Well, my five months in London are just about over. First off, when did that happen? Second, I’m not quite sure what to think about it. My new home won’t be my home anymore but just another spot I’ve lived. No more tube rides, walks around the city, or visits to the museum but back to filling an expensive gas tank, driving to Shelton, and working a good ol’ summer job.

It’s reassuring to know that I can make it on my own in a city. Granted, I may experience my lonely bouts, but I’ve grown to be even more independent and confident. I still have my shy moments but I’m not ashamed to ask for help (or directions) when I need it. As much as it can be hassle and expensive to get into central London, Harrow has become my haven. My little box room is my space. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city I had my spot to call home in the busy, international city of London.

The couple days before Beth arrived, in addition to the several days she has been here so far, I’ve been able to visit some spots I hadn’t ventured to as well as some favorites. Before she came, I finally went inside Westminster Abbey. Walking around the church is like going on a history scavenger hunt. It is incredible whose entombed bodies you pass while just walking through the nave, transept, and other art history terms for the church. The area where the knights and princes sit may have been my favorite, just because they sit below their code of arms and flag. How cool would it be to have a designated seat with your own flag hanging above?! Poets corner with Dickens, Lewis Carroll, Chaucer, and just about every author I studied senior year of high school in British Lit., Handel tomb which when I passed I heard the Hallelujah Chorus (literally because I overhear one of those personal handheld tour speakers), Queen Elizabeth I, Charles Darwin, and the tomb of the unknown soldier were just some of the spots I found while wandering around. Out back I stumbled upon the quad for the boys’ choir school—it kind of looked like part of Oxford in the middle of central London. Overall, the Abbey was interesting to visit and I’m happy I eventually walked around inside—even if it took me the entire semester to actually pay to go in it.

Since Beth’s arrival I’ve revisited some of my favorite London spots since I’m intent on giving her a full tour of the popular destinations along with some of the hidden treasures. Had the weather been nicer so far we would have succeeded with our quest to visit a park a day however the cloudy, grey skies have put a slight damper on that part of our plan. I guess I’ll start with her arrival. Her plane landed just after midnight as the tube closed. Easy enough, she would just take the bus. After quite the few difficulties and the loss of service on her phone, she got on a different bus, rode in a black cab, and experienced the night bus in efforts to arrive at the Harrow Campus. Ok, she found the campus but the real test was to find me. Her phone didn’t work, the pay phones didn’t work, the hospital wouldn’t let her use the phone, the police were of no help, a British man’s phone wouldn’t work, and she couldn’t “see me in any windows.” Needless to say, I was worried about her since it was nearing 4am at this time. After dozing, calling Mom, and her calling me back just before 5am my time…I saw the sun was starting to rise so I decided to go for a little stroll around campus and to check the bus stop. Walking across the empty parking lot, I was told that I looked like a mirage coming toward her. After we both believed our eyes that we were actually looking at each other, we began to quite literally run across the empty lot at 5am to embrace. Since then, she hasn’t left my side from fear of getting lost in London…again.

After some sleep and showering (a phenomenon that is a significantly shorter pastime in Spain due to the drought), the next days were filled with walking and tube riding around the city. The first stop was, of course, Borough Market. The Tate Modern had quite interesting “games” and “concerts,” Primark was as busy as ever, and Africa Day took over Trafalgar Square. I finally saw the procession, changing of the guards, and actually saw the band play a selection of Billy Joel and Elton John from up against the Buckingham Palace gate. We walked from my favorite view from Trafalgar down Whitehall to my other favorite spot by Big Ben. We went out to dinner at my favorite “American” place, tried once again to get onto Platform 9 & 3/4, and visited Portobello Road during the week when it is like a ghost town. I’ve shown her the highlights, or my favorite spots, in the National Gallery, the Natural History Museum, and the food hall of Harrods. And I’ve finally started to do some of my London tourist shopping that I have waited just about the entire semester to start for fear of never being able to stop.

Tomorrow morning I bid farewell to my suitcases as they are packed up for Dad to take back home. Along with that goes my computer, backpack of treasures (or presents!), and entire life for the past five months except for the carry on size suitcase I will travel with until June 17th. It’s incredible that there is room in those bags. However, the weight of some items makes up for the small pockets of open space. Let’s just say I refuse to go home without, quite literally, bringing a taste of England with me.

So, in exactly three weeks time I will be sitting at the diner replacing afternoon tea, cucumber sandwiches, and scones with milkshakes, grilled cheese, and nachos at the diner. I’m sure I’ll still be saying pound instead of dollar, I’ll miss riding the tube yet continue to work the word into daily conversation, and I’ll walk on the left hand side of the sidewalk but ride on the right hand side of escalators. I’ll say “sorry” with a different vowel pronunciation all while sharing endless stories and laughter with friends I haven’t seen since the first day of 2008. My five and a half months of living and traveling in Europe will become an endless supply of stories and memories.

