Italy: Part 1

First, I would like to thank you for keeping up with my journeys thus far. Secondly, I would, again, like to apologize for my long absence from this blog. April and May have been fun-filled and exciting months and, as a result, I have been hard pressed for free time to write in my blog.

From the snowcapped mountain peaks and clear lakes of the north to the spender of the picturesque Cinque Terre on the coast, Italy boasts a vast and, yet, intriguing setting. Ruins of the most powerful empire the world has ever known is the cornerstone of the rich culture that this great country embraces. Words can hardly describe the beauty and awe one can experience in the beloved nation, but I will try.

After the family’s departure from Scotland, I had a couple of days to rest and recover before spending two and a half weeks in Italy. During this time, laundry and other chores were hastily completed prior to my departure on Wednesday morning. To make this trip more interesting, I guess, an ATM machine thought it would be good fun to destroy my debit card just two days before I was scheduled to push off! After a few stressful hours, Brittany decided to send a new card to Matt Carton in Germany, who was scheduled to meet me in Rome a week and a half into my trip. This meant that I was left with only the money in my pocket until Monday, when I was to meet up with my other friend, John Roberts, to explore the Italian coast. Needless to say, it was not a good start to the journey.

Anyway, I arrived in Milan late Wednesday afternoon and set off in search of my hostel. Luckily, I did not have too hard a time, and I checked in before nightfall. I then went searching for some famous Italian pizza but ended up only finding a franchised place. Oh well, it was still pretty decent. I knew that I would have plenty of time to enjoy pizza in Italy anyways.

The next morning, after wandering through the city, stopping at the Duomo, the Galleria, La Scala (the world’s most exclusive opera house), and getting lost in the fashion district, I jumped on a train bound for Lake Como (just north of Milan). This part of Italy was very authentic. I did not meet anyone, other than the owner of the hostel, who spoke English. Now, I’m not saying that this wasn’t a tourist destination, but I believe most of the travelers were from Europe. With this being said, I had quite a time finding the bus that was in route to Menaggio, where my hostel was located. Although no one spoke English, it was quite fun figuring out Italian. So, I did manage to get on the right bus and somehow jumped off at the correct stop. This was when I met the only other American that was staying in the hostel. She was traveling a few months before going to take a job in California. We proceeded checked in and head downtown (population 2000) to grab some REAL authentic pizza: it was delicious. The next couple of days I hiked the mountains and wandered through the neighboring towns. It was extremely beautiful and an amazing place to relax. This is probably why George Clouny has a villa on the lake! Overall, I had a fantastic couple days on Lake Como.

On Saturday, I took the train back to Milan where I met up with John. Even though I had to pay him back eventually, I had a source of money! We stayed the night in Milan and then took off for Camogli, on the Italian Riviera, early the next morning. It was a sight to be seen: a colorful town built into a hillside right on the Mediterranean. Even though we just stayed for a day, it was one of my favorite spots; so calm and gorgeous.

The next day found us on our way to Cinque Terre. Five small towns, located in a national park, are connected by a famous hiking trail. When arriving in Manarola, I could tell why this place had the reputation that it did. It was similar to Camogli, but the towns were quainter and built on steeper hills. We hiked the trail, which was way tougher than I thought it was going to be, and discovered the treasures of these small towns. Now, being on the Mediterranean, we thought we might be able to do a little swimming….not the case. The water was extremely cold, but none the less, it was an amazing part of the world.

Our next destination was Naples, but not before checking out the Leaning Tower of Pisa and a sketchy night in a train station. Now Naples is not the safest or cleanest city I have even been, but it was a great central point for exploring the area, most notably, Pompeii. If you remember from history class, Pompeii was coved in a deadly cloud of volcanic ash and almost perfectly preserved on August 24th, 79 AD. So when Mount Vesuvius unexpectedly blew, it created a fascinating archeological sight of an Ancient Roman civilization. Since I am a big Roman history buff, you can imagine that I enjoyed every second of seeing the preserved lifestyles of this fascinating society. That night, we ventured out to find the best pizza in the world, and I think we found it. Naples, known as the birthplace of pizza, did not disappoint the taste buds. During our stay, we ate at the two most famous pizzerias in the world!

Late Thursday morning, John and I boarded a ferry bound for the island of Capri. A hotspot for celebrities (although we didn’t see any) and fantastic scenery, Capri did not disappoint. With only two small towns on the island, Capri and Anacapri, the relax feel was a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of Naples. We explored the Blue Grotto, a remarkable sea cave with neon blue water, Villa Jovis, the ruins where Emperor Tiberius ruled Rome, and ate an authentic Italian dinner along the Mediterranean. I can image why Augustus fell in love with the island during his rein as emperor, the views were spectacular. But we could not linger, so we jumped on a ferry heading to the Amalfi Coast late Friday afternoon.

We arrived in Atrani and found the eccentric brothers who ran the hostel we booked. They mentioned the Good Friday celebration that was happening in the, almost, adjoining town, Amalfi. After grabbing some pasta before the events began, we headed to the church square, which was filled with the entire town. The street lights went out at 8 and a procession of the members and clergy was lead down the church stairs and around town. The group of about 100 carried a statue of Jesus and sang songs with the help of a small instrumental band; it was a sight to me seen. The next morning we took a hike to Ravello. Possibly the most difficult hike I have ever encountered and drenched in sweet when we reached the sleepy town, it was well worth it. Nestled in the hills and over-looking the ocean, we enjoyed the charm and spectacular views Ravello had to offer. We headed back down (not as hard as going up) and chilled on the beach until we took a bus back to Naples, where we rested our heads (and ate some pizza) before waking up early to catch a train headed for Rome to “enjoy” Easter at the Vatican.

