Valpo Voyager

Student Stories from Around the World

Category: England (page 21 of 26)

Rock on, Cambridge.

February 19, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Stonehenge: random rocks on a hillside, huge tourist attraction, and one of the highlights of my trip. I’ll leave you to decide whether this half destroyed landmark appealed to me as a result of early exposure to informative History Channel specials with no message apart from, “ALIENS ALIENS ALIENS!!!” or whether I had a more refined interest in the nomadic tribes which likely used the site for religious purposes.* Thankfully, it had snowed a few days before our trip and not all the snow had melted. This helped provide a nice frame to the countless** pictures I took while I lived out one of my childhood dreams.

Getting to Stonehenge is as simple as finding the parking lot and walking through a short tunnel. Anyone who can accomplish this is allowed to walk around the nicely roped perimeter, and there’s no limit to the amount*** of pictures anyone can take of these famous mossy slabs of rock. No one is allowed to touch the Stonehenge stones (probably for fear of cross contamination between alien and human DNA), but tourists can get pretty close.

It took reaching the gift shop for me to realize just how much Stonehenge meant to me. Ten postcards, two chocolate bars, two bookmarks, one coffee mug, one blanket, one shot glass, one paper weight, one magnet, and £90 later I boarded the C-89 tour bus and prepared myself for an hour nap on the way to Windsor Castle. That wasn’t really a big deal though. I mean, what do you think is cooler: rocks or an enormous doll-house complete with working plumbing and electricity?

*Here’s a hint: aside from the slightly disappointing lack of extra-terrestrial life forms, the trip was everything I expected.

**Actually, there were just twenty-five.

***Twenty-five is a good number. Just saying.

 
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Be a good sport.

February 16, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Experiencing another culture has given me a unique perspective on the world. Now, I feel better equipped to sift through what matters in life. I still can’t tell you the meaning of life, but I can tell you to go watch an English football game. If you don’t see the connection, you need to come to Cambridge and clear your head so you can see the obvious answer. Seeing as you’re unlikely to actually purchase a plane ticket and visit the centre, despite the fact you’d have the time of your life, I’ll just bring some head-clearing Cambridge antics to you.

Egypt! I took this picture at Norwich Castle Museum before heading to a football game. A fine example of Cambridge antics.

Cambridge has given me loads of time to relax. In so doing, Cambridge has given me more opportunities to learn more about both others and myself than a book could ever dream too (that is, assuming books can dream). Virtually all cultures make use of some form of recreation. But before I tell you about my visit to Norwich to watch the Canaries play the Wanderers, I want to break the word “recreation” into two pieces: re-creation. Woah. Here’s my theory: when one becomes totally immersed in play, the self tends to disappear, and when it returns, parts of it have been re-created. In light of this, I’m thinking of signing my blog posts with a different name each week.

 

Ferdinand Risola, your writer, enjoys playing this ancient game with his study abroad mates.

Why do we play? What’s the problem with never recreating ourselves and just becoming stagnant, boring people? You’ve surely heard the proverb, “all work and no play makes Jack a very dull boy.” Well, maybe Jack realized some great truth about himself and decided he’d rather become dull than risk moving on to something else. Take a second and think about that.

Here’s a picture I took on the streets of Cambridge shortly after it had rained outside. I thought the watermarks looked like a person. For purposes of illustration, pretend this is Jack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, here’s what I think. Behind the force that drives humans to create ways to pass the time with one another lies a desire for community. Communities are ever-changing, so a person who tries to stay the same is going to run into trouble if he or she ever wants to fulfil the basic human need of spending time with people.

I like people, so I embrace the change play has to offer. That’s why I went to an English football game when I don’t even watch English football. That’s why I found myself cheering alongside other fans when the Canaries scored a goal (twice). That’s why I love being in Cambridge so much.

Click the above picture for a video for the chant Norwich county does when they score a goal.

