Category: Abroad

Land of the Scots, Home of the Brave(heart) with a Sprinkle of London and Paris

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You take the high road and I’ll take the low road…. ugh love that song. I still have vivid memories of my parents and grandparents singing that to me throughout my younger years–enough of my adorable childhood.

Last weekend I spent a few days at a friend’s family’s home in Glasgow for the holidays. Obviously I had the best time (shoutout to Abby and Casey coming in clutch with the amazing Scottish family), but I also found Scotland one of the most breathtaking places in the world.

After climbing Arthur’s Seat, meandering through Edinburgh Castle, checking out Elephant’s Cafe (all you fellow Harry Potter nerds out there–that’s where J.K. Rowling wrote HP- holla), hitting up the modern museum and taking in Glasgow’s greatest sights tired me out, but was worth every step of the 10 miles we walked that day.

Check out some of the pics from the trip below!

As the trips wind down and my final 10 days appear at the doorstep of my overpriced posh pad in South Kensington, I’m forced to face the music, so to speak. I still have another 3 weeks left in Europe, but only a combined 5 days in England.

Don’t get me wrong, while I miss my friends and family from the States so much, London’s left an indent on my wallet and heart. I’ve met some of the most amazing people here, made some friends I hope to keep in touch with for quite some time. Ugh, don’t even get me started on the mems! These memories will just have to hold me over until my next hop skip across the pond.

Ok, enough of the bleery-eyed sentiments and onto the time I have left in Europe. Tomorrow I take a train to Paris, next week I take my finals, and then off to France and Italy.

It’s crazy how much this trip changed my outlook on life and people in general. If given the chance, and ability, go abroad. Do it– you know you want to.

Stay tuned for a Paris round-up and a teary cheers to London sometime next week!

Stay cool and beautiful peeps.

xoxo

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The Luck of the Irish, Oxford Chaps, a Palace…and another Crawl

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WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?! Okay, sorry for yelling at you, I know, it’s not your fault. It’s not you, it’s me.

Ok I’ll get it together. Reeling it in. Also it’s sinking in that I will be a senior, and only have 1 year of college left with all of you beautiful friends that are reading this in Beantown… which means 1 more year of freedom before the real world… deep breaths.

Now that i’ve recuperated from my minor break down, let’s discuss the amazing adventures of the last days/weeks (really I do not know what time is anymore) since my last post.

I went to Dublin last weekend, explored the neighboring sea town of Howth. Let me tell you, Howth is gorgeous. Beautiful. Friendly people and beautiful views make the city a must-see. Spending time with amazing friends also helped the overall experience. Ireland truly is a magical place.

This weekend I went to Oxford and Blenheim Palace, pretended I was a distant relative of the Churchill family, and that this indeed was my palace. Alas, no one believed me. Apparently a last name of Goldman does not sound British. Who knew?

But let me tell you peeps, this  palace oozes opulence. The chandeleir dripping in crystals from the second story ceiling to eye level of the main floor, the house seems to form around the chandelier. Gorgeous paintings hang in every room lined with plush carpets and gold and silver accents. Even the ceiling in the dining room has a Michaelangelo-esque mural. And the gardens! Don’t even get me started about that landscape, or the manmade lake. Let’s just say that I can totally picture Mr. Darcy’s house being based off of this palace. Le sigh- Mr. Darcy. Wow, I’m a nerd. This is real this is me. Take me as I am.

After a day full of beautiful countryside and history, my friends, including a friend from Home visiting from Athens where he’s studying abroad this term, and I decided to do yet another pub crawl–this time in Shoreditch. Fun times all around. 5 star weekend folks.

Stay posted for another post in a week or so about my trip to Scotland next week. I know, you are all clearly waiting at the edge of your seats to hear about my many adventures.

But for reals, do I have to go back? London has stolen my heart and my money…. and I have to say, I don’t hate it.

Stay proper ladies and gents

Cheers

XOXO

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Rocking and Rolling and Crawling

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Hi hey there hello! This week’s adventures featured a pub crawl and showed me rural England, on a trip to Stonehenge and Salisbury (like the steak- didn’t have any there but I did have a nice “Sunday Roast”- nom).

The drive from Stonehenge to Salisbury is beautiful, with rolling hills of green grass and farmland, even some sheep scattered about the landscape. We managed to get a little turned around thanks to the GPS, and happened upon some lovely little towns along the way.

We also saw the gorgeous Salisbury Cathedral. That place is huge and so beautiful–I have a thing for some stained glass, it’s beautiful! Le sigh, gets me every time.

