I made it through Heathrow and back to Brookline! This is going to be my last Scotland-related blog post and because I promised some people:
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Last day in Glasgow...
Today is my last day in Glasgow (assuming I make it out of here tomorrow...) and because of that I want to share what I will miss most about my semester in Glasgow.
1. The proximity of everything in Europe. It is so easy to travel around!
2. Having my own room/bathroom.
3. Megan and Aldonza.
4. Bagpiping class.
5. Hidden Lane Tearoom.
6. How everything is walking distance away from each other.
7. ScotRail.
8. 1 and 2 pound coins.
9. The sky and clouds.
10. Cheers!
Now, as long as my flight tomorrow isn't messed up and I don't have to sleep in Heathrow for 3 days, I will remember these good aspects of my semester and everything will be fine. Fingers crossed!!!!!
1. The proximity of everything in Europe. It is so easy to travel around!
2. Having my own room/bathroom.
3. Megan and Aldonza.
4. Bagpiping class.
5. Hidden Lane Tearoom.
6. How everything is walking distance away from each other.
7. ScotRail.
8. 1 and 2 pound coins.
9. The sky and clouds.
10. Cheers!
Now, as long as my flight tomorrow isn't messed up and I don't have to sleep in Heathrow for 3 days, I will remember these good aspects of my semester and everything will be fine. Fingers crossed!!!!!
Monday, December 20, 2010
Prince William Watch 2010
St Andrews is by far the most beautiful town everrr!!!!
Megan and I took the train up to St Andrews for a day. We started with the castle and then worked our way through the town. The castle was amazing. It is old and in ruins and it was so much fun to walk around. It is right on the water and was so beautiful.
After exploring the castle ruins we went down underneath the castle. There were these tunnels that were low and damp. It was kinda scary, but really fun to see how far they went.
When we were finished with the castle we went over to the cathedral and saw those ruins. They were exactly like the pictures. We walked around the cemetery and went up the tower and took a whole bunch of pictures. After the cathedral we walked over to the water.
After the pier thing we walked over to the beach and played there for a bit. There were some people in the water (who must've been crazy!) and dogs running up and down the beach. So adorable. After the beach we made our way into the town center and got some hot chocolate. We de-thawed and then continued to wander around the city, saw the old city limits, and found the university! No Prince William though :(
Megan and I took the train up to St Andrews for a day. We started with the castle and then worked our way through the town. The castle was amazing. It is old and in ruins and it was so much fun to walk around. It is right on the water and was so beautiful.
After exploring the castle ruins we went down underneath the castle. There were these tunnels that were low and damp. It was kinda scary, but really fun to see how far they went.
When we were finished with the castle we went over to the cathedral and saw those ruins. They were exactly like the pictures. We walked around the cemetery and went up the tower and took a whole bunch of pictures. After the cathedral we walked over to the water.
After the pier thing we walked over to the beach and played there for a bit. There were some people in the water (who must've been crazy!) and dogs running up and down the beach. So adorable. After the beach we made our way into the town center and got some hot chocolate. We de-thawed and then continued to wander around the city, saw the old city limits, and found the university! No Prince William though :(
Sunday, December 19, 2010
No Somos de Aqui
Megan and I went to Barcelona!!!
We got there late Friday night and didn't do much except get dinner and settle in at the hostel.
On Saturday morning La Sagrada Familia was our first stop. It is so beautiful. They started building in 100 years ago and still aren't done yet! How crazy is that.
The inside is just as amazing as the outside. It is huge and there are amazing stained glass windows and architecture. (Check out my facebook for pictures of the inside.) This was by far our favorite part of the trip. When going over our favorite and least favorite parts of the weekend, La Sagrada Familia was on the top of both of our lists.
After exploring the cathedral we took the train over to find the Parc Guell which was designed by Gaudi, the same person who designed the cathedral. It was a beautiful park with this flat part surrounded by benches that overlook the city. On this part there were a bunch of performers, musicians and dancers, as well as people selling little pieces of jewelry.
On our way out we passed by someone dressed as one of Gaudi's lizard things. So of course, I had to get a picture with it.
After spending some time at the park we headed back into the city and made our way to the Picasso Museum! It was a beautiful building. There was this courtyard thing and then the museum was inside the upstairs half. The museum was set up in a specific way. Each room was numbered and you were supposed to go through in order. I like this about museums in Europe. For dinner we went to a Tapas place!
