hello loves!
I am back from Italy, a little more cultured and a few pounds heavier after eating nothing but delicious Italian delicacies all week! Ten days in Italy was ample time to soak up a sense of the lifestyle, and I loved every minute of it (even the cumbersome ones, which I will get to eventually), but I am glad to be back. Now I am embarking on my last half of the semester... only about 6 more weeks to go before I head back home to the States. I have to say the longer I'm here, the more I'm missing home and all of its comforts. Especially with Thanksgiving right around the corner. I'm already feeling the pressure from school, as classes are going to start pouring more work onto us as we approach the end. We start our bake sale business for EEE on Wednesday, and we are starting a PR campaign project in my PR class, which is going to prove difficult I think. We have to come up with a year-long campaign for a real client and present it to them in a few weeks. In Syracuse, we have a whole class dedicated to that... a semester long class... and we're pulling this off, supposedly, in 3 weeks... eek. We will be starting exhibition prints in my photo class to get ready for our photo show at the end of the semester, and of course I will have a good 2000-3000 word essay for my History class, which is something I am going to have to really work at to pull a good grade with my professor. The stress is piling up.
I decided I'm going to do three separate entries for my Italy trip, one dedicated to each city I went to. Each city had a very different vibe and made for a different experience everywhere I went. Rome was all about sight seeing (and celeb spotting), Florence was very art and religion-focused, and Venice was romantic and charming. I loved them all... I definitely can't pick a favorite. I can say, though, that Italy is not cheap, and my bank account is completely tapped out. So I suppose its good I filled up on such delicious food while I was away, because I will be making my meals from bread, cereal, apples, cheese and milk for most of my remaining weeks here. Ah, the life of a broke college kid. At least I get to go broke in such a beautiful place, and not, oh, say, Syracuse, New York...
Look for my entries coming up this week... and keep an eye out for loads of photos from my trip. Miss you all, wherever you may be.
Cheers!
28 October 2007
16 October 2007
it's been awhile...
hello loves!
So sorry it's taken me so long to get back to writing... things have been pretty crazy this week what with midterms and all. But luckily I'm all finished with that, and things went well (I got an A on my history paper!) and now it's time to get back to leading my five-day weekend, charming little London life.
I couldn't cram too much into this weekend so that I could have a good amount of time to do schoolwork, but I did manage to accomplish visits to a select number of places. Thursday, Elsa and I went to Kensington Palace, where Princess Diana used to live. With the 10-year anniversary of her death, the Palace is doing a tribute to her, so all of the walls on the bottom floor were being used as movie screens, and each wall had a different movie or photo show on it. I realized how much they love her here even when I was back in the States (and really, who doesn't), but you don't quite recognize the scale of it until you're actually here to witness it first-hand. It's a national obsession, and with good reason, don't get me wrong, but it's hard to relate when I come from a country that for the most part despises it's leader. To see a nation so united around one specific person is quite astonishing and rather inspiring as well. Think of the things the U.S. could accomplish if we could just elect someone that everyone found so agreeably! But that's another discussion for another day... On top of the movies, they also had an exhibit of a selection of Diana's dresses, which really brought things to life. I was thinking about it, and for example, I find Audrey Hepburn to be absolutely timeless and elegant and just one of the most admirable individuals to live, and I think that that's what Princess Diana will be for my children's generation. Someone with a legacy of accomplishing so much during her lifetime and maintained so classy and humble that you still hear about her and admire her, even though you never witnessed her when she was alive. And the whole tragedy aspect of her story adds to the obsession factor. Anyway, the rest of the palace was nice though I often find myself getting sort of antsy by the end of the palace tours I've been on, I feel like I thrive more off of interaction and hands-on exploring, rather than walking through a building and observing an object or room while I listen to a headset about it. But I digress. I also enjoyed Kensington Gardens... I liked that the lawns weren't overly-maintained, they were a bit overgrown and the way the leaves had fallen all across the ground was so real to look at, if that makes any sense. So often these palace gardens are kept up so meticulously that they don't look real. There was a nice little patch of wildflowers in the garden as well and there was a whole group of little school children running around and picking flowers and I stopped to watch them for a little while. I love the innocence and life that little kids have, it's invigorating.