Well, I guess I’ll end with a “Cheerio” and see you back on the other side of the pond.

I spend my days in the parks. And if it is raining, I go to the museum. And sometimes, depending on the day, I go to a market. I love the simplicity of that—the total ease and accessibility of both activities in London. However, I can’t wait to just drive. I know that after a week and when my gas tank nears empty I will be wishing I had the tube to hop on to arrive at my destination. I know I’ll miss that. It’s a lot of can’t waits and missings coming up. That, I am certain of. Wandering around making all my little stops makes me get nostalgic for the city that I have spent almost five months in. Little memories flood in once I step on a familiar street corner or wait on the right hand side of an escalator.

Besides for spending my time reading outside, well the first week on May when it was in the 70s every day (!), I’ve visited the Victoria and Albert Museum since some rain showers have returned. Affectionately called the V&A, one of their special exhibits was on artists’ books and journals! Of course, after my bookmaking class last spring, I absolutely loved the exhibit, especially the earthworks piece since I also wrote a research paper on the artist last semester. I still have a couple more museums to check out. I can’t believe after an entire semester I still have yet to visit all of the free ones. That, right there, shows the sheer size and quantity of London museums.

Last Thursday, my program director, Dan from Arcadia, took us out to an end of the semester afternoon tea. Next to the Kensington Palaces, we dinned in The Orangery in Hyde Park. Even though only a few people from the program showed up, the ones who did were the ones I enjoy. Thus, it was an enjoyable afternoon. We began with cucumber sandwiches, my first of the semester, followed by scones, and ending with our sweet cake dessert. Many cups of tea and many shared stories later we parted to our different parts of the city.

Over the weekend, I stopped at Borough Market (of course!) and I made my first trip to the National Portrait Gallery. I even went to the bridge by Waterloo, the Cans Festival Tunnel, where a special graffiti and street art exhibit featuring Banksy and others is winding down. Chelsea and I also went to Camden Lock. It’s funny, we didn’t have any intention of going there… it just kind of happened. Full circle since that was the first place we went together back in January. It’s funny how things work out like that without intentionally doing so.

Since Sunday was Stonehill’s graduation and I was an ocean away, I made sure to keep busy most of the day so not to think about it. It is mind boggling to think that now, I’m a senior. As of that Saturday it was exactly a month unlike I arrive back on US soil. Additionally, it was exactly one year until I graduate college (assuming it is the same weekend as this year). Wow. How did this all happen so quickly?! One month, one year… two drastic changes that are all to quickly approaching. Thus, I made sure I wasn’t in my room for the majority of the day. After going to Mass in the morning, I began my walk. The sun finally came out and it warmed up a bit since it has gotten chilly again. Without any thought of it, I passed six tube stops on the same street! Starting at Tottenham Court Road, I walked the entire length of Oxford Street until it turned into Bayswater Road by Hyde Park. I knew that section had an art market on Sundays so I just kept walking until I got there. I did take pit stops, in this store and that one. I sat in Hyde Park to eat my lunch. I strolled through the lively and loud Speaker’s Corner just after lunch time when everyone seems to be the most fired up. Taking advantage of the somewhat nice weather (nothing in comparison with the beginning of the month) I visited Big Ben before heading back to Harrow.

This week, saving some tube money, I’ve spent the majority of my time within walking distance of my room. Most notably Sainsbury’s and the laundry room. Funny, well not funny but interesting story. So, walking to Sainsbury’s I have to walk through the tube stop to get to the road on the other side. I notice that they gates are closed and no one is allowed to get on the tube. I keep walking to get out of everyone’s way just noting it as an inconvenience for those who need to get somewhere. On the way back I pause to check the announcement board. Now, I’ve heard of this happening all semester but hadn’t experienced it first hand. No sugarcoating, they just write the plain out truth. “There is no Metropolitan Line service between Preston Road and Northwick Park due to a person on the tracks.” It’s really a horrible thing but it becomes so trivialized that is actually becomes a bit funny. Now, I can say I’ve witnessed what so many people describe and tell stories about. Still, quite odd.

Last night, I went to see Billy Elliot—the Musical at the Victoria Palace Theatre. The show was fantastic! The kids in it were absolutely great dancers. I wanted to see this show because one, I had recently watched the movie, two because it is one of the most popular shows playing in the West End, and three because it is set in England. It is always better when you see the show in the country it was written about. All the shows I’ve seen this semester, Spamalot, The History Boys, and now Billy Elliot are, I imagine, better here than at home because of the English history, wit, slang, and of course, accent that are authentically used. The end of the show was quite sentimental; it even got a few tears. Overall, it was a great show and I’m happy I went, even if I didn’t have anyone to question “what was your favorite part” on the tube ride home.

It’s surprising how many firsts I’ve been experiencing this past week. First trip here, first outing there yet I’ve been living in this city for almost five whole months. There is still a list of things I haven’t done, places I haven’t gone… it is kind of daunting actually. Let’s just hope Beth wants to do a lot of going here and there since it will be my last week in London. I DO NOT like the sound of that.

