Karma really is a bitch

Or perhaps I should say fate. Being the slightly sadistic person I am who laughs at others when they fall (literally, not metaphorically, I'm not that sinister people) it only stands to reason that when Alexis fell off a log in the Sherwood Forest... I laughed. When Aubrey fell on the edge of a cliff and did the splits to keep from tumbling over... I laughed. (Both times I did make sure they were alright as well.... whilst stifling the giggles, because MAN do they both fall amazingly graceful and FUNNY-like.)

SO, what happens to me? Oh yes, you know where this is going. I laughed and thus in turn must have my chance to be laughed at.  That is all well and good, but dammit can't I have it happen in a slightly remote place like my friends with only my friends to see the damage and reminisce about later? No, of bloody course not.  I, instead, get to trip/fall.... while getting a bus.... in London... full of people.... and almost take a granny out with me. No shit. It didn't hurt anything, but my pride a little, and no one laughed, but you know when they get home they are going to tell that story to everyone they see. "This chick totally ate shit getting on the bus fool!" Yup, you know how I know this? Because it is EXACTLY what I would do. And in fact, I did start to get the giggles thinking about my tumble halfway through my bus ride. If you can't laugh at yourself, who can?

But seriously karma? You're on notice.

Ever have the feeling you're trapped on the Tea Cups ride at Disneyland?

Where to begin. It feels like ages since I was able to sit down and post on here when really, it was only like a week or so ago, but so much has happened. Katie's visit came and went, so quickly! It was great having her here, though admittedly weird to see her in a setting that is home to neither of us. We went all over this city, and for some odd reason kept ending up in the West end where all the theatres are, hmmm. Three days of rain was AMAZING and James McAvoy (for any of you lovers) is even more talented and beautiful in person (which I can attest to since we had 3rd row seats!!). Sunday we went on a walk through Camden Market and down the Reagents Canal, through Reagents Park (which I have discovered is the best meat market on sundays, of the male persuasion that is, and where I will be spending every available sunday in May :), and I know we did more but I can't remember. Monday and Tuesday I had class, so Katie hit up all the museums, and Monday night we all went to see Phantom of the Opera. One word: Brilliant. They did an amazing job and the singing/music was phenomenal. Wednesday we hit up the Tower of London and the London Eye and then sadly I rode the tube with Katie on Thursday to bid her farewell.

The craziness didn't end there though. Thursday I ran around all day, culminating to dinner with my friend Melissa from Hanford! I met her right before I left, and she moved here at the end of February to do social work for 2 years. We had dinner in Gipsy Hill, which is somewhere I haven't been yet, and it was the most delicious Indian food I've ever eaten! I did stupidly eat a freaking hot ass green-pepper and wanted to die for a little while, but the food was still yummy!

Friday morning I was up early yet again, because I caught the 6:15 train to Edinburgh (again) with Alexis and Dana. Aubrey and Claudia joined us later in the day because they had class. So I spent my weekend running around Scotland again, which was fantastic! We went out both nights to some crazy Scottish pubs, and on Saturday evening Alexis and I tried this Mexican restaurant. To our enjoyment, about 20 Scottish men came in and sat by us for a stag night (read: bachelor party). They were so funny, singing songs and making one guy wear the most horrendous spandex suit thing. We were laughing so hard at them, they must have enjoyed us as well, because they sent over shots for us from the bar. Needless to say, it was a good times.

We got home late Sunday evening, which because life hates me, I got a freaking cold on the way home, of course, because I'm leaving tomorrow for spring break and I can't be happy and healthy. But I'm working on getting better, sleeping and such, so that's good. So, here is a smattering of photos from all the stuff that I've done recently.

The Sovereign's Entrance to Parliament

Westminster Abbey

Katie and I in front of Westminster Abbey

Beautiful St. James Park!

Yay, friends!

In St. James Park

In Portobello Market (ignore the creepy man in the back)

Posing outside the Three Days of Rain theatre, with the lovely McAvoy.

