Well, I am back...

Yes, I have finally made it back to York after one of the craziest trips of my life. You of course have already heard of my time in Spain, but you have not heard of the other places I have been...and there is a lot to tell. So lets just jump in.

Amsterdam.

Well I guess it really doesn't begin in Amsterdam, but in England, because I had to meet Maria in London, so I packed up, grabbed a bus to the train station and got on a train heading to London. There I found her at the British Museum. After wandering around there for a while we headed to the Spitifield Market, next to the Liverpool St Station where we needed to catch our train to the FERRY(!) we were going to take across the channel. The Market was really neat and is destined to be visited again.

But back to the good stuff...after waiting a good long time we boarded a nice little (bumpy) train to the ferry. After about a half an hour train we were at the ferry. Now I don't think I have seen two adults act so much like little kids as Maria and I were acting. ( I mean I know some adults who are basically big kids...but we were sooo excited!) It was soo cool!!! I mean it felt and looked like a HUGE cruise boat, but it was just a ferry. Our room was sooo nice! There was a full bathroom and enough room in the whole thing for both of us comfortably to move around, and it was nicely lighted and decorated and the beds were SOOO COMFORTABLE!!!! If I could have I would have taken that duvet with me. But I did not have any room.

We had decided to travel at night, hence saving us a day, and the pain of trying to find a hostel in London, or book another night in Amsterdam. So, Maria and I enjoyed our stay on the boat and went to bed. Of course we forgot about the fact that when you go to Europe...you lose another hour, so even though we set our alarms for 6:00...we really didn't wake up until the captain called over the loudspeaker that it was 7:00 and that we would be landing shortly. Ooops.

To get to Amsterdam we had to take a train via Rotterdam. Once in Amsterdam we had to figure out where we lived. Of course I forgot to look up where our Hostel was, and so did Maria, so after much searching on maps and on the internet at the information center we asked someone. Of course it ended up that I had picked a hostel outside of the true center of Amsterdam and so we had a half hour tram ride. On the plus side...free breakfast and internet. Another odd plus was we got towels two of the three nights we were there. Also our roommates were all some really nice people.

Now Amsterdam itself is a very interesting city known for the things that are legal there and not everywhere (for the most part) else. If you do not know what these things are...well ok.

We of course went there not for those things, but for the history and the buildings. Amsterdam as a city is a very interesting place. Full of canals and trams and dams and kerks and bikes. LOTS and LOTS of Bikes. To get around we decided to purchase hop on hop off canal boat tour passes. These lasted for two days and were really nice, but sadly we didn't really use them to their full potential. We went to the Rijksmuseum on one day...and after going through it went to get lunch at a nice outdoor cafe. After sitting down...it rained on us...then the rain got a little stronger, and all of a sudden it wasn't rain anymore...but hail...which grew in size until it was the size of a raspberry. We of course could go nowhere...so we stayed put. Me sheltering my camera, purse, and in a way Maria while Katherine hid under her umbrella. We were told later that that is the usual weather pattern...sun, rain, hail, sun, hail, rain...etc etc...crazy.

The next day we were in Amsterdam it was just Maria and I, Katherine had moved on to meet her family in London. We were set to meet up with a friend from York though Maartin. In the morning we decided to use our boat bus tickets for one more final lap around the canals and then set out to meet Maartin at the Dam (center of town). Once he caught up with us we all went to lunch and had a pleasant conversation about something Maria had eaten (ended up possibly being horse.....still not quite sure) and just life in general. Afterward we got coffee and headed back toward the Dam. Once there we decided to take a tour of the Royal Palace...which Maartin told us had not been open to the public in a while and which was one of the coolest places I have ever been. I recommend looking at my pictures of that place. My favorite room was the main entry hall...because on the floor were three maps...one was of Europe and Asia and Africa...one was of the stars, and the third was the "new world" meaning north and south america. That night was our last night in Amsterdam. The next morning I woke up really early and hopped the 600 tram back into the city to catch the train out to the airport to fly to Madrid where my parents were arriving the next day.

