ENGLAND gone... DENMARK go!

I made it to Denmark on one piece and am now on the 2nd leg of my adventure!!

I had a fabulous time in England and want to go back to see more!! I think about all the stuff I did there ( London: Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, The Tower of London, Tate Modern Museum, Piccadilly Circus, China Town, Covent Garden, Harrods, The Ritz, Notting Hill, Portobello Market and Winchester Cathedral and The Great Hall and Windsor Castle and then exploring the Soutwest coast in Devon and Cornwall, whew!) and there's still so much more I want to see!! I am hoping to see some of those things on my way home before I fly out of London. We'll see...

So I had the wonderful opportunity of coming down with tonsillitis 2 days prior to flying to Copenhagen, note the sarcasm. My tonsils started to feel REALLY sore Saturday night and I knew that I needed antibiotics pronto!! Lee was saying that all the doctor offices were closed on Sunday so we were going to have to go to the hospital but thankfully they had a walk-in, 7 day/wk doctors office that had just opened so I wasn't going to have to convince the hospital that this was an "emergency". With a little cohersion I was able to get some medicine and 4 days later I feel almost 100% again, thankfully!

My flight to Copenhagen left Heathrow at 6:50am which meant that I had to be there by 5am which meant that I got up at 3:30am and I only went to bed at 12am. Needless to say I was a little worried about traveling on 3 hrs of sleep and a case of tonsillitis but I somehow amazingly had plenty of energy. I think it was because I was excited to see Denmark. Thank god for adrenaline!!

So once my plane landed I had to figure out how to get from the airport to Copenhagen and find a way to kill some time before my friend could pick me up after work. It was easy.

The man at customs was so cute, he was like, "Oh you're from Washington!? My wife and I were just there and it was so hot. We were walking around and were like, whew, it's so hot. Enjoy your stay in Denmark," with a big smile. It was a very sweet welcome into this very sweet country.

Getting from the airport to the main train station in Copenhagen was a piece of cake! Almost all the signs have an english interpretation on them and there were even guys at the train ticket kiosks whose job was to help tourists like me figure out which ticket to buy, where to get on the train and when to get off, etc. So my fearful anticipation of being exhausted and sick in a foreign country leading towards getting lost and stressed out were all for not. I checked my big bags in the bag locker at the train station and was off!

It was great fun walking around not knowing where I was going and it not mattering. It was fun to explore and take it all in with no final destination or time frame. All you have to do is follow the big groups of tourists filing out of the tour buses. They will always lead you towards something cool to see. So I found the city square or town center where all the action was! Pedestrian only streets lined with shops and street performers, etc. Just about by the time I was able to find an internet cafe it was nearly when I was supposed to meet up with my friend.

She has an apartment in Copenhagen but at the moment she is farm-sitting where she boards her horse so I have been staying here with her and her boyfriend. It is just outside of the city limits. I have to admit that it is nice to be on a farm surrounded by horses. It's quiet out here and I like the feeling of being on a farm at the moment.

Today I pretty much didn't do whole lot! It was actually really nice. The weather was really warm and I just enjoyed sitting out in the sun reading my book with the farm dogs as company. The biggest excitement of my day was walking to the supermarket to pick up a few things. I learned one thing today: mind your step when walking on the sidewalk! Bicyclists are crazy and they will run you over!!! So walk in a straight line because when they come racing up behind you and whistle loudly you don't want to veer at all to see who or what is going on. THEY WILL RUN YOU OVER!!!

I think I am going to have a semi-repeat tomorrow minus the sleeping in bit. Going to ride a bike to the biggest shopping center in Scandanavia! But have been warned that compared to American standards it's tiny!!!

That's all for now!!!

Pictures from Devon/Cornwall and Stonehenge

A view in Bude

Clovelly

The Wreckers, named this because of so many ship wrecks at sea

Some look out point in Devon

The stairway down to "The Steps"

Somewhere in Devon, honestly can't remember the name of this place but legend has it that a giant built these "steps"

Lands End- western most point in England

"Selfie" at Stonehenge

Devon/Cornwall

Well...

Here I am sitting in a coffee shop sipping my English tea and enjoying a delicious scone as I type this. When in Rome...



When I stayed at the hostel in Key West and met some Brits I remember they had said that I was lucky to know someone who had a cottage in Devon. They were right!!!



