Highland cows!
The photo above is probably my favorite
Loch Ness
What's that in the water?!
Nessie!
From Left to Right: Marie, Colleen, Casey, Rachel, Me
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Around Edinburgh (Day 1 and Day 3)
Edinburgh Castle (below)
Views from the Castle
Shopping (above), Calton Hill Cemetery (below)
View of King Arthur's Seat (below)
Views from Calton Hill
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The Search for Nessie
Scotland was amazing, but I'm feeling a little strange since that was my last trip outside of Ireland before I return to the states... Here's the rundown of our adventures. This time I traveled with Colleen, Marie, Rachel, and Casey. I've traveled with them all at some point, but never in that specific group. All in all it worked out quite well!
Friday we woke up at some ridiculous hour to get our flight from Dublin airport to Edinburgh. The airport was packed. Easter is a particularly popular time to travel, and not just to go visit relatives. As my boss explained to me, people like to take their holidays that weekend and go somewhere fun. I'll explain more on how different Easter was in Edinburgh as compared to my Easter experiences back home in the U.S. later in this entry.
The flight was exceptionally short - 45 minutes or something like that. Security and customs is essentially non-existent when you get off the plane. I'm still always struck by the lower level of formality in European airports, Heathrow being an exception. We took a bus to Edinburgh's city center. As we drove through the outskirts I felt kind of "blah" about the whole place. The apartment buildings looked like dirty versions of Boston's brownstones.
When we drove into the city center, though, my mood shifted completely. The center is different from any other city I've seen! There are mountains in the back, a lot of tall spires, and a fantastic main bridge. The whole city is built on a series of hills. As a result you can often look down a street and see right onto the water. I enjoyed the plethora of monuments and gardens, and Edinburgh Castle resting on a cliff edge above the rest of the city is majestic.
We grabbed breakfast at a cute cafe, where I had french toast for the first time in a long time. I can't recall ever seeing it on a menu in Dublin. And the rashers were actually delicious. I'm starting to wonder, are rashers one of those things that I'm totally sick of now, but I'll miss when I'm gone? If so I guess I'll just order ham or Canadian bacon with my food, they're close enough.
We accidentally walked most of the city looking for our hotel; Edinburgh is rather small. We eventually made it to our hotel, Ailsa Craig, and checked in. What a great choice. For only a couple of Euros more than the hostels we were placed in the nicest room I have stayed in during this trip- huge ceilings, a large TV, wicked comfortable beds, a sparkling white bathroom, and a balcony that led to a garden. Plus a full breakfast in the morning. We really couldn't have found a better deal!
That afternoon we went to Edinburgh Castle. I was not exactly thrilled that everyone was so keen on going. By this point I've seen a lot of castles and the admission was a bit pricey. I sucked it up, though, and I'm glad I did. It was easily the best castle I've seen, even better than Kilkenny Castle, which set a high standard. This was more like an entire castle complex, with spectacular views of the city and numerous different buildings to explore. The only disappointment was the crown jewels section. We went in the wrong side and ended up seeing them before going through the exhibit that explained their history. It was extremely anticlimactic, and somehow I was under the impression that the crown jewel collection consisted of more than a crown, a necklace, and a scepter. The "Stone of Destiny" was also there. Also known as the "Stone of Scone," the stone was used in coronations for a very long line of Scottish kings, but it was taken by England in 1296. England just gave it back to Scotland in 1996, but of course everyone has conspiracy theories and no one believes it's the real stone. Before leaving the castle we had tea and scones at The Red Coat Cafe, which was good, but definitely felt a little odd haha. Marie is quite the character, and she made me say the pledge of allegiance before we walked in the door.
That night we went to Theatre Royal Bar for some pub food. It was good standard pub food and inexpensive. Everyone was really tired, so after dinner we went back and went to sleep. That is my one big regret of the weekend - we never went out at night! The girls I traveled with are all very sweet, but some of them definitely prefer being homebodies. It's not that I'm a party animal by any stretch of the imagination, but I like to go out and talk to people, especially to compare the nightlife with others I've experienced while abroad. Each country is a little different, and the people I meet are always different and more often than not very interesting. If I'm away somewhere totally new for the weekend, for me sleep is a secondary consideration.