This should catch everything up to the post before this. I will write more later about my trip from Spain to the beautiful country of Italy.

Yes I know its skipping a few places...but now is better then never.

MADRID!!!!

Hello from Spain. It is currently my last day here...with my parents. I am hoping to come back at some point because it is better then it ever could be here. I have spent this past week with my parents...well since the 3rd, I got into Madrid on the 2nd after visiting the great city of Amsterdam. But this is not going to be about Amsterdam...this is going to be about spain...and the fun with my parents...also this comes not just from me, but from them as well...well my mom since she is sitting next to me, and my brother who just walked away from us so maybe not so much from him.

We are currently sitting in the lobby of a hotel located supposedly close to the Madrid airport...but we passed the airport on our way here, so I am not so sure its the closest...oh well it works since tomorrow I am flying to Rome at a really bad time (7:40...meaning i have to get up at 5:00 AM) and my parents have to fly home back to good ol´ Chicago as well.

BUT here is what we have been up to.

As I stated already I got into Spain a day before them, and because my dad is such a nice person, checked into a nice hotel only a short walk away from basically the center of Madrid. Since I hadn´t really eaten anything at all since that morning in the airport in amsterdam my first goal, after taking a REAL shower (more about the shower situation in Amsterdam later), I decided to get some food. Now the dilemma was...should I brave the city with my really poor spanish, or should I just order room service and laze about. I decided to go for a walk and see what I could find. SOO an Ice Cream sandwhich in Parque de Buen Retiro worked for lunch. After sitting under a tree for a few (ten) minutes watching some guys playing football (european football...not american) and a really cute little girl blow bubbles into her unlucky brothers face, I went back down the hill in search of el Museo del Sofia Reina (if my spelling/naming of places is wrong...deal with it...i am in a hotel lobby, not at my desk with the paraphanalia from the trip around me) in the hopes to waste some more daylight. Now this musem was a little confusing...because once you walked into the square in the middle, only one door from it actually let me back out, or should i say back in, to the museum...but once i figured it out I actaully saw some good art. There were of course a good amount of modern art, since the museum is a modern art museum, but I saw some Dali originals and that made me really excited...my camera had died though, so i didnt have any way to take pictures of them. THere was also a really good short silent film that I watched that made me laugh and that I am going to try to search for (probably with no luck) once I am back in York.

Dinner (sadly) consisted of a cheeseburgar and small fries from Mc Donalds...I know I am dissapointed in myself as well. The rest of the night I ended up watching american movies and tvshows dubbed in spanish...if you thought it was hard to follow the Gilmore Girls banter in English...its ten times worse in Spanish...but as good.

The next morning I was awaken by the sound of my room telephone and the voice I heard was MY DAD!!!! They had arrived. Now...when I had arrived I had tried to switch my room to a double...meaning TWO BEDS...but the place was completely full so that was not possible...so my room (which was about the size...maybe smaller...then my room back in York...which is basically the size of my brothers room back home) had to soon fit four people (mom, me, dad, mike) plus about five persons worth of luggage (no one travels light) in it. Lets just say I went to breakfast. My dad fell asleep right away (check out wasnt till noon and it was only 8) my mom tried...but soon joined me at breakfast...my brother just didnt bother...until later when we were actually going to try to see something. SOO after some napping...and some reading...and some repacking...we all checked out of my tiny room and hopped a cab to our REAL hotel. Which was a basically luxury hotel complete with huge ceilings and a perfect view of a more historical Madrid. My brother and I got one room and my parents took another. Lets just say that my brother and I got the better end of the straw with the good view. My parents looked out on a wall. Umm...the rest of the day was taken up by unpacking and then heading out into the city. We decided that our first conquest should be the Palacio del Reyes where we stood in line for about a half an hour and got rained on for about the last ten minutes. BUT it was worth it. The palace was really really nice. It was filled with rich rooms and huge chandeliers...some of which would not fit in a normal size room. There was gold, and silver, and brocade, and fine jewels, and jade, and a good amount of ceramic work...some of which was on the walls and ceilings.