This part of the country is absolutely incredible!! I can't wait to post the pictures but the pictures nor my attempt to describe this place will do the scene any justice. I was in love with London 'til now. Now my heart bleeds for the beautiful countryside of Southwest England!! ;-D



We set off on Sunday sort of late and stopped by Stonehenge on our way to Devon. Lee was right, it is just a bunch of rocks in a field BUT... how did they get there, who put them there and why? We still don't know all of the answers to these questions and it really is amazing and almost eerie as to what the meaning is behind these 5,ooo year old pile of rocks! One of the things that amazes me is how they got them to where they are now. The largest rocks came from the furthest away, Wales. And why this particular field??? There's a circular ditch that is dug around where the rocks are displayed and at one point this ditch would glow white from the limestone in the earth. There were also burial sights scattered about in some of the farmer's neighboring cow fields. These tombs were covered with large mounds of dirt and the deceased were buried with several items that maybe were important to them then or symbolized something for the afterlife. These burial mounds also had a circular ditch around them that would have been bright white before years and years of the elements would cover them in dirt and grass. One of the things that I found to be the most interesting about Stonehenge was that during Summer and/or Winter Solstice there is a rock that is off set from the circular formation in the middle and when the sun would rise during this time of year the ray of sun would shine directly over the off-set rock and beam directly through the center of the other rocks placed in the center. Very cool!!!



Then we drove about another 2 hrs. west until we reached the county of Devon or Devonshire. This part of England is just absolutely breathtaking!! My first day here Lee dropped me off at a coffee shop while he surfed. I had some things that I needed to catch up with online. When I was finished with that I wanted to find a nice quiet place with a pretty view in a park or something to write out some postcards. Walking though the tiny little village-like town that is set on a soft slope with the main streets laid out like a wish bone I sensed that the water was "this way" and followed my intuition. When I came around the corner at the top of the wishbone street the view that opened up before me took my breath away!! Maybe I was being a little naive but I honestly didn't expect something so magnificent!!! I found myself on a huge grassy cliff that overlooked the Atlantic Ocean!! To my right was miles and miles of these tremendous cliffs!! To my left below was the golden sandy beach scattered with loads of people either playing in the sand or laying in it and messing around in the water. Further left was the adjacent cliff. These cliffs are made up of dark slate and have obviously been pushed up way back by the continental shelves rubbing against each other. You can see the marks in the cliff side like the rings of a tree. The dark rocky cliffs are topped with the most perfect grassy fields. It really was something to take that all in!!! I had a lot of fun that day playing around on the man-made wall of rocks that came out like an arm protecting half of the beach from the impending ocean and walking along the cliffs barefoot in what felt like the softest grass!!! A completely amazing view!!! Truly felt like you were at the end of the world!!



Yesterday it 'lashed' or 'pissed' down rain for most of the day but we made the most of it!! We went to a small fishing village that dates back to the 1400's called Clovelly. It was set along a steep hill but again walking through this village there wasn't a spot that you didn't get an amazing view of the ocean or the cliff sides. These cliffs were completely covered in trees and thick foliage, the most amazing greens!! The best part about this fishing village is that it is one of the most preserved villages in England because of where it is located. On this steep hill the 'roads' are only small cobble stoned paths that you have to either walk in your goods or use a donkey to pull a sled-like contraption for the heavier stuff. And of course there is always getting things via the sea. At one point it was a port that the pirates used for smuggling because of it's hidden location. Very quaint and beautiful village. Charles Dickens lived there a bit as a youngster and there was a museum house that showed what life was like at those times. Very cute little place!!

I'm in love with this country!!!

Ahhhh... Where to begin? It has been a packed fun-filled adventure thus far!! I almost don't even know where to start!! I love this place!!! London is an amazing city and I absolutely love it!!! England is such a beautiful country and I am already not wanting to leave but one must carry on I suppose :)

I have spent a few days in London trying to take in all the sights!! There is so much to see and so much to do it's a bit overwhelming and I have already decided that I am going to have to spend some more time in London on my way back through before I fly home. I love London because it is a very cultured city with modern accents but historic roots. It's got it all!!

