Salisbury, Cardiff, and Stratford upon Avon: PR Post 5 of 5

Thursday morning we caught the train from London to Salisbury. A local pub had a suitcase watching service, so we left our suitcases there, got lunch, and then went and joined a hop on hop off bus tour of Salisbury. 

One of the rivers in Salisbury

We sat on the top level of the red double decker bus that swerved quickly around corners, telling us about the history of the town and the area. It dropped us off at Stonehenge. 

It was super windy. We got audio guides and got to walk around the stones. My favorite part was listening to the myths about the stones, but they tried to debunk the myths and the real story wasn't as cool. But going to Stonehenge is something I've always wanted to do, so I'm glad we got to go. It was a lot smaller than I expected and very touristy, which I expected. Even though we were there for less than an hour, it was still cool to see because it's so old and iconic. I mean it is the default desktop picture on a lot of PCs. 

We then went to see a really old cathedral. It had a huge spire and one of the original copies of the Magna Carta. We learned during the bus tour that the cathedral was never bombed during WWII because the bombers were under strict instructions to leave it alone because it was a point of reference so they could find the right river to follow.

It started pouring rain so we walked back to the area near the train station. Julianne got a manicure. Salisbury's definitely a day trip though, so right after that we took the train to Cardiff, Wales. We didn't have time for dinner by the time we picked up our luggage and went to the train station, so we bought Twirl Cadbury bars from the trolley on the train to tide us over until we got to Cardiff. The English countryside is beautiful, and there's more of it than I expected, but unfortunately it got dark out. 

Our railcards!

Luckily the hostel was super close to the train station in Cardiff. Unluckily we got lost on the way to it. We walked around University of Cardiff dorms and then found our way back. We didn't have a map, we did it form memory based on the map we looked at in the train station. I was very impressed with us. 

The hostel we stayed at was rated the Number One Hostel in the world last year. And it was only 16 pounds per night! It was very cute and very home like. They had pet cats and it was very clean and it was full of people hanging out there all the time who were all very friendly. They also had a very nice kitchen. The first night we were there the lady gave us a private room for the first night instead of a dorm with four other people because there was one free. So that was pretty cool. Our first night in Cardiff we just walked back to near the train station to buy 89p samosas for dinner and then went back to the hostel to sleep. 

Cardiff at night

The next morning we went and got coffee and we went to the pharmacy because my right ear looked like a tomato and felt like someone had punched me really hard in the side of my head. The pharmacist recommended getting ibuprofen, which I did, and which was surprisingly really cheap. It was only 40p. She also recommended going to the doctor, but one of the downsides to travel is that my only two options were really suck it up or go to the hospital since I do not have a doctor in Cardiff. So I took some ibuprofen, iced it, and rinsed it in salt water. Luckily it got better a couple days later, but if you see me with a dumbo ear in some pictures, that is why. 

The first thing we did in Cardiff was go to Cardiff Castle. It was actually really cool. I always find it interesting how in a lot of Europe, the modern city is built right up around these old landmarks. A busy street ran right along the castle wall. 

The castle was very castle-y. We watched a very strange artistic interpretation of the history of the castle video. Then we got to use audio guides and explore. The castle walls were very thick and reinforced, so they were used as air raid shelters during World War II, which I thought was interesting. The castle had been there for over 2000 years and it was interesting to see the different roles it played in Cardiff over that time. 

Welsh Flag

Cardiff in the background from the top of the 'Keep' aka the circular part of the castle

It started pouring rain, so we went to get lunch. Julianne really likes goats so we went to this pub called the Goat Major. They served Welsh pies which were very, very good. The one I got had chicken and vegetables in a cream sauce and had a flaky pastry on top. 

We then went to find this covered market that we had heard of. It was a bunch of little stands selling second hand books, CDs, and DVDs, fabrics, tools, and bakery stands. We got Welsh cakes because we saw them everywhere and wanted to try them. It was basically just little bread disks with raisins in them. I didn't like mine very much. 

We then went to find a bus to take us to the bay because we wanted to see it. Buses continue to be extremely hard to figure out. We looked for a bus that said 'Bay' and we just randomly got on. I followed where the bus was going on a map and by luck we happened to get off on the stop closest to the bay before the bus turned around and went back to the city center. The bay was my favorite part I think, because it was so pretty. 

Cool building near the bay

We walked past the Dr Who experience, but neither of us watch Dr Who so we skipped it. We wanted to bike around the bay but we could not find the bike rental place as hard as we tried, so we just went back to the hostel. We got sandwiches from Tesco's and then took a bus back to the city center. 

