Home Again

After a 7 ½ hour flight to New York, a three hour layover, and a 1 a.m. landing in Syracuse, I finally made it home early Friday morning. This past weekend has been spent reflecting on my semester and basking in the familiar comforts of Baldwinsville. My time in London has affected me greatly, but the experience is hard to put into words.

Let’s be honest. I really didn’t go to London just to study. Getting credit for classes while there was like an added bonus. I went to London to learn about the world, and ended up learning even more about myself.

London taught me about different cultures, different ideals, and different values. It showed me that these can coexist, and that these differences should be celebrated, not ignored or rebuked. This lesson is one I will always remember, and will apply to all aspects of my life.

In London I learned that I could survive in a big city far from home. Before this trip, I had never been away from Central New York for more than two weeks at a time. Being away makes home much more special and comforting. I learned that I can manage my budget and negotiate a rent. I learned that I’m not a horrendous cook, but that I do have a horrible sense of direction.

I learned of all these things while making London my own. To me, London is my city, although I’m sure all of my peers feel the same way. It was my route that I took to school each day, where the store fronts became landmarks and countless tourists asked me for directions as if I was a local. It was my grocery store where I went to the same cashier each week because she was the fastest. London is my city, just as it has been the city of millions before me and will be the city of millions to come.

This weekend I relished in everything I had missed – seeing my family and friends, playing with my dogs, watching the Buffalo Bills and Syracuse basketball, driving my car. Although I could not have imagined a better first weekend home, I have to admit I was a bit torn. Part of me still longed for London, for the hustle and bustle of the big city where there was always something to do, for my own flat.

I suppose that’s the mark of a good trip; I wanted to stay and to come home simultaneously. I hope to go back someday and re-visit all of my favorite haunts. London was the best experience of my life, and I have hundreds of pictures and memories to prove it. Please forgive me if it’s all I talk about for the next, oh, five years or so.

La Vie en Rose

J’adore Paris.

Monday was my much anticipated trip to Paris with Rick. With wonderful memories and very sore feet, I’ll now describe our day.

For anyone who doesn’t know, I’ve been to Paris before in high school with my French class. This trip was about revisiting my favorite spots in the short amount of time we had, and also making sure Rick got to see the major sights. But mostly it was about just being in a city I fell in love with almost three years ago.

We woke up at 4:15 a.m., which no one in their right mind should ever do unless it involves a trip to Paris. We caught one of the very first Tube trains to St. Pancras International, the new home of the Eurostar. This is not to be confused with St. Pancreas, the patron saint of insulin. Anyway, the Eurostar is the train which travels under the English Channel through the Chunnel. It reaches speeds of 186 miles per hour, which is faster than an airplane goes on land while it is taking off. The price of trips varies depending on the day and time, but since we went on a Monday we spent only $104 each for roundtrip tickets (which is very good compared to flying).

Our train left at 6:30, and we slept almost the entire way. A few of our friends had taken the Eurostar already, and said that the pressure in the Chunnel made their ears hurt much worse than any airplane. It couldn’t have been that bad, because both of us slept right through it. The trip took just about two hours and 15 minutes. France is one hour ahead of London’s time, so we got there just before 10:00 a.m.

The weather in Paris did not seem to want to facilitate our need to be outside a lot that day. It was quite cold and rained on and off all day long. But even that could not dampen our spirits.

We headed first up the hill to Montmartre, the artsy neighborhood. There, on top of a huge hill, sits Sacré Cœur, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. It is a huge white structure that is beautiful both on the inside and out. The hill overlooks the entire city of Paris. It’s really too bad it was cloudy, because I’m sure the view would have been fantastic in the sunshine.

We then hiked back down the hill, heading toward the Louvre but making a few stops on the way. First we walked through La Place Vendôme, which features a huge column of...I don’t really remember. Madame Guillet is going to kill me. Anyway, from there we went to La Madeleine, the church of Mary Magdalene. This church is very unusual in that it looks like an ancient Roman Temple with grand pillars from the inside. We also got to go inside, something I didn’t do last time I was there. It was very different from the outside; it looked much more like a Catholic church or cathedral. The highlight was a gorgeous marble statue of Mary Magdalene and angels behind the altar.

From there we walked straight to La Place de la Concorde. This square has a giant Egyptian obelisk and some very intricate fountains. Standing on one side we caught our first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower. I could also make out the Musée d’Orsay, the museum which has many paintings by the Impressionists (unfortunately, I didn’t have time to make it back there). There was also a Ferris wheel set up, although not many people were on it due to the weather.

Directly leading up to the Louvre is a large garden, le Jardin des Tuileries. It has a lot of marble statues of Greek or Roman figures, along with various fountains which were at the time full of ducks and seagulls.

We then arrived at one of the main points of contention among Parisians – the glass pyramid entryway of the Louvre. It was designed by I.M. Pei, the same architect who designed Newhouse I and the Everson Museum in Syracuse. My feelings on it are mixed. On one hand, it is cool in and of itself. On the other, it seems out of place in the middle of the Louvre, a grand horseshoe-shaped building which used to be a palace.

Once in the Louvre, we made sure to hit up some of the most famous works, namely the Mona Lisa and the Code of Hammurabi. I then dragged Rick around to see the French paintings I had learned about in high school. The museum itself is like a work of art. From the time it was a palace, the ceilings, walls, and even floors are intricately and lavishly decorated.

After a few hours in the Louvre, we walked along Paris’ river, the Seine, until we reached the islands in the middle of the river. We crossed onto them and veered toward Notre Dame. Before visiting the famous cathedral, we stopped and had Croc Monsieur for lunch, a French sandwich that is equivalent to the American peanut butter and jelly in its popularity. It consists of ham and cheese with a cheese sauce, grilled and covered with more cheese.

We ducked into Notre Dame just as the rain started to come down harder. After being in Europe and seeing many other cathedrals and grand churches, Notre Dame doesn’t seem quite as big as it did three years ago. I still like it very much though, and the outside is probably my favorite of all that I’ve seen. Inside was also the first chance we’d had to sit down all day long, and our weary feet and backs were glad for it.

From Notre Dame we retraced our footsteps almost exactly backwards: back along the Seine, through le Jardin des Tuileries, and through La Place de la Concorde. We then walked down the Champs Élysées, perhaps the most famous street in Paris and a big shopping street. At the end of the street is La Place des Étoiles, a hectic traffic circle with twelve streets radiating from it. In the center of the circle sits L’Arc de Triomphe, a grand arch built by Napoleon that now serves as a war memorial.

Our last stop was the Eiffel Tower. Just before heading up the Tower, we grabbed some crêpes from a stand. Crêpes are very flat, sweet pancakes. We had ours covered in chocolate, and the vendor folded them to make them easier to eat. Having crêpes while looking up at the Eiffel Tower kind of encapsulated our entire French experience.

