Summer in London..World Cup, Red White and Booze, and more Fun Times!

I went to Brixton with a great group of people to watch the Colombia/Uruguay football match and have dinner and several brews at the Colombian restaurant in the area! We all made our way back to central London, after a failed attempt to go to a Colombian Club in Camden, we played a bit of football on the tube, had a little dance party in the tube station, and decided it was time to go home before they kicked us out! So off to the 24 hours store we went to grab some drinks so we could play beer pong and flip cup at Ability. We all had a blast, and it was a much needed night out.

For the 4th of July, I took a half day, made BBQ wings, and a group of us had a BBQ at the park along Regents canal. Nothing a few wings and Budweiser can't satisfy. After eating all the yummy food we decided to go back to the flats and relax a bit before going to the Blues Kitchen in Shoreditch with Amanda, Jason, and Michelle. They had a live band all night playing American tunes, and Americans get in free, too bad Jason had to pay to hang out with us!  Let's just say the 5th of July was a recovery day. After an early morning (slightly expensive) run to McDonalds, a mid morning stop at Subway, and ton of water later, I was prepared to meet up with Francesca and Sarah to go walk around Little Venice and see the area. We also wandered around Portobello Market before calling it a day. It was great to catch up with them. It had been months since I have seen them!

On Sunday, I met up with Lisa, Emma, Ellen, and a few Aussie friends and we went to Brick Lane and hung out at The Big Chill and watched some Wimbledon with a pint or two at hand! Amanda, Jason, and Lisa met up with us and grabbed a pint or two as well. After about 4 hours of hanging out in the sun with friends we decided it would be a GREAT idea to grab some curry(Something Brick Lane is really well known for). We got a 3 course meal and two drinks for 10 pounds each! I would call that a success. By this time it was getting late and time for this girl to get some sleep.

This week is going to go by super fast I have my Mountbatten Completion Ceremony, and my mom and the crew get here on SUNDAY! 

Brittney and Tiffany's Week in London!

I went to Heathrow to pick up Brittney and Tiffany late Thursday evening! WE made it back, and I I went straight to bed. I was more than exhausted and had work in the morning. Friday was a long day at work, my projects and tasks had been piling up, and I had to play catch up. I had a job interview for a position in NY and I would say that it went well. I guess we will have to see how that works itself out! That evening, we made it to the grocery store and decided to make dinner at home since we had to be up early the next morning.

Saturday, we had ourselves a little adventure...We took a taxi to the train station, train to Southampton, bus to the ferry terminal, ferry to Cowes on the Isle of Wight, bus to Newport, bus to Freshwater. And after all of that, we walked about 15 minutes to the Adventure Activities office where we met with our Coasteering instructors Aston and Ky. They were great fun! Fun Fact of the day, it REALLY helps to put the wetsuit on the right way...Zipper in the back! It is pretty uncomfortable and definitely doesn't fit right the other way around. We jumped off a ton or rocks and experienced being shot out of a cave like a rocket, and all kinds of fun activities. Too bad we didn't look more into what was going on at the Isle of Wight this weekend, it was the Isle of Wight Festival and we could have gotten tickets for the concerts in advance and went camping! But instead we began out adventure back to London just in time to get ready to jet off to the pub for a few pints and some FOOTBALL... and by that I mean soccer. The World Cup was on and England was playing Italy. At the pub we met some interesting fellas from all over the place, Italy, Portugal, and New Zealand...It is official, I am moving to New Zealand. This guy sold me on the idea of all the fun and interesting things to do in New Zealand!

Sunday, I slept in, and met them near Chinatown, and we wandered through Covent Garden and made our way to the London Aquarium.

Monday and Tuesday I had to work, so I met Brittney and Tiffany back at the flat and we made dinner both nights. It was nice to relax and hang out with them.

Wednesday I had the day off, but I Was exhausted and they had the London Pass which allowed them to get into most of the London attractions for free, so I took the chance to sleep in and relax for once! I met them on Oxford street for some Wafflemeister later that evening and we did a bit of souvenir shopping and sightseeing.

Thursday we went to Camden Market and Greenwich! Two of my favorite places! Greenwich was kinda a bust, the market wasn't hopping AT ALL, so we grabbed some food and headed back to the flat to get ready to head into the city to watch the England game. We went to Cargo to meet up with a few other Mountbattens but didn't find them so we stayed to watch the rest of the game. Brittney, Tiffany, and I started talking to this group of Americans that were studying in London for 5 weeks, they were from Tennessee, and wanted to see some of the London Night Life, as did Brittney and Tiffany, so low and behold, I became a tour guide of Shoreditch. We hung out with them until it was time to catch the last tube home.

I had to work on Friday, so they toured more of London while I 'enjoyed' sitting at my desk sifting through piles of paperwork. But we met up and went to the Anchor for dinner. The food was good, the weather was spectacular, the beer was cold, and the company was GREAT! I am soooo glad Brittney and Tiffany came to see me!

