Wales and the Sea

Today I saw the Celtic Sea.
Okay well technically I saw more of a bay of the Celtic Sea, since when I looked straight across I was looking at England and not Ireland, but it was a big body of water and it was pretty. I can still hear seagulls when I look at these pictures.



However that was one of the last things we did today.
I got up way too early after being up until two last night. (I had some things I needed to talk about at home and with the 5 hour time difference 2 is only 9 at home.) We (my flatmates and I) left the flat at about 8:20 to catch our 8:47 train. Man, there were so many people on the train...There was a football (I'm sorry American audience - I have to call soccer football here) game in Cardiff today and apparently it was a really big game or maybe Bristol was playing Cardiff or something. Anyway the train was packed. Two of our group had to stand for part of the way. Guys kept getting on to the train with beer cans and opening them and drinking on the train at 9 in the morning. I was under the impression that a train is still a public area and therefore open alcohol containers are not allowed on them, but no one said anything to these people. I had an aisle seat after our changeover in Bristol (which apparently was the only train running that morning that had a change) and the guy on the other side of the aisle was a bit bigger, so people were constantly bumping into me on the way to the toilet and it was very annoying.
So we got off the train and headed towards Cardiff castle, stopping into the market on the way. I got myself a welsh cake, which was very good and tasted like a hybrid between a cookie and a blueberry pancake.

At cardiff we watched some kind of introductory video that made no sense. There was no narration. The history it tried to explain in pictures was extremely confusing. Basically it was just a video of this girl running around, who then ran into a boy, and it had something to do with a book.

So...don't see the video if you go to Cardiff castle unless you want to be completely and utterly confused.

The castle itself is pretty cool, but it made me a bit sad to think of some of the history of the place that had been lost. One of the owners tore down the wall in the middle instead of restoring it. I suppose you can't get mad at the person for wanting to be able to see all of his back yard, but I thought it was a little disappointing. The interior of the castle was probably worth the 9 pounds. The Arab room had gold all over and was very extravagant and had a lot of detail. There were stained glass windows and all of the roofs had decoration. There were angels hanging from the timbers in the dining room. All in all it was just a unique little place that made me feel like I'd stepped back in time for a bit. Was it as impressive as Windsor castle? No, not nearly. And I doubt it has the same amount of rich history as the Tower of London does. But it was still pretty neat to see and it was different. And I'm kind of into seeing different things while I'm here.

Oh and I neglected to mention the keep. Climbing those small spiral steps at the top while other people are coming the other direction is almost impossible. But I liked seeing the view (despite the fog) from the top and  it was interesting to be inside of a structure that was built around 1150...so close to 900 years ago.

Maybe I should make sure I post pictures on to facebook before I post them on my blog since I've posted an awful lot here today. Anyway after the castle we got something to eat. We walked past the animal wall, which I thoroughly enjoyed. My favorite one is below. We ate at a pub called the Rummers, which was pretty good fare. I felt that I needed a burger since I hadn't had any beef in a while, but with the horse-meat scandal going on I guess I can't even be 100% positive it was beef.

We then went to a museum, which was cool, but I was actually just very tired and so after looking at a few exhibits, Addy and I found these really comfy armchairs and we snoozed in them for a bit while Kyle looked around. Then we met up with Ryan's half of the group and went down to the bay. The bay was pretty cool. There was a spot where there was a dam (boats have to use a loch to get up into the bay from the sea) and cormorants were fishing in it. They are really fun to watch.

That's really all I have to say tonight because I'm tired and I think this is starting to get a bit long anyway even though I have a few more details I could impart.

The Tower

First of all I think it's a good idea for me to announce that I do not have class on Wednesdays.

So yesterday I promised I would make a post about the Tower of London. I ordered my ticket to get in online for 18 pounds, but I also ordered an audio guide, and that was about 4 pounds. The audio guide wasn't really worth it. There are signs to read everywhere. Perhaps if you don't speak or read English it would be. I think taking a Yeoman tour would be more worth your time (and I'm pretty sure they are free as well). Anyway it was all worth it because I got to stare at the diamond pictured below, the Cullinan I for a good couple of minutes. It is huge. It is gorgeous. It is every woman's dream to own.

Well, okay that may be an exaggeration. Technically the queen doesn't even really own it, she can't just take it out and stare at it whenever she wants to because it's under display pretty much all the time.
Also that is obviously not my picture. You are not allowed to take pictures inside of the Jewel House.
A little kid asked his dad why it was worth so much more than the diamond in his mom's wedding ring and why it was so much bigger.
This is why I want to have kids someday.

