BARCELONA!!

This weekend I was in Barcelona with two friends who I met here but who also go to BC. Barcelona is by far my favorite place so far. It was just the coolest and most interesting city and the most fun! Half of the city was really weird and funky like something out of Alice and Wonderland and the other half was old and pretty. It was just so charming. I just related to the vibe there more than in Paris.

I got there Thursday night. I was a little nervous about my Spanish because I haven't taken spanish is so long. But I wasn't as rusty as i thought. It wasn't as easy as maybe two years ago. But my taxi driver from the airport to my hotel was probably the only person I encountered who didn't speak English and we had a nice little conversation in Spanish. He asked me the usual about where Im from and what Im studying and of course he had to ask about Obama. haha. After that I was really excited about speaking Spanish there and trying it out but everyone was to speak English and they didn't let me practice!

People in Barcelona don't really start their night until very very late. So once I dropped my things at the hotel me, katie, and ryan got a very late dinner of tapas. Then we went to this whole in the wall bar called La Oveja Negra (the Black Sheep). It was this really cool place with wooden furniture and barrels everywhere. It just had a very cool vibe and it was right by our hotel, which was on Las Ramblas. During the day Las Ramblas is really neat. Kind of like Venice Beach with street performers and stuff. At night its more like Hollywood Blvd, not as cool.

Friday was our Gaudi day. It was also my favorite day for that reason. Our first stop was La Sagradda Familia. This is a cathedral that became Gaudi's obsession later in his life. It is still not finished and has had several different architects trying to compete it. It is so complex and beautiful and unique that even with modern technology it stil isn't finished, not even close to finished. The outside looks like kind of like a sand castle or like dipped mud on one side. And has a smoother more modern facade on the other side. And the inside is suppose to feel like a forest. I felt like I was in a forest of flowers. The ceiling looks like giant diasies. And there are long pillars all throughout the inside made from different materials that look like gaint stems of flowers or tree trunks. And the stain glass windows reflect different colors all over the pillars. It was amazing. And we took the elevator to the top where we had a stunning view of all of Barcelona and the ocean.

Next we went to the Parque de Guell. This is a park that Gaudi also designed. You are greeted by two buildings that look like cupcakes or ginigerbread houses. And then there is a huge staircase with gorgeous tile on the walls and a tiled lizard in the center. The park is full of really cool tile mosaics and structures. I know my parents would have loved it. There were also palm trees and stone archways and a winding tiled bench that goes along this cliff where you can seen another stunning view of the city and the ocean. Definately my favorite place in Barcelona. If i lived there I would totally go there every day.

After that we went to one of the apartments that Gaudi designed. It was called La Pedrera. This building was so interesting. The best part was the roof. It was the most like Alice and Wonderland. It had all these stairs leading in different directions and all these gaint tiled chimneys. The best parts was that we went at sunset. The sunset illuminated the roof in warm light and the profile of these odd shaped cimneys against barcelona at sunset was amazing.

Later that night we got some paella for dinner. And then we went to this bar we had heard about. It was suppose to be like the NEw York Stock Exchange. The prices of drinks fluctuated and every once in a while there was a crash and the prices would plummet. It was amusing. The funny thing was that coincidentally every other person from BC who happened to be in Barcelona that weekend showed up at this place. It was so weird. There were probably like 20 of us there. Some of them I had never met before. Then all of us went to the most famous club in Barcelona. We got there at like 2 and there was still no one there. They really don't start their night until really late!! I wasn't until like 3 that people started to trickle in.

Saturday we went to the beach. We had perfect weather all weekend. I never saw a cloud. IT was so nice to feel warm again. haha. We walked around the beach for awhile and then walked back into the city through the Gothic Quarter and other charming neighborhoods. We finished the night at La Plaza Espana. There is a giant fountain there. Like the biggest fountain I've ever seen. And every thirty minutes there is a light and music show. It was beautiful.

My descriptions of Barcelona don't do it justice. I hope I can get my computer fixed soon so I can show you pictures because it ws really amazing. But even pictures don't do it justice! I hope can go back a million times. And I would totally recommend it to everyone else.


Well I'm off to Bruge and Amsterdam this weekend!
And I'll be home in one month! its very bittersweet.

london at night

On Wednesday i went into London with my roommate Steph since we both don't have class. we just walked around oxford street, shopped a little bit, and then went to the aquarium. The aquarium is right across the river from the Houses of Parliament. It already dark when we finished the aquarium and this is what we saw. (I just thougth these were pretty pictures)

the aquarium and the london eye in the background.

Sunset on the River Thames. Big ben in the background.

The aquarium and London eye at night.


Parliament at Night. SO PRETTY!!

