London Study Abroad

The first 2 photos are from the morning hike that Tori and I did on Saturday, showing off the amount of moss we walked along!!  The bending trees and greenery reminded me of being in a scene from Lord of the Rings, but this was much more peaceful!

On day 2, we only had the morning to spend in Wales, and most of the students chose to walk around the coastal town of Llandudno, that looks out onto the Irish Sea. This town is Wales’ largest resort towns, however, since it was an extremely frigid Sunday, in the middle of winter, there weren’t many tourists around and most shops were closed.  We managed to find a few souvenir places and a coffee shop to get some energy for the bus ride (a lot of us had schoolwork to do on the bus).  Even though we only had a short time wondering around the area, I got the gist that it would be a very popular destination in the summer.  The colorful buildings and the backdrop of the mountains make for a beautiful resort town when its not negative degrees!! 

It was a long journey for a short stay but, generally everyone enjoyed themselves and I, especially, felt grateful for the opportunity to spend more time in nature (since I sometimes get lost in the city life of London). 

As we made our way down the mountain, the clouds opened up and revealed a steady drizzle for the rest of our walk!  It was pretty cold and windy but somehow Tori and I managed to stay laughing and enjoyed the rest of the hike.  Maybe it had something to do with the animals we kept catching sight of - first the goats on top of the mountain, looking out at the view, but in the picture it is all cloud and mist!  Then, as we came closer to our starting point, we passed momma horses and their babies!! Too cute. 

After a quick half-hour of warming up, we got on one of the coaches and our nice bus driver took us to our next activity - Caenarfon Castle. 

This Castle was built by the English, the details and size reveal its true origins because Welsh castles are more like the one we saw at the base of the mountains; small!!  

Edward I, of England, founded the small town that the Castle is the centerpiece of.  The Castle was constructed as part of a military base in 1283 and was originally surrounded by water.  The wealthier side was protected by the Castle (you can see the colorful houses out of one of the arrow holes, in the picture above) and the Castle was accessible to the wealthy, by boat on the Seiont river.  The poorer side, was separated by a moat; therefore, it wasn’t very accessible for the general public, or for the intruders who would attack from this landlocked side.  The Castle was never finished, but the grand structure is still apparent from the outside, the interior just lacks the same grandeur.  It is no longer surrounded by water, but I thought that the power, which it reflected, was still, nonetheless, extraordinary.  I feel so privileged to have been able to see not only one of the most famous castles in Wales, but also a World Heritage site that has attracted many other tourists for centuries.  

Since there was not much of an interior, we were out in the cold for awhile and after the tour, we stopped at a colorful cafe to get some tea.  I also tried a Welsh cake while I was sipping my tea.  It is similar to a scone, but smaller, sweeter and always has raisins in it.  The cake went perfectly with my tea - it was small and I could have eaten many but summer is coming and I can’t live in my North Face parka forever!! 

Back to the hotel we went (pictured at the bottom) to have some down time before dinner and the social that our program put on for us.  Even though it was a low-key night, it was still enjoyable and allowed everyone to bond more!  Plus, I think we were a little too tired to do much else than dance off our calories and gossip!! 

This weekend was our adventure weekend to Wales!!  Since Emerson does not offer a study abroad program in London, I am studying at Queen Mary through IFSA Butler University; many other students are studying at other universities throughout London too!  The staff planned this weekend to catch up with all of the students and as a reunion since we haven’t seen most of the students (not studying at our local school) since orientation. 

As we approached the end of our 7-hour bus ride to Llanberis, Wales, I looked to my left to see mountains, then looked to my right to see the coast!  It was an extremely picturesque welcome into Wales and even though I never gave much thought about traveling to Wales, I was excited to see what I was in for.

We stayed at the Royal Victoria Hotel, a cute, home-style hotel, nestled among the scenic mountains. We had a pub-quiz in the evening and chatted with some of the locals before getting some sleep for our early rise the next morning.

On Saturday, we chose the activities we wished to do - so I chose a half-day hike and an afternoon tour of Caenarfon Castle.  I figured that seeing nature and history would allow me to experience the most of Wales, in my short amount of time there. 

First came the hike! My friend, Tori, and I (along with some other students) headed along the rough paths, through the trees and ended up at our first stop - a smaller, Welsh castle. The ruins and remains were covered in moss, much like the majority of our route throughout that day, which gave us a glimpse into how prominent nature is in this area.  

We kept trekking along and finally got to the uphill battle of a winding path with steep steps and slippery slate. The guides took us through a slate quarry where the steep cliffs and gorgeous views attract rock climbers to swarm in the summertime and goats to roam around when human’s aren’t in sight.  

The way that the clouds concealed the tops of the mountains made for unique views, I just couldn’t capture the beauty in one photo; even a panorama shot couldn’t capture all the cute details.  The mountains are surrounded by lakes, there is a beautiful rocky beach and small towns on either side of the beach.  It seemed too perfect, I almost felt like I was looking down, and around, at a movie setting!! 

Today I navigated the tube system, like a pro, to meet up with my friend, Dacotah for lunch and for a stroll around the Wallace Collection.  

