Trains, planes and... a ferry?

Hello again my loves!

This weekend was crazy, but absolutely wonderful. We actually missed our flight out because of some airline complications, but we ended up taking the train to the coast of England, then a ferry over to Dublin. Quite the experience! Once in Ireland, Sarah, our friend Aaron, and I went south to Dun Laoghaire (pronounced Done Leary) where the musical festival was. The festival was incredible! There were a TON of people there, the streets were filled, and there was all kinds of music being played everywhere you went. There were also tents set up selling things from all different countries. I bought a lovely winter hat made of sheep's wool, to prepare for the London cold. The three of us rode the ferris wheel, with spectacular views of the ocean and the city, ate some delicious Bailey's crepes, then took the seaside train up to Dublin for the rest of our trip.

We stayed at a great hostel, and went out in the Temple Bar district that night. It was a ton of fun! The area is full of bars and pubs, with a very international crowd. We started in a small pub then moved on to a huge microbrewery called the Porterhouse, where we tried some local beers and listened to a live band. And guess what? All the music was American! I especially enjoyed "Last Dance for Mary Jane" by Tom Petty. Aaron and I met some great Italian people from Rome, and spent the night trying to talk to them in English, Italian, and even a little Spanish. My favorite part was when they taught us how to say "cool" in Italian - it's "bella," which also means beautiful. I just love that!

The next day we took the train up to Howthe, a small seaside town with a farmer's market and beautiful cliffs. We walked around the market for a bit, then did a 2 hour hike on the cliffs - beautiful. The ocean seemed to go on forever, and the classic Irish green hills sprawled out behind us. It was a really lovely little town with some adorable cliff-side cottages. After we worked up an appetite, we enjoyed some fish and chips (my first!), then took the train back down to Dublin for our last night. Sarah and I explored the city a bit, seeing the Spire (a downtown statue that looks like a giant thin spike, tallest statue in the world!), eating some yummy Irish dairy ice cream, walking around the local park, and just enjoying a loving evening in Dublin.

The three of us woke up very, very early to catch our 8am flight back to London. But, thankfully, everything went smoothly and we were back at our flats before noon. The rest of my day was spent in class, then at the Notting Hill Carnival, the largest carnival in London. It was crazy! There were tons and tons of people there, you could hardly walk around. It was mostly just fun Caribbean music and yummy jerk chicken (another first for me). By the time I got home, I was totally wiped out, so I crashed early to wake up for early morning class.

Today's tour was to Westminster Abbey, and the surrounding areas. The abbey itself was gorgeous - as expected. My favorite part was definitely the back area, with the "lace stone" ceiling. The carvings are so intricate that they really look like lace, and the white stone allows the light from the glass windows to bounce softly throughout the whole chapel. It was truly beautiful. I saw the tombs of Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary, and many others. It was weird to think of how many famous people were buried there... I'm excited to go to Winsor and see Henry VIII's grave. That trip is in a couple of weeks. This weekend we are going to Stonehenge and Bath on Friday, then a nice relaxing couple of days here in good old London. I think a couple of friends and I are going to have a picnic day in Regent's Park (my favorite) on Saturday, complete with paddle boats and garden walks.

It was a long weekend, but a great one, and it was very exciting to start my travels around Europe. So far, my other planned trips for the semester are to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Prague, and Italy (twice). I might try to squeeze Spain in there somewhere too, we'll see. And the rest of the time will be spent here in London, my new home, which is just fine with me. :)

Cheers and love!
Bella!

Photos (top to bottom): Sarah and me on the ferry; Sarah, Aaron and me at the festival; me and the River Liffey in Dublin; cliffs of Howth; Dublin Spire; me on the cliffs of Howth