I have finished classes for this semester. 10 weeks, that was all I had for classes. I am finishing up two papers this weekend and have an exam next Wednesday but I am basically done. My papers are both almost finished. I just have a little bit more editing but for the most part they are done and I will be able to pass them in soon. I plan to finish my Market research one today. My exam is going to be dumb. We got the prompt last week and spent our last class discussing the answer. All I need to do is memorize the answer and then write it in essay form during the exam time. So basically pointless.
I am sorry to report that class out here never got any better. I still dislike the British School system. There is no structure to it. I took 4 classes. My theater class was more of a fun class. That one was easy and more like a gen ed back home. I loved going to all the theater. I went to much more than what was required for class as well. Marketing research is the one class I actually felt like I learned something in but their was still not much guidance from the tutors. I had to figure out a lot of it on my own or rely on my group work to help me understand. Marketing research is my most important module over here. The credits I will receive will count for my Market Research class at Plymouth. So I guess it's a good thing I learned something in this module. My group and I rocked both our paper and our presentation which we did this morning. we were already told that we got the highest grade in the class! Global markets was alright. The class was not what I was expecting. It was very heavily based with economic theories that I have already learned. The seminar was better than the lecture. We did get more direction with assignments though which was helpful. Role of a Manager was my last class. This is the worst class I have ever taken. The only reason I took it was because I was told it was a good class and that many students choose to take it. I did not learn one thing in this module. We did the same thing every seminar which I understood by week 2. She would expect us to pass in a paper every week basically saying the same thing as the week before. This paper, she would look at but we would not get any points for participation or class work so to me it was pointless to do the work. Lectures were worse. Now I am not one to skip class but that lecture I could not sit through every week. The module leader would read from the slide show basically word for word and not give us any extra information. I can do that on my own in my room. Why am I going to waste time in London sitting in class that is not giving me any extra information.
I am excited go home and go back to school somewhere I will actually be learning and that challenges me. I know I will hate it when I actually have to do work all semester but at least I will get something out of the class and am being challenged. I learned much more living in London and traveling than I did sitting in a classroom. I am so happy I only had classes 2 days a week. It gave me much more time to do cultural things, travel, and see London. As far as work this semester, I have had very little. It wasn't until about a week ago when I was assigned my alternative assessments that I began to have a lot of work. I had some group projects over the semester but they were not bad since it was group work. I could do my part and be done with it. Again this is not ow I normally work. I am happy I didn't have much work. I would not have seen as much of London if I did have a lot of work. I know some study abroad people have a ton of work right now. I am not sure If i just picked good modules that didn't load me with work or if I just planned my time well but I am not stressed out about the things I have left to do.
The British school system as a whole is not good. Teachers were not as receptive or helpful as I would have hoped. They also did not care that I was adjusting to a new way of writing papers and a new school system which was frustrating. The British school system also grades assignments differently. I always would practically have a heart attack when I got a grade back and then would remember the conversions for grades. It helped when I got group assignments back because my group would be excited about the grade. Its so weird that a 60 is a good grade and is like a B at home. It will be nice to go back to a good school system that has structure to it. It is hard to concentrate on work when their are so many other things I would rather be doing in the city. Usually I picked doing fun things and stayed up late to do work but I was not going to waste my time abroad. As important as the "study" part of the "study abroad" experience is, I found that the "abroad" part was much more important and where I actually gain knowledge, not sitting in a classroom.
Cheers,
Allie
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Les Miserables Premiere
Tonight was the Les Miserables Premiere in Leicester Square. Colleen and I went. We got their slightly late because our class ran over, of course on the one night we had some place to be. It was packed when we got there but everyone knows me, I pushed through the crowed and got to a really good spot right at the beginning of the red carpet where the cars drop off the celebrities. I saw Russell Crowe, Isla Fisher (Sacha Baron Cohen's wife), and Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter) from here. I also saw and got Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) and Tom Hooper's (The Director) autographs. It was really hard to get good pictures because they walked so fast and always had a body guard or someone around them standing in the way but I did my best. I was upset I didn't see Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, or Hugh Jackmen.
It seemed that all the celebrities had arrived so Colleen and I decided to move to a different area closer to the stage the celebrities were getting interviewed on. This is where I saw Anne Hathaway and Amanda Seyfried. I never did end up seeing Hugh Jackman. I mostly saw the back of Amanda Seyfried's head while she was on stage but had a better view when Anne Hathaway was talking. It was so cool to be a premiere! Seeing all the different stars was awesome. I wish I had gone to a few more while I was here.