The next morning we woke up early to go on the Loch Ness Adventure Tour. This and climbing King Arthur's Seat were the only two parts of the trip I had my heart set on. The tour was scheduled to be 12 hours long (and lasted almost 13) while going through the highlands to reach Loch Ness and back to Edinburgh again. We got on the bus to find an incredibly large group of people traveling together - with at least 5 little babies and 10 kids under 10. 1 or 2 babies, OK, but 5?? No one else seemed as bothered by this, but I'm sorry, who in their right mind brings that many babies and little kids on a 12 hour bus ride for enjoyment?? This wasn't like some mandatory transportation type of deal. Those kids must have been miserable. They were all relatively well-behaved, but there were of course some moments where they all started shrieking. I like babies, but not on a bus, and I don't like having to smell a herd of them getting their diapers changed while I'm trying to enjoy the highlands. Note to self: when you have kids, never, ever subject strangers to that. Don't have 5 babies, and rent a car or skip on a journey that long.
Our tourguide, Peter, was also the grouchiest man imaginable. We tried to be friendly with him, but he wanted none of it. At Loch Ness he threatened to leave without people who weren't on the bus in time. We got there on time but saw that no one was on the bus and that he was outside smoking a cigarette and chatting up some other bus driver. So we decided to wait a few minutes outside in the sun before getting back on the bus. He then got on and started driving away! We had to run up to the bus, and he was extremely angry with us, when we had seen him standing outside smoking! It wasn't like he was actually waiting for us and in a hurry. He also failed to inform us that we were picking up the group that had gone on the boat cruise at another point along the Loch, which was why the bus was nearly empty. However, after a minute we realized that a couple who had sat in front of us (they had also skipped on the boat cruise) were supposed to be on the bus at that point, but weren't. He literally left them at Loch Ness, and he almost left us too! The man was absolutely crazy.
Despite these complaints and crazy stories, I have to say that the highlands essentially speak for themselves. I couldn't do them justice by describing them, and they're tied in my top three scenic places (with Ring of Kerry and Giant's Causeway). If I was to do it again, I wouldn't take a bus tour. Sitting on that bus staring out the window made me feel this intense urge to climb something. Next time I'm in the highlands I'm going mountain hiking. It's definitely a new life goal of mine.
We saw a variety of castles as well, including Castle Anthrax from Monty Python. Sadly I didn't get a good picture of it. Scottish castles, though, on average seem more intact and dare I say more awesome than Irish castles. The weather was also unusually gorgeous that weekend. I've been having such good luck with that lately! Loch Ness was far more beautiful than I predicted too. Apparently you can go swimming in the Loch. If we had known, Marie and I would have definitely brought our bathing suits and taken a quick and frigid dip. How many people can say they've gone swimming in Loch Ness? No Nessie sightings, I must admit, although we forged a few hilarious photos.
Loch Ness has a castle on its edge called Castle Urquhart. After the bus let us off we could choose to go on a boat cruise for 11 pounds or see the castle. We chose the castle, which apparently we were supposed to pay for too, but we accidentally bypassed the ticket man and didn't bother to return. Someone wanted tea, so we sat on the visitor center porch over looking the Loch and the castle, just hanging out. It was then that I realized something was off.
Three months ago, I would have made a mad dash to go check out that castle. And all of our cameras would have been dead already from taking photos of the highlands, so we wouldn't have a single photo of the Loch. But we would have practically jumped into the thing, bathing suits or no bathing suits. Instead, there we were, having tea, chatting, just looking at it from time to time.
That moment made me come to a tough conclusion. Let me explain. My friend Rachel has done two study abroads now. She's been to China, lived in Brazil, and gone to a billion other places. She's going to study in Paris for the fall. She takes next to no pictures, and though she's a wonderful person, she looks down a bit on those of us who do still take photos. She thinks of Ireland and Scotland as comparatively unexciting because she's had the culture shock of a non-Western country, and she's been seeing so many great things for so long now that when she sees what really are some of the most awe-inspiring things in the world, she's barely phased. I don't want to be like that. I need a break from travelling. I want to feel in awe again of every experience I get to have here. Don't get me wrong, I was definitely impressed at various points, but I didn't feel it as deeply as I know I should have. I need to go home, take a break from the sensory overload, get into a routine (as difficult as that may be for me now), and then come back to travel with a renewed appreciation.