Friday I went on a day trip to Cambridge, about 2 hours outside of London. Cambridge is home to 31 universities, none of which are actually called Cambridge University. Contrary to popular belief, that is not an actual school. It's kind of interesting how it works, really. You apply to one of the 31 schools in the town, and when you're accepted your loyalties are to that college, but when you graduate your degree says Cambridge University on it. Also, if you leave your name "on the books" for something like four years after you graduate, you get a Master's Degree, without even doing anything! These crazy Brits, I know. It was quite refreshing to see so many people my age walking about the town. I also saw the labs where the electron was discovered and where DNA was discovered, and I saw an apple tree that was grown from the seeds of Newton's apple tree, and I took a tour of the amazing Kings College chapel, which was stunning. We had a cheap lunch at a nice little pub and stopped for a quick drink at a WWII pub that still had names on the ceiling that soldiers burned into it so many years ago. Sometimes I'm really taken aback by the amount of history that I am literally just sitting in by being here.
Saturday Alli and I ventured down to Regents Park, and I fell in love. Definitely my most favorite part of London, hands down. We hiked up to the top of Primrose Hill and the view was breathtaking! Pictures will be up soon (by the way, check out my photo album- I updated!). There were all sorts of sports fields around and it was fun to watch people playing rugby and football. Almost made me want to be athletic myself... almost. Speaking of which, later that night I met up with Amy on her side of the river and watched the England-France rugby match at this pub called Roebuck's. Above the bar was just a huge empty room with some chairs and tables and a big screen TV. It was jam-packed, so we snuck up to the front and sat on the floor (something Brits don't do, I guess)... The atmosphere was intense, with people singing and dancing and drinking and cheering, it was almost like being at the actual game! England won and people just went crazy. I didn't even understand what was going on in the game and I was getting excited.
So Friday morning I'm off to Italy for 10 days. I'll be touring Rome, Florence and Venice, which I suppose is the "standard" fall break trip. Regardless, I'm excited. Some people are trying to cram so much in to 10 days, travelling to like 5+ cities and really, I think they're just doing it to say they've been there. But what are you really going to get out of the trip if you're only there for a day? It's not going to be something you can vividly remember in two years. I think we're definitely going to have ample time to do the touristy sightseeing and also soak up some real culture, going for walks and visiting markets and people watching at a cafe... those are the things I like to do more than just visiting the attractions. After all, it's a break, so it should be relaxing, right? I'm getting antsy to go as I'm running out of things to entertain myself with here and I'm running out of food. It's pointless to go grocery shopping when I'm only here for two more days, so basically I'm down to meals consisting of rice and/or soup, apples, and some orange juice. Ah, the life of a poor college student.
Will try to write at least once while I'm gone, providing I can find a computer/internet somewhere. Keep in touch, and don't miss me too much!
Cheers!
So sorry it's taken me so long to get back to writing... things have been pretty crazy this week what with midterms and all. But luckily I'm all finished with that, and things went well (I got an A on my history paper!) and now it's time to get back to leading my five-day weekend, charming little London life.
I couldn't cram too much into this weekend so that I could have a good amount of time to do schoolwork, but I did manage to accomplish visits to a select number of places. Thursday, Elsa and I went to Kensington Palace, where Princess Diana used to live. With the 10-year anniversary of her death, the Palace is doing a tribute to her, so all of the walls on the bottom floor were being used as movie screens, and each wall had a different movie or photo show on it. I realized how much they love her here even when I was back in the States (and really, who doesn't), but you don't quite recognize the scale of it until you're actually here to witness it first-hand. It's a national obsession, and with good reason, don't get me wrong, but it's hard to relate when I come from a country that for the most part despises it's leader. To see a nation so united around one specific person is quite astonishing and rather inspiring as well. Think of the things the U.S. could accomplish if we could just elect someone that everyone found so agreeably! But that's another discussion for another day... On top of the movies, they also had an exhibit of a selection of Diana's dresses, which really brought things to life. I was thinking about it, and for example, I find Audrey Hepburn to be absolutely timeless and elegant and just one of the most admirable individuals to live, and I think that that's what Princess Diana will be for my children's generation. Someone with a legacy of accomplishing so much during her lifetime and maintained so classy and humble that you still hear about her and admire her, even though you never witnessed her when she was alive. And the whole tragedy aspect of her story adds to the obsession factor. Anyway, the rest of the palace was nice though I often find myself getting sort of antsy by the end of the palace tours I've been on, I feel like I thrive more off of interaction and hands-on exploring, rather than walking through a building and observing an object or room while I listen to a headset about it. But I digress. I also enjoyed Kensington Gardens... I liked that the lawns weren't overly-maintained, they were a bit overgrown and the way the leaves had fallen all across the ground was so real to look at, if that makes any sense. So often these palace gardens are kept up so meticulously that they don't look real. There was a nice little patch of wildflowers in the garden as well and there was a whole group of little school children running around and picking flowers and I stopped to watch them for a little while. I love the innocence and life that little kids have, it's invigorating.
