rich, Sue and I went to Hungerford for a really nice pub lunch and a country walk afterwards. We walked along the river and canal and stuck our feet in the clear pond nearby. It was a sad day too though because I won't be back to Penwood until later this month :(
This summer has really flown, I know I still have a month left in Europe but it goes by soooo fast! This week is going to fly by and then I'm off to Belgium to visit Kimmy! Then to France :) So many exciting things to come, and I can't wait!
Update sooon xx
Monday 25 July: Monday one of my friends and I went to Notting Hill and Portobello Market again to wander. It was such a nice day and the markets were actually fully open this time. Before going there we made a pit stop at the BEST cookie shop in the world. Ben's Cookies. No words can even describe the gooey yummy deliciousness of these creatures. You get the point. But just a note: My peanut butter cookies are STILL BETTER than theirs. So ha. Anyway, at the markets we wandered into a shop while they were filming The Apprentice! (UK version of course) And it was awesome! We had nooo idea they were even filming that until I noticed Lord Sugar's right hand woman in the background, so cool. Oh I also bought a cute hat :)
Tuesday 26 July: This day was really sick. I met up with a few friends at about 2pm to get in line at the London Dungeons and didn't even get in the place until 5! It lasted an hour and a half with a bunch of stories about the olden days of London and a couple rides. I actually was burned at the stake when Bloody Mary was queen, no big or anything. The ride at the end was exciting too! It took you up in the chair then did an unexpected drop out of no where! 2 of my friends and I bought the photo it took because it was so funny.
Wednesday 27 July: That day I went to class and then for class, we went to the Globe to see Marlowe's Faustus. It's a very funny and witty play about a doctor who starts refusing in the most common of things and starts getting advice from the Devil. I liked that it had a funny twist to it, not just serious. Then later on Rich picked me up to take him back to his house :) I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful boyfriend and to be able to spend time with his family! They took me to a nice Indian restaurant to have some fabulous curry! Gosh I love them so much. It was a really good night :)
Thursday wasn't anything special, mostly just hanging out in the house, it was a bit cold.
Friday was when the good stuff started happening! Rich and I left early to head up to Alton Towers, a well known theme park near Derby. The rides aren't as crazy and thrilling as they are in the US but still very very fun! The weather was really perfect too, not too hot, not too cold. On the plus side, there wasn't a wait on anything. The longest was on the Flume, which by the way means artificial water channel, oh the Brits and their words. I got soaked on that ride too, but nooo not Rich! But it was so nice. Later that night we headed to Derby to see Rich's friend for the night and had dinner and breakfast with her.
Saturday we headed to Warwick Castle, which is such the touristy thing but had to :) It's sooooo overpriced but it's a really interesting place. They set up the place like a little town and have little boutiques that are set up like they are in the medieval ages. We went into the Castle dungeons, a mini version of the London dungeons then saw Medieval Jousting! That was sooooo coooool! It was a little show they put on. After we went to Merlin and the dragon, not gonna lie, that wasn't too impressive unfortunately. Luckily it was such a nice day and I got a little bit of color : ).
Sunday was soooo sooo nice. We went on a warm walk around Andrew Lloyd Webber's property, it's grossly huge but gorgeous. Rich and I found a wheat field and ran through it, that was funny. Later that afternoon we headed to Grandma's for a BBQ, yes, the English have BBQ's. We had some nice grilled chicken, sausages, pork, you know, the usual. We played darts and petanque as well. That was such a blast. Unfortunately, the Brit's seem to be better at darts than I am. Boo. It was such a great evening though!
Then yesterday, was a nice day too. Rich, Sue and I went to Hungerford for a really nice pub lunch and a country walk afterwards. We walked along the river and canal and stuck our feet in the clear pond nearby. It was a sad day too though because I won't be back to Penwood until later this month :(
This summer has really flown, I know I still have a month left in Europe but it goes by soooo fast! This week is going to fly by and then I'm off to Belgium to visit Kimmy! Then to France :) So many exciting things to come, and I can't wait!
Update sooon xx
Sunday 24 July 2011
Garden Party
Wednesday 7/20, I went to the Museum of London and St. Paul's Cathedral. Unfortunately, I couldn't take photos in the church. The Museum was interesting, the time frame started when the Roman's first originated in London and called it Londinium all the way to present day London. St. Paul's is beautiful and my friend and I walked all the way up to the top of the dome, aka 600 steps up to the tip top. The stairs are old and extremely small so getting up there was a bit of a challenge! But a wonderful view at the top!
Thursday was mellow and Rich picked me up from London to head to his house for the weekend :) and had nice meals with his family! Today I left to head back to London so I didn't miss going into Buckingham Palace! So a bit after the ISA group headed to the Summer opening of the Queen's official residence. It was BEAUTIFUL! And it was such a nice day today also, it made it a lot better. After viewing the Palace a couple of friends and I went to have afternoon snacks in the Queen's garden, no big deal or anything :) Overall, it was a good Sunday!
This week is going to be short but sweet though, Globe Theater, Alton Towers and back to Newbury!
Speak soooooooooon x
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