I met up with my cousin (whom I traveling to Italy with in August) for my first day in London. We went to the Tower of London which was very cool to see!! It basically has been around since the Romans and has been rebuilt, restructured and reinforced over the centuries. This is where Anne Boleyn (sp?) was be-headed. It is a major tourist attraction and is basically a walk down history lane. There were many exhibits on the armor, weaponry and torture devices that were used through the ages. We also got to see the "crown jewels" which was several different crowns that the kings and queens wore. The jewels on these things were unreal!! There was also a tower that prisoners were kept in waiting for execution that had inscriptures carved into the stone walls. Let me tell you people write some pretty profound things when waiting to die. Most of the prisoners were sentenced to death because of religious beliefs that were not the same as the King's. Crazy!!

Lee and I did another day in London. I got to see Buckingham Palace (from the outside) and eat lunch in Trafalgar Square. Pics coming soon. Then we went to Covent Gardens which is a very buzzing part of London with many shops and a big market. Lee and I watched a fun street performance from Punch and Judy Pub's balcony. I guess it's a very touristy pub and I think Lee was the only Brit to be enjoying a pint.

Then the next day Lee, Steve (a friend of Lee's), Gemma and I went to Windsor Castle. This is a castle for the Royal family and another amazing sight!! We saw the doll house of Windsor Castle which is the largest doll house in the world. Honestly not that cool but since it was the largest we had to see it. :) Then we were able to walk through the state rooms of the castle. I can't even begin to describe how amazing this castle was inside!! Definitely fit for a king!! The extravagance of art and tapestries on the walls, the chandeliers, the furniture, it was all so incredible!! Unfortunately we couldn't take pictures and words really cannot describe (plus I'm too tired at the moment to have a go at giving it any justice) the richness of the Royal culture. I mean you look at the robes a king had worn or his bedroom and all I could think was my ego would be enormous!!! The castle was set up on a hill and overlooked the city of Windsor which with the Thames river running through. A beautiful view. We then went to Eton University. This is a very "posh" university that all the who's who in the royal family and rich go to school. We sort of "tagged" along with a group that was getting a tour because it was closed to the public and they must have booked it in advance. But we only got to enjoy about 15 mins of the tour before being politely escorted out. It was worth it though to take a quick peek at the inside.

Yesterday we were back in London again. Once our train arrived at the Waterloo Station we went to the Tate Modern Museum. I had read from one of the guide books that it's a nice way to see the city scape of London from the 7th floor and it's free (London Eye costs about 20 quid). So got to see some cool views of London from up above to take some pics and then we did a quick look at the art. Saw some cool stuff and also some pretty random modern art but my favorites were the Picasso paintings, Monet and Salvador Dali. We then took the Tube to Notting Hill and walked through the Portabello Market. Then we went to Harrods which is an absolutely amazingly insane shop. They say that you can buy anything one can think of there and I believe it. The "food court" was really cool and like an old school market with a butcher shop and all. The woman's apparel floor was filled with all the top designer's clothes. I felt like Carry Bradshaw walking though there. It was crazy!! On the "Sports and Leisure" floor they had a polo section that included Pikuer breeches, bridles and saddles. Very cool!! Next stop was a photo opp in front of the Ritz and then on to Picaddilly Circus. Then we stopped and got a few too many pints in China Town. It was a long day and very fun to see everything. The architecture of the old buildings and monuments sprinkled through out with a beautiful park around every corner surrounded by the city vibe have all made London pull at my heart strings!! :)

Tomorrow we head to Devonshire which is Southwest England to see some more of the countryside and take in the sights of the coast. Lee has a cottage there and we will probably be there for 4 nights or so. He is going to teach me how to surf (Lee is really into surfing). Should be interesting. Kind of funny to think that I will give my first go at surfing in England, quite random but can't pass it up. We stop by Stonehenge on the way. Super exited to see that as well!!

That's all for now...

Pictures!!! *not in chronological order*

The view from Windsor Castle
Part of Windsor Castle

Lee & Steve with Eton College in the background


On the Millenium Bridge with St. Paul's Cathedral in the back drop

Where Ann Boleyn was beheaded

Walking through one of the towers in the Tower of London

Tower of London

Parliament and Big Ben

The London Eye

Bourdemouth Beach

Pier at Bourdemouth Beach

Enjoying a pint in the oldest pub in England

At Winchester Cathedral

Winchester Cathedral

Winchester Cathedral

The back of Winchester Cathedral

The Queen's Garded at the Great Hall

The Round Table

Inside the Great Hall

Pre- Travel Adventures of Epic Porportions

I've Arrived!!

