We can't believe how quickly time is passing!! Our adventures in Rome were great and we were sad to leave. Since we wrote last, we've done so much! Last Sunday in Rome, we went to a huge flea market in Porta Portese. We'd never seen so much stuff in our lives! There were all kinds of vendors, from food to clothing, jewelry and everything in between. We wandered around and were completely overwhelmed by the number of people there. Kara got some good deals and bought 2 scarves for 2 euros, as well as some gifts for a few friends. It was cloudy, but it was a nice contrast to the hot sun we'd had earlier in the weekend. We wandered around with Julia and Kara and got to see some more of Rome. We also had some amazing lasagna for dinner and had more gelato (of course).
On Monday we went to the Vatican. It was so surreal to be there and see everything, from the Basilica to the Sistine Chapel. We climbed 551 steps to get to the top of the Cupola (dome) and the view was breathtaking (quite literally). We wandered all over the Basilica and tried to take good mental pictures since the lighting wasn't great for the cameras. We had pizza for lunch and then went to the Vatican Museum, where the Sistine Chapel is. It was absolutely beautiful, but we had a bit of a neck-ache after looking up for so long. The day was made complete by more gelato and some souvenir shopping.
We left Rome on Tuesday and were sad about it because we wished we could stay longer, but then we were on our way to the third part of our adventure-Holland! We are staying in the city of Leiden, where Julia is studying this semester. The town is beautiful and is a perfect example of what you think an old European or Dutch city would look like. There are lots of canals and windmills (both old and new). On Wednesday, we went to one of the weekly markets and wandered around the city. The weather was nice (sunny, but cooler than Rome) and we had tea on a boat in one of the canals. We also had the opportunity to try a Dutch specialty-pannenkoeken. Picture some kind of hybrid between a pizza and a pancake with stuff on top and that's what it was. Because they were so big, Julia and Kara split two-one with bacon and cheese and another with apple and pineapple. They were AMAZING!! Yesterday, we ventured into Amsterdam, which is about 40 minutes from Leiden. Although we really didn't do anything concrete (tours, museums, etc.), it was nice to wander around such an interesting and diverse city. We had a nice long lunch at a cute little bar/cafe and did some souvenir shopping. We also had Amsterdam fries-apparently a big deal since they're everywhere!! Kara even discovered that she likes mustard on her fries!! :)
We've had a great time in Holland and it's amazing that time is flying so fast. Today, we'll be on our way to the last leg of our epic European adventure-Ireland!! We'll get in late tonight, but we'll be ready to do some exploring tomorrow and see what all the Land of the Irish has to offer. We miss everybody and hope you're doing well. As always, stay tuned for more!
-The Flats
Friday, 15 April 2011
Saturday, 9 April 2011
Buongiorno di Italia!
We can't believe it, but we've made it to the second leg of our journey-Italy!! The last day in Scotland was great. We went to a bridge in the Highlands called Invermortison Bridge that may or may not have had something to do with the author of Peter Pan. We also saw an old castle called Urquhart that was on the bank of one of the many lakes. One of the highlights of the trip that day was venturing to Loch Ness. Sadly, we didn't get to see the real Nessie. Apparently, the tour guide was telling us that there isn't just one Nessie like is sometimes thought, but actually a whole family-up to 19 of them!! We also saw some other amazing things that day, although they were a little sad. We went to the Culloden Battlefield, where the Scottish lost a brutal battle to the English. We also saw the Clava Cairns, which was something kind of similar to Stonehenge, although we could get really close to them. Archaeologists really don't know what they were built for, but it's possible that they were part of some kind of burial ritual. We then had lunch in a little town called Avineroe and we tried one of Scotland's famous delicacies-haggis!! Kara only had a little bit, but it really wasn't that bad, considering what it's made of. If you're really interested, Google it :). Our trip ended with a nice dinner with some of the other people on the tour, and then we were off to the bus station to begin our journey to Rome!
We spent the night on the bus from Edinburgh to London. It was a little unpleasant, but we slept most of it. It was nice to see the sun rise as we got to London. Most of the day was spent in London just walking around. The weather was really nice, so Kara sat and read for a while. We got onto the plane in London with no trouble and were then winging our way to Rome.
