Weekend update!

Saturday, March 26, 2011:

Today we finished our last walk for our London Walks class. Our walk went through Borough Market - it was awesome! Borough Market is mostly a food market which is underneath one of the bridges here in London. They have everything from juice drinks, to kangaroo burgers, to crepes, and so much more. We got these amazing grilled cheese sandwiches that I can't even describe how good they are. I also bought some yoghurt covered bananas and almonds. Yummy! After the market we walked along the Thames to cross over Tower Bridge. So much fun! It was such a fun day to spend with my London Lovies....I love them more than they even know!!

We shared our grilled cheese...Of course. :)

Friday, March 25, 2011:

Today we went to Stratford and we went on a tour of Shakepseare's birthplace and the home he grew up in. The actual tour was Disney-esque and kind of weird. But that part with his house in it was pretty cool! There was one room that was the original flooring from when Shakespeare lived in that house and so our tour guide said, "You are actually walking in the footsteps of William Shakespeare." Cool, huh? We were way hungry after the tour so we stopped at an Italian bistro and got some food! I got ravioli..It was yummy! Can't wait for REAL ITALIAN!!! After dinner we walked to the church where Shakespeare is buried, but it was closed. So we took a pic by the church and headed to the theater to see King Lear. It was amazing! I never thought I would enjoy sitting through a three and a half hour Shakespearean play, but I did! There were a few parts in it that caught me/us off guard...But in general, it was really very good! We hopped on the bus and drove back to London. We got home at 1 am...It was a long bus ride...The last!! :(

Shakespeare's childhood home.

Don't go off sugar before you go to Belgium...

I LOVE Belgium!! Probably my 2^nd favorite city I’ve ever been to!!

March 21, 2011

6:00 am – get on the bus and drive to Dover

8:30 – arrive in Dover and discover that our ferry has been cancelled; sit on the bus and wait for the next ferry

10:30 - drive the bus onto the ferry and get off to sit inside and eat lunch while waiting to cross the English Channel

12:15 pm – get on the bus and drive off the ferry

3:00 – arrive in Brugge, Belgium and check into the Ibis hotel (had to walk a bit because a bus can’t fit in the roads) – Ashley is my roommate this trip! Yay!

Once the craziness of actually GETTING to Brugge we walk around for a bit and then decide to take a boat tour. Brugge, for me, is a mix between Prague and Venice. I think that’ why I love it so much. The architecture and “vibe” reminded me of Prague and the canals running through the city, of course, reminded me of Venice. It’s a very beautiful city and pretty small too. Annie’s dad went on his mission to Belgium and she’s been there a couple times too, so she knew where all the good places to eat were and what to do in Brugge.

For some reason after the boat tour we were craving omelets for dinner. So we found a little café right off the main square and got the best omelets I’ve had in a very long time! Right after dinner, we went to a Frite house and got literally THE BEST French fries I have ever had. You’d be interested to know that the Belgians are the ones who started the first French fries – not the French. I honestly have no idea why these Frites were so good. They’re just fried differently I think. I wish I could just send some home so you all could try them because they were AMAZING. I miss them already. (You would go CRAZY in Belgium Mary, the Fry Queen!!) So Annie and I shared a small…I don’t think it was enough though.

What else is there yummy to eat in Belgium? Chocolate. There are chocolate shops literally every other store. **The bad thing about this entire trip is that on Sunday we decided that we were going to go off sweets because we all feel like we’re eating too much. Well….we failed. I swear the air in Belgium smells like chocolate. We gave in as we saw another group and Geoff shoved a piece of chocolate in each of our mouths. We could NOT resist the chocolate any longer. Immediately after the Frites we went into the first chocolate shop we saw. I can’t even describe how delicious Belgian chocolate is. Ah! Everyone needs to go to Belgium just for the chocolate. That alone makes the trip worth it. So we got our nightly chocolate and went back to the hotel. We went to bed with tummies full of chocolate and frites!