Parliament and a ghost cyclist.

Italian Weekend (sorry kind of late)

I spent LAST weekend (nov 7-10) in Parma visting some friends. It was a very lazy laid back Italian weekend--just what i needed after being so busy that past weeks.

I arrived late Friday night so we just went back to my friend's villa and had bread, cheese, and pruscetta. I ate SO much! and they made me a birthday cake, which was cute but unfotunately it wasn't that good, which was funny. I ate it anyways though because it made me happy. I felt so rejuvenated seeing all my bc friends after not seeing them for six months.

Saturday morning we walked around Parma. I saw all the old buildings and the churches. Apparently Caravaggio is from Parma so he did a lot of the paintings inside the churches there which were gorgeous. And we had perfect weather. I loved just walking down the cobblestone streets along all the buildings that were painted different shades of yellow and orange. And Saturday night a group of six of us from BC went out for an amazing Italian dinner. I had the best gnocci ever. We biked from their villa to the restaurant. Everyone bikes around there. So i had to try it. It was an experience. I was kind of scared. Because I was using an old bike so it was so wobbly I felt like I was tipping over and I had to ride next to all the buses and cars. But I got the hang of it after awhile and I felt like a local. :)

My friend Andrea, who I was staying with, was very sick and it turns out she had tonsilitis or something. So we had an early night. We pushed her two beds together and curled up in bed and skyped with some of our friends from BC and watched episodes of the Office. It was just like we were back at bc.

Sunday I was suppose to go to Cinqueterre, which is five little towns around this cliff but I missed the train there literally by one minute. I saw it pull away from the platform. It was a very sad moment in my life. So instead, me and Andrea had another lazy Italian day. We went to the doctor together, got gelatto, sat in the park. And later that night we cooked dinner together.

All in all it was a great weekend. Parma is so cute and it just makes you happy to be in a little italian city with perfect weather, good food, and best friends.

around parma. i love all the different colored buildings.

yummm...gelato

the girls at dinner: hil, erin, andrea, me, and claire

Riding barefoot to dinner. my flats kept falling off so i just took them off.

snuggled up in bed

Theme for this weekend: James Bond Fever

The theme for this weekend was definitely James Bond Fever. Friday was Halloween and because we had just gone to the James Bond Premiere me and my friends dressed up like James Bond and the Bond girls. I was Triple X from the Spy Who Loved Me, my friend Lisanne was Vesper from Casino Royale and my friend Stephanie was the bond girl from the movie that just came out, Quantum of Solace. And my friend Ryan was James Bond. The Students Union here put on a huge Halloween dance/party so thats where we went. It was a lot of fun.

Then we found out that on Saturday the Students Union was putting on a James Bond night. So we dressed up like James Bond characters again! haha. This time I went as James Bond, Stephanie went as Number One, and Lisanne went as Vesper again. It was a weekend full of dancing, fun, and bond. what more could you ask for?

Here are some pictures.

James Bond and the Bond girls

Me, Steph, and Lisanne as the Bond girls

The bond girl from Quantum of Solace who Stephanie was trying to be. I think she pulled it off well.

Vesper from Casino Royal who Lisanne was trying to be. I think they look almost identical!!

Triple X from the Spy Who Loved Me. This is who I was trying to be. It kind of worked. haha.

My interpretation of James Bond with the other Bond boys.

Me as James Bond, Lisanne as Vesper again, and Steph as Number One (notice the eye patch).

Today is my birthday!! So far its been a really good one. Ill probably have a low key celebration with my friends here. But I am planning on having a big joint party with my friend Ryan in a couple of weeks. So I am excited about that. My friends are having a small get together tomorrow night in for me in honor of the election. We are going to stay up all night and wait for the results. Im so nervous!! Ill probably update soon with pictures from tonight and tomorrow night. Miss you all.

THE BEST TWO DAYS EVER!!!

This week has been such a great week and its only going to get better!

Tuesday night some of my friends and I went to Ministry of Sound, one of the most famous clubs in London (and in the world). I had such an amazing time. I was with all my favorite people here and we just had so much fun dressing up and dancing the whole night away. The club has multiple levels and dance floors, each playing different types of music. It was my first club experience, being that I'm not 21 yet (FOUR DAYS!!!) and probably one of the best nights I have had.