We headed up to the top of the Eiffel Tower in giant elevators. The top floor of the Tower has an inside room that labels the views of Paris and also shows the distances to foreign cities. We were something like 5,000 kilometers from New York. The wind outside was ferociously strong and freezing, but we braved it for the view. Absolutely breathtaking. To top it all off, the Tower has lights that sparkle on the hour for ten minutes, and it started to do so when we reached the top. It was still going as we were walking away, and that was our last view of it.

Because we were very tired and short on time, we took the Paris metro back to the train station. It was pretty busy, but nowhere near as packed as I have seen the Tube at times. We grabbed sandwiches for dinner in the train station, and boarded the Eurostar for London. I was awake through the Chunnel this time (the pressure wasn’t too bad), but fell asleep shortly after. We got back to our flat a little after 11:00 Monday night. Needless to say, I slept like a rock.

I am so glad we had the chance to do this trip. We had considered staying in London, since it is our last week, but I don’t regret it at all. We had a wonderful day and it was a great way to cap off our time in Europe.

Make sure you check out the rest of my pictures!

Last Weekend in London

As the time to go home draws closer, the weather just seems to get worse and worse. Maybe it's a sign.

Thursday was the last official day of classes, so that night SU threw us a going away party, complete with prizes, photo slideshow, and chocolate fountain. They also fed us dinner, and people I haven't seen since the day we landed seemed to crawl out of the woodwork. It's funny who shows up when there's free food.

Friday night Rick and I headed to a Winter Festival in Hyde Park. There were stalls set up with vendors from Lapland (the Scandinavian area waaaaay up north) selling Christmasy and homemade items. The festival also had food stalls and carnival rides - there was even a Christmas-themed haunted house.

The highlight of the festival was a miniature version of the London Eye. From the top we could see the real Eye, Westminster, and many other highlights of London. It was very pretty all lit up at night.

We woke to a very rainy Saturday, so we headed to the museums for the day. We went to the Science Museum. I had hoped this would be like the MOST, but it was more about the history of science, especially engineering. They did have some interesting exhibits on medicine through the ages. We then popped next door back to the Natural History Museum to catch the exhibits we missed last time we rushed through.

Today (Sunday) we went to Buckingham Palace in the morning to see the changing of the guards. I'm glad we went to see the Palace, but the guard ceremony was not very impressive, especially after what we'd seen at the Swedish Royal Palace.

The remaining bits of the weekend were spent putting our flat back together for our departure. I can't believe it's come so fast. I have two finals on Wednesday, but that's it. Tomorrow Rick and I head to Paris for the day. Be sure to check back soon for details on that trip...

Rainy Weekend in London

Wow. I’ll be home in just over a week. This semester has absolutely flown by.

The weather was very funny this past weekend. It was fairly warm, reaching as high as 50 at some points. However, it rained on and off – and when it rained, it poured. There were also some periods of winds gusting up to 70 miles per hour!

Last Thursday I met Rick at school after his class and we headed down the block to the British Museum. This museum is full of ancient and relatively modern artifact. Sadly, most of them were probably stolen from other countries at the height of the British Empire. Anyways, we saw everything from mummies to Greek statues to Islamic art to Victorian porcelain to china from a factory in Syracuse!

Perhaps the most famous artifact owned by the British Museum is the Rosetta Stone. This stone, which is about four feet tall, was the missing piece that allowed historians to decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. It has the same thing written three times – once in hieroglyphics, once in a more modern form of Egyptian, and once in Greek.

Friday we went to another museum. This time it was the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. This gallery features art (I believe almost wholly European art) ranging in time from about 1250 to 1900. We packed a lunch and ate when we arrived at Trafalgar Square sitting on the steps of the gallery. Trafalgar Square is dedicated to the Battle of Trafalgar, when Lord Admiral Nelson beat Napoleon. The main feature of the square is the huge Nelson’s Column, which is flanked by four massive lions. There are several other statues and fountains, framed in the back by the massive National Gallery.

We headed into the gallery just in time to get out of the rain. My main purpose in visiting the gallery was to see the Impressionism exhibit, which featured painting by Degas, Monet, Manet, Morisot, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne, and others – bringing me wonderfully back to high school French class. We started with the Impressionists and worked our way back through time. As the paintings got older, the subjects got more and more monotonous. When Rick said that if he saw one more painting of shepherds offering gifts to baby Jesus he was going to scream, we decided it was time to leave.

We sprinted through the rain across the square to the St. Martin-in-the-Fields church. I could not honestly tell you what the church looks like – the whole building was covered in scaffolding and the inside was closed for a concert rehearsal. Rick was recommended the Café in the Crypt by someone from home, so we decided we would pop in for at least a cup of tea.

The café is literally in the crypt of the church – there are brick vaulted ceilings and the floor is made of tombstones. We looked at the menu and decided we would have a proper English High Tea, as we hadn’t done that yet (most hotels and other places that do it charge at least £15 – about $30). For £5.25 we got a piece of layered chocolate cake, a piece of sponge cake with cherries in it, a scone, jam, whipped cream, and a mini-teapot that had two cups of tea in it. I couldn’t eat it all, but wrapped up my scone and jam, which made a wonderful breakfast the next morning.

On the way home the rain was becoming steadily heavier, so we decided to duck back into Hamley’s (the huge toy store) to wait for the rain to pass and see the Christmas chaos. Okay, really Rick just wanted to play with the toys. Anyway, this might not have been the best idea, because when we emerged about an hour later, it was raining even harder. We returned home soaked to the skin, and spent the rest of the night huddled in about six layers of clothing over some intense Scrabble games.

Saturday started out, once again, as a gorgeous day. I looked out my window to see the beautiful sunshine and passers-by wearing nothing more than sweatshirts. However, looking closer I also saw that the signs and awnings of the stores and restaurants across from us were whipping around and their owners were frantically chasing them. The winds had started. Deciding it would be wise to not go too far, Rick, our roommate Jessica and I went to a Lebanese restaurant for lunch.

I have lived off Edgware Road, which is heavily populated by people with Lebanese (and other Middle Eastern countries) backgrounds, for more than three months. Practically every other store front is a restaurant, yet I had not yet eaten at one. We chose a restaurant only two doors down from our flat. I had hummus with lamb meat and Lebanese rice, Rick had falafel and rice with lamb meat in it, and Jessica had seasoned potatoes with fried vegetables. We all left with very satisfied taste buds and very full stomachs.

Saturday was a special day in the West End of London. Oxford, Bond, and Regent streets, the main shopping areas, were closed to all traffic. Hordes of people filled the streets and were entertained as they shopped by musicians, clowns, and other street performers.

With no real shopping to do, Rick and I headed out mostly just to watch the madness. We ducked into Selfridges, a posh department store which always has interesting window displays. There we discovered it was possible to spend over $1,000 on a sweater and $600 for a child’s winter jacket. Most major department stores here also have food halls, which are basically mini-grocery stores with cafés too. Selfridges seemed to have an extensive American food selection, where a homesick American could pay £4 for Jif peanut butter and £6.50 for Aunt Jemima syrup. I guess I don’t miss it that much.