The Millennium Stadium, where Olympic soccer games were held this summer

Our hostel

We then went back to the hostel which was having a cookies, cake, and ice cream event. So we got dessert and watched a movie and talked to the other people staying in the hostel. That's one of the coolest things about traveling, I think. Some guys came up to us and asked our opinion of Salisbury because they overheard us saying we went there. We exchanged travel recommendations with them. An Indian couple talked with us about what we were planning to do in Cardiff. And a young Pakistani guy talked to us about travel in the states. 

This night we shared a room with two other guys and two other girls. One of the guys was a blonde Canadian who, within the first two minutes of meeting him, said "How's it going, eh?" "Soory aboot it" and then later was talking about the NHL. The other guy we never talked to, but he spent the whole evening laying in his bunk in his underwear listening to music on full blast with a stack of CDs and a spilled drink next to his bed. He also blew his nose into his hands a couple times and I tried to think of a way to explain what hygiene was to him without being rude. 

I was initially a little bummed that we didn't do more in Cardiff, but then I realized that I had never got the full hostel experience before. Most hostels have a bunch of nice amenities for people who just hang out at the hostel that we've not really taken advantage of very often, so it was nice to talk to other people in the hostel and hang out and watch a movie and stuff. I can't think of anything else I would have like to do in Cardiff, either.

I liked Cardiff, but I feel like it would be a really cool place to live more than a cool place to visit. Whereas Istanbul I felt was the other way around. 

Why I'll never be able to speak Welsh

The next morning we got up early to take the train to Stratford-upon-Avon. We had to change trains to get there. Stratford-upon-Avon was a very cute town. We stayed in a bed and breakfast because there were not really any hostels and it was pretty cheap. 

When we arrived we decided to buy tickets for the way back. The guy told us that the cheapest tickets were first class at 10:30. I asked him if coach was cheaper and he told me I had to go to a different office to ask about that. I thought that was strange until I realized that coach to British speakers means bus. 

The first thing we did was go to Shakespeare's house. It was pretty cool and the people there were very passionate about Shakespeare and his life. One thing that's really cool about traveling is meeting people who are really passionate about what they do and who really care about something. We walked through the house and the gardens and people told us about the history of the house, Shakespeare's family, or Shakespeare's work. There was a gift shop with a bunch of stuff with Shakespeare quotes on it and quills. I ended up buying a purple quill. 

Me in front of Shakespeare's house

Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon was a little drizzly the day we went, but it was a very cute town that looked very late 1600s. 

Our tickets were good for two other Shakespeare relevant houses. We only made it to one because everything closed really early. We chose the house that he bought when he was older. They were doing archaeological excavations to dig up artifacts to learn more about his house. 

Statues with Shakespeare play quotes in the garden

We took a coloring break

Everything in the town closed really early, even though it was a Friday. We decided to walk around Holy Trinity church in Stratford-upon-Avon.

We warmed up at a pub that advertised that it was built in 1599. We got mulled wine, which is like gluhwein but not carbonated, and chips. It had a very small town feel to it because everyone seemed to know everyone else, which was cool. There also weren't many young people. 

They were having a Shakespeare Film Festival and we thought it would be cool to see a Shakespeare play, so we went and bought tickets. It was at a local movie theater. The movie they were showing that night was Macbeth. It was set in the 1930s to 1940s I think, but all the lines were the whole Shakespeare play. I read Macbeth and saw a different version in high school. It's not my favorite Shakespeare play. The movie was very creepy. I think my favorite Shakespeare play in A Midsummer Night's Dream, but I find them all pretty hard to understand still, so maybe it's just because I understand it better than the other plays. 

The next morning we ate breakfast then went and caught our train back to Edinburgh. We had to change trains twice. It took us six hours total, which wasn't too bad. The first train we had we took to Smethwick. Then we had to take a train from Smethwick to Wolverhampton. Our tickets were for the 12:00 train to Wolverhampton, but the one before it was delayed a half an hour so it hadn't even come yet. I was looking at the sign and a lot of the trains were delayed or cancelled, so I told Julianne I thought we should take the train our tickets weren't for. It was a good thing we did because I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have made our connection in Wolverhampton if we had waited for our train because all the trains were messed up. 

We got toasties at the train station in Wolverhampton and waited for our train to Edinburgh. It was delayed as well. We were in first class and we tried to take advantage of it as much as possible. They kept giving us free snacks and free drinks, so I got coffee and hot chocolate. It was great. The train ride was really nice. It was cool to go past all the wind farms and the countryside. It turned out all the trains were delayed because someone had tried to steal a signalling cable near Wolverhampton so a lot of trains had to be diverted. Also on our train ride the freight in front of us lost a piece that flew off and hit another train so we got delayed further and also some kid pulled the emergency brake. But we made it back to Edinburgh! 

