Belvoir Castle and the Duchess of Rutland

 Because I am on SGA (Student Government Association) I was invited to go and tour Belvoir Castle and meet the Duchess of Rutland. We had a 2 hour tour and we were able to see practically ALL of Belvoir Castle!!

When we met the Duchess, she was a very down to earth lady. She was incredibly nice and asked us all about our majors and what we planned to do with our lives. She gave us many words of encouragement and told us all her story of when she was in College and then found out she had became the Duchess. It was a very encouraging story and she ended it by telling to never be afraid and to always ask advice from the best of best.

Italy: Rome, Florence, and Venice

Rome 

Well the first night we got to our hostel around 10 or 11 on. Then we decided because we were in a good part of the city we would go out and look around a bit. However this was a bad idea, we ended up ducking inside a McDonalds because we thought we were being followed. Well after that we decided its better time we get back and we walked the 2 blocks back to our gated apartment and we went to sleep. The next morning we woke up around 9 or 10 and went out and got breakfast (cappuccino and a Nutella croissant for me)

 then we wandered down to the colosseum. The most beautiful thing I've ever seen was when the street opened up suddenly and it was like we were on the set of a movie!

 We had crossed into the old part of Rome. There were hills with roman ruins and the colosseum was to our right and just beautiful fountains and gardens and it was very breathtaking.

 After we explored the gardens and all that jazz we went over and found the Colosseum.

 We wandered around outside it for a bit then went to find lunch at a pannieria. And then after that we got our first gelato, which I proceeded to drop, all over my new black and white sundress. After the gelato we went back to our room to change for the night and so I could clean up and then we were off again, this time to find the Trevi fountain and the Spanish steps and the pantheon, we only ended up finding the Trevi fountain.

 We then found food, which was literally microwaved pasta :( and went back to the room to drop our stuff and go to the Spanish steps. After we mapped it out we decided it would be a good idea to get the metro there. It was only €1. So after we finally found how to buy tickets we proceeded down to the metro, which was sketchy was hell. But we caught the right train and it took us directly to the Spanish steps. The next morning Kelsey and I got up pretty early and went to breakfast then went onto the Vatican. We got stopped by a French guy who got us on a €35 tour and and it was great. It took about an hour longer than they said but it was very very informative and I learned a great deal about the Vatican. We went through the pope's rooms and then the Sistine chapel and it was amazing, then we ended at St. Perfects basicila it is the worlds largest church and t was magnificent!

 All the art was mosaics it truly was Amazing, breathtaking, astonishing and idk what else. After the Vatican we got some quick food from a vender and then headed back to the metro where we got off at the hard rock stop to get my mom some pins then headed back out to termini station. We then went and got Karen and it was a hassle trying to get the owner to come back and get what we owed him. But it eventually happened. We then got a train ticket for €45 to get to Florence


Florence


We made it to our hostel which was in an old convent and it was pretty nice. Much to our surprise we ran into Russell and Sarah at our hostel so we talked to them for a bit then wandered out into Florence to find food. We ended up stumbling a pon an amazing pizza shop. None of them spoke English but we made it work, and it was some of the best pizza I've ever had!! After eating our pizza we went to sleep with our belly's full. The next morning we went out and got the bus and took it all the way around and eventually because of the nice bus driver we made it to San Marco which ended up not even being where we needed but oh well. We ate at a little pannieria again then headed in the direction of the Duomo. On the way we found a McDonalds and Kelsey got a cheeseburger and Karen I split some Miami fries they were delicious!! After eating our Micky Dees we stumbled into the duomo.

 I think it is the worlds 3rd largest church. It was amazing!! We ran into Olivia and Trisha while were there and took a group picture. We waited in line and once we got up to the duomo we were informed we had forgotten our jackets! So we left and found a tee shirt for Kelsey and Karen and I both got scarfs to cover our shoulders. Once we were in the duomo we decided the outside was more magnificent but the dome was gorgeous! 

After exiting the duomo I got into line to go to the top of the dome and for €8 I climbed all 656 steps to the top to see all of Florence. It was beautiful!

 After climbing down all 656 steps I eventually found Kelsey and Karen and then we ate lunch. I got penne pesto and actually had a second plate with turkey and a salad and potatoes too all for €12. It was very good! I ate all the pesto and some potatoes but that's all. Kelsey and Karen both had spaghetti and I tried a bite before they mixed the meat into it and I started crying because it tasted just like my grandma O's. After lunch we walked down to the pont Vecchio then we walked through it and eventually back over.

