We left Sheffield on Monday to head to London for our last few days in England. We said sad goodbyes to John's family and took the train to London. Once we arrived in London we checked in our hotel and headed off on the tub to meet up with John's friend Arthur. Arthur had a great day planned for us. First we met up with him in Little Venice where we took a boat ride down one of the canals in town. The boat tour dropped us off at Camden Market where we ate lunch and walked through several of the interesting shops in the market. We left the market and shared a bottle of wine while we waited for Arthur's girlfriend Sara to get off work. Sara is Arabian so she took us to an Arabian restaurant for dinner. It was a new experience but I really enjoyed the food! Later that night we said goodbye to Arthur and settled back into our hotel for a good night's sleep.
The next morning John and I decided to take a tour around the city. Before we got on a tour bus we walked around town and saw several sights. We saw Big Ben, the London Eye, the Horse Guards, and Buckingham Palace. Afterward we went into Churchill's War Rooms which are bunkers under the city where Churchill and his staff stayed during the bombing raids on London in WWII. Next we wanted to see the Tower of London so we hopped on a Double-Decker tour bus to take us around the city. We saw many sights and learned a lot while we were on the bus, but due to traffic we ran out of time and had to get off before we made it to the Tower of London...I guess that will have to wait for another trip. We were in a hurry because we had a dinner and show to make that night.
After a quick shower in the hotel we headed off to meet John's brother Matt, his cousin David, and David's fiance Helen for dinner. It was really nice meeting them and I hope to see more of them in the future. After dinner Matt, John, and I headed to Her Majesty's Theater to see the Phantom of the Opera! John's dad treated us to tickets and I was ecstatic! The show was amazing...like I knew it would be. There is nothing better than seeing Broadway shows live! The band, the singing, the stage! I LOVE IT! I will be going to more shows in the future!
This morning John and I woke up early, 4:00 AM London time, and headed off to the airport to go back to America. We decided to hire a taxi service since the tub didn't run that early. I will preface the rest of this paragraph with this phrase...I have NEVER been so scared in my LIFE! Our driver was a maniac! First, he almost got us T-boned within the first 2 minutes of the ride because he ran a red light. Second, he drove 50 mph around the city of London weaving in and out of traffic. Third, he reached speeds up to 100 mph on the motor way (interstate). John just had to shut his eyes and put his head down because he was so scared for his life. Luckily, everyone survived the journey besides the two unfortunate pigeons who dared to get in the way of our out of control taxi driver. After a long flight we finally landed in Atlanta! Well, this concludes our month long journey of England, Scotland, and Italy! I hope everyone has enjoyed reading my blog! Ciao!
Wednesday, 14 July 2010
Saturday, 10 July 2010
We arrived back in England Thursday and John's mom had a nice Lasagna waiting for us. John refused to eat any more Italian food so he went to the fish shop to get himself some fish and chips. We shared our trip with them and then hit the sack.
The next morning we lounged around the house until we decided to go play 9 holes of pitch and putt...which is golf where you only play with a pitching wedge and a putter. John gave me a 3 stroke handicap for each hole, but unfortunately for him I didn't need a handicap. We put 25 cents on each hole and I ended up winning 2.50 because we went double or nothing on the last. I wasn't as good as John obviously but he did say I was great for a beginner. I think I may take up the game!
Otherwise we have just spent the last few days relaxing. We had a great time in Italy but it was not a relaxing vacation and we were exhausted afterward. Tonight I am making Poppy Seed Chicken for the family...if we can ever find poppy seeds in England. Chao!
The next morning we lounged around the house until we decided to go play 9 holes of pitch and putt...which is golf where you only play with a pitching wedge and a putter. John gave me a 3 stroke handicap for each hole, but unfortunately for him I didn't need a handicap. We put 25 cents on each hole and I ended up winning 2.50 because we went double or nothing on the last. I wasn't as good as John obviously but he did say I was great for a beginner. I think I may take up the game!
Otherwise we have just spent the last few days relaxing. We had a great time in Italy but it was not a relaxing vacation and we were exhausted afterward. Tonight I am making Poppy Seed Chicken for the family...if we can ever find poppy seeds in England. Chao!
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Things I have learned abroad
I am going to steal this idea from my sister and clue you in on the things I have learned abroad.
1. All the public restrooms in England only have scalding hot water in the faucets....I can barely keep my hands in long enough to clean them!
2. Apparently graffiti and litter are not illegal in Italy
3. Italian waiters in general are not as polite as American ones
4. You will be hard pressed to find a good tour guide in Italy
5. You can be killed by a vehicle just walking along the sidewalk in Italy...I saw cars driving on sidewalks and apparently the scooters don't have to follow ANY traffic laws
6. ALWAYS barter for prices in Italy...usually you will get things cheaper
7. Women really like to wear tight, white, see-through clothes in Europe
8. You don't need to learn any other language because even if you try they will speak to you in English anyway
9. Even if Italian food is your favorite you will get sick of it eventually
10. Even if you walk everywhere you go you can still gain weight on vacation!
11. Italy is just as hot or hotter than Georgia during the summer time!
12. Kidney is an acquired taste
13. If a man hands you roses and says they are for good luck, don't think they are free...he will want money from you (that is their go-to line)
14. It is not a custom for everyone in the world to wear deodorant
15. England doesn't believe in traffic lights or stop signs...whenever there is an intersection they just slap a traffic circle in there and a few yield signs
1. All the public restrooms in England only have scalding hot water in the faucets....I can barely keep my hands in long enough to clean them!
2. Apparently graffiti and litter are not illegal in Italy
3. Italian waiters in general are not as polite as American ones
4. You will be hard pressed to find a good tour guide in Italy
5. You can be killed by a vehicle just walking along the sidewalk in Italy...I saw cars driving on sidewalks and apparently the scooters don't have to follow ANY traffic laws
6. ALWAYS barter for prices in Italy...usually you will get things cheaper
7. Women really like to wear tight, white, see-through clothes in Europe
8. You don't need to learn any other language because even if you try they will speak to you in English anyway
9. Even if Italian food is your favorite you will get sick of it eventually
10. Even if you walk everywhere you go you can still gain weight on vacation!
11. Italy is just as hot or hotter than Georgia during the summer time!
12. Kidney is an acquired taste
13. If a man hands you roses and says they are for good luck, don't think they are free...he will want money from you (that is their go-to line)
14. It is not a custom for everyone in the world to wear deodorant
15. England doesn't believe in traffic lights or stop signs...whenever there is an intersection they just slap a traffic circle in there and a few yield signs
Last day in Italy
The morning started off early due to our 9:30 appointment with the Pope. When we arrived at the Vatican I had a minor melt down due to the fact we couldn’t remember where we to meet with our guide. John just said that we should leave because we had seen the Vatican from the outside so that was enough. He was ready to leave because he had to wear jeans and it was really hot outside. We finally found our meeting point and were taken into the museums and the Sistine Chapel. Afterwards we looked around St. Peter’s Basilica. It was cool to be there and of course think about the history that had taken place there, but we were both ready to leave due to the fact we were losing half our bodies’ water content in sweat. We left and John immediately changed into shorts behind a dumpster while herds of nuns walked by. My advice to anyone visiting the Vatican would be to NOT buy a beat the line ticket because the lines really aren’t that long, and for the boys it is ok to wear shorts as long as they go to your knees.