 

 

 
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Loch Ness Sunset

Loch Ness & Learning to Travel

February 8, 2012 / / 1 Comment

Loch Ness Boat Ride

Destination of my first student-organized trip:  Inverness, Scotland and nearby Loch Ness.  After a nine hour train ride 8 of us arrived in the thoroughly Scottish city on the mouth of the River Ness by the North Sea.  By the time we arrived it was time for dinner (haggis!) and a visit to a few local pubs before Saturday, our only full day in the area.

Early Saturday morning I set out with a friend and the goal of finding the nearby Culloden Battlefield.  I hadn’t really done any research on ‘how’ to get there; all I knew was that it was too far from the city to walk to.  I started by asking the student hostel staff how most tourists get to the battlefield.  They told me City Bus 5 was the one I wanted, and they said it departed from the Inverness city center. I borrowed a bus schedule from the hostel too, and sure enough Bus 5’s route had “Culloden” marked on it.  I boarded Bus 5 and watched the city roll away as we headed into the countryside. However, judging by the one road sign I saw for Culloden Battlefield, Bus 5 was not the correct route. So, after a conversation with a very friendly driver I was instructed to get off, board Bus 2, and then get on Bus 3 which would take me where I wanted to go. Sure enough, I was able to follow these directions with a little help from the driver of Bus 2. However, in the instructions nothing was included about which direction to take Bus 3 in. I took a guess and loaded the next Bus 3 that came through.

Culloden Forest

Unfortunately, it was headed back to the city. This driver wasn’t as friendly, so at the end of the route I hopped off, walked back to the city center, and caught the next Bus 3. Once again, it bypassed the turn I needed. Even worse, the rest of the route was rolling through hills, towns, and along the coasts of the sea in such a twisted route I couldn’t tell how close I was to the battlefield. So, as the bus turned towards the city again I decided to get off and just walk around the area.

Although I never made it to my goal, I walked through the beautiful Culloden Forest, a place I would have never seen if my day went according to plan.  I was on top of hills overlooking the North Sea and the city, so I had great views of the surrounding glen.  Also, when time began to run short and I needed to get back to the city I walked through picturesque residential streets that I would not have seen otherwise. I continued until I found a bus stop heading back into Inverness. This stop was fairly close to the sign post directing tourists to the battlefield. At that point I was probably as close to my original destination as I ever was… and I was still 4 miles away!

Overlooking Glen Mhor

Upon getting back into the city, I went to the bus station to pick up our ride for the Loss Ness tour. However, I went a little early to find which bus I should have taken that morning.  As it turns out, Culloden is actually a nearby town, so numerous buses stop there. The answer: Bus 3 was correct, but only at specific times during the day. I hadn’t been able to board one of the few buses in that direction, and there were none left that I could take before going back to Cambridge.

Although I’m not likely to go as far north as Inverness again, and will likely not have a chance to see Culloden Battlefield, my unplanned adventure was still the highlight of the trip.  I had a chance to see things I never would have had a chance to see otherwise.  Also, I learned a lot about how to plan for trips.  In the States, I can afford to be impulsive because I have a car, and therefore I can transport myself anywhere so long as my navigation skills and patience hold out. However, when relying on public transportation planning ahead is very important.  The tour bus/boat trip we took to Loch Ness (unfortunately, no monster) and Urquhart Castle was very touristy, but having someone else plan everything for us was the best way to see the attractions.  At the same time, allowing for spontaneity is the best way to create great experiences and memories to take with you.

Loch Ness Sunset

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Union Jack and Loch Ness

Where am I again?

February 2, 2012 / / 0 Comments

War Memorial in Inverness, Scotland

I have noticed one of the most stereotypically American mistakes to make is to think of England, Britain, and the United Kingdom as synonyms.  In the States, we tend to think of ourselves as more “United” than otherwise.  However, over here this isn’t necessarily the case.

Not long ago I was in Inverness, Scotland, which is very near to Culloden Battlefield.  It was at this location that the Jacobite Rebellion was crushed in 1746.  Following this date, the British government incorporated all of Scotland into Great Britain.  Although this battle was fought not long before the American Revolutionary War, in Scotland this battle is still discussed as if it happened just out of living memory.  This is hardly how the American Revolution is discussed in the United States.

