Sunday. July 11th
Today was good. Slept in. Way in. Spent a lazy Sunday with Leo. We did laundry. Cleaned. Organized. It was nice.
We went to Lloyd's for dinner and to watch the World Cup. This turned into a very fun night. Some students from the program joined us as well as a couple of English guys. The game was pretty boring until the last 5 minutes of overtime.
And then it got really interesting! If you're living under a rock, Spain won. Which prompted some strange guy to show up out of nowhere and sit at the end of our table. He started rambling about how he knew this would be how the World Cup ends.
To quote: "I knew it! I knew the score would be 1-nil. I had a premonition. I told the people at work. I knew it!" And upon hearing our giggles, "I really did know it. You don't believe me, but I knew it!"
It was amusing. And then Sunday was over.
Monday. July 12th
Nothing exciting to report. Did homework. Read British Cosmo - which is fun! And interesting. And that's about it. Will be making a trip to the co-op later. Such an exciting Monday in England.
It's really starting to feel like we live here - things are normal. We do normal things. We have normal schedules and responsibilities. We aren't just running around the whole time. It's like our home, but without everything and everybody we love. :)
Monday, July 12, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Friday and Saturday.
Friday.
Today was great! We got a late start – rightfully so. Ryan, Colleen and Leo didn’t get back from Stratford-Upon-Avon until midnight. Crazy! We spent the day at Hay-on-Wye, the book town. It was a little town that a guy moved to and wanted to open up a bunch of bookstores. He succeeded. It was a really cute little town with tons of shops. Ryan drove us.
I found a couple of good books to give as gifts – yay presents! There was also a castle in the middle of the town that had an “Honesty Bookstore.” It was set up in the courtyard of the castle and no one worked it. There was a small box where you put your money if you decided to buy anything. I found a really cool, very old Holy Bible – it was transcribed from the original writings and isn’t associated with any version/church. Best part – it is illustrated and pocketsize. And it only cost 1 pound. I also found an old church hymnal for Leo – it was only 50 pence as it was a paperback.
Book town was a success! Eclipse also opened in Europe today so we went with some of the students and Colleen. It must not be as big of a deal here – there were plenty of empty seats in the theatre. It was fun!
Saturday.
Leo and I went to Malvern today to hike the hills. It was a lot of fun! I think that my calf muscles are twice the size they were when I woke up this morning as a result. It was a good workout and we had a beautiful view when we got to the top. We took photos. ☺
We brought a picnic lunch with us to eat as well. It was a great day. :)
Another plus – we got some sun. Charles Darwin’s daughter is buried somewhere in the hills but we didn’t see her grave on our walks. We did come across a natural spring that is supposedly the cleanest, purest, clearest water ever. We filled our water bottles. There were tons of cute dogs on the hills and it made us miss Henry.
We’ve been missing home lately. We miss our family and our friends. We miss our dog. We miss the familiarity. But then we remember that we’re having an amazing experience and we’re okay. I was able to talk to my parents for awhile today so that helped as well ☺ I can’t believe we still have three weeks here!
Things to note:
1. It seems like most towns are named “on something.” Hay-on-Wye, Stratford-upon-Avon, Upton-on-Severn. Apparently it is because of the rivers that run through them… We decided that we are now going to call Muncie “Muncie-upon-White.”
2. The movie theatres here don’t put butter on their popcorn. You are given the option of sweet or salty. Interesting. It tasted like the popcorn you get at high school basketball games. Which was fine with me. ☺
3. Have I told you about stoplights? Not only do they turn green-yellow-red, but when they’re red they turn yellow and then green. So people can start slowly going before the green. Interesting!
Photos! (Courtesy of Leo as I have yet to get my photos off the camera.)
We drank tea.
Perfect bug that drove into the shot.
The Honesty Bookstore.
Hiking up the Malvern Hills. This is a big tree.
Leo and the natural spring.
Us on the hill.
We were enjoying the hills. And the view. And resting.
Today was great! We got a late start – rightfully so. Ryan, Colleen and Leo didn’t get back from Stratford-Upon-Avon until midnight. Crazy! We spent the day at Hay-on-Wye, the book town. It was a little town that a guy moved to and wanted to open up a bunch of bookstores. He succeeded. It was a really cute little town with tons of shops. Ryan drove us.
I found a couple of good books to give as gifts – yay presents! There was also a castle in the middle of the town that had an “Honesty Bookstore.” It was set up in the courtyard of the castle and no one worked it. There was a small box where you put your money if you decided to buy anything. I found a really cool, very old Holy Bible – it was transcribed from the original writings and isn’t associated with any version/church. Best part – it is illustrated and pocketsize. And it only cost 1 pound. I also found an old church hymnal for Leo – it was only 50 pence as it was a paperback.
Book town was a success! Eclipse also opened in Europe today so we went with some of the students and Colleen. It must not be as big of a deal here – there were plenty of empty seats in the theatre. It was fun!