The Wallace Collection is set in a mansion, which holds an exquisite selection of 18th-century French paintings and furniture, has the largest Sèvres porcelain collection in the world and the rooms boast the extravagant life that the collector, Richard Wallace, once lived. 

The collection seemed endless as we walked from room-to-room reading about what the rooms used to behold when they were just part of the house.  Each room was unique, yet all the rooms had one thing in common; the extravagance.  The walls were papered with ornate, textured designs, while the shapes of the rooms varied from oval to obscure.  

My favorite room was the study because it holds more of Marie-Antoinette’s furniture than can be found anywhere else in the world.  The  materials such as silk, ebony, mahogany and walnut are shown off in the sofas, armchairs, desks and clocks, and are all bold statements reflecting her royalty.  

I also loved the staircase, lined with plush, red carpet and ornate railings.  I straightened my posture as soon as I took my first step because it made me feel like a Queen just walking on them!  

My favorite moment was when we were admiring a 1768 long-case clock in the large drawing room, when it chimed 3pm.  It felt unreal because for a few seconds, this beautiful object from the 18th-century came to life and reminded me how precious and important history is. 

Dacotah and I left the Collection feeling more cultured and chatting about what life would have been like living in the house and playing in the courtyard.  On our way to get some caffeine, we passed an elephant and it was too cute so I risked a stranger running away with my iPhone to capture the kodak moment! 

The elephant is actually really important as it was part of the 2010 Elephant Parade of London, where 261 elephant sculptures were designed to celebrate the Asian elephant that is on the brink of extinction.  The statues are used to raise awareness through the Elephant Family campaign, raising money to protect the elephants and preserve their habitats.  I just love them!!

Finally, I met my sorority sister, Mollie, in Sloane Square for dinner!  We walked along Sloane Street and settled with “The Only Pub on Sloane Street,” a cute pub in the midst of high-end shops and apartments.  They served typical English food, I was boring and got a chicken burger, but Mollie had the fish n’ chips!  Good thing one of us was a real Brit!!  

It was great to take a break from my essay writing and get out to enjoy the mild weather.  It seems like spring is well on its way :) 

After an exciting two days in Oxford, I woke up on Saturday morning and took the train to Salisbury, where I met my friends from Queen Mary.  We finally got to see the famous stones at Stonehenge.  

Stonehenge is an ancient stone circle from a prehistoric culture.  The circle of stones is a World Heritage Site which emerged between 3000 BC and 1600 BC.  The stones are aligned with the midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset, however, the exact purpose of this monument is still unknown and very much up for questioning.  Besides a gorgeous tourist attraction, people visit the monument to worship and celebrate. 

The clouds parted and some blue sky peeked through making the Site, in the middle of the English countryside, become all the more breathtaking.  When you think about it, they are just stones, but the history and mystery surrounding them completely takes over and fascinates you, making you get lost in the wonder of them.  I loved walking around and taking in the beauty and skilled work of how the stones are placed in the carved grooves of one another.  It was such a picturesque area and, based on some of the photos that we saw in the souvenir shop, it would be even more striking at sunrise or sunset.

I think we got pretty lucky seeing the stones with the sun illuminating them.  When I wasn’t listening to the audio-guide, I was snapping photos and appreciating the beauty and peace of the countryside.  Even though there were some other tourists around, it felt like I was by myself because the countryside was so still and quiet.  I think that everyone was in awe, leaving me to my own thoughts and to take in the charm of the stones at my own pace; making it an even more relaxed, enjoyable experience.

After circling the Site, we took the bus back through the countryside, passing sheep, pigs and hay, to Salisbury city centre.  We had late lunch at a cute inn that had cheap deals and traditional, English favorites.  We were all so hungry after exploring and traveling that we had trouble deciding between all the delicious options but I finally chose to have Halloumi (salty goats cheese) bruschetta then sausages and mash in Yorkshire pudding (a salty, pastry-like popover, made from batter and typically served with gravy).  Even though it was a filling meal, it was definitely worth it!!  That is one of the most English meals I’ve had so far during my time here because they are such heavy dishes that I can only deal with every now and then.  It was a special treat and a perfect way to end the afternoon before heading back to London Waterloo station.

This weekend I went to Oxford to visit one of my best friends, Hannah!  I left Thursday after class and took the Oxford tube bus line straight to Oxford Brookes University, right outside Hannah’s dorm.  Door-to-door the trip was an hour and a bit (with some afternoon traffic) but it was much more convenient then I thought it would be! 

It was more of a leisure trip to catch up and hangout but Hannah did show me around Oxford on Friday afternoon.  It is a small, quiet town compared to the hustle and bustle of London, making it a nice getaway.  The buildings are low and made of brick, so it reminded me a little of Boston.  The boutique shops and pedestrianized areas reflected the cities efforts to cater to the younger crowds since it is a popular area for universities.  The architecture was beautiful and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to get out there and visit such a beautiful, quaint area of England that I never thought about seeing. 

On Friday night we went to Clems, a club close to Hannah’s residence and packed full of college students.  It was a pleasant change from the missions we pull in London to go out because we could actually walk to, and from, the club, it was cheap cover charge and all of the crowd were around the same age.  It was a fun night out, with great music and a lively atmosphere.  

I’m glad I got to explore and see one of my best friends at the same time!!