After grabbing a bite to eat we searched with no luck for a street market and then hailed a taxi to take us to the Catacombs. The Catacombs were great! John loved it! It was really cool to see where all the Christians were buried and even the Roman crematorium. The one we visited was the sight where the apostles Peter and Paul were temporarily laid to rest. If you’re curious about seeing the inside of the Catacombs but can’t fly out to Rome its ok! We have you covered. John broke the rules and took several videos and pictures inside much to my protest. At least he had good intentions. He wants to show the video to his students because he teaches about the Catacombs.
Once we arrived back at the hotel we took our daily nap and then got ready for a nice night out. We decided that at least one night of the trip we should have a really nice meal since John’s dad told us to and kindly financed the meal. We booked a restaurant the night before but when we arrived the terrace was closed and the inside didn’t look too nice....so we headed off to the Spanish steps to eat at a restaurant we saw there at the top. Unfortunately, the restaurant was all booked up so we had to find someplace else. I was getting frustrated because I was starting to sweat off all my makeup and my neatly fixed hair was getting curly and frizzy with the humidity. The guy at the last place recommended a nice restaurant down the road so we headed there. When we arrived they fortunately gave us a table and we had a really nice meal and a good time. After leaving we decided we weren’t ready for our last night in Rome to be over so soon, so we headed to Piazza Navona for some after dinner wine. Around midnight we decided to call it a night which ended our time in Italy.
After grabbing a bite to eat we searched with no luck for a street market and then hailed a taxi to take us to the Catacombs. The Catacombs were great! John loved it! It was really cool to see where all the Christians were buried and even the Roman crematorium. The one we visited was the sight where the apostles Peter and Paul were temporarily laid to rest. If you’re curious about seeing the inside of the Catacombs but can’t fly out to Rome its ok! We have you covered. John broke the rules and took several videos and pictures inside much to my protest. At least he had good intentions. He wants to show the video to his students because he teaches about the Catacombs.
Once we arrived back at the hotel we took our daily nap and then got ready for a nice night out. We decided that at least one night of the trip we should have a really nice meal since John’s dad told us to and kindly financed the meal. We booked a restaurant the night before but when we arrived the terrace was closed and the inside didn’t look too nice....so we headed off to the Spanish steps to eat at a restaurant we saw there at the top. Unfortunately, the restaurant was all booked up so we had to find someplace else. I was getting frustrated because I was starting to sweat off all my makeup and my neatly fixed hair was getting curly and frizzy with the humidity. The guy at the last place recommended a nice restaurant down the road so we headed there. When we arrived they fortunately gave us a table and we had a really nice meal and a good time. After leaving we decided we weren’t ready for our last night in Rome to be over so soon, so we headed to Piazza Navona for some after dinner wine. Around midnight we decided to call it a night which ended our time in Italy.
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
Ancient Rome
Well today was definitely one of the most interesting days so far. We had a great lie-in followed by a great breakfast of bread, coffee and more bread. After breakfast we decided to visit Campo de Forioi which is an ancient fruit market near our hotel, as it had been at least 45min since we had breakfast we felt it was necessary to have a fruit snack. Now energized by our fruit snack we walked across the city in the sweltering heat to the remains of the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and the Colosseum. It was amazing seeing the scale on which it was all built and discovering more about the history of the city and how the remains are so fragmented due to years of plunder up until the late 1700’s. After looking around the Forum and Palatine Hill we walked on to the Colosseum which is incredible! We took an audio tour which explained all the history, along with many unbelievable stories, such as how they once found a whale on the coast; brought it into the colosseum; filled it full of live bears; hoisted the whale up onto the Colosseum floor; and then opened the mouth for the bears to escape and attack the gladiators!!
After leaving the Colosseum we walked back to the hotel for a customary nap before dinner. Following our nap we decided to go for a stroll to see the River Tiber and then find a restaurant nearby. Somehow we managed to find this tiny restaurant down a small quiet backstreet. The waiter was so nice he gave us a free appetizer and set us at his “most romantic” table. We enjoyed the appetizer, a 1/2 bottle of wine, and then our meal. After 8 days in Italy this was definitely the BEST meal we had! Not only did we get a great meal, but we also had good company. Towards the end of our meal an Italian man sat next to us and we had a great conversation. He was from Milan and he was one of the top violin makers in the world. He was a very gentle and friendly man, but at one point in the conversation he made a very good observation. He said that with most Americans he has seen, the girls seem to always put effort into the way they dress and look, but the boys seem to dress like slobs. For example...John. I was wearing a nice dress and John was wearing a soccer t-shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes. I guess he had a point. We enjoyed chatting with him but soon decided it was time to head back to the hotel to get a somewhat early night. Tomorrow is the Vatican and the Catacombs :)
After leaving the Colosseum we walked back to the hotel for a customary nap before dinner. Following our nap we decided to go for a stroll to see the River Tiber and then find a restaurant nearby. Somehow we managed to find this tiny restaurant down a small quiet backstreet. The waiter was so nice he gave us a free appetizer and set us at his “most romantic” table. We enjoyed the appetizer, a 1/2 bottle of wine, and then our meal. After 8 days in Italy this was definitely the BEST meal we had! Not only did we get a great meal, but we also had good company. Towards the end of our meal an Italian man sat next to us and we had a great conversation. He was from Milan and he was one of the top violin makers in the world. He was a very gentle and friendly man, but at one point in the conversation he made a very good observation. He said that with most Americans he has seen, the girls seem to always put effort into the way they dress and look, but the boys seem to dress like slobs. For example...John. I was wearing a nice dress and John was wearing a soccer t-shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes. I guess he had a point. We enjoyed chatting with him but soon decided it was time to head back to the hotel to get a somewhat early night. Tomorrow is the Vatican and the Catacombs :)
Monday, 5 July 2010
Pompeii and Naples
Today was a great day! The day started early, we were picked up at our hotel at 6:30 AM by a taxi to take us to the bus which would take us to Pompeii. We finally started our tour around 8 AM on our 3 hour bus ride to Pompeii. Our tour guide was funny, interesting, and bilingual. John and I were both very impressed that she was translating everything she said in English, Spanish, and German! We were really excited because this was the first decent tour guide we have had in Italy. Well, on the way to Pompeii our tour stopped in Naples for a 1 hour tour around the city. In Naples we got a new tour guide who was a local. She took us to a few places but she really was an awful guide. She would take us to a square and say, “this is the square...it was built in the 16th century” and that was it. We were not too impressed with Naples but I don’t think we had that great of an introduction. We got back on the bus and drove the 45 minutes to Pompeii. There they took us to a place where they showed us how they make jewelry out of shells, but it was very short and I missed the whole speech because I went to the bathroom. Afterwards they fed us lunch and prepared us for our trip to the ruins. We were sad to hear that we would have the same guide as in Naples, but we decided to try it anyway. All I can say about Pompeii is WOW! It was so neat to see the ancient town and how it worked. They had streets with crosswalks, indoor plumbing, a sauna, bars, swimming pools, and central heating! We could see the mosaics they had on the walls and pottery/statues. We also saw the human remains of people who were killed in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius along with the remains of animals. I was in awe by it all. We did have one embarrassing moment during the trip. Our tour guide was wearing a microphone and we were all wearing headphones so we could hear her easily, but whenever anyone was close to the tour guide her microphone would pick up their voice too and transmit it to all of the members of the group. Well John, the tour guide, and I were the last ones walking through the brothel remains and we were shocked by the pictures of sexual positions the Romans had painted above the rooms. We got to one pretty graphic one and John, who was standing very close to the guides microphone, said “This looks pretty graphic!” But for some reason he must have mumbled or something because to me it sounded like he said, “This looks like us!” The guide must have heard what I did because she immediately said, “Oh, are you two on your honeymoon?” I was mortified as I thought everybody in the group of 20 people heard this whole conversation! As soon as we got outside I whispered to John, “I can’t believe you just said that!” He was very confused as to why I was so embarrassed. After I explained to him what I heard he explained what he really said which made a lot more sense.