After the palace though we decided we needed food and drink and so found an ok restaurant by our hotel.

Quick side note...my brother doesnt really experiment with food...meaning that anything that was not cheese, ham, bread, or a burger, was out of the question. So hunting for dinner was very difficult for most of the trip...that is until we got to Seville. More on that later

In Madrid we also hit the Museo del Prado (BIIG ART MUSEUM:::which ended up being free) and the Catedral (which we actually kinda of went to for about five minutes on Easter sunday). We walked by the Opera a good amount and even went to the Plaza del Sol and Plaza Mayor on a few occasions...Mayor was one of our frequent stops for food...and Chocolate con Churros. This dish...was basically hot chocolate (and when I say hot chocolate I do not mean the drink...but what happens when you melt a candy bar in a pot...and add a little bit of milk) and churros...which if you have never tasted before are basically fried dough. Of course it was not just one churro per person, no when you ordered they took into consideration that there were four people...and so gave you about ten peoples worth of churros. It was delicious.

Other things that happened with my parents were that I did not have to pay for much, meaning DAY TRIPS!!!!
First one, Toledo.
Toledo is a little town about a half hour train ride from Madrid located in a very hilly area. It is an oooold town that really hasnt changed much in the time it has been around. Of course the main attraction (the Alcazar) was closed, but we still did see the Catedral there and also a Monestary and a lot of really interesting small alleys. Something that was in excess was paintings by El Greco. If you do not know who he is...ask my brother, I think he now has become the expert.
Second day trip was Segovia.
This town is again very small and very old. The main attractions are the Roman Aquaduct...which has been standing for about 2000 years...without mortar...the Catedral, which is HUGE! and another Alcazar...which looked like a true Castle...picture fairy tale castle with not so many towers and brown. Of course this castle had been burned down...at some point but the replica in its place did have original work in it and still had original ceilings and walls in a good amount of the area...so it was realllllly worth it. We also climbed up its tower...all 152 steps of it and saw the whole valley and the mountains beyond and the storks and the hawks and it was just magnificent. My camera again died at the wrong moment.

After these road trips and Madrid my parents and I said goodbye to the wonderful center of Spain and headed South. Here it was increadably WARM!!!! All of us got to Seville and the first thing on entering our hotel (that is after going up and down through tunnels and courtyards to get to our rooms) was all of us changed into shorts. Yes I wore shorts for FOUR DAYS!!! IN APRIL!!! Lets just say it felt good to shed the jeans and get some sun.

Our hotel was a very interesting place. It was located in the Old Jewesh Corner of the city, where all of the old cool stuff is, and was made up of four different buildings, all of which were crawling in flowers and vines and tunnels (the easiest way to get between the buildings) and stairs and it was just perfect. I got pictures of some of the areas, so look for those(also look for my brothers tour of the tunnels...lets just say its pretty good). Our building had something to do with Music, and we did hear music from the building behind ours. We had a two rooms again, my brother and I in one, and my parents in another. There was a nice littler veranda between the two which we soon took over (I kinda felt bad for the other guests we shared it with...we used it more then them for sure). In Seville we took our nice time seeing the sites doing a bus tour the day we got in, and then a walking tour and the Alcazar the next day. I am ALWAYS doing walking tours from now on. Having a live guide is so much better then listening through headphones. In Seville we also vistited the Catedral, one of the three largest in Europe and the Plaza del Torros (bull ring). No we did not see an actual bull fight...but there was one the night before we left. Of course the Real Madrid Barcelona game was top priority for us. (YEAY BARCELONA!!!) Most of our trip in Seville was centered around really good food (lucky us the restaurant across the street was top notch) and relaxation, giving us time to visit with each other, play some cards, and get a slight sunburn.

Well that basically wraps up our nice little trip. As we sit here my mom is already starting to get emotional about leaving tomorrow. I am just dreading getting up so early to get to Rome...but hey its better then flying in at 9 PM. I am also about to hit a slightly thinner budget...yep...no more splurges on room service buckets of ice, and well places with roomservice. Time to go back to Hostels and cheap food.