I wished we had planned the next day in Edinburgh a little better, because we never did get to King Arthur's Seat. Still, we had a great day. We set off looking for this National Gallery exhibit that had posters everywhere showing sheep in a box. However, we went into the wrong gallery and ended up seeing their national collection of paintings and sculptures. While Rachel and Marie seemed to enjoy it, I was completely underwhelmed. They had some Titian and Degas, but it was their lesser-known, quite frankly lower quality paintings. The only painting I had a good deal of familiarity with was one by Velasquez entitled "Old Woman Frying Eggs." In the gallery's defense I'm now comparing everything to the Prado, which is probably the worst thing to judge other places by as it was so ridiculously amazing. We never did find those sheep in a box that Colleen had her heart set on seeing.
What a strange Easter! The streets were packed and everyone was out and about. Even Colleen, who went to mass, said it was an in-and-out type service, unlike her church at home. She was done in 40 minutes. In the states I feel like it's more expected for people to be traveling around Easter, and then spend it at mass and/or inside with their families. Here there was a far greater emphasis on tourism, and for the locals it seemed to be a pretty regular day. Maybe it would have been different if I had spent it in Ireland?
We did do a little shopping and wandering around. Edinburgh has some great shopping areas with a lot of performance artists in the streets. When a city has lively, exciting street activity and great public spaces, it gets a major plus in my book. We ate at a place called The Tron for lunch/dinner, which I cannot recommend enough. I ate a huge delicious meal and had a hot chocolate for all of 4 pounds. It's definitely a locals hang out and a hidden treasure. If you're ever in Edinburgh, GO TO THE TRON!
Having some time to kill, we headed back towards our hotel and then up towards Calton Hill. We found a wicked old cemetery on the way up, and who would have known, but the philosopher David Hume was buried there! At the top of Calton Hill we could see vast portions of the city. The day was beautiful so we took our time wandering and lounging, listening to people playing guitar. A group of people were doing some odd sort of circular dance with sticks. Apparently Calton Hill is a popular place for pagan worship, according to the man at the front desk of our hotel. We then made our way back to the hotel, picked up our stuff, and got the bus to the airport.
Edinburgh airport is my favorite ever for two reasons: 1) They have a Wetherspoons, which is beyond inexpensive and has the best sticky toffee pudding in the world, 2) The security man was absolutely hilarious and friendly. What more can one ask from an airport? Our Aer Lingus flight actually took off early because everyone was on board and seated. I'm guessing that's the first time in Ireland's history that something has happened early (besides closing shop of course).
Overall: This trip was a mixed bag. The prices were incredibly low compared to Dublin, even with the exchange rate factored in (although Granada still wins for cheapest city). The girls I went with are all sweethearts, and we got along fabulously, but I wish we had gone out at night. From what I could pick up of the culture, it seems a bit of a cross between Ireland and England. There's some resentment of England and English culture, but not quite to the same degree. The stores, currency...all of that was more English. Edinburgh is a lovely city. I'd go back to visit again, but I'd never live there because it's too small. I would definitely go back to hike the highlands and climb King Arthur's Seat. I've probably complained a bit too much here. The truth of the matter is, I did have a great time, and I wouldn't have traded seeing Scotland for anything. I'm glad it was my final trip. Next big adventure: the U.S. in 10 days.
Friday we woke up at some ridiculous hour to get our flight from Dublin airport to Edinburgh. The airport was packed. Easter is a particularly popular time to travel, and not just to go visit relatives. As my boss explained to me, people like to take their holidays that weekend and go somewhere fun. I'll explain more on how different Easter was in Edinburgh as compared to my Easter experiences back home in the U.S. later in this entry.