After the tour of the remains we hopped back on the bus to head back to Rome. As soon as we arrived back in Rome John and I decided to go out for a small dinner and call it an early night. After dinner however we decided to find a pharmacy because during our trip to Pompeii John’s frail English skin on his feet got a pretty severe burn and we wanted to get some cream. We go into the first pharmacy we find and ask the pharmacist if they have any cream for sever sun burns. He brought us a 15 Euro bottle of Aloe Vera, which we felt was too expensive. I was bound and determined to find John some cheaper cream so I set out to search the store for the aloe cream. Unfortunately, I do not know Italian and therefore was unable to read/understand the labels on the bottles. I eventually stumbled upon a promising looking bottle that had the words Aloe Vera written on it. I passed the bottle onto John who took it to the counter to pay. John asked the pharmacist how much the lotion cost, and the pharmacist gave him a little smile and said, “Are you sure you want this?” John said yes and the man said, “Well you know this is soap for your genitalia.” John, who was a little embarrassed, said no thanks and we left the store. As we were leaving John started laughing and then explained to me why he didn’t buy the product. I told him I was wondering why sunburn cream was in with the tampons...I guess I know for next time. Anyway, we are off to bed. We have ancient Rome to discover tomorrow!
After the tour of the remains we hopped back on the bus to head back to Rome. As soon as we arrived back in Rome John and I decided to go out for a small dinner and call it an early night. After dinner however we decided to find a pharmacy because during our trip to Pompeii John’s frail English skin on his feet got a pretty severe burn and we wanted to get some cream. We go into the first pharmacy we find and ask the pharmacist if they have any cream for sever sun burns. He brought us a 15 Euro bottle of Aloe Vera, which we felt was too expensive. I was bound and determined to find John some cheaper cream so I set out to search the store for the aloe cream. Unfortunately, I do not know Italian and therefore was unable to read/understand the labels on the bottles. I eventually stumbled upon a promising looking bottle that had the words Aloe Vera written on it. I passed the bottle onto John who took it to the counter to pay. John asked the pharmacist how much the lotion cost, and the pharmacist gave him a little smile and said, “Are you sure you want this?” John said yes and the man said, “Well you know this is soap for your genitalia.” John, who was a little embarrassed, said no thanks and we left the store. As we were leaving John started laughing and then explained to me why he didn’t buy the product. I told him I was wondering why sunburn cream was in with the tampons...I guess I know for next time. Anyway, we are off to bed. We have ancient Rome to discover tomorrow!
Roma!
The next morning we woke up really early to pack and catch our train to Rome. We arrived in Rome around noon, and after catching a taxi to our hotel we dropped off our bags and headed out for a stroll of the city. Within a 1 minute walk we found ourselves standing outside of the Pantheon! It was incredible to see the inside which is a 2000 year old building. The inside was all marble and stone and was gorgeous. It is crazy that the Romans were able to create such a feat of engineering at that time. As we walked out of the Pantheon we were accosted by a gypsy dressed up as a Roman soldier who wanted to take pictures with us. We reluctantly agreed and took several pictures in different poses. We were going to give him a tip but then he said, “10 euros....5 each.” We thought that was extremely steep so we bartered him down to 5 Euros...which I still felt was steep. Afterwards we grabbed a bite to eat and headed to Piazza De Navona which is a minute walk on the other side of our hotel. Literally everywhere you turn in Rome is a famous ancient statue or building! It is honestly overwhelming! It would take a month to properly visit all of these places. Afterwards John had a short nap while I planned some trips for later in the week. We then set off again to see the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps...with of course a bunch of lesser known monuments and buildings on the way. Rome is truly amazing...far better than we expected! I can’t wait to explore it more in the coming days. Tomorrow we are headed off to explore Naples and Pompeii! I will be sure to give you a detailed report when we return!
Florence
We arrived in Florence around 1:30 am the next morning and checked into our room. I took the morning to sleep in while John returned the rental car. We finally got moving mid-day and decided to book a wine tour since we were in Tuscany, the home of Chianti wine. We took a tour bus up to a vineyard and learned about the wine making process and toured the storage rooms and the gardens. Afterward, we had a wine tasting then headed to a small town square where we were able to shop. When we arrived back in Florence we were so exhausted we decided to take a long nap before dinner. We finally headed out for a late dinner where we ate while an opera singer sang in the square. The whole atmosphere of the food, beautiful square, and the opera singer made for a really good night.
The next morning John and I wanted to explore more of Florence. We had a few hours before our tour began so we decided to walk down to a bridge in the medieval quarter which in fact looks more like a street lined with shops rather than a bridge. It was incredible to see...all the shops sold Diamonds...John bought them all for me ;) (I wish). We then walked to the Pitti Palace where we saw an art gallery filled with art from famous renaissance artists. We also toured the royal apartments and saw some amazing rooms. I learned a valuable lesson...don’t touch the statues or else you will set off an alarm. Following my brush with the law, we decided have a little walk around the city until the start of our tour. Once our tour started we saw great sights such as the Duomo and the baptistry in addition to learning a lot about the colorful history of the city. As soon as the tour ended John and I rushed back to the Duomo so we could view the inside of the cathedral and walk to the top of the massive dome. The walk to the top of the dome was very interesting. The staircase was very narrow and winding...aka claustrophobic. Once we finally made it to the top the view was breathtaking! On the way back to the hotel we had a great time bartering in the marketplace with locals for some great souvenirs. Once we arrived home we had a short nap and then headed to another great dinner accompanied by a pianist playing in the square.
The next morning John and I wanted to explore more of Florence. We had a few hours before our tour began so we decided to walk down to a bridge in the medieval quarter which in fact looks more like a street lined with shops rather than a bridge. It was incredible to see...all the shops sold Diamonds...John bought them all for me ;) (I wish). We then walked to the Pitti Palace where we saw an art gallery filled with art from famous renaissance artists. We also toured the royal apartments and saw some amazing rooms. I learned a valuable lesson...don’t touch the statues or else you will set off an alarm. Following my brush with the law, we decided have a little walk around the city until the start of our tour. Once our tour started we saw great sights such as the Duomo and the baptistry in addition to learning a lot about the colorful history of the city. As soon as the tour ended John and I rushed back to the Duomo so we could view the inside of the cathedral and walk to the top of the massive dome. The walk to the top of the dome was very interesting. The staircase was very narrow and winding...aka claustrophobic. Once we finally made it to the top the view was breathtaking! On the way back to the hotel we had a great time bartering in the marketplace with locals for some great souvenirs. Once we arrived home we had a short nap and then headed to another great dinner accompanied by a pianist playing in the square.
