After saying goodbye to my packed suitcases that contain my life for the semester, Beth and I still had a couple more London things to do before heading off on our end of the term adventure. After seeing Dad and eating with him, we made our way to the British Museum. There I showed Beth the Parthenon pediment sculptures. It’s funny that they are in the British Museum seeing that they are such an integral part of Greek art history. In just a few days we would be standing next to their original home atop the Parthenon! Next, we went to Covent Garden before heading back to Victoria where Beth got a spur of the moment hair cut! Friday, Beth and I wandered around Camden Town before, once again, returning to my room to cook tacos! Then Saturday—my last full day in London. With a little Greek planning trouble in the morning due to the lack of internet in my room, we had a rocky start but the rest of the day was great. Beginning at Borough Market, I enjoyed all my favorite things including juice, chocolate covered raisins and bananas, brownies, and I even tried some minty Pimms. You can never have your fill of Borough Market and every Saturday I’m still jealous of those who live close enough to just walk over or hop on the tube to get a delicious snack. After saying goodbye to one of my favorite parts of the city, we made our way to Hyde Park to rent the boats on the Serpentine. They were what I call “bicycle boats” where you row with your legs. It was quite fun, but quite tiring! We made it to the bridge, our destination/goal, but then floated, slowing pedaled back. Our final big event of the day was to stand as lowly groundlings for King Lear at the Globe. Somehow, I always seem to forget how long Shakespeare’s plays are until I’m a couple acts in. The acting was great; however, the standing and being slightly confused with the plot line weren’t so much. Needless to say, it has become yet another story to tell. I paid five pounds to stand in the Globe and watch a play written by Shakespeare and they walked down the Thames to see Tower Bridge lit up at night. Some things are just too fantastic to sound real. Pretty much the entire semester can be thrown into that category.

Well, leaving London was quite interesting and tear wrenching. After already being a bit stressed about packing for seventeen days of traveling plus a couple extra since dad took my bags, I had to completely empty my room. Since there wasn't really anywhere to donate my bed and kitchen things, the rubbish bins received a lot of gifts. It was so weird seeing that tiny room empty. It was solely my room in England--no sharing, just me. The last zone 4 to 1 tube ride was also crazy. On the EasyBus things picked up, especially with the London radio and "Bleeding Love," a song of the semester, played back to back with "All you need is love" by the Beatles. The flight went smoothly and we landed early which was great. However, we were quickly becoming familiar with the phrase "It's all Greek to me!" As we were looking at the baggage claim screen, all the names suddenly switched to the Greek alphabet—clearly a foreshadowing of our utter confusion when it comes to the Greek language. So, we got to the Metro to arrive at our hostel... it was quite the interesting walk around the Omonia stop with hookers on the corner, but we found a bakery just closing up, got directions, and once inside we “upgraded” to a double room instead of a triple. So began the Beth and Laura sharing of one double bed!Up early to beat the heat, we headed to the Acropolis. Climbing up to the Parthenon, we were quite surprised to see it was smaller than we imagined. A good number of the pediment sculptures are in the British Museum leaving only one or two atop the Parthenon. We saw the Theatre of Dionysus, Roman Forum, Hadrian's Arch, the Agora, and the Temple of Athena Nike. After walking around, plenty of bottles of water, and the internet cafe to sort out the ferry situation, we headed to the site of the 2004 Olympic Games. Next, we headed to the National Archaeological Museum where we got our fill of sculptures, reliefs, and vases. The great thing about Athens that made up for some of our hesitations about it is their generous outlook towards students. Because we both have id cards from European universities, we got in free to the museum and Acropolis! After a little rest back in the room, we headed to see the sunset atop Lykavitos Hill. But before that, as a little pit stop, we went to the older Olympic Stadium. In order to get into the stadium, we needed to somehow pass the police barricade on the street. Beth practically peed in her pants asking how we could get there when they easily just moved the barricade shields aside in order for us to pass. Down the street on the way to the stadium, we passed the funny marching guards with pompoms on their shoes and the President's palace. Then there the Olympic Stadium was, too bad my Olympic obsessed friend Chm wasn't there. I get all my Beijing updates from here. And the fact that the Olympics are in London in 2012 makes her even more ecstatic! The rest of the evening we enjoyed the sunset atop the breezy Lykavitos hill before calling it and extremely productive day. Sightseeing the majority of Athens in one day....check!