With essays handed in, internships completed, and small carry on suitcases packed, Chm and I were off on our 12 day adventure throughout Spain and France! Working with the different languages, we balanced each other nicely, never causing big strifes or upsets. Our trip was certainly eventful, let’s just hope I can recount it as incredibly as it actually spanned out…

Meeting up early Monday morning at Victoria, we hopped on the Easybus headed for Stansted. The first leg of the trip seemed almost effortless, arriving with the perfect amount of time for security and lunch, getting my suitcase past the weight limits, sitting in the seats with more leg room, and dozing on the short flight. All that was great and to top it off we arrived in warm, sunny Valencia! Finding our hostel, which was much better than the door we originally thought it was, we set our bags down in the brightest room I’ve seen! Before leaving London, I told Chm that I was going to wear my “bright shirt” for our first day in Spain. Our hostel room with its lime green walls, bright blue blankets, hot pink lampshades and curtains, and exuberantly bright orange door put me to shame. Nevertheless, we had a three person room to ourself, the middle bed perfect for dinnertime picnics! We walked to the town center to start exploring. Passing the Mercado Central, we went to the Plaza de la Reina. Eating helado by the fountain in La Plaza de la Virgen watching the children chase and feed the pigeons we felt like we were in our own San Marco. Since we never got to go to Venice it was a nice treat! As it was right on the edge of the plaza, we went inside the Cathedral and ended up climbing El Miguelete, the bell tower. I love being able to get a bird’s eye view of the places we visit. Valencia was dotted with colorful domes that reflected and captured the greens and blues of the sky. From the bell tower, we spotted an interesting looking building just down the street from our hostel. Before heading to the grocery store for dinner since we couldn’t find any restaurants open due to the different eating schedule, we took a stroll to the Torres de Quart. It used to act as an entrance way to the city, but now it stands as monument that looks reminiscent of chess pieces! Back in our room, we pulled out our Valencia book to plan the next couple days before heading to bed.

During our second day in Valencia the two of us recessed into childhood. Before getting on a tour bus at la Plaza de la Reina, we quickly walked through the modern looking Mercado Central. Fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, and anything else you could need for a meal are sold in stalls throughout the market place. The set up, since it was inside, reminded me of how Harrod’s food hall is set up, but the prices and small family runs stalls were definitely more Borough Market-esque. Sitting on the top of the bus where we were the youngest passengers, we were able to enjoy the sun and wonderful smells of Valencia. The streets of Valencia are unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Blooming flowering trees create a canopy of color and wonderful scents. There is so much greenery on each street that the city doesn’t feel as hectic or crowded. Additionally, the dried up river bed was transformed into a garden running thought the entire city. There are recreational areas, fountains, playgrounds, and plentiful benches for just sitting down and resting. Unlike London you don’t have to seek out a spot to rest, they are just everywhere! Passing the town hall and other important buildings, Chm and I were eagerly awaiting our arrival at L’Oceanografic! As the largest marine park in Europe, it was a definite activity of our trip. That, and the fact that we didn’t have time to go the aquarium in London. We spent a good majority wandering around to all the different climates learning about the animals and realizing that they understand more Spanish commands than we do! The seals and dolphin shows were definitely highlights. And I absolutely loved baby beluga. However, nothing compared with the 30meter shark tunnel. The two of us took one step into the tunnel and jumped back at the exact same instant after fully realizing that sharks were just two feet above our heads!! That room also housed Crush (!), Mr. Ray, and a Japanese animae looking sting ray. We were like two kids seeing these animals for the first time. We were so excited! But, unclear to us, no one else seemed to have an issue with the sharks swimming feet away and on the other side of a sheet of glass. We enjoyed ourselves but we were freaked out the entire time. Later on we visited the jellyfish, sea horses, sea dragons, and Dory and friends in the 70meter tunnel! Our trip to L’Oceanographic was definitely worth it! As part of the Cuidad de las Artes y las Ciencias, L’Oceanographic is close by to other interestingly designed buildings for, you guessed it, different art and science exhibitions and activities. One building in particular, L’Hemisferic, was designed to look like a human eye! Saying goodbye and thank you to our marine friends and walking past the rest of the Ciudad, we were off on our next mission…to find GULLIVER! On the bus tour map we saw that he wasn’t too far away and the picture we saw of him on a postcard intrigued us to go search for him! As I said before, Valencia has open greenery throughout the city, the Jardines del Turia. While strolling though it, enjoying the palm tree’s shade and cooling fountains, we succeeded in finding Gulliver in between the Cuidad de la Artes y las Ciencias and la Palau de la Musica! It is a huge person lying down, complete with a hat and sword. I haven’t read the novel, but apparently he is tied down by little people. In effect, the climbers on the playground become those people climbing the ropes and sliding down the slides. It was bit slippery in flip flops, but Chm made me climb it with her. Looking at our handy dandy map, we realized that we had already walked pretty far back towards the center of town. So, we headed back to see the Plaza de Toros. Unable to get inside and not really sure of our opinions of bull fighting, we just shopped in the local markets before heading to the Metro to go to the beach! After getting off at the wrong stop and walking further than we thought, we finally found la playa and put our feet in the Mediterranean Sea! It was so much colder than we expected! Holding out on getting dinner, we were just about famished by 8pm and still, no restaurants were visibly open! Thus, we headed back to the tienda del barrio for some good old peanut butter sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies. Back at the hostel we learned dinner doesn’t even begin to start being served until 8:30. So close but not close enough.

