Fare well!

I just wanted to make one last blog post for you guys!

I have settled back into being home. I am enjoying the free time, warm weather and time with my family.

Reflecting on my time abroad, I have realized that I loved it. It was difficult for me- not being able to take a break from the city and venture out into the country, as well as being away from my family and friends. However, I grew a great deal as a person, and was given priceless memories from my endless experiences. Today, I miss London and Europe immensely and cannot wait to go back. I made solid friendships that will last me for years to come, and I look forward to see them all again.

Thank you for spending time here at my little blog! I enjoyed writing it for you and recounting my experiences!

Until next time,
Kelsey Elizabeth

Kew Palace and Gardens

Hello Friends! I accomplished Part 2 of Part 3, and made it to Kew Palace and Gardens! This was the second place my aunt wanted me to visit, and so this Saturday (Friday? finals are destroying my brain...) I went! It was extremely beautiful. I wish I had discovered it earlier so I could have made more trips. Regardless, here is the video I made you!

Kew Palace was home to George the 3rd (who lost the colonies) and his wife, Charlotte. It seems sort of silly that Britain lost what I would consider seemingly "weak" colonies, but as I gained a deeper understanding into George's life, I started to understand why. He and Charlotte had 15 children together and were quite happy when he was not troubled by his psychiatric illness. They spent a lot of time at Kew Palace living a "simple" life and walking around the gardens. Supposedly, they would see local folk on their walks and treated them as neighbors. They were very family oriented, and wanted to live a simple life. I see how George could have shut himself away from what was happening for the countryside. After seeing the gardens and the surrounding land, I couldn't really blame him.

Until next time,
Kelsey Elizabeth

Hampton Court Palace

Hello Friends!

So today I went on a very exciting journey! I couldn't wait to make a video, and upload it for you until tomorrow- so here it is tonight! I didn't have any classes today, so I took a train out to Hampton Court Palace and spend the day there! HCP isn't one of the most popular sites, but it is definitely one of the prettiest. It was the palace of King Henry the 8th ("Henry) and Anne Boelyn. In time, William and Mary added Baroque wings on to the Tudor style palace. They were followed by George II and his wife Caroline, who created embellished the palace in the Georgian style. While the building was not uniform, it was very interesting and exciting to walk through periods of history as they happened.

The main reason I documented my journey through videos was because I wanted my "aunt" to get the full experience! She came a few months ago, but we didn't have time to see HCP, so I made this video for her!

I few side notes... I am sick and quite sniffly through this video, so please excuse me. Also, I'm not the best camera women so the footage is a little shaky, but I thought it would be fun and better than just pictures! This was not helped by the fact that I was unsure if I was allowed to take pictures or not, so I took a lot of "sneaky" pictures incase they told me I had to turn my camera off! Anyway, I hope you enjoy it! I had quite a fun time editing and uploading this video.

Click on HamptonCourtPalace.mov to open it in YouTube and view it a bigger window!

This is only Part 1 of 3 places I am determined to go see before I leave... check back in later, and hopefully I will have made the other two. Not sharing what they are just yet! :)

Until next time,
Kelsey Elizabeth

Stockholm: The Most Beautiful Place On Earth

Hello friends!

Over this past weekend, I went to Stockholm to visit my Dad. Considering I haven't seen him in a few months, I was very excited to see him. I have been to Stockholm a handful of times, and the beauty of the city and the country as a whole never ceases to take my breath away. Stockholm's beauty, and gorgeous weather, was probably intensified by the fact that it had rained for the entire week in London before I went. Nevertheless, Stockholm is a beautiful city, and I couldn't help but snap a few pictures!

Taken from the Arlanda Express, which took me into Stockholm City. 

This was at a park next to our hotel. The pink trees are cherry blossoms, and they seemed to never stop. They look a bit greyed here, but in person they are a vibrant pink. 

This was taken as I was walking back from the park. I thought the vibrant yellow and blue was amazing.

Dad and I went on a  3 hour boat tour of the beautiful archipelago. I actually took this photo during the summer, but the weather was just as beautiful and all of the boats were out.

I hope you enjoyed these pictures! I only have three weeks left before I head back home, and have a few more day trips planned! I will be sure to upload some pictures and tell you all how it went! While I am excited to see what I can in these last few weeks, I am quite ready to go home and see my family! 