On our second day in Barcelona we got up and went to the Joan Miro museum. On our way there we walked through this amazing park with flowers and fountains. In the park we found 2 cats and played with them for a bit. They were very friendly.
After making it through the park and up to the museum we looked around. Once again, the museum was ordered chronologically and it was really fun to see the progression of his art throughout time.
After the museum we got some lunch and went down to La Rambla, this street market thing with some food, little vendors, and performer people. One of the performers was floating somehow. Megan thinks she figured out how he was doing it, but it was still really cool.
After we walked up and down that street a couple times, we headed over to the water. There was this boat museum thing we went on by the dock.
Then we made it to the beach! The weather was really nice so Megan waded into the Mediterranean while I just touched it. Then we picked up some rocks, sat in the sand for a little while, and then hot chocolate and coffee. That weekend there was a petition going on for Catalan to gain independence from Spain. While we were walking around people kept stopping us and asking if we were from Barcelona. Did we really look like we were from there? We had a map, a book, and a giant camera. Really? Every time they stopped us I would respond with, "no somos de aqui." I hope that was correct!
While we had a little bit of sun left, we went over to look at some of Gaudi's houses. We got a little confused about where we were, mostly because the Lonely Planet maps aren't too great.
Then we had some paella for dinner and went to a Flamenco performance! It was a half hour long. The first few pieces were just music, and then the last one included the dancer. It was so pretty! Flamenco is a very serious dance. She looked almost angry for most of it, but she was moving so fast that I bet it's hard to keep calm while dancing like that.
After the performance Megan and I headed back to the hostel and turned in for the night.
It was a short trip, but we managed to see a lot of Barcelona, so, success!!
We got there late Friday night and didn't do much except get dinner and settle in at the hostel.
On Saturday morning La Sagrada Familia was our first stop. It is so beautiful. They started building in 100 years ago and still aren't done yet! How crazy is that.
The inside is just as amazing as the outside. It is huge and there are amazing stained glass windows and architecture. (Check out my facebook for pictures of the inside.) This was by far our favorite part of the trip. When going over our favorite and least favorite parts of the weekend, La Sagrada Familia was on the top of both of our lists.
After exploring the cathedral we took the train over to find the Parc Guell which was designed by Gaudi, the same person who designed the cathedral. It was a beautiful park with this flat part surrounded by benches that overlook the city. On this part there were a bunch of performers, musicians and dancers, as well as people selling little pieces of jewelry.
On our way out we passed by someone dressed as one of Gaudi's lizard things. So of course, I had to get a picture with it.
After spending some time at the park we headed back into the city and made our way to the Picasso Museum! It was a beautiful building. There was this courtyard thing and then the museum was inside the upstairs half. The museum was set up in a specific way. Each room was numbered and you were supposed to go through in order. I like this about museums in Europe. For dinner we went to a Tapas place!
On our second day in Barcelona we got up and went to the Joan Miro museum. On our way there we walked through this amazing park with flowers and fountains. In the park we found 2 cats and played with them for a bit. They were very friendly.
After making it through the park and up to the museum we looked around. Once again, the museum was ordered chronologically and it was really fun to see the progression of his art throughout time.
After the museum we got some lunch and went down to La Rambla, this street market thing with some food, little vendors, and performer people. One of the performers was floating somehow. Megan thinks she figured out how he was doing it, but it was still really cool.
After we walked up and down that street a couple times, we headed over to the water. There was this boat museum thing we went on by the dock.
Then we made it to the beach! The weather was really nice so Megan waded into the Mediterranean while I just touched it. Then we picked up some rocks, sat in the sand for a little while, and then hot chocolate and coffee. That weekend there was a petition going on for Catalan to gain independence from Spain. While we were walking around people kept stopping us and asking if we were from Barcelona. Did we really look like we were from there? We had a map, a book, and a giant camera. Really? Every time they stopped us I would respond with, "no somos de aqui." I hope that was correct!
While we had a little bit of sun left, we went over to look at some of Gaudi's houses. We got a little confused about where we were, mostly because the Lonely Planet maps aren't too great.
Then we had some paella for dinner and went to a Flamenco performance! It was a half hour long. The first few pieces were just music, and then the last one included the dancer. It was so pretty! Flamenco is a very serious dance. She looked almost angry for most of it, but she was moving so fast that I bet it's hard to keep calm while dancing like that.
After the performance Megan and I headed back to the hostel and turned in for the night.