The Palio and Siena
Unfortunately we have not had internet access so I have had to write my experiences down in a word document and then copy them over to my blog later. I have also kept extremely busy so I haven’t written in awhile. SO here goes the past 4 days of our Italy trip!
On Thursday it was time to say goodbye to Venice. We took the water bus back to the main land and rented a car to drive to Siena. This was by far the part of the trip John was the most worried about. We have heard nothing good about Italian drivers, but it was time to see for ourselves. We hit the road for the 3 hour drive on our way to Siena. We did find that the rumors of Italian drivers ring true! They drive really fast and tail right behind you honking for you to get out of their way.
We were headed to Siena to attend the Palio. The Palio is a horse race they have in Siena twice a year. It is where they take 10 wild horses and race them bareback around a track located in a square at the center of town. The race lasts 2 minutes but the build up is amazing! The people walk in groups wearing their flag and sing songs. They put on a show of flag waving, drums, and even a charge on horseback with swords. The town of Siena itself is a beautiful place. It is a walled city built on the side of a mountain. The town is divided into 10 contradas. Every member of the town is baptized into a certain contrada (districts)...based on family heritage or residence. Each contrada has a horse, jockey, and a flag. During Palio week the whole town is a buzz with excitement. For three days before the race they perform practice races. On the last night before the race each contrada gives a “good luck” dinner for the jockey and every member of the contrada is in attendance. John and I went to the final practice race and were able to score tickets to a contrada dinner (few tourists get to go). We watched the race from a rooftop and then attended the dinner where the local teens served us course after course of food, wine, and champagne. They sang songs, gave toasts, and cheered on their jockey. The party lasted well into the night but John and I had to leave around mid-night to drive to our hotel in Florence.
On Thursday it was time to say goodbye to Venice. We took the water bus back to the main land and rented a car to drive to Siena. This was by far the part of the trip John was the most worried about. We have heard nothing good about Italian drivers, but it was time to see for ourselves. We hit the road for the 3 hour drive on our way to Siena. We did find that the rumors of Italian drivers ring true! They drive really fast and tail right behind you honking for you to get out of their way.
We were headed to Siena to attend the Palio. The Palio is a horse race they have in Siena twice a year. It is where they take 10 wild horses and race them bareback around a track located in a square at the center of town. The race lasts 2 minutes but the build up is amazing! The people walk in groups wearing their flag and sing songs. They put on a show of flag waving, drums, and even a charge on horseback with swords. The town of Siena itself is a beautiful place. It is a walled city built on the side of a mountain. The town is divided into 10 contradas. Every member of the town is baptized into a certain contrada (districts)...based on family heritage or residence. Each contrada has a horse, jockey, and a flag. During Palio week the whole town is a buzz with excitement. For three days before the race they perform practice races. On the last night before the race each contrada gives a “good luck” dinner for the jockey and every member of the contrada is in attendance. John and I went to the final practice race and were able to score tickets to a contrada dinner (few tourists get to go). We watched the race from a rooftop and then attended the dinner where the local teens served us course after course of food, wine, and champagne. They sang songs, gave toasts, and cheered on their jockey. The party lasted well into the night but John and I had to leave around mid-night to drive to our hotel in Florence.
Friday, 2 July 2010
Venezia!
Our flight to Italy was nothing too exciting. The plane was so small we just climbed an attachable stair case onto the plane instead of the normal hallway type attachment. The flight was short. We did fly over the Alps which was beautiful! I took several pictures from the plane of the snow covered mountains. When we arrived in Italy we caught a bus to Venice, or Venecia as the Italians call it. Once we arrived in Venice we caught a water taxi to our hotel. We are staying at the Hotel Galleria which is right on the Grand Canal. The views are amazing! On the boat ride over we could not believe how beautiful and interesting the buildings were. I could not stop taking pictures because every turn was a photographic view. It was truly surreal! Once we arrived at our hotel we dropped our bags off and headed out for a true Italian meal on the water front. We ordered pizza, wine, and bread! After our meal we went to a square where most of the college students hang out to enjoy a few drinks before we called it a night.
The next morning we were awoken by the hotel staff bringing us breakfast in our room. We ate sitting next to the window so we could enjoy the view of the canal. Our hotel room is very quaint to say the least. It is beautiful and cozy but we have no air conditioning or bathroom. We have to walk down the hall to the small one stall/one shower bathroom if we need to shower or use the restroom. We do have a sink in our room which is nice. The hotel staff couldn't be any nicer. They all are extremely fluent in English, even though John keeps trying to speak to them in Italian anyway haha. After breakfast we walked down to St. Mark (San Marco) square where we went on a walking tour of the city. We went into the basicalla which was breathtaking! I was not allowed to take photos inside but just imagine all the dome shaped ceilings with religious paintings painted in gold! The floors and walls were made of at least 7 different types of marble and there were archways along every hallway. To go into any church in Italy you must be covered from your knees up and your shoulders must also be covered. I didn’t realize the tour took us into the Basicalla so I was wearing a sleeveless dress. I had to pay one Euro for a paper scarf to wear around my shoulders. Our tour guide, who spoke very fast and about really complicated historical events, took us all over the city teaching us about each part.
After the tour we ate pizza for lunch, walked around several of the shops, ate some gellato, and then came back to the hotel for a short nap. The weather here is much like the weather in Georgia...hot and humid! I had to buy a hat today to keep cool. After our nap we freshened up and went out for a light dinner. We found this nice little restaurant where we had some brushetta, wine, and hams and cheeses. Then we decided to go on a gondola ride since we are in Venice and it is the tourist thing to do. Next in line for the night was a walking ghost tour. Once the tour was over John and I were so thirsty and tired we stopped back at the place we had dinner for drinks and dessert. To end the night we came back to our hotel room to try to get an early night sleep. We will be getting up early tomorrow to drive to Senia to watch the palio! Until next time...
The next morning we were awoken by the hotel staff bringing us breakfast in our room. We ate sitting next to the window so we could enjoy the view of the canal. Our hotel room is very quaint to say the least. It is beautiful and cozy but we have no air conditioning or bathroom. We have to walk down the hall to the small one stall/one shower bathroom if we need to shower or use the restroom. We do have a sink in our room which is nice. The hotel staff couldn't be any nicer. They all are extremely fluent in English, even though John keeps trying to speak to them in Italian anyway haha. After breakfast we walked down to St. Mark (San Marco) square where we went on a walking tour of the city. We went into the basicalla which was breathtaking! I was not allowed to take photos inside but just imagine all the dome shaped ceilings with religious paintings painted in gold! The floors and walls were made of at least 7 different types of marble and there were archways along every hallway. To go into any church in Italy you must be covered from your knees up and your shoulders must also be covered. I didn’t realize the tour took us into the Basicalla so I was wearing a sleeveless dress. I had to pay one Euro for a paper scarf to wear around my shoulders. Our tour guide, who spoke very fast and about really complicated historical events, took us all over the city teaching us about each part.
After the tour we ate pizza for lunch, walked around several of the shops, ate some gellato, and then came back to the hotel for a short nap. The weather here is much like the weather in Georgia...hot and humid! I had to buy a hat today to keep cool. After our nap we freshened up and went out for a light dinner. We found this nice little restaurant where we had some brushetta, wine, and hams and cheeses. Then we decided to go on a gondola ride since we are in Venice and it is the tourist thing to do. Next in line for the night was a walking ghost tour. Once the tour was over John and I were so thirsty and tired we stopped back at the place we had dinner for drinks and dessert. To end the night we came back to our hotel room to try to get an early night sleep. We will be getting up early tomorrow to drive to Senia to watch the palio! Until next time...