Family Visits

A guest post from my Aunt Beth about our trip around Scotland. Enjoy.

Scotland 2009!!!

March 19-Early morning travel with Brittany packing on the way….(thanks John!) to London via Rockford bus, O’Hare flight to Dulles and then to London via United airlines. While in DC..had extra breakfast at Wendy’s..decided not to exchange money. Boarded plane and had movies and food most of the way. No sleep, but arrived at Heathrow and not problem through customs. Changed some $ to pounds for taxi to the Crown Pointe Plaza…no, we could not walk…had our one room with “continental breakfast tray”. Also able to email for 3 L for 15 minutes to let everyone know we are okay. All snored!

March 20- Early back to airport with great taxi driver giving David tips for the next leg as we flew BMI to Edinburgh. No frills airline…Brittany still struggled with ears. Arrived to find the Enterprise counter and the details needed to finally rent our lovely Nissan. Good instructions from young man in the parking lot and we started. Just a couple of lane miscues and we were following the instructions of the Garman device eventually figuring out the roundabouts. Thanks to Ms. Scotty, we were well underway. Finally located the place to rent our apartment at and found Lochend Close..stall 6/3. Got settled in the 2 bedroom apartment ( Craig will love the couch) and headed out to explore High Street. Stopped at a kilt shop and then ate per recommendation next door at the Mitre…walked to the castle and toured complete with a wedding with kilts from the St. Margaret Chapel…pictures with bagpiper and walked through-out the area. Views were great! Stopped at Woolen Mill that also had demonstration of machine weaving the tartans. Continued to find shops up and down the Royal Mile and ended up for chocolate near the Starbuck’s. Waited to meet Craig and then found him in front of St. Giles!!! Craig was sporting his Dublin experience with two black eyes and a cut. Made for interesting conversation….ended up driving to Leith area for seafood dinner at The Ship…never did get the tour on the Royal Yacht! Back to apartment and bed!!!

March 21-Beth did an early morning run out toward Arthur’s Table….and then back up High Street to find coffee….finally at the Ramada. Gathered some rolls and raspberry jelly at the grocer…Craig slept not so well on the couch. After showers, baths and whatever we started our driving day but first with a hike up Arthur’s Table…Dad waited in the car. Made it to the top for great views of the city. Lots of runners and people walking dogs, etc. Saw the Swan Lake and then headed out for the quest to Fierniehurst Castle near Jedburgh. Saw much of the countryside..had lots of questions about farm stuff. Lots of sheep and plowing. Finally found the castle/Kerr estate but it was closed. We walked the long lane and then David went to the caretaker’s home where he was greeted by a young man (grandson) and a German Shepherd. The caretaker’s gave permission for us to walk around as the Kerr’s were not home…looks like they use only occasionally. They will eventually form it into B and B with the younger generation now in ownership. Traveled back into town to email and call from visitor’s center and then had lunch at Carter’s, first McEwan ale also. Our waitress was the mother of the young boy at the caretaker’s home…what a coincidence. She shared more information about the Kerr family for David to share with Tony. Also in town was a road rally…..stayed to watch the finish…but then headed to next quest of finding Lanark/New Lanark. Traveled through some hilly and beautiful country and arrived at tourist center as it was closing. Advised to go to New Lanark and Clyde Falls. Picked up some groceries and then headed to this center that was a social learning community at one time….huge! Down in the valley and then we hiked to the falls…nice trail but falls was not that great. Getting more blustery so walked back and then drove through new countryside back to city. Saw car in ditch as we needed to reroute due to another accident. Back to apartment and then up High Street for supper….Craig’s place to go had stopped serving food so we ended up at the Albanach pub and had our first haggis….not bad….even Brittany ate it! Craig ended up on cushions for the night.

March 22-Sunday- Beth ran to Swan Lake and then for coffee from Starbuck’s. We headed for church at St. Giles cathedral….good but non-smiling choir and long communion. The church is one of the early Scottish Reformation congregations….much like Presbyterian. Craig took us to the Elephant Room where JK Rowling first had her inspiration for Harry Potter when looking out the window at the castle. Kept notes in the table and now people write notes and place in the drawer. After hassle with check out we headed to Palace of Holyrood across from Scottish Parliament building. This is former residence of Mary, Queen of Scots and is the residence of the monarch, Queen Elizabeth when she is in Edinburgh. Great tour (listening devices) and history. Also went to the ruins of the attached Abbey…good pics. Started our tour of Scotland by heading to the city of Perth. Crossed the long bridge and finally found a B and B…Dorothy and husband..the Rosemount. They added bed to one room so all could sleep. It is British Mother’s (Mum’s) Day so the restaurants might be crowded. Headed to the recommended Paco’s which opened at 4:30….so saw the concert hall and decided to later attend a “traditional” Scottish offering of music, band, choir and comic!! Dinner was great and Paco (back from Spain) became the contact for our later contacts for farms and market tours. The concert was a kick…..reels, marches, jigs complete with a director that rivals Warren G. Loved the plaid pants and the various dances he gave to get all inspired! The choir almost had a young girl faint…mostly American music from them as they are raising funds for a tour to the US. The comic was difficult to understand..but funny at times. Quite the day as we ended at 10:30!!!!!