Main square in Brugge.

Boat tour!

Delicious Frites!

March 22, 2011

I felt gross when I woke up so I put on my running shoes and ran around Brugge for about 40 minutes. It was fun because there wasn’t really anyone out and I got to see parts of the city that I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t gone on my own. It’s a good thing I went running because today was FILLED with us eating JUNK. It didn’t taste like junk though. We started with a tour of the chocolate factory and museum with free tasters afterwards. Yum. After the chocolate factory (not as impressive as Willy Wonka’s…) we wandered and shopped for souvenirs. We each bought a few things and then we decided that it was now time for the infamous Belgian Waffles. I thought they were pretty good but Annie was like, “These are NOT the real Belgian Waffles.” So…We decided to get more Frites. This time Annie, Kinsey, Ashley and I split a large one. Double yum. We met up with the other girls after our frites and wanted to shop some more. On our way to this one shop we had already been into, we got chocolate pastries. Triple yum. The yumminess is not over yet. We met up with the whole group, got back on the westbus, and drove to Iep. We went to the In Flanders Field Museum, which was awesome. It was very eye-opening for me to learn about WWI when I’m actually IN one of the countries that was affected by it most. That was a neat museum to visit. After the museum, there was a carnival outside that had really good-looking food. So..we got more Frites. And then we got some donut-hole things that were amazing. And THEN Annie was like, “Those look like the REAL waffles! You HAVE to get one before we leave Belgium!” She and I split one and I almost fell over by how amazing it was! We didn’t even get anything on it and it was amazing! There’s like little sugar crystals inside the batter! Oh man, they are so scrumptious. No one can say they make the best Belgian Waffles until they’ve actually BEEN to Belgium. J With sick stomachs we got back on the bus and drove to Amiens, France.

Waiting to go inside the Chocolate museum.

I left my mark.

Lovin' life in Belgium!

Before...

... After

Look at the CHOCOLATE!!!!

Can you tell I'm loving it?

March 23, 2011

We started out the day with walking to the Notre Dame d’Amiens cathedral. It’s the biggest cathedral in Europe and it’s HUGE. Really, it’s massive. I didn’t know it was the biggest cathedral until I was walking through it and my professor told me. It did seem big when I first walked in, but they all do. No, this is nothing like the other cathedrals I’ve been to. It’s not very different on the inside as far as stained glass and architecture, but the ginormousness of it is awe breaking. Oh another interesting fact about this cathedral is that John the Baptist’s head was once there in a box after he was beheaded. I didn’t find the head, sorry. After Notre Dame d’Amiens we drove to Somme and to a part of the battlefield where the Battle of the Somme took place. It’s now a national park owned by Canada because this part of the battlefield is where the Newfoundlanders fought. It was a very serene and reverent place. The trenches in which these brave men lived in are still there and we got to walk through them. We also got to walk through “No Man’s Land” and visit a few cemeteries in this national park. Seeing this place and feeling the presence of the things that went on there gave me a deeper appreciation for my freedom and those who have gone before me.

Notre Dame d'Amiens

Ash, Mike, & me lovin' the shades.

The Battlefield

The "Communication Trenches" of the Newfoundlanders

The "Y Ravine" of the Germans -- They had a

much greater advantage in the Battle because of this.

Our trip to Belgium and France rocked! I can’t believe March Madness is over now. There are only a short 3 weeks left of the program and it makes me sad. The study abroad I’ve always dreamed about is almost over. Now what? Back to the real world I guess. But first…I get to backpack for 2 weeks and then party with my parents and bro here in London! I can’t wait!!