One story I do have to tell about our Athens hostel is about the elevator. We attempted to take a video of it but sadly it didn’t record! Well, coming in off of the street was already a little sketchy. So we get in the elevator. It is one of those pull open doors. Ok, no big deal they have those in Spain. Well, there was absolutely no sliding door to box us into the elevator!! As we went up and down we could easily reach out and touch the doors for each floor. Additionally, it had red velvet walls with mirrors all over. Creepiest elevator ever and the stairs (which we took once) weren’t any better at all.

We planned to check out the street markets before heading to Aegina, an island only 40 minutes away from Athens, for the day. Passing town hall and seeing the Acropolis in the distance, we bypassed the meat and fish section heading for the fresh fruit. We even passed a pet store where next to the parakeets, chipmunks were in cages ready to be sold as pets!! So weird! Once overcoming the rocky ride (so rocky due to the fact the boat was high speed meaning it rose above the water to practically skim the surface) and docking on the island, we headed for the beach where we spent the majority of the day before the clouds rolled in. With some shopping and purchasing of pistachios, the island’s specialty, out of the way, we ate at a beach front restaurant. With our pizza we had our first of many Greek salads. Needless to say, we fell in love with Greek food and used the many restaurants to our advantage. The mountains and other islands in the distance made a great backdrop and perfect setting for our first visit to a Greek island. Oh! And it was exactly two weeks from flying home!

Beginning our day early and literally running from what they told us to be the correct departure gate to the new correct gate, our ferry departed the port of Piraeus to Santorini. With a few stops to other islands in the Cyclades (Paros and Naxos), Beth sleeping the majority of the ride, and a lot of people watching on my part, we recovered from our brisk morning sprint and settled in our economy class outdoor table seats for the next eight hours. Let me just say with all the people watching, especially the four playing Egyptian War, the pair drinking Amstol at 9:30am, and the country origin guessing, I had a lot to update Beth on when she woke up every so often for a snack. Despite the long ride, it went by rather quickly and we arrived at the port…except a different port than we were expecting! After being whisked away on a bus and up and incredibly windy cliff, we were conveniently dropped off two buildings down the street from our hostel. After setting in to yet another cozy double bed room, we headed to the pool for some evening sun and called it an extremely early night.

Waking up to presents and happy birthdays, the birthday girl and I headed downstairs for some free breakfast before catching a bus to Perissa, a beach on the other side of the island. We drove past vineyards as the coach bus, which is the normal bus that drives the routes around the island, traversed over the top of the mountains and cliffs that make up Santorini. Settle in our lounge chairs and quickly getting our feet out of the hot black sand, we laid back, admired the sheer cliffs, sipped Paradise and Tropicana (fitting for birthday celebrations) and got our fair share of sun burn. After walking down the beach, we ate a nice dinner overlooking the water complete with chocolate cake. Earlier in the day we had mentioned how we would have to find a substitute birthday dessert but to our luck we found chocolate cake at the first place we looked! Later, back in the room Beth blew out her “fake” or paper made candle flames before using a match from her brother’s gift to light the candles I used for my birthday to make her 21st birthday wish!

On Friday morning we planned to go on the day tour to the volcano but during our daily hotel breakfast Maria told us it wouldn’t be a good day to go due to all of the clouds. Rearranging our plans, we decided to spend the day in Fira, the town where we were staying on the island. Checking our email and reading up about Santorini on the official tourism site and Wikipedia, we decided to walk up the cable car path once we saw a sign for it on our little stroll. That is when we found the cute buildings and DONKEY PATHS! If it hasn’t become obvious by the caps, I’m obsessed with the donkey and pretty much all of the animals—dogs and cats—of Greece. We walked the wall of Fira while stopping for photos and shopping. Although I love those two pastimes, watching the donkeys arrive at the top of the island after climbing over 600 steps from the port of Fira was definitely a highlight! After spending some time resting and some time by the pool, we climbed back up to the Fira wall for a scenic dinner which of course included a terrific Greek salad and bread in olive oil. The food was great; the breeze was not. Our dresses were not the correct attire for sunset so we ran back to change quickly before heading back up the hill in proper clothing. The day was great because we leisurely got to explore the city; however, the night was a little rough with the restlessly falling asleep and Beth’s creepy “Oh no, help me” dream. I thought Chm would be the one to talk in the night but I guess not!