March 23-Michelle’s BD-First full Scottish B and B breakfast. Cereal, juice, yogurt, sausage, fried egges, haggis, bacon/ham, tomatoes, mushrooms, pudding, coffee or tea. Then on the road to St. Andrews-countryside included the planting of barley, tons of sheep. Windy but sunny and then changeable. Arrived at the Old Course Links-visited pro shop. David and Craig played 9 holes on the Eden course while Dad, Britt and Beth toured the Old Course hotel with guide, Winston. Herb Kohler of Kohler faucets, etc in Wisconsin owns this now and Winston related much of the history and showed us through the hotel including the bar at the top. The R and A (Royal and Ancients) are an exclusive committee. Today the staff is working on the course so could take pictures on the bridge. We continued on by walking downtown past St. Andrew’s University and toured the castle. Much history of the early founding in 11th century and then of the rebellion of the Jacobites when they killed the bishop in 1700’s. A tunnel was discovered in the late 1800’s that had been in existence since the 1500’s. We continued and walked to the ruins of the most massive cathedral long sanctuary. Back through town….looked at ice cream, bought golf ball for Pastor Karen and then met up with David and Craig. Their golf was very windy but most enjoyable. Took pics, got ice cream and took David and Craig to the cathedral before heading towards Aberdeen. Wanted to stop at Dunattour Castle near Stonehaven. It was a great castle even in the rain…closed but unbelievable rainbows and hike and site. Dad stayed in car. We saw some rabbits and maybe a white mink/ferret. On to Aberdeen to see Craig’s abode and also call Mom, John and Jennifer. Ate at a downtown restaurant that had been converted from a church…now also a casino. Then on the road to find the elusive farm B and B with Elizabeth and Graham Harper. We ended up on several gravel/dirt roads but finally prevailed and were in by 10:30! David took the individual room. The actual location was Burnside…near Invernurie. Nice rooms!

March 24-Beth ran a short distance while David toured the farm with Graham…cattle operation on about 150 acres. Another full Scottish breakfast in their kitchen with the hearth and fireplace. Had been in the family for three generations. Son and wife live behind in a cottage. Great conversations and visits from their border collies, Kyle and Judy. We all toured the barns and area while David went for L’s for payment at Morrison’s. After check out we headed for Inverness. Many times for pictures and questions about why horses wear blankets???? We finally found the Jacobite cruises and a boat that left on the Loch Ness at 2. Quite windy and choppy. We all stayed in downstairs cabin at first. A few people were a bit green…Beth went up on top….Craig had already been up….Quite wonderful to see the scenery but still very choppy!! As she headed back down…..huge spray from wave hit her head on…Craig got the shot. Boat docked at Urquehurt Castle and then it was decided to take boat to side of Loch Ness as the water was too rough. Conversation with the female captain and then we and the two Domino’s pizza guys were taken back and boarded bus back to Clanside Hotel. We traveled back to Inverness and found exchange at the M and S department store. We then found pub while David and Craig brought the car and then had late lunch/dinner before heading to our CASTLE night! Brittany had found this on web. We drove into the highlands and saw timber, forests and more sheep and cattle grazing at various heights!!!!. The castle was very cool and we had a room with 5 bunk beds….as it is a youth hostel. After fitting our beds with sheets, duvet covers and pillow tops…we explored. Our room had a shared bathroom at the end of the hall. Lots of cool places…library, dining room, etc. We decided to find food in nearby town….and ended up at a “7 Eleven” type of place for snacks and beverages. Back at the castle, we played cards in the dining room until bedtime. The night had some howling winds and interesting middle of the night finding the bathroom experiences!!

March 25 –Early morning run by Beth was more a walk back up the hill….a bit chilly. And then cold showers….Britt and Dad opted no way…then on the road after good pics in front and on stairways to head to Skye….and yes…we missed the bridge picture. The drive was filled with new and beautiful scenery at every turn. Stopped for coffee on the way. Craig ate really bad doughnuts….Since we have decided to go to the cattle tour on Friday we will not head to Ireland…so will spend the day and night on Skye Island. Crossed the bridge and headed toward Talisker Distillery.. Our one and only whisky tour. The tour began at 1 rather than 12 so had time for lunch at the Old Way Inn….quite unique and complete with a dog that played pool! Tried the local brew….fun place. The tour was great and very informative. The tasting was not most of our cup of tea….understand the need for water with whisky. Tried several very wee drams of the more exclusive. Dad had great stories of Johnnie Walker. Talisker is a huge distributor. Interesting facts of US Bourbon barrels and how much storage is needed. But had to stop for pictures and almost a petting zoo experience with Highland cattle On to Portree the capitol of Skye and found the Meadowland B and B. near the shore line. Went for great driving tour to the top of the Island. Saw waterfalls, Kilt Cliffs (pleats) sheep and cattle. Returned to Portree and walked to the harbor and through the town. Quite the dilemma for dinner and ended up at McNab’s which was not as good. Back to the B and B…Britt and Beth stayed warm and watched the English version of the Apprentice. The others had no heat…

