I'm so behind!

OKAY! Im sorry I've been neglecting my duties as a blogger..... I still havent written about Scotland (which I loved and want to move to the Highlands with the hairy cows) but here is something I wrote about Italy (florence) while i was sitting in the airport for tons of hours.  It doesnt cover everything. but yeah. here it is.
My adventure to Florence started late Thursday night around 11 oclock. I left my room walked to archway, took a bus to Tufnel Park tube station, and then took the tube to Victoria Coach station. Right when I got there a man was locking the door to the station. Great. I asked him if how I was supposed to get to Stansted Airport. He told me I had to go around the back of the station and enter like the buses do. I did that and five minutes later he was by my side again telling me which bus to get on – but I realized I didn’t have cash because I thought id be buying the bus ticket from a machine so I asked the guy if I need cash and he said yes and told me to run down the street to this atm. So I did that and when I got back he was waving me over to a bus and helping me get on. That young man was my savior. Thanks to him an hour later I was entering London Stansted airport which at this hour looked more like a homeless shelter or camp ground instead of an airport. So I picked a spot on the floor and took a seat. There I sat/ layed for many hours. Skip a few hours of boringness and a short flight and I was at the Frankfurt Hahn airport. I tried to check in REALLY early but they wouldn’t let me so I sat around some more. A few hours later I was on my flight to Pisa. YAHOO! I get off the plane and I walk out and I look and look. And I don’t see anyone and then BAM! I see Mike (Anna’s boyfriend) haha so I grab him and then I see Kayla, Kate, and Anna coming towards me! I was so happy to finally be there and seeing them! Kayla, Kate, Anna, Mike, and Erin all took a day trip to Pisa to come get me. So we sat around and talked until our bus back to Florence. There was lots of traffic so I got a little rest. When we got back I went with Kate to her apartment, which is very nice! You walk in this HUGE door (all doors in Florence seem to be made of giants) and walk up some stairs and then you get to this cool outside terrace. From there you go into her apartment. She lives there with four other girls. I liked it a lot! After finally showering and feeling a little more awake we went to dinner at a place called Zazas. I got some pasta which was delicious. They served us bread before we got out meal but it is strange because apparently many places in Florence don’t put salt in their bread so it was kind of dull. We fixed it by putting salt on the bread. Haha. Healthy. From there I had my first gelato Florence style experience. Delicious. I had chocolate with hazel nut. Yum.
Saturday: SLEEP! Then market in the morning / grocery stores to get ingredients to make the big dinner that night. The market was cool and pretty much like the markets in London only the meat section was alittle more intense. A guy was chopping some animal that looked slightly like a lamb with an axe like tool. Gross. Then we took that back to Kayla’s apartment. Her’s is different from Kates but I can’t decide which one I like better. Then Kate, Kayla, Anna and I walked around looking at shops. Florence has lots of leather. Boots, jackets, bags, belts. Just leather. From there I went back to Kate’s to change clothes and get ready for our big dinner and celebrating Anna’s birthday. We headed to kayla’s at around 6. The menu was: yummy bread, eggplant, nucchi (potato balls that are cooked like and taste like pasta, tomato sauce and tiramsu. It all turned out great but my favorite was the tiramsu. Probably no one is surprised that I liked the dessert the best…. Haha. From there we went to a bar/pub and sat around at a table and had a good time. Later we left and went to a thing called a midnight bakery. I guess they don’t have a license to sell this late so you have to like find the only door on the street that doesn’t have bars over it and then you have to be really quite and go in. It sounds really sketchy hahaha but it wasn’t. it was amazing. I got a crossiant with netella in it. SO GOOD! Good end to the night.
Sunday: Slept in. Kate woke up as sick as I was so now we both sounded like men/hell. We hung around and waited for Kayla to get herself together(hahaha if you read this) and then Kate, Kayla, Anna and I went to Fresole. It was a 20 minute bus ride and so worth it. It was way up on this hill and you could look out over all of Florence. About 45 minutes after we got there it started to basically hurricane so we went into this irish pub. We were all going to order food but the guy took kates order first and then went away and made hers without taking the rest of ours so we ended up just sitting around until the rain stopped. After that we headed back to Florence. That night we went to the club house and go pizza and watched a soccer game. It was a really nice restaurant and the pizza was delicious. After Anna and I attempted for a pastry but the place we wanted to go was sold out. Bummer.
Monday: I walked Kate to class early in the morning and walked around for the first time by myself. No stores were open so I literally just wandered the streets. About an hour and half later I went back to their school and picked Kayla up from class. We headed back to her apartment, went and printed my bus ticket for Tuesday, went and found kate at the library, ate sandwiches for lunch at an outside café( SO GOOD! Turket, lettuce, pesto and mozzerella), then we wanted to go see David in this museum. We searched for the building but all the buildings in Florence look the same and they don’t find it necessary to put up signs. Finally we went into a building to ask for directions and the lady said “David happen tomorrow.” Sooooo no David on Mondays. So we decided to climb the Duomo. Such a better choice. There are 400 something stairs to the top of the Duomo and it is all stone and dark and creepy. Lots of spiral staircases and stairs that literally look like you need hiking gear to climb. But Kayla and I made it safely to the top and during the time it took us to climb the dome, it turned into a BEAUTIFUL DAY! It was so sunny and warm and we were up so high and could see everything!!! So pretty! After that I walked her back to class and I was on my own again! This time I went into stores but I also just walked outside because it was so warm. I wandered across the river for the first time and didn’t get lost. The city is so different from London. It seems a lot older but I mean London is so old too. All the buildings look the same and the streets are so narrow. When we were on top of the duomo you could hardly see where the streets were inbetween the buildings because they are so narrow. There are also a TON of vespas and bikes. Also they have TINY truck like things. Pretty cool. After that I went and picked Kayla up again. We were going to go see wolfman but it wasn’t playing after all so we went back hung out and then went shopping. We then met Kate and Anna at this wine bar where they have this deal where you buy a glass of wine and then you get to eat all these little appetizers. So we did that for dinner. After we went and got more gelato ( OH AND early Kayla and I had gotten hot chocolate which was amazing because it really is like liquid chocolate. ) Then we went home and watched dirty dancing with kates roommates and two hilarious Italian guys who were kind of sketchy like all Italian men. Haha. Then went to bed and got up wicked early to catch my bus to the airport. Now I am sitting in Frankfurt again. I have been sitting in the airport for more than 10 hours just today. So much fun. But this weekend was more than worth it!!!