After all the celebrities were in the premiere, I decided to ask one of the people working about how started working there and what I needed to do to become a part of it. As some people know my life dream is to help with the behind the scenes work of the CMA's. I know its a big goal. Working for premiers would be so cool as well. Event management really is what I want to be doing. They said that it is all about experience. They told me to work many different events not to just settle on one to begin with. The more you work, the more people you meet, and eventually you will find an event that you love putting on. I asked if they had a card or anything for someone for me to contact but they didn't. I did get some good advice from them though. I am going to look really hard for an amazing internship for next summer and really get into event management. Who knows, maybe I can get an internship back out in London next summer and I can help with the premiers. How cool would that be?!
Cheers,
Allie
 |
| Russell Crowe pulling up |
 |
| Tom Hooper |
 |
| Isla Fisher |
It seemed that all the celebrities had arrived so Colleen and I decided to move to a different area closer to the stage the celebrities were getting interviewed on. This is where I saw Anne Hathaway and Amanda Seyfried. I never did end up seeing Hugh Jackman. I mostly saw the back of Amanda Seyfried's head while she was on stage but had a better view when Anne Hathaway was talking. It was so cool to be a premiere! Seeing all the different stars was awesome. I wish I had gone to a few more while I was here.
 |
| Anne is the one behind the worker guy |
After all the celebrities were in the premiere, I decided to ask one of the people working about how started working there and what I needed to do to become a part of it. As some people know my life dream is to help with the behind the scenes work of the CMA's. I know its a big goal. Working for premiers would be so cool as well. Event management really is what I want to be doing. They said that it is all about experience. They told me to work many different events not to just settle on one to begin with. The more you work, the more people you meet, and eventually you will find an event that you love putting on. I asked if they had a card or anything for someone for me to contact but they didn't. I did get some good advice from them though. I am going to look really hard for an amazing internship for next summer and really get into event management. Who knows, maybe I can get an internship back out in London next summer and I can help with the premiers. How cool would that be?!
Cheers,
Allie
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Fuller's Brewery Tour
On Monday, API had a bonus event for us. They took us on tour of Fuller's Brewery. We got to wear awesome bright colored vests on the tour. We learned all about the beer making process. Fullers Brewery has been around since 1845. We learned all about the ingredients that go into making beer as well as walking though the factory. They had some of the old copper equipment which was really cool. Our tour guide talked to us about how beer use to be made and how it is made now with new equipment. Beer is made with 4 main ingredients, hobs, barley, yeast, and water. We got to smell different types of hobs and barley to see the differences and learned about what they different types do to the beer. It was a pretty interesting tour. I had never toured a brewery so it was cool to learn about how beer is made.
After the tour we got a chance to sample 8 different types of their products. You didn't have to try all of them but I decided to. I liked some better than others. My favorite was Jack Frost which is there winter seasonal ale. They also have an organic ale called Honey Dew which contains honey and was a little sweeter. I never use to like beer but I had definitely acquired more of a taste to it since being abroad. I am definitely more partial to light beers or ciders but I did liked Guinness when I tried it in Ireland which everyone says is kind of weird since im not a beer drinker. We laughed at the fact that it was 3:30 on a Monday afternoon and we had drank a decent amount. I guess it's 5:00 somewhere.
I also went to see Les Miserables last night. The show was amazing and I am really excited for the movie to come out. The premier is in London on Wednesday and I plan on going. It should be pretty cool especially since there is a really good cast. Tonight I am going to see Mamma Mia which I am so excited for. The movie is one of my favorites and I sure the Musical is better. I am trying to fit in as much theater as possible out here since tickets are so cheap. I will see Matilda next week and that will be my final show. I am doing my best to fill all my time left with different cultural things. I am not sure I am going to get to my entire bucket list because most of the things left cost money which I am a little low on but I'll manage for the next two weeks. It just gives me a reason to come back and more things to do on that return!
Cheers,
Allie
After the tour we got a chance to sample 8 different types of their products. You didn't have to try all of them but I decided to. I liked some better than others. My favorite was Jack Frost which is there winter seasonal ale. They also have an organic ale called Honey Dew which contains honey and was a little sweeter. I never use to like beer but I had definitely acquired more of a taste to it since being abroad. I am definitely more partial to light beers or ciders but I did liked Guinness when I tried it in Ireland which everyone says is kind of weird since im not a beer drinker. We laughed at the fact that it was 3:30 on a Monday afternoon and we had drank a decent amount. I guess it's 5:00 somewhere.