March 26-John’s Birthday!- Made to order breakfast Scottish style….and then checked out and on the road to Ft. Williams…through mountains and to Ben Nevis base. Saw goats on the way…This is Britain’s tallest mountain. The gondolas were not running due to the high winds and cold temps. Finally in range to call John for his birthday! At the visitor’s center the young man recommended we hike to the meadow crossing a waterfalls to the gorge where part of Braveheart was filmed. Of course we had no hiking boots…Dad stayed in car…while the rest of us set out . We encountered backpackers and trail folks who all looked at us a bit strange…but we had a good but cold hike. David and Craig went all the way. Then after the hike we went into Ft. Williams to a coffee house, Fired Up for lunch and to use the free Wi-Fi…..we finally settled on the Marriott in Aberdeen for our next two days and Craig will stay in dorm. We headed out and drove through the Grampian Mountains…also Ms. Scotty took us through Dufftown/Glenfiddich and the rows and rows of barrels and storage for whisky. A long day of driving but unbelievable scenery…..Ate at a downtown Pizzaria! Then getting on line at Craig’s dorm, complete with fire alarm. Arrived back at Marriott and great beds!

March 27-Beth tried out workout room……and then great buffet breakfast…even salmon. Britt is liking fried eggs and baked beans for breakfast. Picked up Craig and onto the cattle/livestock day at Thainstone market center in Invernuie. WOW 3 rings of auction…..huge lots of cattle and sheep. Met up with Ian Cathers who gave us initial orientation and then we watched many rings. Met howie the butcher for Paco’s and noticed that many people were watching us…..Had a great roast beef lunch with another Ian….head of Aberdeen Association and publisher of magazines. Then after pictures and gifts of whisky for our hosts..we did an afternoon of farm tours. Mostly Ian Cathers but also a Mr. Massey who has Angus and Charlois bulls and herds. Visited some commercial sites..also story of Queen Victoria viewing the cattle….same cattle/different leads so that she thought there were many more than at hand. David conversed with Ian a great deal….much of farming concerns similar to those in US. Quite a long day of cattle, sheep and even orphan lambs….but very gracious of Mr. Mathers to show us around.
Back to the Marriott…David and Craig found Chinese and Craig drove for a bit!!

March 28- Beth ran and biked and then we all had another great breakfast…went to Craig’s corm..called Mom, found hotel in Edinburgh and then said goodbye to Craig…..will miss him. He plan to go to Italy next! Traveled to Edinburgh, checked into hotel and shopped..thinking all was well. Found kilt maker and ordered…books, scarves, souveniers and even the deep fried Snicker’s bar. After great snack at the St. Giles café including David’s Innis and Gunn….we discovered our vehicle had been towed…After taxi and 130 pounds we had car back and were quite ready to take back to Enterprise. David had quite the experience returning the car….but ended up at the hotel pub for last snacks and ales. Soccor on the TV while visiting with gentleman, son and his grandfather on their way to Paris Disney.

March 29-HOME After trip we were ready to head home…BMI flight to London and stand in line for Heathrow VAT refund….Dave and Britt got it…Beth did not. Long line and wait for the Air Canada flight after David had to check his bag…The flight was great….all kinds of movies and choices..and free wine. We were in rows 60 and 61 so they ran out of meat snacks for last one. Arrived in Toronto….finally got David’s bag and then made an earlier flight after passing customs back to Chicago. Traveled by bus and home after Rick picked us up.

Great time and Stories!!!

Dublin

We could tell it was almost St. Patrick’s Day the moment we exited the plane. Tourists donning large green hats and wide grins were scattered throughout the airport. While we were not quite in the spirit after an entire day traveling, we did appreciate the enthusiasm that our fellow Irishmen possessed.

After we checked in and unpacked our bags at the hostel, John and I ventured downtown to find some “pub grub.” Unfortunately, we could not decide on that perfect pub before they stopped serving food. So what did we do; went to a Chinese buffet (which was quite pleasant). While roaming the streets, though, we found more people in ridiculous green outfits clamoring about. If someone didn’t know any better, they may have thought it was St. Patrick’s Day. But alas, it was only Sunday night: two days away!

The next morning, while wandering through the city, we came upon another Free Tour. Since our last Free Tour in Berlin was a success, we decided to give this one a try and ventured into the vast crowd (St. Patrick’s Day remember). By shear luck of the Irish, we received tickets, while many were left without. While there were less touristy sights to see in Dublin, the history was still present. Out tour guide, a native of Dublin, gave us the lowdown on the tumultuous history of the Irish Republic. In all, a good tour; much more informative and exciting than a classroom I would say. Now I can say that I really am “studying abroad.” (Your money is not going to waste Dad)

After the tour, we ventured over to the Guinness Warehouse for another tour of a slightly different kind. Again, we had to contend with long lines on the eve of this big celebration. The tour was extremely informative and entertaining. The best part, though, was the brew in the Sky Bar over looking the entire city (after learning the art and science of making a great Guinness, that is).

That night, we were finally able to get our authentic “pub grub.” I had Irish stew which consisted of lamb with brown bread and mashed potatoes on the side. Pretty authentic I suppose. After our meal, we decided to hit the hay early so we could get a good start in the morning. To our dismay, the next morning was nothing like what we had imagined. We thought that the pubs would open around eight and that everyone would be having a great time; that was not the case. They, the pubs, were not allowed to serve until after noon. So, we grabbed breakfast with a huge Red Socks fan (I had to tell him how much better the Cubs were) and then got a spot for the parade.