Oh right, we actually saw Stonehenge too. It’s really quite amazing physically and conceptually. Although people can no longer wander about the stones, but instead must gaze on from a distance, the land and structure itself exudes a kind of mystically beauty despite the distance and limiting wires. Overall, I think Stonehenge is a must see, despite what some people might say about it being overrated and touristy–I mean, yes it is touristy, but isn’t that the point of seeing something like that? I mean, no one heads to Stonehenge thinking, oh hey, I’ll go see this unheard of beauty that no one really knows about and I just happened upon it while I was gallivanting around the English countryside.

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Any who, I digress.

Next weekend I take a trip to Dublin to visit some friends and maybe find the luck of the Irish. I’ll see what I can do.

Also, My friends and I pub crawled around Camden–which was amazing and I cannot wait to do another crawl. Long live liquor, and long live the Queen. That is all.

Stay beautiful and warm

XOXO

T is for Tea

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Hello World! I’m basking in the aftermath of a lovely weekend with my parents who flew all the way from Florida to visit my twin sister and I. They are the cutest. We showed them around London, despite the fact that they took us here when we were 10, and each has been before on different occasions.  So, this time around we felt less rushed and focused more on what we all wanted to do- like see a show, 39 Steps, go to some amazing meals, the Victoria and Albert museums, and Spitalfields Market. (Or as my dad likes to call it, Spittle).

I know, I’m sure you’re wondering what my favorite part of the weekend was. Well, I won’t make you wait any longer… getting high tea at the Wellesley.

Cheers mate!

Cheers mate!

We’re talking some complimentary Champagne, (still don’t know how we swung that) cucumber sandwiches, mini brioche buns with smoked salmon fresh cream cheese and dill, buffalo mozzarella and sun-dried tomato mini bagels, an assortment of desserts ranging from Red Velvet cake to chocolate moose, some panna cotta, chocolate, raisin and regular scones, and to finish it all off? They gave us an extra desert as a belated birthday gift. It included a candle, so how could Laura and I turn it down? le sigh, I am still full thinking about it. Oh, and did I mention the lovely tea? My mom, dad and I ordered the Churchill blend, a yummy vanilla and basic tea flavor that was perfect, while my twister (twin sister-duh) proved her adventurous personality and went for the vanilla toffee, which she loved.

The first round

The first round

Needless to say, high tea at the Wellesley is a must when visiting London. Just make sure that you don’t eat for the week after, because I’m pretty sure my blood sugar and waistband went up. ha ha. But actually, insulin is my favorite.

On a completely different and randomly hilarious note, my roommate is discussing self-tanning, and I hear her say, “I did my ass cheeks and they look amazing.” Bravo world, now you can go to sleep happy. (before you freak out, she gave me permission to say that).

Stay on the lookout for a post next week on Stonehenge and perhaps a fashionable friend of the month.

Stay warm classy and beautiful people

XOXO

Amigas, Cheetahs… A Spanish Story

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iHola! Just touched down in London Town (again) and am feeling some type of way. I love Spain. Spain is the best. I love London, London is also the best. Ugh, so many conflicting feelings! That being said, my Spanish proved helpful, useful, and simultaneously pathetic. I’d like to thank the academy (SO sad I’m missing the Oscars right now) my amazing Spanish teachers from high school, and my astonishing inability to remember things.

Okay, I’m done being random for the moment. Now that I’ve had some time to nap and sleep off the exhaustion associated with a holiday in Spain (walking, eating, dancing, clubbing=no sleeping), I’m finally able to reflect on a spring break well spent. I saw the sights, I drank Sangria, I danced in clubs cooler than anything I could imagine, I saw another Royal Palace (check it out below) and I basically had an amazing time. I even managed to see a few familiar faces from Boston studying abroad in Spain.

Royal Palace in Madrid framed by the gated entrance

Royal Palace in Madrid framed by the gated entrance

Although this trip served as my third time in Barcelona and second in Madrid, I realize now that I would not spend my spring break in any other place, with any other people. Traveling with friends proves a difficult feat in that everyone prioritizes different sights, experiences, etc., not to mention the extreme stress associated with traveling within a country that speaks a different language. Despite the differences in opinions and overall sass (I can be sassy, you can be sassy, just admit it and accept that we all have a little flava flave in us all), the drunken nights spent dancing, the silly pictures and phrases, the smiles and sun–all helped make one unforgettable trip.

Anywho–moral of the story? Visit Spain. Visit Spain with your family, your friends, your lover, your dog, your llama, do you–no judgement. Just visit Spain. Fall in love with Barcelona’s coastline, see the various religious artifacts in Toledo, be Royal in Madrid (we all know that we’re all queens and kings, so no need to pretend–I’m looking at you Lorde). Just make sure that you do yourself (and I) a solid and visit the party-hard-totally-tapas-feisty-Flamenco-loving country.

Okay, time for bed. Stay classy and avoid the snow you beautiful people!

XOXO

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