Rome: Day 2 & 3

Day 2
Yesterday was a busy day. Steven made pancakes for breakfast because I haven’t had any “American style” pancakes since I’ve been in England. They were as good as I remembered them to be. Then, we headed to central Rome to walk through some of the plazas. First we stopped at Campo de Fiori where there was a nice market to walk around.

Next, we went to Piazza Navona. This is one of the first places I ever went on my first trip to Rome, so it was nice to see it again. I love the huge fountain in the middle of the piazza depicting four of the world’s major rivers.

Then, we headed to one of my favorite places in Rome, the Pantheon. We grabbed some pizza and ate it on the front steps, and then, walked around the inside of the ancient building.

Before heading to the next stop, we got some gelato from my favorite gelateria in Rome which is right around the corner from the Pantheon.

Next, we went to the Trevi Fountain. It’s always crowded, but I love it anyways! It’s so beautiful, and I think it captures the essence of the city.

Then, we made our way to the Spanish Steps. We sat on the steps for awhile to rest and watch all the activity of the bustling tourists.

We then walked through part of Borghese Park to Piazza del Popolo.

After our tour of the plazas and piazzas, we headed back to rest. After having a spaghetti dinner, we went to a few museums. Last night was “Museum Night” in Europe so hundreds of museum in Rome were open from 8:00 pm-2:00 am for free so we visited the house of a French ambassador that was very impressive. Then we went to see the Capital Museum, but the line was too long so we just looked out over the Forum instead. (Unfortunately, I didn’t take any pictures of Museum Night).
Day 3
Today, I ventured to the Vatican (Steven stayed back at the apartment) to see the Pentecostal Service. I managed to make my way through the crowd and get a pretty good view of the service. It worked out even better then expected because I got within 20 feet of the Pope! It was so cool! I couldn’t believe how close I got to him!

After the exciting ordeal with the Pope, I walked over to a market to do some shopping and then bought some pizza and ate it looking out over the river and the Saint Angelo Castle.

Later today, Steven and I went to a nearby flower garden with all kinds of beautiful roses.

On the way home, we stopped at a modern art museum and climbed the “Big Bambu”. It’s a huge, interesting sculpture made out of bamboo and ropes. It’s a huge structure (that looks very unstable) that can be climbed through. It was kind of scary, but pretty interesting to walk through.

Then, we had dinner at a restaurant below the apartment. I had a four cheese pizza and tiramisu. Very good!

Two very busy days, but I’ve had a great time so far! I’m excited for the next four days!

Rome: Day 1

After a 2:00 am bus ride to Manchester Airport and a 6:00 am plane ride, I made it to Rome! My plane landed just in time because not too long after landing, it started to rain and lightly thunder. Steven met me at the airport and we headed to his apartment. It was quite the journey; we took 2 different buses and 2 metro lines to get there. Luckily by the time we got to the apartment, the weather had cleared and was warm and sunny. We then headed to the nearby neighborhood of Trastevere where we grabbed some pizza for lunch. Then, I bought the first of many servings of gelato, and we sat in a cute plaza with a fountain and church.

After walking around a bit and making a stop at the grocery store, we headed back to the apartment. I took I nap because I only slept for 3 hours last night. We then had some nice appetizers, and then, went on a walk up Aventine hill. At the top we saw a monastery, a beautiful church, and some great views of Rome. My favorite thing was the Malta embassy. You can’t go inside, but through a peep hole in the front gate you see a long archway made of shrubbery, and right in the center you can see the dome of Vatican City. So you’re standing in Rome, looking through the country of Malta, to see the Vatican City. It was so cool.

Now, we’re back at the apartment about to eat some spaghetti that Steven made for dinner.

I’m so happy to be in Rome. It’s one of all time favorite places and I can’t wait to spend the next 6 days exploring the city.

Scarborough

Yesterday, I visited the small, sea port city of Scarborough.  I signed up for the trip knowing practically nothing about the city, but I’ve come to find out that sometimes it’s best to visit a new place with no preconceived notions or expectations.  It makes the day a lot more fun as you discover new, exciting things along the way.  

(All of the pictures in this post were taken by my friend, Steph.  I took a lot of pictures myself, but I’m having some camera issues so I can’t upload mine yet.) 