Saturday, It was sad to see them go! But after a week of running around London I was worn down, and it was inevitable, I was going to get sick.

Just a Bit of Europe and Asia all in One City!!

This trip started off well... my alarm didn't go off. I woke up at 8:30, the time I was actually supposed to leave my flat for the train station. OOPS, so I booked it for the door and hoped I had everything. I made it JUST in time to meet Mollie and Jeff at the train station before the train got there. Once we made it o the airport, we waiting grabbed our boarding passes, waited in line for security, then rushed to our gate only to find out that we were going to be delayed for a bit. About 20 minutes later they let us board the plane. We then waited over an HOUR for a ONE single passenger that was not on the plane. So it was time to take off, or so I though since we were taxiing on the runway, but nope, we had to turn around to get the excess baggage off the plane from that very same passenger that never showed up. Finally after being delayed for over 2 hours we were on our way to Istanbul to begin our Turkish Adventure.  Our taxi from the airport couldn't find the flat we were staying at making us more than 3 hours late instead of just 2. When we finally got in, we met up with Flora and Lora and had a grand ole time just hanging out in the flat since it was pretty late. We decided we wanted some dinner(chips, water, and some gummy bears). So we headed to the store downstairs and caused quite a scene. We broke a few bags, and had bottles of water  flying EVERYWHERE. We waited up until Jen got in, but then we decided to get some sleep so we would be functioning human beings for our long day ahead.

We started off Saturday by making our way to breakfast. The owner of the apartment we were staying at took us to his brothers cafe! It was really good food for CHEAP!! We then wandered over to the Topkapi Palace and spent some time in the sun snacking on some traditional Turkish snacks and chilled in the park next to the Aya Sophia(one of the world's oldest cathedrals until it was turned into a mosque and now a museum). Next stop on our list was the Tourist Police Station... yes they have a police station just for tourists (basically just an information hut). We went there to see what else there was to see in Istanbul. The policeman didn't sound very legit as he told us he is a backpacker too, and that he was the kinda person that would have a backpack like a ninja turtle...However, he did tell us that we should buy all of our goods from this little shop around the corner as it was much cheaper than the stuff that you would find at the Grand Bazaar(Market). We went to the Blue Mosque in the afternoon. Us girls had to have our knees, shoulders, and hair covered so lucky me got to wear this fancy suit thing that made me look like I should be working with hazardous materials. Next stop was supposed to be the Grand Bazaar just to check it out, but it began to rain so we ducked into this Turkish pastry shop that had a covered rooftop terrace and an amazing view of the Bosporus river and the Blue Mosque.  Finally we made it to the Grand Bazaar, it was CRAZY there were thousands of stands selling trinkets, jewelry, lamps, and rugs! It was quite the experience. I even had some random guy that worked in a rug shop tell me that he was almost free...but still single. We all took that as a sign to make our way to the Galata Bridge to see the sunset. We then crossed the bridge to the 'New Europe' side of Istanbul to get some dinner. I had Turkish Meatballs and Vine Leaves. It was an amazing dinner.  We got a little lost on the way back to the apartment, but decided to stop at this restaurant, but what we all really wanted was some sleep!

Sunday we started the day by grabbing some pastries at a local bakery and heading to the Aya Sophia to get in before the lines got too long. But I think my favorite part of the trip had to have been going to the Basilica Cistern. It was AMAZING! We even took some pretty cool group photos while we were there. Us girls looked like Turkish Princesses and Jeff got to have a sword and all that fun stuff. We took the tram to the rainbow stairs, and then the ferry to ASIA!  Once we got to Asia it got real... they were WAY more conservative on the Asian side of Istanbul than the European side. We were wearing shorts and t-shirts and were getting nasty looks so instead of wandering around we headed to the rooftop bar of the Double Tree Hotel to grab a few cocktails and enjoy the 360 degree view! The six of us grabbed some Turkish Kebaps for dinner and went back to the apartment.

On Monday it was time to return to London and reality where the sun NEVER shines. Apparently there was a magnitude 6.something earthquake just off the coast of Turkey in the Aegean Sea while we were there...#didntfeelit. But now I must get back to writing my final paper. Sooooo close to be done! 

London Take 4: Easter and a few other Fun Times!

Easter in London was quite the treat! I finally had four whole days to sleep in and catch up on everything!! Mia and I went to Portobello Market. I have had THEE best burger EVER from there. I am indeed a fan.  Then we headed back and found a place called Bubbleology. They sell Bubble Tea, probably my new favorite thing. It was really cool, the whole place was decked out in a science theme, and the workers were dressed like scientists. It was great to get to sit down and chat with Mia! On Easter Sunday we had a potluck for all of the Mountbattens that were still in London. We had plenty of food and drinks and played Cards Against Humanity(My new favorite game), and then partied at Club Ability(a.k.a. Home).  Monday was spent in a hung over daze and there was definitely enough leftovers to have potluck take two!