Friday I went on a day trip to Cambridge, about 2 hours outside of London. Cambridge is home to 31 universities, none of which are actually called Cambridge University. Contrary to popular belief, that is not an actual school. It's kind of interesting how it works, really. You apply to one of the 31 schools in the town, and when you're accepted your loyalties are to that college, but when you graduate your degree says Cambridge University on it. Also, if you leave your name "on the books" for something like four years after you graduate, you get a Master's Degree, without even doing anything! These crazy Brits, I know. It was quite refreshing to see so many people my age walking about the town. I also saw the labs where the electron was discovered and where DNA was discovered, and I saw an apple tree that was grown from the seeds of Newton's apple tree, and I took a tour of the amazing Kings College chapel, which was stunning. We had a cheap lunch at a nice little pub and stopped for a quick drink at a WWII pub that still had names on the ceiling that soldiers burned into it so many years ago. Sometimes I'm really taken aback by the amount of history that I am literally just sitting in by being here.
Saturday Alli and I ventured down to Regents Park, and I fell in love. Definitely my most favorite part of London, hands down. We hiked up to the top of Primrose Hill and the view was breathtaking! Pictures will be up soon (by the way, check out my photo album- I updated!). There were all sorts of sports fields around and it was fun to watch people playing rugby and football. Almost made me want to be athletic myself... almost. Speaking of which, later that night I met up with Amy on her side of the river and watched the England-France rugby match at this pub called Roebuck's. Above the bar was just a huge empty room with some chairs and tables and a big screen TV. It was jam-packed, so we snuck up to the front and sat on the floor (something Brits don't do, I guess)... The atmosphere was intense, with people singing and dancing and drinking and cheering, it was almost like being at the actual game! England won and people just went crazy. I didn't even understand what was going on in the game and I was getting excited.
So Friday morning I'm off to Italy for 10 days. I'll be touring Rome, Florence and Venice, which I suppose is the "standard" fall break trip. Regardless, I'm excited. Some people are trying to cram so much in to 10 days, travelling to like 5+ cities and really, I think they're just doing it to say they've been there. But what are you really going to get out of the trip if you're only there for a day? It's not going to be something you can vividly remember in two years. I think we're definitely going to have ample time to do the touristy sightseeing and also soak up some real culture, going for walks and visiting markets and people watching at a cafe... those are the things I like to do more than just visiting the attractions. After all, it's a break, so it should be relaxing, right? I'm getting antsy to go as I'm running out of things to entertain myself with here and I'm running out of food. It's pointless to go grocery shopping when I'm only here for two more days, so basically I'm down to meals consisting of rice and/or soup, apples, and some orange juice. Ah, the life of a poor college student.
Will try to write at least once while I'm gone, providing I can find a computer/internet somewhere. Keep in touch, and don't miss me too much!
Cheers!
11 October 2007
my ode to london
Found this Jason Mraz song that I've been obsessing over and I'd like to dedicate it to the love of my life, London.
Jason Mraz- I'm Yours
http://youtube.com/watch?v=p6WfU_un8nk
http://youtube.com/watch?v=p6WfU_un8nk
Well, you done done me and you bet I felt it
I tried to be chill but you're so hot that i melted
I fell right through the cracks, and I'm tryin to get back
before the cool done run out I'll be givin it my best test
and nothin's gonna stop me but divine intervention
I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some
I won't hesitate no more,
no more, it cannot wait I'm yours
Well open up your mind and see like me
open up your plans and damn you're free
look into your heart and you'll find love, love, love
listen to the music at the moment maybe sing with me
Ah, la peaceful melody
It's your god forsaken right to be loved, loved, loved, loved, loved
So, I won't hesitate no more,
no more, it cannot wait I'm sure
there's no need to complicate our time is short
this is our fate, I'm yours
I've been spendin' way too long checkin' my tongue in the mirror
and bendin' over backwards just to try to see it clearer
my breath fogged up the glass
and so I drew a new face and laughed
I guess what I'm a sayin'is there ain't no better reason
to rid yourself of vanity and just go with the seasons
it's what we aim to do
our name is our virtue
I won't hesitate no more, no more
it cannot wait, i'm sure
there's no need to complicate
our time is short
it cannot wait, I'm yours
no please don't complicate, our time is short
this is our fate, im yours.