Saturday.
Leo and I went to Malvern today to hike the hills. It was a lot of fun! I think that my calf muscles are twice the size they were when I woke up this morning as a result. It was a good workout and we had a beautiful view when we got to the top. We took photos. ☺
We brought a picnic lunch with us to eat as well. It was a great day. :)
Another plus – we got some sun. Charles Darwin’s daughter is buried somewhere in the hills but we didn’t see her grave on our walks. We did come across a natural spring that is supposedly the cleanest, purest, clearest water ever. We filled our water bottles. There were tons of cute dogs on the hills and it made us miss Henry.
We’ve been missing home lately. We miss our family and our friends. We miss our dog. We miss the familiarity. But then we remember that we’re having an amazing experience and we’re okay. I was able to talk to my parents for awhile today so that helped as well ☺ I can’t believe we still have three weeks here!
Things to note:
1. It seems like most towns are named “on something.” Hay-on-Wye, Stratford-upon-Avon, Upton-on-Severn. Apparently it is because of the rivers that run through them… We decided that we are now going to call Muncie “Muncie-upon-White.”
2. The movie theatres here don’t put butter on their popcorn. You are given the option of sweet or salty. Interesting. It tasted like the popcorn you get at high school basketball games. Which was fine with me. ☺
3. Have I told you about stoplights? Not only do they turn green-yellow-red, but when they’re red they turn yellow and then green. So people can start slowly going before the green. Interesting!
Photos! (Courtesy of Leo as I have yet to get my photos off the camera.)
We drank tea.
Perfect bug that drove into the shot.
The Honesty Bookstore.
Hiking up the Malvern Hills. This is a big tree.
Leo and the natural spring.
Us on the hill.
We were enjoying the hills. And the view. And resting.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Thursday (8th)
Thursday (7.8)
Today is a Thursday – which means that Leo is on one of his day trips. This is literally an all-day trip and he won’t be back until midnight. Boo. I’ve been babysitting Tiny T today once I picked her up at 1. She’s adorable and we had a fun day. Playing outside. Playing inside. Watching Wonder Pets. Eating. Cuddling with a bottle before bed. I’m glad that I have her on Thursdays when everyone else is gone! ☺
So, I made some “Pot Noodles” for dinner… Kind of like Ramen Noodles but in a plastic tub that it is supposed to cook itself in. Bad choice. I did not eat them as they were less than delicious – but the directions for making them were hilarious! I have transcribed verbatim below.
1. It’s not rocket science!
2. Rip off lid. Whip out sachet. Add boiling water to fill line. Leave alone for 2 minutes.
3. Stir. Leave alone for another 2 minutes.
4. Stir again. Find sachet. Add contents.
5. Grab fork and dig in.
*None of that artificial colors or preservatives stuff. If it’s in perfect condition, happy days. If not, have a moan at our customer care department.
Ha. I am really looking forward to tomorrow. I was able to finish all of my homework for the week tonight so I don’t have anything to do. We’re going to go to Hay-on-Wye tomorrow with Colleen and Ryan. It’s a cute town that is home to dozens and dozens of bookstores – that’s how it was developed. Check it out: http://www.hay-on-wye.co.uk/
Today is a Thursday – which means that Leo is on one of his day trips. This is literally an all-day trip and he won’t be back until midnight. Boo. I’ve been babysitting Tiny T today once I picked her up at 1. She’s adorable and we had a fun day. Playing outside. Playing inside. Watching Wonder Pets. Eating. Cuddling with a bottle before bed. I’m glad that I have her on Thursdays when everyone else is gone! ☺
So, I made some “Pot Noodles” for dinner… Kind of like Ramen Noodles but in a plastic tub that it is supposed to cook itself in. Bad choice. I did not eat them as they were less than delicious – but the directions for making them were hilarious! I have transcribed verbatim below.
1. It’s not rocket science!
2. Rip off lid. Whip out sachet. Add boiling water to fill line. Leave alone for 2 minutes.
3. Stir. Leave alone for another 2 minutes.
4. Stir again. Find sachet. Add contents.
5. Grab fork and dig in.
*None of that artificial colors or preservatives stuff. If it’s in perfect condition, happy days. If not, have a moan at our customer care department.
Ha. I am really looking forward to tomorrow. I was able to finish all of my homework for the week tonight so I don’t have anything to do. We’re going to go to Hay-on-Wye tomorrow with Colleen and Ryan. It’s a cute town that is home to dozens and dozens of bookstores – that’s how it was developed. Check it out: http://www.hay-on-wye.co.uk/
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Wednesday.
Wednesday (7.7)
Leo and I went to town early so that we could go to the post office and explore before he had to be in class. We went to a traditional Cornish bakery and bought delicious (cheap!) pasties (no, that is not a typo) for brunch. It was our first experience with them and it was a good one! We'll be going back before we leave.