I also went to see Les Miserables last night. The show was amazing and I am really excited for the movie to come out. The premier is in London on Wednesday and I plan on going. It should be pretty cool especially since there is a really good cast. Tonight I am going to see Mamma Mia which I am so excited for. The movie is one of my favorites and I sure the Musical is better. I am trying to fit in as much theater as possible out here since tickets are so cheap. I will see Matilda next week and that will be my final show. I am doing my best to fill all my time left with different cultural things. I am not sure I am going to get to my entire bucket list because most of the things left cost money which I am a little low on but I'll manage for the next two weeks. It just gives me a reason to come back and more things to do on that return!
Cheers,
Allie
Sunday, December 2, 2012
The Usual Stroll Through The City
Yesterday, Colleen, Roxanne and I decided to cross more things off our bucket list. We started our day by going to The Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace. During the winter the changing of the guards happens every other day. The amount of people that were at Buckingham Palace was crazy! Colleen and I couldn't meet up with Roxanne until after since it was so packed. The ceremony takes about 45 minutes. The band and guards march in from the streets and go into the main gate. Once behind the gate they do the changing of the guards and the band plays. The band did a whole Grease medley. It was so cool and thinking about the fact that the Queens band was playing Grease was very entertaining. I got a pretty good position for pictures after pushing through many people. It was definitely the most extravagant Changing of the Guards I have seen. Since my time a abroad, I have seen a 3 or 4 different changing of the guards ceremonies and in different countries. I loved the uniforms the Queens guards wear. They looked like the guards from The Wizard of Oz. Overall it was a really interesting thing to see.
After that we walked to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Stopping on our way to take Telephone booth pictures since we hadn't done that yet. We found a good telephone both where you can see Big Ben in the background. We met a group of people doing the same thing. They made taking our group picture much more fun. Parliament tours are only on Saturdays. We bought our tickets and had about an hour before our tour we walked across Westminster Bridge got lunch and then headed back. We had to go through security which felt more like airport security than anything else. It was a guided tour which was nice. Funny thing was though, our tour guide was the same guy who gave us our Jack the Ripper tour. We thought it was when he started talking and we had to ask. It was such a funny coincidence. He said he does other tours as wellso maybe we will see him again. It is amazing the amount of knowledge he has to have to do so many different tours! We walked all through Parliament. We went through The House of Lords and The House of Commons a long with the stairs the Queen enters from and all the other rooms. It was really interesting listening to all the history. The Queens thrown is in the House of Lords. It was beautiful! I couldn't stop staring at it. Unfortunately you can;t take pictures inside Parliament.
After leaving Parlement we went to find Abbey Road. we tried to take the tube but there was a hold on the line so we ended up walking and it ended up being further than we expected. Abbey Road is the road the Beatles took their famous picture on. Once we found it we tried to get some pictures. It was dark out at this point so after a few attempts we decided to come back during the day. Getting pictures is much harder than you would think. It is a very busy road and there is no stop light or anything. You basically have to run across the road so you don't get hit by a car. It was definitely an experience. Hopefully next time it wont be so busy. Colleen and I then made a pit stop on our way home at Kings Cross to get a picture at Platform 9 3/4. We kept saying we were going to so we finally did it.
Today, I decided to get up and go to the art market. It is only open on Sundays and I really wanted a canvas painting because I had gotten one in Paris and wanted to add to my collection. The market was different than most other markets. It wasn't in a confined area. Rather the artists just set up along the fence on the street. Most of the paintings were expensive but I found one for a decent price. After that I walked through Hyde Park. It was such a beautiful day out. I walked back to Big Ben and across Westminster Bridge and took pictures from that side. I had seen a few pictures that had Big Ben and Westminster Bridge that I wanted to replicate. I walked down the river walk and through the Christmas Market before heading back to my flat to write a paper.
Over all it was a successful few days. I am slowly crossing things off my bucket list. Tomorrow I have a full day as well with a bonus API event, a show, and a day away from writing part of a paper. It should be pretty fun. It's amazing how much I have to fit into my final two weeks. I am slowly but surely picking away at my assessments. They will be done by next Monday, I can guarantee it. I am beginning to get such a bitter sweet feeling about leaving. I am excited to go home and see my friends and family but every time I walk around the city and do more things, I fall in love again and am heart broken that my time here is slowly coming to a close.
