Weekend Fun!

25 February 2008

.....Time is a funny thing. It seems to go by so fast and you don’t even realize it. I say this particularly today because it is my sister’s 15th birthday. I can’t believe how the years go by and how this trip is going by so fast. I have not written in a while, but that does not mean that nothing has been happening here in the UK. In fact, quite the opposite actually! There has been so much happening that I have completely run out of time to write. My weekdays are spent going to classes and studying in the library. The work load here isn’t too overbearing but I’m trying to take advantage of my jobless situation (something that has not happened since I was 14) and learn as much as I can!
.....The weekends are my favorite time because it’s spent traveling! Last weekend was to see Stonehenge and also a small town called Salisbury. What a great time! The entire Passport Plans crew went and we had such a relaxing weekend in the countryside! Hear more about that trip with the second episode of Passport Plans, which should be finished soon!
.....This weekend was to Amsterdam! I’m so happy that I can add the Netherlands to my list of European countries I’ve been to, which is growing longer with each weekend! Ashley, Nicole, Eric, and I left on Thursday for our overnight ferry ride. We were a bit apprehensive, to say the least, but there was no need! This “ferry” was a cruise ship! We had our own cabin with a full bathroom. The ship itself was beautiful with several restaurants, a bar, a casino, and even a movie theater! The trip started out amazing and continued the rest of the weekend! We stayed at a hostel in Vondelpark, which was, again, surprisingly amazing! It was our first hostel experience and exceeded our expectations! The city of Amsterdam is just beautiful. Canals circle the city, so a canal boat tour was a must! It was such a nice way to enjoy the city and hear more about the history of it. My favorite part of the trip was a bike ride on Saturday morning. In Amsterdam a bike is a way of life so we had to try it out! We rented four authentic Dutch bikes for the morning and road along the canals and through Vondelpark. Our meals were fantastic! We found a little Croissanterie for lunch both days and bought cheap but delicious pastries! Not that we’re not adventurous, but when we find a place we like we go back, and that was true not only for lunch but also dinner. We found a little, residential pub and had pancakes with bacon, powered sugar, and maple syrup both nights! We made a trip to a coffee shop and the Red Light district too but that’s not part of the Amsterdam that I like. To say the least, this trip was a new experience. It has helped me grow up a little, in the sense that there was so much planning and it was a trip we all took on our own, without any adult guidance…because, we’re the adults now!
.....I look forward to each weekend and this coming weekend has been a long time coming! I have someone visiting from home who is very dear to my heart. I have a week to spend in a city I love, with a person I love! Cheers for now!

To watch Passport Plans check out www.wpcwtv.com/pointpark.

.....London. What can I say about London that hasn’t already been said. It is like no other city I’ve ever been to, and it certainly is one of the best. Vibrant is the best word for it. There are always people out on the streets, in the pubs, in museums. We went to the British Museum this past week to see an exhibition. There were 500 tickets and by the time we got there at 10:30am, it was sold out! I love that this city is in love with it’s history, bloody and thieving as it may be, they love the past and want to preserve it. At the same time they are all about the future and new technology. It’s all of those things together that makes London such an amazing city.

.....Despite the love of the city life, we all needed to slow down a bit and check out the countryside of England. This past weekend we traveled to Stratford-upon-Avon to see where Shakespeare lived. When we first arrived, the town reminded me of a suburb at home with doctor offices and insurance companies. But as we got into the town it became more and more touristy. Ashley described it as, “The Disney World of Shakespeare.” We had a few hours there and decided to find the real Stratford-upon-Avon. We walked past all of the tourist traps and had lunch at this locally-owned, little pub. It was nothing fancy and seemed quite boring but I loved it. It had a bar and TV’s playing a football(soccer) match. We had terrible service for our fish and chips but I didn’t mind…it was real and they weren’t catering to the tourists. After lunch we walked through residential streets and found the church that has Shakespeare’s grave. We had to pay 50p to see it but I think it was worth it. The church was sort of hidden with sprawling lawns behind it and an old, old cemetery. It was beautiful inside and even had a gift shop…but I didn’t mind that because the people just seemed so real. After running late to our bus we went to see the Warwick Castle. It’s actually a defensive wall, which we were unhappy to learn, but it was some wall! It was beautiful and from the top we had the most amazing views of the countryside. The sun was setting and I could have just stayed on top of the tower all day. I just stood there thinking of my parents and how they would appreciate the view. They would just stand there for hours too, just looking at the beauty. I would look down over the tower, too, and see families entering the castle. It made me miss home but also made me think of all the amazing trips that my parents took Hope and I on…someday the little kids I saw would remember Warwick Castle like I remember Fort Niagra or Charleston.

......This past week I went to Portobello Road in Notting Hill with Ashley and Nicole. We spent the whole day just walking on part of the street looking in all the markets and shops. There was just too much to look at so we will definitely be going back there. We heard rumors that Lenny Kravitz was walking along the street that day too but we didn’t see him!

.....On Friday, for my Contemporary Music in London class I went to see the band, “Snorkel,” perform. They were awesome! It was such a new experience, like nothing I’ve ever seen before! They were very experimental and so very creative! The entire crowd was so into the music just letting go of themselves and dancing the whole night! I loved it so much and hope that it is an indication of how this trip will continue to be. I just want to have an open mind and let go of all of my inhibitions to experience London the way that it deserves!

.....On that note I won’t be mentioning in every post how much I miss everyone. Just know that although I am having this great experience I have a heavy heart each and every day because I’m not with the people I love.