When one travels with my dear friend RyanAir, one must be prepared to take many different methods of transportation! My friends and I left our Kollegium at 5:40 in the morning to catch the bus to the train station. From the trainstation, we caught our bus to Arhus, a town about 2 hours from Aalborg.
Impressions of Arhus: Just a bigger Aalborg? Haha.
From the train station, we took a bus (which took about an hour) to the Arhus airport, which, if you can believe it, is much much much smaller than the Omaha airport! It was in the middle of the country-side, and smelt like cow dung. Yuck! We took a RyanAir (Which is begining to charge people to use the bathroom on the plane, FYI) flight to London Stansted. I hate RyanAir with the passion of a thousand suns for so many reasons, but this was the end of my negative experience.
We were picked up from the airport by Mrs. Cakebread, my friend Tim's mom. We were all very exhausted from our journey, but truly amused when Mrs. Cakebread started driving on the left-hand side of the road! Every time I looked up, I gasped a little, like I was about to be in a car accident. It was funny- all the others kept doing it too.
The ride was beautiful and exactly like I had always pictured and dreamed about- rolling fields of green, dotted with delicate older homes. Occasionally we would drive through a small village and I would just sigh from the disbelief. The English country-side was simple yet stunning.
Mrs. Cakebread (what an English name, eh?) was so loving and kind and simply a wonderful hostess! She prepared a feast for us in her home in Bedford, just north of London. Their home did not have an address. It had a name. "The Poplars." If that doesn't just charm your socks off I don't know what would!
She prepared "Pigs in a Hole," which was Yorkshire pudding with sausages, and this lovely potato dish, I don't know what it was called except heavenly. We devoured the food and she brought out not one, not two, but three desserts! There was a dish of chocolate mousse, a birthday cake for Tim, as well as my favorite- A steaming dish of berry cobbler, served with sweet cream. It was so English and so refreshing!
At dinner we were acquainted to Granny, Tim's grandmother. She was a riot! She is a volunteer for the national trust, and works as a tour guide at a stately home (think Pride and Prejudice) near Bedford, which we visited later that week. She had been so many places in the world and was such a dear woman to us. Another acquaintance which I made was with a Ms. Pimms, whom stole my heart! Tim has a cat (well, kitten rather) named Pimms who is all black and was so sweet, at least to me :) Pimms ran up to me and rubbed against my leg and purrrrred. She is very playful, and got violent with some of the others, but not me. I think cats can sense a good person! It really made me miss my kitty! At night Pimms sleeps in a basket on top of the dryer, and it was too stinkin' adorable for words.
After lunch, we took a train journey to Sheffield, England. This was my first time on a train, and I quite liked it! It was better than driving, and not as much of a hassle as flying. I fell asleep on the train and woke up in Sheffield!
We walked from the train station to Tim's house. And when I say walked- I mean walked. And walked. Tim ( I love you Tim, don't take offense if you are reading this!) told us that his home was only a 10 minute walk. We walked for 30 minutes with all our things- uphill. I was so tired, and just recovering from my fever, and it was THE most physically challenging thing I have ever done.
SIDENOTE: This week I have done something more physically challenging. I went to visit my friend Damiano. When I left home, the sun was just setting, and it was dry. When I left his home, it was pouring rain, freezing cold, and guess what else? Uphill. For 25 minutes. On my bike. It is moments like these that you ask yourself: Is this real? Am I really doing this? It is funny in retrospect. I'm waiting for retrospect. Haha.
Back to my story. We arrive at Tim's home! I won't say a lot about his home, but I think now, any hostel will seem as sanitary as a hospital compared to the town home of Timothy Cakebread. I will always remember the gory details, but I don't want to write them here, and concern my friends and family.
I always find that when I travel, the food is often what I remember, and is so valuable to me in the whole experience. The next part of our trip is definitely one of those moments! In the English tradition, we went to a fish n' chips shop. My mouth is watering now as I think about the delicious crispy, greasy, succulent fish that was drenched in vinegar. It was the kind of fish that will never make you drive through a Long John Silver's drive-thru ever again! It came wrapped in paper and was a perfect experience.
Later that night Tim showed us some night life in Sheffield! We went to a very classy place that was all windows, covered in icicle lights and everything was leather and hard wood. I felt like a mangy college student, in my travel clothes. All the British girls we saw were all about skirts. Skirts, skirts, skirts. I like how feminine and pretty it was, but I can imagine it can be exhausting. Later we visited the biggest dance club I have ever been to. The lights and the set up were very, very cool.
But if I had to sum up my UK night experiences in one word, it would be this : TECHNO. Wow!!!! It's everywhere. And I HATE techno! Luckily, about every four songs, they would play something I could dance to. Even in Denmark, I would just kill to hear some 50 cent, or M.i.a's "Paper Planes." But my attitude needs to change! I need to appreciate the techno. (Vomits in mouth)
Here is the bathroom of the very classy Club: A flat iron that acts like a vending machine!