Cheers,
Allie
After that we walked to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Stopping on our way to take Telephone booth pictures since we hadn't done that yet. We found a good telephone both where you can see Big Ben in the background. We met a group of people doing the same thing. They made taking our group picture much more fun. Parliament tours are only on Saturdays. We bought our tickets and had about an hour before our tour we walked across Westminster Bridge got lunch and then headed back. We had to go through security which felt more like airport security than anything else. It was a guided tour which was nice. Funny thing was though, our tour guide was the same guy who gave us our Jack the Ripper tour. We thought it was when he started talking and we had to ask. It was such a funny coincidence. He said he does other tours as wellso maybe we will see him again. It is amazing the amount of knowledge he has to have to do so many different tours! We walked all through Parliament. We went through The House of Lords and The House of Commons a long with the stairs the Queen enters from and all the other rooms. It was really interesting listening to all the history. The Queens thrown is in the House of Lords. It was beautiful! I couldn't stop staring at it. Unfortunately you can;t take pictures inside Parliament.
After leaving Parlement we went to find Abbey Road. we tried to take the tube but there was a hold on the line so we ended up walking and it ended up being further than we expected. Abbey Road is the road the Beatles took their famous picture on. Once we found it we tried to get some pictures. It was dark out at this point so after a few attempts we decided to come back during the day. Getting pictures is much harder than you would think. It is a very busy road and there is no stop light or anything. You basically have to run across the road so you don't get hit by a car. It was definitely an experience. Hopefully next time it wont be so busy. Colleen and I then made a pit stop on our way home at Kings Cross to get a picture at Platform 9 3/4. We kept saying we were going to so we finally did it.
Today, I decided to get up and go to the art market. It is only open on Sundays and I really wanted a canvas painting because I had gotten one in Paris and wanted to add to my collection. The market was different than most other markets. It wasn't in a confined area. Rather the artists just set up along the fence on the street. Most of the paintings were expensive but I found one for a decent price. After that I walked through Hyde Park. It was such a beautiful day out. I walked back to Big Ben and across Westminster Bridge and took pictures from that side. I had seen a few pictures that had Big Ben and Westminster Bridge that I wanted to replicate. I walked down the river walk and through the Christmas Market before heading back to my flat to write a paper.
Over all it was a successful few days. I am slowly crossing things off my bucket list. Tomorrow I have a full day as well with a bonus API event, a show, and a day away from writing part of a paper. It should be pretty fun. It's amazing how much I have to fit into my final two weeks. I am slowly but surely picking away at my assessments. They will be done by next Monday, I can guarantee it. I am beginning to get such a bitter sweet feeling about leaving. I am excited to go home and see my friends and family but every time I walk around the city and do more things, I fall in love again and am heart broken that my time here is slowly coming to a close.
Cheers,
Allie
Thursday, November 29, 2012
London Markets
Markets are a big part of European culture. London has many markets all through out the city. Their are all different types of markets. Some for food, some for arts and crafts, some for antiques, and some for a mixture of everything. I have found that my two favorite markets are are Covent Garden and Spitalfields Market. Each one is different but both have a wide variety of vendors and items.
Spitalfields is a big market. It is close to Brick Lane as well and is within walking distance of my flat. It is really fun to walk around and see all the different things being sold. They have different types of markets on different days as well. Some days their will be a lot of antiques while other days it is more of a food or clothing market.
Covent Garden is near Leicester Square. It has restaurants and real stores all around it. It also has some theaters near it. There is a small part of the market that has a lot of homemade crafty things. The larger part of the market also has homemade things but it includes trinkety things, antiques, bags, and tourist stuff. It has a very big variety and a lot of interesting things.
I have really enjoyed taking time to walk through all the markets. There are so many and each one is different from the environment to the quality of products sold to the type of products being sold. It is fun to just walk through them even if you know you don't have the money to buy anything. I wish we had more markets at home. They are definitely one thing I will miss about London.
Cheers,
Allie
Spitalfields is a big market. It is close to Brick Lane as well and is within walking distance of my flat. It is really fun to walk around and see all the different things being sold. They have different types of markets on different days as well. Some days their will be a lot of antiques while other days it is more of a food or clothing market.
Covent Garden is near Leicester Square. It has restaurants and real stores all around it. It also has some theaters near it. There is a small part of the market that has a lot of homemade crafty things. The larger part of the market also has homemade things but it includes trinkety things, antiques, bags, and tourist stuff. It has a very big variety and a lot of interesting things.
I have really enjoyed taking time to walk through all the markets. There are so many and each one is different from the environment to the quality of products sold to the type of products being sold. It is fun to just walk through them even if you know you don't have the money to buy anything. I wish we had more markets at home. They are definitely one thing I will miss about London.