Monday, 28 June 2010
Preparing for Italy
These last two days John and I have taken a few days to relax and spend time with his family before we leave for Italy. Yesterday we woke up early and went for another hike on the Moors so I could practice using my new camera. Afterward, we came home to prepare for the big England game against Germany. Unfortunately England lost, but we still had a nice BBQ with John's family and friends that night.
Today John and I went for a bike ride in Clumber Park. It was beautiful and good exercise. It took me awhile to get used to riding a bike again, but once I did it was fun! Afterward we spent some time sitting in the yard soaking up the sun until the sky went gloomy. We enjoyed a dinner of steak and guiness pie finished off with some gooseberry crumble. Tonight we will pack for Italy! We will be leaving tomorrow afternoon and arrive in Venice in time for dinner. We are extremly excited! I hope I will have internet access in Italy so I can update my blog, but if I don't I will have a lot to tell you when I return home! Love you all!
Today John and I went for a bike ride in Clumber Park. It was beautiful and good exercise. It took me awhile to get used to riding a bike again, but once I did it was fun! Afterward we spent some time sitting in the yard soaking up the sun until the sky went gloomy. We enjoyed a dinner of steak and guiness pie finished off with some gooseberry crumble. Tonight we will pack for Italy! We will be leaving tomorrow afternoon and arrive in Venice in time for dinner. We are extremly excited! I hope I will have internet access in Italy so I can update my blog, but if I don't I will have a lot to tell you when I return home! Love you all!
Saturday, 26 June 2010
Scotland
John and I have had a very interesting few days. We decided to visit some of John's friends from college. We left on Wednesday to visit his friend Hillary in Worcester, the home of Worcestershire sauce. On the way there we stopped in the town of Warwick to see Warwick Castle. Warwick castle was amazing! It was a beautiful castle and very interesting to visit. When we first went into the castle we had a picnic overlooking a pretty river and the castle's trebuchet. We then went on a tour of the castle's dungeons. This was very neat! They hired actors to play different roles throughout the castle including the roles of dungeon workers. It was a little scary since the dungeons were dark and creepy. Each room had a different purpose and there was an actor in there to show you just what that purpose was, such as torture room, autopsy room, execution room, prisoners quarters, and court. Not only were the actors involved but they also involved the members of the tour. The first room we went into I was chosen to participate...this was the autopsy room! There was a doctor there who was performing an autopsy on a man who died of the plague. He ripped out his organs and squirted the crowd with them...since I was in the first row I had organ juice dripping down my face and hair! He then pointed at me and said that he needed me to go sit in a chair. He pulled a curtain around me and turned on a spotlight so the crowd could see my shadow. Next he pretended to pound me in the head with a hammer and then he took a hook and took bits out of my brain to examine to learn more about the plague. It was fun and I actually learned a lot about the times of the castle. After the dungeon tour we toured the rest of the castle. In one part of the castle we traveled back in time to the early 1900's where we attended a weekend party where an actor tried to seduce me to go to bed with him. We walked up and down the towers and visited the parts where they would prepare for war.
After the castle there was still about an hour left of the England vs Slovenia game, so we walked into town and went into the first pub we found. The pub was all decorated in England flags and it was so crowded John and I had to stand in the doorway to see the TV. It was a real neat experience to see an English pub during a world cup match.
When the game was over we drove on down to Worcester and went to dinner with Hillary and her fiance David. It was fun to meet them and hear about their college days. The next morning John and I drove up to Scotland to visit his friend Ally in Glasgow. This is where John went to college so he had fun showing me around the school and town. We went out to dinner and then to different pubs and even a night club! One of the pubs was in an old church! It was really cool inside. It was really neat because it was graduation night so there were several men out in their full kilt garb!
The next morning John, Ally, and I drove to Edinburgh. We visited the Edinburgh Castle, which is still a working castle, and we walked down the royal mile. The countryside up around there and northern England was beautiful! It is called the lake district and there are just miles of rolling hills and farmland. We left Scotland later that evening to head back home to England. Most of you know that John is a magnet for cops in America. Getting pulled over is a monthly, if not weekly, occurrence for him. Well I was pleased to find out that things are no different for him in Great Britain. On the way home John decided to call his parents to let them know what time to expect us. John forgot that it is illegal to talk on your cell while driving in Great Britain. Well, while John was on the phone, one out of the two cops that patrol all of the motorways in Britain happened to pass our car and see John on his cellular phone. They pulled us over immediately! John had to get out of the car and get into the back of the police car. I was terrified because in America that only happens when you are arrested. John handed the cop his Georgia license instead of his English license and explained that he has lived in America for years now and simply was in the habit of talking on the phone in the car. The cop told him he could arrest him or let him go, but since it was such a hassle to arrest him they decided to let him off with a warning. I was pleased because not only did I not want John to go to jail, but I also didn't like the thought of being stuck in the middle of Scotland by myself with a manual car, which I can't drive.
Once John escaped with his freedom we headed the rest of the way home. I was really excited to take a picture with the "welcome to England" sign when we crossed the border. I had a picture with the Scotland sign on the way up and wanted one with England as well. Well as we approached the sign we were sad to see a police car sitting on the side of the road directly across from the sign. Although we weren't sure if it was illegal or not to take pictures on the side of the interstate, after our brush with the law earlier we decided not to chance it and pull over. John just told me to stick my camera out the window and take one as we passed by. In the hustle to get out my camera, turn it on and take the picture before we passed the sign I somehow broke my camera! I was all upset because we are headed to Italy in a few days and I really wanted to have pictures. John assured me that we could borrow his sisters camera, but I was still upset. We arrived home around midnight and went straight to bed. This morning I woke up and found that John had gone into town and bought me a new pink camera, camera case, and memory card as an early birthday gift! I'm so lucky to have such a sweet and thoughtful boyfriend! Well, tonight we are going to eat Chinese and relax. I will write again soon!
After the castle there was still about an hour left of the England vs Slovenia game, so we walked into town and went into the first pub we found. The pub was all decorated in England flags and it was so crowded John and I had to stand in the doorway to see the TV. It was a real neat experience to see an English pub during a world cup match.
When the game was over we drove on down to Worcester and went to dinner with Hillary and her fiance David. It was fun to meet them and hear about their college days. The next morning John and I drove up to Scotland to visit his friend Ally in Glasgow. This is where John went to college so he had fun showing me around the school and town. We went out to dinner and then to different pubs and even a night club! One of the pubs was in an old church! It was really cool inside. It was really neat because it was graduation night so there were several men out in their full kilt garb!