While we were out walking around, (surprise, surprise) it started raining again. This time we ducked into the massive Apple store on Regent Street. The store in Carousel Mall ain’t got nothing on this. Two stories of gadgets and computers. We played with the latest versions of the iPhone, the iPod Touch (basically an iPhone without the phone – but you can still get online), and the iPod Nano. Maybe in ten years I will be able to buy an iPhone.

Sunday our grand plans to visit another of London’s parks and maybe the London Zoo were squashed by rain, gale force winds and a paper that took much longer to write than it should have. Rest assured, although the winds continued throughout the day, the rain and homework were finished by 2:00.

That’s about it. Tomorrow (Wednesday) is my last day of classes. I have one short paper and two final exams to go. And on Monday Rick and I are taking the Eurostar to Paris. The Eurostar is the need high speed train that goes from London through the Chunnel to Paris in just over two hours. We’re leaving at about 6:30 Monday morning (uggh) and will get back about 10:00 Monday night. I can’t wait!

Thanksgiving Weekend

This past weekend proved to be another very busy couple of days.

Thursday, as you know, was Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is, of course, a very American holiday, and not celebrated in the U.K. However, hundreds of Americans are either living abroad in London or visiting right now, and St. Paul’s Cathedral has an annual Thanksgiving service. St. Paul’s is the masterpiece of architect Sir Christopher Wren, who rebuilt many important aspects of London after the great fire in 1666.

The cathedral is huge, and its prominent feature is a massive dome over the center. Inside, half is whitewashed, but the other half is ornately painted and gilded. The service itself was very nice, with readings from the U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain and the pastor of the American Church of London.

That afternoon, the SU center decided to treat us all to a lunch to soothe our homesickness. It was not exactly successful in that, as the caterer they hired brought turkey sandwiches and sweet potato wedges, and ran out of food within an hour. Apparently this was not the first Thanksgiving lunch they had thrown, and even the center staff was disappointed by this one.

Thursday night we tried to get as close to home as possible. We made turkey breasts (no way our ridiculously slow oven could have handled a whole turkey), mashed potatoes (with no electric mixer – just some very large spoons and our very large muscles), and gravy (from a packet – nothing like Plainville). After dinner, we headed to the bar at the University of London Student Union, as they had advertised that they would be showing the American football games.

Even with all these substitutes, it was a little sad not to be home for Thanksgiving. I am definitely looking forward to going to Rochester for Christmas

Friday we went on our last school-sponsored trip. This one was to Windsor Castle, which is only about 45 minutes to the west of London. Windsor has always held a special place in the hearts of the royal family. In fact, the Queen goes there most weekends, and makes it quite clear she prefers it to Buckingham Palace. In case you were wondering, the castle is also where the royal family gets their last name from. When Queen Victoria married Albert Saxe-Coburg, she took his last name, and this therefore became the last name of all her family. However, during World War I many people with German-sounding last names changed them to something more British. The royal family was no exception and changed theirs to Windsor, after their favorite castle.

There has been a castle at Windsor since around the 11^th century, when the invading Normans built it to defend their new land from the natives. It has many interesting features – Henry VIII and several other royals are buried in the chapel there. The state apartments are open to the public when there are no royal functions, so we got to see where the Queen throws her royal bashes. There was also an exhibit of Queen Mary’s dollhouse. This sounds kind of stupid, but the dollhouse was huge with working electricity and paintings by famous artists. Unfortunately, we couldn’t take pictures of it.

After our time in the castle, we had some time to explore the surrounding town. Windsor is about a 20 minute walk across the River Thames to Eton, home of the famous all-boys private school (the princes went to school there). It’s called Eton College, but college here also means high school. There is a prep school for ages seven to 13, and then from 14 to 18, boys are taught at the college itself. We walked to the school, and then the opposite direction to the park in front of the castle. For some reason, every Friday that we travel on seems to be the coldest day of the week, so we spent our last half hour or so warming in a little coffee shop.

After paying our last rent payment (yay!) Saturday morning, we went to a football game. Now, remember I’m in Europe, so by football I really mean soccer. The school had managed to get us discount tickets for only £5, and we had at least 15 kids there. The game was Queens Park Rangers (QPR) vs. Sheffield Wednesday. These teams are not in the Premier League, which features the famous teams like Chelsea and Manchester United, but in the Championship League. One interesting thing about the league structure here is that teams can move between them. QPR used to be in the Premier League, but then had some bad seasons and got demoted. Similarly, teams who out-compete other teams in their league can be bumped up to higher levels.

The stadium held a little more than 15,000 fans, and almost every seat was full. The Sheffield supporters were all concentrated on one side of the stadium, and were VERY loud. In fact, they were louder than the home fans. They were singing or chanting or cheering non-stop through the entire game.

A football game consists of two 45-minute halves, but the clock never stops during that time (no time-outs or commercial breaks). The referee then adds (rather arbitrarily, it seems) a certain amount of “stoppage time” to the end of the game. I don’t really understand the rules of football, but it was a good time. Watching the game in person was definitely better than trying to watch it on television.

I think I’ve decided why I don’t really like soccer. It seems much too unorganized for me. I’m sure there is strategy and such, but I certainly can’t pick it out. You can switch from being on offense to defense and back again within a matter of seconds, and sometimes it is hard to tell who even has the ball. Even in basketball, if you are on offense you normally stay there for at least a few seconds. However, I will say that the players must be great athletes to be running up and down the field for 90 minutes non-stop. On the other hand, some are also big drama queens, falling down and screaming after barely getting hit. The whole game I just really wanted someone to get tackled.

Sunday Rick and I had signed up to do a charity fun run. It wasn’t a big run in London or anything – just a run organized by one of the administrators at SU. There were about 15 of us running, and we went to Hampstead Heath, which is a big park on the north side of London. We ran through the mud (there were no paved paths) and up some giant hills. Needless to say, I am quite sore today. But I beat a lot of the boys in, so also quite proud of myself.

After the run we were all treated to a proper Thanksgiving meal at the home of another person who works at SU. There was turkey, mashed potatoes, ziti, casseroles, rolls, chili, and pumpkin pie. We all stuffed ourselves and were exhausted from the combination of running and eating so much. It was a great meal.

The SU center has a film club every once in a while for students to explore British cinema. Sunday night the club met to watch British sitcoms. Some of them were very funny, while others were stereotypical British humor that none of us really got. Again we got free food in the form of popcorn and fruit. After coming home from that, I was so tired I just crashed without even eating dinner.

Counting down the days...

It seems that everyone has now hit panic mode. With only a few short weeks left in London, we are spending our days trying to pack the sightseeing and stuff we've meant to do all semester into any free time we have, all while gearing up for final exams and papers. I am no exception to this, and consequently had a very busy weekend.

