Two days hardly seemed like enough time to explore London. But, surprisingly here we are on our way out of the city and we both feel ready for the next adventure.
After sweet Lloyd dropped us off at the underground, we found our hotel aka the nicest hotel we've ever stayed in. Hyatt Corporation really knows how to take care of their employees. The London Churchill was incredible, and we got to stay on the executive floor :) all the free diet coke, bottled water, cookies and coffee you can drink. Not to mention the happy hour and AMAZING breakfast. Anyway, back to London...
We reluctantly left the room and explored. We went to Kings Cross Station and found platform 9 3/4!!! The train station has set it up to look like a cart is going through the brick wall. All around the station were signs that said, "Hogwarts students follow the arrows to platform 9 3/4". Kind of awesome..
We then went to the British Museum and spent almost two hours wandering around the giant place. We saw tons of mummies, the Rosetta Stone and artifacts from every ancient civilization in recorded history. We had to rush back to the hotel to get ready for (drumroll please.....) THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA!!!!!! Yes you read correctly, Ang and I scored a great deal on Phantom tickets :) So after a quick change of clothes and a free dinner of breads, cheese and tarts we literally ran to Her Majesty's Theater and found our seats. It. Was. Amazing. I (Lauren) sobbed like a baby at the end and we stood applauding for a very long time after. I already want to see it again.
The next day in London, we lounged around the hotel a bit and checked out of our room. Then we went on a really great double decker bus tour of London with a company called Big Bus (we scored buy one get one free tickets!) We had an awesome tour guide named Samantha, who was incredibly entertaining, knowledgeable and interesting. We hopped off at the tower of London and took a boat down the river Thames all the way to Westminster, where parliament and Big Ben are.
Around 7 we met Lucy, Angela's friend that we stayed with, at the underground and made our way to her flat. She was so incredibly sweet and hospitable, so much fun to. After dropping off our 15 kg bags, we went to a pub for dinner and a drink with Lucy and her roommate Fred. What can we say about Fred...posh British accent, practical joker, sharp dresser..he was hilarious! We had a great time with Lucy and her friends, it wad really fun to see how real people live in London. Thank you so much for showing us such a great time!!
So now we are on a train heading to the Luton Airport where we are catching a plane to Paris. We were going to take the Chunnel, but when we looked at prices, a plane ticket was almost a third of the price! (Ang found that, she's good at finding stuff). So off we go to Paris..we are so excited to check out what the city is all about.
Things we learned in London:
1. There are quite a few little people here. Ang spotted 3
2. People do weird stuff on London undergrounds...sleep, talk to themselves, nurse a baby...that last one really made us laugh. She made no attempt to hide it!
3. London is a lot less friendly than anywhere else we've been.
4. Everybody has a different accent! It really is amazing how everybody sounds different.
5. Angela and I are stellar travel companions.
Airport is the next stop! See you in Paris,
A&L
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
2 Perfect Days In Warwick, England
Hello Friends and Family,
It has been a couple days since our last entry and so much has happened! When we got to the Birmingham train station, John was there to pick us up! We got to stay with my(Lauren's) dear dear friends Tony and Jan, Georgie, John and Lloyd. They are my British family :) John drove us into Warwick and we spent some time walking around the incredibly charming city. Warwick has a huge castle that can be seen from all over town, and tons of old Elizabethan style houses and streets. After having a proper English tea, we went back to the Dencer's home and Jan got us Fish & Chips! So delicious!!! We got to eat and spend time with Debbie and Phil who stopped by to say hi.
What happens next will forever be known as one of the funnest nights of our lives! All the Brits took us out for a night on the town! We went out to an area called Leamington Spa, "the best place in town" according to our guides. So here we were, two American girls with our fantastic friends John, Georgie, Lloyd, Matt, Dan and Sam. We danced until 4 am and even then were begging to stay. Love those Brits :)
Needless to say, we got home late and ended up sleeping in till noon! After a wonderful breakfast (thank you Jan!) we drove into Stratford. Most people know it as Stratford Upon Avon, the hometown of William Shakespeare. We wandered around Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare was baptized and buried. It was so old and beautiful! We then strolled around the river Avon and sat out on the Porch of a pub called the Dirty Duck. It was a drop dead gorgeous day and we soaked up every bit of it. We also went into the Shakespeare Theater and saw a very old stage and theater. We also got to stop by Hannah and Matt's house and meet their baby girl Jessica. When I came over to England 5 years ago I was lucky enough to get to be a guest at Hannah and Matt's wedding. It was such a great time getting to see them again.
