The Italians Are Coming!

So, I have a lot to catch up on from the past week and I'm not even sure where to begin. Where did I leave off from last time? Oh yes, I had just gotten back from Prague. (I still can't get over how much I loved that trip.) Anyway, I didn't have much down time after Prague because the very next day my best friends from school who are studying abroad in Italy came to visit! I was so beyond excited to see them. I knew I had missed them and being at school with them a lot, but I don't think I realized just how much until I saw them at the bus station and Jacqui literally almost knocked me over with a hug.

It was surreal to be walking through the streets of London and taking the Tube with some of my best friends from home, but it made me so happy to be able to see them again. They got in late afternoon on Monday from a bus they had taken from Paris (it was their fall break so they were traveling to Paris, London, and Prague all week) so we went back to my flat to get them settled in. As everyone was tired, we cooked dinner in our kitchen and spent the next four hours or so catching up on everything we had missed in between the last time we had seen each other. Even though we are only an hour difference from each other, we are all so busy we haven't really had a chance to talk much and it was great to hear all of their stories from Italy.

The next day I unfortunately had class, so I headed off to the University while they spent the day sight-seeing. However, it ended up working out rather well as they got to see all the touristy things I had already seen in London while I got some work done on my first essay. Then, later in the day, we all met back up at my flat so that we could--get this--climb the O2 Arena. As in the one where the Olympics were held. I didn't even know that you could do that, but one of my friends had done it a couple weeks ago and said it was amazing. So seven of us, me, Jacqui, Brittany, Colleen, and Kayla along with Lisa and her friend Katie headed over to the arena just before 5 o'clock. Because it was the week before Halloween, our climb was themed "Climb of the Cursed," which apparently isn't much different from the regular climb other than the fact they have some Halloween-like props, but that's besides the point.

Top left to right: Katie, Me, Brittany, Lisa
Colleen, Kayla, Jacqui

Once we got there we went into a room to watch a "news video" about a mountain-climbing team that mysteriously disappeared on a trip and was never heard from again. Then, we went to get suited up in these ridiculous jump-suits which don't do much except add to the experience, as well as put on our harnesses and get briefed about the climb before walking up some stairs to the bottom of the dome. From there, we were connected by our harness to a wire that runs up the side of the Arena and in a single-file line we began the trek up O2. If you look in the group picture to the right, you can see the track we followed in the background directly behind us, which is actually really deceiving as it doesn't look steep or long when in reality it is. Let me just say your calf muscles get a work out, but it was totally worth it.

Sunset from atop the O2

One you got to the platform at the top, you get this fantastic panoramic view of London. Not to mention we climbed as the sun was setting, so the view was even more amazing. It was such a fun and different experience and being able to do it with my best friends was just awesome. We took a bunch of pictures at the peak before climbing down the other side, which was just as steep and possibly harder than going up, where a big banner congratulated us on conquering O2 (and yes, conquer it we did).

After the Climb

Afterwards, we walked through the outer layer of the Arena where all the restaurants are, and I was surprised by what a cool place it was, much different from any other concert venue I've been too. We decided to grab dinner at The Slug and Lettuce, a pub recommended to me by Aunt Re and Shells and shout-out to you both for a great recommendation because the food and dessert was fantastic! Everyone loved their dinner, especially the Italian girls who all got to try traditional English food.

Me in the ridiculous jump-suit

The next day, I got stuck writing my paper again while Colleen and Kayla went sight-seeing and Jacqui and Brittany got to go on the Harry Potter Studio Tour (something I am definitely doing before returning home). However, we met up afterwards at King's Cross Station to take pictures at the Platform 9 & 3/4 that is constructed there which was a lot of fun. From there, Jacqui, Brittany, and I went to Hyde Park to walk around for a little while. We met up with Colleen, Maddie, and Kayla there as well and hung out by the boat pond again. Jacqui said that there isn't a lot of parks or green areas in general in Florence so Hyde Park was a nice change for them.

Hyde Park with Jacqui and Brittany

Afterwards, Jacqui, Brittany, and I parted ways with the others for a bit so we could go see Harrods, London's famously massive department store. And jeez was it huge!! This place was enormous and we barely saw any of it. Obviously, the first place we went was the chocolate department where the three of us scored a free truffle each from a nice man behind one of the counters. I got a salted caramel truffle and it was so good I ended up actually buying a second one. After ogling over all the different varieties of chocolate, we wandered through some of the other departments, and tried our best to stop our jaws from dropping at some of the prices of clothing. Let's just say the only thing I could afford was the piece of chocolate. And that I touched an $11,000 dress without even realizing it. Yes, it was cool, but I don't think I'll ever go there for a casual day of shopping. 

