Markets and Greenwich

"Spring Break" officially started last Saturday but we did not leave for our trip (next blog) till Tuesday. My roomies and I figured it was time to start that whole touristy thing again and we filled all day Saturday by going to a ton of different markets. The first market we went to was called Borough Market. This is a food market that sells as many different types of food you can think of. I tried all different things such as samosas to rice balls and other very friend and unhealthy types of ethnic foods. And the samples were sooo much better then Costco samples.  The other market we visited was called Portebello Market in Notting Hill. On different days this market sells different things and Saturdays they sell antique everything. It was absolutely huge, we couldn't even get through the whole market. On Sunday my roomies and I decided to head to Greenwich. We started the day off with yet another food market because we are now addicted. Next we visited the Royal Observatory. This is where the Prime Meridian is held, and you can see the most magnificent view of Greenwich, North Greenwich, Canary Wharf and more. We walked past the National Maritime Museum, the Old Royal Naval College, and Cutty Stark(fastest sailing ship in its day). In the end it was a nice relaxing/ touristy weekend before our big trip to Barcelona, which will be my next blog post.

Ireland

       So truth is, there is actually no pot of gold, nor a leprechaun at the end of a rainbow. Believe me, I checked. On Friday I went to Ireland, and had more fun that I could possibly express in a blog post. I have never been around such happy and warm people like the Irish. My roommates and I stayed at a little Bed and Breakfast about thirty minutes by bus away from Dublin, in a little town called Swords. The name of the B&B we stayed in was called the Glenshandan Lodge. It was so quaint and fabulous and the family who ran it were so kind to us. By the time we were settled at the lodge we were too tired to head to Dublin so we went for drinks and dinner within Swords. We found a place called the OldBoro which had the best pies and service on this planet. We made friends with all the waiters, actually playing bar games with them, and listened to live music, of course all classic American songs. At one point, a man of about thirty came up to our table, placed down a giant pitcher of beer, and said "I was a student once," and left before we could even say thank you. We were accepted by everyone, and I couldn't have felt happier. The next day we actually went into Dublin. Our first stop was the Dublin castle, originally built in the 16th century, but modified throughout generations. We took a tour, and attempted to take silly pictures in almost every mirror we encountered. My favorite room in the castle was the throne room. My roommate and I even acted out a scenario where she was the Queen and I her lowly peasant. We silly Americans. After the castle, we went to the Guinness Factory. We took a tour of the brewery which was gigantic, but my favorite part was when we were taught how to pour the beer. They have this really technical way to do it (which I find ridiculous) but anyways I received a certificate saying I was an expert. I doubt I can put it on my resumé, but pouring Guinness could possible be a good party trick so it's all good. Once we poured our own beers we were able to go to the very top of the factory to a place called the gravity bar. The gravity bar looked out over the whole city of Dublin and you could see Christ church, the castle, and other iconic sites from there. To get back to the center of town we took a horse and carriage through the streets, which was definitely a different experience. Didn't have to worry about gas money so theres that. We eventually made it back to our lodge only to head back to Dublin about an hour later to a place called the Temple Bar District. This part of Dublin is the touristy section where a ton of bars and pubs are. We had a lot of fun times (most I can't mention in this blog) and met a lot of great people. The next day (Sunday) we decided to go to this place called Malahide, which is on the shores of Ireland. Malahide is famous for their castle, which was family owned up till the 70's then donated to the state. We got to go on a guided tour of this castle and its botanical gardens. After the castle we went for a walk along the marina on the coast of Malahide, which is where I saw the lovely rainbow mentioned above. I guess it's only fitting I would see and rainbow in Ireland, but like I said, no pot of gold. I may or may not have kept some sea shells I collected on the beach, because yes I am a hoarder. Our flight was later on Sunday and we were all so sad to leave. I am making it my mission to head back to Ireland as soon as possible because their is so much more I would like to see and so many more wonderful people I would like to talk to.

     I also can't forget the fact that on Monday night I was able to see Wicked in London with my program. The last time I saw this play I was about ten years old and completely forgot most of the key elements of this play. For example I thought the witch actually did turn bad, and I totally forgot the ending (I wont give it away for those who haven't seen it). It was soo good and I was mouthing all the words to most of the songs with little or no shame. It's been a great couple of days, and sorry to overwhelm you all with this giant blog but I have so much to tell and I want to make sure everyone gets to be a part of my journey. One thing I have always been sure of in my life is my dream to travel, and I can't believe it is finally happening. I'm even at the point where I wish I had more time here so I can see even more places, but I guess I have the rest of my life for that.

Malahide Castle

Malahide Castle

Queen and Peasant

Pouring Guinness

Rainbow

Oxford

           Hi everybody, I hope you aren't missing me too much! There isn't much to say but I did go to Oxford this past Saturday. Lets just say Oxford is nothing like UConn. Most of the buildings were built in the 16th and 17th century. Giant, aging buildings tower over the entire city of Oxford. 38 different colleges make up Oxford, each containing a variety of students. I loved how ancient everything looked from the outside, but as soon as you walked into one of the buildings everything is very modern and up to date. Each college has its own church. Oxford is also known for its few museums (mostly the Ashmolean museum) and theaters, but mostly its ancient architecture and the school. A lot of the scenes from Harry Potter were filmed in Oxford actually. The infirmary scene was and some of the court yard scenes. The great dining hall in Harry Potter was not filmed in Oxford but was modeled after the dining halls in Oxford. The professors even have their own table raised on a platform, just like in the movies.

        When we first arrived in Oxford we went on a three hour walking tour. There was so much to see and so many stories. We saw a pub where C.S. Lewis and Tolkien frequently visited and conversed. We saw the lamp post that was the inspiration in the Chronicles of Narnia, because Lewis would teach classes and walk the same way home every day in the snow, passing the lamp post with every journey. We saw a building with two towers that was rumored to have inspired Tolkien. We went to a pub that was visited by all different people including Bill Clinton and Shakespeare. After the tour we were left to do our own thing so naturally all the girls went shopping. They had a very unique indoor market place that sold the most amazing chocolate chip cookies. We also all bought Oxford clothing, trying to fit in with the rest of the city. It was a beautiful city and I am so happy I was able to see even more of England. Friday I am leaving for Dublin and the following week I'm heading to Barcelona so hopefully my posts will get a little bit more interesting in the future. I miss you all so much, and it is crazy how much time has already gone by. I will be back before you know it! Also if you would like to videochat me, my skype name is audiej10.

(dining hall)

(two towers)

(Narnia Lamp Post)

(infirmary scene)