In 7 minutes I am leaving for Austria.  Kelly, karen and I are flying into Vienna and staying there for two nights and then going to Salzburg to go on the sound of music tour!!!! YAY!!!! Then Brian comes in a week!!! YAY! YAY! I will write about scotland and austria when I get back on monday!!!

My Week Real Quick!

Hello!!  I'm packing for Scotland / wanting to go to bed early because I have to be at the train station at 7:30 tomorrow morning, so this is going to be quick.
Tuesday I waited in line to send the fam and brian valentines day cards and then i went and sat for 2.5 hours at the walk in clinic in soho.  I finally saw a nurse/doctor and found out i have a sinus infection, ear infection, and fever. GREAT. soo i got some antibiotics and left. I then found the library and printed some stuff off.  BLAH.
Wednesday - Myth and method in psychology.  Then we went on a tour of the Rose and Globe Theatres for my theatre class.  Very cool but freezing cold.  I just found out that they refer to last month when it was so cold here as the big freeze. i would be here to experience the big freeze. 
Thursday - Went to the banqueting house with my art and society class.  Really pretty building that now has performances in it.  It used to be used for the same thing but charles also lost his head there...  Then i had women's studies. and then Kelly and I went to the Valentine's day premiere!!!  We got there late so we didnt get that close but we saw Ashton Kutcher, Jessica B. and Taylor Swift.  We were standing in one spot but then moved, however when we came back there we found out ashton had walked right by because he was the only one nice enough to walk around so that everyone could see him. he was also the first one there.  what a nice guy.  I didnt see patrick. but if i didnt i was going to yell I'M FROM MAINE!!!!!! then he would have surely invited me in with him. no doubt. 