Once we were done, the three of us went to Piccadilly Circus to meet up with the others again for dinner. We went to a place called Garfunkel's so we could all try Fish and Chips. Up to this point, I actually hadn't tried Fish and Chips because I'm not the biggest fan of fish, but I sucked it up and tried it and found to my delight that I actually really liked it. I ate the whole thing, with tartar sauce, and even didn't mind the traditional side of mushy peas (Mom and Dad aren't you proud of me?). It's definitely something I would get again. (Who knew I'd take to English food so well?). Afterwards, we went to a pub a little ways away to hang out with some of our friends from our program. There was a band there playing live music which was  great because they played some really good songs, and it was a great last night with all our friends before they had to head off to Prague for the rest of their trip. The three days we all got to spend together were so much fun and went by so quickly no one wanted to say good-bye, but luckily Maddie and I will be seeing them again in Florence in just two weeks!

(Side-note: As some of you might know, I went to Ireland this weekend, but I am going to save that blog for tomorrow as this one is already quite long and it's late here in the UK. But be sure to check back as I will definitely update about Dublin! Also, for anyone who is interested in reading my other blog for my creative writing class here is the link: http://creativewritinglondon.blogspot.co.uk/  )

Czech-ing out Prague

See what I did there, with the title? Punny right? Ah, sometimes I just crack myself up. Anyway, moving on to the good stuff.

This weekend I went to one of the coolest cities I have ever been to (yet anyway). I got to travel with my friend, Maddie, to Prague in the Czech Republic, and it was incredible! The city is absolutely beautiful and completely unique. It was also my first real trip out of the United Kingdom. And personally it was really exciting to visit a country that somewhere in my heritage I have a connection to, but don't really know that much about.

Old Town Square

We left late Thursday afternoon on a flight out of one of London's many airports on one of the "cheap" airlines that most college students have no choice but to use. Having heard several bad experiences with these kind of airlines I was a little nervous, but everything went smoothly. Maddie and I also sat next to a really friendly girl our age who was also studying abroad in London and who we ended up talking to the entire flight, even making plans to meet up in London when we returned from the trip. Being able to talk the whole time made the flight, which was an hour and a half, go by in the blink of an eye. It felt like we had barely gotten airborne before we were landing, and looking back on it, it's crazy to think that in that amount of time you can be in a completely different country.

We got into Prague around 9:30 and made our way through customs. (I thought the stamp on my passport was going to be a lot cooler, but oh well.) With it being late we decided to take a taxi to our hostel, which offered us some great first views of the city at night with everything all lit up. Our hostel was actually more of an apartment and was really nice; much nicer than the one in Scotland and with a distinct lack of old, snoring men. (Not to mention it was really cheap--everything in Prague was soooo much cheaper than London, it was kind of depressing coming back.)

Powder Tower

We got up early the next morning to begin our sight-seeing around the city. It was cloudy and a little chilly, but we forgot about that in our excitement to explore. Our first stop was Old Town, about a fifteen minute walk from our hostel. On our way we passed the Municipal House, a beautiful building where the country was founded, and walked under the Powder Tower, one of the 13 original gates into Old Town. Walking through Old Town was amazing. It was so different and interesting to walk down these little cobblestone streets with all these old, beautiful Gothic and baroque buildings everywhere. (Although to be completely honest, walking on cobblestone streets gets real old, real fast. My feet still feel bruised.) It was very touristy; there were shops and market stalls everywhere and so it was very crowded, but it was such a cool experience.

The Clock Tower and Tyn Church

Old Town Square lies directly between the old Tyn Church and the Clock Tower which is also home to Prague's famous Astronomical Clock. This medieval clock was one of the coolest parts of the square. It was first installed in 1410, over 600 years ago, which makes it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one that still actually works. The clock tells time with a dial representing the positions of the Sun and the Moon, and every hour from 9 in the morning to 9 at night, it opens its doors for "The Walk of the Apostles" which is a little show of moving sculptures. The clock, as well as Old Town Square itself, is even more amazing at night when everything is lit up. We also happened to be there for the Festival of Lights and so we got to see a light show in the Square center late Friday night, which was really cool. I have never been to any place like it before. Nor can I really describe it that well. It's something you have to see and experience, but hopefully the pictures do it some justice.

Astronomical Clock

After walking around the Square for a bit, Maddie and I decided to take one of the sight-seeing tour buses that seem to be in every city. The first stop we hopped off at was Prague Castle, yet another amazing site in this beautiful city. It is the largest ancient castle in the world and is where all of the leaders of the "country" dating back to the 9th century to today have ruled from. Again, words fail to describe how unique the experience of walking all around the castle was, especially when trying to take in the breath-taking St.Vitus Cathedral that sits in the center. Though we didn't take the "official" tour, we were able to see a good part of the castle and after we exited the other side we were able to see possibly the best view of Prague from atop the castle hill. And one of the greatest things about the view was that, unlike London, you can actually tell it was autumn in Prague, and the changing leaves just made the scene that much more spectacular. The colors especially complimented the colors of the buildings in Prague.