We were invited to an outdoor cookout at Sam and Dan's house with the whole family. Tony and Jack were back from London and we were so glad! It was special to be a part of such a close family gathering on a Sunday night. It felt just like I was home eating a Sunday meal, watching the big game on tv. But this time instead of American Football we were watching Indie Racing! (I was watching the Dallas Cowboys game on my IPhone...I don't even want to talk about it..the loss is still fresh). Then we went for a quick drink at a coffee house looking pub. We went to bed pretty early and were up and ready when Lloyd came by to take us to the London tube. Thank you thank you thank you Lloyd for driving us!!!
I(Angela) LOVED Warwick and the lovely people who made it soooo special! Lauren kept telling me that I would love you Brits, but I didn't realize I would love you guys and enjoy our visit as much as I did. She was sooo right and I can't wait to make it back soon!
It has been a couple days since our last entry and so much has happened! When we got to the Birmingham train station, John was there to pick us up! We got to stay with my(Lauren's) dear dear friends Tony and Jan, Georgie, John and Lloyd. They are my British family :) John drove us into Warwick and we spent some time walking around the incredibly charming city. Warwick has a huge castle that can be seen from all over town, and tons of old Elizabethan style houses and streets. After having a proper English tea, we went back to the Dencer's home and Jan got us Fish & Chips! So delicious!!! We got to eat and spend time with Debbie and Phil who stopped by to say hi.
What happens next will forever be known as one of the funnest nights of our lives! All the Brits took us out for a night on the town! We went out to an area called Leamington Spa, "the best place in town" according to our guides. So here we were, two American girls with our fantastic friends John, Georgie, Lloyd, Matt, Dan and Sam. We danced until 4 am and even then were begging to stay. Love those Brits :)
Needless to say, we got home late and ended up sleeping in till noon! After a wonderful breakfast (thank you Jan!) we drove into Stratford. Most people know it as Stratford Upon Avon, the hometown of William Shakespeare. We wandered around Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare was baptized and buried. It was so old and beautiful! We then strolled around the river Avon and sat out on the Porch of a pub called the Dirty Duck. It was a drop dead gorgeous day and we soaked up every bit of it. We also went into the Shakespeare Theater and saw a very old stage and theater. We also got to stop by Hannah and Matt's house and meet their baby girl Jessica. When I came over to England 5 years ago I was lucky enough to get to be a guest at Hannah and Matt's wedding. It was such a great time getting to see them again.
We were invited to an outdoor cookout at Sam and Dan's house with the whole family. Tony and Jack were back from London and we were so glad! It was special to be a part of such a close family gathering on a Sunday night. It felt just like I was home eating a Sunday meal, watching the big game on tv. But this time instead of American Football we were watching Indie Racing! (I was watching the Dallas Cowboys game on my IPhone...I don't even want to talk about it..the loss is still fresh). Then we went for a quick drink at a coffee house looking pub. We went to bed pretty early and were up and ready when Lloyd came by to take us to the London tube. Thank you thank you thank you Lloyd for driving us!!!
I(Angela) LOVED Warwick and the lovely people who made it soooo special! Lauren kept telling me that I would love you Brits, but I didn't realize I would love you guys and enjoy our visit as much as I did. She was sooo right and I can't wait to make it back soon!
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Ed-in-burr-uh (Edinburgh for all you Americans)
Well, it is officially October! My favorite month (this is Lauren by the way). We are currently on a train traveling from Edinburgh, Scotland to Birmingham, England. We are sharing car B with a lot of native Scotsmen and their dogs. Apparently sheep dogs are allowed on UK trains...go figure.
So, here's what happened yesterday. After a PHENOMENAL day and night in Ireland, we woke up (ang woke up, I never slept) grumpy and tired. Turns out we booked a flight on Obnoxious Airlines, aka Ryanair. Loudest, craziest Irish plane in the world. When we got to Edinburgh, I'm sad to say our sour disposition continued until Angela's wonderful friend Anna let us take a nap in her flat. After a 4 hour nap we were new women!