Thats it for now,
Signing off from Madrid again, its the WHOLE GUIRL FAMILY, not just Ellen.
The main part of this group will be back in Rockford Monday night, of course I will be continuing my eurpoean excursion and will try to actually get something up about Amsterdam at some point...oh and my London trip as well as my mom has just reminded me.

Cheers.

Alrighty. It's Spring Break

Oh it is finally here! SPRING BREAK! I have turned my paper in, and so now I can laze around and do nothing. Or can I?

Anyway I know that I said I would get a post up about my grand weekend in London with the whole UK UofI gang, but at the same time I really dont feel like going that deep into my memory and fishing around for a while. Right now my brain deserves a break. So today's blog entry will be about life in general I think. Just catch you up on life in York.

Its Grand

Ok next topic.

Haha just kidding here are some more details:

Life in York is something completely unique. Since the city is so old every day (well every time you go down to City Center) feels completely amazing. I mean being able to wander around and run into streets as wide as a steam tunnel (University of Illinois Reference) or a bike lane (another one) with little shops selling everything from fudge, to scottish knit sweaters (I am still contemplating one...) to old touristy things or chic clothing or books or pasties or cheese or whatever is something that I am still getting used to. There are also the buildings that have been around since the Tudor reign and then the newer places as well...tucked in right next to them. Its fantastic. The mix of old and new is just perfect. But anyway City center is a place I go to get things if needed, like most recently new clothes...my style is not in fashion with what people wear here...lol. So a few new purchases were necessary. Other things that I get in city center are just the everyday things you need to survive (not food though...that i get at dining halls and grocers).

Anyway York itself is just too nice to give up. I know that by the end of the time I am here I will not want to leave.

Other fun facts about life here. Well the weather has warmed up. I am in search of a true spring jacket...because the one I have right now is actually too wintry for spring here (its also not quite waterproof) so yea flowers are blooming (crocuses and snow drops) and daffodils are pushing up more and more randomly around campus.

We have had really good weather recently as well...like a little rain, but mainly sun. Its been really nice.

Ok since this is getting not that great (my brain is shut down right now...so everything is coming out in like blurbs) I am going to post this and tell you I will write again soon...since I am on break from now till the beginning of May.

I think I need to catch everyone up...

Alright...since its been about three weeks since I went to Paris, I think its time to make another post about it. Also maybe one about London (not this past weekend but the weekend before that). I mean what else do I have to do right now...other then laundry...i think i just went four weeks...not sure how. I also have a paper due this week...so I have been hanging at the library for a few hours each day...going back later today, once laundry is done. Other then these two things I really need to catch up on this blog...because at the end of this week I will be done with term one here and so will be getting ready to head to EUROPE for a big tour. Hopefully I will see everything I want to see. But we will see.

Right. Paris.

Well Kristin and I flew out on Friday morning after taking the 830 train to Leeds (830 train means waking up around 650 to get to the bus by 720 so we can get to the train station with time to spare). We had booked seats on a Jet2 flight to Charles De Gaul. The plane itself was not what I was expecting...it was a real airplane. I guess when I hear cheap flight I think ooold plane looks like it's about to fall apart with uncomfortable seats etc...but the flight was fine. I had the window seat with a younger couple sitting next to me. I tried to read the whole way, but definitely fell asleep for a little bit. It was weird though looking down and seeing FRANCE!!!! I was soo excited. When we landed there was a full rainbow right next to the runway which was neat and as we towed into the terminal I even saw the Concord which they have mounted in a way between the terminals. But anyway so we got from the airport to the city and then from one metro stop we caught another metro to where we were going to be staying. The hostel was called ABsolute Paris, and it was really interesting. On the outside it looked like the rest of the surrounding buildings, but once inside it was completely different. The rooms had very unique wall paper and there was a huge stairway winding its way up to all of the six or seven floors. The kitchen was in the basement which was very cellar like. All in all it was an interesting place. We were supposed to meet up with two of Kristin's friends, but sadly both of them ended up not being able to get flights, after their flights were cancelled. So instead of having a room to just us we shared it with one other person, who was a very nice girl from Brazil.