In front of Her Majesty's Theatre before Phantom of the Opera

Claudia, Alexis and I in the theatre before Phantom

Alexis, Aubrey, Me and Katie!

Sherlock Holme's Museum!! Detective Anna is on the case!

Katie and Watson, just chillin.

So sweet!

At the Tower of London

Yar, I'm ready to defend the Tower!

White Tower in the Tower of London

Just me and the Tower Bridge

Uh, we walked across it and it was freaking WINDY up there.

SO pretty

Waiting to board the London Eye

Aubrey, Katie, Alexis and Me on the Eye.

hahahaha :)

The sun setting on Westminster

Now, Scotland.

Tower booth inside the Holyrood Palace grounds.

Alexis, Me and Dana at Holyrood Palace.

Holyrood Abbey remains

The hostel we stayed in

Our room, my bunk on the bottom!

First night out, at Whistle Binkies

Rosslyn chapel (any Davinci Code fans??)

Enjoying a cup of tea in Edingburgh

Sunday we hiked this huge freaking hill next to Holyrood Palace and had some amazing views of the city. My butt (literally) did not thank me later.

On top of the hill

There you have it! So what's next? Ah yes, Spring Break. Tomorrow afternoon, at 2:30 pm, I will be on my way to ATHENS! We're (Alexis and I) staying in Athens for 3 days, then we're taking a ferry to Santorini, where we'll stay for another 3 days! Then, we'll board another plane and fly from Santorini to Rome. Our friend Claudia is meeting us in Rome and we'll be touring around the city for 2 days (with our lovely Italian tour guide!) and then we'll be taking a train to where she lives in Italy, Fabriano. We'll spend the Easter weekend with her family, eating some amazing home made Italian food, and then we'll be off to Florence. From Florence the three of us will be taking a train to Venice. We'll stay 2 days, 1 night in Venice and then fly back to London on April 15th. Phew! I'm exhausted just thinking about it all, but it's going to be amazing!

I will basically be out of touch for those 2 weeks, as my internet access will probably be hit or miss. But I'll be home for about a week after that before I head out of town again, so photos will be up then... hopefully.

Love you all! Hope everything is going well! Now I'm off to take a nap before class. :)

Catch you in 2 weeks!

The tour that'll leave your dogs barking

Best whirlwind tour of the city ever that left mine and Katie's feet yelling for us to get our asses off of them: check.

Yesterday, after I got Katie back to the flat and she refreshed after her many hours of travel, we hit the town. We started out in Westminster, walking around and seeing Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey. Then we walked through St. James Park up to Buckingham Palace, then down The Mall where we saw Clarence House (where Prince William and Harry live) alllll the way up to Trafalgar Square. Stopping for some lunch, we then checked out Trafalgar Square then wandered up until we walked to Covent Garden. We caught the tube there to St. Paul's, checked it out, then crossed the Millennium foot bridge to see the Globe Theatre and then proceeded to walk all the way down the South bank until the Hungersford foot bridge where we crossed and caught the tube home. It was so much fun! We had beautiful sunshine all day, but man we were freaking tired. 

Up today: Portobello Market, Three Days of Rain (play) and whatever else in the evening.

Weeeeeeeeeee!

Football and Beer

It's like the All-American fantasy in London. Except we're talking "real" football here. Claudia and I went to an Arsenal game last night and it was SO much fun! This beautiful stadium is right behind my school, I can see it from 2 of my classrooms. And now I can say I've been in it and seen a match!

The stadium, isn't it cool?

Yay, excited!

Sporting the newly acquired team scarf, of course!

This is the view from our seats, they were AMAZING! And that's the team warming up!

Me and the stadium

Our first goal! which tied the score up, 1-1

Goal #2!!

Annnnd WE WON!

People went nuts, it was so awesome.

Giant A for Arsenal... or Anna??

