I don't even know where to begin! These last 3 weeks have been so eventful and I have been all over Europe with my classmates, friends, and family. Spring break began March 19th for me, with no classes on Friday, but it wasn't until Saturday when I began my long adventure of traveling and exploring.
Ireland
My first trip was to Ireland with the Central Study Abroad group and Tecwyn. We left Saturday, March 20, and drove to Holyhead to board a ferry to Ireland. We spent about 2 days in Dublin and were able to accomplish walking around the city, experiencing the excitement of a Rugby game taking place in the stadium nearby, eating delicious Irish dishes, go to multiple Irish pubs with bagpipes and Irish singers, run within the city, go to the Guinness factory and try Guinness, attend a mass at the St. Patrick's Cathedral, eat lunch outside in a garden on a beautiful sunny day, witness the Book of Kells, and walk a half an hour away from the hostel to find that it was only around the corner. Dublin was nice, but very busy and a big city so I was excited to be going to a smaller city in Ireland.
We drove to Galway, a town on the western coast near the sea. It was perfect for running, I was able to run right next to the harbor and the beach. First thing we did as soon as we got there was take a walking tour of the town. Tecwyn left us in the town center and had us find our way back, but not before I bought my own Claddagh and the girls and I got some delicious pizza. In Galway we saw the Galway Cathedral, which was so amazing inside, with the bright sun shinning in the stain glass windows on all sides. On one of the rainy days in Ireland we took a trip around the outskirts of Galway and saw a castle overlooking a lake, then drove to the Cliffs of Moher, which were incredible, the cliffs were straight vertical over the ocean below, and lastly stopped at an ancient portal tomb. That night we went to a popular pub and listened to a few bands play. The next day was much nicer and we were able to take a ferry over to the Aran Islands, just off the coast of Ireland, where we got to ride bikes around the island all day seeing the pretty sites and huge cliffs at the edge of the island. It was a tiring day, but the weather was beautiful and we got a lot of exercise. When our bus pulled into the hostel, Molly, Annie, Sarah, and I sprinted off toward the harbor to catch the last sunset in Ireland. It was worth the 10 minute sprint and people starring at us, thinking we were crazy. That night to end our Ireland trip we went to another Irish pub and met up with Tecwyn.
I loved Ireland! It had so many great places and sites to see, it was difficult to take it all in! I especially liked when we travelled outside of the bigger towns because that's when we were able to really experience the culture and hear the accents of the natives there. It wouldn't have been an Ireland trip if we didn't go to the pubs in the towns as well. Each pub had something unique to offer and I enjoyed experiencing the atmospheres of each one.
Switzerland
Short and sweet, we went skiing in the Swiss Alps. It was amazing! Much more difficult than I would have ever imagined, especially the easy blue hills. Megan and Sarah had never gone skiing before so that was an interesting experience, but with the help of Ashley and I, we were able to teach them some strategies. Although Megan had the stopping technique down...Sarah had the opposite problem..she couldn't stop, and often just flew into a snow bank. It was a lot of fun, enjoying the beautiful views of the Alps and getting a good workout in, for most of us, trying to ski down the slopes. Molly and I made the mistake to take on a red slope, meaning intermediate...but it was more like a black slope back home. Let's just say we took that slope very slow, skiing back and forth down the whole slope, as little 4 year old kids came flying past us. Yes we were embarrassed but there was no way we were going straight down the hill! After about 4 hours of skiing, our legs were tired and we were ready to call it a day. Ill never forget that experience, and I will definitely go back someday=)
Greece
Our next stop was Greece! We flew into Athens and spent the day there walking around the bust city and trying to find the right bus stop, getting hit on by gyro workers and guys walking along the street. The first thing we did was go to a gyro shop and we had one of the BEST gyros I have ever tasted. It was so fresh and hot...its going to be difficult going home and comparing it to that one. That night we got to see the Olympic stadium and the Acropolis at night, as the moon creeped from behind it. It was unlike anything I have ever seen. We were also able to see the Dyionisus Theaters, one of the oldest theaters in the world! We went to bed early that night for our early morning the next day to the Greece island, Santorini! After our 3:30am wake up call and 7 hour ferry ride to the island, we finally made it there. The weather was so warm and sunny. We met the hostel owner right off the dock and he took us to our hostel. They were so nice and welcoming, offering us wine the second we walked into the office, haha. That day we just settled in and got a bus to Oia, to watch the sunset, the same area that Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was filmed. During the sunset there was a couple that got engaged, making the experience that much more memorable. It was a perfect night, clear, warm, and I was there with the best 5 girls I could ask for. The next day we went to the red and black sand beaches and relaxed for most of the day. That night we did some shopping in the island capital, Fira, and got our first gift from a shop owner. He asked all us girls to come into our shop cause he had a gift...we were skeptical, but he had us all pick a piece of pumice from a basket that he personally found and washed. He informed us to use the pumice on our feet and elbows to make them "baby soft". We thanked him, surprised that he just actually gave us pumice, haha! That night we bought wine and crackers and cheese and cookies to celebrate our last night on the island. It was really nice sitting under the stars and talking together, taking in every second left together before we parted the next week, when many of our parents came. It was really relaxing on the island, just what we needed after a stressful week of paper writing before spring break.