Well, Saturday we didn’t get to go to Borough Market but to answer the question “what did you do today” would not be a quick response! At breakfast we made plans to go visit the volcano. Boarding the bus after watching young police officers unsuccessfully try to redirect traffic (mainly motos) we were unnecessarily driven just down the street to walk up to the cable cars. Pretty much they were a death ride because I was so petrified the entire time. Nevertheless, we were off to Nea Kameni, the dormant volcano of Santorini. They kept us on a lively schedule just allowing enough time to climb to the summit before hiking back down. It was a bit nerve wracking knowing I was walking on a volcano but also quite a once in a lifetime chance. Back on board the boat, we headed to Palea Kameni, another uninhabited island known for its hot springs from the volcano. Instead of quickly walking, we jumped off the boat into the Aegean Sea for a super speedy swim to the hot springs. Once we escaped the cold sea for the warmth of the hot springs, the ship blew its horn calling us to return! Needless to say we were exhausted and it was only just after noon! Sailing around the Caldera, or the area between the volcano and land, we were rumored to be in one of the supposed locations for the mythical island of Atlantis. The next stop was the island of Thirasia. Enjoying yet another Greek salad, we staying in the port for our short visit rather than climbing the steps of riding a donkey to the top of the island. We were there for such a short time that we would have had to come right down once we got up there. Instead, we sat by the dock, listening to music that I swear is in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants while watching boats bob and enjoying the incredibly royal blue water. Blue and white perfect describe the Greek islands and it is quite fitting that those two colors make up the country’s flag. The colors blue and white are seen everywhere on the islands from the water, sky, clothing, domed churches, and homes. On our way back to Fira before once again boarding the freaky cable cars, we quickly stopped at Oia and saw part of the coral reef from the glass bottom of the boat. We quickly said goodbye to our Australian friends and the Kentucky couple before going for, this time, a leisurely dunk in the pool. In the room we ate and relaxed before another lovely evening of shopping, a less windy sunset and a MA run in (due to my Cape Cod t-shirt) on a little side street. And of course, on the restaurant strip before hitting the donkey steps, we were bombarded with people enticing us to eat at their tavernas. “Hi ladies. Upstairs…very nice.” A good majority of the locals know English due to the popular tourist destination; however, their spelling and sentence constructions are quite interesting and entertaining sometimes.

Our last full day in Santorini was once again jam packed. First, we headed towards the town of Oia by bus. There, we found the picturesque spots of blue domed churches. We even saw the Greek Orthodox priests and women dressed in black huddled together leaving the churches. The town was too cute and exactly what I had pictured it to be. We didn’t spend much time there except to take pictures (I got my domes, dogs, and doors covered) before heading back to Fira on the bus to switch buses for the Kamari beach. After plenty of time spent burning our feet on the rocks that made up the “sand” of the beach, swimming out to rocks in the sea, jumping off said rocks by Beth, and hiding in the shade for me, we returned to Fira to escape the intense sun. What better than a dip in the pool before going out to eat?! With the sole intention of getting Greek salads, we were enticed to enjoy a pretty big meal. With the perfect view of the sunset and excellent view of the donkey path, we savored (some more slowly than others) the delicious meal. Marios, our waitor, was keen to learn where we were from and how long we were there until. He then treated us to free dessert wine and asked if “you girls go clubbing tonight?” It was quite cute by Beth and I opted for a leisurely stroll before heading back to the room. However, it became quite the joke.