The parade was really fun. Apparently, different groups around Ireland (like a 4-H group or something) would create a theme and act it out along the route. My favorite was the group that was on the set of King Kong. After standing in a crowded place for about 2 hours, we decided to get our St. Patrick’s Day on! For our afternoon break, we visited the St. Patrick Cathedral to give thanks for his service to Ireland: getting rid of all the snakes….and converting the island to Christianity.
At the next pub, we decided to start a pub crawl with these two fellows from Austria! Many people were very excited with the idea and joined us on the event. Although we had a limited crawl (3 pubs) we had a good 30 people by the end. We ended the night at the famous Temple Bar, a good end to a good day (until McDonald's called my name).

I was glad for the opportunity not only to visit Dublin, but to experience St. Patrick’s Day in all of its madness, something I will not soon forget.

Berlin

Sorry to all of you who have been checking up and have found nothing new on my blog. I been strained for time and, as you can tell, have not posted for a while; my apologies.

The story starts on Thursday when John and I head to Edinburgh to catch our flight to Frankfurt-Hahn. We had been sucked into this trip a month before by these two girls; one of which said she “knew” someone in Frankfurt. We said, alright it will be a fun trip before we set off to Dublin for St. Patrick’s Day. About three days before we leave, the girls decide that they want to go to Berlin instead. That’s fine, I guess, there’s more to do in Berlin anyways. So we find the cheapest way to travel from Frankfurt to Berlin by using a ride share. This means we ride with someone who is taking that journey, which is convenient and, as we found out, fun. To make the story short, they stayed in Frankfurt one night and then took a nine hour bus ride to Berlin and beat us there by only a couple hours when we started a day later and paid way less.

Anyway, we found this ride share place and were finally on our way to Berlin. We had the opportunity to ride along with a guy who lives in Berlin but works in Frankfurt during the week. We also had two other guys with us, one of which was very entertaining. It took us five hours but it really didn’t seem that long because we heard some great stories to keep us amused.

When we arrived we found our hostel and then tried to find a bit to eat; a hard thing to do in a city with “wild” night life. The following morning we enjoyed a German strudel while we waited for our tour to begin (where I met another group of Illinois students). The tour of Berlin was very good. We saw the Wall, Check Point Charlie, the Holocaust Memorial, and many other historic sites. Then, John and I wandered around the city until it was time for us to meet up with the girls for dinner. We ate at a very small and very authentic German pub. The food and beer was very good; I had sauerkraut and sausage.

The five of us enjoyed an old-school pub crawl in Berlin’s less touristy section. It was very interesting, but very scary at the same time. I felt bad, because the next morning they had to ship off for another nine hour bus ride while we enjoyed more of the wonderful city (more of the Wall and other historical sites). That evening we met a couple of soldiers who were stationed in Germany...interesting to say the least.

Early on Sunday morning, we took a train to Frankfurt, a bus to the airport, and then a plane to Dublin. Although I only spent two whole days in Berlin I really loved it. It was, quite possibly, my favorite city thus far. It was so clean, had so much history, and did not feel like a big city what so ever. But my weekend was not over yet, so I’ll see you for St. Patties Day!

London

So, I am 2 weeks behind and need to catch up!

A couple weekends ago I attended the University of Illinois London Weekend. This involved all of the university students who are studying on the British Exchange Program to met in London on the 5th of March to do a little sight-seeing in the nation’s largest city. Although there are over 100 students from Illinois in the UK and Ireland this semester, only about 50 are part of the exchange program. It is still a pretty large group I would say. As well, these students came from all over Britain (Sheffield, Liverpool, Leeds, and the like). The main objective was to meet our UK resident student advisor, Ryan Lorenz, and to befriend other students abroad.

I flew out of Aberdeen early Thursday afternoon. I was again in a hurry to pack my bag and get off (a reoccurring theme it seems). But, again, no problems, and I was of to “London Town.”

When I arrived at Heathrow I immediately bought an Oystercard for use in the Tube (Underground). Looking at the map of the Underground is quite overwhelming, but luckily enough, my stop was on the same “line” as the one that left from the airport. And, after quite a long ride, I reached my stop at Russell Square. From here, I had no clue where to go, but after walking around the block, I finally found the hotel (paid for).

After checking in, I laid down for a quick nap before we gathered for dinner. I kept the television on in my room for two reasons: one, because I never get to watch it, and two, because I love the English accent.

At about 7:30, all 40 of us met downstairs to grab some pizza (paid for). The rest of the night was uneventful as we just hung out and got to know each other better at a pub near the hotel.

After a meeting about safely while studying abroad the next morning (a little late since I was about 5 weeks in at the time), we hoped on our bus for a tour of London (paid for). It was really nice seeing all the sights in relation to the city. After that, we were given the rest of the afternoon to ourselves, so a few of us ventured off to see Westminster Abby, Buckingham Palace, The House of Parliament, Big Ben, and a quick stop in the British Museum.

That night, we had the chance to meet some Alumni that now reside in the UK. I swear, four out of the 15 or so that were in attendance had been to Mt. Morris. I was astonished! Anyway we had a good meal (paid for) and good conversation. The next morning we received a personal walking tour of the river by Ryan himself. Afterwards, we all grabbed lunch at this awesome outdoor market; I had a baguette and cheese. Then a couple of us headed over Tower Bridge to the Tower of London (our Beefeater was hilarious and the crown jewels were amazing) and then to St. Paul’s Cathedral. We met for diner that night (paid for) and took in some of London’s famous theater. The “play” was called Rumors (paid for). I would describe it as a mix between acrobatics, modern dance, a hint of comedy, with basketballs and skateboards mixed in. Overall, I was really impressed and enjoyed the show immensely.