Tomorrow I leave for SCOTLAND!!!! Have a good weekend!!

Weekend/ Bad Monday

Hello!!
So Friday I was supposed to meet Tori at St. Paul's but she took the wrong bus so we ended up not being able to see each other. which is a bummer. so i just randomly walked around St. Paul's and stumbled upon the London Museum so I went for a little trip. 

It was kind of lame but cool to read about London of the past.  The best part was about the london fire.  After that I walked around outside because it was SO NICE out!!! the sun was actually out and about!!! SO i walked to Liverpool Street and explored.

That is Finsbury Circus! London has all these little parks which makes the city so much better!! also I have some pictures of buildings because every time I see a cool building I feel the need to take a picture so that I can show brian knipp, architect (attempt at a how i met your mother joke).
Then I went to the end of Hammersmith and City tube line to where my play was.  I went to see Three Sisters at the Hammersmith Lyric.  It is one of the required plays for my theatre class.  It wasn't bad.  There wasn't a set and I didn't really get some of it, but it was still enjoyable.
SATURDAY! Kelly, Karen, Jenna, and I went to Hampton Court Palace!! We met in the morning at Waterloo train station and took a train.  It took about 30 minutes by train but it was cool to see the outskirts of london!!! The palace was SO PRETTY!!! but it was freezing and since its so old it obviously doesnt have heating in side.  But we stayed and walked around all of the palace and all of the gardens! There was a maze that we kind of struggled with but made it through!  It was a great day trip!!




SUNDAY I went to the Museum of Childhood!  There were lots and lots of children there and it was so loud so it was a nice setting compared to the usual silent museum! There were just a bunch of old toys!! My favorite part was the puppets and also the little cars for kids to ride in!!


I also was in heaven in their gift shop because they had so much Roald Dahl stuff. i had to break down and buy a few things. greatness. Then i went home and made stir fry for dinner.
Today - sucked. me and brian cant stay in barcelona as long as we wanted, the school nurse can give me meds. and it doesnt seem that bad written like that. but i havent been in the best spirits today. but i did go to the natural history museum which was cool but i want to go back another time when im not so upset. 

please please please please look at my pictures on photobucket because i spend a lot of time putting them up and stuff.  thanks!
http://s852.photobucket.com/home/briebrie04/allalbums

Oh Geez.

Oh Geez because I've been neglecting my duties and have a lot I haven't written about.. I don't really remember the exact details for the last week. haha poor memory. here is a quick run through.  and some pictures to follow.
Borough Market - Lots of food but FREEZING!
Tate Modern - Walked around the gift shop and bought a children's magazine.
Tortilla - Burrito - exactly like Chipotle.
AVENUE Q - Amazing play!!! Inappropriate puppets and funny songs! So great!
Portobello Market - Freezing and lots of people but cool to look at all the stuff. amazing brownie.
Precious - Really good movie only really sad. 
Sunday Up Market - In a kind of sketchy section of town but cool market in a big warehouse.  I liked it because it had crafts not just vintage.
Victoria and Albert Museum - Amazing museum with lots of different stuff.  My favorite parts were... the clothes, jewelry, tins, and iron works. 
Avatar 3D with Kelly - GREAT!!! Finally got to see it.  At first we went a week ago and the tickets were sold out and then when we went to see it this time the projector was broken so we had to run to another theatre.
Mexican Night - went to the other Westminster dorm for Mexican night with everyone! 
Wednesday and Thursday - had class, skipped some to go to school nurse but she wasn't there, SICK!!!!
But today in one of my classes we climbed to the top of St. Pauls which was amazing!!! there were over 500 steps and some of them would make of holy iron and they were REALLY sketchy. But you could see everything once you were up there. Very cool!!!

Soooo pictures later tonight or tomorrow. i promise.

classes again today.