The flight was exceptionally short - 45 minutes or something like that. Security and customs is essentially non-existent when you get off the plane. I'm still always struck by the lower level of formality in European airports, Heathrow being an exception. We took a bus to Edinburgh's city center. As we drove through the outskirts I felt kind of "blah" about the whole place. The apartment buildings looked like dirty versions of Boston's brownstones.
When we drove into the city center, though, my mood shifted completely. The center is different from any other city I've seen! There are mountains in the back, a lot of tall spires, and a fantastic main bridge. The whole city is built on a series of hills. As a result you can often look down a street and see right onto the water. I enjoyed the plethora of monuments and gardens, and Edinburgh Castle resting on a cliff edge above the rest of the city is majestic.
We grabbed breakfast at a cute cafe, where I had french toast for the first time in a long time. I can't recall ever seeing it on a menu in Dublin. And the rashers were actually delicious. I'm starting to wonder, are rashers one of those things that I'm totally sick of now, but I'll miss when I'm gone? If so I guess I'll just order ham or Canadian bacon with my food, they're close enough.
We accidentally walked most of the city looking for our hotel; Edinburgh is rather small. We eventually made it to our hotel, Ailsa Craig, and checked in. What a great choice. For only a couple of Euros more than the hostels we were placed in the nicest room I have stayed in during this trip- huge ceilings, a large TV, wicked comfortable beds, a sparkling white bathroom, and a balcony that led to a garden. Plus a full breakfast in the morning. We really couldn't have found a better deal!
That afternoon we went to Edinburgh Castle. I was not exactly thrilled that everyone was so keen on going. By this point I've seen a lot of castles and the admission was a bit pricey. I sucked it up, though, and I'm glad I did. It was easily the best castle I've seen, even better than Kilkenny Castle, which set a high standard. This was more like an entire castle complex, with spectacular views of the city and numerous different buildings to explore. The only disappointment was the crown jewels section. We went in the wrong side and ended up seeing them before going through the exhibit that explained their history. It was extremely anticlimactic, and somehow I was under the impression that the crown jewel collection consisted of more than a crown, a necklace, and a scepter. The "Stone of Destiny" was also there. Also known as the "Stone of Scone," the stone was used in coronations for a very long line of Scottish kings, but it was taken by England in 1296. England just gave it back to Scotland in 1996, but of course everyone has conspiracy theories and no one believes it's the real stone. Before leaving the castle we had tea and scones at The Red Coat Cafe, which was good, but definitely felt a little odd haha. Marie is quite the character, and she made me say the pledge of allegiance before we walked in the door.
That night we went to Theatre Royal Bar for some pub food. It was good standard pub food and inexpensive. Everyone was really tired, so after dinner we went back and went to sleep. That is my one big regret of the weekend - we never went out at night! The girls I traveled with are all very sweet, but some of them definitely prefer being homebodies. It's not that I'm a party animal by any stretch of the imagination, but I like to go out and talk to people, especially to compare the nightlife with others I've experienced while abroad. Each country is a little different, and the people I meet are always different and more often than not very interesting. If I'm away somewhere totally new for the weekend, for me sleep is a secondary consideration.
The next morning we woke up early to go on the Loch Ness Adventure Tour. This and climbing King Arthur's Seat were the only two parts of the trip I had my heart set on. The tour was scheduled to be 12 hours long (and lasted almost 13) while going through the highlands to reach Loch Ness and back to Edinburgh again. We got on the bus to find an incredibly large group of people traveling together - with at least 5 little babies and 10 kids under 10. 1 or 2 babies, OK, but 5?? No one else seemed as bothered by this, but I'm sorry, who in their right mind brings that many babies and little kids on a 12 hour bus ride for enjoyment?? This wasn't like some mandatory transportation type of deal. Those kids must have been miserable. They were all relatively well-behaved, but there were of course some moments where they all started shrieking. I like babies, but not on a bus, and I don't like having to smell a herd of them getting their diapers changed while I'm trying to enjoy the highlands. Note to self: when you have kids, never, ever subject strangers to that. Don't have 5 babies, and rent a car or skip on a journey that long.