For our last day in Greece, we combined a few of our favorite pastimes—shopping in Fira, eating Greek salads while overlooking the sea and volcano, and obsessing with the donkeys. Ok, so the last one was more me than Beth but still great even if I forgot to take a picture of myself with the donkeys! Oops! Getting some snacks for the ferry and upcoming night in the airport, we expected a boring afternoon. That was not the case at all! With much less sleeping for Beth and much less people watching for me, we made even more friends from around the world during our stay in Greece. Canadian Chris, who I still prefer to call Robert, talked with us for hours and hours. It was quite the entertaining “triangle” conversation and to say the less an entertaining way to pass the long eight hour ferry ride. We even talked with a cute older Greek man who was more than excited to share his islands and talk with Americans and Canadians who seem so friendly. Once off the boat and still hungry after my “tosted cheese” disaster, we decided to go for dinner to pass the time before the flight. We got in a taxi with a friendly driver who gave us a taste of the popular Greek radio stations while driving to a “ritzy” part of Athens where his Grandma lives. We had the Greek version of schwerma accompanied by a licorice flavored shot first lit on fire! After walking along the pier Beth and I got in another quick driving taxi and headed to the airport, thankfully with much less time to waste there. Boarding the plane for our 4am flight, we closed our eyes and the next thing we knew we were in Krakow, Poland!

The Greek hospitality and way of life are very liberating. Whether it be shouting “Calimera” across the street, sipping iced coffee for hours, and leisurely going for a walk, the culture is intriguing and relaxing. The beaches are also liberating (in other ways) but that is a more European mindset. In Greece we were welcomed although we were clearly tourists—sometimes not American ones but Russian and Canadian. It may have been the places we stayed, but I preferred the islands rather than Athens. The history is so interesting but as a city it isn’t very pretty or enticing. Nevertheless, my time in Greece was more than enjoyable. From the water to the salads to the sun and warmth it was like a vacation from traveling where we indulged I a slower pace without worrying about missing things or regretting hours spend laying down or floating in the water.

Due to our early arrival in Krakow, we spent some more time attempting to nap in the airport since it would have been way too early to get into our hostel. After watching little boys running under the queue ropes and ducking their head when they didn’t need to, we decided that little Polish kids love life and we should venture out of the airport to the center of the city. And it was an adventure. The bus ticket machines didn’t work, the bus drivers were helpful but only spoke Polish, the stops were confusing, and the parking lot security for some random hotel oriented and directed us down the correct street. We ended up getting of a completely different stop than we thought it was but to our luck it was only a couple streets away and within walking distance to our hostel. This hostel was great! The beds (we each had our own this time!) were so comfortable, the showers were spectacularly clean, the internet was free, but it was only 9am and too early to experience any of those conveniences. So with hours to spare, we walked around the area. The Planty, or pear shaped park around the city, was a great place to rest on a bench and think of a Krakow game plan. Later, we wandered towards the Wawel Castle (such a fun name) before circling it and walking around the block multiple times to find a grocery store. After an extremely early lunch/meal since we were so screwed up on times, we napped by the river and unforgettable bush used by the two young girls before going back to take a real nap in beds! Refreshed, clean, and after booking tickets during halftime of a EuroCup match, we headed to the Market Square for our evening walk. We passed Pope John Paul II’s childhood home and learned that at one point he was the Bishop at the Wawel Cathedral. We quickly learned how manageable Krakow is on foot. The city is quite compact which is nice for a change. Circling the square, we found a pizza place and with the conversion from zlotzy to euro, the whole meal cost about 8 euro for two! Another reason why we were quickly growing to love Poland despite our exhaustion… it’s cheap! A delicious scoop of gelato was only about 50 cents in euro! In just those few hours Poland was growing to be one of our favorite places! The city was unlike any I’ve been to but a welcomed change. The language is interesting to listen to but still confusing to decipher. Unlike some other languages, it never got on our nerves after being surrounded by it for an extended time period. With each corner we turned down it felt like we were stepping into another part of history. The old is mixed with the new; the shambles with the new developments. Krakow, on the first day, was intriguing and interesting.