We also went to the Tudor House. It was not what I expected. It was weird – is that a rude thing to say? I usually refer to things as “different” because that is what they are, but this was weird. I’m glad admission was free, let’s just put it that way. ☺ Leo and I did take a couple of silly photos with a weird doctor statue… so it was a partial success.
We went out with a few of the BSU kiddies to Lloyd’s – which I can’t stop calling Floyd’s for some reason. Probably because it’s a better name. It was fun. We had drinks with cute names: Frilly Tutu to be exact (Debbie – thought of you!)
It’s weird – there are going to be things that I am definitely going to miss when I’m back in the States. I think that biggest thing will be the ability to walk everywhere. I love being close enough to everything I need – and if we’re not close, it is still safe to walk to everything. Sidewalks everywhere! I will also miss the ability to jump on the train and go just about anywhere – for relatively inexpensive. I like not having to rely on a car to get anywhere. We need more trains in the States! ☺
Things to note:
1. All of the cars are little – I think I have said this before. But it makes me think about why everyone has such big cars in the States. These little guys (and seriously, they’re all about the size of a Chevy Aveo) get the job done just fine. I am guilty of loving SUVs and wanting one. I feel my priorities changing. I don’t want to just talk about caring about the environment – I want to be proactive. Leo and I discussed that we should look into buying hybrids when it comes time for us to get new cars (and hopefully we’ll live in a place where we could get away with one car between us). We talked about having one SUV between us and that we would do so if we could find a hybrid SUV. Yes, it will cost more initially but I think it’s beneficial. The reason that I hold onto wanting an SUV is because I feel safer in them in the States – everyone has a massive car so I feel like I would be able to hold my own better. Does any of this make sense or am I just rambling?
2. The credit and debit cards here have little chips in them. People just stick one end into a little machine and it reads the card. This makes it difficult when you have a dinosaur card that you have to swipe. Not everywhere can take them. And, even if they do, you have to have it signed. I like to write “See Photo ID” on my card – not good enough here. I have never been asked for multiple things with my signature on it like I have been here. People don’t even ask to see my ID 99% of the time in the States.
3. England is suffering a dry spell – it was in the papers. They are concerned that they will soon have to limit people’s outside water use. It is strange – it has only rained once for about 10 minutes since we’ve been here. It has been very hot and sunny – out of the ordinary for England. I want to experience some English weather! It feels like we’ve been in Indiana the past two weeks. I hope it rains soon!
4. It is impossible for me to keep myself from calculating the $ amount on items – even groceries. I do it automatically. While something seems cheap here I’ll think, “Well, I wouldn’t pay X amount of $ in America for this!”
Time to end the night with an episode of True Blood... We can thank Colleen for getting us started!
Leo and I went to town early so that we could go to the post office and explore before he had to be in class. We went to a traditional Cornish bakery and bought delicious (cheap!) pasties (no, that is not a typo) for brunch. It was our first experience with them and it was a good one! We'll be going back before we leave.
We also went to the Tudor House. It was not what I expected. It was weird – is that a rude thing to say? I usually refer to things as “different” because that is what they are, but this was weird. I’m glad admission was free, let’s just put it that way. ☺ Leo and I did take a couple of silly photos with a weird doctor statue… so it was a partial success.
We went out with a few of the BSU kiddies to Lloyd’s – which I can’t stop calling Floyd’s for some reason. Probably because it’s a better name. It was fun. We had drinks with cute names: Frilly Tutu to be exact (Debbie – thought of you!)
It’s weird – there are going to be things that I am definitely going to miss when I’m back in the States. I think that biggest thing will be the ability to walk everywhere. I love being close enough to everything I need – and if we’re not close, it is still safe to walk to everything. Sidewalks everywhere! I will also miss the ability to jump on the train and go just about anywhere – for relatively inexpensive. I like not having to rely on a car to get anywhere. We need more trains in the States! ☺
Things to note:
1. All of the cars are little – I think I have said this before. But it makes me think about why everyone has such big cars in the States. These little guys (and seriously, they’re all about the size of a Chevy Aveo) get the job done just fine. I am guilty of loving SUVs and wanting one. I feel my priorities changing. I don’t want to just talk about caring about the environment – I want to be proactive. Leo and I discussed that we should look into buying hybrids when it comes time for us to get new cars (and hopefully we’ll live in a place where we could get away with one car between us). We talked about having one SUV between us and that we would do so if we could find a hybrid SUV. Yes, it will cost more initially but I think it’s beneficial. The reason that I hold onto wanting an SUV is because I feel safer in them in the States – everyone has a massive car so I feel like I would be able to hold my own better. Does any of this make sense or am I just rambling?