Hi All!!

I have have arrived in England and in one piece thankfully!! :) The flight was long and I had come down with a nasty cold before heading out which always tends to make traveling a bit more exhausting!! The flight wasn't so bad, I was well stocked with flu/cold meds to help ease my symptoms as I didn't want to become "too popular" amongst my fellow travelers! :) I sat next to a nice elderly Norwegian couple who were very interested in me and my travels. The 11hrs to my connecting flight in Iceland went relatively quick. Watched a movie, chatted with my neighbors and tried to catch a quick nap in between. The change between flights in Reykjavik was a bit daunting... but Iceland looks absolutely beautiful from the air, another place I wouldn't mind exploring (in the summer!) someday. Once off the plane we had to stand in a huge line to go through security and passport control only to get in another huge line to go through another passport inspection to leave the country. Due to the fact that it was very late according to my clock and that I was probably pretty drowsy with the cold medicine I was getting a little annoyed with all the lines!! It seems like a small airport and they were making the last call for all passengers boarding my plane to Heathrow while I was in line. I was a little worried that the plane would leave without me but they waited I think because most of the people in line waiting to get their passports stamped for a second time were on the same flight as me. But hey, I got Iceland stamped on my passport twice!! Once I got on my plane it was only a short 2.5 hrs flight to England, which I pretty much slept through!! Once I got to the Heathrow airport there was more of waiting in line at passport control. I was a bit worried because I realised that I didn't have my friend Lee's address (whom I'm staying with in England) and even though I am only traveling in England for 3 wks my ticket shows that I fly out in 4 months and I'm not employed but the guy at the boarder control let me in!! He was actually very nice but made me prove that I had a return ticket and credit card. Then I waited for my bag, yes, bag. I am very proud of myself for managing to pack for 4 months and only take 1 bag. This is a huge deal for me!! It started out as three but I am glad that I widdled it down to only one, makes it much easier for sure!! Thankfully Lee was right there to pick me up once I went through baggage claim and customs. I was so relieved to see him because I realized that I didn't have his address or a cell phone. If anything had gone wrong it could have been tricky. Then we drove 40 mins in his van (Europeans drive vans, VWs mostly because it is too expensive to fill up on petrol. It cost Lee $160 to fill up his tank and he said that usually lasts him about a week!) to Basingstoke, where is flat/apartment is, which is a suburb of London. It is a quaint town with a very cute shopping center. Once we settled in we went to the Supermarket to stock up on groceries. Though there are different customary foods here, it really isn't that different than what you would see at home. One thing that I thought was very funny was that you could buy pre-made packaged pancakes. Pancakes aren't traditional here but Lee assumed that I ate pancakes for breakfast every morning. So if you are in England just go to the bread section and you can buy yourself some already made pancakes and heat them up in the oven!! After chilling out at his apartment we went to a local pub and met up with a few of his friends for a pint or two. At this point, I was exhausted!! Between having a pretty severe flu-like cold and being awake for going on 25 hours there were moments that I was so tired it almost hurt. I wasn't much for company at the pub but it was nice to get out. I was desperately trying to stay awake so I could try to get on England's regular time!! My goal was to stay up until 6pm and somehow I managed to stay up 'til 10pm. I finally went to bed at about probably 11pm or so and I think at this point I had been awake for something like 29 hrs (I'm not counting my cat naps on the plane because you're not really sleeping, are you!?) But of course I woke up at 1am, wide awake. I felt like I had been sleeping for something like 8 hrs when in fact it had only been a few hours but there's nothing like some relaxing tunes on the ipod to put a girl back to sleep. Then I was up at 5 am bright eyed and bushy tailed! I'm not sure if it was because of the time change or because of the fact that I was so excited to be in England!! I read a bit in my travel books trying to catch up on the sights to see in England and get a feel for my surroundings!! I really didn't want to wake Lee up since it was so early. Then at about 6am I mossied down and watched some local news, again trying to get acquainted with my new surroundings! *74* seemed to be the magic number! It has been the driest summer in England in 74 years! Also an Englishman had been selected by FIFA to reff the World Cup finals in futbol. The first time in 74 years!!