March 24, 2011

Today everyone in the centre woke up with what I like to call a “traveler’s hangover”. We are all just exhausted from the constant travelling and moving this month. It’s been a great month, but we are definitely feeling it all catch up with our bodies now! I kind of love it and hate it at the same time. Today was a BEAUTIFUL day here in London. It is definitely spring here and I can feel it. I love it!! After our religion class today we decided we wanted to ride bikes through the park. London has a cool program where you can rent a bike for 24 hours for a pound. Carly forgot her scarf in the church so she and I were later than the other girls, but we still rode bikes! It was so much fun and we decided it was kind of a therapy for us. It felt good to ride around Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, and the streets of London. My life is a fairytale right now and I wouldn’t trade it for anything!

A beautiful day in Hyde Park.

I.R.E.L.A.N.D. + 20th Birthday = Priceless

March 15, 2011

It’s been a rough day. We woke up at 2:15 am and our bus left the centre for the airport at 3. We had to split up into 2 groups but we finally made it to Dublin! I really can’t believe I’m in Ireland right now! A bus was waiting for us and we got on and immediately drove to the Guinness factory. It’s pretty ironic that a BYU group toured a beer factory, but it was interesting nonetheless. We got under 18 yr. old passes so we could get a free “drink” (aka coke) at the end of the tour. The bar tenders looked at us like we were freaks because we’re a bunch of young adults who, you would think love to drink. So we got sodas and boy, were they good! Even our professors got under 18 passes…That’s when people started really looking at us weird.

After the Guinness factory we went to the hotel to put our stuff in the rooms and take an hour (or 2 for me) nap. We were somewhat rested when we left to explore Dublin and get a feel for Ireland and what it has to offer. We found the famous Carroll’s shop and went crazy inside buying souvenirs and stuff for St. Patty’s Day.

We ate dinner at the oldest pub in Ireland – The Brazenhead Pub. It was built in 1168, can you believe that!? The food was delicious and I think it amazes people when we tell them we don’t drink. It’s actually kind of amusing to see their reactions. The group sang happy birthday to me, which is always awkward, and they made me stand on a chair! It’s been a great first day in the land of luck!

March 16, 2011

Even though we don’t drink, I felt like I had a hangover! I felt so much better after sleeping in this morning…We REALLY needed it. We were given the day off to just do whatever we wanted. After easing our way out of bed and getting ready for the day, we went out and explored some more! We ate lunch in a pub – I got minestrone soup with a cheese and tomato Panini. It was yummy!

We shopped around a few of the pedestrian streets and came across the CUTEST store! It’s called “Avoca” – It reminded me a lot of “Anthropology”. I only bought 2 things in there, but I could have bought everything!

After Avoca we found a jewelry store to buy our claddagh rings. For those of you who don’t know, claddagh rings are traditional Irish rings given as a token of love or worn as a wedding ring. The rings depict two hands holding a heart with a crown on top. If you wear the ring with the heart pointing away from your hand it suggest you are single. If it’s pointed toward your hand, or your own heart, it suggests that your heart belongs to someone else. Let’s just say that my claddagh ring is facing right side up. J

We ate dinner at some random café, got Digestives (little biscuit-cookie things) from Tesco, and headed back to our hotel to prep for the BIG St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow. People are already getting hyped up and ready for it…It’s going to be CRAZY!!

March 17, 2011

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!!! We woke up and DECKED out. We bought the t-shirts for this year’s St. Patty’s Day, so we wore those and each of us had our own look. I looked like a biker chick: I wore my t-shirt, a bandana tied around my forehead, some awesome green flasher shades, and Kinsey’s black coat. Ashley put green eye shadow and eyeliner on me and then Annie sprayed my hair green. We looked AWESOME! When you imagine St. Patrick’s Day, you imagine kids pinching each other if one isn’t wearing green…I saw no pinching because EVERYONE is wearing green.

Me & Blake playin our "flutes".

A large portion of our group waiting for the parade to start!
A few of my beautiful gells.