Prague Castle

After taking our tourist pictures, we got back on the bus to go to the next stop. One of the great things about the bus is that it takes you through areas of the city you might not otherwise get to see, so that you can get more of a feel of the whole city. (That being said Prague was much bigger than I originally thought it was going to be. Edinburgh was small in comparison and therefore much easier to walk all around whereas the bus definitely helped us be able to see more of the city.) We passed by the big stadium where all the sports are played though we decided not to get off at the stop. Maddie and I instead got off at Kampa Island, a false island on the Vltava River, which runs through the center of Prague. We walked along the riverside which offered great views of the Charles Bridge and the Prague Castle. It was a beautiful, quiet area, with lots of walkways through miniature parks as well as one of the strangest outdoor art exhibitions I've ever seen--giant sculptures of crawling, faceless babies. Yeah, it was as weird as it sounds.

Over-looking Prague with some beautiful fall foliage

A little while later we boarded the bus back to  Old Town. In a stroke of complete dumb luck one of our friends, a girl I actually lived with all last year, Michelle, happened to be in Prague the same weekend we were and so we met up for dinner later that night. We ate at a little Italian place in Old Town Square and although the service was slightly terrible and the food was just okay, it was great to be able to meet up with a friend from home in a completely different city and catch up on all of our abroad adventures. (Michelle is studying abroad in Russia.) We went out for drinks afterward at a pub on the other side of Old Town and ended up sitting there and talking for 3 hours. It was so much fun; and you want to know another thing that's cheap in Prague? Beer. Apparently Prague is the beer capital of the world. Go figure--you learn something new everyday.

Looking over Prague from the castle hill

The next day (it was really sunny and much warmer out) we met up with Michelle and two of her friends from her study abroad program at the Charles Bridge--another awesome part of Prague. Not only is the bridge itself unique--it has 30 different statues lining its sides, but it offers some great views of the city from ground level. During the day there are vendors and musicians along the side of the bridge and as the bridge itself is an attraction it gets really busy. However, we were lucky enough to cross it three times-- during the day, sunset, and at night, all of which offered beautifully different views because of the lighting. Crossing it at night was probably my favorite, especially because there was an enormous full moon hanging just above the buildings and with everything all lit up, it was just wow. There was no way to describe it. Words and pictures fail to capture it (especially because my camera quality sucked.) But it's one image I never want to forget.

The Charles Bridge and the Vltava River

After we crossed the bridge the first time, the five of us got coffee, or in my case hot chocolate, at this little cafe under a bridge overlooking a canal. I'm pretty sure my hot chocolate was literally just melted chocolate it was so thick. Not that it was a problem at all--if anything it made it better. We also stopped by a street vendor selling these traditional Prague rolled pastries called "trdelnik" which is basically a light dough baked to look like a slinky covered in cinnamon sugar and which is delicious. It's usually served with hot wine, which I sampled and found I liked a lot more than regular wine--it's got almost a spicy taste and is vaguely reminiscent of hot cider. Following our snacks we went to see the John Lennon Wall, a graffiti wall in memory of John Lennon that is full of names, quotes, lyrics, and pictures. We each signed our names and then continued to wander around the city. We didn't "see" anything else necessarily, but we got to see more of Prague itself, and there was no complaints there. (We did walk through a park where there were wild peacocks roaming around which was pretty cool if not completely random.)

John Lennon Wall

Later that night we went to a restaurant in Old Town to try some traditional Czech food. I honestly could not tell you the actual Czech name of what I had but the English translation was "Prague good grub" and whatever the name, it was awesome. It was a big plate of a little of everything--pork, schnitzel, goulash, duck, chicken, traditional potatoes, bread, and gravy and literally everything tasted great. If I could have it again I would. (Side note: Speaking of the Czech language, it wasn't as hard as I initially feared getting around the city, but we were also extremely fortunate in the fact that most people from Prague we encountered spoke English, or at least enough of it. However, I will never ever complain about reading a map in London ever again. At least all of the street names are in English and pronounceable.) After dinner, our group met up with yet another one of our friends from school who is actually studying abroad in Prague for the semester. And along with his friends, we all went out to get drinks at another local bar; a perfect night to a perfect weekend in Prague.