Until next time, 

Kelsey Elizabeth

I'm back! Spring Break 2012

Hello friends!
I'm so happy to be back and tell you all about my spring break on the continent! The cities I visited were absolutely gorgeous and exceeded my expectations. I'm so happy and appreciative I got the chance to see a small section of Europe over two weeks! Below I have posted the best photos from my trip. First, my friend and I met up with our friend in Paris, then we traveled to Barcelona on our own, stayed in Madrid for a few days, and then I flew to visit my friend in Florence. The pictures hardly do the sites justice, but I did my best to capture them!

The Eiffel Tour, Paris, France.

This was a wonderful restaurant/cafe that our Parisian friend took us to. The food was the best I have ever had. It was a "Sunday Brunch" breakfast. On the bottom left you can see scrambled eggs, bacon, and fresh squeezed orange juice. On the right you can see the best hot chocolate I've ever had, which I dipped the croissants (on the left) into (they told me to!). All the food I've had abroad is wonderful, and I've documented it all. (If you want to see a post about the food in Europe let me know!) Paris.

The beach in Barcelona...  I brought my bathing suit thinking I was going to get a nice tan... but it was extremely cold. I only wore shorts a few times! Barcelona.

A Gaudi building... I didn't know if I liked him at first or not, but I quickly fell in love with his style, and coloring. Barcelona. 

There were these "magic fountains" that danced to music that was played. We went on a beautiful day and it seemed like a popular attraction... there were hundreds of people there. Barcelona.

The campus in Florence: they were gifted a villa. Probably one of the prettiest places I have seen.  My Florence pictures were done the least justice, but you can get the idea here. Sigh. Florence.

They had a "lemon garden". I really wanted to pick one, but couldn't because it was a museum! A friend told me that during a certain day they had a "festival there" and made Limoncello, and lemon cookies... yum! Florence.

I hope you enjoyed these pictures. I certainly had a great time looking back at them, and remembering the past few weeks. These are only a few of many pictures, so if you would like a second blog post of just pictures, let me know, and I will post another one. I have planned for my next spring break post to be on traveling (boy, do I have recommendations for you!). I had such a wonderful time, and I am just so thankful I got to see all of these places. This is definitely not the last time I will be visiting Europe. There is so much to see and do, and multiple times, that I can't wait to get back!
So glad to be back with you all!
Until next time,
Kelsey Elizabeth

Visiting Abbey Road: I did it!

Mates! I did it!


While Mom and Diane were here, we visited the spot where one of my favorite bands have traveled... across Abbey Road. The street is quite busy with tourists with the same idea we had, and cars trying to get to work. Despite the fact that it is a zebra crossing where cars have to stop, they were quite impatient and almost ran Mom over! Here are a few pictures we snapped!

We made it!

Mrs. Reed and I

The three of us! (Many people had the same idea!)

They even had a coffee shop at the tube station with souvenirs!

I'm so glad I got the change walk across there! Will have one more blog post up for you guys before I head out! 

Until next time, 

Kelsey Elizabeth

PS. I want to give a shout out to friends at TPS who found my blog! :)

Scotland

This weekend I visited my Aunt and family in Glasgow, Scotland. I have visited them once before, but was lucky enough this trip to spend some time out in the countryside. It is very beautiful, and I would ideally like to spend a summer there in a cottage, hiking, camping and the like. I was fortunate enough to have beautiful weather while I was in Scotland, so we visited many gardens as well! Enjoy!

This is the Pollock House.

The grounds are vast and include these little guys... highland cattle! 

The river and bridge in front of the house. 

We also got the chance to stop by these falls. They were extensive, and beautiful! 

I still need to put up the pictures from my run a few weeks ago. I also have a very special post coming up before I leave. Leave where? you ask. I will be traveling on the continent for the next two weeks starting Friday for our spring holiday, but unfortunately won't be able to post. Don't worry, when I get back I will tell you all about it!

Until next time,
Kelsey Elizabeth 

Touring London

Hello Friends! 

Over this past week, I am so happy to say that I have toured London with two very special people, my mom and my "aunt" Diane. They had quite a long bucket list, and we have been going nonstop for the entire week! We're all exhausted, but a good exhausted. I have learned so much about British history and have had a marvelous time. I have also found some sites that are definitely worth seeing in London that I might have not seen otherwise. Here are some of my favorite places and pictures below!