Once back on a normal schedule, we were up at a reasonable time and ready to go on a walking tour of the Old Jewish Quarter, Kazimierz. The Jewish Quarter is completely different from the Jewish Ghetto of World War II; instead, it is where the Jews were moved much earlier in history to try and remove them from some of the trading and market competition. We began outside Temple Synagogue, the newest reform synagogue of Krakow. Moving through the Jewish Quarter, we stopped at various locations seen in the movie Schlinder’s List. Stopping for a “coffee break” we were able to learn more about the other 3 people on the tour (a woman from Australia and a couple from Belfast) in addition to our guide. The first 15 minutes of the tour when we walked from the meeting point to the neighborhood, our tour guide solely talked with Beth and I. He’s in his last semester at the University in Krakow which is called the Oxbridge of Poland. Thus, it was really interesting to hear his perspective on Polish University. Likewise, we was interested in schools in the US, England, and Spain. Needless to say, it was all very intriguing and gave all three of us a new perspective. From the get go it was my favorite walking tour I’ve been on. Not only was everyone friendly and interested in each other, but our guide was great! Immediately hitting it off with him gave us extra insight to the city, country, and history. We would have never learned so much if the tour guide was different. The three hour tour flew by and after walking past the oldest synagogue in Krakow, we stood outside Schlinder’s factory down across the river and out of the main city in the Jewish Ghetto of WWII. I’m kind of shocked I’ve never seen the movie…it’s definitely been added to my list. Late on, Beth and I walked around Wawel Castle and hill passing up the opportunity to visit the dragon’s lair. There are myths and legends about dragon bones but the large school groups make me worried that I would be disappointed with the exhibit. Before dinner we went back to the main square and walked through the Cloth Hall purchasing amber, a popular Polish keepsake, among other gifts. Or course after dinner we had gelato, we can’t pass that up! “Hey, go big or go home. And we can’t go home for another week so I guess we will just have to go big!”

Thursday morning we go up early to go on a bus trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau. After about an hour of driving from Krakow, we arrived at Auschwitz I, the concentration and extermination camp used by the Nazi soldiers during World War II. We had a guide who spoke into a microphone that played on our individual head sets so it was quite literally as if every visitor was in their own world. Entering the 1st site through the “work brings freedom” sign, we stepped into another world—one where torture, humiliation, starvation, suffering and death ran rampant. At moments during the exhibit I felt my stomach turn knowing the vast number of people who died within these very barbed wire fences and in the gas chambers and crematorium. Personal belongings of the prisoners from eyeglasses to shoes and from brushes to luggage, were piled high, each unique yet all clumped together and disregarded. One of the most sickening parts was the huge amount hair. When first arriving at the camp, each person was stripped of their clothes and possessions and shaved of all hair before heading to the scalding hot or freezing cold showers, branded with a number, and given uniforms. The hair was collected and thrown in huge mounds. Some of it still in the museum but a large amount was made into blankets. Imagine sleeping in these camps with blankets made from hair of those surrounding you or those who were already killed. While constantly being able to see a watch tower in some direction, we walked among the barracks, silently stood besides some torture chambers, and stepped in the courtyard with blackened windows where the execution wall stands. All the while we were enclosed by barbed wire fences and treading on stones and soot that have seen too much suffering to far too much death. Ending the exhibit at Auschwitz I, we stood outside the barbed wire and passed through the gas chambers and crematorium where Cyclone B killed so many in such a confined space and such a short time span. The compact and overcrowded rooms stood one wall away from the ovens. Absolutely sickening. With a few moments to collect ourselves we boarded the bus and headed down the road a bit to Auschwitz- Birkenau or Auschwitz II. The first camp was like a prison but the buildings were firm; however, the second was horrid and what after all my reading and studying, I pictured a concentration camp to be like. The railroad tracks and overbearing watch tower quickly show the immense size of Auschwitz II. To the left were the women’s barracks made of brick but opposite the train tracks to the right amid the shambles and ruins from the Nazi’s trying to destroy the evidence of their inhuman scheme were the wooden barracks for the men. Walking in the “restroom” rows of holes lined the barrack which must have constantly smelt foul. The next one down, we witnessed the amount of three story bunk beds in each barrack, crooked so to fit more beds in the confined area. Each layer was said to old upwards of 8 people. When one wanted to turn from one side to the other since laying on your back or stomach wasn’t an option due to the limited space, all had to. The sheer size of the camp in addition to the sheer horror and atrocities that happened there were astounding. Sixty years later, those camps are still bearing witness to the obscenities that occurred during Hitler’s reign and the Holocaust.