Lisanne, Me, and Stephanie before Ministry of Sound

The gang inside Ministry of Sound

We got back at four in the morning from the club but we couldn't let ourselves sleep in because we wanted to go to the James Bond Premiere in London. I just have to say that I would never be a dorky fan that goes to a premiere in Los Angeles but I heard that the princes were going to attend this premiere so I HAD to go. We got there a couple of hours early and waited and waited until the stars arrived. It was freezing cold but I was literally a foot away from all the stars so it was totally worth it. I saw a couple of Bond girls, Robbie Coltrain (who plays Hagrid in Harry Potter), Daniel Craig (James Bond), Judy Dench (but she wasn't very nice and didn't come up to us) and THE PRINCES!!! The Princes came at the very very end. They came right up to us and made conversation and asked us how we were; they were so so so so nice...and handsome!! I think its the only time I have been star struck because I was so shocked that I couldn't even put out my hand to shake theirs. And now I want to kick myself because I was this close to touching royalty and I froze! haha. But it was still a really great night.

The princes finally arrive!

Prince William

Prince Harry


Daniel Craig

Tomorrow is Halloween and I am so excited. I wanted to dress up but I don't have a costume here. So after the James Bond premiere we were in a James Bond frenzy and we decided that my friend Ryan would be James Bond and my best friends Stephanie and Lisanne and I would be bond girls. :) So that should be fun too.

I just got back from a panel discussion here at Royal Holloway regarding the U.S. presidential election. It was really really interesting and fun. And so many international people turned up. I'm addicted to the election. Its almost at the point of being unhealthy. haha. Hopefully, I will find a TV so that I will be able to watch it Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. Fingers crossed!!

Well as you can see I'm still having a blast here. And hoepfully there are more adventures and more fun on the way. Miss you all!

In the land of plaid

This weekend I was in Scotland! It was freezing cold but it was absolutely beautiful and a lot of fun.

Friday morning I took the train from Kings Cross Station in London to Edinburgh, Scotland. It took about six hours. There was a bit of confusion with train delays and seat reservations so I ended up standing for part of train ride but I made a lot of friends who were all under the age of 7. I've decided that I want all my children to have English accents because it is absolutely adorable. Ill just have to figure out how to make that happen without actually having to live in England. haha.

Once we arrived in Edinburgh we met our tour guide, Michael. He was quite a character. He wore a kilt the whole weekend, despite the cold. He had long curly hair and was very burly and manly. He kind of looked like Mel Gibson in Braveheart. And he was quite proud to be Scottish. Michael gave us a tour of Edinburgh and then we had the rest of the evening and night to ourselves. So first we got some dinner at a local pub. One of my friends tried hagus (I did NOT) and said it was actually really good. And for dessert we went to the cafe (the Elephant House) where J.K. Rowling wrote most of Harry Potter. Edinburgh has the more pubs per capita than any other city in the world so after dessert we went to one of their many pubs. The stereotype that Scottish people love to drink is very true. We encountered drunks of every age but they were all very friendly. I learned that a long time ago the drinking water in Scotland was so polluted that the only way to drink it was to turn it into alcohol. So this is where part of their drinking culture stems from. Afterward the pub, we went on a Ghost Tour. It was so scary. Edinburgh was one of the first cities to have "skyscrapers". But when they could not build higher because they lacked the technology they dug under the city. The poorest of the poor would live in what they called the underground city. The ghost tour took us into these underground alleys and caverns. It was so creepy and I was SO scared. But it was really fun and a good way to end our stay in Edinburgh.

On Saturday we hopped on the tour bus and headed to the Highlands. On the way to and through the Highlands we stopped at various places to check out the sights. The Highlands were absolutely gorgeous. It was a mixture of mountains, lakes (lochs), rivers, and forests. And the fall colors were so vivid. There are rail tracks that go along the main road through the Highlands and this is actually where the filmed the scenes of the Hogwarts Express for Harry Potter. One of our stops was to see a "Arry Coo". I had no idea what the tour guide was talking about when he said that. It turns out Arry Coo is a Hairy Cow. Just one example of how hard it is to understand the Scottish accent. haha. Anyways, I met the most famous hairy cow in Scotland; his name is Hamish. He might be one of the cutest animals I have ever seen. One of my friends told me he looks like Louis but with horns. We also stopped at Loch Ness right at dusk. I didn't see Nessie but our tour guide assured us she was there.

While we were riding through the Highlands our tour guide would tell us about all the famous battles between the Scottish and the English and about all the famous Scottish class and just a lot of cool cttish history. I learned that the current head of the Stuart House actually has a stronger claim to the throne than the current queen of England, which I thought was really interesting. It was kind of fun to hear all these battle stories from the Scottish perspective because it was so blatantly biased. haha. The gift shops in Scotland sell scarves and ties and kilts of all the clans in Scotland. So I bought a plaid scarf only to realize later that it was a from the Campbell clan, which is the most hated clan in all of Scotland. Apparently, they murdered another clan or something and there are some hotels in Scotland that will refuse to serve anyone with that last name. I'm going to wear it anyways. haha.