Me, Michelle, and Maddie on the Charles Bridge

Even though I just got home a few hours ago, looking back I honestly can't believe that I really just went to Prague for a weekend trip. And now, I'm back in London, which feels like a home away from home in its familiarity. (Not to mention I've been in London for a month already!) I don't think I'll ever completely wrap my head around it, but I'm so happy and blessed to be able to have an opportunity to study abroad and travel to these places I've always dreamed of visiting. Traveling to Prague has not only made me realize how much more independent I've become, but has also made me so excited for the rest of the trips I have planned. But until then, it's time to catch up on some sleep. Cheers!

Portobello Road and the Tower of London

Well, it's been quite a while since I've posted hasn't it? Truth be told it's been a pretty quiet, low-key week here in London. (I know shocking, right?) This week consisted mostly of going to class, fulfilling the "study" part of study abroad, you know. Though I have to say I am enjoying my schedule so far. Class 3 days a week just isn't that bad. However, adjusting to the education system over here is a little weird. I don't believe I've talked about this yet, so I'll give you a brief run-down of how academics operate over here for those of you who don't know. In the UK, your learning is more on your shoulders so to say. We have each of our classes once a week for about 3-4 hours and your entire grade is based on two assignments. That's right, two. For those of us who are used to the homework due every class, multiple tests/essays, participation grade kind of system, this idea is slightly terrifying. We have assigned reading due every class here, but you are also expected to seek out additional reading on your own--a lot of additional reading apparently. And their grading system is different as well. There is no such thing as a "100" here. This stems from the idea that if you are getting "perfect" marks on papers and tests you should either be an expert in the subject who writes academic journals on the topics or teaching the class. Therefore a "70-75" here is considered a very good grade and is equivalent to an American "A" or anywhere from a "93-100." So, Mom and Dad, when I get my first grade back and tell you I got a 70 on my test/paper don't assume I am slacking off!

One class I am particularly enjoying is my Creative Writing London class. (Another shocker, right?). It's nice to have a "fun" class where the atmosphere is relaxed, and I get to do something I truly love. The teacher is slightly scatter-brained, but I really like the class and assignments. One of our on-going assignments for this class is actually to write a blog about living in London. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to use this one as the teacher would like the blog to be less "touristy" and more about getting to the creative heart of living in central London, so I will have to create another one. If anyone is interested in reading that blog as well I will include the link in the next post!

Anyway, on to the weekend. We stayed in London this weekend to check out more of the local scene. Friday, Lisa, Katie, Emma, and I went to Portobello Road where one of London's most famous markets runs through Notting Hill, the area of London made famous by the film. Portobello Market was even bigger than Borough Market--it literally went on forever! (The name also reminds me of mushrooms but that's beside the point). We were there for nearly 4 hours and all of us felt we had barely scraped the surface. The market is built into the street shops so there are stalls as well as actually stores all throughout the area, creating a sort of double-layer market that you could spend all day wandering through. Our first stop was at a crepe stall, highly recommended by a friend. And let me tell you, the crepes were amazing! I got a strawberry/nutella crepe and after I was finished I just wanted another, though I restrained myself. We also got some homemade challah bread from another stall that was delicious! Let's just say it's a good thing we do so much walking around here. We meandered around for a while, taking our time and checking out the different foods and wares. I honestly couldn't believe how many different stalls there were selling all sorts of jewelry, clothing, trinkets, and the like. I did end up buying a scarf and necklace--though for 12 pounds total it wasn't a bad deal.

Saturday was a slow day-- we didn't do too much other than hang out. But today our program took us to the Tower of London! It was much bigger than I thought it was going to be on the inside, but it was really cool! We got to walk around the tops of the walls from one tower to the next and learn about the history and the different purposes of each area within the Tower. It was so weird to imagine some of the rooms holding actual prisoners, even with some of their etchings in the stone walls still preserved.

The Bloody Tower had the most interesting if tragic back-story to it as it was the place believed to be where the Princes of the Tower were murdered by their uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester, though it was never proven. We also got to see the Crown Jewels, which was really neat. Of course we weren't allowed to take pictures of them though. There was a very interesting piece of the collection that was a 3-foot-wide punch bowl that could hold 144 bottles of wine! Talk about a royal party. The Crown Jewels themselves looked almost fake in a way because we couldn't believe the diamonds and gems were actually real!

There was also a bunch of little museums throughout the Tower with artifacts and literature on everything from weaponary and cavalry to the Royal Menagerie. One of the kings actually had a polar bear they would tie to a rope so it could go fishing in the Thames! There were also traditonal guards stationed around the Tower so, of course, we tried to get a picture with them. All in all it was a very interesting place.

On the way out of the Tower, we also stopped at a pub for a late lunch/early dinner to try some real English pub food. I got steak and ale pie on another recommendation from a friend and, weird as the name sounds, it was delicious! Definitely another great day in London. Until next time, cheers!