no please don't hesitate no more, no more
it cannot wait, the sky is yours
well open up your mind and see like me
open up your plans and damn you're free
look into your heart and you'll find love, love, love, love
listen to the music of the moment come and dance with me
ah, la one big family
it's your god forsaken right to be loved, loved, loved, loved
open up your mind and see like me
open up your plans and damn you're free
look into your heart and you'll find love, love, love, love
listen to the music of the moment come and dance with me
ah, la happy family
it's our god forsaken right to be loved, loved, loved, loved
listen to the music of the moment come and dance with me
ah, la peaceful melodies
it's you god forsaken right to be loved, loved, loved, loved... 06 October 2007
playing at the royal palace
hello loves!
Just got back from an amazing run in Russell Square. What amazing weather we've had so far this weekend! The sunshine and cool breeze make autumn here just that much better. As I was running I was taking in the scent of the fallen leaves and the moist dirt from the morning dew. I find it all so relaxing.
Yesterday was possibly a most perfect day. I went on a day trip to Hampton Court Palace, about an hour away from central London. This place was absolutely gorgeous!
Hampton Court Palace, 5 October, 2007.
Its history dates back to the 15th century, when Henry VIII used it as a home away from the hustle and bustle of dirty London. He had really bad asthma so the palace was in an ideal location. Henry married six times in the palace (in the most gorgeous chapel, but I couldn't take a picture of it), and almost all of his wives died or were beheaded by him. Some are said to still haunt the palace. In 1689 King William III hired Sir Christopher Wren (the guy who built all the churches we walked around to see for my history class last week) to knock down the palace and build a new one. Unfortunately, William's wife Queen Mary II died before construction could be finished on the palace, so today Hampton Court stands as half-Tudor, half-Wren design.
sunbeams on Hampton Court, 5 October, 2007.
Just got back from an amazing run in Russell Square. What amazing weather we've had so far this weekend! The sunshine and cool breeze make autumn here just that much better. As I was running I was taking in the scent of the fallen leaves and the moist dirt from the morning dew. I find it all so relaxing.
Yesterday was possibly a most perfect day. I went on a day trip to Hampton Court Palace, about an hour away from central London. This place was absolutely gorgeous!
Hampton Court Palace, 5 October, 2007.
sunbeams on Hampton Court, 5 October, 2007.One of the most spectacular things about Hampton Court was the gardens. They were breathtaking. Gorgeous flowers, amazing landscaping, and the greenest grass I have ever seen.
gardens at Hampton Court Palace, 5 October, 2007.
gardens at Hampton Court Palace, 5 October, 2007.Check my photo album for more amazing shots.
After we toured all of the rooms and gardens, we had a few hours to kill so we plopped ourselves down on the grass and basked in the sunlight for a good hour or so. So relaxing. The sun eventually tucked back behind the clouds and we got a little chilly so we headed over to the tearoom and enjoyed a nice cup of tea out on a patio. Everything was all so charming and perfect, sometimes it's hard to believe that this is really my life.
Today I'm going to Borough Market, which is a huge food market here with all sorts of the finest in food. I'm planning to cook a big dinner today for the flatties and some friends, so I hope to pick up some of the ingredients there. I also have to finish up my roll of film, so the trip is really two-fold. Should be yet another charming day (charming is becoming my choice word here).
Cheers!
After we toured all of the rooms and gardens, we had a few hours to kill so we plopped ourselves down on the grass and basked in the sunlight for a good hour or so. So relaxing. The sun eventually tucked back behind the clouds and we got a little chilly so we headed over to the tearoom and enjoyed a nice cup of tea out on a patio. Everything was all so charming and perfect, sometimes it's hard to believe that this is really my life.
Today I'm going to Borough Market, which is a huge food market here with all sorts of the finest in food. I'm planning to cook a big dinner today for the flatties and some friends, so I hope to pick up some of the ingredients there. I also have to finish up my roll of film, so the trip is really two-fold. Should be yet another charming day (charming is becoming my choice word here).