Our tourguide, Peter, was also the grouchiest man imaginable. We tried to be friendly with him, but he wanted none of it. At Loch Ness he threatened to leave without people who weren't on the bus in time. We got there on time but saw that no one was on the bus and that he was outside smoking a cigarette and chatting up some other bus driver. So we decided to wait a few minutes outside in the sun before getting back on the bus. He then got on and started driving away! We had to run up to the bus, and he was extremely angry with us, when we had seen him standing outside smoking! It wasn't like he was actually waiting for us and in a hurry. He also failed to inform us that we were picking up the group that had gone on the boat cruise at another point along the Loch, which was why the bus was nearly empty. However, after a minute we realized that a couple who had sat in front of us (they had also skipped on the boat cruise) were supposed to be on the bus at that point, but weren't. He literally left them at Loch Ness, and he almost left us too! The man was absolutely crazy.
Despite these complaints and crazy stories, I have to say that the highlands essentially speak for themselves. I couldn't do them justice by describing them, and they're tied in my top three scenic places (with Ring of Kerry and Giant's Causeway). If I was to do it again, I wouldn't take a bus tour. Sitting on that bus staring out the window made me feel this intense urge to climb something. Next time I'm in the highlands I'm going mountain hiking. It's definitely a new life goal of mine.
We saw a variety of castles as well, including Castle Anthrax from Monty Python. Sadly I didn't get a good picture of it. Scottish castles, though, on average seem more intact and dare I say more awesome than Irish castles. The weather was also unusually gorgeous that weekend. I've been having such good luck with that lately! Loch Ness was far more beautiful than I predicted too. Apparently you can go swimming in the Loch. If we had known, Marie and I would have definitely brought our bathing suits and taken a quick and frigid dip. How many people can say they've gone swimming in Loch Ness? No Nessie sightings, I must admit, although we forged a few hilarious photos.
Loch Ness has a castle on its edge called Castle Urquhart. After the bus let us off we could choose to go on a boat cruise for 11 pounds or see the castle. We chose the castle, which apparently we were supposed to pay for too, but we accidentally bypassed the ticket man and didn't bother to return. Someone wanted tea, so we sat on the visitor center porch over looking the Loch and the castle, just hanging out. It was then that I realized something was off.
Three months ago, I would have made a mad dash to go check out that castle. And all of our cameras would have been dead already from taking photos of the highlands, so we wouldn't have a single photo of the Loch. But we would have practically jumped into the thing, bathing suits or no bathing suits. Instead, there we were, having tea, chatting, just looking at it from time to time.
That moment made me come to a tough conclusion. Let me explain. My friend Rachel has done two study abroads now. She's been to China, lived in Brazil, and gone to a billion other places. She's going to study in Paris for the fall. She takes next to no pictures, and though she's a wonderful person, she looks down a bit on those of us who do still take photos. She thinks of Ireland and Scotland as comparatively unexciting because she's had the culture shock of a non-Western country, and she's been seeing so many great things for so long now that when she sees what really are some of the most awe-inspiring things in the world, she's barely phased. I don't want to be like that. I need a break from travelling. I want to feel in awe again of every experience I get to have here. Don't get me wrong, I was definitely impressed at various points, but I didn't feel it as deeply as I know I should have. I need to go home, take a break from the sensory overload, get into a routine (as difficult as that may be for me now), and then come back to travel with a renewed appreciation.
I wished we had planned the next day in Edinburgh a little better, because we never did get to King Arthur's Seat. Still, we had a great day. We set off looking for this National Gallery exhibit that had posters everywhere showing sheep in a box. However, we went into the wrong gallery and ended up seeing their national collection of paintings and sculptures. While Rachel and Marie seemed to enjoy it, I was completely underwhelmed. They had some Titian and Degas, but it was their lesser-known, quite frankly lower quality paintings. The only painting I had a good deal of familiarity with was one by Velasquez entitled "Old Woman Frying Eggs." In the gallery's defense I'm now comparing everything to the Prado, which is probably the worst thing to judge other places by as it was so ridiculously amazing. We never did find those sheep in a box that Colleen had her heart set on seeing.
