One Sweet Summer: FINALLY in Verona!

Wow, what a week! I apologize for not updating my blog sooner. The internet connection at our hotel was a little sketchy..

Nonetheless, I met my study abroad group on Monday and said goodbye to Mom and William. I was a little nervous about how the group dynamics would work out, as I didn't know anyone going into the trip! However, I've been so lucky to have already made a good group of friends. The group is a good size, too, (~50 people) where I still have plenty of people to get to know.

Here's a quick run down of what we did this week:

MONDAY- Tower of London (my third time..)

TUESDAY- the London Eye! SO cool. Great view of London from the banks of the Thames River. Lanier, Lizzy, and I then went to Harrod's and the London Aquarium (I never thought I'd find anyone who wanted to do that with me!) Of course, it's no Georgia Aquarium, but they did have Gentoo penguins and different species of sharks I'd never seen before.

WEDNESDAY- Westminster Abbey. I never realized how many people were buried inside the Abbey! And of course, we saw where Prince William and Kate got married.

THURSDAY- Probably the most fun day of the week! We went to Stonehenge in the morning. Very mysterious and cool to see. Got some good photos that I will post later (I'm too tired to go find my memory card reader!) It was a b-e-a-utiful day in the English countryside.

We then journeyed to Bath, where in ancient times, the Roman soldiers would take vacations and spend long afternoons lazing around in the hot baths that used to be there (hence the name, Bath). We ate lunch at a pub, where they served us fish and chips (I'm definitely a chips fan. Fried cod.. not so much).

That afternoon we spent in Windsor Castle, which was probably one of my favorite things I've done while in the U.K. Windsor Castle is where the royal family spends their summers, and it is absolutely exquisite. We toured the main state rooms, comprised of banqueting halls, dressing rooms, bedrooms, etc. My favorite room was a sort of reception room where the Queen initially receives visitors. All the walls are decorated with gold paint, and the view to the back of the castle is beautiful.

Even after this full day, Lizzy and Lanier and I felt we had to make the most of our last night in London. After cleaning up at the hotel, we took the tube to Notting Hill to meet Lizzy's cousin and her friends. I enjoyed talking her cousin and her expat friends. It's always cool to hear the different paths you can take after college. After a yummy pizza and wine dinner, we went to a small bar. Even though the music was kinda Euro-pop, they did weave in some Rihanna and other American music. I enjoyed dancing! I did NOT enjoy how forward drunk London men are. After an encounter with a particular drunk, I stuck by Lizzy's cousin's male Australian friend from Perth for the rest of the evening!

Now here we are in fair Verona. Today was pretty much a blur, because we did so much traveling. I was asleep for most of it, too! Our apartment is fairly small, but of course, I am an American, so most rooms seem smaller in Europe. Still, I'm sure we'll get used to it. I can't wait to go shopping for our kitchen and get my bearings tomorrow.