Rome has been absolutely fabulous! Of utmost importance to us has obviously been the food. We've already had gelato twice and we're sure that there will be more! We had pizza the night we got here, and it was amazing. Yesterday, we had pasta twice!! The pasta at dinner last night was so good-it had a cheesy, peppery sauce on it and it was in a bowl made of parmesan!! Before that, we had a deep-fried artichoke as an appetizer. We weren't really sure about it when the waiter brought it out, but after we'd finished eating it, we were absolutely POSITIVE! Today we had a delicious panini for lunch and tonight we're making pizza at Ryan's (Kara's roommate Julia's friend). We'll surely be heavier Flats when we get back!!
Then there are the amazing sites! Yesterday, we saw the Pantheon and the Spanish Steps, as well as the Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain. Today, we went to the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. It was our lucky day because the tickets to get in were free!!! Although it's been very warm here in Rome, it's been a nice change from the wet and windy weather of Scotland. We're looking forward to more fun food and sites in the next few days! Stay tuned!
-The Flats
We spent the night on the bus from Edinburgh to London. It was a little unpleasant, but we slept most of it. It was nice to see the sun rise as we got to London. Most of the day was spent in London just walking around. The weather was really nice, so Kara sat and read for a while. We got onto the plane in London with no trouble and were then winging our way to Rome.
Rome has been absolutely fabulous! Of utmost importance to us has obviously been the food. We've already had gelato twice and we're sure that there will be more! We had pizza the night we got here, and it was amazing. Yesterday, we had pasta twice!! The pasta at dinner last night was so good-it had a cheesy, peppery sauce on it and it was in a bowl made of parmesan!! Before that, we had a deep-fried artichoke as an appetizer. We weren't really sure about it when the waiter brought it out, but after we'd finished eating it, we were absolutely POSITIVE! Today we had a delicious panini for lunch and tonight we're making pizza at Ryan's (Kara's roommate Julia's friend). We'll surely be heavier Flats when we get back!!
Then there are the amazing sites! Yesterday, we saw the Pantheon and the Spanish Steps, as well as the Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain. Today, we went to the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. It was our lucky day because the tickets to get in were free!!! Although it's been very warm here in Rome, it's been a nice change from the wet and windy weather of Scotland. We're looking forward to more fun food and sites in the next few days! Stay tuned!
-The Flats
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
Aye, We're in Scotland!!
Aye, we're in Scotland!! The past few days have been great, but boy, have they been busy!! Saturday was hectic as we raced to get on the bus in Exeter to make our way to London. We made the bus 5 minutes before it left!! What luck!! The ride was pretty uneventful, but when we got to London, everything was all a-bustle! We arrived at London Victoria Station around 1:15 PM and it was PACKED. We'd never seen that many people (real or flat) in our lives!! We navigated through them though and made our way onto the Tube (the Underground system in London) to head to our hostel in Saint Russell's Square. It took us an hour to get there and we were SO glad to finally make it. We checked in and then had lunch at an AMAZING little Italian restaurant. We are surely going to be gaining some weight on this trip-so much good food!!
On Sunday, we woke up early to head off to Edinburgh. We spent 9, yes, 9, hours on the bus to get there. Needless to say, we had to do a lot to keep ourselves busy. We played cards and did word searches, ate lunch and took naps. We finally made it to Edinburgh around 7:00 in the evening. After getting settled in our hostel, which looked like an old castle, complete with several suits of armour, we were absolutely knackered (an English/Scottish term for tired), so we went to bed pretty early.
On Monday, our tour to the Highlands of Scotland began. We met up with our tour group, which has been led by an awesome guide named Chris and we've made our way around the Scottish Highlands in a bright blue bus. Poor Kara has had some seriously bad luck since she got here. Poor thing spilled a cup of coffee yesterday and then slipped and fell in the mud today. Luckily, these little mishaps haven't gotten her down.