This picture is from the inner courtyard in the Tower of London looking at the Tower Bridge. The architecture woven between the free grass is breathtaking.

This is just a simple picture of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, which also shows one of the many beautiful days we were blessed with other this past week! Most people visit the National Gallery, but the Portrait Museum (right around the back) should not be missed. There are many exquisite portraits of famous British people.

There is not a picture of Windsor Castle that could do it justice, but this is quite a pretty shot. I don't think I would have gone here if it hadn't been on Aunt Diane's list, but I must say that it was a wonderful trip. The state rooms are the most beautiful I have seen, and the architecture and grounds are extensive and beautiful. If you are spending a bit of time in London, take the train out to see it. It's worth the day trip.  

This is a shot of part of Bath Abbey in Bath, England. Bath has become one of my favorite cities. We got the opportunity to stay at the Thermae Bath Spa for a bit, and the view from the rooftop pool over London was amazing. I felt quite lucky to experience it. This shot, however, contains a picture of Henry VII and shows the great detail on the outside of the Abbey. 

I am quite exhausted from all of the traveling. There will be more pictures coming from the remainder of their trip. But...

Until next time, 

Kelsey Elizabeth

Fringe, noun, Bangs.

Dover Castle and White Cliffs

Hello Mates!

I hope you are all doing well today! I got the opportunity to take a day trip with my fellow classmates to Dover Castle and White Cliffs today. It was extra special because we saw the sun for a bit, and it was quite toasty! I am loving this more temperate weather. Below are a few pictures I took today. Quite a pretty place!

This was the Castle exterior. It was a Medieval Castle, so it lacks the ornate details other castles have. It reminded me of the Bastille in France. 

The King and Queen's Bedroom. The colors are warm and cheerful. The bed is quite tiny though! I wonder how much smaller they were back then.

Looking out of a Castle Window. The countryside is beautiful. In person, it looked like a postcard picture. I wish I could have done it better justice here!

The staircase wove all around, and turned into other staircases. It was quite interesting and pretty.

The White Cliffs were beautiful. The white line, we believe is France...

...Our phones certainly thought we were! 

Alright loves, I hope you enjoyed the photos. I have more, so if you would like a Dover Castle and White Cliffs Part Two please let me know! This week I will also upload the pictures I took in Regent's Park while I was on a run. The gardens are beautiful and the sun was out that day as well!

Until next time,
Kelsey Elizabeth

Spring Break

Hello Mates! 

How are you doing today? I'm doing quite well! I had a Management midterm this afternoon, so I'm glad to have that over with. On Wednesday, I have an essay due for Abnormal Psychology, and a midterm for Management. I'm quite excited because after that it's just fun until Spring Break! What a month, what a month! Obviously, this week I have requirements, but the following month my mother and her friend will be in town, the weekend after that I go and visit my Aunt Vru in Scotland, and the next week Spring Break starts! I'm quite a lucky girl! 

NYU gives us two weeks for Spring Break, which is wonderful! The first week of my break overlaps with Kevin's second week, so we will be venturing through France and Spain together. We will be meeting in Paris, and spending time there with a fellow NYU student until Wednesday. Then we are going to fly together to Barcelona, and spend the rest of the week on the beach (hopefully we will be able to utilize Kevin's Spanish skills). In Barcelona, we will stay in a hostel. 

There are a few different sites that we have used, and fellow students have used to book hostels. a these days are a bit different than the way most people picture them. Since students in Europe use them to travel so much, the standards are a bit higher than we expected. They are small, but clean, safe and cost effective. I wouldn't say they are dirt cheap, which is good (as my Dad pointed out) that you do pay a good portion of money to get a nice, safe room. The two hostel sites we use are hostelworld.com and hostelbookers.com. 

After this week, I will return with Kevin to Madrid for a few days, and then head over to Florence to stay with another friend until Friday. I feel like quite the traveler! I haven't seen any of continental europe, so I am excited to see all of these new cities! I'm excited to see Paris especially, as I have wanted to visit there since I was little. 

When the time comes I will post pictures of my adventures! 