The beginning of May we had a three day weekend. The weather was fantastic!! Mary Catherine, Jayme, and I went to Greenwich to soak up the sun and be touristy. We took a nap in the park and then walked back to Canary. Who would have thought there was a tunnel that goes under the River making it only a short walk back. All this time I have been taking the tube! Ooops. I spent the rest of the weekend at home sitting outside and reading a book! Too I am just as pasty white as I was before spending the entire weekend in the sun. LAME. Monday the 5th a.k.a. margarita Monday and Cinco de Mayo just so happened to be in the same day! Heck yeah that is a cause for celebration, or at least a BBQ and margaritas! I made my way to Clapham to hang out with Katie and Pam and their roommates.

Last weekend I had my final exam. Let's just hope I did well and don't have to re-take that one! On Sunday, I met Lisa, Emma, and Ellen and we went to Clapham to grab a few drinks at the beer gardens and soak up the sun. We met a few guys(Dapper Laughs) and grabbed some beers at the corner store and chilled in  the park and enjoyed the sun while it lasted.

This weekend I am going to hop in a plane and head off to Istanbul! I can't wait it will be a ton of fun! I have 13 days Holiday to take between now and when I come home in 2 and a half months and Brittney and my mom are coming to visit so there will be plenty to write about! 

Czeching out Prague and the Czech Republic!

Prague was AMAZING!! Sorry I have failed to post in months!! BUT I sure have been having fun! =] I felt kinda rich in the Czech Republic, the exchange rate is 32 Krona to 1 pound! So, when I exchanged 100 pounds I got 3200 back!! When Jayme and I arrived at the airport in Prague we were faced with the struggle to get into the city to our hostel after public transportation had ended for the night. So there we were contemplating our best route into the city...a CAB. We were approached by a guy holding a sign, and he tried to tell us that the person he was there to pick up didn't arrive and that he would be able to give us a huge discount, but we chose to go outside to the TAXI stand and take a licensed cab. I just wasn't too sure about that guy. I had a feeling he was going to kidnap us and we would never be seen again.  Once we finally got safely to the hostel, we were greeted by the world's WORST hostess, just plain RUDE!  But none of that really mattered once my head hit the pillow! It was already 2 am, and I was exhausted. Or so I thought, our roommate in the hostel snores worse than my mom, I guess sleep is overrated.

The second day, Jayme and I got a late start, mostly due to lack of sleep and sheer exhaustion. We headed off to get brunch and to catch our walking tour with a lovely Aussie guy named Ashley. On the tour we learned all about the Astronomical Clock, how it works, and the meaning behind the four statues one the clock (Fear of vanity, fear of greed, fear of death, and fear of new people). We also learned much of the history in the Jewish Quarter, and much much more!  After the tour was over, we made our way through the city over to the Old Town Square to get a snack at the Easter Market. The crepes were spectacular. A nap was 100% necessary, s we headed back for a snooze. After a short nap, we headed out for dinner and to partake in some souvenir shopping to see what kind of deals we could find.  Watch out for the jewelry shops there, you sucked in WAY to easily. We found ourselves doing some late night jewelry shopping.  I found a ring that I really liked. It had my grandmothers and my mother's birthstones in it, however, I didn't have the cash to buy it at the time, and I wanted to shop around and see if there was anything else I liked even more. Plus I didn't feel all that safe going to an ATM in Prague at 11pm and carrying around all of that cash. We decided to go back to the hostel and call it a night, and if the ring is still there the tomorrow, I'll buy it!

Day three was filled with fun and even more history. We got up early and attempted to make it to the morning tour of the Prague castle, but it just so happened that they weren't doing a morning tour that day. Instead we decided that we would cross over the famous Charles Bridge and see the other side of the city. We grabbed some brunch at the Bakeshop and walked along the river leading us back to the main square. We grabbed a snack and waited for the afternoon tour to begin. We learned a ton about communist Czechoslovakia and the Nazi invasion of the area. We even got to see the changing of the guards at the castle TWICE. I am not going to deny the guards were not bad looking! Jayme and I headed back to the Brewery and St Norbert Monastery to have come goulash and brews. After dinner and a refreshing beer, we headed back to the city centre to get our shop on! After stopping at nearly ever jewelry store on the way back, and coming up empty, I decided to go back and pick up the ring I had found the day before. It  was a traditional Czech style and was made of Pearls and Garnets that were mined in the Czech Republic. After a day of touring a shopping we were completely worn out so we grabbed some dessert from the market and went back to the hostel for the night.

On the last day, we got up early and intended on hiking Petrin Hill to see the city from the Mini Eiffel Tower. Instead we made our way to the communism museum then to Wenceslas Square to see where many of the protests and raid occurred during the years of communism in the Czech Republic. At this point it was time to grab our stuff from the hostel and make our way to the airport. I was only a Metro, Bus, Flight, Bus, and Tube ride away from being at home and in my own bed! It had been really sunny and warm on the trip making if slightly difficult to go back to London and the rain.