After dropping stuff of Kristin and I decided to go for a walk and basically wandered our way down through Paris over to Norte Dame and then around the island it is located on. We got ice cream from this little shop that Kristin's mother had recommended and just wandered around eating ice cream and exploring the little shops and alley ways that wound their way around. After a while we headed back towards the hostel trying to figure out what we were going to do for dinner and what we wanted to do that night. Kristin had a connection in Paris and we wanted to try to get together with him. So in the end we got a call from Valentin and met up with him and a friend for dinner. Then drinks with a few more of his friends. It ended up being a really fun night and Valentin agreed to meet up with us the next day to help us around Paris.

The next morning Kristin and I went back to Notre Dame to look around inside, and we also went to Sainte Chapelle which is the most beautiful place I have ever been. After these two churches we went to a cafe got some cafe and a water and then met Valentin. All three of us then wandered toward Champs-Elysees where the Arc de Triomphe is located. As we walked we also passed through the gardens surrounding the Lovre. After seeing the Arc de Triomphe (and almost getting hit by a car....hey its not my fault that its in the middle of a street) we went towards the Eiffel Tower and walked around it. We were thinking of climbing the stairs and looking around, but the line was really long and you had to pay for it as well. And who really wants to pay to climb stairs. So after wandering around the gardens surrounding this monument as well, we went in search of food. But of course all of the bakeries were closed, so we finally stumbled upon a crepe place called Crepe King, and it was delicious. I had a crepe with ham, cheese, and egg in it. I am not sure if I will be able to eat crepes with peanut butter and chocolate again...this was too good. Once we were all filled up we went to the Lovre, because none of us had really gone before and found out that THE LOVRE IS FREE TO STUDENTS IF YOU CAN PROVE YOU ARE A STUDENT! Twenty minutes into the Italian Renaissance exhibit though a voice came over the loudspeaker stating that all visitors should start heading towards their closest exits it was closing... so we saw the Mona Lisa....and left. After that we went in search of the best hot chocolate in the world...but ended up in the wrong place. So instead we found a pub and just hung out for while. Dinner was served up by Valentin and his friend Nicolas at Nicolas' flat.

The next morning we had decided to play it by the weather, and since it was rainy and windy we decided to go to the Musee d'orsay which is located in an old railway station. We wandered around looking at the art for a few hours at least and then decided to try to find the worlds best hot chocolate again. This time we were successful...and it was soo worth it. The place is called Angelina's and you will never taste true hot chocolate till you have this. It's the best. After Kristin and I had our chocolate fill we hopped a metro to the catacombs. Before going in though we bought sanwhiches at a bakery and went in search for Valentin and his friends Nicolas and Thomas in line. They had said that they would meet us to go to the catacombs and lucky for us they were about fifteen people from the front of the line, so we got into line with them and headed into the catacombs.

Now. The catacombs of Paris are not for the faint of heart...or the clausterphobic. They are located under the city within some of the shortest tunnels you have ever seen (well in some places). After you go through some winding tunnels of just rock on all sides you finally get to where the famous part begins...now this is where it gets creepy. For from floor to ceiling its bones...all lined up with skulls making funny patterns between them. Yes they are all real bones, no they are not labeled who they are any more...so for all you know you are touching some famous person's bone, or skull. There are supposedly some down there...but they are not labeled at all.

This was probably where I had the most fun, because instead of really thinking hard about where we were and all that, we just had fun, goofing off, and taking random pictures. It was a fun final thing for my trip.

After these we went for a cafe and then I headed back to the hostel to grab my bag and head out. I finally made it back to the terminal after taking a train to a train...then that train to a bus...then the bus to the airport. Once I was through security and finally at the gates...I relaxed. Finally time to board...and then plane away from Paris and back to Leeds. There I had to grab a taxi with two other people to get to the train station to catch the second to last train out of Leeds to York.