Support for this topic of independence is far from limited to a few individuals.  Very recently the subject of Scotland breaking away and becoming an independent country has become a major issue.  Nor is this way of thinking present in only Scotland.  On Thursday, February 2nd the insert cover of The Guardian read, “Could Wales be next?”  Granted, most polling data shows the majority of residents in Scotland and Wales would prefer to remain part of the United Kingdom.  However, the topic of independence is certainly far from dead.

Map of the British Isles

To avoid confusion throughout the rest of my blogs, I thought it might be helpful to describe what some of the terms are referring to:

Britain – the name of the largest island

England – the southeast part of Britain (red)

Great Britain – the political union of England, Scotland, and Wales (red, orange, and blue)

The United Kingdom – includes Northern Ireland with Great Britain (red, orange, blue, and yellow)

British Isles – geographical (not political) name that includes independent Republic of Ireland

British Commonwealth – loose association of possessions and former colonies including Canada, Australia, and India that have a symbolic loyalty to the Crown

Union Jack and Loch Ness

 

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Sushi Similies – How Japanese food taught me about Cambridge, England

February 1, 2012 / / 0 Comments

            I’m currently sitting in the Anglia Ruskin library. The library personnel, unfortunately, don’t allow eating here. If the brown paper bag beside me contained chips*, I would be secretly snacking away instead of informing the world about the mind-bendingly draconian food policies at this university**. If that sounds harsh, please believe that if you had a brown paper bag containing some of the finest scrumptious slabs of seafood which sail on sticky simple sugars you too would complain.

 Click this picture to check out the restaurant responsible for the “Jo Platter.” Delicious.

Eating with chopsticks is loads of fun. I have yet to find a culinary experience that satisfies like delicately placing ginger on bite-size, sea-derived delicacies and topping it off with a bit of wasabi. The process requires an attention to detail that transforms satisfying a basic human need into an act of meditation. Preparing sushi works in the same way. I’m almost certain the chef who prepared my sushi ascended to nirvana shortly after serving my food. After putting such massive attention into pieces of food that take only a matter of seconds to eat, I don’t see how this could not be the case. I only hope that his experience of bliss is not reliant on my finishing the food in a short period of time. Because when I leave this library and eat his sushi, I’m going to take my time and savour every bite.

My experience with sushi is very similar to my experience abroad. While I wish I were able to live in a constant state of enjoying the delicacies in the city around me***, there are times when I would be better off just staying at the centre. Watching a movie, playing a game or just fast-forwarding through those two and getting straight to talking is the wasabi that completes the Cambridge cultural sushi.

 This is a ping pong ball run, and also wasabi.

Here’s a video.

 *To all my British readers, I mean potato chips, which you call crisps. I don’t mean French fries, which you call chips.

**Anglia Ruskin is great. I’ve been here one week, had only one class and I’ve already been invited to a house party. I just hope I can finish my food before Becca, one of my British friends, comes to get me. Who brings food to a party?

*** Delicacies here refers to the million different ways the British can tie their scarves. I have no idea how some of these multi-layered, face-cradling, wool knots are even possible. The only conclusion is that, upon birth, in addition to a birth certificate, each British person receives a custom made scarf complete with its own certificate of authenticity.

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Settling Into Cambridge

January 25, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Welcome back!  Now that I’ve been in Cambridge for nearly a week I thought I’d check back and update you with what has been going on.  Much of the week has been spent exploring the city and getting acquainted with living in it.  Luckily, the weather has been very abnormal so far.  Instead of the quintessential English wet, there have only been two or three days of rain so far.  Another thing to keep in mind when walking around the city:  daylight is limited in Cambridge.  The sun comes up around 8:00 and sets around 16:30.  While Cambridge is a very safe and nice place at night, the lack of sunlight was really a surprise for me.