Cheers,
Allie
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Things I learned while traveling
Reflecting on my 5 trips outside of London I realized I have learned a lot. I learned a lot about traveling through Europe and keeping it cheap and I also learned things about myself and gained confidence.
To start, traveling around Europe can get very pricey. As each trip went a long, I found better ways to travel. First, look through different airlines. Easy Jet and Ryanair were the two airlines I used that had the cheapest flights. If you book early enough as well the flights will be very cheap. My cheapest flight was 38 pounds round trip. That's only about $50. Not to bad.The cheaper flights are usually early in the morning or late at night. Sleeping in the airport might be the most convenient for getting an early flight but definitely not the best for starting a trip off rested. You might not think getting back at 2:30 am isn't that bad either but after a week or weekend of traveling its not that fun.
Hostels can also be tricky. I learned that location is prime. You want a hostel that is close to transportation but is also not far from the sights you want to see. I also learned that it is worth spending a little bit of extra money for a private room with the people you are traveling with rather than booking cheap and staying with 4 random people. I booked through hostelworld.com. It is important to check the ratings. You can find decently priced hostels with ratings above 85% satisfaction and you should be pretty happy. Some hostels, like my one in Ireland, gave us our own bathroom for the room. This was very convenient but usually you will be sharing with the floor. My hostel in Florence was not bad but was the worst one out of the 5 I stayed in. The ratings definitely help with cleanliness. It can also be convenient if you know someone in the area that you can stay with and not have to find a hostel. We did this is Scotland.
Overnight trains can be cheaper and helps you save money on hostels but you must be ready to drink lots of coffee and get a second wind. In Italy, I did 2 nights in a row with over night trains. I did not get much sleep either night but I did save money. You just have push yourself to keep going but I wouldn't recommend sleeping on a train for more than two nights in a row.
Public Transportation in every city is going to be different. There are ways around paying for but you also have to be careful because if you are caught without a ticket you will be charged a fine. you also must validate your ticket. I found ways of getting around tickets. In Italy I was able to buy a bus ticket when I first got there and just used it every day because on the buses they never checked. But buses are really the only one that you can easily get around.
Plan your trips ahead of time. Check out the area and decide on some major things your want see and do. Also keep track of what you do each day so that you can remember what your pictures are of. I took a lot of pictures and it was good to have something to look back on.
Pack light. Only bring the necessities and leave room for souvenirs. If you are only going for a weekend, a backpack or small duffel will work. Cheap airlines only allow one bag so either hide your purse in a jacket or make sure it is small enough to fit into your bag when you go through security. Wear bulky items on the plane to save room. I have definitely become a lighter packer.
Traveling on my own and with friends definitely helped me gain confidence. We had to figure out everything on our own. We had to plan what to do when we got there, figure out transportation, communicate with people if countries that spoke a different language, the list goes on and on. It gives you a greater sense of independence and confidence. I know I can do these things on my own now. I am not scared to stay by myself in a train station for a few hours at night any more. It might not be ideal but I got to see more places this way. Traveling has definitely given me more confidence. I know I can handle different situations on my own. Mommy and Daddy might still have been a phone call away but they can't do much aside from listen to whatever problem you are having. You have to do it on your own. Find your own way but still know that they are their if you really need them. I know my parents worried every time I left London. I tried my best to keep the worrying down and let them know when I arrived at whatever destination I was headed too. It was kind of hard because I can only talk to them when I have WiFi but luckily most cafe's and all the hostels have WiFi. I hope I didn't make them to nervous.
I have loved traveling around Europe. I am looking forward to coming back hopefully soon and seeing some of the countries I did not get to. I hope that I can come over with friends and have an adventure of a lifetime. I want to come back with my parents and sisters and show them around London. Traveling is such an exciting thing. The travel bug has bit me hard and hasn't quiet let go yet. Who knows where my next trip will take me but for now I am going to store my knowledge of traveling around Europe and save it for another day.
Cheers,
Allie
To start, traveling around Europe can get very pricey. As each trip went a long, I found better ways to travel. First, look through different airlines. Easy Jet and Ryanair were the two airlines I used that had the cheapest flights. If you book early enough as well the flights will be very cheap. My cheapest flight was 38 pounds round trip. That's only about $50. Not to bad.The cheaper flights are usually early in the morning or late at night. Sleeping in the airport might be the most convenient for getting an early flight but definitely not the best for starting a trip off rested. You might not think getting back at 2:30 am isn't that bad either but after a week or weekend of traveling its not that fun.
