Copenhagen

Hi!

This past week was Thanksgiving, as you know, and I was so sad about spending it in England away from my family. It is a strange thing to be in a country that doesn't celebrate the glorified Thanksgiving feast. I had to endure endless tweets and pictures of my Nana's cooking, courtesy of Carter Denton. I'm not going to lie, it was pretty painful working on my final papers and going to class when everyone was at home enjoying their turkey...something I haven't had since I left! However, after my Dad lovingly told me to suck it up and reminded me how lucky I was to be here, I knew he was right. Not only did I get to spend this Thanksgiving in beautiful Bath, but my program set up a Thanksgiving dinner for us that was actually really nice. ASE hires culinary students to put the dinner on for us. Their homework is to research American Thanksgiving and try to mimic it as well as they can, which is a pretty cool idea! I am so happy they did that for us because I may have actually cried in my kitchen that night trying to cook some pasta...that would have ended up overcooked, per usual.So overall, I am SO thankful to have had this semester abroad and thankful for my amazing family and friends.

Anyways, this past weekend I went to Copenhagen, Denmark with two of my friends, Nora and Emily. I've wanted to visit CPH ever since my good friend Savannah studied abroad there last semester. She sent me an amazing list of things to do while there which was so helpful! Our first day, we found a map and made use of the suggested walking tour around the city. We saw the famous little mermaid statue and walked through New Harbor, which is the canal lined with all of these colorful apartments. It was a beautiful part of the city, and I can imagine it is even better on a warm, sunny day (which, sadly, we never got).

New Harbor

Emily and Me

In front of the Little Mermaid

We then arrived at Amalienborg Castle just in time to see the changing of the guards. We had no idea there was a changing of the guards, but the fact that we showed up right at 11:55 made it look like we had planned it perfectly! It was neat to watch as it was far less crowded than the one at Buckingham Palace. After finishing up our walking tour, we headed to Freetown Christiania. On our way there, we stumbled upon this Church with a tower that you can climb. Since climbing towers has been a common theme of mine this semester, we decided to do it. They were the most narrow little stairs I have ever seen, but once we made it to the top, it was totally worth it. We got a great view of the city!

Changing of the Guards

After climbing the tower, we headed to Christiania which was one of the weirdest/coolest places I have ever been to. There are only 3 rules in Christiania: 1) No Pictures 2) No Running 3) Have as much fun as possible. So, as I found out, Freetown Christiania means you can freely buy and smoke weed all around the area, and I'm assuming that's the only reason one would visit. Of course I couldn't take pictures of it, but it was actually a really cool little village with a lot of food and retail vendors. It is called the "green light district". I'll let the rest of that remain a mystery...

After Christiania, we went to TIVOLI. It was one of the coolest places I have ever been. It is basically a huge amusement park situated in the middle of the city that is up year round. Since it was late November when we visited, the whole park was decorated with christmas lights and it was so beautiful! Apparently, Walt Disney was inspired by Tivoli and used it as his example to create Disney World. It was a little pricey (like everything in CPH...) but it was so worth it! We spent the evening walking around and taking it all in. We even splurged and bought a ticket for one ride, which was a blast.

On Sunday, it POURED all day :( So that put a little damper on our adventures. We made the most of it though! We had an amazing Danish buffet brunch, then headed to Rosenborg Castle, which, as castles go, was a little on the smaller side and not nearly as impressive as some that I have seen in England. After touring that, we headed to, where else but the Carlsberg Brewery! I had never been to a brewery before, and since I love Carlsberg so much and needed to escape the rain anyways, we decided to go. It was really neat to learn about all of the history and learn how beer is made - I had no idea! After our tour and about two pints of my favorite European beer, we headed to the Danish National Museum to, again, escape the brutal rain that was coming down.

The massive bottle collection at the brewery

Nora and Me at the Brewery

Overall, I loved my trip to Copenhagen! The Danish people are very, very good looking. The Kroner is the weirdest currency I have come across. In order to find out how much USD I was spending, I had to divide the amount by 6. So strange!