This was my trip to Paris...I want to go back, because there is so much more I could see and do and because it is a city unlike anything I have ever seen.

Now...I need to go back to working on the paper, because I got my laundry done and I told myself that I was just going to write this while doing laundry. Oh...and its raining outside...its a true English Day.

Paris...oh Paris.

So. There is too much to say about Paris, so right now I am still absorbing it all and trying to wrap my mind around the idea that I WAS IN PARIS THIS LAST WEEKEND! It is a weird concept to think about really, that I flew from one country to another for a weekend. In the states this is really unheard of...I mean you will travel to another state, but not another country.

And along with this idea, it was soo cheap! I mean i flew for only around 140 pounds, which is nothing really. Prices there were a little steep, but for two nights at the hostel we stayed at it was only 48 euro, and i only had to pay to get into three of the attractions we went to... Sainte-Chapelle Musee d'Orsay, and the Catacombs. Otherwise I got in free at Notre Dame, the Louvre, we didnt go up the Eiffel Tower, or Arc de Triomphe, and everything else we really just walked around and saw.

Paris was amazing though. Each day made me not want to leave, what with how nice the weather we had, or even just how nice the city is, and how light it is. In england you have the very medieval dark gothic atmosphere with dark stone and red brick and just dark greens and everything. In Paris everything was white stone or yellow stone, and everything was tall and narrow and just elegantly simple. The city was really beautiful. Even the metro stations were not that dirty or anything. A bunch of them had themes or even some type of decoration on them.

Anyway...I promise to do a day by day account as well...I just wanted to get this out there first. Like I said I am still a little stunned that I just jumped countries for a weekend. I mean I knew that was possible, but I guess I never thought that I would be doing that.

The rest of Cardiff

Considering I have not finished my Cardiff weekend I will now continue:

Sunday morning found the three of us not quite getting out of bed as quickly as we should have...oddly enough I was the first one out of bed. After a quick shower I went down to breakfast soon joined by Maria and Katherine. Instead of the orange marmalade I used apricot...and it brought back memories! During breakfast we discussed what to do, and could not decide if we wanted to go to the Cathedral (a good thirty minute bus ride we thought) or just go to the National Museum (A brisk walk past the castle). Maria and I decided that, well, since we had the Minster in York, no Cathedral would look better then that, but Katherine wanted to go, so at Millennium Stadium we parted ways, she going to catch a bus, we to walk to the museum. On our way though we stopped in a store that we were planning on going to the other day, but neither of us had cash and not enough merchandise for credit. So we went in there and got our little dohickys that we wanted to get and then mosyed in the direction of the museum.

Of course since I was leading the way without a map, we found out we were going the wrong way when Katherine called saying that the bus wasnt coming and she was heading our way. So once she arrived she got us going in the right direction and we headed off.

The Museum was really nice on the outside, but was under construction (they were adding exhibit areas and galleries) so there really wasnt that much on the inside. But they had a really interesting exhibit about evolution with fossils and ooold rocks and replica's of different dinos and oooold mammals etc.... They also had an exhibit where they had artifacts and bones from the various tribes and empires and human races that have lived in Great Britain and that was really neat because for the most part it was all real, no replicas. One really neat thing was a pile of coins, mostly from the roman era and looking at how intricate they were and well preserved. They also had a bunch of jewelry and weapons and tools and crockery etc. Some of it looking like more modern, but it was still really old.

The final part of the museum we went through was the art gallery they had. It was fascinating how many paintings they owned. Some Picasso's there were a good amount of landscapes and a whole gallery full of portraits. I have to believe that my favorite was a landscape portrait done on the lid of a harpsichord. Since harpsichords were more angular there was a whole corner added later when it was removed from the instrument itself and so if you look closely at the painting you can see where the corner was connected to the original. Of course this added piece was still painted by the original artist, so that there was no mistakes or difference in brush strokes or colors between the two making the painting look like it had been that way the whole time.

