Cheers to London

The time has finally come. I really have not given much thought to leaving London. So much excitement and anticipation went into packing and traveling, and the fast pace of city life has kept me occupied and moving 24/7. It's my last day in this city, and it's a normal Spring day. That means lots of rain showers (I've already been drenched in the rain from my earlier outing). 

So a few events and thoughts to wrap up. First, I must apologize to you. There won't be any pictures on this blog, because my computer is having technical difficulties. I'm using Anna's computer to write this to you (THANK YOU ANNA!). You'll have to forgive me. When I get it working again I'll do what I can to give you a last look at London!

Things I LOVE about London...Camden Town, no taxes, the Underground, the accent (duh), coffee coffee and tea, going to the theatre, Pret a Manger, Buttons and Digestives (addictive candy and cookies), the taxis...just to name a few. Really my time here has been so much more!

The last two weeks we saw some really amazing theatre. A week ago we saw A Long Day's Journey Into Night written by Eugene O'Neill about his own family. It's a very heavy and dark play but also subtle and moving. This last Tuesday we had the pleasure of seeing Matilda the musical, which just recently won numerous Olivier Awards. It was really spectacular! I would say it's my favorite musical I've ever seen. The music was beautiful, it was funny, and the set design was crazy cool! It is just about to begin it's run in the States, and I wish it the best of luck. If you have a chance to see it, you must! Going to the theatre every week has become one of the highlights of each week. Theatre is huge in London. People go to theatre more than the cinema! It's something I will dearly miss when I leave, but this experience has shown me how much I love it! I'll have to find shows in Texas to see! 

Last night I had the opportunity to ride in a taxi for the first time since being in London, but not quite under the circumstances I would have chosen. One of my friends here, Lindsay, took a tumble and happened to dislocate her shoulder. Well, that requires a trip to the ER, and thankfully there is one just a block away from us. Unfortunately, walking is not easy when one is in excruciating pain. So we hailed a taxi. The ride was short, but our driver was very kind and didn't charge us! The taxis are so spacious inside though! Needless to say, I wanted to ride in one before I left, and I got to! :) No worries, Lindsay laughed about it as well. Our wait at the ER was relatively short (2 hours), and she is on her way home as we speak. Do keep her in your prayers though, for quick and easy healing. It is summer now, and no one wants to spend the beginning for summer holiday injured. 

My semester in London has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. I've learned so much (not just in a classroom). I've been able to travel and experience different facets of European culture. I've been taught by intelligent, fascinating professors that have been immense fun to know and learn from. It's an experience I'll never forget, and always look back on with happiness and joy. I've made new friends, and spent many hours laughing, playing games, and yes, studying with them :) So many of you reading my blog have made this semester possible for me and encouraged me through prayer and words. Thank you for contributing to my experience and taking this journey with me! It has been unforgettable. 

From the UK to Espana

Last time I told you we had one more stop left on our tour, and that stop is Wales. Caernarfon, Wales to be precise. As always though, we made a pit stop in Liverpool, England before arriving in Caernarfon. Liverpool, hmm, can you guess why we stopped in Liverpool? If you thought The Beatles then you are correct! The Beatles Museum is in Liverpool, because that is where they got their start. 

Alright, so I know who The Beatles are, and I know Paul McCartney and John Lennon. Yoko Ono and all that. But really that's as far as my knowledge went. The museum was really amazing though. So much history and memorabilia. And I learned a lot about The Beatles!

Memorial to Lennon

The American room made me miss home! 

I feel like George was a really funny guy. 

We spent quite a while inside the museum. It was massive and informative! 

Upon leaving we continued our journey into Wales. You may not know, but Welch is the language spoken in Wales. I'm sure if I had given it any thought I would have realized this, but at our first stop in the country I was caught a tad off guard by it. 

Please read the name of this town. It's absolutely ridiculous. 

It's a confusing language and sounds a lot like Gaelic. Lots of consonants. Makes zero sense to me. 

In Caernarfon we were given a tour of the town and of Caernarfon Castle, which is the castle where Prince Charles was crowned Prince of Wales. We were right on the coast, and although the sun was not shining  (surprise, surprise) the view was gorgeous. And according to our guide Wales is major provider of slate. 

There are many theories as to where the name of this pub originated.

Murder Holes at the castle

Caernarfon Castle

Aerial View

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cute little boats

Leaving Caernarfon, Adios!

The Coach Tour was amazing, but we were all so happy to be back in London. Every time I've traveled this semester I'm always so ready to get back to London. It has felt like home! I know I have often complained of the lack of sun, but at the end of any trip I am always ready to be back in the city. When we arrived back in London on Saturday night we moved into our new flats, and I felt like I was in Heaven! They are a million times nicer than our rooms at the hostel we were staying at before. 

We only had one week back in London before our Easter Break, and I had the privilege of traveling to Barcelona, Spain! Barcelona has been my absolute favorite place in Europe thus far. The weather was perfect, the city is beautiful, the food is delicious, the Mediterranean is beyond gorgeous, and I just feel in love with everything about it. 

view from our hostel

lucky fountain...sorry I'm not sure what it was called

a bull fighting arena! 