For our last day in Valencia, we decided to head back to some of our favorite spots and return to the tour bus routes to take proper photos. In the morning we walked past the Ayuntamiento, or Town Hall, Teatro Principal, and Palacio de Justicia, or Court. Along the way we enjoyed our new pastime of people watching in each plaza and park we met along the way. Sitting near fountains and getting some sun, we enjoyed a relaxing morning with some shopping throughout. Chm obsessed with looking at every fan while I continued the postcard obsession. Before lunch we popped into Cortes Ingles, the Spanish store that I seem to equate with Primark. For lunch, we waited until 2pm, quite the feat for us! I swear I ordered pollo, chicken sandwiches, but the waitress returned with mystery meat and mayo. Not good. However, we can say we did eat at a Spanish lunch time! Making up for our unfortunate lunch, we headed back to our trusty fountain to get helado before setting off for the beach! After laying down for a bit on Chm’s big United Kingdom flag towel, we were too overblown with sand to stay much longer. Grabbing a disgraceful dinner (but still ordering in Spanish) we headed back to the hostel to hang out for a bit, check our email, and play some cards before getting a taxi for the bus station. There, we quickly made friends who helped translate for us. The man just kept saying 23 and I didn’t know if he meant that was the number of the bus or if it meant it is coming at 11pm. Once that was settled, and midway through telling Chm a funny story, another student asks if we are waiting for the bus to Granada. Sweet, he heard the story. But the funny thing was he too was studying abroad this semester and in Perugia, Italy, the same city as Alyssa, my roommate from Stonehill. He said her name sounded familiar. Crazy! After understanding the bus driver and his quick “adonde vas” questioning, we boarded the somewhat smelly bus for our nine hour ride through the night. Without too much trouble, yet annoyingly loud and bright hourly stops, we were on our way to reunite with the Granada girls!

Bright and early after an entire night on a bus and before the majority of Granada was even awake (or going to bed for that matter) we were greeted by our Granada tour guides, Beth and Sara Shea. On the phone the hostel owners seemed nice but for some reason we got there and the door was locked! We went to a little café across the street for some tostada and Cola Cao and still, no one answered the door! Luckily, we could leave our bags at Sara’s madre’s house for a couple hours while she gave us a tour of the city. Passing their school, multiple plazas, and the almost dry river, Chm and I were running pretty well considering our lack of sleep. Once Beth finished with colegio where she volunteers with highschool aged kids, she became our tour guide while Sara went to class. With her we got lunch and our first scoops of Tiggiani’s ice cream! With full bellies and entrance into our hostel which happened to be more like a hotel where you needed a key to enter, Chm and I were certainly ready for a siesta! After a well deserved and necessary nap, we met up with the girls who were headed to Deportes for a pick up soccer game with the rest of the kids in GRIIS, their program in Granada. After watching the game and being introduced to everyone, we headed to get more ice cream! Afterwards, Chm and I went to Beth and Keri’s house to learn how to make churros for the party later! The batter was temperamental since their madre left it out for a couple hours, but we figured it out and succeeded in making delicious churros in our assembly line in the narrow kitchen. Meeting some of their friends for a schwerma dinner, we tested the local sangria before heading to the GRIIS gathering at Jen’s. Their program in Granada is composed of a tight knit bunch, mainly from Stonehill and BC. That is one thing I wish my program had more of, community bonding and social time. I guess that is the difference between living in a huge city as opposed to a smaller community. For the evening, we got to mingle with everyone enjoying our churros, rice krispy treats, and oranges with cinnamon. At the end of the night, our beds never felt so good.

