GREECE!!!

Before I begin, I must say that no words can accurately describe how wonderful my trip was!

We stayed in Athens, which had just recovered from a snow storm, but was warm and beautiful when we were there! It was sunny and high 60s. The landscaping reminded me of Hawaii but with very different architechure standing on it. Everything was plush and green, flowers were everywhere, and every kind of palm tree you could imagine was there. Lining our hostel's road were picturesque orange trees (with very bitter oranges!) and I had the top floor with a balcony and a great view!

The first day we just walked around and familiarized ourselves with the area (we had a long night of traveling to recover from). The second morning we did a 3 hour walking tour and saw the Gateway to Olympeion and the Temple of Zues, the National Forest, the Ex-Guest House, Parliament and the changing of the guards, Syntagma Square (all the shops and markets), and of course the Acropolis (where the Parthenon is). Our hostel was within walking distance of all of this! That afternoon we did the Acropolis; it was a long hike up, but worth every bit! The views from the top were truly breathtaking! (The only bad thing was that there was scaffolding up on the parthenon for reconstruction/maintenance purposes.)

The third day we took a trip to the closest island to the mainland, Aegina. It was technically a ferry ride, but more like a cruise! We sat on the top deck (outside) on the way there in short sleeves, but it was a little chilly. The ride was so beautiful! The island itself was amazing too, it must have gotten up in the 70s that day! We had a nice relaxing day. We hung out on the beach, walked through the town, and ate lunch at a cute cafe on the water; I got a Greek Salad which was large chunk tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and feta cheese on top. We also got some Greek Cookies....yum!

Our last day we shopped in the market for souvenirs then headed home. It was a blast!!! I've decided that my honeymoon will be to the Greek Islands...indisputable! I absolutely fell in love with Greece. I'm not exactly sure what it was that pulled me in so much, but all three of us LOVED it! I already miss it and I haven't even been home 24 hours yet! We got home and in bed by 3am, despite an hour and a half delay at the airport, and ready for class by 9:30! It was a wonderful weekend, but I'm ready for my Spring Break in Italy...and I get to see Jake! yay!

Scotland

We just arrived home from the land of kilts! It was a lot of hours on a bus, but worth it! We spent Friday in Edinburgh, which is the castle. It's also known as the birthplace of the famous book/movie series "Harry Potter." The author, J.K. Rowling, wrote the books in a cafe named the Elephant House; we stopped in and had some drinks. We then visited Grayfriar's Cemetery which inspired a couple names of characters in "Harry Potter", including (Professor) McGonagall and Tom Riddell. We also did a 3 hour walking tour of the city and saw the ugly and run down Edinburg Castle, St. Giles' Cathedral, the site of witch burnings (not presently!), and the original 'Hogwarts,' which was the school for wizars in "Harry Potter." We also saw a place called Meerkat Cross, which is where kings were coronated, but it was more commonly used as a place for punishment. If a merchant ripped off a customer or committed any other offense, his ear was nailed to the wooden door for all to see! It was a form of public humiliation punishment. Next to that, there's a heart shaped cobblestone design on the ground. This is where all the locals spit when they walk by because it represents the "Hearts," their rival football (soccer) team.

After our tour, we stopped in a place called The Last Drop. Years ago, those about to get hanged in public were given a last meal, which usually came from this restaurant, hence the name "The Last Drop." In addition, we tried a very popular Scottish dish called Haggis. It's their claim to fame. Before you get too excited, let me tell you what's in it...you'll be proud of me for just trying it! It consists of a sheep's pluck which is the heart, lungs, and liver cooked in the stomach!!! Surprisingly enough, it was much like taco meat and unusually tasty! We finished it all! We then went souvenir shopping and shopping for the cheapest dinner. We found a place offering a burger, chips (french fries), and a beer for 3 pound 50 (3.50)!!! That's extremely cheap!

On Saturday we went on a 12 hour bus tour of the Scottish countryside, which was also very beautiful! It gave Wales a run for its money! We ended up at a castle and at Loch Ness, home of "Nessie" the Loch Ness monster. F.Y.I. a loch is a deep inlet from the sea, much like a bay, but longer and narrower. The particular loch that the monster was spotted in is named Ness. It was a long day, but good to see the great countryside. When we got back, we saw a man in a kilt playing the bagpipe for money. I took a picture with him and threw him some spare change.

Speaking of kilts, apparently they are highly regarded there and quite formal. We saw a marriage ceremony ending and the groom and his men were all in kilts. On Sunday, we saw an old man dressed up for church in a kilt. They were always so humorous to me, but the Scots take them seriously! There are advertisements everywhere for posh kilts! All-in-all, it was a great trip and fun to see the different culture!

The Lion King, Toga Party, Chinese New Year, Absolut Ice Bar

So, I haven't been very good lately about updating my blog. We've been having too much fun! Here's a quick recap of the last 2 weeks!

We went to Stratford Upon Avon, which is Shakespeare's hometown. We walked through his house and tried to go to his grave, but the church closed on us. We also went to Anne Hathaway's cottage. She was Shakespeare's lover. After that, we went to a Shakespeare play put on by the Royal Shakespeare Company. We saw "King Henry VI," which wasn't exactly exciting, but it was a good experience. They used the ceilings to suspend people and bring props down/up. The acting was superb...and...I only dozed off like 2 or 3 times! That's pretty good for a 3 hour play!

Later in the week we went to The Lion King, the musical. I saw it at the Fox in St. Louis, but it was much better here! We had a blast! The costumes were great! My words will never do it justice! I almost got tears in my eyes at certain points. I absolutely loved it!

We also had a Toga Party. Since everything is so expensive over here, we just used our fitted bedsheets! Some girls used blankets! We looked hilarious! All the different colors and patterns made for an interesting evening!

This past Sunday, we visited Trafalgar Square for the Chinese New Year! We saw intricate outfits, neat performances, and of course, FOOD!!! I had some chicken noodle combo...yum!

Last night we went to a bar that was 0 degrees celcius!!! Everything was made out of ice: the floor, the tables, walls, bar, even our glasses were ice! It was incredible! They used blue lighting, which made it seem like we were in an ice cube! They gave us cloaks to wear and gloves so we could hold our ice glasses! You were only allowed to stay for 40 minutes at a time, which was plenty! We had a blast!