The next morning we awoke to a bright, shining sun. For the first time since August back in the States, I went out without a coat! The whole time we were there, we were blessed with simply amazing weather. This is very unusual for England, 4 days of sunshine and warmth! We visited a market to pick up some snacks for the day. It was incredibly refreshing to have English labels again! I am used to standing in front of a section at the market for 20 minutes, translating Danish, and studying the pictures on the box. Also, everything was cheaper. So I bought candy bars! I bought 4 of them, and none of them even saw the light of Denmark.
This day was a day of exploring. We saw much of Sheffield on foot, the University, a beautiful park, churches, and, of course, the church of Sherry Dunn and myself: STARBUCKS. I walked in and greeted the worker as though we had been in love for many years and ordered a grande soy caramel macchiato. That is probably the last Starbucks I will have for months, but boy, did I enjoy it!
Later on, the girls I was with wanted to find a computer to check facebook, and I decided to go off on my own. I did some exploring, and of course some shopping, for about an hour. I bought a couple things at a store called "Next." I really loved the things they had in England, they were much cuter than the droll shopping of DK.
On this trip, I really discovered how much I love visiting churches! Very briefly I went into a large church in Sheffield to take a couple pictures. I think churches are beautiful, but unfortunately, you aren't allowed to take pictures in them. This one was an exception, so I took advantage of this.
After my independent explorations, we met at City Hall by these beautiful fountains and a war memorial. We all walked together to an Indian restaurant that was beautiful! I ordered Tandoori chicken, and when it came out, my food had a beautiful presentation, steaming on a skillet, served with a plate of beautiful rice. Definitely the best looking dish on the table. Score!
Again, that night, we visited several more dance clubs, one of which played some good American hip-hop. My friend Terricka and I were all about that, so that night, we had quite a good time dancing! We took a taxi home, we had an early morning ahead of us!
In the morning we took the train back to "The Poplars," in Bedford.
We made ourselves sandwiches, and I took the best shower of my life! We were so dirty from our travels and had not had a proper shower since Aalborg! We all got dressed and fed to prepare for my favorite part of the trip- the stately home!
The name of the home was "Wimpole Hall," and it was described as being one of the smaller homes, and more eclectic. What I saw was nothing of the sort! It seems the original owners had a a gambling problem, and gambled away everything in the home,and then finally the home itself. The latest owner spent her whole life buying antique art and furniture for the home. It was quite amazing to see. It was as though I had stepped back in time or stepped onto a movie set. It something straight out of a Jane Austen novel, complete with many sitting rooms, a ballroom, and a library that took my breath away! It had over 9,000 books, and reminded me of the scene from "Beauty and the Beast" where the Beast surprises Belle with the library. Although you weren't allowed to touch anything or take any pictures, it was a worthwhile experience! The grounds of the home were also amazing. There was a small church next to the home where the family members were buried, and gardens as far as the eye could see. There were many families there, and several of my British friends have told me they recall visiting Wimpole Hall when they were younger to visit the petting zoo! It is a regular mini- Disney!
We were only able to spend about an hour and half at Wimpole Hall, and I really regret not being able to see more stately homes like it, especially if this home- which contained a 3,000 gallon bathtub- was considered small! It really made my imagination go wild- Can you imagine when Elizabeth Bennet first moved into Pimberly? "I'm sorry- my bathtub is how big? Wait, I have a room to write letters in?" Haha. I would really like to return to England in a year or so with my Mom and Grandma to do a tour of many stately homes! I will begin planning it when I return to the United States.
We left Wimpole Hall in quite a hurry in order to catch the train to London. We wanted to see a show on the West End,but by the time we had reached the theatre, the show, of course, had been sold out. There were several shows we considered: Les Mes, The Lion King, and a show which Judy Dench was acting in called "Madame Sade." While I REALLY wanted to see Judy Dench on stage, I knew that the others in my group would probably feel more satisfied with the Lion King. So we waited until the theatre began selling tickets again, and bought tickets for the Sunday matinee.
Wow! They do exist!
We stayed on the West End, Covent Garden, in London to explore a bit and to eat! We became quite familiar with the area and decided we were in the mood for Italian. So, being the resident Italian expert, I took it upon myself to see which restaurant had the most authentic feel, and low prices! We selected this place called "La Ballerina." I absolutely loved it- the decor was Degas paintings and other ballet art. The waiters spoke in very heavy Italian accents- which made me miss my friends so much! After all my language lessons from Renato, Valerio, Sossio, Oscar, and Claudio, I probably could have ordered in Italian, but I chickened out! I did, however, understand a bit of what the waiters were saying to each other. I got pesto with prawns on penne pasta, and it was my favorite meal on the trip. Yesterday, I tried to recreate it on my own- it was a good effort, but didn't match my meal in London. On the way back from Covent Garned to St. Pancras/Kings' Cross (made famous by the Harry Potter series) we took the tube. I kept laughing because the announcer woman kept saying "You are on a Picadilly line to Cockfosters." I imitated this all weekend, I think I annoyed some travel companions, haha.