It was a short trip, but we managed to see a lot of Barcelona, so, success!!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Whoa man...look at the sky...
Lee thinks I'm on drugs every time I talk about how cool the sky is here. I'm sure the sky is cool at home too, but maybe I just never noticed? Anyway, I've gotten into the habit of taking pictures of the sky, both out my window and when I'm outside. Here are a couple of awesome ones!
Friday, December 17, 2010
The Bagpipe!
I played a real bagpipe! Well, played should probably be in quotes.... I manage to make a sound, which is more than some of the people in my class can say, but it was not a constant sound and did not sound good. I feel that I do not have the lung capacity to play the real bagpipes. It took me forever to inflate the bag, and every time I stopped to take a breath, the bag would start to deflate and I would have to start all over again. The best part of this, though, was that I brought my camera that day. Enjoy!
The Snow Can't Stop Us!
During Lee's last week in Glasgow, we made a point to try to stay in Glasgow so he could see it as well as the rest of Scotland. We started out by going to the Kelvingrove Museum. On the first day we went, we got kicked out 15 minutes before closing, so we had to go back the next day.
It was a lot of fun to show him around because I got to show him all of my favorite parts. We saw the section on Egypt and played with the hands-on activities. We also got to check out the science section and the animals. After going to that museum so many times I know my way around and I think that helped make the most out of our visits.
Another Glasgow activity during the week was the cathedral. It was covered in snow which was beautiful, but also slippery. I fell...only once though! Again, it was nice to be able to show Lee the cathedral. My Archeology class went on a field trip there, so I know some of the history which came in handy.
On Wednesday we went back to Edinburgh to see the palace since we didn't have time over the weekend. The night before we went, Lee and I did a lot of research on Scottish history, so we knew about some of the people that the audio guide covered. Even for my 3rd time going through, I still learned new things, crazy, no?
Edinburgh was really pretty in the snow, especially the castle. Lee and I went to get lunch at the Elephant House and had a nice view of the castle. Really the whole city turns into Christmas central during the winter. There is this whole Christmas village thing there! (stay tuned for more about that in a couple posts)
On Thursday in Glasgow I still had some classes, but at night we went to a comedy club. It was stand up night and since Lee and I got there after most other people, we had to sit in the front. And since we were sitting in the front, Lee got picked on (it didn't help that we are American). The comedians liked to keep pointing out that we were American and they made fun of us. Luckily, the jokes were funny, so we didn't mind so much.
On Friday, our last day together in Glasgow, Lee and I went to the Hidden Lane Tearoom for high tea. It was sooo good. We had little sandwiches, and scones, and desserts.
Unfortunately Lee had to leave the next morning. His journey home was a story by itself consisting of 6 hours total of delay and 4 days without his luggage. It all worked out though, so hooray!
It was a lot of fun to show him around because I got to show him all of my favorite parts. We saw the section on Egypt and played with the hands-on activities. We also got to check out the science section and the animals. After going to that museum so many times I know my way around and I think that helped make the most out of our visits.
Another Glasgow activity during the week was the cathedral. It was covered in snow which was beautiful, but also slippery. I fell...only once though! Again, it was nice to be able to show Lee the cathedral. My Archeology class went on a field trip there, so I know some of the history which came in handy.
On Wednesday we went back to Edinburgh to see the palace since we didn't have time over the weekend. The night before we went, Lee and I did a lot of research on Scottish history, so we knew about some of the people that the audio guide covered. Even for my 3rd time going through, I still learned new things, crazy, no?
Edinburgh was really pretty in the snow, especially the castle. Lee and I went to get lunch at the Elephant House and had a nice view of the castle. Really the whole city turns into Christmas central during the winter. There is this whole Christmas village thing there! (stay tuned for more about that in a couple posts)
On Thursday in Glasgow I still had some classes, but at night we went to a comedy club. It was stand up night and since Lee and I got there after most other people, we had to sit in the front. And since we were sitting in the front, Lee got picked on (it didn't help that we are American). The comedians liked to keep pointing out that we were American and they made fun of us. Luckily, the jokes were funny, so we didn't mind so much.
On Friday, our last day together in Glasgow, Lee and I went to the Hidden Lane Tearoom for high tea. It was sooo good. We had little sandwiches, and scones, and desserts.
Unfortunately Lee had to leave the next morning. His journey home was a story by itself consisting of 6 hours total of delay and 4 days without his luggage. It all worked out though, so hooray!
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