2. The credit and debit cards here have little chips in them. People just stick one end into a little machine and it reads the card. This makes it difficult when you have a dinosaur card that you have to swipe. Not everywhere can take them. And, even if they do, you have to have it signed. I like to write “See Photo ID” on my card – not good enough here. I have never been asked for multiple things with my signature on it like I have been here. People don’t even ask to see my ID 99% of the time in the States.
3. England is suffering a dry spell – it was in the papers. They are concerned that they will soon have to limit people’s outside water use. It is strange – it has only rained once for about 10 minutes since we’ve been here. It has been very hot and sunny – out of the ordinary for England. I want to experience some English weather! It feels like we’ve been in Indiana the past two weeks. I hope it rains soon!
4. It is impossible for me to keep myself from calculating the $ amount on items – even groceries. I do it automatically. While something seems cheap here I’ll think, “Well, I wouldn’t pay X amount of $ in America for this!”
Time to end the night with an episode of True Blood... We can thank Colleen for getting us started!
Monday and Tuesday.
I forgot to blog Monday and Tuesday… sorry Mom and Dad! ☺
Monday (7.5)
Uh… I don’t really remember what we did Monday. Oh, yeah! I literally spent almost the entire day working on homework. It was brutal. Only two more weeks of class while I’m over here so I’ll be able to enjoy our last week with zero commitments. Yay!
To reward myself for working so diligently throughout the day Leo and I spent the evening hanging out with our BFFs: Ryan, Colleen and Tiny T. Have I mentioned how comforting it is to have friends nearby when you’re halfway around the world? It has been great.
Monday was so fun. We spent the entire evening laughing (sorry, Dawn!☺) and drinking wine. It was a very nice, chill night. So fun. Just what we needed, really. Colleen eventually got so excited that she poked herself in the eye. Maybe you had to be there.
Leo and I ended the evening watching True Blood on the computer. It’s really a ridiculous show – I think that’s why we like it so much! ☺
Sorry, no photos.
Tuesday (7.6)
Yesterday was fun as well! Spent the morning doing homework – shock! At 2pm we met our BFFs to go into town. We walked around, drank smoothies, did some shopping… At 530 we went to the cathedral for Evensong. Their men’s choir sings hymns and they do some readings. It was beautiful and amazing to be able to experience that.
After the cathedral we went to dinner with our BFFs – I just need to give a shout out to Tiny T. She is so well-behaved. So mellow. So easy-going. Really, she’s a joy to be around! Dinner was good. End of story. ☺
Leo and I found some really cool wine glasses for pretty cheap – we’re going to pick them up before we go back to the States. So cool! I also had this delicious caffeine concoction – A scoop of vanilla ice cream covered in espresso. Delicious!
Guess how we ended the night? Yes. An episode of True Blood. The show keeps getting weirder and weirder.
Sorry, no photos.
I’m going to talk to Ryan to see if I can borrow his reader so I can upload my photos this weekend – I’ll have the time to do so. Get excited.
Monday (7.5)
Uh… I don’t really remember what we did Monday. Oh, yeah! I literally spent almost the entire day working on homework. It was brutal. Only two more weeks of class while I’m over here so I’ll be able to enjoy our last week with zero commitments. Yay!
To reward myself for working so diligently throughout the day Leo and I spent the evening hanging out with our BFFs: Ryan, Colleen and Tiny T. Have I mentioned how comforting it is to have friends nearby when you’re halfway around the world? It has been great.
Monday was so fun. We spent the entire evening laughing (sorry, Dawn!☺) and drinking wine. It was a very nice, chill night. So fun. Just what we needed, really. Colleen eventually got so excited that she poked herself in the eye. Maybe you had to be there.
Leo and I ended the evening watching True Blood on the computer. It’s really a ridiculous show – I think that’s why we like it so much! ☺
Sorry, no photos.
Tuesday (7.6)
Yesterday was fun as well! Spent the morning doing homework – shock! At 2pm we met our BFFs to go into town. We walked around, drank smoothies, did some shopping… At 530 we went to the cathedral for Evensong. Their men’s choir sings hymns and they do some readings. It was beautiful and amazing to be able to experience that.
After the cathedral we went to dinner with our BFFs – I just need to give a shout out to Tiny T. She is so well-behaved. So mellow. So easy-going. Really, she’s a joy to be around! Dinner was good. End of story. ☺
Leo and I found some really cool wine glasses for pretty cheap – we’re going to pick them up before we go back to the States. So cool! I also had this delicious caffeine concoction – A scoop of vanilla ice cream covered in espresso. Delicious!
Guess how we ended the night? Yes. An episode of True Blood. The show keeps getting weirder and weirder.
Sorry, no photos.
I’m going to talk to Ryan to see if I can borrow his reader so I can upload my photos this weekend – I’ll have the time to do so. Get excited.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Belfast Weekend
Adventures in Belfast, Ireland.