Sleeping in the next morning, we geared up for a relaxing day in Granada. Our plan was to have a picnic. Stopping at the local fruit markets and grocery stores, we made a picnic of strawberries, grapes, peaches, bananas, digestive like cookies, chips, and Fanta. After the little hike to get to the Carmen Gardens, a park-like area on one of the hills of the city, we enjoyed our delicious lunch. There was even a peacock garden there! Heading out before 2pm, since Carmen closes for siesta, we wandered down throughout the city to the other end to another park, Garcia Lorca. There we rested, reminisces, and relaxed. After talking about Stonehill and abroad for a good while (and getting really excited for senior year in Becket!), we tested out the exercise machines before heading to get a snack of churros. This time, we sat at a café and ordered them with chocolate rather than making them from scratch. Delicious. Beth and I got sodas, CocaCola Light to be specific since they don’t understand Diet Coke, and surprisingly they came with tapas! It wasn’t much, but a nice introduction. Wandering shops for a little while, we met back up with Beth, Sara, and Jen before getting pizza and literally running through the Albaicin to get to see the sun set. Through the old Arab barrio and past Sacramonte, we quickly got a view of the huge Alhambra before continuing down the narrow (and steep!) cobblestone streets to get a great view of the sun setting over the Sierra Nevada. Once we got there and were able to stand still, my feet started to feel it. Painful blisters quickly ensued; cobblestone roads and hills don’t mix well for me as I had already learned in Edinburgh. After the beautiful sunset, we walked down the mountain-ish hill through an incredibly painted graffiti area. There was even an image on the vertical parts of the steps! That takes talent! Before calling it an extremely enjoyable day, we stopped at a teteria for some delicious juices. I got a watermelon slushie. It was so refreshing and sweet. Instead of drinking an iced drink, like it was, it tasted like I was biting into a freshly cut piece of watermelon! A perfect ending to another perfect day in Spain.

Since the girls had a field trip with their program, Chm and I decided Saturday was the perfect day to visit La Alhambra. It is the biggest attraction in Granada and I learned about it my sophomore year of high school when we studied the region of Spain called Andalucia. Built by the Muslim rulers of Spain, the influence of Moorish art is seen throughout the palaces and fortress. As Christians later gained control in 1492 (thank you Spanish class), some of their artistic influences have been added. In order to see La Alhambra, Chm and I woke up super early to attempt and beat the lines. Clearly, being in line at 8am si not early enough. We got in one line after hearing it was for people without reserved tickets. Hours later we were still in line and the number of tickets allowable for the day was quickly diminishing. However, there was another line that moved significantly faster. The rough translations said it was for people with reserved bookings or those who knew their “secret code.” Assuming we needed a confirmation number, we stayed in the original line. Well, as I said, we were beginning to panic that we wouldn’t get tickets. I went up to one of the security guards and speaking solely in Spanish proceeded to ask my question four times, rephrasing it so I wouldn’t get it wrong. It turns out we didn’t need a confirmation number…just a pin number to our credit card!! Secret code, pin number. Some translation! Well, we finally got tickets but our entrance time wasn’t until 7pm and it was currently 10:30am and we just stood in line for two and a half hours! Walking up to la Alhambra isn’t an easy trip. It is atop a huge hill, typical since it is a fortress. We decided the only thing to do was walk down back into the center of town. We wanted to do some shopping but nothing was open yet, we were starting to get hungry but it wasn’t even close to lunch time. Thus, we just sat by the Isabella statue, which is a typical meeting place for the GRIIS kids, and Plaza Nueva. After another schwerma meal, come chips (Chm and I missed them!), and ice cream we did some more shopping, up and down the hilly street, before climbing it one final time. We had entrance to General life, the garden-esque part of la Alhambra at 2pm. Also, we could walk around the alcazaba or citadel where the military was originally stationed, and the Medina or general city area. Resting our tired and sore feet, we sat in one of the arch ways. I went to get a snack but instead of regular chips I came out with jamon flavored. Ham, really? On chip?! Needless to say, I quickly tossed them and tried one more time. Finally after a bit of waiting, sitting, and some burning, it was almost 7pm. The sun still shinning in the sky and it was finally our time to enter the Nasrid Palaces! Coincidentally, a tour group entered the same time as us. The guide spoke English so we casually walked around with them before they darted off. The palaces were beautiful. The intricacy of the Moorish designs, the complexity of the tile and mosaic placements, and the incredible ceiling decorations were just incredible. Once again, we saw the Albaicin from just about every window and arch way. Walking through the palaces we saw the Palace of the Lions (under contruction), the most famous archway, and Washington Irving’s writing room. I don’t even know how to describe the palaces they were just that cool to look at. Being rushed out since it closes at 8pm, Chm and I took a multitude of photos before realizing that we still had to walk down the huge hill to get back to the hostel. Oh no. My feet were dying due to the painful blisters. Not good. After a short time to change and relax, we met back up with the girls so Chm and I could get dinner. Then we went for tapas. If you order one drink, which turns out to be cheap because we are in Spain after all, you get a small snack or appetizer. We ordered tinto de verano and were given a potato tapa. Funny because we just had loaded potatoes for dinner! On our way to meet up with some of the other kids in the program, we stopped at one of their hangout spots, Chupies, which was empty since it was only 10pm and no one goes out until around midnight. Once we had a taste of what they experience in Granada, we headed to meet up with the others and share a tube of tinto de verano while playing games and enjoying each other’s company. Once again, our beds never felt so good.