Thursday night Rick and I planned to see a show. We really wanted to see MacBeth, because the lead role is currently being played by none other than Patrick Stewart (aka Captain Jean-Luc Picard). We were dismayed to find out that MacBeth has sold out all of its remaining shows. It turns out Patrick Stewart is sick and wouldn't be appearing anyways.

We ended up seeing Spamalot, the musical based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I am not a Python fanatic, but was introduced to the movies in middle school by some friends and can quote a fair share of Holy Grail lines. The musical turned out to be a perfect combination of Monty Python quotes and new material. While preserving the main storyline, it also managed to poke fun at the show biz industry and the actors themselves. It was really funny.

Friday we went on another school trip - this time to Oxford, about an hour and a half west of London. Like Cambridge, Oxford University is made up of separate, fiercely independent colleges. The architecture was impressive and there were also some very nice green spaces. We had a professor as a tour guide who took us around and showed us some main points of the campus, and also took us inside one of the colleges. The Hogwarts dining hall is filmed in one of Oxford's halls, but it was about $6 to go in and we didn't have much time.

By luck, there happened to be a French market in town while we were there. The professor told us that the vendors set up in one city for a day and then move right on to the next, all over Europe, and that it would probably take three years for them to return to Oxford again. There was a tantalizing selection of bread, cheeses, and other French staples. Rick and I settled for some delicious pastries for the bus ride home.

Saturday was quite an experience - we went played paintball with a group from school. They had worked out a deal where we got our own field, 600 paintballs, guns, and protective gear for only $20. I'd never been paintballing before, but I'm told this is a really good deal. It was a lot of fun. We had two marshals who took us to different fields and explained different games to us. I felt like a little kid running around and basically playing capture the flag, but it was a lot of fun. I am a little bruised and battered - some welts from paintball shots and some bruised knees from crawling around - but it was worth it.

Sunday afternoon Rick and I visited the Natural History Museum. We didn't have much time before the museum closed, but we had a good time wandering around the models of the Earth, the stuffed birds and the dinosaur bones. On our way back, we had just rounded the corner away from the museum when we heard a very frightened little voice yelling, "Maman! Maman!" Recognizing the cries of a lost little boy, I asked him if he was lost. My fear was that he would not speak any English - his accent sounded French to me, but very well could have been Spanish or Italian. French would have been okay, but I didn't know how I could help him if he started rattling off something else.

It turned out he was French, but immediately started talking to me in perfect English. He had lost his mother and siblings when he stopped to tie his shoe. After getting him to stop crying, we walked back towards the museum with him until his mother caught up to where we had been walking (she hadn't even left the museum yet). They started talking rapidly in French and Rick and I set off home.

I don't bring this story up for the fact that the little boy was lost, but for his language skills. At eight years old his English, although with a French accent, could not have been better if he had been born in the U.K. In most European non-English speaking countries, children begin learning English as a second language by the time they are five, if not before. In fact, this is supposed to be the time when it is easiest to learn a new language. Why then in America do we not start another language until seventh or eighth grade? The world is shrinking, and foreign languages are becoming more and more important. We're not keeping up.

Excuse my rant. Back to Sunday - Sometime while we were in the museum the heavens had let loose and it was pouring. At one point, we went through an underpass to cross under one of the very busy streets. Rick said, "Be careful on the stairs, they are probably slippery." No sooner had the words come out of his mouth, my feet went out from underneath me and I slid down a few concrete steps. Luckily I escaped with nothing more than small bruises to my backside and my pride.

Sunday night, as you may know, my Buffalo Bills played the undefeated New England Patriots in the night game. Having discovered that Sunday and Monday Night Football are aired here (albeit at 1:30 at the morning), and having an altered class schedule on Monday (I didn't have to be in until noon), I was thrilled to realize I could watch the Bills play. I don't really know what I was hoping for. When it was 55-10 at 4:00 in the morning, I gave up and went to bed.

The weather seems to have turned for the worse in Britain. When we went to Oxford it was bitterly cold, and the rest of the weekend it rained or at least sprinkled almost constantly. Today has been a very odd day, with random downpours and chilly winds paired with sunshine and moderate temperatures. Kind of reminds me of Syracuse....

Relaxing in Bath

This week was a fairly typical week of classes and homework. On Friday however, we went on another school-sponsored trip. This time we traveled about two and a half hours to the west of London, to the city of Bath.

Bath gets its name and tourist qualities from the presence of a large hot water spring. It was first discovered more than 2,000 years ago, when a Celtic king was miraculously cured of his leprosy by spending time in the spring’s muddy waters. When the Romans invaded in A.D. 43, they harnessed the power of the spring and built a lavish bathing house. They dedicated the area to the goddess Minerva, and surrounded the bathing house with a courtyard and temple.

Many of the structural aspects from Roman times are long gone, but a surprising number still remain. For example, the Roman drain that carries used water to the River Avon is still operational. Other parts of the bath were added in the 16^th, 17^th, and 18^th centuries, as royals and aristocrats traveled to Bath to relax in the springs.

The bathing house in Roman times consisted of the main bath, hot and cold water plunges, steam rooms, and the sacred spring. The main bath is about the size of an Olympic swimming pool, but the water is now an uninviting shade of green and very murky – visitors are warned to not even touch the water, as it is untreated and surrounded by lead pipes and walls. Its temperature is naturally constant at about 80 degrees.

Part of the old bathing house is now a museum devoted to displays of the Celtic and Roman artifacts that have been found throughout the city of Bath. One of the most impressive pieces was the roof façade of the temple, which featured a sun man and intricate carvings. The museum also explained how the Romans connected to the native Celtic culture.

I have to give it to the Romans for their engineering. In order to keep the bathing house warm, they placed the floors on piles of ceramic tiles and used a furnace to allow steam and warmth pass among the tiles to the floor and walls. Some of the rooms were so hot you could only spend a few minutes in them or you would pass out.

The sacred spring is where the water actually emerges from the earth and gas passes through it to make it bubble. In Roman times, no one was allowed to actually go in this spring. Pilgrims and villagers would throw offerings to the goddess in the spring in hopes she would help them with whatever hardship they were facing. After the Romans, the spring was under control of the Catholic abbey next door, and monks brought invalid to the spring in order to heal them. Later, only kings and other royalty were allowed in the spring.

This trip was kind of unstructured compared to others we had been on, but it was still very informative. This was because the museum provided everyone with audio guides, so we could go about the bathing house at our own pace and decided which things we wanted to learn more about.

After spending about two hours in the bathhouse, Rick and I set off to explore the city a bit. Our guide had told us to seek out one of the many chocolate shops in Bath if we wanted something sweet. Anyone who knows me will not be surprised to learn that this was the main purpose of my wandering. We finally came across a chocolate café. Rick had toffee hot chocolate and orange chocolate mousse, while I had regular chocolate mousse and “Chocolate Indulgence,” a drink which involved pouring hot chocolate over a scoop of chocolate ice cream. It was really good, but very rich, and needless to say I was feeling just a little queasy when we left the shop.

