Midterms Week!

It was midterms week here at Richmond!!  How crazy to think that I am about half way through my classes here... yikes!  Time is flying by!  I spent a bunch of time doing school work this week, but also found some time to continue learning about London with experiences outside of the classroom!

On Tuesday, I enjoying meeting a Grove City College Grad at Camden Market for lunch!  Sam graduated GCC in 1996 with an English major.  He went on to study at Oxford and now lives in London with his wife and two kids as a lawyer.  It was great to meet him and spend some time hearing about his life and getting advice!

For my classes on Wednesday, I went on an architecture walk along Fleet Street and explored the old London docks!  I additionally went to Covent Garden Market (definitely becoming a favorite destination of mine!!), Courtauld Gallery in Somerset House (I especially liked the impressionist works there!), and the Museum of London Docklands.  As always, it was very cool to learn more about the history of London and how it has evolved to become the city I am loving living in today!

Fleet Street Architecture 

Somerset House and Courtauld Gallery (hard to see with fashion week stuff going on here!)

Old London Docks 

Relieved to have completed my midterms today, I am ready to relax some and enjoy spring break next week!  Hope you all are able to fend off the winter blues back in the states!!  Signing off! =)  

Incredible Ireland!

I had a really great time in Dublin, Ireland this weekend!!

On Thursday evening, along with my friends Kelsey and Carla, I flew from London to Dublin!

We stayed at the Egali Hostel located in central Dublin!  Kind of a sketchy place... but it was part of the experience! =)

On Saturday, we started off the morning exploring Dublin and walking around Trinity College (the Harvard of Ireland)!  

While Carla and Kelsey went to find a cafe, I went on a three hour walking tour around Dublin!! The local tour guide was fantastic, which made it so much fun to hear about Irish history and the sites we were seeing! I also enjoying making friends with a teacher from Australia, and some other US students studying abroad in Madrid! 

 

 

After meeting back up with Carla and Kelsey, we went on the iconic Guinness Storehouse tour! It was really cool and I am now officially a fan of Guinness!!

We finished off our night at Fitzgerald's for a traditional Irish dinner!! 

On Sunday, we ventured just outside of Dublin to Bray Beach, which was absolutely beautiful!!!

We spent our last evening in Dublin at Murray's with dinner and live Irish music! 

What a weekend!! Once again, I am worn out and yet so exhilarated by the amazing weekend I have enjoyed!! 

Slainte! (Cheers in Gaelic!)

Pancakes, Exploring, and Imperial London!

It has been a very good week here in London! While a lot of people in my program are getting sick, I have managed to stay healthy and keep on exploring London!!

On Monday, I mostly caught up from being away last weekend in Paris!

Tuesday, was PANCAKE DAY!! I went to the Great Spitalfields Pancake Race with Meg and Carla (a fundraiser for London's Air Ambulance... and very spirited London event!), and also explored Brick Lane, Shoreditch, and the Old Spitalfields Market too! It was tons of fun!!! =)  

With my classes on Wednesday, I went to the National Portrait Gallery for the first time, as well as the National Gallery.  I also walked through the Victoria Embankment Gardens, around Trafalgar Square, and along Whitehall (passing the Horse Guards Parade and 10 Downing Street) learning about London as an empire! 

Aside from that, I have really just enjoyed hanging out with new friends here this week!  And now... in just a few hours, I am off to Ireland for the weekend!! 

Until next time! =)