We got off the bus, and the picture above was our first view of Scarborough.  As you can see, it’s a very cute town with quaint, little beaches.  All along the beach are shops, restaurants (lost of fish and chips available!), and surprisingly, arcades.  (One of the interesting things I learned about Scarborough is that they’re known for arcades jammed pack full of games.  We walked around one of them briefly but didn’t actually play anything.)  We kept walking along the beach until we got to the harbor where we looked at all the boats and the ocean and all of the sea gulls flying above.  It was quite nice.  After looking around a bit, we decided to stop at a pub for lunch.  I ordered a weird dish that was a combination of chips and two fried eggs, and it was actually pretty good.  Next, we trekked all the way to a miniature train that was advertised as having great views of Scarborough.  We finally got there, bought our tickets, and boarded the train.  The whole train ride lasted 5 minutes and the scenery we saw on the trek to the train was a million times better than what we actually saw on the train.  It was pretty disappointing and a waste of 4 pounds, but like I said, the view on the way to the train was beautiful, so I guess it turned out alright.  Next, we headed to the Scarborough Castle.  By now, we had seen the castle from all angles because it sits prominently at the top of huge hill in the center of the city looking out over the water.  I’m pretty sure you can see it from everywhere in Scarborough.  (If you look back at the first photo, you can see it.  It’s the flat structure on top of the hill.)

Walking around the remains of the old castle was my favorite part of the day.  It had great views of Scarborough and the ocean.  Plus, the ruins were awesome to walk around and look at. 


Here’s the view from the very top:

After walking around the castle, we stopped at a tea room nearby.  The place was empty except for one other small group, but the place was great.  I ordered a strawberry, raspberry,  and loganberry tea with a scone that came with better, jam, and cream.  It was amazing.  I’ve decided that of my favorite things about England is scones and afternoon tea in general.  

The waiter brought out a whole box of tea for me to choose from.  I felt so special.
 
After afternoon tea, we walked back down the hill and decided to sit on the beach.  The weather that day was fairly nice by England’s terms.  Partly cloudy, no rain, temperature was in the 50′s, and the sun would come out from behind the clouds occasionally.  Normally I would say that type of weather is by no means beach weather, but apparently for the English it is.  The beach was crowded with people, some people were even swimming!  It was just so funny to see people wearing jeans and a jacket while building a sand castle, but it was nice to sit in the sand and watch all the crazy people.
 
After sitting on the beach awhile, it was time to head back to Leeds.  I have a great time in Scarborough, and it was the perfect break from essay writing.  But now I’m back to school work and counting down the days until my trip to Rome (12 days!).  

Downton Sadie

While Steven was here in Leeds, he filmed and edited a video that my dad requested. Dad is always telling me to say “good day mate” in an Australian accent around Brits to be funny, so he wanted me to make a video of me somewhere very “British” saying the phrase. Here is the end result. (Plus the video includes really good footage of the grounds at Temple Newsam).

Steven’s Visit

This weekend, Steven came to visit me here in Leeds.  It was so nice to share my life here in Leeds with someone, and after months of being separated from all my friends and family, it was great to have him here.  I tried to plan as many British things as possible for him to do: eating fish n chips and drinking a pint at a local pub, window shopping at the arcades and Leeds Market, afternoon tea (Steven actually planned that part and I’m glad he did; it was awesome!), walking around Temple Newsam, an old, English mansion, surrounded by a bit of countryside,  visiting the Kirkstall Abbey, and a few other activities.  I also showed him around the University of Leeds campus and my residence.  My favorite activity was actually something that Steven found out about; it was a small, grungy pub called the Duck & Drake that played live music.  I was most definitely the youngest one there, but it was good music in a unique pub that I really enjoyed.  I liked it so much that I bought one of their t-shirts.  

Here are a few picture from the weekend:

This is a picture of the orange and cinnamon tea, glass of prosecco, and scone with jam and clotted cream that I had at afternoon tea.  It was so good!

The Duck and Drake: a very cool pub.  I’m glad Steven found out about it!

This is Temple Newsam, the old, English mansion we visited. I really enjoyed walking around the outside of the mansion, looking at the beautiful scenery.  

This is Steven and me at the Kirkstall Abbey.  They were having a market that day, so we grabbed some food and then walked around the ruins.  

It was definitely an activity-packed weekend, but it was awesome.  Steven being here made me wish the whole family could come to visit me because I want to share all of these awesome things with them, too!  

I have two more weeks of essays and exams, but then I get to visit Steven in Rome for a week! I never thought I’d get to go back to Rome so soon after my last trip there.  I’m excited to spend time in the wonderful city, but first I have to survive all this school work.   