Anna took us on a fantastic walk through Edinburgh University. It was uncommonly hot and sunny so people were out everywhere enjoying the weather. One Scottish woman referred to the day as "scorching", while to ang and I it felt like a crisp mid October day. We walked all along the charming shops and pubs and made our way up to Edinburgh Castle. It was closed, but gorgeous! Nestled on top of a rocky cliff overlooking the city.
We then took a historical tour of the old underground city of Edinburgh called Mary King's Close. Long ago this was a normal city street where people lived and worked, but 300ish years ago the city of Edinburgh built the current city on top of the old one. In doing so they evicted all the residents and closed up the old streets forever, making it as if they were never there. Now what is left is a very spooky, underground city full of creepy, dusty, dark, empty rooms where families lived. The black plague and the bubonic plague tore through Mary King's Close and all of Edinburgh, killing 1/3 of the population. Mary King's Close was hit harder than anywhere else in the city due to it's high density population.
The tour was awesome, and the tour guide was hilarious. She kept trying to scare everyone in the tour with loud noises and jumping from behind walls, needless to say she succeeded and ang and I were constantly spooked (I was the real baby, grabbing onto Angela every time I heard a noise).
We then had dinner with one of anna's flatmates, Ian. We ate at a pub/club called Frankensteins. Then we had a drink at the Edinburgh University student union (they have bars ON campus! When the bouncer saw we were from Texas he let me know how ridiculous we are for not having alcohol on our campuses. I explained we could have them for tailgating before football games, but he still thought it was "rubbish").
Things we learned about Edinburgh, and ourselves:
1. Angela CAN get embarrassed! We went to a cafe called The Elephant House, which is where JK Rowling, inspired by the beautiful view of Edinburgh castle, first thought up Harry Potter. Needless to say I behaved like a starstruck teenager, wanting pictures from every angle and even borrowing a waitresses pen to pretend like we were writing on napkins. Apparently this is not cool...
2. Anthropology Majors are the BEST tour guides! Thank you so much Anna, Ian and Beverly! We learned so much from y'all and had an amazing time.
3. Scottish and Irish people are the nicest people in the world! Always helping us out even when we don't ask for it (shout out to the old couple on the bus who basically walked us to the train station).
4. We don't know anything about our own country. These people are so educated in politics and history, I'm almost ashamed of how little I've retained from my years as a student.
Ok, well ang and I are feeling a bit train sick, so we're going now. Next stop, Birmingham train station where my dear friends the Dencers are picking us up, and then off to Warwick! So very excited to see everyone!!
Love to all, and may the good Lord keep you in the hollow of His hand (Irish saying),
Lauren & Angela
So, here's what happened yesterday. After a PHENOMENAL day and night in Ireland, we woke up (ang woke up, I never slept) grumpy and tired. Turns out we booked a flight on Obnoxious Airlines, aka Ryanair. Loudest, craziest Irish plane in the world. When we got to Edinburgh, I'm sad to say our sour disposition continued until Angela's wonderful friend Anna let us take a nap in her flat. After a 4 hour nap we were new women!
Anna took us on a fantastic walk through Edinburgh University. It was uncommonly hot and sunny so people were out everywhere enjoying the weather. One Scottish woman referred to the day as "scorching", while to ang and I it felt like a crisp mid October day. We walked all along the charming shops and pubs and made our way up to Edinburgh Castle. It was closed, but gorgeous! Nestled on top of a rocky cliff overlooking the city.
We then took a historical tour of the old underground city of Edinburgh called Mary King's Close. Long ago this was a normal city street where people lived and worked, but 300ish years ago the city of Edinburgh built the current city on top of the old one. In doing so they evicted all the residents and closed up the old streets forever, making it as if they were never there. Now what is left is a very spooky, underground city full of creepy, dusty, dark, empty rooms where families lived. The black plague and the bubonic plague tore through Mary King's Close and all of Edinburgh, killing 1/3 of the population. Mary King's Close was hit harder than anywhere else in the city due to it's high density population.