Hostels can also be tricky. I learned that location is prime. You want a hostel that is close to transportation but is also not far from the sights you want to see. I also learned that it is worth spending a little bit of extra money for a private room with the people you are traveling with rather than booking cheap and staying with 4 random people. I booked through hostelworld.com. It is important to check the ratings. You can find decently priced hostels with ratings above 85% satisfaction and you should be pretty happy. Some hostels, like my one in Ireland, gave us our own bathroom for the room. This was very convenient but usually you will be sharing with the floor. My hostel in Florence was not bad but was the worst one out of the 5 I stayed in. The ratings definitely help with cleanliness. It can also be convenient if you know someone in the area that you can stay with and not have to find a hostel. We did this is Scotland.
Overnight trains can be cheaper and helps you save money on hostels but you must be ready to drink lots of coffee and get a second wind. In Italy, I did 2 nights in a row with over night trains. I did not get much sleep either night but I did save money. You just have push yourself to keep going but I wouldn't recommend sleeping on a train for more than two nights in a row.
Public Transportation in every city is going to be different. There are ways around paying for but you also have to be careful because if you are caught without a ticket you will be charged a fine. you also must validate your ticket. I found ways of getting around tickets. In Italy I was able to buy a bus ticket when I first got there and just used it every day because on the buses they never checked. But buses are really the only one that you can easily get around.
Plan your trips ahead of time. Check out the area and decide on some major things your want see and do. Also keep track of what you do each day so that you can remember what your pictures are of. I took a lot of pictures and it was good to have something to look back on.
Pack light. Only bring the necessities and leave room for souvenirs. If you are only going for a weekend, a backpack or small duffel will work. Cheap airlines only allow one bag so either hide your purse in a jacket or make sure it is small enough to fit into your bag when you go through security. Wear bulky items on the plane to save room. I have definitely become a lighter packer.
Traveling on my own and with friends definitely helped me gain confidence. We had to figure out everything on our own. We had to plan what to do when we got there, figure out transportation, communicate with people if countries that spoke a different language, the list goes on and on. It gives you a greater sense of independence and confidence. I know I can do these things on my own now. I am not scared to stay by myself in a train station for a few hours at night any more. It might not be ideal but I got to see more places this way. Traveling has definitely given me more confidence. I know I can handle different situations on my own. Mommy and Daddy might still have been a phone call away but they can't do much aside from listen to whatever problem you are having. You have to do it on your own. Find your own way but still know that they are their if you really need them. I know my parents worried every time I left London. I tried my best to keep the worrying down and let them know when I arrived at whatever destination I was headed too. It was kind of hard because I can only talk to them when I have WiFi but luckily most cafe's and all the hostels have WiFi. I hope I didn't make them to nervous.
I have loved traveling around Europe. I am looking forward to coming back hopefully soon and seeing some of the countries I did not get to. I hope that I can come over with friends and have an adventure of a lifetime. I want to come back with my parents and sisters and show them around London. Traveling is such an exciting thing. The travel bug has bit me hard and hasn't quiet let go yet. Who knows where my next trip will take me but for now I am going to store my knowledge of traveling around Europe and save it for another day.
Cheers,
Allie
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Porto, Portugal: November 23-26
Colleen and I went to Porto, Portugal for Thanksgiving weekend. It was our random trip of the semester. We got up early on Friday and headed to airport. We arrived in Porto around 12:30. We found our hostel and got some food. First impressions of Porto were not the best. It was not very clean and not the type of environment we expected. We even thought about trying to change our flight and come back to London early but it was expensive. Once we started really walking around the city we found it to not be so bad after all. We tried to find a tourist office to help give us information on what to do while we were in Porto. This was when the communication barrier really started to show. Once we had some ideas, we started wandering and found the Cads da Camara which was a church on the top of a hill. It over looked the river. We tried to find a way down the hill to the river but after some wandering we went back to the main streets which made it much easier to get down the cliff. Along the river their were some little shops. We then crossed over the Ponte de Luis I bridge into Gia, another city in Portugal. Gia is known for their port wine. When we were on the Porto side of the river we saw Cable cars that brought you to the top of the hill. Porto and Gia are both built on hills. We took the cable cars because it wasn't very expensive and thought it would be fun. We learned that Porto had some interesting forms of transportation. We walked up to the Do Infante Santo which was a monument it was kinda weird because it was guarded by the army. We walked through a park and took the cable cars back down. We got a free port wine tasting with our cable car ride. I found out that I am not a big fan of port wine. It was to sweet. Now don't get me wrong I like my wine a little sweet and not to bitter but this was to much. The sun was starting to set.Iit was really pretty looking at all the Porto houses that were piled on top of each other with the sunset behind them and the river in front. We got dinner and called it an early night.
