Soooo to elaborate on yesterday....
we got up craaaazy early (6:30am) to be downstairs by 7:30am for the coach bus... once everyone was there, we headed out and, basically everyone died on the bus (even thought the tourguide was talking like the whole way there about history-y kind of things). We stopped at Avisbury before Stonehenge - it's a town that has similar stones, but instead of for the seasons these stones are for fertility and in a HUGE circle around the town (about a mile). We all grabbed some coffee/hot chocolate and headed out to walk around the perimeter. It was such beautiful country - green and rolling hills. Absolutely what one pictures when you say "English country" - sheep included. Sheep that poop. Sheep that poop EVERYWHERE!!! It was like walking through a mine field!!!
After walking around there for a bit, we got back on the bus (where everyone again fell asleep - it was every time we were on the bus we all fell asleep we were that tired) we headed toward stonehenge... It was a decent day (kind of cloudy/overcast) but at least not raining as, if it had been, we would have been soaked - there are NO coverings of any sort at stonehenge.
ANYWAY, we got there and walked around the rocks..... they were.... exciting for about 10 minutes (not gonna lie) and then lost my interest verrrry quickly. We stayed there for about 30 minutes and then headed out to a castle outside Salisbury.... well, the remains of a castle. It's really just the wall and gorgeous grass (greenest i've ever seen!) We spent a while there... frolicking about and just having lots of fun (cartwheels, spinning and jumping were definitely involved). After that, we headed in to town to a pub where I had my first fish and chips!!!! (with peas. yes, i ate peas. it was actually reeeeally good) We had a good time there - had to pass toilet paper under two stalls... and the flushers were HUGE! but, hilarious!
After the pub, we headed to the Salisbury Cathedral (home of the Magna Carta) It's another beautiful church - the architecture at each one is so different and still breathtaking every time! We walked around there for about 45 minutes then headed for the bus... After that, the bus drove us home while we all.... again.... passed out.
We got back home around 6 and decided to go out around 8. Ate dinner and got ready (wore my fun purple shirt! yay!). We wanted to try to find a place called O'Neils so we made our way to picadilly circus. Rachel was supposed to meet us (she's been feling very homesick being with the syracuse people, so i invited her along) - neither of these things happened very quickly. We couldn't find the pub and we couldn't find rachel. After about an hour (and a lot of phone calls) we fiiiinally found her and shortly there after the pub (thanks to some random person who luckily knew where it was and pointed us in the right direction).
The pub was great - part clubby, part pubby. Loud music, but tables and food. We ordered drinks (I got a reef. - recommended by Katie. it's an orange juice/passion fruit/vodka mix.... verrrrrry good - L3.50) After walking around/standing around for a while, a table opened up and we jumped on it. We sat for a bit and then the girls and i got up to dance.... there was music playing, but no real dance floor - so we made our own! There were bunches of people dancing by the end of the night (including some reeeeeeally cute italian guys - *wink wink, nod nod*) The guys were miserable. I wanted to smack them. Steve's having problems with his girlfriend vs. our katie so we chatted for a bit.... i think he needed to just dump. After that, Leo was utterly miserable so I told him (basically) to get over himself and have a good time. That seemed to work. Finally, Dave wasn't sure how to do the whole 'club scene' (not that i'm experienced.... but, he asked me anyway) I told him to just relax and have a good time..... FIIIINALLY, by the end of the night, we all got up to dance for about a half hour and actually had a really great time - ALL of us. (Two drinks.... was just happy tipsie)
We decided that we needed to walk Rachel home - there was no way we were letting her go by herself! That took FOREVER to try to find a bus and where we were going and such.... After that, we found our own bus and made it home.... where i proceeded to collapse on my bed from exhaustion (right after setting alarm for this morning...)
WHICH
brings me to this morning!
We went to Notting Hill - Portobello Rd. Market!!! SUCH FUN! it's HUUUUUUUGE!!!!
we met up with Lee and then Rachel as well (it was Amanda, Katie, Leo, Steve, Jess and I).... We ended up splitting in to two groups (there were just too many of us to be walking around all together). It was lots of fun (went with Katie, Leo, Steve and Amanda)... we wandered around for about 2 and a half hours. I bought 5 pashminas (for L10! not bad at all!)... there was soo much I could have bought, given all the money in the world..... but with prices and such, i'd rather save for traveling. Some of the gang tried paiella for lunch (it's rice with seasoning and sausce and meat).... Amanda and I got crepes (she got banana and chocolate, i got cheese) - very yummy. I'm falling for these crepes - gonna have to make them when i get home for sure
After that, we came back to IES. Leo, Steve, Katie, Amanda and Dave were all headed to Parliment this afternoon. I had no desire to see parliment, so jess and i ended up just spending the afternoon in our room.... it's been nice just bumming out and catching up on a bit of work (wrote my film review... something off my back, that's good), chatted with peter and uploaded some pictures. It was sooo relaxing.
I'm not sure what the agenda is for tonight. Some people were talking about going out... but i might just stay in and get some laundry done and possibly some more work. Maybe a walk later? We'll see.