Bits and Bobs of London: Take 3 (Goodbyes and Hellos)

It has been a GREAT last few months with the March Intake, and I am going to miss them all a lot. We kicked off their last month here by going to my co-worker Nadeem's house for his birthday party! It was great fun and I got to meet more people from my office and spend time with those that are leaving.

It was Sarah’s B-day a few weeks ago, so we decided to go to Tayyabs, a BYOB Indian joint not too far from Canary Wharf. It was phenomenal food and of course the drinks were great too! We ate buffet style. There were 6 of us and we ordered several starters and lots and lots of Naan. It was a great way to end a stressful/busy day at work!

Two weekends ago was the last full weekend in London for the current March intake. I spent my Friday night at the office working on my essay that was due Monday so I would be able to participate in all of the activities planned for their final weekend in London. Saturday I finalised my paper and headed off to The Eagle, in the early afternoon. The Eagle was a perfect place to hang out and sit in the beer gardens since the weather was simply beautiful! It was also one of the first places I had a pint in London since it is right down the street from the Thistle hotel where we stayed for our first week in London! After a few pints and maybe a few shots later my roommates and I went home to have dinner and get ready for the night ahead! We headed back to Ability Towers (better known as Club Ability), to have a few drinks before making our way to Shoreditch. We fully intended on going to Floripa, but instead found ourselves at the Electricity Showroom. It was quite the light show and they had great music. 

Sunday we headed back to the Eagle for a few pints and to sit down and chat with everyone. By time I actually got there though, most of the March intake had already left. I stayed for a bit and headed home to make the finishing touches on my essay. 

Monday a bunch of us got together and had a great time just eating dinner and chatting over a couple bottles of wine back at the flat. There may or may not have been a dance party in our kitchen until the wee hours of the morning! The new March intake arrived on Monday, and we had Welcome drinks for them after their orientation on Tuesday. It was my first time back to the Peasant since I arrived in London and we had our Welcome drinks back in August. It was great to get to meet some of the Newbies and see how excited they were to begin their year in London.  After a few hours of mingling and having some drinks and nibbles, I decided it was time to go home and hopefully get some sleep!

Wednesday night was filled with a lot of reminiscing and laughing over a few pints or glasses of wine at Corney & Barrow, and Wine Bar right off the water near West India Quay. It is sad to think that the March intake leaves in less than a week, but they are all hopefully  moving on to bigger and better things! There are only a few more nights left with them, and they are going to be a bit crazy, but more than enough fun will be had!

Thursday night was Kane's leaving drinks, so we went out with a bunch of coworkers to the Cat and Canary. It was sad to think that all of these guys would soon be leaving us! BUT, Friday was equally sad. We had family dinner in the flat then we all went to JP's leaving drinks at Tompkins/The Attic! After a few drinks and lots of laughs it was time for the tears! After parting our ways, those of us coming back to Canary went up stairs to sing and play the guitar and have a couple more drinks. It was the perfect ending to our time here with the old March intake. At about 2am Tara and I realized that we still hadn't packed up all of our stuff that needed to be moved out by 9am Saturday morning. We turned on the tunes and packed until nearly 5am. I had never felt so exhausted when my alarm went off 2 hours later! It was time to get up scrub the flat and say our goodbyes. Something I was definitely not looking forward to!  

Jinou had to leave fairly early in the day, we said our goodbyes and cried for a bit. The rest of us decided to head off to the Pepper to get lunch and a pint for Dave and Kane's final few hours. It was equally hard to say goodbye to the guys! They were like brothers to me! =] Guess that just gives me an even better excuse to travel the world to see everyone again! After everyone made their way to the airport it was time to move all of my stuff and unpack again! 

Saturday night was the inaugural newbie introduction to SWAY a nightclub in Central London. It was a great way to get to know some of the new intake. Sunday was the official move-in day for the new intake and it was now time for me to meet my new roommate and flatmates! They are all great! It is going to be a fantastic remaining 5 months! 

The Land of Leprechauns and Sheep!

Sooo I arrived in Cork this morning!!! When I got there I took the bus into town to meet Peta and begin my 5 day trip down memory lane! I made my way to St. Patrick's Street where I met Peta so I could take my stuff to her house. Oddly enough she lives just up Barrack street, not too far from where Rob and the guys lived when we were studying here. It was great to sit down and chat with her and her roommates for a bit. Since she still had College while I was there, I made way to the other side of the river where I wandered around  for a while. While on my hike I went over to the old Cork Gaol and on my way there I saw the church where Christine had her concert in while we were living there. The weather was beautiful and it was a great time to hit up some of the places I used to frequent with the rest of the Montana Crew like the Franciscan Well, Sin E, The Corner House, and even over the Cork Coffee Roasters to grab a Chai Tea Latte! Funny enough, the same guy was in there working that I used to see there all the time 2 years ago! He was such a chatty fella, but super duper nice! I then met up with Peta and a few of her friends from College and chatting about anything and everything, we grabbed some groceries and then headed off to an art exhibition where we found ourselves indulging in some tasty appetizers and wine! By the time we were ready to leave, I was simply exhausted, I had been up since 4am, and there was no chance I was going ANYWHERE that night.