Needless to say, Thursday morning and Thursday afternoon felt like separate days with a necessary nap and rest period in between. Later in the day we spent more time walking around the city and exploring (and shopping) in different parts. While walking down one side street I spotted Beth’s friend from Spain, whom we happened to know was visiting Krakow on overlapping days. The funny thing was that I spotted him and his girlfriend who hadn’t previously met Beth spotted her! We made plans to get together later in the evening to watch Poland play in the EuroCup. In the mean time, Beth and I enjoyed a dinner of pierogies and of course gelato! After another rest and becoming at least a little more “perky,” we were once again circling the main square looking for Ben and the others. Instead we found a hot air balloon with Krakow 2012. We decided it couldn’t be for the Olympics since those will be in London next. When we finally found them at a wine bar—the only place with open seats where we could watch the match—we discovered that the EuroCup will be in Krakow in four years. The evening was a lot of fun because instead of just talking with each other, Beth and I could talk and listen to others without having to hold the entire conversation the entire night! Even though I didn’t know them to well, it was great to have a little taste of home or American in general while reminiscing and still enjoying Europe.

For our last day in Poland, a country that Beth and I had no expectations about but grown to love, we decided to have a leisurely day. Beginning with a little walk, we returned to the Jewish Quarter to try and find the Wailing Wall. This wall in a cemetery was built from tombstones destroyed during World War II. Connected to an Orthodox Synagogue, we were able to walk around inside; thus, comparing it with the more modern, reform synagogue we had seen a couple days earlier. For our backwards lunch, we headed to the main square (yet again) for gelato! With just a bit more present hunting we made several more circles before finding some of the University buildings and then taking a break to sit in the Planty. With Beth’s 1,2,3 FUNKY shirt, we said goodbye to Krakow and were ready to arrive at our final destination before starting the journey back across the Atlantic. This time as we switched countries, we took off and arrived in daylight! Being a bit to excited in the Amsterdam Schipol airport, we spent time in the Crocs store that instantly reminded us of Wes and the grocery store in the airport before boarding the train and metro to get to our hotel! That’s right, hotel. It always seems I stay at an Ibis in the ending city during long trips. We stayed in for the night enjoying the English movies on tv and the Holland game in the EuroCup.

On Saturday we began by walking to the Van Gogh Museum. On the walk there down the many canals we passed the Heineken Factory. Once at the museum we followed Van Gogh’s artistic career around the building which was much smaller than I anticipated. Afterwards, we stumbled upon the I Amsterdam sign. This isn’t just an ordinary sign. All of the letters are larger than life size making them a great playground for a photo shoot. Needless to say we spent a good portion of the afternoon climbing on the letters once others reluctantly got out of the way. Once we took our hearts content of pictures we walked to the Anne Frank Huis. After visiting Poland I was even more interested to visit the Secret Annex than I previously was. After climbing the skinny, narrow steps on the other side of the book case, we entered the empty Annex where eight people lived for almost two years without ever seeing sunlight. Currently the rooms are bare besides for some photographs of how it looked. This is because Otto Frank, Anne’s father wished to have the factory and annex remain as it was left by the SS Guards. The rooms may have seemed a comfortable size walking though but that was without furniture or anything in them. It is mind blowing that they hid for so long in such a confined space. Like visiting the concentration camps, silence was respected throughout the rooms. Visiting these historical places made the stories, in a way, come to life. However, I still can’t imagine being in that situation and daily fearing I would be whisked away from my family and friends all because of my faith and heritage. Walking along the canals, Beth and I once again drifted into our own worlds before coming back together to figure out a new game plan. We managed to walk to Dam Square where we got some chip/fries/frites/whatever they are called! I saw a big fancy building at the end of the street which anticlimactically we found out to be the Centraal Station, or the train station we arrived at the previous night. On the way back to the room we quickly, without pausing a moment, walked through the Red Light District. I guess it is one of those things on the list of things to see in Amsterdam but after a couple steps down the canal street we were ready to turn the corner. Not only were prostitutes in all of the windows but the area reeked of pot due to the multitude of coffee shops lining the street, since it is legal in the Netherlands. The sun doesn’t set until after 10:30 in Amsterdam so we didn’t get the full “Red Light” effect; however, neither of us minded in the least.

