Cheers from Tunbridge Wells!

Hello Faithful Readers,

Long time, no see! Yes, I realize it has officially been over a month since I last posted. I do feel a bit guilty about that... but not too much :)
Internet abroad is spotty at best. If you have it, often it is not free. Even if it is free, I usually have to beg a laptop off of some one. So, if you want more posts, please send me a laptop :)

Now, on to what you all want to read: My Recent Travels. Since I last published, I have been to three countries I haven't been to before-- Northern Ireland, France, and Italy. More specifically, I have been to Belfast, Bayeaux, Paris, Venice, Florence, and Rome. We regrouped in London, where we had another whirlwind week. Now, we are in South East England, at a retreat center called Salomon's for some much needed R&R. Like before, I'm just going to attempt a two-sentence summary of each, so I don't lose you in the details...

Belfast: Homestays! My dear friend Nelly Patterson and I stayed with the interns of Fisherwick Presbyterian Church. We spent the weekend hanging out with a bunch of international 20-somethings, and laughing over cultural differences. Countries represented include the U.S., Spain, and Ireland.
Bayeaux- First foreign language speaking experience (to be honest, it was a bit rocky). My 20th birthday was spent touring the Normandy beaches and eating dinner in a French restaurant, having poetry written in my honor recited to me. Then, I got flowers :) Simply wonderful.
Paris- The City of Lights! In case you were wondering, Parisian people really dislike Americans as much as everyone says they do, unfortunately for us. However, once my mom got there, we managed to "do" the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe. In a day. Do we know how to travel or what?

Now begins the magic that was free travel :)
As I mentioned, my lovely mumsy was able to come join me for a "Highlights" Tour of Italy. We went with a fairly big tour group, complete with personal radios and a flag waving tour director (named Mercedes Medici. Seriously.) Being part of a tour was actually the best decision we could have made. All of the plans were made for us; all we had to do was sit back and enjoy!
First Stop, Venice: My personal favorite of our trip. So many quaint pastel buildings, complete with laundry hanging to dry. Innumerable little canals and bridges made for many picturesque sites. We got to see a glassblowing demonstration on the Isle of Murano, which has been a lifelong dream of Mom's :)
Then, on to Florence: On the way there, took the required picture stop at the Leaning Tower of Pisa (not the highlight of our trip, I might add.) While in Florence, we took in the Ponte Vecchio, The Duomo and Baptistery, and Michelangelo's "David." A beautiful city, with such a rich artistic past!
Finally, Rome: Between Florence and Rome, we stopped in Assisi (as in St. Francis of Assissi). It turned out to be a very charming little town with gorgeous vistas and a peaceful atmosphere. Then, on to the chaos that is Rome! The traffic, especially the motorbikes, is even worse than they say it is! During out time there, we took in the Trevvi Fountain, Spanish Steps, the Colosseum, the Forum, and St. Peter's Basilica (We saw the Pope!). An unexpected highlight was seeing the Italian version of the Changing of the Guards.
During our Italian holiday, mom and I consumed a lot of pizza, pasta, and gelato. We also had many good conversations, and altogether, a wonderful time. I was very sad to see her go :(
(However, Dad and the girls were very glad to see her back!)

After those incredible ten days, I immediately jumped into an incredible week in London. During those seven days, I saw/went to: The British Museum, the Museum of London, the Tate Modern, Westminster Abbey, The Imperial War Museum, Harrods, the Natural History Museum, the British Library (for a performance of "Beowulf," complete with harp), and "Les Miserables" on the West End. Needless to say, it was an amazing week, but an exhausting one as well.

Now, I am actually caught up to the present. While in Tunbridge Wells, we are going to have a lot of class time, as well as a lot of time built in for relaxing and enjoying each other's company.
My apologies if this got long, but a lot happens in an England Term month! :)
I barely scratched the surface of everything I did. If you want more details or have any questions, please feel free to comment or send me an email. Or, I can definitely fill you in when I get home :)
As hard as it is for me to believe, we now have only 5 weeks left of this unforgettable journey. During the last two months, I have seen my confidence grow, as well as my sense of independence and adventure. However, even though I now know I can survive just fine without the comforts of home, I still am looking forward to coming back to them :)
Based on my past blogging records, I'll post once more (if you're lucky) before we're done haha.
Only joking. Mostly...

Until next time,
Allison <3