Today I had art and society and women's studies.  I liked both of them a whole lot.  In my art and society class, we have lecture for an hour and then we go someplace for the next two hours.  Today we went to the national gallery.  Women's studies is going to be very interesting!!!  I am currently trying to plan the next five free days ahead of me. but I'm tired and will probably give up and go to bed. sorry this was boring.  Hopefully fun pictures and events tomorrow although its supposed to rain.

Wednesday.

No pictures today.  Kind of a boring day.  I got up early to go switch out of Critical Psych.  When I finally got to the office after suffering on the tube because it was rush hour, I found out that the international office doesnt open to 10:30.  I had class at 10.  So I got back on the hellish tube and made my way to class, Myth and Method in Psychology.  haha. a joke.  its about ghosts and paranormal things. interesting.  I then returned to switch out of my class.  I added Women's studies.  I now have two clases on Wednesday and two on Thursday.  thats right i have classes two days a week, which means I have a five day weekend.  grand! Then I walked down regent street to Piccadilly Circus and turned around.  I ate lunch also.  Then I went to London Theatre in Performance which is a three hour class and she insisted keeping us there the whole time even though it was the first day.  We have to go see at least seven plays on a list, but I want to go see more! haha! im going to try and do this deal where you can get free tickets or tickets for five pounds.  Tomorrow I have Art and Society and Women's Studies.  And then the weekend!!! Woohoo!!!

The Last Two Days!

Hello!!! So Monday. What did I do Monday.  For one thing I did not go to class because I don't have class on Monday or Friday and I am trying to switch out of my class that I had today to a Thursday class in which case I would only have classes Wednesday and Thursday. hahah. neat.

Monday I slept in and then made my way to Covent Garden.  I literally just wandered around for five hours.  It was a lot of fun to actually walk such a long distance and see a lot of the city and not just use the underground to get from tube station to station.  I walked around a market at covent garden and listened to some of the street performers but would always be quick to run away because they were SO persistent about having everyone pay them 5 pounds. I dont think so opera lady.  I got a chicken and veggie pasty for dinner because Mal loved them so much.  I enjoyed it but I think the other company's I tried may be better...  When she comes I will have to expose her to the try delight.


A little before 7 I headed to the Novello Theatre because I was going to see the play Cat On A Hot Tin Roof there.




So when I went to the ticket booth they told me that I had been upgraded.  I figured it would probably be the front row of the highest balcony not the last row considering the cheap price I picked, but after waiting for about 30 minutes I got to go to my seat, and where was it you ask?  THE NINTH ROW!!! greatness!! So great seats and a great play!!!

Today I went to Regent's campus (where I have my classes) early so that I could find out where my class was.  I found it with no problem and therefore had lots of time.  So I went to a near by H&M and bookstore and just looked around.  Then I found Kelly and talked to her for a while.  Finally I went to Critical Psychology.  The teacher was not nice and made fun of Americans only to have me introduce myself 15 minutes later and state that I'm American.  Awkward.  Everyone looked at me. urgh.  So needless to say I'm outta that class.  On to introduction of women's studies! yes.  Then I walked around, literally more like limped because my left knee is bothering me so much.  I went to selfridges for the first time.  Then primart to get a second towel and M&S to get dinner.  I came home and forked over the 2 pounds to do laundry for the first time.  And then cooked stir fry for dinner, which didnt even compare to the usual stir fry me and brian make. Im going to bed early tonight because I'm getting up early to go switch my class before Myth and Method in Psychology tomorrow.  Miss everyone!!!

My Weekend!

Hello All! Here is a summary of my glorious weekend in London!