Sleeping in since it was Beth’s last real night in a bed in Europe due to her crazy traveling schedule, we started the day at a leisurely pace. In Dam Square, we rented Dutch bikes with the back pedal brake and all. It was quickly determined that I couldn’t be in the front due to my tendency to slow down or stop when a car, other bike, or person came too close for comfort. I hadn’t ridden a bike in about four years so I thought I wasn’t doing too back even though my butt was sore, my hands numb because I was holding on so tightly, and my back tense. Slowly getting the hang of it, we rode up and down the many canals before heading to Vondelpark, a huge park set up in the style of English gardens. I love greenery within the city, hence why I love London so much. Random tidbit: London has the most open space/ parks out of any major global cities. So, biking was certainly entertaining. Taking a break and regaining feeling in my limbs, we walked around the Rijksmuseum and sat beside a popular canal tour destination where two canals meet and boats carefully and craftily turn. Returning our bikes meanwhile losing my map while riding in the wind, we found the only tourist shop in Amsterdam that we liked complete with wooden clogs and Delft-ware. Amsterdam is a beautiful city. The canals and bikes make it charming; however, there are certain aspects that I could easily live without. I think our time there was just the right amount. We go to see what we wanted and then we were off on our last leg of the semester, our separate journeys home-home. After dinner in the hotel and postponing our walk to the train station we eventually arrived at Schipol Airport where we would spend the next nine hours. Visiting the grocery store in the airport we stock up on some goodies for our night in the airport. In the dead of the night that airport isn’t all that quite! Well, at 5am we finally checked in for our flights…separately.

The sad goodbye was masked with our anticipation of finally getting home. I was off to home number three before returning to home number one. I arrived in London (with the time difference) in just fifteen minutes! Needless to say, I certainly couldn’t check in to take a nap yet! The hotel concierge asked if I wanted a map. Finally a city where I no longer need a map poking out of my pocket… this one is already engraved in my mind. Running all over the city to buy some last minute gifts and souvenirs that I previously hadn’t gotten, I spent some time in the park before my long rest. For dinner I stopped at trusty old Sainsbury’s before taking the tube to Trafalgar Square. There, I sat on Nelson’s Monument next to the lions eating my meal. It was chilly but the sky wasn’t too cloudly so I was able to enjoy the sunset from my favorite spot in the city. At dusk I walked down Whitehall to say goodbye to Ben before walking back up to Trafalgar to hop on the tube and head back to my single room over on Lancaster Gate.

Then it came—June 17th, my last day in Europe. Riding up to zone 4 I finally got off at Wembley Park, solely for an England shirt! With a few other stops it was already time to head back, pick up my things, and get on my last Piccadilly line ride to Heathrow. Using up my last bit of money on my phone I didn’t have to worry about topping up anymore. On board Virgin Atlantic, I was leaving my home of five and a half months and headed back across the pond. The whole thing was seeming entirely surreal, even more surreal than my plane ride to London on January 1st. Two and a half movies, sevenish hours, and a ride with a nervous English girl going to camp in upstate New York later, I was back on American soil anxiously waiting for my suitcase to fall down the conveyor belt so I could be greeted by Mom climbing under the arrivals rail to wrap me in a hug. Of course Dad was there grabbing the bag and directing me to the nearest café to get something to eat and drink. Home again, home again.

Well, this entry has taken just about forever to write due to the fact that once I finished it I knew the semester would have officially come to an end. It has been two weeks since my arrival back in the United States, I’m itching to walk around a city and visit Stonehill friends that I have been separated from for far too long, and in some ways life seems to pick up where it left off. I’ve visited the diner, swam at Lauren’s, enjoyed everyone’s company and laughter, and planned the upcoming Christmas in July celebration. Muffy isn’t too mad at me, my bed is more comfortable than ever, home cooked food is incredible, and my bank account is suffering due to the store closing the end of the month (although I have been working with my boss’s English parents…boy, I miss that accent). A small package of digestives costs almost six dollars at Stop and Shop, gas prices are through the roof, and I can’t just pop into a museum or just hop on the tube (although I do incorporate the word into daily conversation). I suppose it had to end sometime, but the stories, photographs, and memories from it are enough to last a lifetime.

PS. London, I miss you.