June 18

June 18

So I got to eat breakfast today! We took a train…yes another train…and a bus to Blenheim Palace. It was beautiful and bigger than most of the “houses”, halls, or palaces we have seen. I liked visiting Blenheim a lot, mostly for its astounding landscape. Seriously, this place took green to a new level for me. It had miles of beautiful green grass, trees, etc. Everywhere you looked! There was also a grand bridge off to the side that I really liked. I have found I have a thing for bridges and lamp posts for some reason. Anyway, we took a tour of the state rooms, and honestly I didn’t really absorb everything like I wanted. We were all supposed to sketch as we went through, which would have been fine, but I can’t sketch very fast- Let alone listen (I mean really listen not just hear) at the same time. So I really missed a lot of it. I guess I need to learn how to multi-task a little better and faster. And again, we took the train home. Hopefully I can use the rest of my night to get caught up on blogging and homework and such -plus still manage to get to bed a decent time.

Stuff…
-So you know how when you go on vacation for like a week and are almost happy to be going home because you kinda miss it…ya that’s me, but I still have 3 more weeks. However I am really excited I still have more time here. I am just worn out, and my free days were not restful at all.
-I am now really comfortable in navigating the city. I am not nearly as intimidated by this place or the people like I was when I arrived. Even the roads don’t confuse me…it almost feels normal.
-However, these drivers are crazy. There are one-lane roads that go both ways. It’s strange; when a car comes you pull over (sometimes in designated spots) and let the other car go. I am not sure how they decide who goes. The roads are very tricky and small, so I don’t know how I haven’t seen an accident yet.
-PS I miss you all. Luv Sharele

June 16 and 17

June 16 and 17

So for the weekend I went with a group to Edinburgh, Scotland. Saturday morning we woke up at 4:15 (Record early…and yes I missed breakfast again! I am getting pretty upset about it too.) We took the train, a miserable five and half hours, to Edinburgh. Turns out I packed horribly, longs shorts and a dress for Sunday and both of my jackets and only flip flops for shoes. It was sooo cold and raining. We waited for like 45 minutes for our hostel guy, Muhammad (good old crazy Muhammad…lol) to pick us up. Our hostel was interesting…lots of bunk beds, quite run-down, but perfect and I slept well.

Anyway, I am excited to say that I enjoyed my first and only good meal since I have arrived in Europe. It was at this little Italian looking restaurant; I ordered a chicken, broccoli and garlic pasta…way good! -Made the whole trip worth it. We then decided to head up (walk uphill- the whole city is on a hill) to the Edinburgh Castle first. I was miserable in my flip flops, soaking wet, and couldn’t feel my feet, so Makele and Breanne and I stopped in to the first shop that might have clothes to help us. The little thrift store ended up having boots and a beanie…so I got them for 6 and 2 pounds respectively, and a little later picked up some socks. I was lots happier after that, but we had been left behind. So we made our way up to the castle, but ended up shopping for like an hour or so in several cute Scottish Shops. We actually got to the castle the same time as the others, come to find out they had tried to climb some wall to get there, not knowing of the stairs we took to get there. Don’t ask me how that happened. I decided the castle fee was too expensive, so the three of us and a sad Holly went to the gift shop and then wandered home. I then slept for like 2 hours, woke up for a little when the others got back, and slept again til morning.

Happy Father’s Day Dad!!! Sorry I couldn’t tell you myself, or even email… Miss you and Love you…Hope your day was great!

Our plan for today was to go to Klean Castle. So we got up, had Muhammad take us back to the train station, in which we took a train 35-45 minute ride to Glasgow to Ayr (one stop too far) and then was going to take a bus out to the castle but realized we wouldn’t make it there in time to get back and make the trains home…so we just went to the beach right there in town. I loved the ocean though, and the weather was nice. We then traveled back to Glasgow and Edinburgh by train, and then took another train 6+ hours with delays back to London, and then took the Tube 9 stops to get us back to our London hotel. So ya I spent like 16 hours on a train in the last two days. However, I did have a good time and I got to see Scotland- which by the way is beautiful and green and their accents are funny but cool. I wish I could’ve had the time to enjoy it a little more. So now it is really late; I am exhausted, having not slept on the train at all…its way too hard for me. Luv Sharele.

June 15

June 15

Today (a free day) I got up a little early- argh missed breakfast again...this time because I thought that it was open until 9:30 not 9. Rachel, my model friend, needed someone to go with her around London to different agencies. So I did. It wasn’t bad; we didn’t know where to go most of the time. Having no luck we grabbed lunch, which turned out to be…surprise, surprise…really gross and the worst food for me (greasy wise) here so far. At Covent Garden, we saw this terrible performer guy, who was quite vulgar and singled people out, yet kinda funny. There were these funny protestor people, proclaiming something about the Aztec and Mayan communicating with aliens. We met one of them and it turns out that the whole thing was an act trying to get people to go to this internet site. He was actually going to school at UVSC and wants to be an actor.