On my second day in Cork, I finally got up and ready by about noon! It felt fantastic to finally get to sleep in. Since it was super nice out, I decided to take a long stroll up Barrack Street to Rob, Abe, and Zach's old place and even made my way past Jackie Lennox's Fish and Chips, and REFRAINED from buying it all! I wasn't quite hungry yet so I decided I would come back later. I then made my way over to Caitlin's old place and made the loop around to Megan's old place! Nothing makes you morning better than stopping for coffee and desert at Serendipity, a small quaint cafe over by my old University. Pistachio Brownies and a Mocha...Perfection! I met up with Peta again after her classes were over and we went to another art exhibition (more free food and wine!-Not afraid to admit it!) It was really cool to wander through some of the art studios and see some of the projects some of the students were working on! It was the perfect night to make our way to The Brog-Our old stomping grounds and have a great night out. First we went over to Brian's house for a few drinks, but I skipped out part way through to go and meet Damian at the Woolshed for a few quick rounds of Table Quiz. After the quiz was done, I found myself heading back to the house to meet up with the group before going to The Brog. So there we were... Off to the Brog with a group of French and Irish folk and we were all ready to have a Grand ole time! The Brog has changed sooooo much, instead of having a Nasty dance floor and slimy bar... There were picnic tables for chairs and a BMV Van/Bus thing that was there the DJ now sits.  After a few hours at the Brog, we headed back to just hang out for a bit, but seeing as how it was already 3am I was seriously exhausted. I might have fallen asleep and woken up with a tattoo... don't worry it was only pen, not real! One of the French guys named Charlie thought it would be hilarious to give me a tattoo, good thing he was nice and only drew a few hearts and all that kinda stuff.  Most of the people finally left around 4:30, but the remaining four of us all passed out on the only couch in the flat. I do have to say, four people sleeping on one couch is not very comfortable at all, but it sure beat walking all the way to Petas at 5am!

My third day in Cork began by waking up at around 1pm and rushing back to Peta's to get ready for the day since she had class and I had a hair appointment at quarter past 2. It's all gone... I cut it all off!!! JK but I sure did take quite a few inches off! We spent the afternoon being lazy and watching movies! Rosin and Dean brought us some fish and chips for dinner and Movie night commenced!

Day four I was a bit more productive. I loved every minute of being able to sleep in, but still be able to see everything I needed to in Cork! Peta and I made our way to the city centre to get a bit of shopping in! We stopped by the Brog for a Post-Shopping pint. I started chatting to the bartender and found out that most of the old bartenders that worked there when I lived there had started  working ay another pub across town. Since not too many people were in town that weekend, I still managed to meet up with one of my old roommates, Laura, at...the Brog. I think you can see the pattern here!  I met my fair share of people that night, but there were a few winners that actually attracted my attention. At this point my mind was made up, I was going to marry the next decent Irish man I met because, well I love the accent and I wanted to live there forever! On our way home, I stopped to chat with the bouncer, he still works there! Haha He looked at me a bit funny when I asked him if he remembered me, but when I told him I live here are couple years ago, and that I was friends with a former bartender Colin. His response was hilarious! 'Oh goodness I sure do remember you, you and that other American and Erin were ALWAYS here!' I guess that is proof that was spent far too much time there! I had to follow through with tradition and get some Tasty Kebab(Garlic Cheesy Chips) on the way home, but since Tasty Kebab no longer exists, I had to resort to a different kebab shop to fulfill our drunken traditions. Then we trekked through Deans Hall by my old flat, oh the memories!

Sunday morning I got up fairly early and made my way into town, got some brunch, admired St Finbarrs Cathedral, and met up with Laura for tea and coffee. A bit later in the day, Peta and I strolled on up to UCC where I attended University while I was there.  It was nearing time for me to head to the airport, so we headed to the Spailpin Fanach grab one last pint and to Lennox Fish and Chips for one last order of Garlic Cheesy Chips! Guess it was time for me to get back to the reality that is my life and job in London. So Long Ireland... don't worry, I'll be back! =] 

Chocolate, Waffles, and Beer!!! Belgium Was a Grand Ole Time!

Belgium was fantastic! Jinou and I took an overnight bus from London to Brussels on a Monday night. It was a long 9 hours on the bus, and we were awoken in the middle of the night to do passport checks and all that fun stuff at the port of Dover before we boarded the Ferry to France. From France the bus took us straight to the City Centre of Brussels. We arrived at about 7am, took our bags to the Hostel, and got ready for the day.