Thursday Night
As I said, we decided to take the train into Birmingham tonight so that we could stay at the airport hotel. Our flight leaves tomorrow at 7am so it is very convenient. Finding the hotel, however, was not convenient. We took the train to the airport – which the hotel is attached to – so we figured it would be pretty easy to find. Wrong.
When we got off the train there were signs for “hotel” – pointing in two different directions. Great. We chose one direction. It led us into an abandoned area – which we followed to the outside, per the signs – into an empty parking lot. I swear, it was just like the empty airport on the movie Langoliers. Creepy.
We eventually found the hotel – had to take another tram in the opposite direction that we went the first time – and had some delicious beer. I love Becks since being in the UK. I only like beer that I can see through. Not cheap beer, but I must be able to see through it. Becks fulfills those requirements.
Then we went to sleep. Oh, first I must describe the bathroom in our room. It was a rounded thing that you had to step up into. It was like the bathroom was a little space capsule in the room. It was quite neat. ☺
Friday. Belfast!
I just need to take a moment to discuss the difference between airports in the US and airports overseas. Well, at least the ones in Europe and Northen Ireland. There didn’t seem to be as tight of security in the airports we’ve encountered. We leave our shoes on. I walked through the metal detectors with my sunglasses on my head (not on purpose, just forgot). No one even looked at our IDs until we were at our gate and boarding the plane. Yes, we still had our little liquids in plastic bags – but it was just so different.
And. Talk about a weird waiting area. Everyone – no matter what flight you’re on – sits in the same big open waiting area. It was shaped like a circle, with tons of little shops and places to eat, and you just wait there. The monitors don’t post the gate you will be leaving from until 30 mins before you take off. At that point you go to your gate and get on the plane. Interesting.
We were flying with bmibaby – a cheap airline over here. I have to admit that when I saw the airplane I was slightly worried. It was painted powder blue and literally had a doodle of a baby’s face on the tail. Here goes nothing! ☺
The flight was short and sweet. Made it to Belfast early Friday morning and took the bus from the airport to the center of the city. Guess what the first thing we saw was? Starbucks. You bet your ass we went in and got a nonfat iced caramel macchiato.
Did you know that the Titanic was built and launched in Belfast? I did. And I was excited. Little known fact about me – I love reading about the Titanic. I love the history. The story. Yes, and the movie. ☺ Well, they have a whole section of the city that’s on the water devoted to it. It’s called the Titanic quarter and you can go see the actual dock where the ship was launched. You can see the pump house. You can see the last place it sat on land when it was finished being built. We walked forever to get to it. As it turns out we came to Belfast 2 years too soon. They are planning a huge memorial with tons of amazing Titanic stuff for the 100th anniversary. April of 2012. I’m going back. ☺
After we walked for miles (literally) to and from the Titanic Quarter we drank a beer. What? It was noon. Welcome to Ireland! Next up – typical tourist sightseeing bus tour. It was a lot of fun. We were able to see tons of amazing stuff for really cheap. It was definitely amazing and worth the money. Except for the part where it was much longer than the brochure said and Leo and I had drank a beer… See where this is going? By the end of the tour we were barely paying attention as we were more worried about having an “accident” on the bus. Too much information? Oh, the things we share because we think it’s amusing and then decide later that maybe we shouldn’t have said anything. And in reality I could delete that whole story before I post this… But I’m not going to. It was an adventure!
During the bus tour we learned about Northern Ireland’s violent – and relatively recent – history. There was major fighting between the Protestants and the Catholics in Belfast. It had gotten so bad that there was a large peace wall constructed in the hopes that it would keep the fighting to a minimum. The tour guide said it worked – people couldn’t get over the wall to kill each other. Many people have visited this wall. It was very sad to see the destruction that is still obvious in this part of Belfast – and strange to drive just 15 minutes away and be back in the hustle and bustle of the city.
We ate a fabulous dinner and then went to check out the shops. Leo loves the clothing in the UK. His shopping bags are proof. I love that he loves shopping – it makes it even more fun for me. I have been having a surprisingly difficult time spending my money though. I have talked myself out of almost everything I’ve considered buying. (Except gifts – I have plenty of those for people already!☺) I did find a fabulous bag (I know, I know – do I really need another bag? No. But I decided that if I bought this bag I would donate three of the ones I have at home to Goodwill so that other people can love them as much as I have.) And plus, this bag is from a store that does not exist in America. Bonus! A new bag. The one thing I’ve bought for myself. And I’m totally content with that. Dad, be proud! ☺
Saturday.
Today we planned ahead and bought tickets for an all day Giant’s Causeway coach bus trip. We left Belfast at 9:45 am and it was an all-day excursion. We took the coastal route to get there and it was so beautiful. When we got close to the Giant’s Causeway – a huge rock formation that was the result of volcanic eruptions – we were able to see Scotland. Apparently it is only 25 miles offshore from Northern Ireland. Cool!