The downside to this trip was the amount of time we had in Bath compared to the travel time. The round-trip travel time on the bus was about five hours, while we only had about 3 ½ hours in Bath itself. It was a very pretty city, and I think it would be a good place for an extended day trip. We took the scenic route home, and I was very glad we did. The bus wound up a very steep hill, and from the top we could see the entire city, the countryside, and the mountains of Wales in the distance. And I got to see sheep again. Lots and lots of sheep.

Sunday (today) was fairly busy by my usual Sunday standards. Rick and I went out to lunch at Wagamama, a Japanese restaurant near our flat. It was kind of like Ichiban Lite - no chef right at your table, but much cheaper. The food was very good, and we left very full. We then walked through Hyde Park, the big park near us. This is the first weekend the leaves have really changed and fallen, and the park was really nice. It reminded me of home and the SU campus. The other end of the park is in a very ritzy shopping district, and we stopped by Harrod's, the famous department store. It was an absolute zoo. Christmas season has already begun in London, and hundreds of people had descended upon the store. After looking at the prices, we left empty-handed, but it was still very interesting to go in.

Dublin

This past weekend, Rick and I and some other friends went to Dublin, Ireland on a school-sponsored trip. This meant that we paid our money upfront, and SU planned the transportation to the airports, flights, and some activities for us during our stay. I was a little worried at first about the possibility of inflexibility on the school’s part, but it actually worked out really well. We didn’t have to deal with the hassle of planning everything, and we did some things we probably would not have done had the school not scheduled them.

The trip was actually an optional trip for a particular class about literature and political action in Ireland. However, there were only three students with us that were actually in the class. Altogether, there were 12 students, a professor, and an administrator who was in charge of logistics.

We arrived into Dublin a little after 10:00 p.m. Thursday night. After waiting for a bus without luck for about 45 minutes, our group leader broke into the emergency funds so we could take taxis to our hostel. Upon arrival, we were split into rooms that were booked specifically for our group. Although it was short, the flight left most of us feeling a little worse for the wear, so we hung out in the hostel lounge for a bit before bed.

Friday morning we ate breakfast at the hostel and set off on a walking tour about the 1916 Easter Rebellion. For a very abridged history lesson: Under British rule, the Catholic majority was extremely repressed under the Protestant minority. The majority of Catholics were Nationalists, and in favor of an independent Ireland, while the Protestants were Unionists who remained loyal to the United Kingdom.

Easter Monday of 1916, the stage was set for a rebellion. The British military presence in Ireland was already stretched thin by World War I, and that particular weekend was a large horse race which most of the remaining soldiers were attending. Nationalist leaders rallied thousands of Irishmen and controlled the town for about a week. Unfortunately for them, the British military reinforcements proved to be too strong. They were forced to surrender, and most of the leaders were jailed and then executed. Although this rebellion did not grant Ireland independence, it turned public opinion against the Brits, particularly in light of the brutal punishments handed out by the general in charge.

The last stop of the walking tour was the General Post Office, which the Nationalist leaders commandeered to serve as their headquarters during the rebellion. It was from this spot that P.H. Pearse read the declaration of rebellion to call Ireland’s citizens to arms. The post office has one of only a few original copies of the proclamation.

After grabbing lunch, we took a bus to the Kilmainhem Gaol, the jail where both political and common prisoners were held. It was here that the leaders of the 1916 rebellion were held and executed by firing squad. A guide gave us the history of the jail, including its time during the Great Potato Famine when the jail of just over 100 cells held 90,000 people, many of whom committed crimes just so they could be sent to jail and be fed.

On the way back on the bus, we noticed we were going to pass the Guinness Storehouse, and all 12 of us students decided to go. This was in some ways similar to the Heineken Experience Rick and I had visited in Amsterdam; it gave us the history of the brand and how it was made. The Guinness tour focused a little more on the technical processes, and less on the commercialization of the beer. At the end of the tour, we arrived at the top of the building to find a circular bar with windows all around, offering a very pretty view of the city by night. Of course, we got a free pint of Guinness, and also got a paper weight type thing which has a drop of Guinness in it.

We spent the night in the Temple Bar area, which is arguably Dublin’s most touristy section. It is full of restaurants, pubs, clubs, and souvenir shops. It is also where you are most likely to see street performers.

Saturday morning we took the commuter train for about half an hour to Sandy Cove, an outskirt of Dublin on the coast. The reason for our visit was the James Joyce Museum (remember, the trip was actually for a class on Irish literature). Having only read one short story by Joyce in high school (I think), the museum was not exactly a great attraction. However, it is housed in a tower where Joyce once lived, and by climbing to the top we had amazing views of the Irish Sea. The weather was rather cloudy and chilly, but it was still gorgeous.

While scanning the coastline, we realized that there were actually people swimming. Apparently, there is a club that goes in the water every day of the year. Having decided against joining them (although one of our classmates did…wearing nothing but his boxers…not the smartest idea), we walked the rocky coastline and took lots of pictures. We then had a group lunch at a pub in the town before taking the train back.

That afternoon was free time, so Rick and I broke from the group and browsed many of the souvenir shops that line Trinity College. We then headed across the River Liffey to the Old Jameson Distillery. Jameson, for anyone who doesn’t know, is Irish whiskey, and the most famous brand of it. This was a guided tour which explained the process by which the whiskey is made. It culminated, of course, in a tasting. This reminded me of the vodka tasting my father and I went to in Russia; they picked several volunteers, had them try sips of five different kinds of whiskey, and pick their favorite. Rick and I did not get to stay to see which the favorite was – we were running very short on time and had to run to meet our group back at the hostel, picking up takeaway fish and chips on the way.

That evening’s planned activity was a musical pub crawl. This was my favorite part of the trip. We traveled to two different pubs with two musicians, who played traditional Irish music, sang, and explained some history of what they were playing. They were great – they played the guitar, the fiddle, and the bodhrán, an Irish drum.

We were so entranced by the music that at the end of their session we asked the musicians where we could go to listen to more live Irish music. They gave us some (rather vague) directions and we headed out. At the time, our whole group was in to the music, and everyone (students, professor, and group leader) decided to come with us. After hiking the river for at least 20 minutes, the patience of many in our group was beginning to wear thin, and we ducked in the first bar we came to. About 30 seconds in, listening to the (bad) American music and feeling the heat of the at least 200 other people in there, Rick and I quickly decided this bar was not for us. We were in Dublin! Bars like that can be found in London!

We resumed our search for the pub the musicians had recommended, and shortly found it. Much to our relief, there were three fiddlers and two flute players sitting around a table and playing traditional Irish music. The average age of the clients and bartenders in this pub was at least 50 – just the way I like it. We stayed for a few hours and chatted with old men about life. It was really a great night and will probably be my most poignant memory of Dublin.