Straight away Tuesday, we took the train to Bruges and spent the day wandering the city. We took a canal tour, went to the Chocolate Museum, and even had a pint…or two at a Belgian Bar. Later in the afternoon/early evening we boarded the train to go back to Brussels, but decided to get off in Gent and see the city as well! It was really cool to see at night, but I wish I would have been able to see it in the daylight! Then back to Brussels it was!  Had dinner, and called it a night. All that traveling in a span of 24 hours definitely wore me out.

Wednesday was filled with lots of cheese (blueberry is surprisingly REALLY good), chocolate, waffles, beer, and mussels. We did a lot of walking and eating! There were so many things to see and do! It was a really short trip, but more than worth it. In our last few hours before our night buss back to London, we went to several chocolate shops and ended at a bar that plays live music and serves beers for €1 if you have a student ID!! Perfect way to end a great trip! 

Spending time with the Scots in Scotland!

Jinou and I hopped on the train from London Kings Cross Station to begin our wonderful adventure to Edinburgh Saturday morning at around 7am. The train ride was quite long, but the 4.5 hours goes by quickly when you get to see the views of the sea and cliffs! They were AMAZING!  

When we arrived at the train station, we were very lost and confused… Who knew that there would be 5+ exits and several levels to this train station!? But the first stop on the agenda was going to the High Street Hostel to put down our bags. The hostel was definitely different. Each room had a theme (rivers, capitals, local pubs, etc.) we got placed in the insect room…This began to trigger come memories of my accommodation in Ireland! And of course my bed was labelled Earwigs! We then decided to head over to the castle to meet up with Jen, Mollie, Macie, Yulia, and Sean. We went on to see a few bridges, monuments, cemeteries, and GREAT views of the city. Since the weather was good and the sun was shining we decided to take a hike up the hill to see a few more monuments that overlook the city! I have to admit, I think it might have been the first rays of sunshine I had seen all week.

After basking in the sun and taking in the spectacular views, we wandered back into the city get some cupcakes at BiBi’s a cute little bakery in the centre of town. We then decided to hurry and try to make it to ‘The Whiskey Experience’ before the last tour of the scotch whiskey distillery and whiskey tasting was done for the night. However, we were about 10 minutes too late, and decided to skip the tour and go straight for the whiskey tasting. GREAT choice!

After a few single malts, we decided to get ready for dinner and night out on the town. We went to Fields for a nice sit down Scottish dinner since it was Valentine’s Day weekend and we were all traveling! We didn’t finish sinner until after 11:30! Since it was already late and we were already out and about, we decided to hit up Frankenstein’s! It was a bar that was decorated like Halloween and there was supposed to be a special appearance at midnight. Since Frankenstein was a no show, we decided to hop onto a pub crawl and see what the night had in store for us! Little did we know that the next stop for the pub crawl was the club around the corner and that you had to have the wristbands to get into that club. Since we didn’t have wristbands, we decided to go to the Aussie bar next door and jam out to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air!

Saturday morning we went for breakfast…I ordered the Traditional Scottish Breakfast. It was my first experience with Haggis (look it up) and I do have to say it is actually not all that bad! After ‘Breakie’ (Breakfast) we took the bus to the Gilmerton Coves just outside the city. The coves were really cool! They had several different rooms and alcoves, and no one know when or why they were really created. In the 1700s, a man was found living there and with his family, he claims that he built the coves for his family over the last 5 years, but there is no way he would be able do all of this work on his own in that time frame. There is also evidence that it was built hundreds of years before it was discovered because the markings on the walls from the tools used to create the coves pre-dates the family living there.

We then made our way back to the city where we decided to hike up to Arthur's Seat, an inactive volcano right in the middle of the City of Edinburgh. It was muddy and gross from the earlier rain, but the views were phenomenal with the sun shining!

 Macie, Yulia, Jinou, and I stopped at a pub called The White Horse and ordered traditional Scottish food for dinner before heading to catch the train! We ordered several different meals and ate buffet style! Haggis, Stovies(beef and potatoes), and lamb shank! It was all VERY tasty! We learned that in Haiti they play a game called ‘Oslet’ or ‘Knucklebones’ where they throw a rock up in the air and try to pick up the bones that were on the ground before the rock falls to the ground. As Macie, Yulia, and I are laughing about how this is def. a third world country game, Jinou looked it up, and it is the Haitian equivalent of Jacks that we played in the States.

But the adventure REALLY began when we started out trek home. Jinou and I got on the earlier train with the rest of the group so that we wouldn’t have to wait at the station for another hour. When the guy came around to check tickets he was being EXTRA thorough… and he asked us for the tickets that had the train times on them…we pretended we didn’t know we were on the wrong train and we quickly began to gather all of our things and BOLTED off the train at the next  stop. I sure didn’t have the £150 pounds he was going to charge us for being on the wrong train! =/ So we spent an hour waiting in the Carrick-Upon-Tweed train station until our correct train arrived.  We finally got back to London around 11:30. We made the last train from Kings Cross to Bank, but missed the last DLR for the night! So we had no other choice but to go outside and wait for the bus! We thought we had lucked out since the bus was due to arrive at the stop in 5 minutes… little did we know that the bus was running late, and we ended up waiting there for 45 minutes. At this point we just gave up and called a cab. And with my luck the bus got there at the same time as our cab! Needless to say, I was seriously exhausted by time I finally made it home! 