We then went to Winchester which used to be the capitol of England so there was a lot of history there!! We went to the Great Hall which is all that is left of the castle that used to be there. Now that all that is left of the castle are small ruins and bits and pieces. The great hall was built in the 11th century and was where the king used to hold important meetings and where the king and queen would dine. It also housed King Arthur's round table. I took lots of pics and will post those later. Then we walked along looking for the tourists information center. Lee wanted to show me the oldest pub in England, although it is a joke that every city in England claims to have the oldest pub in England!! Once we picked up the brochure we got a delicious bite to eat in a "posh" pub. I would like to try some of the local food here but it's things like fried ox tongue and blood sausages. Lee confided in me that even the local English don't eat that stuff so I felt off the hook!! Working our way back to the "oldest pub" in England we stopped at the Winchester Cathedral which was absolutely breathtaking!! I love the architecture of the cathedrals in Europe and the history here is mind blowing!! We lucked out on the day we chose to visit the cathedral because there was an orchestra symphony practicing. To hear that music while touring the cathedral really set the ambiance of the whole experience. It was almost eerie but in a cool way. Like all cathedrals in Europe the masonry that went into all the details of the structure of the building were mind boggling!! Again, I took pictures and will post them so you can see. It was a very old cathedral again, built in the 11th century. The detail in the stain glass windows and stone sculptures and decorations were really amazing!! One highlight for me at this cathedral was (again we were lucky by chance) that they were having a Jane Austen exhibit. Jane Austen's father was a priest at the Winchester Cathedral and she was buried here. I was able to see where she was buried and the gold commemorative plaque that was placed by her brother. I also got to see some of her original books on display. Very cool!! Then we made it to the oldest pub in England. It really is only part of a pub now. The oldest part was built in the 11th century and the "newer part of the pub that was added on was built in the 16th century. Kind of made me laugh that "newer" is 16th century! But the old bar had very low plank ceilings and was dark. You could really imagine what it was like back in those times. The ceiling planks were made out of an old ship and had the wear and tare of the sea on them. Again, very cool. So Lee and I had taken in a lot of history that day and thought we well deserved a few pints. :) Very nice first day in England.

The next day we drove to Exeter, which is in the county of Devonshire located in the southwest of England. It was about a 2 hr drive from Basingstoke. I really enjoyed seeing some of the countryside of England. It is really beautiful here!! Gorgeous rolling hills and plats of farm lands boarded by shrubbery!! Although it has taken some getting used to (being a passenger) driving on the other side of the car/road. Whenever Lee would pull into a parking area I was always thinking that he was pulling into on-coming traffic and whenever we go to get back into the van I always instinctively try to get into his driver's side. Along the drive we passed through some beautiful forests which really remind me of the NE of the U.S. We also drove past Stonehenge!!! Lee promised that we would stop and let me have a better look when we go back to his beach cottage next week!! It was a friend's birthday which is why we went down to Exeter. They all are a very nice group of people and I quite enjoyed myself. I was still a little out of it but they were patient with me. It was very interesting to hear them talk about world politics and the economic state of England. They also had fun asking me questions about America but were mostly interested in what TV shows we watched :) The following day we walked into the town of Exeter. It is a busy bustling town with a lot going on! There was a lot happening down at the queae (sp? pronounced key, which is basically an inner harbor) There were some sort of traditional rowing contests going on which was being taken very seriously and was entertaining to watch. The inner harbor was lined with craft shops like wood working and glass blowing and also many restaurants and pubs. We grabbed a bit to eat and walked around in the city center. Thank god there is a Starbucks in every city because iced coffee is unheard of in England and with it being so hot and all, I really enjoy my iced coffee!! The walk to and from the town was about 3 miles each way and it really was a lovely stroll. Walking along a canal and through the park. Really quite lovely.

Now we are back in Basingstoke and having a bit of a relaxing day. I feel a little guilty because I feel like I should be trying to see as much as I can while I'm here but I also feel like I need to take advantage a rest up a bit. London is next!!

Oscar Wilde said, "The English have really everything in common with the Americans-except, of course, language." I love the English accent and Lee and I have really been having a laugh at how we say things differently. There's a lot of, "are you with me?" to make sure we are on the same page, it can be hilarious at times!!

That's all for now.