After the museum we knew that we needed to head back toward The River House so that we could grab out bags and head to the train station so we began looking for a place that we could possibly eat lunch. We ended up at this little pub, that looked like it was not so banged up due to the night before and trundled inside. It was quite a nice pub...we were the youngest people in the joint (well the bartender might have been our age) since it was oh only about one, but we got a nice table right under a tv with a football game on and settled in. I ordered Chili, because i had seem a good amount of places advertising it, Katherine got the sunday roast, and Maria ( i want to say) got either a chicken dish, or a burger..... The chili was pretty good (don't worry mom yours is still the best) and it was the perfect dish to warm me up before a long ride back to York.

When we grabbed our bags we said goodbye to the staff at The River House, traded information with a few of the other travelers, and headed off. Honestly it was a little bittersweet because that place had been so nice and comfortable and amazing. We left really nice comments in the guest book.

I had looked up all the information for our trains home so I knew the time of each one and it was easier to figure out which track and all that. Before we boarded though we each purchased something for the ride...as either a snack, or as dinner, because we didnt know how much time we really would have between the two. So I grabbed a small bag of mixed nuts (unsalted of course) and a bag of dried mango, I think Maria got nuts as well, and Katherine got some biscuits, and we were planning on just sharing everything.

WAIT!!! Back up to the beginning of the day before we headed out I forgot somehting...so here it is. When we went to check out Mum (the lady who cleaned up after us and was always it seemed bustling around the kitchen) had told me about a open air market that happened down the street from the hostel. So before we headed off we went through it, and oh it reminded me so much of the Urbana market that I almost started dancing...there were stalls with vegies, there were jewelry stalls (although it didnt look like anything i would have wanted) there was a butcher there and i think a fishmonger, and then there were like three stalls with baked goods. I purchased a bag of cheese scones so that we would have them on the way home, and Maria got a pack of Welsh cakes. Both of us were tempted to stop and get some spices from a spice stall and then also a salad stall had some interesting looking salads (like potato salads etc.). This market made me love Cardiff just a little bit more, because wherever I end up living HAS to have an open air farmers market, I just love them soo much!

So we had the scones and welsh cakes too if we got hungry, although those never got opened. The train ride home was actually really nice. Our first train was from Cardiff to Manchester, and it was quite empty so we ended up getting two seats to each of us and a table...we were very happy to have a table. So I read, Maria fell asleep (except when I woke her up to see sheep) and Katherine read as well. The train from Manchester to York was quite busy BUT after some switching of seats Maria and I ended up at a table with an elder couple, who were quite odd it seemed...i couldnt tell if they were speaking english half the time, or welsh, or another language, and then Katherine ended down the isle from us as well. We all got home safely though, grabbing a taxi at the train station to get us back safely, and because we were quite tired by this point.

Well that is the final day of Cardiff...sorry there really hasnt been that much going on in my life, but I hope you enjoy these gigantic posts.

I am leaving you all with the recipe for a "baked good" that I have grown to love called a flapjack. http://www.flapjackrecipe.com/

I think i might try to start leaving recipes here or something at the end so that you get to try a bit of the culture back at home...we shall see if i remember this every time.

anyway...more to come later.

Saturday arrived sunny and...well sunny and clear...which was not what I was expecting. SO we all got up, got showers (some warmer then others) and went down to breakfast...where we were greeted by a lady who went by Mum. She was soo nice bustling around the kitchen making sure everyone got what they wanted and more, and cleaning all of our dishes afterward. I had toast with orange marmalade, a little chocolate croissant , a small bowl of frosted flakes with blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, in it, and a cup of tea. Maria and I had finished at the same time, so we grabbed shoes and coats and headed outside. Katherine was still getting ready, but she agreed to meet us over by the castle and Maria and I were off. Instead of going straight to the castle though, we headed into Bute Park which was located right next door. Here we found the quietest, prettiest, little park I have ever seen. The trees were huge and it was quite muddy, but there were ruins in it and a nice little garden thing, and we could see that daffodils had already started to push up through the ground. It was really pretty and a good way to start the day.