What a strange Easter! The streets were packed and everyone was out and about. Even Colleen, who went to mass, said it was an in-and-out type service, unlike her church at home. She was done in 40 minutes. In the states I feel like it's more expected for people to be traveling around Easter, and then spend it at mass and/or inside with their families. Here there was a far greater emphasis on tourism, and for the locals it seemed to be a pretty regular day. Maybe it would have been different if I had spent it in Ireland?
We did do a little shopping and wandering around. Edinburgh has some great shopping areas with a lot of performance artists in the streets. When a city has lively, exciting street activity and great public spaces, it gets a major plus in my book. We ate at a place called The Tron for lunch/dinner, which I cannot recommend enough. I ate a huge delicious meal and had a hot chocolate for all of 4 pounds. It's definitely a locals hang out and a hidden treasure. If you're ever in Edinburgh, GO TO THE TRON!
Having some time to kill, we headed back towards our hotel and then up towards Calton Hill. We found a wicked old cemetery on the way up, and who would have known, but the philosopher David Hume was buried there! At the top of Calton Hill we could see vast portions of the city. The day was beautiful so we took our time wandering and lounging, listening to people playing guitar. A group of people were doing some odd sort of circular dance with sticks. Apparently Calton Hill is a popular place for pagan worship, according to the man at the front desk of our hotel. We then made our way back to the hotel, picked up our stuff, and got the bus to the airport.
Edinburgh airport is my favorite ever for two reasons: 1) They have a Wetherspoons, which is beyond inexpensive and has the best sticky toffee pudding in the world, 2) The security man was absolutely hilarious and friendly. What more can one ask from an airport? Our Aer Lingus flight actually took off early because everyone was on board and seated. I'm guessing that's the first time in Ireland's history that something has happened early (besides closing shop of course).
Overall: This trip was a mixed bag. The prices were incredibly low compared to Dublin, even with the exchange rate factored in (although Granada still wins for cheapest city). The girls I went with are all sweethearts, and we got along fabulously, but I wish we had gone out at night. From what I could pick up of the culture, it seems a bit of a cross between Ireland and England. There's some resentment of England and English culture, but not quite to the same degree. The stores, currency...all of that was more English. Edinburgh is a lovely city. I'd go back to visit again, but I'd never live there because it's too small. I would definitely go back to hike the highlands and climb King Arthur's Seat. I've probably complained a bit too much here. The truth of the matter is, I did have a great time, and I wouldn't have traded seeing Scotland for anything. I'm glad it was my final trip. Next big adventure: the U.S. in 10 days.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
London in 29 hours
London was absolutely, unbelievably fantastic!! Just thinking about it has made me smile all week :)
It was a whirlwind trip - factoring out travel I had something crazy like 32 hours in the city...but I only slept about 3, so in the end I got to see and do tons of things for such a short amount of time. From beginning to end, my trip was filled with non-stop adventures!
My plane on Friday night was delayed by about an hour, which was slightly annoying to say the least. Going through security was yet another Irish experience. One of the guards pulled a man's bag aside and took out his spray deodorant, explaining to him that it didn't meet the liquids requirement. The man argued back, saying "Do you want me to smell all weekend?" until he finally just took the bottle from the guard and started dousing himself in the stuff, spraying it absolutely everywhere. I could tell the security guard was trying to hold back his laughter, and he waited for the man to finish before he asked him, "Are you done with that now?" to which the man responded, "I guess I am!" Everyone in the area was laughing. I couldn't help but think that if you did that in a U.S. airport, as soon as you opened that spray, security would likely have a gun to your head.
Upon arriving in London I had to find my way to my friends' place. Two of my best friends from BU - Zoe and Cherelle - are studying abroad there and offered to house me for the night. I was a bit nervous about this part of the journey, but it was without reason. The London underground (the Tube), is absolutely incredible, and the worker was so helpful when I purchased my oyster card. I've never been on a public transit system so efficient - it definitely gave me a great first impression.
I arrived at their place sometime around 11:30pm. My friends Maya and Christine (who I visited in Venice) were also in London for the weekend. They had already gone out, so Zoe, Cherelle, their roommate Lori (who is an absolute sweetheart), and I went to join up with them at a place called Zoo Bar. Not my type of place, really, but I still had such a good night out with my girls. It's been awhile since we've all seen each other, and I've missed them so much!