Cheers!
05 October 2007
can i stay a while? you can stay forever.
hello loves!
Where I went to Portobello Road.
The buildings were really colorful.
My grandfather would have loved it because the whole beginning of the road is antiques.
I visited the travel bookshop where Hugh Grant went in Notting Hill.
I bought a delicious carrot cake cupcake from the famous Hummingbird Bakery.
Today, I ventured to Notting Hill.
Where I went to Portobello Road.
The buildings were really colorful.
My grandfather would have loved it because the whole beginning of the road is antiques.
I visited the travel bookshop where Hugh Grant went in Notting Hill.
I bought a delicious carrot cake cupcake from the famous Hummingbird Bakery.
All-in-all, a fabulous afternoon.
Cheers!
04 October 2007
i shop where the queen shops
hello loves!
Yesterday, after Lucy and I booked our train tickets for Italy, we stopped at Fortnum & Mason. Fortnum & Mason has a Royal Warrant, which means basically, it's where the royal family gets their groceries, china, accessories, beauty supplies, etc, etc. This place was crazy! Four floors of nothing but the best in literally, everything. This is not your average grocery store. Lucy and I of course had to explore the entire store, trying on £300 hats and such, no big deal, really.
The grocery section was obviously my favorite. They had a whole part of the store dedicated to exotic foods (and by foods, i mean bugs)... chocolate covered scorpions, aphrodisiac lollipops from Morocco, lollipops with tequila worms in them, roasted ants, crocodile curry, delicious! Ha, they actually had a little American corner in the store that I was excited to find because they have things you can't get in the regular grocery stores here. I bought some pumpkin pie puree so I can make some later on. I also bought strawberry tea, just to say I bought tea from the same place the queen shops.
After F&M, we went to yet ANOTHER grocery store, Waitrose, to pick up food to make dinner. I hadn't been to Waitrose before and I have to say, I am never shopping at Sainsbury's or Tesco's again! This grocery store is the British equivalent to Wegmans, and for any of you that know me, that means I can literally spend hours shopping in there. For dinner I made basil lime chicken and roasted cauliflower and it was delicious! Then I had Elsa, Alli, and Tuan come over and the rest of the flatties and I had homemade (by me) apple crisp a la mode... SO good. Just the kind of fall treat I needed to keep me going. I really enjoy cooking and baking when I have the time to do it. I'm really going to try to perfect my skills and learn some new recipes while I'm here so when I get home I can blow you all away with my cooking talents (I know my grandmother is probably chuckling to herself at this ambition).
Cheers!
Yesterday, after Lucy and I booked our train tickets for Italy, we stopped at Fortnum & Mason. Fortnum & Mason has a Royal Warrant, which means basically, it's where the royal family gets their groceries, china, accessories, beauty supplies, etc, etc. This place was crazy! Four floors of nothing but the best in literally, everything. This is not your average grocery store. Lucy and I of course had to explore the entire store, trying on £300 hats and such, no big deal, really.
The grocery section was obviously my favorite. They had a whole part of the store dedicated to exotic foods (and by foods, i mean bugs)... chocolate covered scorpions, aphrodisiac lollipops from Morocco, lollipops with tequila worms in them, roasted ants, crocodile curry, delicious! Ha, they actually had a little American corner in the store that I was excited to find because they have things you can't get in the regular grocery stores here. I bought some pumpkin pie puree so I can make some later on. I also bought strawberry tea, just to say I bought tea from the same place the queen shops.
After F&M, we went to yet ANOTHER grocery store, Waitrose, to pick up food to make dinner. I hadn't been to Waitrose before and I have to say, I am never shopping at Sainsbury's or Tesco's again! This grocery store is the British equivalent to Wegmans, and for any of you that know me, that means I can literally spend hours shopping in there. For dinner I made basil lime chicken and roasted cauliflower and it was delicious! Then I had Elsa, Alli, and Tuan come over and the rest of the flatties and I had homemade (by me) apple crisp a la mode... SO good. Just the kind of fall treat I needed to keep me going. I really enjoy cooking and baking when I have the time to do it. I'm really going to try to perfect my skills and learn some new recipes while I'm here so when I get home I can blow you all away with my cooking talents (I know my grandmother is probably chuckling to herself at this ambition).
Cheers!