 

Spain

Ibiza

Ibiza is unlike any place I’ve ever been before.  It has the prettiest blue and turquoise waters, shores lined with jagged rocks and cliffs, small streets wedged between white-washed buildings, and beautiful, sandy beaches.

Most of my time in Ibiza was spent relaxing, laying on a beach, reading a book, and taking in the gorgeous scenery.  Ibiza’s tourist season doesn’t really start until the end of May, so the island was fairly empty of tourist and the beaches weren’t crowded which made for an even more enjoyable time.


One of my favorite things I did in Ibiza was explore the rocky coastline near our hostel.  There was path that followed the shore, so one afternoon I walked along it to enjoy the view.  As I walked, I would find smaller paths that led to little spots that overlooked the water.  The views were absolutely breath taking.




One afternoon, we visited Dalt Villa (the old town) near the port of Ibiza.  We climbed to the top of the hill to find more beautiful views of the ocean and city.



Being in Ibiza made me realize I would like to live near the beach at some point in my life.  One of my favorite things to do is sit in the sand, look across the sea, and breathe in the fresh, ocean air.  The days spent in Ibiza were relaxing and much needed.

Barcelona

Barcelona was equally as wonderful (if not more so), but completely different, than Ibiza.  It was much more lively and full of unique, interesting architecture.  I loved sitting in a plaza or courtyard and just taking in the exciting atmosphere.

We did a lot of sightseeing, so I’m just going to include of few of my favorites.  

Tha Sagrada Familia is a huge, extremely impressive basilica that is so completely different from any church I’ve  ever seen before.  The designer, Gaudi, has designed many different structures throughout Barcelona and all of them are so unique.  The construction on the Sagrada began in the late 1800′s and won’t be complete until 2026 /2028.  It was kind of funny to be walking around the beautiful church and hear construction noises in the background.  
   
I found the interior of the basilica to be the most impressive.  It had high ceilings with the coolest designs and the walls were lined with colorful, stained glass windows (which were not all complete just yet).  




We also went to the top of one of the towers, which was awesome but kind of scary.  It was much higher than I had expected, but it had a great view of Barcelona. 


Another one of my favorite sightseeing experiences, which was also designed by Gaudi, was Parc Guell.  It was a large park that has lots of beautiful mosaics and more interesting, fantasy-like architecture.  






Another favorite activity in Barcelona was visiting the Mercat de la Boqueria (the market) located on the famous street La Rambla.  The market is filled with fruits, veggies, meats, fish, and other various foods.  It’s a very colorful and lively place.  Each day we stopped by the market to grab some lunch.  My favorite thing from the market was the fresh, fruit juices.  Almost all of the fruit stands had rows of fruit juices in every possible combination, and they were seriously the best fruit juice I’ve ever had.  



Another favorite Barcelona past time was sitting at an outdoor restaurant along the La Rambla to eat dinner and watch the bustling activity of people.  We loved it so much we ate dinner along La Rambla each night.   It was a touristy and overpriced, but I didn’t care because I loved being able to sit outside in the amazing weather and sip on glass of Sangria while enjoying the city.  

We did many other things in Barcelona, but I just hit the highlights.  Barcelona is one of my new favorite cities, and I hope to go back someday.  Although we managed to fit quite a bit into 2 and a half days, there were still many things I didn’t get to do and I wish to do them in the future.  

After a week in sunny Spain, it was difficult to get up and go to class on Monday.  I had such a wonderful time in Ibiza and Barcelona, I wasn’t quite ready to leave and come back to Leeds.  But I must say, coming back to Leeds sort of felt like coming home.  It’s nothing like my real home, but it’s definitely become a temporary home away from home.

After a month long break from school, it’s now crunch time for my final assignments and exams.  The next three weeks will be spent going to class, writing essays, and studying.  I’m hoping I can take a couple of day trips around England during the upcoming weeks, and I’m excited for next weekend because Uncle Steven is coming to visit me here in Leeds.

Barcelona

Today was my last full day here in Spain, and I’m so sad I have to leave! Barcelona is easily on my list of top 3 favorite cities. Today, I visited Parc Güell, a very unique park that’s known for it’s interesting architecture and detailed mosaics. Here, I’m pictured with the famous dragon that sits at the main entrance of the park. I’ll have a more in depth post about my week in Spain in the next couple of days.

