Scotland

Hi!
Last week was pretty busy for me because on Tuesday we left for Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare's birthplace) with the rest of the program. I have to admit that I was kind of dreading this trip as Shakespeare is not really my thing. However, I have to say that it was a nice couple of days. Stratford is a really cute and quaint town and I loved the B&B we stayed at while we were there. We saw 3 plays and surprisingly, I enjoyed all of them. It was something different, and a place I wouldn't have gone on my own. So I am glad we got the chance to go and see some (free) plays, and learn more about Shakespeare's life.

Shakespeare's Birthplace

At Anne Hathaway (his wife's) cottage

For our last weekend abroad...cue the tears...we went to Scotland! We wanted to go somewhere fairly close since all of our funds were getting low, so we decided that we might as well go to Scotland! It was only an hour flight away, and I am so glad we decided to go. We flew into Glasgow, and that is where we stayed in a pretty nice bed and breakfast. The first day we arrived, we walked around Glasgow and got to see all of the pretty Christmas lights and the town center that was all set up like a carnival. The main street in Glasgow reminded me a lot of church street in Burlington, and it was so nice to walk around and see all of the shops and street performers. I also LOVE the Scottish accent. Even though I sometimes struggled to understand what people were saying, I am a big fan of it.

On Saturday, we headed to Edinburgh which is only an hour away from Glasgow. We walked around the Christmas markets and took in all of the amazing architecture and sights. People who I had talked to said that Edinburgh had the most gorgeous buildings and cathedrals, but I didn't really know what to expect. Well, they were right! The city is so beautiful, and even though we had bad weather, we made the most of it. We went to Edinburgh Castle first and it was pretty much exactly like the Tower of London, but it was cool to walk around and see the old dungeons and the crown jewels.

Part of The Castle

The Castle

The Christmas Market

On Sunday, we went to St. Andrew's. It was a bit of a hike to get there, but it was so worth it! We had a beautiful train ride too, as we went past a lot of views of the water and finally had a sunny day! We walked around the small, cobble stoned tow and saw the St. Andrew's Cathedral and the water. It was so nice to walk along the shore and take pictures of the cliffs and the sea. I can see how Kate and William fell in love here! :) We also checked out the Old Course golf course which is famously known for being the first golf course! It was a beautiful day, and a perfect last weekend in the UK.

Well now that it is my last week, I am studying for finals, doing a little souvenir shopping, and spending as much time as I can with my friends that I am going to miss so much when I go home! I will blog one more time at the end of this week to wrap up my semester. Thanks for reading!

xo Sara



Ice Skating at Bath on Ice



The Beach in Bournemouth