03 October 2007
photographs & memories
Just uploaded all of my photos from Belgium!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/amrineurope/
Apparently, flickr only lets me display my 200 most recent photos with the account I have, so take a look at these as soon as you can! They are obviously going to disappear once I venture off to Italy...
Cheers!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/amrineurope/
Apparently, flickr only lets me display my 200 most recent photos with the account I have, so take a look at these as soon as you can! They are obviously going to disappear once I venture off to Italy...
Cheers!
02 October 2007
j'adore la belgique
hello loves!
I'm back from Belgium and after my two days of straight class/work, it is now the weekend for me :) The weather here has drastically changed from the sunshine and warmth we were lucky to have the first few weeks, but I find myself loving London more every day, even with the rain.
Visiting Belgium was such a nice change of pace! I flew RyanAir round trip and was kind of surprised at the airline. Not what I expected at all. I was picturing little cheapo planes with propellers but this was a legit 747 and completely sold out! The way that these cheap airlines work is basically, they fly all day back and forth, and the passengers on the flight are pretty much getting off of the plane as you're getting onto it. They make a lot of their money from putting really strict baggage restrictions on everything and charging for every little thing you want to eat on the flight. They even had a mid-air raffle! The flight was quicker than I anticipated, only about a half hour. On the way there, the pilot landed at a really high speed and the plane kind of just thumped onto the runway. I noticed the wings were kind of rocking as we were coming in but I didn't know the difference because I don't fly enough to know what a "good" landing is, so for that I am happy because if I had recognized how scared some people were when we landed I probably would have freaked out! Thursday ended up being a really long travel day. We had to take the tube to the Baker Street bus stop and then a coach 1.5 hours to Stansted Airport, then the plane, then when we got to Brussels we had to take another coach 45 minutes to the train station, get on the metro and walk from our metro stop to the hostel. It was exhausting! The hostel surprisingly wasn't as bad as I anticipated, but I think that's probably because I was picturing a dirty mattress, water-stained walls, and rodents running around, so anything could be better than that! Realistically, the hostel isn't much more than a place to crash after a long day so it didn't matter too much what it looked like. The place had a bar and lounge area in it, as well as a dining area where they served breakfast each morning. I gave the free breakfast a go the first morning and was feeling like I was in a prison as it was corn flakes, milk that tasted like half and half, 5 slices of plain white bread, watered down orange juice, and a slice of cheese. Very gourmet! Needless to say I passed on the breakfast the next two days. Thank God I was in the land of waffles and chocolate!
The first day in Belgium we explored Brussels, which was nice, but I have to say only good for a day trip. The main attraction is the Place Royale, which is the center square in the town:
place royale, Brussels, Belgium
All of the buildings were so charming to look at, which was my favorite part (aside from the wide availability of chocolate, of course). Pretty much all we did all day was walk around and eat. Speaking of which, I sampled my first real Belgian waffle, called a Liege waffle.
Hungry Amber!
Most. Delicious. Thing. I've ever. Tasted. The sugar was baked right into the waffle, and there was a smidge of some sort of carmelized sugar on the outside, so it was delicious just plain, which is the way the real Belgians eat their waffles. And of course, I had a hot chocolate to drink, which was delicious AND comforting on such a rainy day.
We also took a tour of the chocolate museum, and learned how pralines are made.
chocolatier, Brussels, Belgium. 28 September, 2007.
view from the top of the Belfry Tower, Bruges, Belgium. 29 September, 2007.
I'm back from Belgium and after my two days of straight class/work, it is now the weekend for me :) The weather here has drastically changed from the sunshine and warmth we were lucky to have the first few weeks, but I find myself loving London more every day, even with the rain.