The next morning John, Ally, and I drove to Edinburgh. We visited the Edinburgh Castle, which is still a working castle, and we walked down the royal mile. The countryside up around there and northern England was beautiful! It is called the lake district and there are just miles of rolling hills and farmland. We left Scotland later that evening to head back home to England. Most of you know that John is a magnet for cops in America. Getting pulled over is a monthly, if not weekly, occurrence for him. Well I was pleased to find out that things are no different for him in Great Britain. On the way home John decided to call his parents to let them know what time to expect us. John forgot that it is illegal to talk on your cell while driving in Great Britain. Well, while John was on the phone, one out of the two cops that patrol all of the motorways in Britain happened to pass our car and see John on his cellular phone. They pulled us over immediately! John had to get out of the car and get into the back of the police car. I was terrified because in America that only happens when you are arrested. John handed the cop his Georgia license instead of his English license and explained that he has lived in America for years now and simply was in the habit of talking on the phone in the car. The cop told him he could arrest him or let him go, but since it was such a hassle to arrest him they decided to let him off with a warning. I was pleased because not only did I not want John to go to jail, but I also didn't like the thought of being stuck in the middle of Scotland by myself with a manual car, which I can't drive.
Once John escaped with his freedom we headed the rest of the way home. I was really excited to take a picture with the "welcome to England" sign when we crossed the border. I had a picture with the Scotland sign on the way up and wanted one with England as well. Well as we approached the sign we were sad to see a police car sitting on the side of the road directly across from the sign. Although we weren't sure if it was illegal or not to take pictures on the side of the interstate, after our brush with the law earlier we decided not to chance it and pull over. John just told me to stick my camera out the window and take one as we passed by. In the hustle to get out my camera, turn it on and take the picture before we passed the sign I somehow broke my camera! I was all upset because we are headed to Italy in a few days and I really wanted to have pictures. John assured me that we could borrow his sisters camera, but I was still upset. We arrived home around midnight and went straight to bed. This morning I woke up and found that John had gone into town and bought me a new pink camera, camera case, and memory card as an early birthday gift! I'm so lucky to have such a sweet and thoughtful boyfriend! Well, tonight we are going to eat Chinese and relax. I will write again soon!
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
In the land of Robin Hood!
Today was a very interesting day! The morning started off early. John's sister Mary is a Kindergarten teacher, which is called year 1 in England. She told all of her students that John and I were coming to visit the family weeks ago, and they were super excited about it. The students just learned about the Wizard of Oz and wanted to hear me speak "Kansas" (American accent) So, John and I decided to go up to the school today to talk to them and teach them a little lesson about America. Anyway, last night Mary, John, and I set up a lesson and I was woken up at 7:15 AM this morning to get ready to go to this school. When we arrived the students had prepared questions to ask us about America. The questions were so cute and funny! The first question I got was from a cute little girl who asked, "Do you wear hairbands (headbands to Americans)?" I was also asked, "Do you have clams?" "Do you carry baskets on your head?" "How hot is the sun?" "How many birds do you have?""Where is Disney World?" "Do you walk on sand or concrete?" and many many more. We answered just about all of their wide variety of questions and then went through a powerpoint of pictures from America. It was funny because John is so used to high school students that he started to try to explain to them about the English settlers and how we got the names of states such as New York. The students just stared at him. Fortunately he stopped before he tried to explain time zones.
After the lesson, the students drew pictures of American things and asked us more questions. Afterward, it was their recess time. We were going to leave but they were so excited that they begged us to stay a little longer...so we did. I couldn't leave them because they were soooo cute! When we went outside both John and I had 6-7 little kids dangling from our arms! They mobbed us....we actually kinda felt like celebrities! While I was getting a make over from the girls, John was being told they wanted to drag him to the bottom of the hill and eat him. The little girls then put on a performance of some Wizard of Oz songs while some older girls at recess questioned me on American shops and restaurants. They all love my "accent" and were asking me to say things. Eventually we had to leave and the students were so upset. Mary even told me that one of the girls started to cry because I left!
Once we left the school we went to Sherwood Forest (where Robin Hood lived). Since it was once again a beautiful day we decided to take a picnic of bread and cheese to eat while we were there. We ate our picnic and took a brief nap in the sun before we headed into the forest. We walked to "The Big Oak" which was apparently where Robin Hood and his Merry Men would meet. We also got to see some of the props from the newest Robin Hood movie with Russel Crowe. We also got to see John's doppelganger from the past. I'll have to tell you more about that later ;)
When we came home John and I sat out in the front yard and tanned...well to be honest I didn't get any sun but John burned haha. We fell asleep in the chairs until his family came out to join us for a few drinks and a chat. Once the sun started to go down we came in for dinner. John's mom made John his favorite, and against my wishes, requested meal...steak and kidney pie! Gulp! All I have to say is I ate it and it wasn't terrible. My mental block of the kidney made it hard to stomach though. We finished the meal with pudding (their word for dessert). It was gooseberry pie....another first for me...but this time it was very enjoyable!
Well that was my day today. Tomorrow we are headed to Warwick Castle and then Scotland so I may not make a new post for a few days. I will catch you up as soon as I return. Love you all..best wishes!
After the lesson, the students drew pictures of American things and asked us more questions. Afterward, it was their recess time. We were going to leave but they were so excited that they begged us to stay a little longer...so we did. I couldn't leave them because they were soooo cute! When we went outside both John and I had 6-7 little kids dangling from our arms! They mobbed us....we actually kinda felt like celebrities! While I was getting a make over from the girls, John was being told they wanted to drag him to the bottom of the hill and eat him. The little girls then put on a performance of some Wizard of Oz songs while some older girls at recess questioned me on American shops and restaurants. They all love my "accent" and were asking me to say things. Eventually we had to leave and the students were so upset. Mary even told me that one of the girls started to cry because I left!
Once we left the school we went to Sherwood Forest (where Robin Hood lived). Since it was once again a beautiful day we decided to take a picnic of bread and cheese to eat while we were there. We ate our picnic and took a brief nap in the sun before we headed into the forest. We walked to "The Big Oak" which was apparently where Robin Hood and his Merry Men would meet. We also got to see some of the props from the newest Robin Hood movie with Russel Crowe. We also got to see John's doppelganger from the past. I'll have to tell you more about that later ;)
When we came home John and I sat out in the front yard and tanned...well to be honest I didn't get any sun but John burned haha. We fell asleep in the chairs until his family came out to join us for a few drinks and a chat. Once the sun started to go down we came in for dinner. John's mom made John his favorite, and against my wishes, requested meal...steak and kidney pie! Gulp! All I have to say is I ate it and it wasn't terrible. My mental block of the kidney made it hard to stomach though. We finished the meal with pudding (their word for dessert). It was gooseberry pie....another first for me...but this time it was very enjoyable!
Well that was my day today. Tomorrow we are headed to Warwick Castle and then Scotland so I may not make a new post for a few days. I will catch you up as soon as I return. Love you all..best wishes!
Monday, 21 June 2010
The Moorelands and Chatsworth House
Its been a few days since I've written and there is a lot to catch you up on. Friday night John and I taught his family how to play Rummikube and they really enjoyed it. I bought it for them before we left America as a "thank you for letting me stay here" gift. Then on Saturday John and I went for a hike on the Moorelands. Basically it is just a bunch of cliffs and rocks surrounded by fields of sheep and heather. When we left it was in the mid 50s but on top of the cliffs if was very windy and cold. I had on a long sleeve shirt, two jackets, and a scarf. It was cloudy and freezing! However, it was BEAUTIFUL! We took several pictures. It was my first time really seeing sheep up close, and in the wild, so I kept trying to get close enough to pet them. They wouldn't have any of it though. The best part was when we got to the top of the cliffs there was an ice cream truck waiting there...so we of course got another 99.