We stopped at Carrickfergus Castle on the way to the Causeway. It was cool. I like old castles. Then we continued driving and stopped for what the drive called a “Comfort Stop” aka Potty Break. Leo and I had a great picture of us taken with the coastline in the background – I think we got Scotland in there too.
Finally! We made it to Giant’s Causeway and it was amazing. We were able to climb on the rocks and get down by the Ocean. It was amazing. The view – incredible. Ireland is seriously the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. I’m going to move there. (I think by the end of this trip I will have said, “I’m going to move there” about every place we go.)
After the Causeway we went and stopped at another castle – Dunluce Castle – for a photo op. Natalie Portman just finished filming the movie Your Highness there. Interesting. Expecially since it was basically the ruins of what used to be a castle.
Next stop, Bushmills Distillery. This is the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world. The guide explained that they spell Whiskey with an ‘E’ (as opposed to Whisky) because the E stood for excellence. And then he said, “Cheesy, I know.”
So after we did a little whiskey tasting – which was absolutely disgusting, I might add – we went to the rope bridge. The rope bridge was a bridge that the salmon fishermen had built to connect the mainland to a small island not far from the coastline. The reason they needed the bridge was because the salmon wouldn’t come close enough to shore for them to catch – so they went to the salmon. The bridge is about 30 meters from the water and it was amazing to cross! It started pouring as soon as we were hiking to the bridge but it didn’t matter. We were doing it. The view from the tiny island – beautiful! Surprised? Didn’t think so.
We were beat by the time we got back to Belfast at 730. We walked a ton that day but it was totally worth it. So much beauty. We’re so lucky that we’re able to experience all of this.
Sunday.
Not much to share about Sunday. Woke up. Had coffee. Had lunch (the best salad I’ve had since being here!). Went to airport. Here’s where it gets good! We got to the airport at 230 as we were scheduled to board our plane at 520. Flight was delayed by two hours. Okay – we could still make our train from Birmingham to Worcester when we got back to England. Wrong!
Our flight didn’t actually take off until 730. When we landed, Leo and I ran through the airport – I’ve never actually had to do that before – and then we had to wait for the little airport shuttle that would take us to the airport train station. Our running was for nothing. The shuttle was on “super slow so Jess and Leo miss their train mode” and we missed the train we needed to get on. I know this because the clocks count the seconds in the train station.
We had to wait for the next train into Birmingham (we have to take a train from the airport to the center of Birmingham where we can then switch trains and get on one to Worcester) which meant that we were too late for our train to Worcester. The real kicker? We missed it by 1 minute and 30 seconds. I know this because the clocks in the station count the seconds.
Guess what? That was the last train to Worcester for the night. Awesome! A taxi was going to cost us 60 pounds (roughly 90 dollars) if we wanted it to take us to Worcester. Instead, we hopped a train to Redditch, which isn’t too far from Worcester, but still ended up paying a 30 pound cab fare.
All in all, the trip was a definite success! There are a few photos below. Enjoy!
This is me sitting on some of the rocks at the Giant’s Causeway. The rocks are all shaped like polygons, which is why this place is so mysterious.
This is us at the Giant’s Causeway. We were trying to take the photo ourselves when a sweet Irish woman came up and said, “Just ask me to take your photo, darling!” She took this.
Dunluce Castle. You can tour the castle but that wasn't part of our trip.
The rope bridge.
Some of the coast.
Thursday Night
As I said, we decided to take the train into Birmingham tonight so that we could stay at the airport hotel. Our flight leaves tomorrow at 7am so it is very convenient. Finding the hotel, however, was not convenient. We took the train to the airport – which the hotel is attached to – so we figured it would be pretty easy to find. Wrong.
When we got off the train there were signs for “hotel” – pointing in two different directions. Great. We chose one direction. It led us into an abandoned area – which we followed to the outside, per the signs – into an empty parking lot. I swear, it was just like the empty airport on the movie Langoliers. Creepy.
We eventually found the hotel – had to take another tram in the opposite direction that we went the first time – and had some delicious beer. I love Becks since being in the UK. I only like beer that I can see through. Not cheap beer, but I must be able to see through it. Becks fulfills those requirements.
Then we went to sleep. Oh, first I must describe the bathroom in our room. It was a rounded thing that you had to step up into. It was like the bathroom was a little space capsule in the room. It was quite neat. ☺
Friday. Belfast!
I just need to take a moment to discuss the difference between airports in the US and airports overseas. Well, at least the ones in Europe and Northen Ireland. There didn’t seem to be as tight of security in the airports we’ve encountered. We leave our shoes on. I walked through the metal detectors with my sunglasses on my head (not on purpose, just forgot). No one even looked at our IDs until we were at our gate and boarding the plane. Yes, we still had our little liquids in plastic bags – but it was just so different.