It was very nice to arrive at Waverley. We dragged our suitcases home, showered, and slept. The trip was incredible and beyond cool, but I was very glad to be back in lovely and beautiful Edinburgh where I could relax and catch up on sleep. 

Also, I figured out how to fix the comments section so that you do not need an account to post a comment and you don't have to do the annoying captchas either! So you can comment and tell me how your Halloweekends were. Happy almost Halloween! 

London: PR Post 4 of 5

I arrived in London late on Thursday night. Despite the full onset of cold symptoms that began around the time I got there, I was confident that I could handle London by myself for a bit, especially since I just came from Turkey and I'd been to London several times before. I knew I'd be tired arriving in London at 11:00 London time, so I booked a hostel only four train stops away from the airport for one night. It wasn't too far of a walk from the train stop, either. 

I found the address, but it just said "The White Bear Pub". I walked around the whole base, confused. I had the right address, but there were no signs for a hostel. And even though it was a Thursday night at midnight, the pub was empty, except for a couple of people dressed all in black smoking cigarettes on a stoop. "Hostel?" one asked me. "Yeah," I said nervously. She pointed over her shoulder into the pub.

Confused, I walked around aimlessly for a minute before someone asked me what I was doing. "I'm looking for the hostel," I told her. She started discussing something with a colleague in a language I couldn't identify. They both seemed unsure of what do do. There were no computers, nothing official looking. I wrote my name on a piece of paper and handed her 10 pounds cash. She put it in an envelope. 

"I give you tour," she said. She didn't really speak English. She led me upstairs to a very dirty area with several doors. The whole place reeked of Indian food. "Bathroom," she pointed. She threw open a door and s lammed on the lights. "Your room. You sleep wherever," she said loudly. I looked at the bunk where two sets of privacy shades had been drawn. "Are there people sleeping?" I asked, horrified by the noise she was making. "Yes," she smirked. I quickly followed her out of the room. 

"Are there towels?" I kept asking her, thinking about my desperate need for a shower. "In bathroom," she said simply. She handed me a key. ""No one here in morning. Leave key on bed." I haven't stayed in many hostels, but they've all been staffed 24/7 and required a check out. The unofficiallness of this 'hostel' creeped me out. 

There were no towels in the bathroom, but I wasn't surprised. I showered in the grimy shower trying to touch as little as possible and then used my dress to dry me off. It didn't entirely work. I put off going to bed as long as possible because I was a little scared. I eventually climbed on the top bunk of beds stacked three high, tied my valuables to the rail, and closed the privacy curtains. I took a second duvet off a vacant bed because I was so cold and slept on and off for four hours.

I found an empty room the next morning and got ready. I waited long enough for the lady from the night before came back and I gave her the key. I then hurried out of the sketchiest hostel in the world to take the tube to the next hostel to meet up with my roommates. 

I was so relieved when I got to the next hostel. It was legit and clean and surprisingly classy. The people there were very friendly and I felt very safe. While waiting for my roommates to arrive, I did a ridiculously expensive load of laundry (it was so worth it though), drank 50p mochas, wrote, and surfed the internet in the peaceful lounge. It was very relaxing and I felt loads better by the time Frances and Julianne arrived around 2:00. 

We checked in. We were in an all girls dorm. It had maybe 16 people in it, but the beds were very nice and had privacy curtains, and the hostel as a whole was very comfortable. 

Julianne and I went scavenging for food. We ended up walking down a residential street with pretty brick houses and trees that were changing colors. We eventually found a Sainsbury's in the O2 center. I walked in and immediately said, "I think I've been here before." And I had. It was the same place where I (unfortunately) saw Borat with my soccer team in 9th grade. 

Residential area

O2 Center

We got food and went back to the hostel. I tried to make plans to meet up with a friend from UCSB, but the plans fell through, so I got Chinese food with my roommates. I was really sick and all three of us were tired, so we went back to the hostel. There was a quiet pub in the hostel, where we hung out, planned out the next few days, and fought to stay awake until 10. There is a very important distinction between a bar with a hostel and a hostel with a bar. 

Frances left early for a museum the next day, so Julianne and I topped up our Oyster train cards and went in search of cheap play tickets. It should come as no surprise that we were unable to find some. We went to Trafalgar Square, home of the game Trumlee, and went into the National Gallery to see the Rosetta Stone, then were embarrassed when we realized that it's not in the National Gallery, but is in the British Museum. 

Trafalgar Square

Climbed the statue in a dress! #winning

View of Big Ben and more London from the statue

We then went to Oxford Street where Julianne bought a charger and I got my cartilage pierced.

New cartilage piercing on Oxford Street

Julianne is a huge fan of the TV show Made in Chelsea and also the band Mumford and Sons, so we went to West London to walk around Chelsea and see Holland Road, which Mumford and Sons sing about. 