More Bits and Bobs of London!

We went to Roller Disco in Vauxhall. This is something that I highly recommend that this event be attended in a more sober state. As much fun as it was with a few drinks in your system, it proved to be a little bit challenging. And as you all know, I am more accident prone than most of my friends. I definitely left with the most bruises and injuries.

I ventured to Holborn to hang out with Lisa for her birthday! We were just going to go for a few drinks. It took us a while to decide where exactly we wanted to go, but we ended up at a Canadian Sports bar in Covent Garden called The Maple Leaf and it was quite the experience!

Saturday night we ventured to a club near the Bank tube station called Reflex. It was an 80s themed club that had the hits playing all night long! We went with a few of the people that Lisa works with at a school here in London. They were all a hoot, and we all had soooo much fun! We proved that ‘Girl’s Just Wanna Have Fun’ HAHA.

Dave, Pam, Katie, and I went to Leicester Square/China Town to celebrate the Chinese New Year. It was an afternoon filled with street food and wandering around. We met up with Kane and JP and went to Covent Garden to a place called the Dirty Martini. Since it was a Sunday, it was half price martinis all day! They were yummy, but it was sure time for me to get home and get some good sleep! 

Drinking some Port in Portugal!

Just a couple days after Hilary and Erin were here, I was off to Portugal to hopefully see some sun!!  Jen and I took of Wednesday night and made our way to Stansted to catch our flight to Porto. It was quite late when we arrived, so all we saw was the metro station and our hotel!

We decided to get some breakfast at this small Portuguese diner near our hotel the first morning we were there. The waiter there did not speak English at all, so ordering was quite the experience. Most of the day was spent wandering the city and getting lost in all there is to see there! It was simply beautiful. Later in the afternoon we made our way to the Croft Wine Cellars for a tour of the cellars and a round of wine tasting. Next on the agenda was dinner! We were starving and all that walking wore me out! The trek back to the hotel was an interesting one. We strolled across the Luis Dom Bridge and got a little lost in the city trying to find our hotel.

Friday morning we headed towards the train station to see all there is to see then hopped on a train to Lisboa to meet up with a few of our friends. Upon arrival, we checked into the apartment and snuck out for dinner while waiting for Jinou, Nick, Mollie, and Fran to arrive. Once they got to the apartment we made our way to the Docks for more food and Sangria before heading to the clubs and bars right along the beach. Jinou, Fran, and I found ourselves at an interesting/entertaining show at one of the local bars. When the show ended, we went to the Karaoke bar just down the street, but it was dead so was chatted with ‘Ramone’ the bouncer and he told us that the place to be on a Friday night was Urban Beach. So of course we take the locals advice and hail a taxi to go to Urban Beach. Little did we know that it was a private party that night. Guess that was a pretty good sign that we should just go home for the night.

Saturday morning was a little rough, but we elected to sleep in a bit and wait at the apartment for the rest of the crew, Kyle, Lauren and Nin, to arrive. We then went to Belem to see Geronimo’s Monastery and a world famous pastry shop. Next stop… the Old City! After wandering around in the pouring rain, we headed back to the apartment to get ready for dinner and another night out on the town. After dinner it was still pouring and a few of us were simply exhausted so we went back to get some sleep!

Sunday morning was an early one! We went to the Castle and I found a street artist that paints with only coffee grounds. They were beautiful, and of course I HAD to buy some. At this point, it was time for Jen and I to make our way to the airport to begin our journey back to London. 

Hilary and Erin Visited! =]

Ahhhhhhhhhh----- One of my friends finally came to visit!!! It has been quite some time since I have posted, all die to being super busy and having tons of fun! Hilary got here on Wednesday and was here for 4 days! The first night she as here, I was supposed to have class, but I wasn’t feeling well.  So instead, Hilary and I went to the Pepper for a few drinks with a few of the other people in my program. 

Thursday, we met by the London Bridge, after I got off work, and wandered through the Borough Market and we made our way to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. We came home fairly early, hung out, made dinner, and then made our way to Abacus for a night out on the town. 

Friday, I worked for a few hours, and then we met up by Tower Bridge and made our way towards the Holborn, Soho, and Piccadilly Circus Areas before making our way to the musical The Commitments. It was about a group of Irish guys that started a garage band that became really popular.

I had class Saturday morning. After class Hilary and I wandered around Greenwich to see the Prime Meridian and the Royal Greenwich Observatory.