On Sunday morning, four of us ventured to Camden Market to gaze at all of the crazy antiques and to grab a great bit to eat (goat curry). Then, it was off to the airport again and back to Aberdeen.

I really enjoyed my trip to London. There is so much to do and see that one weekend was not even close to enough, plus everything was paid for! Hopefully I will make it back soon because it is such a astonishing city.

Apline Skiing Adventures

First, I must apologize to everyone for the wait between posts. I only had one day of internet access last week and found the time was too short to write about my weekend. But now I'm back and ready to rock!

Two miles really doesn't seem like that much. We can drive 2 miles in about 3 minuets, right? We could even bike it in about 10. Heck, we could even run......wait, scratch that, I hate running. All I am trying to say is that 2 miles does not seem that impressive until you are standing on top of a mountain that high!

This trip actually started off on Thursday night (26^th) when my friend, John, and I left for Edinburgh via bus. Since all of the low cost airlines fly out of Edinburgh, it makes sense for us to take the bus from Aberdeen and then catch the airplane. It was unfortunate, though, that the flight for this trip left at eight in the morning. No buses run from Aberdeen that early, so we had to book a hostel in Edinburgh that night so we might be able wake up the next morning and arrive at the airport on time.

Nothing real exciting happened on our journey to Innsbruck, Austria. It was actually a bit cloudy on Friday so we couldn't really see the Alps as our plane started to descend upon the city. We could see the few mountains that lined the valley as we came in, which was amazing at the time, but nothing compared to Saturday’s views.

Anyway, after following a bus, (too cheap to pay) that would have lead us to our hostel, in the opposite direction for about a half an hour, we finally got our bearings and trekked ourselves to the other side of town (again too cheap to pay). At this point, John and I were too tired to do anything except wait for Matt Carton to arrive. At about 9 o'clock, I got a call from Matt saying that he had arrived at the hostel (an old Olympic athlete dorm). I thought this was odd because even if he did have my stellar directions, it still took us forever. Come to find out, he copped out and took a cab!

After settling in, we wandered downtown to find this restaurant from our travel guide, Theresienbrau. The food here was excellent and so was the home brewed beer. It was a true Austrian dinner! After grabbing a few more brews at the college hangout right next door (same owners), we called it a night so that we could rest up before our big day on the slopes!

Early the next morning we drug ourselves out of bed and caught the Ski Bus that stopped by our accommodations. We jumped on another bus at the connection point and were off to Stubaier Gletscher! The weather was even foggier than the day before and we were a little disappointed that we could not see any of the mountains. But as we climbed higher, I mentioned to Carton that the sun was trying to break through. About 2 minuets later we were out of the fog and sunshine filled the bus. We could finally see the mountains in all of their glory!

After a scenic hour bus ride to the ski resort, we got off and immediately started taking pictures. I saw the ski lift run over the crest of the mountain and then disappear for view. At this point, I concluded that that was the top, because it sure was high. Little did I know that it was only a third of the way!

We got our gear (coats, pants, gloves, skies, and boots) at the ski lodge 2/3 of the way to the top. Then we made our ascent to the top! The view at 2 miles up was an amazing experience. This was the first time I have even seen mountains of this magnitude, other than in pictures. Apparently a person could see three countries from that point! It was truly awe inspiring and I was in amazement of the views the entire day.

I won't go into to much detail, but after the first run we all lost each other and spent the rest of the day skiing by ourselves. The glacier that we skied on was so big that we did not see each other for the rest of the day! It was fun though; I had a good time tackling the "easy" slopes and the 3 mile long runs. They actually got so tiresome that I had to take breaks midway down. I will also admit that I fell........but only like once. Maybe.

After meeting up at about 3:30 we had another little photo shoot (pretty entertaining) and then rode the lifts back down to the valley below. All exhausted from skiing all day, we took naps on the way back. Even back at the hostel we had to rest before we went looking for a place to eat.

The next day found us touring the Swarovski’s Kristallwelten (Crystal World). Swarovski is the world leader in crystal production and has their headquarters in Innsbruck. Crystal World had colorful displays made up of different crystals. The theme was something about Brazil. It was also home to the world's largest crystal (3000 carrots). After that, we ate lunch on top and took in the views of Innsbruck from the ski jump that was used in the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics. We then saw Carton off at the train station because he had to get back for his internship. Then John and I walked around town and took in this amazing little city for the rest of the night.

We went to another ski resort on Monday where I snowboarded. This was equally amazing, although I did fall quite a bit more (like 4 times (if that)). The next morning we headed to the airport after another quick walk around town. Unfortunately, our plane could not land and we were delayed for a couple of hours. We then missed our connecting flight to Edinburgh. And this made us miss our bus back to Aberdeen. So we got on a later flight, stayed another night in Edinburgh, and got on the bus the next morning.

In all, this was a trip of a lifetime. I got to ski with real Alpine skiers and snowboarders! I loved the mountains and the atmosphere of this quaint little city.

Edinburgh

Last week, many of the American exchange students here at the University of Aberdeen were working out the details to their weekend trip in Edinburgh. I was not quite sure that I wanted to leave because of other events I had planned to attend here on campus. But on Thursday night, my friend John persuaded me to go after field hockey training. So that night, I booked the hostel and started to get my bag packed for a weekend of fun in the capital of Scotland.