And. Talk about a weird waiting area. Everyone – no matter what flight you’re on – sits in the same big open waiting area. It was shaped like a circle, with tons of little shops and places to eat, and you just wait there. The monitors don’t post the gate you will be leaving from until 30 mins before you take off. At that point you go to your gate and get on the plane. Interesting.
We were flying with bmibaby – a cheap airline over here. I have to admit that when I saw the airplane I was slightly worried. It was painted powder blue and literally had a doodle of a baby’s face on the tail. Here goes nothing! ☺
The flight was short and sweet. Made it to Belfast early Friday morning and took the bus from the airport to the center of the city. Guess what the first thing we saw was? Starbucks. You bet your ass we went in and got a nonfat iced caramel macchiato.
Did you know that the Titanic was built and launched in Belfast? I did. And I was excited. Little known fact about me – I love reading about the Titanic. I love the history. The story. Yes, and the movie. ☺ Well, they have a whole section of the city that’s on the water devoted to it. It’s called the Titanic quarter and you can go see the actual dock where the ship was launched. You can see the pump house. You can see the last place it sat on land when it was finished being built. We walked forever to get to it. As it turns out we came to Belfast 2 years too soon. They are planning a huge memorial with tons of amazing Titanic stuff for the 100th anniversary. April of 2012. I’m going back. ☺
After we walked for miles (literally) to and from the Titanic Quarter we drank a beer. What? It was noon. Welcome to Ireland! Next up – typical tourist sightseeing bus tour. It was a lot of fun. We were able to see tons of amazing stuff for really cheap. It was definitely amazing and worth the money. Except for the part where it was much longer than the brochure said and Leo and I had drank a beer… See where this is going? By the end of the tour we were barely paying attention as we were more worried about having an “accident” on the bus. Too much information? Oh, the things we share because we think it’s amusing and then decide later that maybe we shouldn’t have said anything. And in reality I could delete that whole story before I post this… But I’m not going to. It was an adventure!
During the bus tour we learned about Northern Ireland’s violent – and relatively recent – history. There was major fighting between the Protestants and the Catholics in Belfast. It had gotten so bad that there was a large peace wall constructed in the hopes that it would keep the fighting to a minimum. The tour guide said it worked – people couldn’t get over the wall to kill each other. Many people have visited this wall. It was very sad to see the destruction that is still obvious in this part of Belfast – and strange to drive just 15 minutes away and be back in the hustle and bustle of the city.
We ate a fabulous dinner and then went to check out the shops. Leo loves the clothing in the UK. His shopping bags are proof. I love that he loves shopping – it makes it even more fun for me. I have been having a surprisingly difficult time spending my money though. I have talked myself out of almost everything I’ve considered buying. (Except gifts – I have plenty of those for people already!☺) I did find a fabulous bag (I know, I know – do I really need another bag? No. But I decided that if I bought this bag I would donate three of the ones I have at home to Goodwill so that other people can love them as much as I have.) And plus, this bag is from a store that does not exist in America. Bonus! A new bag. The one thing I’ve bought for myself. And I’m totally content with that. Dad, be proud! ☺
Saturday.
Today we planned ahead and bought tickets for an all day Giant’s Causeway coach bus trip. We left Belfast at 9:45 am and it was an all-day excursion. We took the coastal route to get there and it was so beautiful. When we got close to the Giant’s Causeway – a huge rock formation that was the result of volcanic eruptions – we were able to see Scotland. Apparently it is only 25 miles offshore from Northern Ireland. Cool!
We stopped at Carrickfergus Castle on the way to the Causeway. It was cool. I like old castles. Then we continued driving and stopped for what the drive called a “Comfort Stop” aka Potty Break. Leo and I had a great picture of us taken with the coastline in the background – I think we got Scotland in there too.
Finally! We made it to Giant’s Causeway and it was amazing. We were able to climb on the rocks and get down by the Ocean. It was amazing. The view – incredible. Ireland is seriously the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. I’m going to move there. (I think by the end of this trip I will have said, “I’m going to move there” about every place we go.)
After the Causeway we went and stopped at another castle – Dunluce Castle – for a photo op. Natalie Portman just finished filming the movie Your Highness there. Interesting. Expecially since it was basically the ruins of what used to be a castle.
Next stop, Bushmills Distillery. This is the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world. The guide explained that they spell Whiskey with an ‘E’ (as opposed to Whisky) because the E stood for excellence. And then he said, “Cheesy, I know.”
So after we did a little whiskey tasting – which was absolutely disgusting, I might add – we went to the rope bridge. The rope bridge was a bridge that the salmon fishermen had built to connect the mainland to a small island not far from the coastline. The reason they needed the bridge was because the salmon wouldn’t come close enough to shore for them to catch – so they went to the salmon. The bridge is about 30 meters from the water and it was amazing to cross! It started pouring as soon as we were hiking to the bridge but it didn’t matter. We were doing it. The view from the tiny island – beautiful! Surprised? Didn’t think so.