The tour was awesome, and the tour guide was hilarious. She kept trying to scare everyone in the tour with loud noises and jumping from behind walls, needless to say she succeeded and ang and I were constantly spooked (I was the real baby, grabbing onto Angela every time I heard a noise).
We then had dinner with one of anna's flatmates, Ian. We ate at a pub/club called Frankensteins. Then we had a drink at the Edinburgh University student union (they have bars ON campus! When the bouncer saw we were from Texas he let me know how ridiculous we are for not having alcohol on our campuses. I explained we could have them for tailgating before football games, but he still thought it was "rubbish").
Things we learned about Edinburgh, and ourselves:
1. Angela CAN get embarrassed! We went to a cafe called The Elephant House, which is where JK Rowling, inspired by the beautiful view of Edinburgh castle, first thought up Harry Potter. Needless to say I behaved like a starstruck teenager, wanting pictures from every angle and even borrowing a waitresses pen to pretend like we were writing on napkins. Apparently this is not cool...
2. Anthropology Majors are the BEST tour guides! Thank you so much Anna, Ian and Beverly! We learned so much from y'all and had an amazing time.
3. Scottish and Irish people are the nicest people in the world! Always helping us out even when we don't ask for it (shout out to the old couple on the bus who basically walked us to the train station).
4. We don't know anything about our own country. These people are so educated in politics and history, I'm almost ashamed of how little I've retained from my years as a student.
Ok, well ang and I are feeling a bit train sick, so we're going now. Next stop, Birmingham train station where my dear friends the Dencers are picking us up, and then off to Warwick! So very excited to see everyone!!
Love to all, and may the good Lord keep you in the hollow of His hand (Irish saying),
Lauren & Angela
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Two Waters, Please
And our, well really Lauren's, last words to Dublin were 'Sup!' in response to two cute Dublin men making their way home from the pub. We unfortunately were making our way to the airport at 4:30am to catch our early flight to Edinburgh that we decided on last night. I am quite rested sitting on about 3 hours of sleep... While Lauren laid awake listening to the thump of pub music outside our window. She is here physically, but not so sure mentally.
Although we only spent 22 hours in Dublin, I feel like we got to see what it's all about. The Irish are quite possibly the kindest, most helpful people in the world! After walking the streets for about 4 minutes we had a mild heart attack when a cop van pulled over and interrogated us, asking if we were lost. Apparently the bulky camera and map in hand gave away that we were tourists. They were funny and helpful pointing us in the right way. We ate some delicious toast with Nutella and coffee at a cute cafe and people watched above the street. Then we walked around the city seeing the Dublin Castle, St. Patrick's cathedral, a beautiful park and even attended a small Catholic service. We had a wonderful traditional Irish dinner and decided to make our way to our hostel's pub crawl. At first we loved meeting all the foreigners, mainly Aussies, but then we realized since we were only here for one day that we could not leave without meeting some REAL Irishmen! So we decided to break off from the group and go to more populated pubs, where being quite thirsty I asked the bartender for "two waters, please" The two Irishmen sitting at the bar replied in disgust "don,t you want a real drink?" And that is how our long , deep, genuine, easy conversation began with Conner and Ian. They are both teachers and in a band. They hate Colin Ferrel, Coldplay and even Bono! When we told them we were only in Dublin for one day they w quite disappointed in us, but after explaining all that we saw in one day they seemed impressed.
Five truths about Dublin and the Irish:
1. They love Oasis, we heard Wonderwall 5 times last night!
2. They drink Guiness like water
3. They seek pleasure from mocking American accents
4. They are very passionate about what they believe in
5. They are quit cynical but open to differing opinions.
Although we only spent 22 hours in Dublin, I feel like we got to see what it's all about. The Irish are quite possibly the kindest, most helpful people in the world! After walking the streets for about 4 minutes we had a mild heart attack when a cop van pulled over and interrogated us, asking if we were lost. Apparently the bulky camera and map in hand gave away that we were tourists. They were funny and helpful pointing us in the right way. We ate some delicious toast with Nutella and coffee at a cute cafe and people watched above the street. Then we walked around the city seeing the Dublin Castle, St. Patrick's cathedral, a beautiful park and even attended a small Catholic service. We had a wonderful traditional Irish dinner and decided to make our way to our hostel's pub crawl. At first we loved meeting all the foreigners, mainly Aussies, but then we realized since we were only here for one day that we could not leave without meeting some REAL Irishmen! So we decided to break off from the group and go to more populated pubs, where being quite thirsty I asked the bartender for "two waters, please" The two Irishmen sitting at the bar replied in disgust "don,t you want a real drink?" And that is how our long , deep, genuine, easy conversation began with Conner and Ian. They are both teachers and in a band. They hate Colin Ferrel, Coldplay and even Bono! When we told them we were only in Dublin for one day they w quite disappointed in us, but after explaining all that we saw in one day they seemed impressed.
Five truths about Dublin and the Irish:
1. They love Oasis, we heard Wonderwall 5 times last night!
2. They drink Guiness like water
3. They seek pleasure from mocking American accents
4. They are very passionate about what they believe in
5. They are quit cynical but open to differing opinions.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Procrastination, thy name is Neat
Howdy All!
This is my first entry on this little blog. Actually this is my first entry on any blog since my xanga days. Thankfully I deleted that a few summers ago once my friends at camp found it...I will always be embarrassed by my 9th grade self.
Anyway, I am the second member of this travel team, my name is Lauren and I hope you like reading what I have to say. Angela and I are leaving TOMORROW. So of course that means I haven't started packing yet :/ She is doing well, practically all done. Here I am writing this instead of stuffing my backpack with clothes and hair products (us curly girls require a lot of hair products, there's no way around it).
On the eve of our departure I am concerned only about a few things:
1. How many books will I need to take for this trip?
2. How will I manage my fantasy football team while overseas?
3. Can I possibly live without my Aggie Ring on my finger for 23 days?
4. How many pairs of socks and jeans will I really need?
Other than these odd, random worries, I am surprisingly void of concern. Though scenes from Taken keep flashing through my mind, I remember the defense moves Sandra Bullock taught us in Miss Congeniality and I feel at ease. If readers that do not know me can't already tell, I enjoy movies...probably a little too much.
Truth be told, I am more excited for this trip than I have ever been in my life. I know it will be challenging, exhausting, and sometimes scary, but that is why I am so excited. I also know that I am going with one of my best friends. We've been through a lot together. From 9 year olds at Reed Elementary, to 22 year old college graduates we have been friends through every up and down. Even after we went to different colleges, our friendship only grew stronger.
Just like Ang's last post said, traveling is a true test of a frienship. Honestly, I think we will do great. One thing I love and admire about Angela is that you never have to guess what she's thinking. She respects herself and others too much to lie or pretend. I know I need that. While I am a people pleaser to the max, Angela is strong and decisive. She knows where she is going. And I'm just the lucky one that gets to go with her :)
Where will we be next? Tune back in and see.
I leave you with a quote from one of my new favorite books, Rose in Bloom (thanks for introducing it to me Summer)
"...she sailed away to see and study the big, beautiful world which lies ready for us all if we only know how to use and enjoy it."
Love,
Lauren
This is my first entry on this little blog. Actually this is my first entry on any blog since my xanga days. Thankfully I deleted that a few summers ago once my friends at camp found it...I will always be embarrassed by my 9th grade self.
Anyway, I am the second member of this travel team, my name is Lauren and I hope you like reading what I have to say. Angela and I are leaving TOMORROW. So of course that means I haven't started packing yet :/ She is doing well, practically all done. Here I am writing this instead of stuffing my backpack with clothes and hair products (us curly girls require a lot of hair products, there's no way around it).
On the eve of our departure I am concerned only about a few things:
1. How many books will I need to take for this trip?
2. How will I manage my fantasy football team while overseas?
3. Can I possibly live without my Aggie Ring on my finger for 23 days?
4. How many pairs of socks and jeans will I really need?
Other than these odd, random worries, I am surprisingly void of concern. Though scenes from Taken keep flashing through my mind, I remember the defense moves Sandra Bullock taught us in Miss Congeniality and I feel at ease. If readers that do not know me can't already tell, I enjoy movies...probably a little too much.