Doesn't the sky look like a backdrop? 

Mediterranean Sea 

Three major things I did while in Barcelona: visit La Sagrada Familia, visit Park Guell and go to the beach...how could I not? 

La Sagrada Familia is a cathedral designed by Antoni Gaudi, who also designed Park Guell. Construction on the cathedral began in 1882 and is still incomplete...that's part of the reason why it's so famous! I've seen many cathedrals this semester, many, and La Sagrada Familia was the craziest one I have ever seen. 

La Sagrada Familia

Park Guell was beautiful, and the architecture is very similar to that of the cathedral. Gaudi has a very distinct style. The park overlooked Barcelona. 

Caleb, Jackie, Heather, Katie and I

Basically, if you can go to Barcelona then go! 

Daffodils & Thistle

Where were we? Oh, yes we had just arrived in York! York was a bit of a short trip, but it is a lovely city. Probably my favorite! We arrived in York on Saturday evening, and after dinner we went on a terrifying, spooky Ghost Walk. According to our guide, York's Ghost Walk was the first to ever exist. No, I don't remember seeing any ghost while we were out, but our tour guide did remind me of Count Dracula...

Sunday morning we attended church at York Minster. 

York Minster

After lunch we were off again! This time to Edinburgh, Scotland! We spent a lot of time on the bus that day. Pretty much, basically all day. As soon as we got into Scotland I began to see these bush-like things on the side of the road with yellow flowers on the end. Canary yellow. They were so beautiful! And they were everywhere! Well, apparently it's Thistle, and it's often used as a symbol for Scotland, which makes perfect sense seeing as how it's all over the place!

We made it!

My first look at Scotland. I think the long drive was more than worth it. 

We arrived in Edinburgh later that night exhausted, and maybe I was a little car sick. Anyway, the next day we had a tour of Edinburgh and the castle. Let me be the first to tell you. Scottish temperament is a bit different than English temperament. Actually, let me clarify, it is MUCH different. I met our tour guide for the day at breakfast Monday morning. Yes, he was wearing a kilt, high socks, and carrying bagpipes. Ok, okay, no bagpipes! But he did have a knife tucked into the top of his sock, which he later pulled out during the tour for whatever reason. I really don't remember, because I just happened to be standing right in front of him when he whipped it out! I think it's safe to say he is a true Scot. He was loud, demanded our attention, wasn't afraid to call someone out, abrupt, and just a tad hostile. Just a tad. I mean he would call people out and yell at them for being too loud. I don't remember his name, but oddly enough he has been to Abilene several times.

Jenna, Lindsay, Anna and me with our Scottish tour guide. 

Edinburgh, Scotland

We left Edinburgh around 1 p.m. and began our journey into the Scottish Highlands to Glencoe. Another long bus ride, but we made a few pit stops. One of which was at Loch Ness to visit Nessie! 

We didn't cross this bridge, but isn't it cool?!

Gorgeous!

Scottish Thistle

Lake Loch Ness

Dr. Tucker thinks he has spotted Nessie!

This is the best I can do to show you what Nessie looks like. 

It's inevitable. If you are going on a road trip the vehicle will break down. And our bus did. At about 9 p.m., 40 minutes from our hotel in Glencoe our bus broke down in rural Scotland. Luckily, we were only about 2 miles from a police station and about 200 yards from a bathroom. It took about an hour for another bus to come pick us up and drive us the last 40 minutes to our hotel. It was about 11 p.m. when we finally made it, and let me tell you, we were all dead tired! It had been a looooong day. 

But Glencoe was absolutely stunning! We were surrounded by huge mountains, clear lakes, and flowing rivers. Thankfully, we were given one full, free day to hike and explore. And so that's exactly what I did! Along with Anna, Jenna, Lindsay, Brandon and Ethan. We picked a mountain near our inn and just started climbing. No, I had not planned for this, so I was doing this in jeans and Vans. We only made it halfway up, but it was totally worth it. 

View from our inn.

The mountain we picked. It has a name, but I've forgotten what it was!

View from halfway up. Breathtaking, right?

It was really amazing being up so high in the midst of so much beauty. 

The four of us girls! 

One more thing. Where we were staying just happened to be about 100 yards from where Hagrid's hut was filmed for the Harry Potter movies. Unfortunately, the hut is no longer there, but the grass is still discolored from when it was. 

Cool, huh?

Next stop: Ambleside, England. Location: Lake District. Description: Heaven.

I wish I could tell with my words just how magnificently beautiful the Lake District is, but I will fail. Mountains and rolling hills, all covered in a thick, green carpet, streaked with stone fences and dotted with the fluffy bodies of sheep, winding roads and sprawling, glassy lakes. 

We visited Dove Cottage while we were there. Dove Cottage was the home of poet William Wordsworth. We were also given a free day in the Lake District to enjoy our surroundings. 

The backside of Dove Cottage

The Lake District

Sunset

We have just one more stop left! I'll tell you about it soon :)