Sunday morning we had about four hours to kill before transferring to the airport. Rick and I headed to Dublin Castle, which was strangely painted very bright colors. It had some beautiful gardens, where we sat for a while to watch two little dogs romping and to play with what seemed to be the castle’s resident cat.

After going to the castle, we decided to go to mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It was only when we arrived that we realized that St. Patrick’s is an Anglican church, not Catholic as we had expected. We went to the service anyways. It was nice, but not really the experience we had hoped for. However, the cathedral itself is quite pretty.

Overall, Dublin was a great trip. It is not necessarily the prettiest of cities, and did not provide for the great photo-ops that Stockholm and Edinburgh did. But one thing that really stands out about Dublin is its people. They were the friendliest people I have ever encountered. From taxi drivers to bartenders to bouncers to shop owners to tour guides, everyone wanted to know where we were from and seem actively interested in what we had to say. My only regret about this trip was that it was too short to visit inland Ireland and the southern areas. Of all the places I have been, this tops my list of where to go again.

Fall Break Continued...

Sorry for the delay. Here is Part II…

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Sunday, 21 October 2007

Sunday morning we didn’t really have time to do much before we needed to be at the train station. After checking out of the hostel, we walked to the New Town to explore a bit, including stopping in a very small shopping mall. It might have been a good thing we left Edinburgh when we did; the sky was threateningly gray and I swear I felt a few sprinkles.

We caught the 11:50 train to Newcastle. I spent the majority of the train ride staring out of the window admiring the beautiful countryside. It was all farmland, and the rolling hills were dotted with little woolly white dots. I have never seen so many sheep in my life. Living in London has really made me appreciate the beauty of wide open spaces and greenery.

Upon arrival in Newcastle, we immediately hopped on the Metro. It was an interesting experience. Even though Newcastle is a sizable city, comparing its subway system to London’s is like comparing Syracuse to New York City.

We then had a short walk to the port on the River Tyne, where our ferry awaited. Now, when I think ferry, I think a little boat with paddles. This ship, the M.s. King of Scandinavia, was absolutely huge. It had 11 decks, bottom few of which are just for cars and cargo. The ship holds three restaurants, three bars, a casino, a coffee shop, a kids’ club, and a cinema. Unfortunately, all of these wonderful things were ridiculously expensive. We had stopped at a grocery store in Edinburgh to pick up some bagels, and it was a good thing we did. Otherwise we would have been shelling out €30 (about $45) for a buffet dinner – and that was the cheap restaurant.

We spent a very quiet night on the ferry. After watching the ship sail away from Newcastle and eating our bagel and peanut butter dinner, we browsed through our guides on Amsterdam. We turned in early and let the gentle rocking of the North Sea lull us to sleep.

Monday, 22 October 2007

At 7 a.m. Monday morning, a dreadfully cheery voice announced to the ship it was time to wake up. I, of course, rolled back over, and was just stepping out of the shower when the voice told me we would be docking in 15 minutes. We actually docked in IJmuiden (I don’t know why the I and the J are both capitalized but they are), a port about 30 minutes outside of Amsterdam. The canals and ports in Amsterdam are too shallow for a ship as big as ours.

The ferry company provided coaches to take us to the city center. One of the first sights we saw in Holland was lots and lots of windmills. However, they were not the windmills one usually imagines when picturing Holland. They were the windmills used to generate electricity, massively tall with blades as long as trees. Holland actually gets a comparatively high percentage of its electricity from wind power. There is a lot of debate, both in the U.K. and in the U.S. about using wind power. It is true that windmills are not as efficient as fossil fuels, but new technology is increasing their efficiency every year. Now the main argument against them is that they “ruin the landscape.” To the contrary, I think they are gorgeous and just another symbol of human ingenuity.

But I digress. The bus dropped us off and it took us about 40 minutes to actually find our hostel, but our check-in was delayed even longer. It turned out we needed cash for a key deposit, and having not yet exchanged our money, we se off to find an ATM to get some Euros.

By the time we returned to the hostel, a rather large, rather obnoxious group of Americans had arrived. They didn’t have a reservation, didn’t really know how long they wanted to stay, and kept talking amongst themselves while the poor girl at reception was trying to check them in. After the HALF HOUR it took them to get sorted out, she was very relieved to learn we had a reservation.

We grabbed lunch in a café and set off to explore the city. Amsterdam is a grid of over 100 canals and can be quite confusing to navigate. This was compounded by the fact that, like Sweden, we couldn’t pronounce any of the street or canal names. Also like Sweden, everybody speaks English. In fact, I’m pretty sure I heard English is compulsory in Dutch schools.

One of our explorations was Albert Cuypt market. This was similar to markets we go to in London – a mixture of clothes, produce, meat, and household items – but less expensive. While we had been waiting to check-in earlier in the day, we met two guys from Washington (state, not D.C.) who we spent the evening with, doing absolutely nothing but exploring and relaxing.

Tuesday, 23 October 2007

One of the selling points of our hostel was that it served free breakfast from 8:30 to 10:30 every morning. Rick and I wandered down at about 10:15, only to discover that breakfast had already been cleared away. We shortly realized our phones were still on London time, and that it was actually 11:15. Oops.

That morning we took a boat tour on some of the major canals. It was very sunny out, and the boat provided a great way to see some important points of the city (being an enclosed boat, it also sheltered us from the chilly bite to the air). We saw the wide canal that leads to the North Sea (not wide enough for our ferry though), some historical buildings, and the variety of house boats that line several of the canals. The popularity of houseboats started when Amsterdam had a housing crunch in the 20^th century. In order to live in one, you must have permission from the neighborhood in which you live, and you can then be hooked up to the gas and electricity networks. Some people live in houseboats illegally, and therefore have no power.

Later in the afternoon we went to the “Heineken Experience.” This was the highlight of our Amsterdam trip. It’s funny that a lot of people from home think that Heineken is from Germany, but it was actually brewed right in Amsterdam until a few decades ago. Now the old brewery is used for shameless brand promotion.

This self-guided tour gave a history of the brand and explained the process by which Heineken is made. It also gave us three half-pints of Heineken throughout the tour and promised a “free gift.” Figuring that the free gift would be something cheap, Rick and I had been stealing coasters along the way. So it was a very pleasant surprise when we received a model of the brand’s aluminum bottle which opened to hold a credit card-sized bottle opener.

For dinner that night we went to a tapas bar, not really knowing what tapas was (turns out it just means Spanish appetizers, but they make for good meals too). I don’t know if it was the time of day, day of the week, post-tourist time of year, or a combination of the three, but we were the only ones in the restaurant for the whole meal. The waiter/cook was very nice, and even gave s a card for a 10% discount if we wanted to go back.