We've done and seen some great things since we've been here. It would take ages to explain everything. Luckily, Kara has been keeping pretty good notes and taking lots of pictures, so we'll remember everything we've done here. We've seen lots of beautiful scenery-Scotland, despite its stereotypically described awful weather, is really quite stunning and we think the mist and clouds only add to its appeal. We've met hairy 'coos' (this is the way it's pronounced-promise it's not a spelling error) and been introduced to the faeries that live in the hills. We were even inside a castle today. Yesterday, we went to a whiskey distillery and learned how whisky is made. We might even have had a little sip or two! Today, we went to a wonderful little town on the Island of Skye called Portree for lunch. They had carrot cake that rivaled Kara's mom's-it was delicious!!! Tomorrow, we're hoping to get to see Nessie, the creature in Loch Ness. Then we'll be back off to London to embark on the next leg of our adventure-Italy!!
Stay tuned for more about our great adventure!
-The Flats
On Sunday, we woke up early to head off to Edinburgh. We spent 9, yes, 9, hours on the bus to get there. Needless to say, we had to do a lot to keep ourselves busy. We played cards and did word searches, ate lunch and took naps. We finally made it to Edinburgh around 7:00 in the evening. After getting settled in our hostel, which looked like an old castle, complete with several suits of armour, we were absolutely knackered (an English/Scottish term for tired), so we went to bed pretty early.
On Monday, our tour to the Highlands of Scotland began. We met up with our tour group, which has been led by an awesome guide named Chris and we've made our way around the Scottish Highlands in a bright blue bus. Poor Kara has had some seriously bad luck since she got here. Poor thing spilled a cup of coffee yesterday and then slipped and fell in the mud today. Luckily, these little mishaps haven't gotten her down.
We've done and seen some great things since we've been here. It would take ages to explain everything. Luckily, Kara has been keeping pretty good notes and taking lots of pictures, so we'll remember everything we've done here. We've seen lots of beautiful scenery-Scotland, despite its stereotypically described awful weather, is really quite stunning and we think the mist and clouds only add to its appeal. We've met hairy 'coos' (this is the way it's pronounced-promise it's not a spelling error) and been introduced to the faeries that live in the hills. We were even inside a castle today. Yesterday, we went to a whiskey distillery and learned how whisky is made. We might even have had a little sip or two! Today, we went to a wonderful little town on the Island of Skye called Portree for lunch. They had carrot cake that rivaled Kara's mom's-it was delicious!!! Tomorrow, we're hoping to get to see Nessie, the creature in Loch Ness. Then we'll be back off to London to embark on the next leg of our adventure-Italy!!
Stay tuned for more about our great adventure!
-The Flats
Friday, 1 April 2011
We're So Excited..And We Just Can't Hide It!!!
Hi Everybody!!
You might be curious about this whole 'flats' business. Let us introduce ourselves-we are the Flat versions of Kara's Aunt Karen and Cousin 'Toria. She's going on an amazing adventure, and she's taking us along!! That's why we're so excited!! As a thank-you to her, we've decided to document our trip here, so that all of you can hear and see what's going on.
We're all packed and ready to go! We're a little nervous because we've never really done anything like this before, but hey, it's an adventure right?? We'll leave early in the morning to take a bus to London. Then we'll spend the night in London and get on another bus the next day to go to Edinburgh, Scotland. We'll be taking a tour from Edinburgh and going to a few different places like Loch Ness. We're hoping we get to see Nessie!! Anyway, Kara needs to finish her packing and get some sleep, but stay tuned for more exciting news about our trip. We're so excited, and we just can't hide it!!!
-The Flats
You might be curious about this whole 'flats' business. Let us introduce ourselves-we are the Flat versions of Kara's Aunt Karen and Cousin 'Toria. She's going on an amazing adventure, and she's taking us along!! That's why we're so excited!! As a thank-you to her, we've decided to document our trip here, so that all of you can hear and see what's going on.
We're all packed and ready to go! We're a little nervous because we've never really done anything like this before, but hey, it's an adventure right?? We'll leave early in the morning to take a bus to London. Then we'll spend the night in London and get on another bus the next day to go to Edinburgh, Scotland. We'll be taking a tour from Edinburgh and going to a few different places like Loch Ness. We're hoping we get to see Nessie!! Anyway, Kara needs to finish her packing and get some sleep, but stay tuned for more exciting news about our trip. We're so excited, and we just can't hide it!!!
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