We got back late and only had a few hours sleep before Christine, Maya, and I got up early to see the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. Somehow I ended up in the front, and have a ton of great pictures to show for it! I'm glad I got to see it (they only have the full ceremony every other day, so I lucked out), but truth be told I found the whole thing kind of excessive. Oh well, that's royalty I guess.
Maya, Christine, and me at the gates of Buckingham Palace
Princess Diana Memorial - you can see the London Eye in the background
Giant swans roaming the walkways
Peter!The market must have been over a mile long, and packed on both sides with shops and stalls. By the end we were exhausted, but we pushed through and made our way to the London Eye for sunset. Everyone says the same thing - the London Eye is extremely overpriced, but if you're a tourist you should do it. Well it was definitely overpriced, but I can't complain as much as most people. It takes a half hour to go around - the lights in the city started to come on as we were making our way back down. With the sky so unnaturally clear and the sun setting in the background, I really did get the best view of London that anyone could ever hope for, and I saw it with some of the best company imaginable.
You may be wondering at this point: Did you see Big Ben and Westminster Abbey? Get prepared for a ton of beautiful photos...of pretty much the same thing.
Maya, Christine, Me, and Big Ben!
That night we went out for Japanese food. Food prices in London are shockingly lower than in Dublin. The amount of money I spent for food all day was comparable to one decent dinner out in Dublin. It was also delicious, but the service was terrible. I guess bad service is as common in England as it is in Ireland - Zoe, Cherelle, and Lori all had horror stories too. This Japanese restaurant wasn't particularly fancy. We had ordered a ton of food, appetizers, and some drinks, but the waiter had the nerve to tell us to keep it down - we were laughing too loudly!
I must say, I have noticed since I've been here that a lot of American groups are distinguishable by their style of laugh. It's not just full-belly, it's full-body laughter. To be honest, I quite like this general American laughter - sure, it's not quiet, but it gives the place a happy and lively atmosphere.
That night we were too tired to go out, so we hung out at their apartment. I had to take a night bus at 3am to get to the airport. My flight was at 6:40am. The bus driver wasn't very nice - he told me to get off at the wrong place, and I had a lot of difficulty finding my terminal. In the end, though, I got to my gate with plenty of time to spare. My Aer Lingus flight was actually enjoyable! One of the stewards moved me back to a seat with more leg room and no other passengers just because, and the takeoff and landing were so smooth you would think we had never left the ground. I also got to see the sunrise over London and fly over Ireland during the day for the first time.
My conclusions from my trip to London:
1) It was a cool experience traveling alone. I wouldn't do it just anywhere, but I felt completely comfortable doing it from Dublin to the UK.
2) London is totally overwhelming, yet somehow manageable. It's huge, but so exciting!
3) London desperately needs more garbage cans.
4) Still, I was way more impressed by London than I ever could have imagined. This was just a taste, and I desperately want to go back again. I think I wanted to feel indifferent or even dislike it on principle alone, but that's the kind of city with which I could fall in love - at the very least it was instant infatuation.
5) I'm glad I chose to study in Dublin and not London. Dublin feels like another home now. I always breathe a sigh of relief when the plane lands back in Dublin (it's where my heart is and my loyalties lie), and I think Irish culture is a tad bit less American than London culture (on first impression anyways). That would make sense, seeing as it's modernized so late. I wouldn't mind spending another semester in London too, though!
6) I need to stop falling in love with so many places.
7) I desperately miss my friends from home and BU. I have some good friends here in Dublin, and an amazing one in Jackie, but the group dynamic when compared to home and BU is SEVERELY lacking. I've gotten so spoiled with my groups of friends, and as weird as it may sound I've had to come to terms with the fact that that level of connection and support isn't the norm. This weekend was both a painful reminder of what I'm missing back home, and a reason to get excited about returning. I have so much to leave behind, but so much to look forward to.
On the Eye - Left to Right: Zoe, Lori, Me, Christine, Maya, and Cherelle
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