 We then found hard rock and I got my mom pins from there then we took a cab back to our hostel where we laid down and eventually went back out for food. I got a vegetable sandwhich I think it had egg plant and peppers and zucchini on it but I'm not positive. The next morning we got up early and got the bus to the other train station where we got a €43 train to Venice.


Venice 


Once we got to Venice I was taken aback. Never in my life had a seen man made structure be soo beautiful. Everything was on the water. 

The island of Venice is in fact a bunch of small islands all connected by bridges. We went to San Marco piazza and saw the cathedral of San Marco and the campinnelle and the dodges castle.

 The cathedral of San Marco was beautiful it was all mosaics and I loved it. After that we made the decision to take the water bus back over to lido to find our hotel and head for the beach. Once we were on lido it was hard to find our hotel, we had to walk a long way and eventually found a hotel that was close to where ours was supposed to be so we went in and asked for directions. Turns out that was our hotel and the website I booked through just had the wrong name in it. It was pretty nice but it was a good 15 min walk to the water bus station. After we went to the beach we got pizza and played in the sand and had a blast, but t was cold.

 So we went back and headed back to Venice and by the time we got there it was dark and the gondolas had gone up to €100 so we didn't do one.

 We kinda wandered around and I found a disney store and Karen found a mask shop. I went into the Disney store and found Aunt Marilyn a reusable shopping tote that says I love Italy with Mickey on it, then I went over to the mask shop and they were just beautiful. Karen and Kelsey both got a mask and it was all good. After the mask shop we went to Rialto bridge

 and on the other side we  found a mask shop, I found my perfect blue mask! Then we went back across and then to San Marco and ate dinner at this cute little place. It was amazing!! They gave us a free glass of some sort of venetian drink and it was wonderful. I ordered the ricotta stuffed ravioli with a truffle creme sauce. It had about 3 different types of mushrooms in it. Kelsey got spaghetti with fresh clams and they were still in there shell!! It was soo cool!! And Karen got a carbonara. After dinner we explored Venice again and we found Hard Rock. It was very cool beside a canal and there were gondolas just tied up in the canal. 

After that we went back to our hotel and got ready to leave Venice to go back to England. The next morning we woke up an hour early because of daylight savings time. We got to the waterbed station a little later than planned but we made a bus. We wanted to know the time and the man told us it was only 5:15, wait wasn't it supposed to be 6:15? We had apparently missed the memo that Italy starts it's daylight savings time at 2 pm not am!! But we made it and we got good seats and we had enough time to eat breakfast. 

Beautiful by day...sketch by night: Poland

     Well here goes another: Poland, well what do I say about Poland? It was very different. I enjoyed the country and I loved being able to eat Polish Food and be able to learn about Polish History.

     The first day we got off the plane later in the evening and we went to the hostel.

This is the alley to our hostel at night, its kinda sketch.

 By the time we got to the hostel and got settled in we were very hungry and we went and ventured out to find food. We finally found a small kebab place and we all got food. I got a cheese and mushroom casserole, which turned out to be a cheese and mushroom pizza without marinara and they put ketchup on top of it. It wasn't bad but it was different. Later that night we went back to our hostel and went to bed.

     We woke up early around 7:30 and went and ate breakfast. We had a choice of deli meats and cheeses and there these wonderful cinnamon cookies that we had too. They also had slightly pickled cucumbers for us as well. After breakfast we went outside to wait for our bus to Auschwitz and Birkeneau.

 We spent most of the day there with an English speaking tour guide. I don't want to say that I had fun, because it was not fun, it was very somber, but it was very informative, and I like learning about the Holocaust so I can know the history and how not to repeat it. After our tour we went to the city center in Krakow.

 We went to Hard Rock

 and there were also open markets with Fruits and Veg and flowers, but there was also a market that under a barn like structure with both ends open that had souvenir stalls.

 It was very cool. After the market we went and found a Pirogi restaurant. They were amazing! I had cabbage and mushroom and it was one of the best things I've ever tasted!!!

  After that we made our way back to the city center

 and we thought about getting a cab except the man apparently didn't understand me and almost shut the door in my face on my nose, so we walked back to our hostel. It wasn't a long walk, it was actually quite nice. We stopped along the way for snacks and some very good drinks called Frugo, they kinda taste like snapple. Then we went and chilled out at our hostel and just sat around and talked and laughed, it was quite nice.