The Student Centre: Our home in Cambridge

The city of Cambridge has an extremely rich history surrounding it.  Central to this history are the colleges, 34 in total.  Personally, my study abroad program is affiliated with Anglia Ruskin University.  Anglia is one of the newer colleges situated on the eastern side of Cambridge and away from the River Cam like many of the older establishments are.  The older and larger colleges have beautiful grounds adjacent to the river and are tourist attractions in themselves.  The history of Cambridge goes further back than the famous colleges though.  One of the few high points in town, Castle Hill, has history from long before America had even been discovered.  As the namesake castle is now long gone, today the hill is a popular spot for taking pictures of the town.

St. John's College

Getting to know the local stores and brands is a large part of moving into another location.  Some US things, like Zip-lock bags, are nonexistent in the UK.  On the other hand, some things are very comparable.  For example, Boots is a chain of stores very similar to Walgreens.  One of the more noticeable differences is the lack of a completely consumer-driven attitude.  Store employees here are happy to help you, but you have to approach them first.  No one will ask if you need assistance finding what you are looking for.  Generally I prefer this.  However, when you’re looking for something not common in Britain (like most things related to baking) it can be a pain (although there are entire isles of mushy peas).  Also, stores close very early.  The largest mall in the area completely shuts down at 17:30 – weekends included.  These differences can be difficult to straighten out occasionally:  it took 5 of us over an hour to choose a phone service for our time here.

Some of the most noticeable changes in culture are related to technology.  In an afternoon of walking around Cambridge you will only see 1 or 2 people at the most on their cell phones.  Internet service is generally slower than in the US (at the time of writing this the Student Centre has had no Internet for a day and a half).  However, this lack of persistent technology really adds to the relaxed atmosphere.  There are no people continually checking their phones for a text, no cacophony of yelling into phones, and a lot of simply hanging out and having a good time with friends.

The River Cam near Jesus Green

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Told you so.

January 19, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Everything they said was right. This is going to be the best experience of my life, I’m going to get extremely close with everyone here and I won’t ever want to leave. If someone told me that after seven days I would have already gotten lost in London after meeting and exchanging numbers with three Germans and a Spaniard, planned a trip to upper Scotland to see the Loch Ness monster, won £10,000 from the Cambridge lottery and gone to a club for the first time, I would have laughed politely and subtly expressed my disbelief. And, this sly behaviour would have been canon fodder for one of the most gratifying, memorable “I told you so” moments ever experienced. All of these things happened.*

Come to Cambridge! I’ll be leaving my copious amounts of lottery winnings at the centre.**

 

Two weeks prior to coming to Cambridge I began to slowly modify my sleeping schedule each night so as to avoid jet lag. By the time I took off for Cambridge, I was waking up at 4:30am each day, 10:30am Cambridge time. This did really help avoid jet lag and I’m glad I did it. But, it certainly wasn’t necessary. No one else did this***, and after a few days they seemed fine.

 

You have these huge engines to look forward to. Cool.

 

The town of Cambridge is beautiful, and yes, British accents are even cooler in person. Surprisingly though, the first few days I had a bit of difficulty understanding people here. When you’re in the states, hearing a British accent is usually only happens when your friends try to imitate the British, or maybe you’ve heard the accent on TV from time to time. What you don’t realize is that when a British accent gets combined with a vernacular style of speaking, the words seem to come out so fast that you lose track of what is being said. Ordering food from a pub can be a bit confusing when you have to translate “chips” into “french-fries,” “mate” into “friend,” “wuht” into “what,” and “cheers” into “thank you.” The slang words really add up, and if you fall behind it can be tough to catch up. But, have no fears, after only a few days you’ll fit right in.****

 

* Okay, so I didn’t win the lottery. But I swear the rest actually happened.

**Note: I won’t be playing the lottery.

*** No one ever has. It’s really not necessary. But, if you enjoy being super prepared, give yourself three weeks to adjust and make sure you get used to waking up around 7am Cambridge time. That’s what time you’ll be getting up at the first few days.