Katherine finally caught up and we headed to the castle. Here we purchased tickets for the "exclusive" tour. We walked into the castle and just wandered around for a little bit. The first thing that seemed weird though was that there were three really big guns sitting on the lawn and men in uniform wandering around. We just thought that this may be something normal and went up for our tour. The inside of the castle is really interesting. It was built in the 1800's so it is old...but not as old. The rooms are exquisite though...so detailed and beautiful. The tour we paid for even gave us access to rooms that people do not normally see...which was really cool. Since my camera didn't work (the battery was dead) I did not get any pictures of this castle...but my friends did...so I will try to get them from them.

After the tour it was close to noon and there was something going on on the lawn. We found out that the reason there were guards and guns was that Queen Elizabeth took control of the country on that day...she wasn't crowned...but it was the day she became the one with the power. SO in remembrance of that there was a great parade thing. There was a marching band in the red uniforms(they played some old marching songs and anthems and all that...they also played the Indiana Jones theme...odd)...and then some important people with guards and then they shot the guns off. And these guns were loud. They shot of a good amount of rounds as well..more then six, but i don't remember how many exactly. It was really lucky though that we had gone on that saturday and saw that though.

Well after the castle we decided to head towards the bay, but of course got sidetracked by our stomaches and then also the really neat victorian arcades that Cardiff has. These are basically small alleyways with shops everywhere that are normally covered and so give you the feel of street shopping, but without getting rained or pooped on. Down one of these arcades we went and found ourselves stopped in front of the cutest little shop ever. It was a cheese shop, with a cafe and fresh bread as well. Oh we decided to eat lunch there. After about fifteen minutes we actually got a table and each of us started going over the menu. I ended up getting a chicken and mushroom pie with salad and bread, Maria got a stake pie with salad and bread, and Katherine got a lamb stew and bread and cheese. I have not eaten anything as good as that...the bread was fresh, the salad was great, and the pie was delish! I recommend this little place, although i do not remember what it was called. Well after that we started our walk toward the bay.

We had been told that it was only a 20 minute walk, but i think that was if we had taken a different route, it took us about thirty to forty minutes to finally see water. But once we got there, it was realllly cool. This is where I am going to sidetrack for a moment and explain some things that have happend recently

I have become slightly obsessed with the BBC television show Dr Who. For those of you who know the show...the more recent Doctors, not the older ones...for those who do not know the show...shame, shame on you...just joking.

Now this show was one of the reasons we went to Cardiff. Many episodes of both Dr. Who, and its side show Torchwood are filmed here, plus they have a small exhibit showing off costumes and props from the most recent series. So walking into the Bay area was like walking onto set, because there were the monuments, the shops, and the walkways that are seen within the episodes, all that was missing was a Blue Police Box. The bay though is not just famous for these shows, no it is also a really modern up and coming place to go. With a really nice boardwalk, shops, restaurants, different museums and exhibits and many Multi-Purpose Buildings (along with the national assembly). The rest of our afternoon was spent wandering around the bay, through a small museum about the bay area, and then trying to find the Dr Who exhibit...which was cool, but not as cool as it could have been. We were all expecting costumes and props from all of the different doctors, instead it was mainly focused on the final series that has happened. So there were people/creatures that I did not recognize, and some that I did.

After the bay we decided to take a bus back towards the River House, trying to make it back in time for Free Soup...we made it, and had a nice cup of soup and some bread for dinner, before trying to plan the next day. There was a rugby match on, Wales versus England and it was a big deal, so we thought we would try to find a pub, but of course after soup the game had already ended, with England winning, so the pubs were emptying out. But we had a good night and went back and went to bed.

Well that was Saturday. It was a good day, we got to talk with some of the other people staying at the hostel, one group were american students studying in London, a group of Irish men, either studying or working, or we never really figured out why they were in Cardiff, a group from Germany, touring on holiday, and then one guy from Alaska, who was touring Ireland and England after just recently graduating. Those were the people we talked to, but there were also people from somewhere in Asia, Australia, and I think Italy staying in the hostel as well.