Until next time, 

Kelsey Elizabeth 

London Markets

'Ello, Mates!
One of the many things I have come to enjoy in London are the various weekend markets. To my knowledge, we don't have these exact markets, but we do have events that are similar. The markets here would be a cross between an American farmer's market and a fair. They sell locally grown produce, as well as food, clothing, jewelry, sometimes antiques and any other nick-nacks they may have! I have enjoyed walking around on cool mornings, browsing all of the different items vendors are selling and chatting with them about London. Below are the markets I have visited so far in the order I have visited them.

Bloomsbury Farmer's Market
My suite mate, Kylie, found this market only a few blocks away from Russell Square early on in our semester. It is quite convent because it is only a bit away from out home. We have made it a weekly event to go there on Thursdays to gather our produce for the week. Kylie usually stocks up on a bag of apples, while I grab a bag of pears. We occasionally pick up breads or cookies from the bakery shop, Flourish, that also provides products for my favorite shop, The People's Supermarket. There are quite a lot of specialized vendors, and over time we have been here we have managed to pick up scrumptious cheese, venison, veggie pies, and even spicy sauces. One Thursday, we ventured there for lunch and I picked up a mushroom and cream pasta. It was quite good. The people here are very kind, and the weather has always been nice. If you've got an hour on a Thursday, it is definitely worth a stop!

Camden Market
At the suggestion of a friend, Kevin and I ventured uptown in the morning to do a bit of shopping and browsing. We searched through a vintage shop, and found a jeans jacket that Kevin now sports quite often. There are many little stands where you can buy reasonably priced food, and then enjoy it on nifty motorcycle seats. Other than this aspect though, the market is not my favorite. The people and items are quite alternative.

Covent Garden Market
On the same day we ventured to Camden Market, we ventured to Covent Garden Market. What a difference! Covent Garden is in a very posh section of London. The market was quite big. There were entertainment acts going on surrounded by a lot of places selling food, specifically sweets. A lot of the shops there were inside buildings and were permanent, however with all the people bustling around it still felt like a market. We didn't really buy anything (except for a few products I picked up at Lush) because it was on the more expensive side. If you have a few extra dollars to spend, and a few couple of hours, this is a nice place to go- the food, people and general energy makes for a great afternoon!

Portobello Market
Just this weekend, my roommate and I ventured over to Portobello Market. At the beginning of the semester, a fellow suggested we try it, and we quickly saw why. The market follows along Portobello Road and the choices of items are endless. They have many vendors selling lots of produce, followed by antique shops selling vintage items. There are musicians playing and people bustling all around. The market itself is quite enjoyable, except for the people who find it completely normal to shove and push to get past. There are also lunch vendors- my roommate got falafel, while I got a chicken paella (which was extremely tasty). I would like to venture here again in the morning to avoid the lunch crowd and get a good look at all the antiques they are selling. The only downside was that we took a bus, and it took an hour to get there. I'm pretty sure that there is a faster bus, and could have gotten there by tube a bit faster as well. Definitely check it out though if you are in the area.

If you have any questions, please leave them in a comment. If you have any suggestions for a London market we should try, let me know in the comments as well!

Until Next Time,
Kelsey Elizabeth 

Time for a Bath

Hello mates!

Yesterday, I had a wonderful opportunity to go to Stonehedge and Bath, England. I wasn't expecting it to be as pretty as it was, but the city was absolutely breathtaking. I couldn't wait to upload pictures for you all! We were in the bus for a total of 6 hours, so it was quite a long day, but definitely worth it. Pictures somewhat do it justice, but if you are in England for any amount of time, and have the chance to go to Bath, I would suggest that you go see it!

I don't know how many times I uttered, "I can't believe I'm taking a picture of stones."

We had beautiful weather. The stones are surrounded by green meadows, hills, farms, and animals. It was quite different than I had expected. I thought the stones would be along a cliff with crashing waves, thunder and gray skies. 

The city was built higher up to avoid flooding from the natural hot springs Bath sits on.

 

The Royal Crescent is the "thing to see" in Bath. All of the condos are private housing, but the center is a hotel. Johnny Depp has stayed there. 

The Bath Abbey.

The Roman Baths. My favorite part of the trip. At the very top of the picture, you can see Bath Abbey.

I was unhappy to find out that I couldn't go into the baths because the water was untreated. However, they do have a real spa with the hot springs mineral water that is quite popular. I am hoping to go back with my bathing suit and a bit more time, and experience the healing effects of the water. 