     The next morning we got up early and went to the airport and came back to London.

England & Wales

I've been soo busy since I went to Wales & Liverpool & Cambridge, but I'll go ahead and post about it.

     March 2nd I went and stayed at my meet-a-family's flat in Newark. We had a Mexican feast and it was AMAZING!!! I miss Mexican food!!! We had Gorditas and home made salsa and Guac, and Armindina even made me a soya mince for my Gorditas! Since she is from Texas and she is Mexican it was all homemade and wonderful!! After our feast we walked around Newark with a wind up torch (haha), we saw a pub on a boat that overlooks the castle! We were able to walk up to and see the castle from both sides, it was ruined but it was really cool how they took care of it and they built a hill up into it and now they have summer festivals there and they also have concerts there and the stage is naturally raised so everyone can see. After we saw the castle we went to the Pub on the boat that overlooked the castle and I actually got to meet some of Tom and Armindia's friends, they were very brittish and outlandish, and very funny. After the Pub we walked back and played a few hands of rummy, since Armindia and I are both very good at Rummy, we decided to not keep score, haha. The next morning we woke up quite early and went to the Market, it was soo cool. They had fresh fruits and veg and they also had other stands like ones with purses and scarves and one with candy, and one with lots of random things. Newark is absolutely beautiful and it was a very walk-able town and I loved being able to go see it. After the market we went to the train station and I got a train to London to meet my parents, it was after all my mom's birthday!!

   
     When I got to London I took the tube from Kings Cross to Green Park and after getting turned around a little coming out the the tube station I found my way to my Parent's hotel room! It was really nice to be able to spend my mom's birthday with her and see my parents after not seeing them for 2 months! That day we walked around London, we saw borough market and tried to get a cheese toasty, but the line was a 45 min wait so we settled on empanadas, dad had a steak and pepper one and I had a cheese and something I forget what else was in it, but it was very good. After borough market we took the tube to the Tower Bridge, and saw the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. We didn't have enough time to go into the Tower of London, but at least they got to see the outside of it. After the tower bridge we went back to the Green Park station and went to the Hard Rock and ate dinner. My mom got to have a birthday fudge cake!

      The next day, March 4, 2012 went to Abbey Road first then we got a train to Liverpool and took a 3 hour tour of all the Beatles sites. Dad thought it was very cool to see Abbey Road, and he got to sign his name at the wall. Even though it was raining I'm pretty sure Mom and Dad had fun crossing Abbey Road and getting their pictures taken and signing the wall.

When we got to Liverpool and found the taxi Dad was excited to learn that our tour guide was Ian, dad said he was the best.

 All day Sunday Dad had soo much fun and went and saw everything I could ever think of we saw the shelter in the middle of the round about

 and strawberry fields,

 and we even saw were all 4 of them lived.

 After the tour we went to the Cavern Club and got to see where they played and where many other famous bands have also played.

 After the cavern club we ate at an Irish Pub for dinner and it was very very good! I went back to Grantham from Liverpool.

      Monday night I went back to London and mom and dad met me at Kings cross. Tuesday Morning we left from Paddington Station and we ran to the station and got to the train in just enough time to get the train! We went to  Newport Wales first

then we caught a train to Taffs well and saw a very cool Castel, Castell Coch.

 It looked like Rapunzel's Castle. My mom and I walked what seemed like a mile up the drive, all the way up hill to the castle. Once we got to the castle it was just beautiful! After we left Taffs Well we went to Cardiff and we went and found food and ate dinner. Then got a train back to London Paddington. I then hurried and got the tube and tried to catch my train back to Grantham, however I missed it and had to buy a new train ticket, it was  £24! But I made it back to Grantham and all was well.
   
      The next time I saw my parents was Thursday, they took a train to Grantham and we hurried around the manor and we saw what we could of the rooms because of classes, then we were on our way back to the train station and went to Cambridge and rented a car and somehow safely made it to the Olmstead Hall.

Olmstead Hall was cool to see and it was very large according to the size of all the other houses in the 1700's when it was built, I can see how it was called a castle by many.

 After we left Olmstead Hall we went back to the train station and left Cambridge for London. After that we ate dinner in Piccadilly Circus at another Irish Pub, we also shopped a little and bought a few things for some people and then made our way back to the hotel.
   
     The next morning mom and dad left around 10 am for the airport and went back home. It was a very good week and we had an amazing time!