We were beat by the time we got back to Belfast at 730. We walked a ton that day but it was totally worth it. So much beauty. We’re so lucky that we’re able to experience all of this.
Sunday.
Not much to share about Sunday. Woke up. Had coffee. Had lunch (the best salad I’ve had since being here!). Went to airport. Here’s where it gets good! We got to the airport at 230 as we were scheduled to board our plane at 520. Flight was delayed by two hours. Okay – we could still make our train from Birmingham to Worcester when we got back to England. Wrong!
Our flight didn’t actually take off until 730. When we landed, Leo and I ran through the airport – I’ve never actually had to do that before – and then we had to wait for the little airport shuttle that would take us to the airport train station. Our running was for nothing. The shuttle was on “super slow so Jess and Leo miss their train mode” and we missed the train we needed to get on. I know this because the clocks count the seconds in the train station.
We had to wait for the next train into Birmingham (we have to take a train from the airport to the center of Birmingham where we can then switch trains and get on one to Worcester) which meant that we were too late for our train to Worcester. The real kicker? We missed it by 1 minute and 30 seconds. I know this because the clocks in the station count the seconds.
Guess what? That was the last train to Worcester for the night. Awesome! A taxi was going to cost us 60 pounds (roughly 90 dollars) if we wanted it to take us to Worcester. Instead, we hopped a train to Redditch, which isn’t too far from Worcester, but still ended up paying a 30 pound cab fare.
All in all, the trip was a definite success! There are a few photos below. Enjoy!
This is me sitting on some of the rocks at the Giant’s Causeway. The rocks are all shaped like polygons, which is why this place is so mysterious.
This is us at the Giant’s Causeway. We were trying to take the photo ourselves when a sweet Irish woman came up and said, “Just ask me to take your photo, darling!” She took this.
Dunluce Castle. You can tour the castle but that wasn't part of our trip.
The rope bridge.
Some of the coast.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Thursday.
Started the day off with - you guessed it - homework!
Today is the first day trip that Leo and the rest of the BSU kiddies have to go on. I was able to really focus this morning at least - but it's not as exciting around here when everyone is gone.
I also packed for Ireland - we fly there tomorrow @ 7am! We're actually taking the train into Birmingham tonight to stay at the airport hotel. Remember? Our flights are so early that the train doesn't even run.
This made it more challenging to get everything for the week done as I only have until 6pm tonight.
At 1 I went to pick Tommy up from daycare. Tommy is Ryan and Colleen's daughter for those of you who don't know. Ryan and Colleen both go on these trips so I am Tommy's babysitter on Thursday afternoons. Fun! She just went down for a nap - tough job, I know. When she wakes up it will be lunch time.
I realize as I am writing this that it is probably filled with boring nonevents that you really don't care that much about. Anyway.
I am really looking forward to Ireland - have I said this already? Looking forward to the adventure. We will have spotty (if any) access to the internet over the weekend so don't expect to hear from us again until Monday (that means you, mom and dad!:))
I think I'll be able to upload some pictures next week. Ryan has an SD card reader so I can use that to load my photos onto my computer! Hooray! You won't have to wait too much longer to see these photos that I can't stop talking about. Not to mention the ones that we'll take in Ireland.
So, yeah. Look for a new blog post Sunday night or Monday morning - depending on when we make it back to Worcester and how tired I am at that time. :)
Have a fabulous weekend!
Today is the first day trip that Leo and the rest of the BSU kiddies have to go on. I was able to really focus this morning at least - but it's not as exciting around here when everyone is gone.
I also packed for Ireland - we fly there tomorrow @ 7am! We're actually taking the train into Birmingham tonight to stay at the airport hotel. Remember? Our flights are so early that the train doesn't even run.
This made it more challenging to get everything for the week done as I only have until 6pm tonight.
At 1 I went to pick Tommy up from daycare. Tommy is Ryan and Colleen's daughter for those of you who don't know. Ryan and Colleen both go on these trips so I am Tommy's babysitter on Thursday afternoons. Fun! She just went down for a nap - tough job, I know. When she wakes up it will be lunch time.
I realize as I am writing this that it is probably filled with boring nonevents that you really don't care that much about. Anyway.
I am really looking forward to Ireland - have I said this already? Looking forward to the adventure. We will have spotty (if any) access to the internet over the weekend so don't expect to hear from us again until Monday (that means you, mom and dad!:))
I think I'll be able to upload some pictures next week. Ryan has an SD card reader so I can use that to load my photos onto my computer! Hooray! You won't have to wait too much longer to see these photos that I can't stop talking about. Not to mention the ones that we'll take in Ireland.
So, yeah. Look for a new blog post Sunday night or Monday morning - depending on when we make it back to Worcester and how tired I am at that time. :)
Have a fabulous weekend!
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