Tonight for dinner, we went to the Hard Rock Café. It was pretty fun, except that we had to wait for an hour in the freezing cold wind (today was the coldest day so far) and the food wasn’t that great- like I had hoped. I mean it was ok, just not American, and it cost a lot. The ice cream was good though.

Stuff…
-Even though the food tastes worse, it is generally healthier because there is less salt and sugar and grease and stuff.
-I am now way more comfortable here.
-O the peace sign turned…does not mean peace.
Luv Sharele

June 14

June 14

So today was fun. We took the train to Cambridge (I slept most of the wayJ). Cambridge is a very cool city. It has like 31 colleges that make up Cambridge University. We split into two groups and took walking tours through the town (I think we walked over 10 miles today…and I was in flip flops). O and we saw…King’s Chapel, I think, and it was awesome. The fan vaulting on the roof was unlike any other chapel so far. Very high and the stained glass and designs on the walls were phenomenal, everything symbolic of something and telling a story. Our tour guide Sally was so awesome. She knew so much about everything there, from the buildings to the museum. It was the first time I was actually enthralled by the details and history; I learned a lot and paid attention the whole time. She also told us many stories, pointing out the significant things and things she found interesting. She would get so excited over each item and place; it was cute. Her passion for Cambridge and Art has really inspired me to have a greater appreciation.

Anyway after the tour we went punting…and for those who don’t know what that is (cause I didn’t)…a punt is a boat thing similar to a gondola or canoe, except bigger and quite flat. A person stands on one end, and with a stick, pushes us down the river. Way fun…it was a great way to see the different colleges and learn at the same time. Our punting guide, Rebecca, was very informative and taught us a lot about the city and its history. After punting, we did a little shopping. O ya…it rained on us as we walked to the train station…I’m still wet. But I actually liked it. It’s just so cloudy here all the time, and that was the first time it actually rained. It was refreshing.

PS I visited two places that were in Harry Potter. One was the place where Harry learns to fly and the other was Platform Nine and Three Quarters. O and my meals today were a little better than usual; perhaps tomorrow I will have a good meal.
And again another sorry for not being able to get back to anyone the last couple of days, you may have noticed that I didn’t post a few of my blogs, I haven’t been able to get on the internet. Cheers - Sharele

June 13

June 13

Another long day…and I am glad to be home. We left early again (long train rides) and got back at like 11…that’s 13 + hours! I am wearing out…and it’s only been a week. We did visit two of the coolest places so far (I know it seems I say that everyday, but it really is true)…New and Old Hardwick Halls and my very favorite place, Haddon Hall.

Old Hardwick looked very old indeed. Most of the building had worn away, leaving it in gorgeous ruin. You could see on one of the sides, the remains of fireplaces just hanging out, because the floors had were gone. New Hardwick was also cool, but personally, not a favorite at all. It was very dark and had mostly tapestries on the walls. Additionally, I ate or gagged down the worst meal so far. It was something mushroom pate, which may sound good, but is just mushrooms and stuff blended together into a grey mush that you put on a roll. I was starving so I ate it, but never again! Why can’t I just have a good meal for once?

Our next visit, to Haddon Hall, was by far my favorite place probably on Earth. It’s the kinda place you think only exists in pictures and fairy tales. It literally looked magical and too perfect to be authentic and I loved it. Many films, including Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, and The Princess Bride, were filmed there. The interior was rather plain, but the gardens and surrounding landscape were amazingly beautiful. The flowers in the gardens and on the walls filled the area with a wonderful aroma…lol, and it sprinkled a little (it was sunny in London, and I made the mistake of wearing a sleeveless dress and no coat…burr) making it look dewy and misty. Seriously Perfect. Sadly we had to rush out to get to our train in time to make it home, and my camera died.

O and after two hours or so on the train ride home, we realized we were in fact not on a train home (ya the wrong train!), putting us even farther from London than before. Needless to say, it was a long ride, but somehow it didn’t bother us that much.

Sorry I haven’t had time to get back with a lot of you. I haven’t been on a computer for a long time, and when I am, I have to hurry. I have little free time, plus I have lots of homework to complete every night during my free time.

Random stuff…
-The sinks are awkward with one cold faucet and one hot faucet, so you have to move your hands quickly so your hands to get scalded or frozen.
-There are like no paper towels here.
-I hate the food! Really. I went without dinner tonight. I can’t do another pre-made sandwich (they seem to be a big thing here, and I don’t like them at all).
Luv…Sharele