After an incredibly busy day, Chm and I were a little sluggish the next morning. Additionally, my feet were absolutely killing me. With attempts to heal the blisters in order to be able to continue walking, Chm came to the rescue. Once we started out, we went to an Arab market on the outskirts of town. The vendors would scream their prices, trying to entice you to come over. Actually, I didn’t want to get any closer to the yelling. That practice is certainly not put into use in London, markets may be crowded but they are much more low key. I have to say, I appreciate that about the British, their reserved nature is somewhat comforting. After a banana snack, we hopped on the bus back to the center of the city to go to Mass at the Cathedral. It was absolutely freezing in there! Elaborately decorated but freezing! After lunch and, of course, more ice cream (in the upcoming days Chm and I went through ice cream withdrawal!) we leisurely made our way back to Garcia Lorca. Once we laid down on the grass, not a word was spoken and we were all asleep within five minutes. It was a lovely hour long siesta under the trees. When we all finally woke up again, because the sun moved and it was chillier in the shade, we were entertained by just people watching… or in our case little girl watching. I think she was just as entertained by us as we were by her! Hours and many laughs later, we returned to the upright position leaving the park and heading towards Table Games. They are cafes where you can play any board or card game; they have almost everything. We relaxed with our Cola Caos while playing cards before we had to say our “see you laters” to our wonderful tour guides since they were expected home for dinner. After another “disgraceful” dinner with Chm, we packed up at the hostel to be prepared to catch an early, but this time much shorter, bus to the airport for the last leg of our adventure—Paris! So overall, I loved, loved, loved Spain! After learning about the culture for so many years in school it was rewarding to experience it first hand. I could draw some connections to Peru while sharply contrasting it due to its seat within Europe. As much as I enjoyed my time there witnessing the traditions, purchasing a number of handcrafts, enjoying the helado and tinto de verano, participating in siesta, soaking up the sun, and starving due to the different eating times, I don’t know if I would be able to adjust to the culture and schedule for an extended period. However, I would love to travel to different regions, getting a feel for them and their unique cultural traditions.

On day eight, we survived our stay in the Spanish speaking land without too much confusion—now it was Chm’s turn to test her French knowledge. After the flight and RER ride to our new neighborhood, we arrived at our hotel (yes, we splurged this time!) in the Montparnasse area. After settling in and finding the nearest grocery store for later, we headed to the typical first tourist destination of Paris… the Eiffel Tower! Upon arrival in Paris, I wasn’t yet thrilled with the city. I guess I had preconceived notions of the tourist parts and snobby French attitude. The closer and closer we got to the Tower, the more they disappeared. From far away, it just looks like heavy metal structure pointing up among much shorter buildings. Standing underneath, you see the golden color and the intricate craftsmanship that created it. Sadly, the wind picked up and the sideways rain began. So after a ham and cheese croissant lunch, we ducked into the nearest Metro to escape the rain and find a new destination. Arriving at Notre Dame, Chm and I quickly found one of our favorite Parisian spots. Sure, we learned about the Cathedral in Art History, but the inside of it is just incredible. The vaulted arches in particular. Circling it outside, we saw some gargoyles and the all important flying buttresses. Notre Dame is situated on a little island in the middle of the Siene River, so we walked to the end of it, Point Neuf to see the little lovers’ park and bridge. Crossing the bridge we stopped at the St. Michel Fountain, a spot we were sure to return to. Quickly growing tired, we stopped for our first of many visits to Monoprix for baguettes, mozzarella, and tomatoes for our hotel picnic while watching German news, French Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and Novella Star. Feeling a bit under the weather, possibly due to allergies but who knows, I had an early night. My love for sleep sure doesn’t disappear in different countries. I may push myself to stay awake to enjoy myself and do new things, but every once and while an eleven hour sleeping period does the body wonders.

We decided we would get up bright and early to try and beat some of the tourist lines. Well, for our first stop we thought we did. We arrived at the Louvre and there was barely anyone in the courtyard. After some investigation, we learned that along with most of the museums, the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays. Crossing the Seine, we made out way to Musee D’Orsay. We knew it was open due to the line extending around the block. We stood there, inched up, made friend with the Brits behind us, and stood some more. The line wasn’t monitored well since we were almost in the roped off section and suddenly a whole loop was cut out. Lines merged, it was chaos. Our British friends told us to pivot around the poles, cutting some people off. Everyone around us, that got cut, seemed to become a mass of people banding together and all working to take back what we lost. Group bonding, museum line style. Once we got inside and saw the size of it we had to make a game plan. We headed for the impressionist and post impressionist rooms since that is what the D’Orsay is known for. Coincidentally, that is one of my favorite periods of art. It was also interesting to see the Chat Noir and French theatre exhibit. After spending a good amount of time walking around to just about every room and seeing the highlights and a lot of pieces I studied with Sheckler we decided we had seen enough art for one day. It’s nice going to museums with Chm because we both are equally as interested. We don’t feel like we need to rush going through the rooms since we both enjoy it. For that reason, we were a great duo in Paris. Heading to the Montmartre area we quickly stopped outside Moulin Rouge before visiting the Sacre Cour. This church is seated high up on a hill. Climbing the steps to the top, we decided the outside of it is much more interesting than other churches we’ve visited. However, after walking around inside, Notre Dame still takes the gold. After a bit of shopping and postcard searching, we headed back to the St. Michel Fountain to find the 3 Euro panini and soda place recommended by Beth Doyle, a friend who studied in Paris last semester. It was very easy to find and extremely centrally located. Of course, the price was perfect too! We also walked down one of her favorite streets wandering in to a local boulangerie to test the pastries. Since we had plans to climb the Arc de Triumph at sunset and that wasn’t for a few hours, we went back for a little rest and email check before heading back out. The Arc de Triumph was another highlight. Of course we studied it, but its location in the city is just…picturesque. It is at the end of the Champs Elysses and it is the roundabout point for eight streets. Once at the top, we had an idea view of the streets and the Eiffel Tower. Seeing the city from above while the Eiffel Tower was sparkling was surreal. I believe it was at this point in the week that I developed my obsession for taking pictures of it while it is lighted from within and sparkling. Even thought we were exhausted, we were thankful that we went back out to climb the Arc and equally as grateful that it didn’t rain while we were at the top.