It was a great trip! Now, I am done with classes and just enjoying some day trips around England this weekend before my program heads to Stratford-upon-Avon this weekend. Shakespeare's birthplace...I'm a little nervous! It will be something different at least. I can't believe that classes are over and my placement at the elementary school is over. On my last day, I got to teach them a lesson all on my own and it went so well! I am going to miss them so much!

Until next week,

Sara xo

Our trip last weekend to Cardiff, Wales

Beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Mom and Dad come to the UK!

Hi!

So I had an especially good week the past few days because my parents came to visit! Everyone who knows me knows that I love being home and I love spending time with my family, so I was SO happy that my mom and dad were able to come visit me here in England. The past 11 weeks were the longest I had gone without seeing them and I couldn't have waited any longer!
My parents visiting was the perfect excuse to be a tourist in the city that I have been living in since August. Bath is most well-known for the Roman Baths (hence the name). I'm so glad I finally got around to visiting them because they were really cool! The baths date back to B.C. and have been preserved ever since as a tourist attraction. The Romans used to go to the natural hot spring baths to relax and be cured by the goddess Minerva. You can't touch the water now (as it is very unsanitary looking...) but it was amazing to see that the water is still steamy hot and bubbly. I'm so glad I finally got to see it!

Dad and me at the Baths!

Mom and Dad at the Roman Baths

While in Bath, we also went to see Bath Abbey and the Royal Crescent. And of course there was lots of tea drinking, bar hopping, eating, and window shopping! It was so fun spending time with them in the town I have been calling home!
On Saturday, we headed to London. The first thing we did was go to the Tower of London...something I hadn't gotten around to visiting, so it was perfect that my parents hadn't made it there either. Touring the tower took about 4 hours, there was just so much to see! My favorite part was seeing the amazing crown jewels, and touring the rooms where the royal prisoners were held.

We were also able to get a good shot in front of Tower Bridge! Then we went to the London Eye at night! I had been on it during the day, so it was awesome to get so see the city at night when everything was lit up. I think I liked it even better at night!


The 3 of us in front of Tower Bridge

The view from the London Eye

The next day, we got up pretty early and headed to Windsor Castle! I hadn't made it there yet, so I was so excited to get to go! It is about an hour away from the center of London, but it was well worth the trip! The castle is set in the middle of a really cute town, high up on a hill. We couldn't take pictures inside the castle, but it was decorated so beautifully and all of the state rooms were so elaborate and fancy. The best part was when, just as we were about to leave, they switched the flag to signal that the Queen had just arrived home!!

We also got to stop by Westminster Abbey and see all of the Remembrance Day poppy's laid out. Then we took a double decker bus ride around town - another first for me! We rounded out our day with a trip to the covent gardens, a popular shopping and tourist district! It was already all decorated for Christmas, which was really nice! I love that Christmas starts so early in England. Guess they can do that when they don't get to celebrate Thanksgiving first!

It was the best weekend! I loved getting to explore Bath and London more, while spending time with my two favorite people! : ) Thank You again Mom and Dad for coming!!! It meant so much to me, and I am so glad I got to share this with you both! And thanks to my Nana and Papa for watching the boys so they could come!

Well, I cried on the train ride home to Bath after they went to the airport to go home, but I know I am going to be crying even harder when I have to leave the UK...in just 30 days!! I'm going to try to pack these next 4 weeks with lots of day trips and weekend traveling, so stay tuned until next time!

Cheers!

Sara

Mom and me in front of Bath Abbey

At the Tower of London with our new friend

St. Paul's Cathedral

Pubbin'

Mom and Dad in front of Big Ben

Mom and me on the Eye

Dad and me on the Eye

Big Ben, London Eye

Also... A BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY shout-out to my two little brothers, Jake and Luke!!!! They are 17 today! Love you both so much!

Fall Break Part 2: Barcelona & Patriots Game in London

Hola!

After our fantastic time in Italy, we left for Barcelona, Spain! I had never really considered visiting Spain while abroad, but my friends here really wanted to go, and it turns out it is a very popular destination for people studying abroad! Many people in my program ended up traveling there, and almost every abroad person I know is making the trip. Well, I can definitely see why!