The Tower has so much history! One of the first things you see when you walk in is the Bell Tower. There's a well next to it as well. It's odd for me to think that the River Thames used to come up to the walls, because the river is a good number of feet lower now and quite a ways away from the tower. Then you walk past St. Thomas's Tower and Traitor's gate. I thought it was interesting that Anne Boleyn entered through that gate for her coronation and also for her trial/execution. The bloody Tower is across from those two. Sir Walter Raleigh lived, or I suppose was imprisoned there, for quite some time. Supposedly Edward IV's sons were murdered in there by their uncle. I suppose we'll never really know for sure what happened.

They had an model of the types of torture that might go on close to that. I saw a model of the rack and the scavenger's daughter and some iron structure that they'd use to hang people by from their wrists. The room played sounds of the rack being turned and it made my skin crawl. It makes me shiver to think about it now actually, but perhaps that's because it becomes cold in the kitchen. I would think that I'd rather be crushed in the Scavenger's daughter than have my joints pulled apart on the rack, and that I'd prefer to be hung by the wrists over those two, but really I'd prefer not to go through any torture at all. I saw the prisoner carvings in the Beauchamp Tower, but I was also a bit tired by this point and also kind of bothered by the idea that people were contained in a room for months or days all for being Catholic instead of Protestant. Granted some of the prisoners had committed more serious crimes...

The White Tower was interesting to see as well. The height of the tower surprised me a bit. To see the exhibits inside, you only walk up one stair at a time, but you walk down all of them at once and it's really quite a ways down. St. John's chapel was really cool to see. I also saw a toilet and thought it was interesting because it seemed a bit like a modern one although there wasn't much of a seat and there wasn't any plumbing. I would hope they would polish the wood of the surrounding area...I would hate to get a splinter in my backside if I was a soldier.

I walked around, saw the Ravens, chuckled to myself about how superstitious the English are, and got my 18 pounds worth until my feet were tired and my stomach growling.It's a really cool and interesting place to go, and full of history, but I don't really have a whole lot more to say about it.

The White Tower

London and Other Overwhelming Things

On Friday I took the 6:10 train to London. We got there probably around 9, but by the time we (Illiana and I) figured out how to get the bus back to the hostel and had put our stuff away, all the good places to eat had closed.
We stopped in at a Pub that I think was called the Goat, thinking that it would serve food and realizing after we'd both ordered a drink that they didn't after 10 and it was 10:15 maybe. So eventually we just found a McDonald's. I promise, only fast food was open. Even the pizza hut was closed.
Our friends had gone out but were pretty much back when we'd gotten back. I was a little buzzed from my single beer and everyone was tired so we just headed to bed.
I woke up around 8 and was out of the hostel at 9. Our hostel was very close to the Royal Albert Theatre, and I thought I'd just start my day an hour earlier than planned. I walked down to Hyde corner and saw Wellington Arch and the Aspley House (from the outside). Then I continued on towards Buckingham Palace. The palace itself actually seemed a bit drab to me and not as impressive as I thought it could be. The gates and the Queen Victoria Memorial were more interesting to look at to me than the actual building. I got there at 10 and heard the changing of the guard was at 11. That didn't seem like something I wanted to get caught up in, since I'd already seen the changing of the guard at Windsor, so I just continued on to Charing Cross Station to catch the number 15 bus.

On my way I think I walked past the Ministry of Defense and the Horse Guards Army Headquarters. When I walked through the arch to The street on the other side, police blocked off part of the street for a movie that Tom Cruise was filming. Apparently the movie is called "All You Need is Kill." I walked to Trafalgar Square and was not even aware I was in Trafalgar Square. I was wondering why there was a really tall column with Napoleon on top of it (Nelson's column, lol) and then I saw that there was a museum. I would have been able to see Big Ben if I'd been looking. But I saw it later so it's not a huge deal. Finally I got to a bus stop that the 15 bus would stop at and I got on and rode on the second level. The ticketmaster asked for my ticket but I hadn't bought one in advance because I was so used to paying the driver when I stepped on. The ticketmaster was kind of annoyed but I paid for my ticket and he gave me a receipt and that was that.
I got to the Tower of London. I think I will write a new entry just about the Tower. I spent a lot of time there are there's a fair amount to say about it. I think seeing the crown jewels was worth the £22.
I then explored All Hallows Church, the oldest Church in London, for a bit. It has the oldest Saxon arch in London as well. Roman roof tiles were used in the top of the arch. (Recycling at it's finest).