Friday: Karen and I went to go and register at a local doctors in case I become ill and need to be cared for.  I didn't want to go, but I guess its good.  Then we went to Westminster and listened to a talk about London, once again... boring... BUT at the end they announced the winner of the London Quiz (which is what the pictures of me and those three other people were for) and MY TEAM WON!!!! WOOHOO!!! So we won a trip to either Scotland, Wales, or Ireland. We get to pick where we go.  Next week we have to go in to the Study Abroad Office and figure it all out. AMAZING!!! There are 300 people in the study abroad program and I won!!! YAY!  I seriously think we only won because if you look back to the picture of us with the police, one of the police put these things over his eyes and they thought it was hilarious that we found humorous police in London.  Thank you mr. police man sir!
Then I went back to another Westminster dorm with Kelly and Kate and other people and ate a pizza there before we left for the Boat Party.  As an end to the Orientation weekend, Westminster hired a boat to bring us up and down the Thames at night.  It was nice to see all the sights from the river and at night. It was very pretty!!!


Saturday:
I got up and went with Karen to meet Kelly, Kate, Amanda, and Sam at Portobello Market!  The area is cute itself, but the market was amazing! We didn't even walk through it all because it was FREEZING, but we saw the antiques and food part.  I really want to go back another weekend so I can look more closely. I also want to go back when the market isnt going on to go into all the little shops! so adorable!



So we left the market because it was cold and went to the Metropolitan Bar for lunch.  We met some more people who go to City University there.  I got fish and chips and they were delicious!!! From there Kelly and I went to a little shopping center.  We went to waterstones which is a book store and I got a How To Be Good by Nick Hornby because Mal liked it and it takes place in London.  Then we went to Sainsbury to go grocery shopping.  When we got back we decided we wanted to go to a movie so we planned on going to see Avatar 3D; however, when we got there it was sold out.  So we went to see Up In The Air instead, which I liked so I'm glad that we went.  We had an hour to spare before the movie so we wanted to sit in a coffee shop but its so weird because everything closes at like 8 around here so we ended up in a Starbucks because it was open late (9PM). haha!

^Kelly on the top deck of the bus on the way to the movies

Sunday: TODAY I slept in a little bit and then decided to explore the village around me.  So i climbed the hill and just kind of wandered the streets.


I went into a few shops but then found myself at Hampstead Heath, which is a HUGE park with ponds and everything!  The grass was SO green but the pathways were one big mud puddle.  There were so many families with little kids and dogs.  It was a very nice walk!







From there I walked to the tube station and made my way to Canary Wharf.  The area is really business-y but there is a big mall.  Its weird though because its a bunch of little malls all in the same area but not really connected.  Strange.  After I got tired of that area I decided I still didn't want to go home yet so I went to Bond Station and walked down Oxford Street to John Lewis (a HUGE department store).  Then I went back ate dinner with kate and kelly and watched a movie.  Tomorrow I'm going to see a play! YAY!!!
I have more pictures at my photobucket website so look at those too!!!

National Portrait Gallery

Today I got up early and went to meet my orientation quiz group and we turned in our pictures and papers and we find out tomorrow if we win or not. If we do win (please oh please) then we win a free weekend trip!! YAY! After that I went immediately over to the National Portrait Gallery because I had a ticket for the Beatles to Bowie exhibit at 12:15.


I loved it!!! It was a bunch of great black and white photos of famous musicians.  I love black and white photographs so very much!! I want a black room in my future house. I'd be so happy!!
After that I went and got a small lunch and then went to the Twiggy exhibit in the gallery.  This was also amazing!  More black and white pictures and so many great ones!  I just wanted to take pictures of all the pictures but of course it was not allowed.. poop.
After those two exhibits I had spent a lot of time there and was ready to move out even though I hadn't seen even a fourth of the stuff in that gallery.  I shall go back another day.
So I decided that I was going to go to the movies, so i looked up a cheap theatre and was going to go see avatar in 3D. So i got on the tube and found the right street. and walked up it. then down it. then up it. then down it. I COULDN'T FIND IT!!! URGH!! so i went to whole foods and got a big salad for dinner instead.  Good day!
Tomorrow I find out if I won the challenge AND its the boat party. woohoo!

A Lovely Rainy Walk

Today I slept in and went for a long stroll.  I got off the tube at Sloan Square and walked down King's Street, which is just lined with amazing stores.  Here are some pictures I took...
This was a pretty expensive but nice grocery store and in on of the corners was the american food section.  They had very random things like jiffy pancake mix, candy bars, and this peanut butter...
If you look just below the jar you can see that it was 7 pounds for that normal sized jar of peanut butter.  ridiculous. needless to say im going to keep eating my slightly strange british peanut butter.