Later that night we went out for Mary's birthday. We went to a pizza place with several of Mary's friends, and this is where I made my first social blunder. We were eating our pizza and I didn't think anything of it until I heard John say, "I'll eat it with my hands too." I looked down the table and every single person was eating their pizza with their knife and fork. I totally forgot that eating with your hands was an American thing to do. It was sweet though because Pete (Mary's husband) and John ate their pizza with their hands to make me not stand out so much. Afterward we went to a pub for a drink and then went home.
The weather up here is so crazy, it changes drastically from day to day. For instance, Sunday John and I went for another hike on the Moorelands. It was beautiful! It was about 70 degrees, sunny, and not near as windy. We hiked to Robin Hood's cave and saw several people rock climbing and repelling. Then, we drove to this little church were we saw Little John's grave. The road up to this church was ridiculous! Barely one car could fit up this curvy road but it was still a two lane road. I took a video of it to show yall when I get back. I do get very car sick almost every time I get in the car because the roads are so curvy and they are constantly swirving around parked cars. Anyway, after our hike we went out for a pub meal (basically its just a restaurant with a bar) with John's family for Father's day. I had a Sunday roast and yorkshire pudding which a traditional English meal. Pete had this starter called black pudding. It looked odd so I asked what it was...it turns out it is pork and pigs blood :/ YUK!
This morning John and I got up and went to his Granny's house to look around. His mom is cleaning it out due to her recent death. It was very neat to see all of the old things she had, but it was also very sad. Afterward, John and I went to Chatsworth house. This is the Duke of Devonshire's house. It was in the Pride and Prejudice movie as Mr. Darcy's house. The house was enormous and beautiful. We had a picnic in the gardens and worked our way through a human maze. It was a beautiful day...the warmest yet. We toured the house and of course had an ice cream when we were finished. Tonight for dinner I was forced to have a meal of fish and chips. It actually wasn't that bad...it hardly tasted fishy at all. I'm sure I will be exposed to it again soon. Well....this novel must come to an end eventually. Sorry it was so choppy and broad.
Later that night we went out for Mary's birthday. We went to a pizza place with several of Mary's friends, and this is where I made my first social blunder. We were eating our pizza and I didn't think anything of it until I heard John say, "I'll eat it with my hands too." I looked down the table and every single person was eating their pizza with their knife and fork. I totally forgot that eating with your hands was an American thing to do. It was sweet though because Pete (Mary's husband) and John ate their pizza with their hands to make me not stand out so much. Afterward we went to a pub for a drink and then went home.
The weather up here is so crazy, it changes drastically from day to day. For instance, Sunday John and I went for another hike on the Moorelands. It was beautiful! It was about 70 degrees, sunny, and not near as windy. We hiked to Robin Hood's cave and saw several people rock climbing and repelling. Then, we drove to this little church were we saw Little John's grave. The road up to this church was ridiculous! Barely one car could fit up this curvy road but it was still a two lane road. I took a video of it to show yall when I get back. I do get very car sick almost every time I get in the car because the roads are so curvy and they are constantly swirving around parked cars. Anyway, after our hike we went out for a pub meal (basically its just a restaurant with a bar) with John's family for Father's day. I had a Sunday roast and yorkshire pudding which a traditional English meal. Pete had this starter called black pudding. It looked odd so I asked what it was...it turns out it is pork and pigs blood :/ YUK!
This morning John and I got up and went to his Granny's house to look around. His mom is cleaning it out due to her recent death. It was very neat to see all of the old things she had, but it was also very sad. Afterward, John and I went to Chatsworth house. This is the Duke of Devonshire's house. It was in the Pride and Prejudice movie as Mr. Darcy's house. The house was enormous and beautiful. We had a picnic in the gardens and worked our way through a human maze. It was a beautiful day...the warmest yet. We toured the house and of course had an ice cream when we were finished. Tonight for dinner I was forced to have a meal of fish and chips. It actually wasn't that bad...it hardly tasted fishy at all. I'm sure I will be exposed to it again soon. Well....this novel must come to an end eventually. Sorry it was so choppy and broad.
My first day in Sheffield
This is another e-mail I wrote to my mom and sister.
When I e-mailed you last night it was 12:30 AM here. As soon as I finished my e-mail I took a shower...which I feel was the best shower I have ever taken. I felt so refreshed and awake that John and I decided to watch some 48 hour mystery on downstairs. Within the first 10 minutes of the show we both fell asleep. We then went upstairs to our bedrooms and I slept until 12:30 in the afternoon...which is around 7:30 AM your time. We ate breakfast and showered and decided to go into town. I was wearing a dress and about froze to death today! It was about 60 degrees, cloudy and windy. I will tell you Jenn, you were right about the shorts. I have only seen two people total my whole time here wear them and they had on weird leggings with them. The people in London dress really strange, but the people in Sheffield dress more normal. They were all wearing pants and jackets. Also, if they do wear dresses they almost always wear stockings with it. Also, I wanted to tell you about the public restrooms. When you go to wash your hands you will be surprised to find that they don't have cold water...quite the opposite actually. The water was scalding HOT! I couldn't keep my hands in the water long enough to wash the soap off! They even had signs that say, "Caution HOT!" It is like they are trying to burn the germs off of you.
Today we went into town. It was very different riding on the opposite side of the car. John drove and I was terrified for my life! The roads here don't have stop signs...they are all yield and there are very few red lights. They have a lot of traffic circles. The roads are very narrow and the speed limits are high! We parked in a building called the cheese grater....because it actually looks like a cheese grater! We walked around Sheffield for a few hours. We saw an abbey that was built in the 1100s. We also saw a Cathedral that was built around 1200....it was beautiful! We went in and took lots of pictures. John's house has parts that were built in the 1700s. I think that is what is so different over here. Most of the buildings are older than America.....and you would be hard pressed to find a wooden building of any kind. All of the buildings are made of stone or brick. Sheffield is where stainless steel was invented so I'll have to bring you back some.
We then came home to celebrate Mary's (John's sister) 30th birthday. His mom made us a very nice meal and now we are watching England play Algeria and drinking tea (with milk and sugar). It is 9:10 PM here now and it is still light out. It doesn't get dark until around 10:30 PM! I am going to try to get to sleep around 11PM tonight so I can start adjusting better to the time change. Tomorrow we are thinking of going to the Moors for a hike.
Anyway, I hope ya'll are having cooler weather down there. I will e-mail you again shortly. Love you~Brittany
PS: Jenn, the tube is the subway. Here they call a walking path that goes under the street a subway and the "marta" is called the tube. I'm trying to get into the lingo ;)
When I e-mailed you last night it was 12:30 AM here. As soon as I finished my e-mail I took a shower...which I feel was the best shower I have ever taken. I felt so refreshed and awake that John and I decided to watch some 48 hour mystery on downstairs. Within the first 10 minutes of the show we both fell asleep. We then went upstairs to our bedrooms and I slept until 12:30 in the afternoon...which is around 7:30 AM your time. We ate breakfast and showered and decided to go into town. I was wearing a dress and about froze to death today! It was about 60 degrees, cloudy and windy. I will tell you Jenn, you were right about the shorts. I have only seen two people total my whole time here wear them and they had on weird leggings with them. The people in London dress really strange, but the people in Sheffield dress more normal. They were all wearing pants and jackets. Also, if they do wear dresses they almost always wear stockings with it. Also, I wanted to tell you about the public restrooms. When you go to wash your hands you will be surprised to find that they don't have cold water...quite the opposite actually. The water was scalding HOT! I couldn't keep my hands in the water long enough to wash the soap off! They even had signs that say, "Caution HOT!" It is like they are trying to burn the germs off of you.