Sunday began with a really early morning as Hilary had to be at the airport at 5am and the bus to get there takes approximately 2 hours.  Also in the afternoon I got a message from Erin, one of my old roommates from Ireland, and she was in LONDON! We met up for dinner! It was a great time! It had been nearly 2 years since I last saw her! 

Holidays in London and a Bit More Traveling!

It has been quite some times since I have written on here! I have just been super busy! In the last month or so, I have worked a lot, stayed at home, and even traveled a bit… so here are the highlights:

Winter Wonderland- It was definitely a sight to see! It is basically a carnival(State Fair) that spans over half of Hyde Park in Central London! All of the rides were winter themed, and many of the food stalls were as well. Mollie and I HAD to drink some German Mulled Wine and Sausages! We spent the entire night wandering around looking at all the things that were being sold and taste testing many new things!

Southbank Market- Dave, Ed, and I wandered over to the Southbank market after work right before Christmas to spend some time at the Christmas market while they were still up and running! It was a bit chilly, but the Hot Chocolate and Christmas music put us all in the Christmas Spirit! On the way home we stopped by ASDA to pick up groceries so we would be able to make a yummy Christmas dinner. We found that it was a bit difficult to find things at the store as the shelves were not really stocked (welcome to London during the holiday season!) So for Christmas, we ended up buying 4 small whole chickens, potatoes, veggies, pie, and lots of beer and wine!

Christmas Day- Dave, Marie, Jinou, and her brother JJ and I all made breakfast and hung out in the morning/opened presents! Then the naps commenced! After taking a long, but much needed nap, we began to cook dinner and get into the festive spirit! Barry and Gilberto joined us for dinner and a fun filled game of charades!

Boxing Day- It was Marie’s birthday, so we hung out and watched some movies and went to Ability to have a few drinks and head out on the town…little did we know NOTHING was going to be open! OOPS so we settled for the only open pub in the area, had a few drinks, and caught the last tube home!

Bournemouth- Dave, Jinou, and I went to go and visit our friends Delila in Bournemouth for the weekend. We wandered the town, saw the sights, and attempted to go to the beach. It was a bit too cold/rainy for that, so we stopped by the bar and had a drink to wait out the rain. When the rain stopped we went out on the pier. After a much needed stroll on the pier we headed back to take a nap and change before going over to see some of Delila’s friends for a few drinks (Several!) then headed to the club for a great night out! Sunday morning we got up and walked into the city centre to see the Christmas market and some decorations. Then headed home to get some rest for the upcoming busy week!

New Years Eve-Over the Holiday Season I have been getting out of work fairly early, but on NYE I was done at noon! So I grabbed some groceries, cooked dinner, and took a nice long nap in preparation for the night ahead! Since the theme of the NYE party we were going to was White Mansion, we had to wear all white! After napping and getting ready we all made dinner and had a few drinks before taking the 1-2 hour train ride to the Club. We arrive JUST before midnight to have out New Year’s Shots…and Drinks! Everyone had a blast and danced the night away! At about 3am we decided it was time to make the trek home since it was going to be a LONG journey and the last train left 4am (didn’t want to miss that one!)

New Year’s Day- It was filled with relaxation, hangovers, hanging out with some friends, lots of Walking Dead, and a ton of junk food! Best way to spend the first day of the New Year!

Manchester/Liverpool-Jinou and I decided to take a little weekend trip to Manchester and Liverpool. We took the early morning train to Manchester on Saturday and made it there just in time to check into our hotel. Let me tell ya, it was a fantastic deal! We paid £35 total for the two of us for one night when the prices at the hotel looked to be around £200 a night. After dropping our stuff of we wandered the city and saw all the sites! It didn’t take us long though since it only took us 5-10 minutes to walk from one end of the city centre to another! Since the weather wasn’t that great we opted to just wander the mall and see what deals we could find! After walking all day, we were ready to sit down and relax for a bit. So back to the hotel for a nap we went! I woke up starving so we got ready for a night out on the town and headed to China Town for dinner! Yummmmmm the Chinese Buffet was fantastic! After dinner we decided to go to the bar/club in our hotel to have a drink and just hang out. Little did we know that cocktail pitchers were only £6 and additional shots only £1…Those were some strong Mr. Jacks (Coke, Jack, Amaretto…and lots more Jack). We ended up staying there and dancing the night away instead of heading to the other end of the city to check out more bars.

After going to bed at about 3am, it was a little difficult to be up and ready to catch our train to Liverpool, little did we know that we bought our train tickets for the wrong date, AND the train we were trying to get on was PACKED due to the Football game in Liverpool later in the afternoon. We finally got to Liverpool only to find out that it was pouring down rain! In an effort to stay dry, we RAN to the nearest museum and wandered to all the indoor sites(more shopping malls!) After a couple hours the rain let up and we were able to walk down to Albert Dock and see the water! On our way back to the train station that evening we stopped by to take a quick peek at the Beetles Museum! We finally made it back to London around 9pm after a long weekend of being super touristy and having fun!