Visiting Belgium was such a nice change of pace! I flew RyanAir round trip and was kind of surprised at the airline. Not what I expected at all. I was picturing little cheapo planes with propellers but this was a legit 747 and completely sold out! The way that these cheap airlines work is basically, they fly all day back and forth, and the passengers on the flight are pretty much getting off of the plane as you're getting onto it. They make a lot of their money from putting really strict baggage restrictions on everything and charging for every little thing you want to eat on the flight. They even had a mid-air raffle! The flight was quicker than I anticipated, only about a half hour. On the way there, the pilot landed at a really high speed and the plane kind of just thumped onto the runway. I noticed the wings were kind of rocking as we were coming in but I didn't know the difference because I don't fly enough to know what a "good" landing is, so for that I am happy because if I had recognized how scared some people were when we landed I probably would have freaked out! Thursday ended up being a really long travel day. We had to take the tube to the Baker Street bus stop and then a coach 1.5 hours to Stansted Airport, then the plane, then when we got to Brussels we had to take another coach 45 minutes to the train station, get on the metro and walk from our metro stop to the hostel. It was exhausting! The hostel surprisingly wasn't as bad as I anticipated, but I think that's probably because I was picturing a dirty mattress, water-stained walls, and rodents running around, so anything could be better than that! Realistically, the hostel isn't much more than a place to crash after a long day so it didn't matter too much what it looked like. The place had a bar and lounge area in it, as well as a dining area where they served breakfast each morning. I gave the free breakfast a go the first morning and was feeling like I was in a prison as it was corn flakes, milk that tasted like half and half, 5 slices of plain white bread, watered down orange juice, and a slice of cheese. Very gourmet! Needless to say I passed on the breakfast the next two days. Thank God I was in the land of waffles and chocolate!
The first day in Belgium we explored Brussels, which was nice, but I have to say only good for a day trip. The main attraction is the Place Royale, which is the center square in the town:
place royale, Brussels, Belgium
Hungry Amber!We also took a tour of the chocolate museum, and learned how pralines are made.
chocolatier, Brussels, Belgium. 28 September, 2007.The chocolatier that did the demonstration was really interesting and luckily spoke very good English. That was one thing I noticed while over there. Belgium has three main languages: French, Flemish, and German, but I'd say a good majority of people know at least a little bit of English. All of the maps, directions, menus, and signs were translated into English so it made finding our way around a bit easier.
I also sampled a Belgian beer called Kriek, which is cherry flavored and DELICIOUS. Frites (french fries) are also a specialty all over Belgium, so I had my fair share of those too. The French men working in the fry stand took a particular liking to me, heckling me and winking at me as I was eating, which was kind of funny but as I kept getting looked at the rest of the day it got pretty annoying. I think it must be the blonde hair... If this is any inclination of what it's going to be like in Italy, I'm in for a lonnnnng mid-semester break.
At night, we attempted to soak up the nightlife, but we mainly ended up wandering around. We ended up in this weird bar/lounge place and started a dance party, but it got really hot and smoky after awhile so we left quite early. Brussels is such a touristy area, so it was hard to find a place that didn't just try to suck all of your money from you.
Saturday we took a day trip to Bruges, which was beautiful! It is like a mini Venice. Again, we spent most of the day walking around and eating. Here are my favorite shots from the day:
I also sampled a Belgian beer called Kriek, which is cherry flavored and DELICIOUS. Frites (french fries) are also a specialty all over Belgium, so I had my fair share of those too. The French men working in the fry stand took a particular liking to me, heckling me and winking at me as I was eating, which was kind of funny but as I kept getting looked at the rest of the day it got pretty annoying. I think it must be the blonde hair... If this is any inclination of what it's going to be like in Italy, I'm in for a lonnnnng mid-semester break.
At night, we attempted to soak up the nightlife, but we mainly ended up wandering around. We ended up in this weird bar/lounge place and started a dance party, but it got really hot and smoky after awhile so we left quite early. Brussels is such a touristy area, so it was hard to find a place that didn't just try to suck all of your money from you.
Saturday we took a day trip to Bruges, which was beautiful! It is like a mini Venice. Again, we spent most of the day walking around and eating. Here are my favorite shots from the day:
My favorite thing we did in Bruges was climb the 366 steps to the top of the Belfry tower.
And what I saw when I looked down was magnificent!
And what I saw when I looked down was magnificent!
view from the top of the Belfry Tower, Bruges, Belgium. 29 September, 2007.All-in-all, Belgium was a decent trip. I was travelling with about 5 other people so that made it kind of a hassle at times, because we all didn't want to do the same thing all the time, and we spent a lot of time waiting for each other which wasted a lot of time I think. I'm happy I went, but I probably won't go back, unless I visit Antwerp or Ghent, which I would have liked to see instead, but didn't get the chance. By Saturday night I was just dying to be home, which was when I realized that by "home" I meant London (at least for this point in my life), and it was kind of a cool feeling to realize how comfortable I've become here. I'm not really a city girl at all (more like a wanna-be country girl) so I'm quite amazed at how much I have grown to love living in this crazy, unfriendly, busy, expensive city. Below the hard exterior, London is beautiful, charming and quaint and I appreciate every new thing I'm learning about its history, present and future. I appreciate every little green space or old alleyway or corner cafe I come by. I appreciate how fortunate I am to be here, and I want to take all of it in as much as I possibly can. I'm not travelling again for two weeks, when I head to Italy for my fall break, so I'm excited to continue my London adventures for a bit.