Today we went into town. It was very different riding on the opposite side of the car. John drove and I was terrified for my life! The roads here don't have stop signs...they are all yield and there are very few red lights. They have a lot of traffic circles. The roads are very narrow and the speed limits are high! We parked in a building called the cheese grater....because it actually looks like a cheese grater! We walked around Sheffield for a few hours. We saw an abbey that was built in the 1100s. We also saw a Cathedral that was built around 1200....it was beautiful! We went in and took lots of pictures. John's house has parts that were built in the 1700s. I think that is what is so different over here. Most of the buildings are older than America.....and you would be hard pressed to find a wooden building of any kind. All of the buildings are made of stone or brick. Sheffield is where stainless steel was invented so I'll have to bring you back some.
We then came home to celebrate Mary's (John's sister) 30th birthday. His mom made us a very nice meal and now we are watching England play Algeria and drinking tea (with milk and sugar). It is 9:10 PM here now and it is still light out. It doesn't get dark until around 10:30 PM! I am going to try to get to sleep around 11PM tonight so I can start adjusting better to the time change. Tomorrow we are thinking of going to the Moors for a hike.
Anyway, I hope ya'll are having cooler weather down there. I will e-mail you again shortly. Love you~Brittany
PS: Jenn, the tube is the subway. Here they call a walking path that goes under the street a subway and the "marta" is called the tube. I'm trying to get into the lingo ;)
Travel days
I wrote my mom and sister an e-mail from the first few days of travel. Instead of just re-writing it, I will just copy and paste the e-mail.
So I made it to Sheffield England alive and well after almost two full days of traveling! When I first got on the plane I was pretty nervous since I haven't been on such a big plane before and been on such a long trip. I was excited but nervous. The plane ride was much harder than I expected. Knowing myself I thought I could sleep ANYWHERE and through ANYTHING....well....anywhere but in a coach seat on an airplane. I was initially excited with the movie selection and game options on my flight. Our flight didn't take off till 10:55 pm, so I soon discovered watching a movie wasn't the best idea I ever had. I started it around 11...so it was 1:30 AM when it finished. That gave me about 5 hours to sleep. Sleep was hard because there isn't much leg room and it was hard to get comfortable. I probably only got around 3 hours total of sleep. However, they did feed us two meal which was nice. Jenn, I advise you to take a sleeping pill as soon as you board. John did and he slept pretty much the entire flight. Also Jenn, my TV did start working in case you were wondering. Flying over the UK was beautiful! It looked like Kansas farmland but much greener and not as flat. We finally got off the plane around 7:30 AM GA time...12:30 PM English time. John was able to go through the border in 2 seconds...literally...but I had to wait in a 30 min line to go through customs. They asked me all sorts of questions but I guess they decided I was harmless enough. Once we finally got our bags we rode the tube to the train station where we left our bags. There John got me a sausage pastry roll for lunch which was surprisingly very tasty! We decided to go to the imperial war museum to look around while we waited for our 7:30 PM train. We were directed to the London Bridge tube stop so I got to see that. We then realized we were directed to the wrong tub stop so we decided to walk the three miles to the museum since the weather was so beautiful. We kept getting lost but were able to see a lot of the city. I was surprised to see how old the buildings looked and how different London was from our big cities at home. We finally made it to the museum but shortly into the holocaust exhibit we realized we were too tired to really enjoy it. So, we left and were very happy to see an ice cream truck sitting outside the museum. John was giddy ha ha. He bought me a 99 which is a vanilla ice cream cone with a flaky chocolate stick stuck in it. The ice cream here is much different than the ice cream at home. It has the consistency of whipped cream...but it still tasted good. You can hold it upside down and it won't drip or fall out. We took our ice cream to the nearby park and laid down on a bench to enjoy the sun and rest. We then left to head back to the train station. I was able to ride my first train to Chesterfield where John's parents picked us up. The train ride was nice but I was getting tired of traveling...and I started to smell. John's parents drove us past the crooked spire in Chesterfield which is a church spire that is warped from age. Google it. We finally made it to John's house where we had a snack and tea. His parents are very friendly and welcoming. His dad had american flags out to greet me :) I feel comfortable here already. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know I made it here safely, yet tired and dirty. I am going to shower and try to get some rest and adjust to the time change. I'll keep you posted on my trip. Love you!~Brittany
So I made it to Sheffield England alive and well after almost two full days of traveling! When I first got on the plane I was pretty nervous since I haven't been on such a big plane before and been on such a long trip. I was excited but nervous. The plane ride was much harder than I expected. Knowing myself I thought I could sleep ANYWHERE and through ANYTHING....well....anywhere but in a coach seat on an airplane. I was initially excited with the movie selection and game options on my flight. Our flight didn't take off till 10:55 pm, so I soon discovered watching a movie wasn't the best idea I ever had. I started it around 11...so it was 1:30 AM when it finished. That gave me about 5 hours to sleep. Sleep was hard because there isn't much leg room and it was hard to get comfortable. I probably only got around 3 hours total of sleep. However, they did feed us two meal which was nice. Jenn, I advise you to take a sleeping pill as soon as you board. John did and he slept pretty much the entire flight. Also Jenn, my TV did start working in case you were wondering. Flying over the UK was beautiful! It looked like Kansas farmland but much greener and not as flat. We finally got off the plane around 7:30 AM GA time...12:30 PM English time. John was able to go through the border in 2 seconds...literally...but I had to wait in a 30 min line to go through customs. They asked me all sorts of questions but I guess they decided I was harmless enough. Once we finally got our bags we rode the tube to the train station where we left our bags. There John got me a sausage pastry roll for lunch which was surprisingly very tasty! We decided to go to the imperial war museum to look around while we waited for our 7:30 PM train. We were directed to the London Bridge tube stop so I got to see that. We then realized we were directed to the wrong tub stop so we decided to walk the three miles to the museum since the weather was so beautiful. We kept getting lost but were able to see a lot of the city. I was surprised to see how old the buildings looked and how different London was from our big cities at home. We finally made it to the museum but shortly into the holocaust exhibit we realized we were too tired to really enjoy it. So, we left and were very happy to see an ice cream truck sitting outside the museum. John was giddy ha ha. He bought me a 99 which is a vanilla ice cream cone with a flaky chocolate stick stuck in it. The ice cream here is much different than the ice cream at home. It has the consistency of whipped cream...but it still tasted good. You can hold it upside down and it won't drip or fall out. We took our ice cream to the nearby park and laid down on a bench to enjoy the sun and rest. We then left to head back to the train station. I was able to ride my first train to Chesterfield where John's parents picked us up. The train ride was nice but I was getting tired of traveling...and I started to smell. John's parents drove us past the crooked spire in Chesterfield which is a church spire that is warped from age. Google it. We finally made it to John's house where we had a snack and tea. His parents are very friendly and welcoming. His dad had american flags out to greet me :) I feel comfortable here already. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know I made it here safely, yet tired and dirty. I am going to shower and try to get some rest and adjust to the time change. I'll keep you posted on my trip. Love you!~Brittany
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