The next morning I told myself that I would wake up early to do laundry (since I didn't have anything left to wear). I ended up waking up at 9:30 and was rushed to get my clothes washed before our bus left. Fortunately, because I am a great time manager, I got everything packed and we left for the bus station on time!

When we got there, we were able to buy our tickets and jump right onto the bus without waiting too long. It is a 3 hour trip to Edinburgh, but it is not a straight shot. We had to switch buses in Dundee before finishing the final leg to our destination. Without the switch, I would have had a good nap!

Since there were two groups leaving at separate times, the people who arrived earlier (us) decided to grab a bit to eat at a local pub. This was a momentous occasion in my life because it marked the first time that I had ever eaten true pub food. I was going to try haggis, but they were sold out, so instead, I had sausage and mash; another Scottish favorite. It was truly delightful!

That night, after the whole group (13 of us) had settled into our hostels, we met up and had a fun night on the town. The next morning, while many of my fellow travelers were in a grumpy mood because they lacked sleep, I took the opportunity to brighten their day with my charming personality......I'm not sure it worked. Just kidding; with my insensate energy, I made the day much more delightful while we toured the Edinburgh Castle (all in a day's work).

After the castle, we decided to grab a light snack at a local cafe; in fact, this was the same place where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter. Although the view of the castle gave her the inspiration for Hogwarts, Harry, and the rest of the gang, my creativity was not working and I could not produce any ideas for an award winning book (darn).

The next couple of hours found a few of us walking enjoying the city before we had to meet up again for dinner. Note to everyone out there: picking a place to eat with 13 people is impossible. We finally found a place and because I am so cheap, I just had a muffin and a glass of water for dinner: that's classy if you ask me. After my fine meal, the group got ready for our "haunted" tour of the cities vaults. Being the man that I am, I didn't get scared, but the history aspect of the tour was very interesting.

The next morning, still more hostility. But, thankfully Craig and his amazing humor was there to save the group. That morning, we took a trip to Holyrood Park where a couple moors rise above the city to give incredible views. It wasn't easy, but once we made it to the top, it was all worth it. The view of the city and the highlands was extremely memorable. But, afterwards, we were too tired to do anything until the bus came. So at about five, we loaded the bus and headed back to Aberdeen. Edinburgh is an amazing city with a ton of history and attractions. I am excited to show it to my family when they arrive.

Cheers!

Aberdeen FC

On Tuesday night, a couple of us though it would be fun to attend a professional football (soccer) game here in Aberdeen. Since I have arrived, there have been all sorts of crazy stories about Aberdeen's fans; or as they call themselves, The Red Army. So needless to say, I needed to check it out.

The pitch (field) is only a few blocks away, so it made it convenient for us to walk there. As we started to get closer to the pitch, we noticed all sorts of people donning red. I was starting to get excited. Since we had little idea where we were going, we followed the crowd to Pittodrie Stadium. As it came into view, it did not look like anything too spectacular. In fact, it looked as if sections had been added as they were needed. It isn't gorgeous, but it has a certain working class feel to it that works.

We picked up are tickets and headed inside just before kick off (not sure if that is what its called). Has anyone ever experienced that feeling when walking through the archway into a beautiful stadium? It's a feeling that's hard to explain, but I felt that kind of awe and wonder when I stepped into the stadium for the first time.

Anyway, The Dons were playing West Fife during a leg of the Scottish Cup. Now, West Fife is not part of the Scottish Primer League like Aberdeen is. They play on the second tier level. So needless to say, when their goalie received a red card within the first three minutes, they were in for a long night. The three goals by Aberdeen in the first half looked to be enough to put the team, and their section of rowdy fans, away; but they weren't done. Aberdeen scored 2 more in the last 20 minutes of regulation to seal the deal, even though the other team's fans were still singing and chanting. So the final score was Aberdeen 5 and West Fife 0.

I must say, I had a great time at the game. Being there is much more exciting than watching it on the television. It gives you a better appreciation of the talent these players possess. Plus the atmosphere was brilliant. I hope to attend many more games in the future because I now feel like I can be called a true "supporter."

Amsterdam!

In my budget travel guide, "Let's Go: Europe," there is a paragraph or two before each country and city that gives a little explanation about the destination. "Amsterdam's reputation precedes it--and what a reputation it is," the book writes. To me, that sums up the city. Known for liberal thinking and decadence, numerous canals and bicycles, this city is like nothing I have ever scene!

This was my first real trip on my own. I booked the flight (a couple days before) and the hotel all by myself; that was the easy part. I left Friday morning from the airport in Aberdeen. Although fairly small, it is a pretty busy airport. Anyways, I made it on time, boarded the plane and everything was fine. I knew that part wasn't going to be very difficult. What I was really nervous about was finding the hotel. I had printed out what I thought were good directions. All it really gave me was two sentences with very little information. So, after arriving in one of the biggest airports in the world, I found my way to the train station (which is conveniently located under the airport). I really had no clue which train to take because everything was in Dutch, so I guessed. The only thing I really knew, was that the train was bound for the city; I just wasn't sure where. So the directions told me to get off and grab a tram at some stop, so here again, I guessed. I somehow lucked out and found a tram stop and preceded onward by jumping onto the number 5 like it had said. Then, I was told to get off the tram at a certain point, but again, I didn't know which one that was.

So now, off the tram and finally in the city, the terrible directions give no other clues on where to go, so I start walking towards the big buildings. At the first intersection, I look over and saw my hotel. Either I am genius when it comes to traveling, or I was really, really lucky. I might have to pick the second of the two.