After our night in London, we were so tired! We knew we had a long day ahead of us tomorrow, so we took the train back to Bedford and went to sleep. Tim's mom had set up a cot for each of us girls, with fresh towels. It was so lovely, and really inspired me to one day be an equally gracious hostess!
We awoke in the morning to, of course, another delicious meal from Mrs. Cakebread before heading back into the city. On this day, I was so excited, and I walked faster than I think I ever have in my life! We came out of the train station- and there it was! The river Thymes! It was unbelievable. I was just giggling a ridiculous amount. From there we crossed the Millenium bridge to see Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. I didn't go inside, it would cost a lot of money, but I know I will be back in London again, and I will go inside, maybe even see a show there!
This is what is so great about sightseeing: When I was on the bridge, I just looked and saw the theatre. And all of a sudden it was like, wow- I've seen so many pictures of this, but that is the real thing! And it was like this for everything I saw.
Here is me on Millenium Bridge, it's early in the morning and very windy, but look over my shoulder! It's the Globe!!
Next we saw St. Paul's cathedral. You couldn't take pictures there, but it was simply stunning. They were getting ready to have service, and there were many, many tourists inside. It was remarkable how even though all that was going on, there was still a strong presence of church, and it was refreshing for the spirit to even be there for just a moment.
From there we saw the Tower of London, which is huge! Also, the London bridge. We didn't go on it- we were doing "London on Speed," so everything was extremely fast! I was amazed at the amount of tourists that were in London- it put Disney to shame, haha.
We walked on to see Big Ben, House of Parliament, and Westminster Abby, which are all next to each other. Again- it's hard to describe the details- just awe. You come out of the tube station- and BAM! There's Big Ben! Your eyes can barely comprehend it. I've had a picture of Big Ben in my bedroom for years. And then- there it was. From there we walked to Buckingham Palace, which was amazing. It was quieter than I expected. Again, dear friends, I wish I could tell you the details of what it was like, but it is so hard to describe what you feel when you look at the gates of the palace and think "This is the gate the queen travels through. This is the gate which all those people laid flowers when Diana died. Just behind that gate, Prince William might just be reading a book, or watching TV." Even stranger must be how they feel when they look out of their window and see foreigners with dropped jaws just staring.
Here is me, being very touristy!! Yes! This is for mom and dad:
From Buckingham we scooted on over back to Covent Garden, where we had tickets to see the Lion King! But first- I had a mission: I NEEDED to shop, at least just a little. So I had 20 minutes before I needed to be in my seat. But I have been trained well by Glenna Brott and Julie Powell, and I did what I needed to do. I went into a couple stores, trying on clothes like the devil was chasing me. At last, I found 2 great pieces that fit me well, and were on sale! I got a really smokin' dress, and an awesome black military jacket. So now I can always say "I got this jacket in London."
I made it back to the theatre in the nick of time. The curtain went up, and by the time the curtain went down, I think I cried about 4 times. The spectacle was amazing- the puppetry, the acting, and the lighting we of a professional quality that I had never seen before! London is famous for the West End, which is of the same caliber of theatre as Broadway. The audience was gasping and "ooooh....ahhh!" the whole time. At the end I was very pleased with the time and money spent to see the production. I cheered for the actors because not only had they done a great job- but WOW, I realized, they were employed by Disney! What a dream come true for them. I have spent the past week listening to the soundtrack, and remembering the magic of the show.
After the show we spent some more time exploring the shops that were still open in Covent Garden, and walked to a traditional British Pub, where they served food such as "blood pudding." I decided, along with the other girls in my group, that perhaps this was more of a spot for the guys! We went to eat Sushi :)
My friend Kara and I being silly at the Sushi restaurant
After eating, we moved to a Pub called "The Shakespeare's Head." Everything in England was Shakespearean, he is one famous Brit! My friend Stacey and I shared this amazing chocolate cake! Soon after we headed home to Bedford, and woke up the next morning at 4 to go to the airport.
Our little adventure had reached an end, which was quite sad. We made it home with some precious purchases, a few more stamps in our passports, and a lifetime of memories!
I can't wait until I can return to England in the future, hopefully next time with my mom and grandma!
Well, I will probably blog again today about this past week at home, it was very exciting! Tomorrow I leave for Copenhagen, and I am really excited. Even now as I think about it, my heart is beating faster- I'm starting to crave travel! I know this will be a great trip since A. I speak the language! and B. The weather will be amazing, and C. I am flying, and not with RyanAir!
Take Care, God Bless, and thank you for completing this Novella of a blog!
1 comment:
Awesome!! I can't believe you've already been gone so long!
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