On Saturday we decided to get tickets for the yellow bus tour. There were two tours and we could spread them out over two days. They were also hop on hop off tours so we could get out and walk around the different parts of Porto. It was pretty sunny out so we decided to take the Castle tour because it brought us down by the beach. We weren't able to go into any of the castles but that was okay. Once we got to the beach we got off the bus and went down on the sand. Colleen and I were both in boots but we took our shoes off anyway and ran through the water. It was surprisingly pretty warm . My pants got a little at the bottom even after rolling them but I didn't care. We sat on the beach for about 2 hours. It was weird thinking about how I was on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. The waves were huge on this side. I wanted to go in so bad but the undertow looked like it would be pretty bad. The waves did look like tons of fun though! We got back on the bus and headed back into the center of Porto. We got dinner and walked through some of the shops. We were really starting to notice the language barrier. It was hard to communicate when we tried to order food of buy things. Portugal was definitely the hardest country when it came to communication.
We got up Sunday morning and tried to find a place for breakfast. It was very difficult to find a place with people who speak English. We did a lot of miming. Porto shuts down on Sunday morning we found out. Stores and cafe's didn't really start opening till about 1:00. We got back on the yellow bus for the Historical Porto Tour. It brought us through more of the city and back down to part of the beach. We got off again and walked down some of the piers. There was a light house on one of them as well. The waves down here were bigger than the ones on the beach! They would crash against the piers and come up over the top. We had to be careful walking so we wouldn't get splashed. The waves were so fun to watch. We also saw some whirl pools in the water. We walked down on one part of the beach. The sand in Portugal was different than the sand in America. It was much looser and your feet sank in more. We spent again almost 2 hours down on the beach watching the waves. Once we got back on the tour bus it brought us into Gia and then back to Porto Center. We got dinner then walked over to Gia to get pictures of the city at night and to try and find ice cream. We walked back across the Ponte de Luis. On the side of the cliff there was this cool train thing. The bottom of it looked like an accordion and would stretch out so you were still level to the ground as it went down the steep cliff. Colleen and I had seen it the day before and wanted to know what it was. Being us silly girls we decided to take a ride. We get to the top and find out it was actually just public transportation to get from the bottom of the cliff to the top. We still thought it was cool and got a good view of the Gia.
Monday was our last day in Porto. We really had been having a relaxing weekend as we had hoped. We didn't have much of a plan but wanted to go back to the beach. We decided to try and see if we could take the yellow bus again and not pay for the bus ride there. Each time we had gotten on the bus we just had to hold up our receipt. They never checked it so we were able to get a free ride. I must say traveling has taught me ways around paying for public transportation. Maybe its just the now poor study abroad student in me. We sat on the beach for a bit. The water was colder but the sun made it kinda hot while we were sitting there. It was really nice. It started to sprinkle though randomly and got colder when the sun was hidden by a clouds. The weather was so bizarre. It would be raining a little and then not at all and when it was raining you could still see the sun. You could also see the line of rain over the ocean. We walked down the beach a bit and the towards the Cheese Castle which was one of the Castles on the tour from Saturday. This Castle was our favorite because it reminded us of the Little Mermaid Castle. Colleen and I might be 20 and 21 years old but we are still kids at heart. We found a gelato place on the water and then walked to find a bus stop for the yellow bus. We started to watch the sunset over the ocean but of course it started to rain again even though you could still see the sunset. When we turned around to go back to the bus stop there was a double rainbow over the city. This is like the 5th rainbow at least that I have seen since being abroad. It was a great way to end our relaxing weekend in Porto. We got back to the center, got dinner, and headed to the airport. We met 2 girls on our flight home. One goes to Westminster and lives in Alexander Flemming and the other is studying abroad with a different school but is from Massachusetts. It definitely is a small world.
It was nice to make my final trip a relaxing one. We were not rushed and had plenty of time to do things. I loved being able to sit on the beach. I now have to start buckling down writing papers and finishing projects. I'm not stressing yet and if I stick to my deadlines I think I will be doing fine. This trip gave me a grand total of 6 countries in 3 months! That is crazy. I am so excited to spend my last 3 weeks in London. I am definitely going to miss it out here. Stay tuned for my final adventures around London for the next 3 weeks. I have decided that every day I am not in class I am going to do something off my bucket list even if it means pulling all nighters to finish my papers.