**** That’s a lie. You’re still American, but unless you’re too obnoxiously loud, the English won’t have a problem with you. Having English professors really helps, because they come to you in a non-threatening environment, and one of them spends the first 15 minutes of class discussing English culture and answering any questions you have about it.

 

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Arriving and London

January 17, 2012 / / 1 Comment

Hello, and welcome to my blog!

All 17 of us in front of Big Ben

My adventure started last year when I switched majors from engineering to nursing.  With the change came the opportunity to study abroad.  I’ve always loved English culture, and because a nursing professor had recently filled the position of director, I selected the Cambridge program.

So, I am officially in Cambridge, England!  Technically, I’m on my 5th day here, but at this point I’ve spent nearly as long in London as in Cambridge, so I have a little catching up to do.  Packing was an adventure in itself.  However, I was able to stuff everything in my suitcase and not only stay under the weight limit, but also leave myself a little room for souvenirs on the return trip.  All 17 Valpo students studying at Cambridge this semester flew out on the same flight.  The flight itself was very smooth with no major turbulence or delays, and we weren’t even out of the London airport before being bombarded by the change of culture:  the crosswalks are painted with “LOOK RIGHT →”!

After somehow fitting 17 students (each packed for 4 months!) into an extremely small coach, we arrived at the Valparaiso University Student Centre in Cambridge.  One of our first meals on English soil was at The Eagle – the famous pub where Watson & Crick discussed the structure of DNA.  We were barely unpacked and acquainted with our new home before all 17 of us left to spend the weekend in London!

 

Buckingham Palace

After catching an early train through the fog into the city, we checked into our hostel and set out.  During the following two days we attempted to hit as many major landmarks as we could.  We started out at the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.  Although the sun was in my eyes making it difficult to see the actual ceremony, I was able to get some good pictures of the palace itself.  Afterwards, we continued towards the Horse Guards Parade, which will soon host volleyball during the upcoming Olympics.  We stopped for photos at the ever-popular Big Ben, saw the beautiful Westminster Abbey, and had lunch in Trafalgar Square.

Going to Hogwarts from Kings Cross

That afternoon we took a bus tour around the city and saw The Mousetrap in London’s theatre district.  We soon discovered getting restaurant or pub seats for all of us on a busy night in London would be impossible, so we split into smaller groups to eat and wander around the city.  The next day we started with a cruise down the Thames River.  The cruise stopped at the Tower of London, where the rest of the day was spent.  Then, we were on our own to find our way back through the Underground to Kings Cross and catch a train back to Cambridge.

The journey back was really one of the most memorable sections of my London trip.  Instead of being told what to do, or at least given step-by-step directions, it was up to me to take responsibility for finding routes back through London and to Cambridge in time for a speaker at 19:00 that night.  It was kind of intimidating having not even been in the country long enough to get over my jet lag.  However, it was more than a little exhilarating too!  I am really excited to continue this feeling during the next 4 months.  I hope you’ll continue to follow me for more of my upcoming adventures!

 

 

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Luckiest Girl in the World

April 25, 2011 / / 0 Comments

One Example of Breathtaking Scenery: Wicklow

According to ABC News, “More than 85% of the American public flies infrequently if at all. More than seven in 10 can be described as infrequent fliers, flying once or twice a year or less; and 14 percent have never flown.” I, however, have boarded 9 flights in 2011 alone and will board one more to return to the US in less than 3 weeks. Also in 2011, thus far, I have been in 12 different countries or territories and have been in 14 my whole life. I know that I am lucky. Throughout my travels I have had amazing times and more difficult times; but throughout it all, traveling around the UK and Europe has challenged me to see life through a different lens. I have loved learning the different ways people have lived life throughout the past and how they continue to differ today. In addition to the people, I have also really enjoyed seeing so many breathtaking buildings and landscapes. A lot of people will never get the opportunity to say they’ve seen as much of the world as I have and I’m only 20. I’m so blessed.

Is this a trick?

