Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Stonehenge and Bath

Hello!  On the 5th of November, my program, KEI, took a trip to Stonehenge and Bath.  Stonehenge is a place that I think everyone sees and hears about, but never gets a chance to go to.  At least I never thought that I would!  But here I am, doing lots of things I never dreamed of doing.

Stonehenge, if you didn't already know, is a stone monument in Salisbury, England and its purpose was to predict eclipses.  It's amazing how people were able to build this monument so long ago without heavy machinery!  Definitely a breathtaking experience to see in person!

First photobomb of the day

Let's just get this traditional Colby photobomb out of the way




Introducing: Sheep, Like the Animal




After taking our time seeing Stonehenge, Kelly and I explored Stonehenge center and played houses like little kids in the village replica.  I also attempted to pull a rock as heavy as one of the rocks at Stonehenge, but alas... I did not succeed.

Welcome to Kelly's crib!






Bath was our next destination and was just as beautiful.   It reminded me of the small town from Beauty and the Beast.  So...basically a fairytale town.  But what else would you expect from a European town?

We started with a tour and walked around the town.  I got to see places where "The Duchess" was filmed and learned lots of information about the author, Jane Austen, who spent a lot of time there.  After the walk, we went to see the baths.  The water is supposed to be healing, that's why lots of people used to vacation there.  Now, it's all green and murky.  We weren't supposed to touch the water, but what do you think we did?  Yeah, you bet we touched that water!







Gotta love candids!



The day ended with a long bus ride home and a night of fireworks to celebrate Bonfire night.  I love KEI outings just for the fact that it brings everyone together.  Most times we divide into different groups when travel, so it's nice when we all come back together and do something as a group.  Overall, it was a great day filled with sightseeing and exploring!

-------------------------------------
We live in a wonder world that is full of beauty,
charm and adventure.
There is no end to the adventures we can have
 if only we seek them with our eyes open.
-unknown
-------------------------------------

Sunday, December 11, 2016

The Pergola and Hill Garden


 Hello friends!  I apologize for the lack of posts these last two months.  My computer has been giving my troubles and my schedule always seems to be hectic!  That's why I've been doing video blogs on my Facebook instead!  That being said, this week I will be posting new blog posts to catch you up on what I've been up to every day!  So keep a look out each day!

Back on the last Sunday in October, it was one of those days when you wake up and just want to go on an adventure.  Luckily, my friend Alli was in the same mood so we got ready, hit up Pinterest for a cool place to explore, and hopped on the tube!  After about an hour, we finally got there and it was like we were in a different city.  From the first step out of the tube, it immediately made it to my top places in London.  It was so charming and had a nice ratio of town and forest.




Our goal was to go to the Pergola and Hill garden.  I will say, it was pretty difficult to find, but after having our noses stuck to google maps and a few extra steps, we found it. We came at a perfect time in the year.  All the leaves were changing colors, the air was crisp, and it made you want a nice cup of hot cocoa.



Prettiest purple berries

The Pergola and Hill garden consisted of a maze of gardens with a nice view of the main building.  Off to the side there were trails that led to a forest.  Of course, knowing me, I had to go explore the forest.  Sadly, Alli and I didn't leave bread crumbs in our path and we got lost.  After some time, we found a path leading to a random road which led us back into town.




Beautiful Alcida

Forest
After the garden, we spent some time in town and explored the local shops and markets.  There was so many cute cafes and restaurants, but sadly we had to leave to join our friends to watch football at Belushi's.   What a great day filled with adventures and taking things slow.  It's important to take days to just relax and explore and spend time with friends.


How cute are these buildings?

--------------------------------------------------

Hygge (n):
The cosy feeling you get when you're enjoying a good time with good friends.
---------------------------------------------------