Ciao Bella!

Hey all!

I just flew in from Florence and boy are my arms tired! (ahem cough cough)...

Seriously though, I just had the most amazing week of my life! It started a week ago Thursday, when six of us jetted off from London to Barcelona. After a slight mishap where one of our friends lost his wallet (fully recovered, no worries) we made our way to the playa (beach). It was absolutely beautiful! I have never seen water that blue in my entire life. We couldn't help but to go swimming- it was a gorgeous day! The water was SO CHILLY but we stayed in for quite some time. Swimming in the Mediterranean in October? No big deal. We visited the Sagrada Familia, Parque Guell, this huge cathedral at the top of a hill that had an amusement park at the base? It was incredible. From the top you could see the entire city and the sea. So beautiful!

From Barcelona we flew to Rome. It was such an incredible city! We saw the Colosseum, Pantheon, Constantine's Arch, the Spanish Steps, Trevy Fountain, and so much more! We took a bus tour at dusk so we got to see the sunset over the Colosseum- it was so amazing. It was a much bigger city than I thought it would be.

From Rome we took a four hour train to Florence. The trip itself was absolutely beautiful. There were endless rolling green hills and at one point we passed an enormous garden with blown glass sculptures which was just breathtaking. We did not take any form of public transportation in Florence, we just walked all over the city. We saw David, the Duomo (which is the fourth largest cathedral in the world), so much art and the Arnos river. It is by far my favorite city. The river was clear as glass and reflected the buildings that are built against it perfectly. We also met the nicest people there! I would love to go back, hopefully soon.

ALSO

Dad came to visit this week! It was so much fun! We had an adventure yesterday. We took a bus tour and went all around the city and took a river cruise and then joined a beattles tour! It was so so much fun!

And now for a relaxing weekend in London!

Ciao!

What Happens in Amsterdam...

Apparently stays in Amsterdam...where it should! Lauren and I journeyed over to Amsterdam this weekend! It was quite and interesting trip...

Did you know that Amsterdam is made up of 90 islands, over 150 bridges, and way too many canals to count!? Now you do.

We went on a beautiful canal cruise on Saturday. Outside of the very urban city centre it is absolutely beautiful! It is commonly called Venice of the North because the buildings are built right on the water and it is more convenient to get around by boat.

We also visited Anne Frank's house, which was one of the most humbling experiences of my entire life. We walked through the entire house, and even into the "secret annex" behind the movable bookcase. It was very strange to know that this group of people hid out during one of the most horrific times in history.

Amsterdam is a biking city. Over 60 percent of the population owns a bike, and there are more bike paths than roads! There are even bike garages, like parking garages!

Up next: Barcelona, Rome and Florence!

Miss you all!

Cheers!

The Ireland Eye Sees All

Hey All!!

I know, I know, it has been way too long since I have written, but I have just been so busy!!

We went to Ireland this weekend and it was absolutely amazing! We got caught up at the airport in London because we were told to go one way and were supposed to go the other way... let me just tell you, getting your visa checked and boarding card stamped is not a quick process!

Our plane was slightly delayed, so we had a chance to defrazzle ourselves before getting on the plane. If you ever travel to Western Europe, beware that RyanAir, while incredibly cheap, is also inconvenient and sketchy! The flight itself was great: 45 minutes in the air and you are there! My favorite part was flying into Dublin, because you can see the Ireland Eye, the island that you fly over as you come in for landing. I know everyone says it, but it is honestly SO incredibly green!

Our hostel was in the city, right on the main drag, so we could walk everywhere we wanted to go. We did some necessary shopping and a bus tour, saw Dublin Castle, and the Guinness Factory (naturally). Lauren and I loved the city, but we really wanted to see IRELAND, so we jumped on a train to Howth and explored the coast. It is absolutely breathtaking on the coast. The islands are beautiful, as are the rolling hills. The houses are built into the hills, and are practically right on the water. It was a little shanty town, exactly what you would picture Ireland as. I only wish we had had more time to explore the coast and really get to see Ireland, but that is just another excuse to go back!

Keep your eyes out for more articles coming! I have been working on a bunch, so I should at least have some sort of credit in a lot of stories- I am learning so much at the AP! And in class, of course. Midterms are next week! Ah!

Next up, Amsterdam!

Cheerio!