Truth be told, I am more excited for this trip than I have ever been in my life. I know it will be challenging, exhausting, and sometimes scary, but that is why I am so excited. I also know that I am going with one of my best friends. We've been through a lot together. From 9 year olds at Reed Elementary, to 22 year old college graduates we have been friends through every up and down. Even after we went to different colleges, our friendship only grew stronger.
Just like Ang's last post said, traveling is a true test of a frienship. Honestly, I think we will do great. One thing I love and admire about Angela is that you never have to guess what she's thinking. She respects herself and others too much to lie or pretend. I know I need that. While I am a people pleaser to the max, Angela is strong and decisive. She knows where she is going. And I'm just the lucky one that gets to go with her :)
Where will we be next? Tune back in and see.
I leave you with a quote from one of my new favorite books, Rose in Bloom (thanks for introducing it to me Summer)
"...she sailed away to see and study the big, beautiful world which lies ready for us all if we only know how to use and enjoy it."
Love,
Lauren
Monday, September 19, 2011
The ULTIMATE road trip!
"I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them." -Mark Twain
haha. I have heard that the easiest way to know if you are truly compatible with someone is to go on a road trip. Lauren, I have no doubt that we will love each other even more after our exciting European adventures!
Here, see our travel route!
haha. I have heard that the easiest way to know if you are truly compatible with someone is to go on a road trip. Lauren, I have no doubt that we will love each other even more after our exciting European adventures!
Here, see our travel route!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
It's Official!
All the reservations have been made, the plans have been laid--WE ARE ALL SET AND READY FOR EUROPE!!!!!!!
Lauren Neat, my dear friend since 4th grade, and I are headed to Dublin in exactly 2 weeks!! We will be exploring Ireland, Scotland, the UK, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany until October 21st. We have made a sacred covenant to one another and to you: our dear, few readers that we love and wish we could take with us! You have just been invited to journey with us on the adventures we will embark upon, the situations that will forever change us, and our list of crazy things we MUST/WILL do while over seas. Maxine and Karen, or shall we say Pat and Steve more so, please don't worry when you read our Daily Reflections of the Day's Occurrences. We have sworn to make a daily, maybe every other day, post updating where we are in our adventure. We will switch off writing it, and although I am highly competitive, I am okay with you liking Lauren's posts better- she's pretty good.
I cannot believe we leave in 2 weeks! I have dreamed about this trip for years and years and years! And soon it will be a reality, and with one of my best friends!! Lauren and I have talked about how we will be the greatest travel companions! I think there are a couple reasons for this: 1. We have never gotten in a fight. 2. We both know what we want but are also carefree (meaning we will stand up for what we want and mainly go with the flow) 3. We can carry a really great pillow talk conversation. 4. We are both spontaneous and able to adapt.
In conclusion, be excited that you are invited to come along with us on the adventure of a lifetime because we are soooo excited to share our crazy, fantastical, unforgetable experiences with you!
-ang
Lauren Neat, my dear friend since 4th grade, and I are headed to Dublin in exactly 2 weeks!! We will be exploring Ireland, Scotland, the UK, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany until October 21st. We have made a sacred covenant to one another and to you: our dear, few readers that we love and wish we could take with us! You have just been invited to journey with us on the adventures we will embark upon, the situations that will forever change us, and our list of crazy things we MUST/WILL do while over seas. Maxine and Karen, or shall we say Pat and Steve more so, please don't worry when you read our Daily Reflections of the Day's Occurrences. We have sworn to make a daily, maybe every other day, post updating where we are in our adventure. We will switch off writing it, and although I am highly competitive, I am okay with you liking Lauren's posts better- she's pretty good.
I cannot believe we leave in 2 weeks! I have dreamed about this trip for years and years and years! And soon it will be a reality, and with one of my best friends!! Lauren and I have talked about how we will be the greatest travel companions! I think there are a couple reasons for this: 1. We have never gotten in a fight. 2. We both know what we want but are also carefree (meaning we will stand up for what we want and mainly go with the flow) 3. We can carry a really great pillow talk conversation. 4. We are both spontaneous and able to adapt.
In conclusion, be excited that you are invited to come along with us on the adventure of a lifetime because we are soooo excited to share our crazy, fantastical, unforgetable experiences with you!
-ang
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