I've never had so much fun, ok maybe not never, but still, it was great. The crowd totally bans together, sings, chants. My favorite chant was "The referee's a wanker!" hahahah, fan-freaking-tastic. I took a couple short vids and tried to post them, but this stupid thing won't let me, so alas, you'll just have to take my word for it (like you wouldn't, pfff, right).

The game got over around 10, so since it was St. Paddy's, we had to go have a beer somewhere, it just wouldn't have been right.  We hit a local pub, which sadly closed at 11 still (that's when pubs close around here, crazy, I know. Last call = 10:45. hahaha) We got a bunch of Guinness, so we got this sweet hat for free!

Happy St. Paddy's! Celebrating like we were all Irish with some Guinness.

Claudia, Me and Alexis, celebrating together.

Guinness what?

So that, ladies and gents, is how I spent my St. Paddy's day. Tomorrow I am preparing for the arrival of Katie! I shall be cleaning (you ever try to keep a room containing the toilet/shower/sink and the only mirror thus forcing you to do your hair in there as well clean? No, it blows.) and doing some mad dash homework so I don't have to do it whilst she is here. YAY! Posting will be minimal until she leaves... and maybe even after as I leave for Scotland again a day after she leaves, but one never knows... until then, ciao!

It's just like the new Weight Watchers

Hey there, hi there, ho there. This post has taken me for freaking ever because the internet refused to let me upload my photos. But alas! here I am... not entirely sober on St. Paddy's day, and it finally worked.

Wales was, well, interesting. Beautiful country, truly, but I wish I could say more nice things about it. However, I cannot. And not because of anything Wales did, but because of something Chester, England, did, the first major city stop on our trip. It gave me food poisoning. You know what's worse than food poisoning on a bus tour of another country? Nothing, that's what. Especially when you're roomed with a girl you do not like and she tries to mother you and you can imagine yourself punching her in the face for being incredibly annoying but cannot physically do the action because your body hurts so bad. I rallied a little on the 2nd day and managed to survive, but passed out as soon as I got home Sunday night and am still recovering slightly. Most foods still are not very appealing to me. 

So here's some photos from the trip, the second day you may or may not notice the extreme pale nature of my skin, but I assure you Alexis and Aubrey were both afraid I was dying... and I very nearly was.

First stop at a Welcome Break for snacks!

A beautiful park in Chester

Alexis and me in Chester.

The town that nearly ended me.

The Chester Cathedral.

Conwy Castle, in Wales

The smallest house in Britain!

Conwy is surrounded by walls, so cool!

Sitting on on the city walls

City walls in Conwy

View from the city walls in Conwy

Day 2, after surviving a horrendous night spent mostly in the loo, this is outside our hotel, look at the gorgeous view of the sea! (that I hardly got to enjoy....damn.)

Snowdonia National Park, I believe this is the namesake mountain covered in clouds.

Aubs and I in the National Park

Yay, pretty!

Loving the view of the sea!

This the train sign at the town with the longest name in Britain. Yes it's a real town name, it's written in Welsh and the girl who pronounced it made it sound beautiful. I have no freaking clue how to say it.

Pretty, mossy wall.

Alexis and me, in some lovely Wales scenery.

Trees in Beddgelert (pronounced Beth-geleret, crazy Welsh)

Preeettttyy!

yes, yes were are awesome.

One of the last towns we stopped in had these awesome waterfalls.

Steam train! We took a ride through the countryside!

So there's Wales. I came, I saw, I puked. Good times.... not. 

I have more pictures to post from my adventures tonight which include a professional football match (Go Arsenal!) which was bloody fantastic! and hanging with the ladies at the pub for St. Paddy's day (only briefly, b/c they still closed at 11... lame). But, those shall come later, so tune in again, uh, later, and you can check those out. Katie will be here Friday! I'm so excited! I can't wait to see her face. And we are going to rock this town!

Ciao, ciao, ciao.