When I went into Waterstone's bookstore I was happy to see that there was a HUGE selection of Steven King.  YAY MAINE!!

Yes... Even in London...

So does Brie!!! I can't wait to go to a game!!!  One of the arcadia people played rugby and his teeth were hideous and at one point he said... if you want your teeth to look like mine... play rugby.  I believe it.

Then I walked onto Sloan Street until I got to Harrods.

This was my first time in Harrods. and oh my god. I was so overwhelmed.  I was in there literally for more than two and half hours.  I think its 6 floors of mazes of different rooms.  My favorite part was of course the children's book and toy section and also the pet palace where they had small animals and tons of stuff for other pets.  There was an amazing bunny that i wanted to buy.  but didnt. sadly.  So by the time I was done it was dinner time so i got a chocolate cookie and cheese and bacon(not bacon at all. more like ham) croissant.  They were both delicious.  

So it was a good day full of walking.  Too bad it rained... tomorrow I have a group meeting and then I'm going to the portrait gallery, which I am SO excited about! YAY!


Good-bye!

PICTURES!!

Okay! Quick run down of today... I got up early and had to go have a meeting with a lady about my classes. Then I met with my group for this orientation quiz thing.  We had to go around to all these different touristy sites and have people take pictures of our whole group. Here are a few of them...

 St. Paul's Cathedral.


Big Ben and Parliment


Police... The guy with the things over his eyes thought he was so funny! I guess its probably a boring job. haha!


Foggy London Eye

LONDON!

So... I am going to try and keep up and keep this blog while I'm away in London for those who want to read it (you better).  After reading Erica's blog last semester at Stonehill I decided that a blog would be a good way to remember for myself and to keep in touch with everyone!!

Today, I have been in London for ONE WEEK! The first five days we stayed in a hotel with all the other Arcadia people.  I was tired a lot, but it also was fun to get to know some people.  I could write so much about what we did, but it would be long and boring.  So short version.... Sat through lectures about safety, academics, politics, and stuff like that; went on a scavenger hunt throughout London (my team was Kate and Kelly from Stonehill and a girl named Amanda who goes to De Paul); ate amazing fish and chips and chocolate cake at a pub called Doggett's; went to see the play An Inspector Calls; ate THAI for the first time at a restaurant called Churchill Arms (AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS); went into TopShop for the first time(oh my god.); ate a BLT melt with lots and lots of mayonnaise on it(I sucked up my phobia because I was hungry); and had a fun night out with my new Arcadia friends in around Leicester Square.

On Saturday, I moved in my dorm, Furnival Hall.  My room is tiny, but I really like it because I get it all to myself.  I share a bathroom with another girl from Stonehill, but I DO have my own sink. woohoo!  Furnival Hall is a nice brick building, but I think the best part is the cute little village up the hill a little further.  I went there yesterday and there were cute children and adorable dogs running around.  I have been grocery shopping in multiple places finding to find stuff I want to eat and that is cheap.  The best place has been Marks and Spencers. It is food heaven.

Today, was the first day of Westminster Orientation.  We went to one of the campuses and sat through lectures.  Boring.  But the best part was that they had AMAZING chocolate crossiants. so good.  Then we got a list of our teams for this challenge thing.  We are supposed to work on it within our groups over the next couple of days, and I believe there are prizes.  My group split the work up that can be done online, but tomorrow after I have an advising meeting, we are meeting for the group part: we have to go around to different tourist sights and have someone take our picture as a group.  Exciting.

HOWEVER, the highlight of my day was that I went to Paperchase... what an amazing store.  I bought wrapping paper to hang up in my room to make it less blah and depressing and also cards.  Tonight after dinner I'm going to another Westminster dorm to hang out with some of my Westminster friends. 

Pictures to come tomorrow!!!
Miss you all!!