Day ten and still plowing through, we rose early again to climb the Eiffel Tower. We experienced some rain and wind while waiting in line but we managed to get on the first elevator up to the top! On the third floor, the highest one, we experienced a wind tunnel on one side, cloudy skies on another, drizzle on the third, and sunshine on the last. Obviously, you can guess where we took pictures from. Chm and I seem to balance each other on the whole heights issue. She doesn’t like climbing man made structures, I freak out on hills and mountains. I’d have to say we were pretty composed on the Eiffel Tower, except for the elevator rides, those were intense. Once we walked around all the different floors and arrived safely on the solid ground, we walked across the street to the Trocadero for some pictures as well as walking through the Jardin Des Tuileries. It started raining then. The whole trip we were joking about our romantic getaway together. It was the perfect time for that picture—the two of us, under an umbrella with the Eiffel Tower in the background through the haze. How picturesque. After escaping the rain in a café for lunch, we were determined to go back to the Louvre. Let me just start out by saying it is completely massive. There was no hope to even attempt to see the whole thing. Additionally, you couldn’t even get close enough to the actual art work to thoroughly enjoy it. I found I took more photos of the crowds surrounding the major pieces like the Venus de Milo, Winged Victory, and Mona Lisa than I did of that actual artwork. I was thrilled to see the world renowned pieces, but the huge crowds certainly made it a bit harder to enjoy and study. At one point, Chm and I took a reflection picture in a mirror around a little corner. A man stopped to see what we were taking a picture of… surprise! Just our pretty faces! We did our best to make it through as many of the galleries as possible, but it was evident that we both were getting tired and exhausted from walking. In addition the huge crowds made it stuffy and very warm. We gave in and got a cool Starbuck’s drink to cool off with. I know, I want to hold out but at least I didn’t pay for it in pounds. Exiting through the pyramid, we were greeted with ominous looking skies. We had intended to walk down the Champs Elysses to see the Arc de Triumph in the daylight but a sudden hail storm quickly changed out minds! Ducking under and archway and finding the nearest Metro we rode down two stops were we came aboveground to blue skies. Paris weather is, dare I say it, more temperamental than London! Passing the ritzy, expensive stores, we succeeded in seeing the Arc in daylight and once again, without rain. Growing even more tired after our busy day, we enjoyed another hotel picnic while playing along with the French participants of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. I’d sure love to win here since the prize is in Euros!

Thursday was out day designated for a trip to Versailles. Sadly, to our surprise, the palace was closed but thankfully we were still able to see the jardins. They were so perfectly symmetrical and arranged. After a morning in zone 4 (they always have special things!) we headed back to our trusty panini stand. We wanted to climb Notre Dame, but that too was closed. We later realized and researched that May 1st or May Day is a holiday and that is why people were selling flowers one every street corner. The lily of the valley is a good luck charm and symbol of springtime. Also, it reminded me of Gram’s back rock garden. When we bought our dinner later we were sure to pick up our very own French good luck charms. However, before that, we visited the I Love You Wall in Montmartre. It is a wall in a tiny little park that is covered with I love you in supposedly all the languages of the world. It’s a very cute idea and of course Chm and I took pictures in front of it. It isn’t one of those typical tourist destinations but Chm heard about it when she went to Paris in highschool so, like Gulliver, we just had to find it! From there, we walked down the street to the Sacre Cour area for some shopping. Back at the room after a very enjoyable nap, we walked around the Cemetery of Montparanesse where Satre and Man Ray, among others, are buried. We also had a clear view of the only skyscraper in Paris located just a few blocks from our hotel. After yet another picnic dinner, some authentic baguette fighting, and email checking, we made our way back to the Eiffel Tower to watch it sparkle one last time. It was quite the romantic outing in the jardin… good thing Chm and I had each other! The sky behind the Eiffel Tower looked so awesome that night. I love the pictures but I don’t know if they can even do it justice. I feel like that summarizes all my pictures. They are great for memories and sharing but so much of this semester is made up of you had to be there moments. I constantly feel like I’m forgetting things. I just hope little things will jog my memory and remind me of little conversations or funny jokes that were shared and experienced throughout this whirlwind of a semester.