Sunday we drove back from the Highlands on a different route. The weather was much nicer and the sun actually came out so there were rainbows all across the fields and mountains. Right before lunch we stopped at a Whiskey Distillery and learned how they make whiskey in Scotland. And then we caught the train back to London.

Michael, our burly Scottish tour guide

In front of the castle at Loch Ness

In a field where the English killed a bunch of the Scottish

Hamish, the Hairy Cow

Here are some pictures of the Scottish countryside and Highlands. The weather wasn't that great so some of my pictures didn't come out as good as I would have hoped. But hopefully you can get an idea of how beautiful it is.

Weekend in Paris

I went to Paris this weekend and I absolutely fell in love with the city.

My roommate, Stephanie, and I arrived Thursday night on the Eurostar (we went through the chunnel). We were absolutely exhausted from the trip so we dropped off our stuff at our hotel which was about a five minute walk from the Eiffel Tower and we went for a midnight stroll. Walking around Paris at night put us in the best mood ever. The Eiffel Tower was lit up with bronze lights and we saw the light show there too. We fell in love and had to force ourselves to go back to the hotel so we could get a good night sleep for the next day.

Friday morning we woke up early to start our first day in Paris. We got chocolate croissants and hot chocolate for breakfast. Obviously, I was in heaven. I love any place where you can have chocolate for breakfast. Then we WALKED over to the Lourve, which took about an hour. We basically walked everywhere in Paris. I think we took the metro like once or twice. All the walking was pretty painful but it was totally worth it because I saw all of Paris. And the weather was amazing. It was perfect fall weather. The skies were so blue it looked like a Hollywood movie set because it was too perfect to be real. At the Lourve I saw the glass pyramids like in the DaVinci Code (haha). I also got to see the Mona Lisa, which was so so so cool. We probably spent three hours in the Lourve, had lunch there, and then walked over to Notre Dame. I could not believe that Notre Dame was built over 600 years ago. It was amazing. and I loved the gargoyles. I don't think it was as extravagant as Westminister Abbey but it had a presence that is unmatched by any other church I have been in. Then we walked down the Champs Elysee, which is the major shopping street. We walked all the way down to the Arc de Triomphe, which commemorates soldiers who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and has an unknown soldier from WWI buried underneath it.

Me trying to do the "I know something you don't know" Mona Lisa smile

DaVinci Code moment at the Lourve

Notre Dame

Then we went back to the hotel so we could get ready for Moulin Rouge!!! Our feet were killing us by then. We had insane blisters but we were determined to look cute for the Moulin Rouge and wore heels anyways :) I'm so glad I got to go to Moulin Rouge. It was so much fun. They served us dinner and wine before the show and had live music playing. The actual show was a mix of topless dancing and variety acts. The costumes were ridiculous and amazing. There was a woman that swam in a tank full of snakes, a ventriloquist, and guy who played the drums with a ping pong ball, some contortionists, and mini horses (which i loved...a mini horse would be an acceptable replacement for the pony you owe me, uncle chris). It was a great way to end one of the best days of my life.

In front of the Moulin Rouge

Saturday we started the day with chocolate croissants again :) and then headed out to Versialles. The Hall of Mirrors was amazing to walk through. I felt like I was part of Louis' court. The gardens were my favorite part. They were even larger than I expected and had dozens of fountains. It was another beautiful day and the water from the fountains made rainbows all over the gardens. We had the best mozarella and tomato sandwiches (which I could eat everyday) at Versialles. After lunch we went to the Musee d'Orsay, which houses all the impressionist artists. The museum itself is pretty cool too. It was a train station that they converted into a museum. I saw dozens of works by Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, Degas, Cezanne, and Renior. Afterwards, we went to dinner in the Latin Quarter. On our walk home we stopped at the Eiffel Tower, which was lit up blue, and took the elevator to the top. It was so cool to see all the sights we had just seen all lit up at night. It was a great night to do it too because there was an orange moon, which made the view even more special.

Hall of Mirrors

Part of the gardens at Versailles

Fountain at Versailles complete with rainbow

Blue Eiffel Tower

Sunday was our last day in Paris. We only had a couple of hours before we had to catch our train back to london. So we had a lazy sunday morning breakfast of crepes, which were delicious. Then we headed over to the Hotel de Invalides (Napoleon's Tomb). I am really fascinated by the story of Napoleon and Josephine Bonaparte so I really liked going there. And I'm glad we were able to squeeze it into our busy weekend.

I really can't describe how Paris made me feel. It was incredible. I still can't believe that I spent the weekend there and I am so happy and thankful that I was able to visit such amazing places. I miss you all and wish you could have been there with me.