It feels like classes this week flew by. I had two big papers to get through, which I luckily did before I left for Belgium, so once I got back I only had minor editing to do. I asked my history teacher if he could look over my paper and let me know if there was anything I missed and when he gave it back to me, he said he was very "encouraged" by my paper. I'm not sure quite how to take that... I think he meant it as a good thing? He said that he can tell I want to be a writer just by the way my paper was put together and the way I constructed my sentences, but today in class he said to me, "well you managed at least one good sentence out of it!" Sometimes his advice is so confusing! I think he means well, though.
We took a walking tour of the Southbank for my photography class Monday morning. We were rained on, but I found a few gems along our walk that I'm excited to go back to. This weekend I'm going to visit Borough Market, which is a huge food market on the weekends, with all sorts of the best cheese, breads, produce, wines, spices and what have you. I should be able to manage some good photos out of it and do a little shopping as well. I really want to improve my cooking skills (all I've really mastered so far is pasta, green beans, and stir fry and frankly, I'm sick of eating the same things every night...) so I'm on the lookout for some good recipes to try out. If anyone has one they want to send me, I'd love to give it a shot!
My entrepreneurship class was especially entertaining this week. My professor gave us our next term paper assignment and everyone is kind of excited to get started on it. He gave each of us 10 pounds and with that, we have to try to make a profit. Essentially, we have to start a business, and we have two months to do it. Some of my friends and I are teaming up but we have yet to come up with a promising idea. Whatever profit we make, we get to keep and we give my professor back his 10 pounds. Everyone has to present their successes/failures at the end of the semester, so I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with. Such a cool assignment! I haven't really had an assignment so far this semester that I was really pained to work on. Everything I've been prompted to do I've really benefitted from completing, which is rare when it comes to test taking and paper writing back in the States. I love British education. The only thing I'm really nervous for is grades, because apparently they're a lot tougher here. We'll see how it goes.
Missing you all more every day. Keep in touch with me!
Cheers!
It feels like classes this week flew by. I had two big papers to get through, which I luckily did before I left for Belgium, so once I got back I only had minor editing to do. I asked my history teacher if he could look over my paper and let me know if there was anything I missed and when he gave it back to me, he said he was very "encouraged" by my paper. I'm not sure quite how to take that... I think he meant it as a good thing? He said that he can tell I want to be a writer just by the way my paper was put together and the way I constructed my sentences, but today in class he said to me, "well you managed at least one good sentence out of it!" Sometimes his advice is so confusing! I think he means well, though.
We took a walking tour of the Southbank for my photography class Monday morning. We were rained on, but I found a few gems along our walk that I'm excited to go back to. This weekend I'm going to visit Borough Market, which is a huge food market on the weekends, with all sorts of the best cheese, breads, produce, wines, spices and what have you. I should be able to manage some good photos out of it and do a little shopping as well. I really want to improve my cooking skills (all I've really mastered so far is pasta, green beans, and stir fry and frankly, I'm sick of eating the same things every night...) so I'm on the lookout for some good recipes to try out. If anyone has one they want to send me, I'd love to give it a shot!
My entrepreneurship class was especially entertaining this week. My professor gave us our next term paper assignment and everyone is kind of excited to get started on it. He gave each of us 10 pounds and with that, we have to try to make a profit. Essentially, we have to start a business, and we have two months to do it. Some of my friends and I are teaming up but we have yet to come up with a promising idea. Whatever profit we make, we get to keep and we give my professor back his 10 pounds. Everyone has to present their successes/failures at the end of the semester, so I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with. Such a cool assignment! I haven't really had an assignment so far this semester that I was really pained to work on. Everything I've been prompted to do I've really benefitted from completing, which is rare when it comes to test taking and paper writing back in the States. I love British education. The only thing I'm really nervous for is grades, because apparently they're a lot tougher here. We'll see how it goes.
Missing you all more every day. Keep in touch with me!
Cheers!
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