After walking around the city some more, we hung out in our hostel’s bar/lounge for a while before bed.

Wednesday, 24 October 2007

Wednesday morning we actually made it to breakfast at the hostel, and had a lovely meal of chocolate cereal and hard-boiled eggs. We then checked out and headed toward the train station in Amsterdam, where we had decided to store our luggage for a few hours, rather than lug it around (we also could have left it at the hostel, but that was the opposite side of the city from where we needed to be for the bus back to the ferry).

We took the long way to the train station so we could pass by the Anne Frank House. For anyone who may not remember, Anne Frank and her family were German Jews who fled to Amsterdam to escape the Nazis. Anne, who was fourteen or fifteen at the time, kept a diary during the whole of their time in hiding, which was on the top floor of a factory (I think). During the day, they could not talk or even move much lest the workers realize people were hiding above them. The family was eventually discovered, split up, and sent to concentration camps. If I remember correctly, only Anne’s father survived, and he decided to publish Anne’s diary after the war. The diary is standard reading in many schools now.

We didn’t actually go in the house – it was expensive and the line seemed miles long – but I was very content to just go to the house and see where it was. Just around the corner there was a small statue of Anne, and someone had recently placed a bouquet of fresh flowers underneath it. Just that little sentiment was very moving.

After stowing our luggage at the train station, we headed just down the road to the NEMO, a science center. Being the geeks that we are, and figured this would be like the Museum of Science and Technology (MOST) in Syracuse, we decided this might be a fun way to end our trip. We arrived to a line of maybe 200 kids under the age of 12 and their parents, but decided to wait anyways because we had nothing else to do anyway. It was in fact similar to the MOST, if you double our tripled its size. Also, I have never seen the MOST as busy as this – we didn’t get to play with all the cool things because there were so many kids. The NEMO also had some exhibits I doubt would ever be found in the MOST – there was one explaining the science behind puberty and giving tips on how to be a good kisser!

We left the NEMO feeling very claustrophobic and having had our fill of small children for the year. The bus back to the ferry picked us up and we set off back to IJmuiden.

Amsterdam would have been nicer to visit earlier in the year, when it was a bit warmer and the tulips were blooming. As much as I enjoyed the city, and especially the canals, I can’t help but feel that we didn’t really do much while there. Being Dutch, I am glad we went – it was funny to see last names even crazier than mine!

If you are not someone who is going to Amsterdam to take part in several activities which are quite illegal in most of the United States, it seemed there was not really much to do inexpensively. It would have been nice to go to some museums, like the Van Gogh Museum, but at $15 a pop they were a little more than I wanted to spend. I think I would have much preferred on one of the days to have seen the countryside and taken the train to Winterswijk, the town where my family is from. Unfortunately, I didn’t find out there was a train station there until our last day.

We were a little more prepared for the ferry on the way back; we had stopped and gotten sandwiches for dinner and some snacks. After spending some time on the deck and eating, we just crashed. We had done so much walking in Amsterdam that it was nice to just sit and stretch out (not that we had a lot of room to stretch out in our cabin).

Thursday, 25 October 2007

We arrived into Newcastle at about 9:30, but the United Kingdom’s stricter customs regulations meant that we had to sit on the ship for a while before disembarking. We took another bus to Newcastle’s city center, and again stored our bag in the train station. Rick and I then went to Castle Garth Keep, the last part of the castle from which Newcastle gets its name (actually the name actually comes from another castle called “New Castle”, but that castle was destroyed and Castle Garth built on the same site).

The “keep” of the castle is the large main tower where the lords and ladies lived. This tower was not as big as those we had visited in York and Edinburgh, but it still had some interesting displays and views from the top. Apparently, the keep is also haunted. There was one display about a professional paranormal activity team which had visited and recorded odd movements and flashes of light.

We spent the rest of our time in Newcastle in Pizza Hut (exciting, huh?). Like most Pizza Huts, it was ridiculously busy and slow, but we had a very good meal and really had nothing else we were dying to do before catching our train back to London.

This was the longest train we took, leaving Newcastle at about 2:15 and arriving back to King’s Cross around 5:45. We spent the time playing travel Scrabble and savoring our last glances into the countryside.

In conclusion…

I am really glad we took the trip that we did. It was nice to not have to worry about getting to airports, and we saw some really cool things. I especially enjoyed York and Edinburgh, and would recommend them to anyone looking for places to go in the U.K. other than London.

I am sorry this is so long. If anyone has any specific questions or anything else – leave a comment on the blog or email me! And remember to look at my pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/deb.oonk.

Now back to the grind. It amazes me that we have less than two months left here! It’s almost November already! As Halloween is not really a big deal here (although it is growing in popularity) and they don’t have Thanksgiving, everyone is already gearing up for Christmas. It’s slightly ridiculous.

Fall Break

After six days of traveling, I have returned to London safe and sound. We had a great week, and you should definitely check out the pictures.

While most of our fellow students were jetting around Europe, Rick and I took a decidedly different fall break trip. Some people I know are doing things like sky-diving in Switzerland or visiting five different cities in Italy. While there's nothing wrong with that, can you imagine visiting five cities in 10 days? I think that eventually all my memories would run together, and I would be so tired that I wouldn't remember much at all.

Perhaps one of the best aspects of our trip was that by traveling by train, we got to see the countryside, which was absolutely beautiful. In fact, I have a very strong inclination to move to Northern England or Scotland and raise sheep and shaggy cows.

Friday, 19 October 2007

Friday morning we woke up at the ungodly hour of 6 a.m. After some breakfast and finishing up our packing, we took the Tube to King's Cross (Yes, the same King's Cross where Harry Potter caught the Hogwarts Express. I hear there's a plaque marking Platform 9 3/4, but I couldn't find it). It was a sunny, gorgeous day (albeit a little chilly), and the countryside was a sight for sore eyes after being in London for so long. We arrived in York around 10:30, and luckily we were able to check our baggage at the station for the day.

Our first stop was the National Railway Museum, which boasts that it is the largest railway museum in the world. It certainly was huge, with exhibits ranging from the oldest steam engines to the bullet trains of today. Part of the museum was an old roundhouse with the turntable still intact. We also got to step inside one of the old steam engines to listen to a presentation on how it worked. Being an engineer or fireman (who shoveled the coal into the furnace) was quite a dangerous job back then!

This museum provided some nostalgia for both of us: Rick's father is a train enthusiast, so he has been to a lot of railway museums and taken the train a lot. As for me, it is amazing to see how much I know about trains from sitting through countless hours of Thomas the Tank Engine with my brother.

It was funny to look at the other people in the museum. There were two distinct groups: young children and senior citizens. But then again, Rick and I are each basically just a mix of those two.

We then headed toward York Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral west of Italy. We walked around the church and through the gardens, but didn't go in yet. Like a lot of big cathedrals, you have to pay to go inside, but you can get around that by attending any services there.