Day twelve. We made it! Since our flight didn’t leave until later in the afternoon, Chm and I decided to climb Notre Dame one last time. And was it worth it! Up top, we got to hang out with the gargoyles and other creatures. It made me really want to watch the movie the Hunchback of Notre Dame as well as Mary Kate and Ashley’s Passport to Paris among others. We climbed the bell towers, sadly didn’t meet Quasimodo, but enjoyed seeing the skyline one last time before our au revoir to Paris. That along with bonjour, merci, pardon, and excusez-moi was all the French I mastered. I didn’t even get oui down since I was so used to saying si. I made that mistake multiple times within one minute at a bakery. So, before beginning our travel back to home sweet England with less language confusion, we had our fill of crepes, croque monsour, pain aux raisins, and paninis. Tacos were awaiting us after long custom lines and bus rides and tube trips back in London! I can successfully say I’ve either flew into or out of every major airport in London. Another check for the to do list of London is completed.

You might think that once we got back to England it would be time to relax and enjoy Chm’s last few days in the country. We did enjoy them but once again we were back on buses visiting other cities. The beginning of the semester I signed up for a day trip to Brighton with Arcadia. Luckily, I was able to bring Chm along as my guest. Once in Brighton, we visited the Royal Pavilion before exploring for the rest of the day. They gave us those silly headsets with slow commentary to listen to. I preferred just to look around myself considering we exited and entered a new room before the commentary was finishing their introduction. After that, we saw part of the parade since it was the first day of the May Day celebration. The school kids were all in their “fancy dress” for different board games! It was a clever idea! Heading down to the beach to get lunch our feet had to make a quick adjustment to rocks! That’s right, no sand. The Brighton beach is just rocks! Hannah, some other Arcadia kids, and Chm all got fish and chips, how typical. After walking around the Pier and town, we headed back to the rock filled beach to people watch and take a nap. At times the sun was warm but when clouds floated past it was quite chilly. Certainly, not like our previous beach weather. Getting back to Harrow after a bus ride that took far too long, Chm and I settled down to watch Harry Potter in preparation for our next day’s outing to Oxford!

Taking full advantage of her last day in England, Chm and I planned to meet Ashleigh at Oxford. She studied there last fall and was currently visiting from Grenoble, France, where she is studying for the spring semester. Boarding the Oxford Tube and taking a short nap, we quickly arrived in one of my favorite English cities. I visited there a couple months ago, before I really traveled anywhere else, and now I was back! It sort of reminds me of Edinburgh without the hills. After signing up for a walking tour, Chm and I ate a delicious pancake brunch at Giraffe, a restaurant we spotted at Stansted Airport but never had time to eat it. Obviously, we just had to eat there. It was very cute with its “Live Eat Love” slogan; however, they probably didn’t like us too much because we paid with so many coins since Chm had a huge semester’s worth stock of them! Once thing we learned about each other is that neither of us get sick of going in tourist shops! And that is just what we did until our tour started. Walking around the city, we were able to learn a bit of history about the different colleges within Oxford University as well as some of the university buildings. Sadly, we didn’t go into Christ Church to see the Harry Potter scenes, but we did get to see the quad, chapel, and dinning hall of Oriel College. I’m happy with my decision to study in London seeing that so many things were at the tips of my fingers, but Oxford would have been incredible. I still have a slight obsession with it and I don’t think it is going to die down soon. Later on, we met up with Ashleigh for tea and an insider’s tour of the cute streets, shops, and Christ Church Meadows. Thankfully, the rain held out to just about an hour or so before we got back on the bus.

Seeing Chm off to Heathrow on Monday was quite rough. Going from constant twenty four hour, seven days a week Chm companionship for fourteen days to nothing is quite the shock. It is bad enough my room is quite, but I can’t get “Bleeding Love” out of my head! As for the rest of this week, it has been catch up week. Catch up on sleep, making lists of things I still want to do in London but haven’t had the chance to do and lists of more preparations, and of course, writing this massive update! I witnessed the British student’s think it was summer outside when it just started getting to 70 in the afternoon, I watched some pickup football games from my kitchen window, I did some shopping at Covent Garden and some eating at Borough market, and I rested in Regents Park and Green Park. Only two weeks until Beth comes, thank goodness I won’t have to spent too much more time alone since everyone is still traveling or packing up to go home. Speaking of home, I miss you all! Since Chm left it has been a little rough but a month and a week and we can celebrate my return to the US. I’m sure by then I’ll be crying over missing London and Europe so much.

Phew, that was a massive update! Hope you enjoyed traveling with me!