Our next stop was Greece! We flew into Athens and spent the day there walking around the bust city and trying to find the right bus stop, getting hit on by gyro workers and guys walking along the street. The first thing we did was go to a gyro shop and we had one of the BEST gyros I have ever tasted. It was so fresh and hot...its going to be difficult going home and comparing it to that one. That night we got to see the Olympic stadium and the Acropolis at night, as the moon creeped from behind it. It was unlike anything I have ever seen. We were also able to see the Dyionisus Theaters, one of the oldest theaters in the world! We went to bed early that night for our early morning the next day to the Greece island, Santorini! After our 3:30am wake up call and 7 hour ferry ride to the island, we finally made it there. The weather was so warm and sunny. We met the hostel owner right off the dock and he took us to our hostel. They were so nice and welcoming, offering us wine the second we walked into the office, haha. That day we just settled in and got a bus to Oia, to watch the sunset, the same area that Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was filmed. During the sunset there was a couple that got engaged, making the experience that much more memorable. It was a perfect night, clear, warm, and I was there with the best 5 girls I could ask for. The next day we went to the red and black sand beaches and relaxed for most of the day. That night we did some shopping in the island capital, Fira, and got our first gift from a shop owner. He asked all us girls to come into our shop cause he had a gift...we were skeptical, but he had us all pick a piece of pumice from a basket that he personally found and washed. He informed us to use the pumice on our feet and elbows to make them "baby soft". We thanked him, surprised that he just actually gave us pumice, haha! That night we bought wine and crackers and cheese and cookies to celebrate our last night on the island. It was really nice sitting under the stars and talking together, taking in every second left together before we parted the next week, when many of our parents came. It was really relaxing on the island, just what we needed after a stressful week of paper writing before spring break.
Germany/Austria
My parents came the next day we got back from Greece and I was able to show them around Bangor a bit...in the rain, of course, typical Wales. I was so happy to see them! We woke up early the next day to head to Germany. In Germany we rented a car so we were able to drive around and see the sites of Germany...but only after we figured out how to turn on the GPS...and learn a bit of German, since our GPS was only German speaking. Let's just say it was a little stressful at first trying to figure out the GPS...on the autobahn=/ We drive into Munich and watch the Glockenspiel ring at 11am in the city center, it was amazing! We also got to try some delicious German pastries, yum! After walking around Munich we drove to Fussen to see the royal castle of Neuschwanstein, the castle the Magic Kingdom was modeled after. It really was gorgeous...even through the heavy snowfall=/ We drove to Salzburg, Austria after that, the same place "The Sound of Music" was filmed. We were able to go to the city center and see many of the places that were in the film and got to explore the HohenSalzburg Fortress. At the top of the hill, the Fortress had the greatest view of Salzburg and the weather was perfect. We had some tasty Austrian food in the market and tasty desserts. I really enjoyed both Germany and Austria, I had always wanted to go to both! And I was glad I got to spend my time there with my parents.
United Kingdom
The last trip with my parents and for spring break was our many stops in both England and Wales. Since we had a car we were able to visit Chester, and shop of course, Conwy, Cricceith, Caernarfon, and Anglesey Island. We had the best fish and chips in Cricceith, enjoyed the castle in Caernarfon, and got to watch the sunset at Anglesey beach and enjoy a packed lunch on the beach. I was glad my parents got to see the many places Wales is famous for and the places I get to see everyday. It meant a lot to me that they got to come visit me and I'm happy they had a good time=)
My 3 weeks of spring break were amazing and went by too fast! I had the greatest, memorable experiences with my 5 girls and was able to bond with my parents when they came to visit. I could not have asked for a better spring break=)
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