Ibiza

It’s my last full day here in beautiful Ibiza, so I thought I’d post a picture of one of the gorgeous beaches I visited. The sunny, warm weather has been a wonderful, much needed change-of-pace from the places I’ve been so far. Tomorrow we leave for Barcelona, and I’m excited to explore the old, Spanish city. I’ll post a picture from there as well, and then, I’ll have a longer, more detailed post about my adventures in Spain when I get back to Leeds.

My 20th Birthday

Yesterday marked the end of my teenage years and the beginning of my 3rd decade of life.  Woah.  And I must say it was a pretty good day.  It started with trip to a local park called The Hollies.  I walked around the interesting, wooded park for a little while, and then, found a bench to sit a read my book for a bit.


After that, I walked back to my flat to eat some lunch, and then, I went to Kirkstall Abbey to check out a market that’s held there once a month.  It was nice to walk around and look at the different stands, people watch, and listen to the live music.  After strolling the stalls, I bought a cinnamon sugar crepe and found a place to sit and relax.


Then, I caught a bus to the City Center and visited the Leeds City Museum.  The museum had an eclectic mix of exhibits including exhibits on various World cultures, the history of Leeds, ancient Egyptians (including a real mummy), and a vast collection of taxidermy.  My favorite was the history of Leeds; I enjoyed getting to learn more about the place I’ve been living for 2 and a half months.  

After visiting the museum for a bit, I stopped at a Starbucks to drink some hot chocolate and relax.  

I, then, headed back to my flat to Skype the Harvey clan (minus Emily because she was in Atlanta for volleyball) while they were having Easter dinner.  Thanks to Carolyn and Granddaddy I was able to make an appearance at the dinner.

After Skyping with everyone, I went out to dinner with my flatmates at the Red Hot World Buffet.  It’s an all-you-can-eat buffet, and it was one of the best meals I’ve had since being in Leeds.  They were even having a “Chocolate Extravaganza” for Easter.  Needless to say, I got my fill of chocolate for my birthday.

 
Not a bad way to celebrate the beginning of my 20th year.  

I would like to give a HUGE “thank you” to everyone who sent me emails, cards, messages, flowers, or money for my birthday.  It was so nice, and very much needed, to receive all the love from back home.  

Krakow, Poland

I had a surprisingly great time in Krakow this week.  The trip was my friend Steph’s idea because she wanted to visit Auschwitz, so I decided I would go with her.  I didn’t know anything about Krakow before going, but I’m so glad I went.  Krakow is a beautiful city filled with interesting history, good food, and cute, colorful buildings.  The only thing I didn’t like was the weather; I have never been so cold in my life.


Food: While in Poland, I tried many new foods (shocking, I know), and I actually liked all the things I tried.  The first night I had a Polish casserole (similar to lasagna, but instead of noodles it had potatoes) and pierogis (a dumpling filled with potatoes and cheese).  Both dishes were delicious.  I also tried something called zapiekanka (pictured below) which is a traditional Polish “fast food” that I bought at an outdoor, street stand in the Jewish Quarter.  It’s half of a baguette topped with mushrooms and cheese and then toasted.  So good! 


A popular Polish street food I got was an obwarzanki (pictured below).  They are sold at little blue stands that are located on almost every street corner in Krakow.  They taste similar to soft pretzels and make a great snack to eat while walking the streets and seeing the sights.



The Sights: One of my favorite places in Krakow was the Main Market Square.  The Square included Cloth Hall, St. Mary’s Basilica, Town Hall Tower, and an outdoor market in honor of Easter. 

Cloth Hall


St. Mary’s Basilica


Town Hall Tower

The Easter Market



Steph and I took a day trip to Auschwitz which was extremely sad, but I’m so glad that I went.  Definitely a haunting and memorable experience.





We also went to Schindler’s Factory which is now a museum explaining what happened in Krakow during World War II.  It depicted the life of Polish citizens during the German occupation and the displacement of the Jewish community to the ghetto and then later to concentration camps.  Sadly, the museum didn’t really tell the story of Oskar Schindler and the people he protected, but it was still really interesting and informative.  

We also visited the Wawel Castle.  We got to see the State Rooms, the Treasury, and the Armory where we saw an impressive collection of art, jewelry, armor, weapons, and cannons.  The architecture alone was amazing.  Unfortunately, pictures weren’t allowed inside the castle.




I had a wonderful time in Krakow! I got to see and do a lot of things that I will never forget.  Now I’m in Leeds for the week, and then, I leave for Spain next Sunday.  I’m excited for more amazing adventures!