From there we headed to Clifford's Tower, the last remaining part of York Castle. The tower is atop a hill, and at one time the whole castle was surrounded by a moat - now it's a parking lot. The tower had a large open space in the middle with displays and a small chapel. By climbing to the top, we had a great view of the city. There was also a very cute gift shop with toys that modeled medieval times. To anyone in my McCabe family - be happy that the wooden bow with suction cup arrows was too big to fit in my suitcase. I almost bought it for Jack.

In medieval times the entire city of York was surrounded by a defensive wall. Some of it has crumbled away, but much of it still remains and you can walk right on it around the city. We explored the city by doing this and wandering through the many pedestrian-only streets. I don't remember if I've mentioned this yet, but on every major trip we've gone on, we've seen Native American performers. It's very bizarre. We'd seen them in London and Stockholm, and sure enough we came across them in York. They stand in pedestrian areas, playing music and selling CDs. Very, very odd.

At 5:15 we returned to York Minster to attend the Evensong service. As the name implies, basically everything other than the readings and sermon was sung. York Minster proved to be even more impressive from the inside. It was very brightly lit, full of medieval stained glass, and enormous. This provided a perfect setting for the Evensong. The Minster has boys', girls', and men's choirs, and they all performed together. The performance was breathtaking - especially the kids.

Time was a little tight after the Evensong, so we grabbed some takeaway fish and chips and booked it to the train station. There was actually no need to rush, because our train turned out to be half and hour late. Apparently the train in front of ours was having some technical difficulties. We arrived in Edinburgh at about 11 p.m. We were welcomed into the city by the majestic sight of Edinburgh castle just across the street from our hostel.

The hostel itself was really cool. It was quite large, featuring a kitchen, movie room, and lounge with pool and ping pong tables. It is run by backpackers, and has a very young person vibe. All of the rooms are named, and subsequently each bed has a related name. Our room was called "Plant Biology"; Rick got a bed called "Root" and I climbed into "Nice Pear" and fell asleep almost instantly.

Saturday, 20 October 2007

Saturday happened to be my birthday. I'm no longer a teenager - I feel old!

Some geographical information: Central Edinburgh is split into Old Town and New Town. As you may have surmised, Old Town houses old buildings like the castle, while New Town has restaurants and higher-end shops. The Royal Mile is the main route through Old Town, ending at Holyrood Park. Aside from the park, Holyrood also houses the palace that is the Queen's official residence in Scotland - even though she rarely ever goes there.

Along the way down the Royal Mile, we stopped at St. Giles, the High Kirk in Edinburgh (I think that means cathedral, but it's not called a cathedral because it's Presbyterian). The outside was intricately decorated and featured an open, arched belfry. Inside, the 19th century stained glass windows complemented the excellent wood carvings. St. Giles recently got a new organ, which was 15-20 feet tall and gorgeous - but we weren't allowed to take pictures inside.

Our main objective in going to Holyrood was climbing Arthur's Peak, a cliff overlooking the city. There were many rough, unmarked paths to the top, some of which were really steep at some points. After much huffing and puffing on my part, we finally reached the top and were rewarded with a spectacular view. In the distance, we could see the Scottish Sea fade into the horizon. The castle, St. Giles, and other old monuments and buildings poked up through the city.

After heading back down, Rick and I did some quick souvenir shopping, ate lunch, and went to the castle. It sits on a cliff (Edinburgh is very hilly - it used to be a volcano) and is architecturally stunning - how often do you find a castle in the middle of a city? The castle houses several museums; we visited the National War Museum, the war memorial, a museum devoted to a particular mounted regiment of the army, the Royal Apartments, and an exhibit of the Scottish crown jewels. The history between the Scots and English is very complicated. I went in thinking I would know a lot, having done a report on Elizabeth I in 9th grade. I think I left more confused than when I went in.

Although Scotland has been a part of Great Britain for over 300 years, there is a fierce sense of independence. Scotland has its own parliament, which can make laws on things like health and infrastructure. The displays in the castle describe how the Highland warriors bailed out the English in several of their wars. We even saw graffiti that said, "Scottish forever - Never British."

Saturday night was the Rugby World Cup final - England vs. South Africa. As we had been watching the matches right along, we didn't want to miss the final. Rick took me out to dinner at a pub down the street, both for my birthday and to watch the match. The game was dismal - England lost 6-15 - although I guess that's better than 0-36 the last time they played South Africa.

The food, however, was quite good. I was not as brave as Rick - he had haggis, a traditional Scottish meal made of....well no one really seems to know what. It's sheep lung or stomach or something like that, and served with "tatties and neeps" - potatoes and turnips. I figured I was still having something Scottish by having an Angus burger. I also had a traditional Scottish dessert, cranachan. It was alternating layers of raspberries and cream with a whisky (no "e" in Great Britain whiskey) sauce. I think there was something else mixed in with the cream, because it had a gritty consistency that was a bit like oatmeal.

Overall, it was a very busy and very wonderful birthday.
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Okay folks, that's it for now. I will continue this post either later today or tomorrow. I can't type any more and the Christmas music in this coffee shop is driving me bonkers. Christmas music! It's not even November yet!
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To be continued.....

A few last notes before break...

• I forgot to mention something about last Saturday. Rick and I went to the Tate, the museum of modern art in London. Now, modern art is not really my thing, but it was free, so I figured I would give it a go. There has been a lot of hype about the museum's latest exhibit. It is a giant crack in the museum floor, supposedly representing the racial divide in society or something like that. The hype has not necessarily come from the crack itself, but because three people have apparently fallen in it. We walked into the exhibit hall and I was expecting something six feet deep, something worth falling in to. No. At its deepest, it was maybe two feet deep. By "fall in" they must have meant "tripped over" or "got a leg stuck in." Now, as I said, modern art doesn't really do it for me, and the crack was no different. Honestly, I could have done the same thing with a jack hammer on the street. The best part about it was the little kids who were going up to it, looking at it very curiously, and then climbing in.
  

• On Monday, we got to go to Parliament for my public relations class. I had been in the building before, but this time we got to go and sit in on the House of Lords (like the Senate) and on a special committee meeting in the single-market directives of the European Union. It was really interesting, and I found out we can go back whenever we want. Some time I want to go and sit in the House of Commons (like the House of Representatives). Their debates get pretty heated.

• Yay for internet! While we still don't have internet in our flat, a fellow student informed me that a coffee shop about 500 feet outside my door has free wireless! Currently, I am sipping a cinnamon latte and listening to an odd compilation of Bruce Springsteen covers and Christmas music. Their drinks are much cheaper than Starbucks, who also charge 5 pounds an hour ($10) to use their internet.

• So tomorrow starts our trip for fall break. We head to York by train, spend the day, take a train to Edinburgh for a few days, take a ferry to Amsterdam and then ferry back to Newcastle and train back to London. I'm excited to get out of the city for a while. I'll talk to you in a week!