Barcelona was AWESOME. We got there pretty late on Tuesday night, so we checked into our hostel (which we loved!) and then went out for some traditional Spanish tapas and sangria. I have to say...with fear of some backlash...that I preferred Spanish food to Italian food. Not going to lie! I loved it. I like the Spanish culture when it comes to food and socializing. They go to dinner very, very late. We thought we were eating late even at 9pm, but they were just getting started. Tapas are also fun because you get small portions of a variety of dishes, so you get to try everything. Sangria is also my new favorite...I have requested a sangria date with my Mom when I finally turn 21 in January :)

Emily, me, and our sangria

We were feeling kind of tired during this point in our trip, so we decided to spend our first day at Playa de la Barceloneta, a man-made, yet beautiful beach! It was so nice to just sit and relax for an afternoon and enjoy the sunshine that we have missed! The only downside to this tourist-y beach is that people walk up and down trying to sell you all sorts of things- cerveza(beer), towels, massages, you name it. It was great, nonetheless. After we soaked up some rays, we packed up and walked down Las Ramblas. It is the most famous street in Barcelona, and is packed with vendors, art, and restaurants. And the most exciting thing we have come across since leaving the states... A Dunkin Donuts!! I think we all froze in our tracks when we saw that, and then ran in and ordered large iced coffees all around.




We found a Dunkin!

At the beach with Melissa!

Such a beautiful day

 The next day, we didn't luck out quite as well with the weather, but it was alright! We headed to the Sagrada Familia, a really cool Spanish gothic cathedral. I have seen my share of cathedrals since I have been abroad, but this one was so different and unique looking. It was so interesting! After that, we went to Park Guell which was one of the prettiest parks I have ever seen! It was a little overcast when we went, but the architecture and mosaics used to create it were so beautiful and colorful, I felt like I was in a display at Disney. We climbed a long while and got a fantastic view of Barcelona! I loved this part of our trip!

Overlooking the city

The four of us at Park Guell!

Melissa and me in the park



La Sagrada Familia

That night, after enjoying some more delicious tapas and paella, we went to Icebarcelona! I have always wanted to go to an ice bar, and we decided to go check it out! It was the first ice bar built on a beach, and it was really neat! And they don't joke...it is freezing! They give you a drink and basically put you in a freezer for as long as you can stand it. We had the place to ourselves almost, as it was only 11pm, which is early to the locals! It was a great way to end our amazing trip together!

Icebarcelona!

Well our time in Spain came to end, my friends headed back to Bath, and I headed to London to meet Erin and Amanda for the Patriots game at Wembley Stadium!

Saturday, we went to the rally at Trafalgar Square, which was great because they brought out players such as Tom Brady, Gronkowski, and Welker, and interviewed them before the big game the next day. It was interesting to see what kind of fans were there. There were fans representing all teams, not just the Patriots or Rams. It was nice to be a Patriots fan though, and I can say that I have an even bigger crush on Gronkowski now. He "gronked" the microphone on stage...
That night we took part in a pub crawl in London which was a lot of fun because I hadn't been out in London at nighttime before!

Rally at Trafalgar Square

Me, Erin, Amanda out in London

Sunday, we got up and saw the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace! Something I hadn't seen yet, so I'm glad I got to do it with the girls. We then killed time in Harrod's which is a beyond amazing department store. We could have stayed there all day just ooing and awwing at all of the merchandise and decorations!
We headed to Wembley a little early to pregame outside of the stadium and mingle with some fans. We found our seats, made friends with some Brits seated behind us, and watched Train perform!! They were great, and it was such a nice surprise to see that they were the opening show! As you probably know, the Patriots won big time (45-7)! It was so cool to meet some British people and hear what they thought about the game. The guys behind us thought it was boring compared to their beloved soccer and rugby. They also started out as Rams fans (the home team) but then switched to Patriots fans as soon as they realized we were winning. It was pretty funny! I'm so glad I got to go, it was one of the best things I have experienced here!

Red, White, and Blue!

So, overall, I had THE best fall break!! It exceeded all of my expectations, and I am so grateful that I got to experience everything that I did. I am so lucky :) Hope you enjoyed reading about it!

Also... MY MOM AND DAD COME THIS WEEK so I couldn't be happier!! I'll write about our time together in my next post. Should be a blast, I have missed them so much!

Thanks again for reading!

Cheers! xoxo

Sara