Cheers,
Allie
On Saturday we decided to get tickets for the yellow bus tour. There were two tours and we could spread them out over two days. They were also hop on hop off tours so we could get out and walk around the different parts of Porto. It was pretty sunny out so we decided to take the Castle tour because it brought us down by the beach. We weren't able to go into any of the castles but that was okay. Once we got to the beach we got off the bus and went down on the sand. Colleen and I were both in boots but we took our shoes off anyway and ran through the water. It was surprisingly pretty warm . My pants got a little at the bottom even after rolling them but I didn't care. We sat on the beach for about 2 hours. It was weird thinking about how I was on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. The waves were huge on this side. I wanted to go in so bad but the undertow looked like it would be pretty bad. The waves did look like tons of fun though! We got back on the bus and headed back into the center of Porto. We got dinner and walked through some of the shops. We were really starting to notice the language barrier. It was hard to communicate when we tried to order food of buy things. Portugal was definitely the hardest country when it came to communication.
We got up Sunday morning and tried to find a place for breakfast. It was very difficult to find a place with people who speak English. We did a lot of miming. Porto shuts down on Sunday morning we found out. Stores and cafe's didn't really start opening till about 1:00. We got back on the yellow bus for the Historical Porto Tour. It brought us through more of the city and back down to part of the beach. We got off again and walked down some of the piers. There was a light house on one of them as well. The waves down here were bigger than the ones on the beach! They would crash against the piers and come up over the top. We had to be careful walking so we wouldn't get splashed. The waves were so fun to watch. We also saw some whirl pools in the water. We walked down on one part of the beach. The sand in Portugal was different than the sand in America. It was much looser and your feet sank in more. We spent again almost 2 hours down on the beach watching the waves. Once we got back on the tour bus it brought us into Gia and then back to Porto Center. We got dinner then walked over to Gia to get pictures of the city at night and to try and find ice cream. We walked back across the Ponte de Luis. On the side of the cliff there was this cool train thing. The bottom of it looked like an accordion and would stretch out so you were still level to the ground as it went down the steep cliff. Colleen and I had seen it the day before and wanted to know what it was. Being us silly girls we decided to take a ride. We get to the top and find out it was actually just public transportation to get from the bottom of the cliff to the top. We still thought it was cool and got a good view of the Gia.
Monday was our last day in Porto. We really had been having a relaxing weekend as we had hoped. We didn't have much of a plan but wanted to go back to the beach. We decided to try and see if we could take the yellow bus again and not pay for the bus ride there. Each time we had gotten on the bus we just had to hold up our receipt. They never checked it so we were able to get a free ride. I must say traveling has taught me ways around paying for public transportation. Maybe its just the now poor study abroad student in me. We sat on the beach for a bit. The water was colder but the sun made it kinda hot while we were sitting there. It was really nice. It started to sprinkle though randomly and got colder when the sun was hidden by a clouds. The weather was so bizarre. It would be raining a little and then not at all and when it was raining you could still see the sun. You could also see the line of rain over the ocean. We walked down the beach a bit and the towards the Cheese Castle which was one of the Castles on the tour from Saturday. This Castle was our favorite because it reminded us of the Little Mermaid Castle. Colleen and I might be 20 and 21 years old but we are still kids at heart. We found a gelato place on the water and then walked to find a bus stop for the yellow bus. We started to watch the sunset over the ocean but of course it started to rain again even though you could still see the sunset. When we turned around to go back to the bus stop there was a double rainbow over the city. This is like the 5th rainbow at least that I have seen since being abroad. It was a great way to end our relaxing weekend in Porto. We got back to the center, got dinner, and headed to the airport. We met 2 girls on our flight home. One goes to Westminster and lives in Alexander Flemming and the other is studying abroad with a different school but is from Massachusetts. It definitely is a small world.
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| The Cheese castle |
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| Sunset |
It was nice to make my final trip a relaxing one. We were not rushed and had plenty of time to do things. I loved being able to sit on the beach. I now have to start buckling down writing papers and finishing projects. I'm not stressing yet and if I stick to my deadlines I think I will be doing fine. This trip gave me a grand total of 6 countries in 3 months! That is crazy. I am so excited to spend my last 3 weeks in London. I am definitely going to miss it out here. Stay tuned for my final adventures around London for the next 3 weeks. I have decided that every day I am not in class I am going to do something off my bucket list even if it means pulling all nighters to finish my papers.
Cheers,
Allie
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