Until next time,
Kelsey Elizabeth

A British Sweet Tooth

Good evening, friends!

How are you all this evening? Very early on in the semester I started taste testing British candy to see how it compared to American candy. I must report that it is just as good, if not better! We have similar types of candies (chocolates, gummies, etc) and even brands, but they do taste a bit different here than they do in the US. Below are a collection of my favorite candies mixed in with a few new ones!

Yorkie's are my absolute favorite. Hands down. I have bought many Yorkies to capture a picture of for this blog post, but they have mysteriously disappeared before I got a chance to take a picture of it.  It's a solid chocolate bar. It has a different flavor than Hershey's does, but it's just as good ( I, obviously, love Hershey's).

 I just tried the Cadbury Buttons today, which are quite good as well. They are just thin little chocolate circles, perfect for any sweet tooth craving.

Kit Kat Chunky. I think we may have this one in the US, however, I believe it is  more popular here. It is basically a multi-layered Kit Kat bar. Scrumptious.

Cadburry Clusters seem to be quite popular here as well. They are chocolate and raisin clusters. Not my favorite simply because they contain raisins, but I could see how someone could easily fall in love!

I would place Haribo Gummies on the same level of Yorkies. A few of these bags also magically disappeared before I got a chance to take a picture of them. My favorite are the Haribo Starmix selection with gummies, and marshmallow gummies. Imagine Haribo gummies, but ten times better. They include what I like to call the "marshmallow gummy" that is a gummy combined with a marshmallow type piece. My favorite are the ones that look like fried eggs. The picture above is of the Haribo Fruity Frutti selection. In this bag they consist only of marshmallow gummies, and they are also filled with jelly. For any gummy bear lover, this is a "must try".

Last, but certainly not least, are the Aero Bubbles, which I can tell will quickly become one of my favorites as well. They are chocolate mousse spheres covered in chocolate- need I say more? They are quite light, and would be a perfect movie candy. 

I do wish I could transfer the delicious tastes and smells through the computer to you! British candy is quite delicious, and I have had quite the time trying all of the different flavors out! If you have a chance to get ahold of any British candy in the store or whilst traveling abroad, you should definitely pick some up!

Looking forward to talking with you soon. Until next time, 

Kelsey Elizabeth

Londontown Adventures: Kevin's Here!

Hello hello!

My best mate flew in from Madrid this past weekend, and we did some site seeing! We both become a bit sassy when we are together. Take a look!

Until next time,
Kelsey Elizabeth

Oh, the places you'll go!

Since my Bucket List post is so helpful in guiding me through my London journey, I wanted to make a list of European places I want to venture to before I leave! Again, if you have any cities that I must see before I leave, please leave a comment below! I'm only slightly familiar with Europe and would appreciate any and all suggestions!

1. Paris, France
2. Zurich, Switzerland
3. Berlin, Germany 
4. Madrid, Spain
5. Barcelona, Spain
6. Florence, Italy
7. Milan, Italy
8. Amsterdam, Netherlands
9. Brussels, Belgium 
10. Dublin, Ireland
11. Marseille/Toulon/Cannes, France

Cheers, friends! 

Londontown Adventures: Kevin's Here! Preview

This weekend, my best friend is visiting from Madrid! Upon his arrival, he mentioned a few places that were on his "must see" list, so, yesterday, we braved the cold, and went to see them! I vlogged during our trip, and am in the process of making a video for you! However, in the meantime, here is a sneak peak into what we did and saw!

This is in the center of Trafalgar Square. The National Gallery is located only a few steps away. 

The Sherlock Holmes Restaurant! Here, we had traditional fish n'chips, cider and a sticky toffee pudding. It's only a bit away from the Thames River, and Big Ben!

This is my favorite picture. It was sunny (obviously), which is quite rare here. On the left you can see the London Eye, and on the right you can just make out Big Ben. 

After walking for a bit, we made it to Big Ben. He's quite majestic, don't you think?

This is just a quick snapshot of St. James Park. The parks around Buckingham Place are extensive. It was quite cold the day we went, but I would imagine that during the spring and summer it would be quite nice to come out here and play around with a football, read, or lay out in the grass. 

Here is Kevin peaking into the Palace. I am quite amazed by the gates that surround the palace.

I should have the video up in a day or two! Cheers! 

The pictures were taken by Kevin Baker.