My most recent expedition has been to Ireland! Thursday after class we took a taxi to London Stansted and got on the shortest flight ever (ding, you can turn on your electronics… two minutes later… ding, please prepare for landing). When we got there we had no trouble finding our hostel and getting settled in. Then we ventured over to the Temple Bar area which was just bubbling with music and excitement. After wondering the streets for a short amount of time we noticed signs pointing to the Leprechaun museum! Hanna insisted we find it, but sadly all the signs pointed directly into buildings! I started to wonder if perhaps this was a joke being played on us innocent tourists; but alas, after some Googling later on we found out that it was real.

Eating at "Hannah's" Yay!

The next day while Hanna and Chelsea enjoyed the giant furniture at the Leprechaun museum, Lauren, Mike, and I did some shopping because Dublin had a Forever 21! Now this is a HUGE difference from England, Forever 21!! I was ecstatic. I ended up only buying some t-shirts to accommodate England’s surprisingly warm weather of late, but the shopping was just amazing. The rest of the day we wondered around Dublin, hitting the spots Murphy recommended to us. We did have some troubles because a lot of things were closed because it was Good Friday. We couldn’t go in most places, but we scoped out the sights from the outside and made plans for the rest of our time there. How the Irish celebrated Good Friday and then Easter two days later, is a good example of the different importance of religion to the Irish as opposed to the English. Religion was much more prominent in Ireland than England.

Our "Easter Egg Hunt" Beach

The next day was my favorite day in Ireland by far. We took the train from Dublin to the small coastal town of Wicklow. The town was perfect and quaint with the main road leading you directly to the old castle ruins which stood on high cliffs plunging into the ocean below. Unlike the cool overcast weather in Dublin, the sun was bright and shining in Wicklow and it was just lovely. After lunch at “Hannah’s”, we spent our afternoon climbing cliffs, castles, and canons. In honor of Easter we did an “Easter Egg Hunt” on the beach where we all looked for sea glass and cool rocks. On that same beach we got attacked while we were lying out by a very friendly puppy that happily covered us with his muddy paw prints. Then we found the perfect spot of land overlooking the ocean and it was covered in plush grass, so we laid down and took almost an hour long nap. It was just spectacular. We grabbed a pub meal before heading back into Dublin and hitting the hay.

The Most Perfect Napping Place in All the World

Easter Sunday

The next morning we got dressed up as nicely as we could in our traveling state and went to Easter service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The service was really nice, opening up with one of my favorite Easter hymns ever (“Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia. Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia.”) It was nice to hear something so triumphant and familiar, it was an amazing reminder that across the world people can be joyful and grateful for the love of Christ that surpasses all distances.

After church we got some food and then went and visited the castle. It was interesting that it was closed on Good Friday but open on Easter, but we took advantage of the situation and got a good tour of the Dublin Castle. After that, we went back to the hostel to get our stuff and change into more comfortable clothes for the flight home. After experiencing the one and two week trips, this weekend did seem to go by pretty fast. However, I was so grateful to get to spend one more weekend abroad seeing something completely new. It was especially nice to spend Easter in such a glorified place, it truly is a blessing to see a huge cathedral filled with people to come hear the same glorious news that I came there to hear. We even got to hear the choir boys do a short rendition of The Alleluia Chorus.

Alleluia!

Our trip home was late, but we got back. I’m tired but again, can’t help but believe I am the luckiest girl in the world. I didn’t have to go to Ireland to get the luck I have! I have a God who rose for me, a family at home who loves me, friends here that have come to be like a family, and I’ve had the ability to see so much of God’s creation and the people inhabiting it. I hope that travel is always a major part of my life, because even though having a home isn’t something I would give up for anything, there is so much of the world to see! This semester has given me the chance, the unique opportunity, to see so much and know that I am not wasting a second of this precious life that I have been given. Alleluia!

Enjoy the rest of my pictures and keep checking back for my last couple blogs before this world traveler goes home!

