Hike in Kent

One Saturday morning we went on a 9 mile hike in Kent. It was so much fun! There were lilac fields, which smelt so good. There was a castle along the way too.

We stopped at a little cafe and shared some chips (french fries). 

One of the coolest things on the hike were the castle ruins. We decided to rest and have lunch there. We played ultimate frisbee and climbed on top of the ruins. It was nice to just relax and be one with England's beautiful nature.

Hampton Court Palace

Another one of our day trips was at Hampton Court Palace. Both Henry VI and William and Mary lived there. It was interesting to see both monarchs styles. One half of the palace was decorated in one of the monarchs styles and the other side in the other. I felt as if I was in two different palaces at once!

The gardens were my favorite though. They were so gorgeous! I felt like I was back in Jane Austen's time! There was a maze that we went through. There was a rose garden with statues and swans in the ponds. We decided to take a picture with all of our heads together, but it didn't really work, because the sun was too bright. Ha ha!

St. Paul's Cathedral

My friend Sarah and I went to St. Paul's Cathedral one afternoon after class. It was so amazing! The organ was playing while we were in there. It was such a spiritual experience with the music and beautiful architecture. We climbed all the way to the top and looked out over London. It was one of my favorite things that we have done.

Bonjour Paris!

We were given a three day weekend where we could go anywhere. Six other girls and I decided to take a quick trip to Paris!

During our stay we stayed in a part of Paris called Montmart. Our hotel was right down the hill from the Sacre Coeur, which is a Roman Catholic church that is famous for the beheading of Saint Denis. It was neat to be so close to something so historic.

Our first full day in Paris began with the Notre Dame. Notre Dame was one of the first Gothic Cathedrals to be built. Its name means “our lady”.  It was one of my favorite places to go to while we were there.

After Notre Dame we went to the Arc de Triomphe. It was neat to see a symbol of the pride of their country. We then walked down the Champs-Elysees, which is one of the most famous streets in the world. It has cinemas, cafes, and shops. It remains the most expensive strip of real estate in Europe. 

The next day we rose early and went to the Eiffel Tower. It was amazing to see one of the most visited monuments in the world. It is the tallest building in France, and is also a global symbol for the country. We then traveled to the Palace of Versailles.  It was the central power during King Louis XIV’s time. The next place that we went to the Musee de Louvre. It is the national museum of France. There was so much to see that it was quite overwhelming. I was able to see many of the statues and paintings such as the Mona Lisa and the Venus. It was amazing to see art that I had only learned about in history books. The last stop of our trip was the Musee de Orsay. It is also a museum for art which is famous for its impressionistic pieces. It was awesome to see paintings that I had only seen paintings of. I loved all of the places I went to in Paris, and the new appreciation and love I have for art.

Defying Gravity

Early one morning my friends Melissa, Sarah, and I all went to get tickets for the Broadway Musical, Wicked. We were the first ones in line waiting for them to open the door.

We got the tickets....for the front row that night!

It was so amazing! It totally felt like we were in the play. The actors were so close. I could almost touch them. It was an experience that I will always remember. 

Big Ben and Westminster Abbey

      On one of the days I went with some of my friends to see Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. We had such a great time! Westminster Abbey was so amazing! We spent so much time there. It seemed like all of Britain's history was there. There were so many people buried there or had a memorial dedicated to them. It was so fascinating. I love learning about things from the past.

Stonehenge, Bath, and Stourhead!

Today was a really long day. We did so much in one afternoon. The first place that we went to was Stonehenge. It was interesting...but kinda boring just looking at rocks and not being able to go up to them. 

Our next stop was Bath. It has always been a dream of mine to go to Bath. We went to the Roman Baths and learned about them. It was really neat to learn about the importance of these baths and how they were used not only for physical needs but more so for spiritual. 

My favorite part of the day was going to the Jane Austen Centre in Bath. I have been dying to go there ever since I first became an Austen fanatic! I was so giddy in the shop. I was so happy to be there and wanted to buy everything.

This is a picture of Jane Austen's house in Bath where she lived out her days. I was so glad that I got a photo because we drove by it so quickly.

After Bath we went to Stourhead. It was this amazing place with the beautiful gardens. It was actually where the most recent Pride and Prejudice was filmed. The bridge in the picture is the one that Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley) runs across in the rain. 

The gardens were so gorgeous! 

This is the platform where Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy meet up in the rain and he proposes the first time. This is me and my friend Kylee Knoles looking afar off for our Mr. Darcy to come.