Tottenham Court Road, where the Golden Trio went to escape Death Eaters

Standard Phone Booth Picture

"So I was lost, go count the cost, before you go to the Holland Road"

Why did the peacock cross the road?

We went to get tea and dessert in Chelsea. I got the densest, sweetest, chocolatiest brownie I've ever had. 

Despite the fact that London has some of the best nightlife in the world, we opted for a mellow night of dinner in the hostel. 

On Sunday, Frances left early for another museum, so Julianne and I went to King's Cross to get me a student railcard and take a picture at Platform 9 3/4. 

Turns out I'm a muggle, I couldn't get through :/

One of the most exciting parts of the trip happened when we found a Chipotle. As someone who ate Mexican food at least once every other day while in Santa Barbara, and at least once a week in NorCal, going six weeks without a burrito made me sad. I was talking to the guy behind the counter and told him I really liked guacamole, so he gave me extra and didn't charge me for it. It was a great meal. 

CHIPOTLE

We got Frances a burrito bowl and went to bring it to her at the Natural History Museum. On the way I decided to get my hair cut. I cut off five inches, but it was so thin at the ends you can't even tell. We ran a lot of errands in London and it was very nice. We weren't super desperate to travel from sight to sight, made easier by the fact that I've been to London to sight see before. Because we had so much free time it was relaxing to catch up on things we'd been meaning to do. London felt more like a vacation than traveling.

We had two days in London prepaid for by our program, so we checked in to a hotel near King's Cross and waited for the other interns to arrive. We were assigned rooms alphabetically which was cool because no one who lived together roomed together so we got to know another intern better. 

We hung out in one of the hotel rooms as people arrived and exchanged travel stories, which was really fun. When everyone got there, we went out to a pub for dinner.

On Monday, Julianne, Laurel, and I went shopping after a free breakfast at the hotel. They had coffee, tea, hot chocolate, toast, scrambled eggs, muffins, jam, and baked beans. I love English breakfasts.

We went with Laurel to get her hair cut and then we went to this store called Primark that has really cheap and really cute clothes. I got a pair of lace up black flats called Oxford shoes that are really popular in the UK.

We then had to go to Westminster. We were late because of some frustrating entrance issues, but made it to a presentation about UK politics. It was mostly stuff we already knew though. We then got to go to the House of Commons to see the Members of UK Parliament debate. Westminster is a gorgeous parliament building. 

The House of Commons was having a lively and heated debate about opting in to EU legislation about international arrest warrants. It was a very interesting topic, but frustrating to listen to because it was not productive. We stayed for an hour and then went to see the House of Lords debate. The contrast was comical. The heated televised House of Commons debate had lots of people watching. The House of Lords had very few. There were a lot of old people discussing a bill very seriously and in monotone. Even though it wasn't as exciting, I think the House of Lords makes a good contribution to the evaluation of legislation in the UK parliament because they don't have constituencies to answer to and can offer unique expertise and not have to worry about reelection. We didn't stay long and then left to go get Indian food for dinner and cake for dessert because it was one of the interns birthdays. 

Interns inside Westminster

Interns in front of Big Ben

Interns at Trafalgar Square 

Interns at Trafalgar Square

Tuesday we had another great breakfast at the hostel before checking out. Half the interns were going back to Edinburgh that night and the other half were continuing on traveling more. We had to stay in another hostel that night, so Julianne and I went to drop our luggage off at our hostel near Waterloo train station. 

This hostel was significantly less sketch than the first hostel I stayed at in London, but it was right next to the train station so we heard trains all night and there was also a giant Olympic athlete staring at me the whole night through the open window. 

Julianne and I went quickly to see the Tower Bridge. Then we went and got lunch at a very popular chain called Pret a Manger and out our sandwiches overlooking Trafalgar Square. 

Tower Bridge

View from lunch

We then met up at the Scotland Office on Whitehall. An old English man who managed the building made us all tea and told us a story about the history of the location of the Scotland Office starting in the Iron Age. There were a lot of quirky and interesting anecdotes in there. We got a quick tour of the house. Then some employees of the Scotland Office came and talked to us about what they did, the recent agreement between the Prime Minister and the First Minister about the referendum, and how they didn't support Scottish independence. It was interesting to hear that perspective because I don't hear it often working for the SNP. 

Afterward all the interns got dinner together at Pizza Express near King's Cross. We said goodbye to those catching the train, then went out for dessert with those staying. 

Julianne and I went back to the hostel. We shared the room with a young chef looking for accommodation in London and an older and very talkative New Yorker, both of whom had been living in the hostel for an extended period of time.

Me in front of the London Eye at night

View across the Thames at night

I will post more about the rest of my trip tomorrow. Hope your weeks are all off to a lovely start!