After that I walked down Great Tower Street looking for a pub to eat at. I found the monument first, so I climbed that for £3. It was really cool and well worth it but I was so tired. I think I only made it to the top because a group of about 8 boys climbed it in front of me and I figured if they could climb it I should be able to. One of the boys asked their chaperone if he could throw a wrapper off the top, and when the chaperone said "Not while I'm looking," the kid threw it off later. I asked them if they'd take my picture and made sure the kid who'd thrown the wrapper didn't take it.

After climbing down, I finally found a pub that was within my price range. So I had a cheap (£2) beer (Reinbeer...lol) and some fish and chips at an Irish pub and a rugby game of Wales vs France came on. I tried watching it for a bit but when I realized no one seems to score I decided it was time to move on and that I'd learn the rules of the game later.
It was pretty much dark now, so I walked to St. Paul's Cathedral and called Illiana to figure out where she, Erin, and Matt were. They were looking for Picadilly Circus and had just gone through Trafalgar square. I said I didn't know where Trafalgar square was, and I didn't at the time, and I mentioned that I hadn't seen Big Ben yet. So then began the search to find my friends and also Big Ben.
I walked to the river because I knew they'd been at the eye earlier, so I thought they were across the bridge. I saw Millenium bridge and decided to cross it, even though I'd be backtracking a few blocks, so I could say I crossed Millenium Bridge. Some kids on bikes were lost and asked me for directions and I told them I couldn't even find Big Ben so they told me to just keep walking towards the eye and I'd get there. I thought about making a detour to The Globe after walking over Millenium bridge but instead walked toward Blackfriar bridge and crossed it when I called Illiana and realized I was on the wrong side of the Thames. I then walked all the way to Big Ben in search of a "stringy bridge" as Illiana referred to it as. (Hungerford Bridge). I saw Big Ben and the houses of Parliament and the Eye and Westminster Abbey and my feet were so entirely sore at this point since the only rest they'd had was the bus ride and the pub, so I decided to just walk to Victoria station, catch the 52 bus back to the hostel, and meet my friends there.
I feel like there are very few days when I have seen that much.

A large group of about 13 of us went back to The Goat and had a few beers and ciders. We didn't feel like going to a club because the covers were all so expensive. I couldn't have stood and danced with my feet being so sore anyway. The average age of the place besides us was like, 50 though. But we still had a good time.

That was my Saturday. I'll  talk about the Tower and Sunday at a later time.

Bristol

Today Mom asked how my classes were and my response was
"I went to Bristol!"

I don't have class on Wednesdays, in other words.

To answer the title of this blog, yes, Bath is, I suppose, near London, but it takes three hours to get there by bus. When I go to the airport for my flight to meet Jana and Katie in Italy, it's going to be four hours. (It's not Heathrow, it's some other one).
It takes two hours to get there by train by the way. I know because I paid 35 pounds to get here.

So I went to Bristol.

This is me in front of Carlington Suspension Bridge. It is 245 feet above the water. I walked it's 702 foot span to buy Brian a postcard and then walked back on the other side, which was much prettier. Apparently the cliffs are a refuge for rare plants or something. There was some fort off to the side that was suposed to be from the iron age. It didn't look like it but I accepted that it used to exist.

So I had wasted a lot of time figuring out the busses, so then I just went back to shop. They have a shop named Primark that's pretty cheap and they have an indoor mall, so I got things I wouldn't be able to afford in Bath. I really should have waited to buy those heels...

That's all for tonight because I'm exhausted and getting sick.

Glad to have Wifi

Hello Everyone!

Settling in has been a bit stressful. Everything is a little more expensive here than I am used to. I could make a blog post centered around all of the differences I've noticed so far, but I think that might take too long. I've decided it's always a good idea to have an empty water bottle with you when you travel. That way you can pretty much always get water and you don't have to tilt your head and drink it straight from the kitchen faucet. Doing this reminded me of this little tweety bird thing that turned your sink into a faucet. Like one of these:

Only it was Tweety instead of red rubber.

Sometimes this place is a little frustrating. The residents here are a lot more laid back. I kind of like it, and think it's an attitude Americans could learn to adopt, but it's not as efficient. Shops around here close at 5 or 6, and it reminds me of Clay Terrace since everything is about the same price and it's all outdoors. I just want to go to a mall that's open until 9 and buy jeans and tennis shoes for a cheap price. Clothes are expensive at home too though.

I have a lot of photos to share but I think I'll just post them to facebook. This isn't a very good first post, but that's mostly because I just have so much to say and can't think of how to organize all of it. In good time, in good time.