So, while I waited for my friend, Matt Carton, to arrive from Germany, I ventured out with my camera. Since I had plenty of time to kill, I walked around and took many pictures. I even grabbed a fantastic sandwich to eat. Then, the weather turned bad and it started to rain, so I decided to head back. It was then that I found out how hard Amsterdam is to navigate, and I ended up lost. Eventually, I found the hotel again (without any help).

Since he was not here yet, I decided to lay down for a bit. I was in a room with eight bunks and was wondering if anyone was going to be staying in the room with me. Well, Carton calls and said he is close so I get out of bed. Then I hear a bunch of girls in the hallway. I thought to myself, "they can't be in this room, can they?" Sure enough, the door flies open. I hear a loud scream and the door slam. The girl eventually comes back in and we laugh about the incident. As we get to talking and all of her friends make their way into the room, it seems that I have seven girl roommates for the weekend! (don't worry, it got too awkward and I slept in the room with Carton) But, as we continued to talk, I came to find out that she goes to Illinois and is in a sorority. She is studying this semester in Italy and we met each other in a hotel in Amsterdam. How weird is that?

Anyway, that night Carton and I went out to eat with our roommates who were from various countries (Norway, Switzerland, and Sweden). We then met up with some of their other friends who were in Amsterdam, and had a good time with them.

The next morning (after 6 showers, 4 of them girls) we hit up the Van Gogh Museum. This gave me a greater appreciation for artwork and the artistic genius himself. We then did a little more sight seeing and took a canal boat tour before we met up with our new friends again for dinner at a Chinese restaurant (I had duck). After that, we went back to their hostel before hitting up the town. After a while, Carton and I split to see the infamous Red Light District and coffee shops. I'll just say that it was a very eye opening experience.

The next morning we went to the Anne Frank Museum and saw the house where she and her family hid from the Nazi roundup of Jewish families. One of the best museums I have ever been to, it gave a real understanding of the suffering that these families endured; but also, the hope and integrity that Anne Frank possessed.

While by that time it was time for Carton to head out, we said our goodbyes and I went on to explore more of the city. When it started to snow, I started to look for something inside that would be fun. I found a museum in one of the first churches in Amsterdam (huge) that had a display of modern artwork depicting the love, and hatred, towards religion. I thought that some of the artwork depicting the insanity of religion was crude, but ironic because it now resides in a church.

By then it was time for me to leave. I grabbed a train, got to the airport and flew back to Aberdeen. This was a trip that I will never forget!

First Week of School

I managed to get through my first week of school! It was difficult finding all of the classrooms and buildings, but I made it to every class.....well, kind of. You see, I was banking on a certain class that would transfer back to Illinois as a biological science course and credit for my Crops and Soil Management minor. Unfortunately, they were not offering it this semester. So, in my haste to sign up for classes, I enrolled in another biological science class. To make the story short, this course conflicted with most of the other classes that I wanted to take. And since I am planning to enroll in Plant Pathology at Illinois next year, this would fulfill both of those requirements. Thus, the class I signed up for had become useless.

So, on Wednesday, I went to my adviser and sat with him while we tried to find classes that would fit into my schedule. I kept the Introductory to Agriculture because I believe that it will give me better insight into the products and methods of agriculture production in the UK, although some of the information is not new to me. I also have an International Relations course, which should very interesting and come in useful as the world continues to become more globalized, and a Management Operations class. It goes through the business and management aspects of producing goods and services; another quality class. I round out my schedule with a forestry field trip class. It only involves visiting a forest at the end of semester and looking at how trees are produced. Hey, if I show up, I get an A! So overall I think I have a pretty good schedule and look forward to the upcoming weeks. Fortunately (or unfortunately), many of the classes do not have homework. They usually have a couple of assignments here and there, but a big test at the end of the semester worth about 70% of the grade (hopefully I don't screw that up).

As a side note, I am meeting a ton of new people; and not just from Scotland. This is a very diverse university. I have joined the basketball club (which has "training" every week), the international club (because they go on trips around Scotland), and am going to join the field hockey club and the Whiskey Society. Hopefully I will be meeting a lot more people through these clubs.

Cheers!

Sir William Wallace

Well, I made it; safe and sound!

The flights were good. I didn't get lost or miss a flight without anyone there to hold my hand so I guess that is a step in the right direction. I got into Aberdeen, picked up my luggage and called for a cab with no trouble at all. The cab driver was amazing, though. He was giving me the works on Scotland, driving on the left side of the road (which is because you had to draw your sword with your right hand to defend yourself back in the old days), and the University. I got checked in and got my key with ease. The only trouble I ran into was the fact that I live on the 4th floor and there was no elevator. That climb was brutal while carrying all three bags; but I made it!

After I got everything unpacked I fell onto my bed and fell right asleep (I couldn't sleep on the plane). I woke up and really had no clue what time it was so I just went back to bed; lame, I know.

Today we had an exchange student orientation deal and I met everyone that is here for the semester. Come to find out, there are a lot of people here from all over the world. This is a hugely diverse University. A couple of us then ventured downtown to look for phones before our registration. I then got signed up for 3 classes: Agricultural Production, Plants, Pathogens and People, and a history class about world superpowers; not too bad of a schedule if you ask me. I do unfortunately have class on Friday. Other than that, not much else is going on here.

Hope all is well.