After we took lots of pictures and videos and got kissed (on the cheek) by a big group of of Brazilian boys we waited around for the parade to start. The parade was a bummer, for me at least, because it was just bizarre and different than what I was expecting it to be. I can’t even begin to describe why it was weird. Trust me, the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Ireland isn’t all it’s hacked up to be. I’ll just say it would have been a LOT better had we been intoxicated. I actually think the whole holiday would be ten times better for the druggies and alcoholics. We did stop at a shake place called "Shake Away" and their shakes were named after people...So, naturally, I had to get the 'Ben' shake. And may I say, it was delicious!!!

After the parade, it was disgusting. Everywhere I looked I saw drunk teenagers and just wild people. I wasn’t impressed with Dublin after the parade. Dressing up for St. Patrick’s Day and just seeing “The Emerald City” was the best part of the whole day for me.

Around 5 pm, we got on the bus and drove to Kilkenney, a little town about an hour away from Dublin. It wasn’t nearly as crazy as Dublin’s festivities were, but it was still a little wild. We decided to stay away from pubs and craziness and ended up at Papa Johns. Sometimes pizza just hits the spot, ya know? It was amazing. I think the best thing for me is just being able to say, “I’ve been to Dublin, Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day.” How cool is that? But no, I didn’t see any leprechauns, rainbows, or pots of gold. I think in order to feel the “luck of the Irish” you need to get some Guinness running in your blood first. ;)

March 18, 2011

I’M TWENTY TODAY!!! Today is the first time in 20 years that I’ve actually felt older on my birthday. I don’t know why, but I just do. Maybe it’s because I’m on the opposite side of the world from my family and those I love (almost…) or maybe it’s the fact that I’m on my own living one of the biggest dreams I’ve ever had. Either way, it’s been a great day!

We woke up at 9:45 in our really great hostel (really, it was great.). We missed breakfast so we lilly-gallied getting ready and headed downstairs to lock our bags away for the morning. I called my sweet parents, they sang me “happy birthday” – I cried, and we were off to explore Kilkenney! We wandered through the little town and found a cute neighborhood. It was a beautiful, sunny day in Ireland so we were enjoying every minute of it! We found a little café and ordered soup and ate it outside! I was so excited to be able to eat outside without getting cold! It was amazing.

We got back on the Irish Coach and drove to The Rock of Cashel. I fought to stay awake on the bus because the countryside of Ireland was indescribable. It was BEAUTIFUL!!! This Rock of Cashel is supposedly where St. Patrick converted some king. There was a great view of the countryside from the ruins of this cathedral so we really just walked around and took pictures.

Our trip to Ireland ended for me when I bought myself a little magnet with a real 4-leaf clover in it. It was only 4 Euros, but it was all worth it! We got to the airport and all of the restaurants were closing. Weird because it was 6:30 when we got there. So I went to Burger King for my Birthday dinner. Yum. It was pretty gross, but I wasn’t going to go hungry!

Yes, you can call me QE3..

We got to the airport, our bus was waiting, and we had an hour train ride back to the centre. Carly gave me my "Russian birthday present" and pulled my ears 20 times, like they do in Russia. She enjoyed it more than I did... I was so happy to come home and find a package from my mom, homemade Reeses from Karen S (DELICIOUS), and 2 letters from Benjamin! What a birthday treat! Thank you to all of you for the birthday packages, notes, letters, and wishes!!! It was a great way to end my tiring day. ;)

All in all, Ireland was AWESOME!!! I loved it all, but if I had to choose between the two…I’d choose Scotland.

March 19, 2011

Nothing too exciting happened today, but my girls did take me out for a much better birthday dinner! They are too sweet to me! We went to Chipotle because I was craving REAL Mexican spices. It was so incredibly appetizing! After that, we went to Pizza Hut (it’s legit here in the U.K…Like nice, sit down restaurant) and got Pazookies! They were so good! **And no, I didn’t choose all American food-chains on purpose. But needless to say, American chains are ten times better than English food.

Thanks again to all of you for your love and friendships. I love you guys so much!

Love,

Liz

This week:

Monday – Wednesday: Belgium & France!

Friday: Stratford upon Avon