Life of a Blogger

April 19, 2011 / / 0 Comments

So here is the most interesting thing about being a blogger: the more you have to blog about, the less time you have to blog! Thus is my life lately, but since I have loved every minute of it, I am not complaining. Since I have last reported, I have been to 7 castles, 3 countries, and countless new cities. I have also taken on the task of cooking another common meal (5th as a cooker and 3rd as an organizer, not that anyone’s counting), this one being an Easter feast for 17 people! And with finals right around the corner, I’ve been fairly busy. However, I’m going to try to give you the highlights of everything I’ve seen and most likely the majority of that will be through pictures because I have seen and done so much! But hopefully, through a little explanation of each one you can see about some of the most amazing places I’ve ever been. If you have any more questions about any place or anything about studying abroad while at Valparaiso or in general, feel free to email me at Hannah.Bauer@valpo.edu.

Castle Numero Uno!

Kenilworth Castle in England was the very first castle we visited on our group trip. The castle fit the stereotype of an old castle because it was mostly in ruins. By far, the most interesting part of the castle’s history is that the majority of it was built for Queen Elizabeth I by Robert Dudley for the Queen’s visit where she planned to stay for less than one month!

Warwick

Second Castle: Warwick

Next we visited the Renaissance-festival-esque castle of Warwick. With (sometimes very attractive) people in costumes and various shows running throughout the day, it’s hard to beat Warwick. I got to see four HUGE birds up very closely and I saw a flaming trebuchet get fired. Now that’s what I call a day at the castle.

Bath

The Roman Baths of Bath

The city of Bath is famous for, wouldn’t ya have guessed, the old Roman Baths! What makes these baths different from the public baths located in many old cities is that this water came from a mineral hot springs. The water was such a gift to the city, that the Romans believed the spring to be a gift from Athena, goddess of wisdom and war. There was a temple erected and a huge bath facility set up, all with huge religious significance. It gave me a very interesting view into daily and religious life of the time period. Also, for Jane Austen fans, the Bath house is connected to the famous pump room where her characters came to drink the famous water!

Valpo Students at Stonehenge

Although mysterious and interesting, Stonehenge is mainly a glorified photo-op. But as you can see here, we took advantage of the situation to pose for Valpo!

Windsor: the Queen's OTHER Castle

Windsor Castle, the part time residence of the Royal Family, was lovely to see. It is large, lavish, and lively yet also retains its iconic castle-ness. Although we were pretty wiped out by this part of our trip, it was still pretty cool to see a place where the Queen may have been just down the hall… probably not, but you never know.


The Beach in Keri

Overlook from Keri Lighthouse

The Greek Ionian island of Zakynthos was Hanna and my little slice of heaven for three lovely days! We were literally the only tourists on the island and stayed in the only open hotel and were the only guests there. The owners were AMAZING and acted like our foster parents. It was fantastic. I got a tan. Go me.

Athens: I Spy the Parthenon!

Beachin' It!

Temple of Poseidon

Athens. What to say about Athens. The Acropolis/Parthenon is cool. The Temple of Poseidon is REALLY cool. Plus, it had the advantage of having a beach (pictured right above it) right next to it! I continued to tan and it was lovely. Really, if you go to Athens, it is worth the hour bus ride out of the city.

My Family in Cambridge!

The final week of my two week break, I had the wonderful honor of spending with my mom, dad, and younger siblings touring the United Kingdom country side. We covered London, Hampton Court Palace, Cambridge, Warwick, Stratford-upon-Avon, Bath, Cardiff, Caerphilly, Raglan, Lacock…. I know, I’m just listing now. But every new place was a new discovery. I finally got to see Wales, which I’m glad I didn’t leave the UK without seeing. Their castles were fierce (they had moats, what else could you need!), their culture was unique (who knew that Welsh was still a spoken language? Not me!), and the land was just lovely. It was hard to see my family leave, but I know that I will be home and missing Europe far too soon. But for now, just wish me luck on cooking Easter dinner for 17 people!

I've already finished the adorable Nest Cookies!

Look at the rest of my pictures and I look forward to telling you about Ireland when I return to prepare for a Royal Wedding!

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