A Step Back Into Time: Day Trip to Bath

Bath Street, Bath, Somerset, UK

Yesterday, a my exchange group took a day trip over to Bath.  Being a Jane Austen fan and a Georgian architecture enthusiast, Bath was one of the top places on my list to visit.  Wandering around the ancient streets was like a step back into time.

We arrived around ten in the morning.  It was one of the most beautiful days I've experienced since arriving in this rainy country.  About fifteen of us jumped off the bus, and headed for the main attraction, the Roman Baths.  

Over 2,000 years of history, once buried under the rocks, was excavated and restored into a wonderful monument.  The baths themselves look like they do in the pictures, but I was surprised to find out that the geothermal spring that once heated the water for the Romans continues to do so for today.  The museum did a wonderful job of weaving the restorations in with the original works.  

At the end of the tour there was a filtered Bath Spring Water stand, so we too, could take the healing waters.  We all drank the warm, newly filtered water, then immediately regretted it, because, despite being filtered, it still tasted as if it had been boiled with dirty gym socks.  Gross!  It took me two bottles of water and a couple breath mints just to get the taste out of my mouth.  Jury's still out on whether or not it will "heal all of my ailments".  I guess time will tell!

Next stop was Queen Square and the Royal Crescent.  The park held an obelisk type monument erected in the honor of HRH Queen Elizabeth II.  The Royal Crescent appears to have once been a palace or some sort of extravagant stately home.  Now, it has been broken up into apartments.  We were told that one would have to pay £400,000 just for the right to rent one of the homes, then monthly rent and co-op fees on top of that.  The dozens of luxury cars parked in resident parking only went to further our realization that this was where Bath's elite lived.

My group spent most of the afternoon wandering the streets and just taking in the city.  We stopped for lunch at a pub.  

I tried Cottage Pie for the first time.  It was delicious!  I'm going to have to find a recipe and see if I can recreate the dish.

During our journey, we happened upon the famous Pulteney Bridge.  Beneath the bridge was a terraced water feature much like the one from Javert's death scene in Les Miserables.  Beside the bridge was a lovely park named Parade Park.  Despite it only being the first of March, daffodils were blooming everywhere and the grass was luscious and green.  Springtime is coming, I could feel it in the air!

The last stop for the day was Bath Abbey.  I've mentioned before how much I love cathedrals, and this one jumped to the top of my list to tie with Notre Dame.
Unlike many cathedrals I have visited, Bath Abbey was light and airy, rather than having the dark, omnipresent air that many seem to have.  The building was made of a light colored stone, and the windows positioned to take full advantage of the natural sunlight.  The stained glass and flowers added color to a sand colored backdrop.  The way the sunlight and colors mingled brought a feeling of joy to the place, instead of the somber reverence inspired by many churches of England.  It was a beautiful place!

All of the Georgian architecture, well kept streets, ancient alleyways, and beautiful gardens was like stepping back in time into a Jane Austen novel.  Some places you can feel the light whisper of history in the air, in Bath that it is not a whisper but a song floating through the streets.  This beautiful town has become one of my favorite places in England.

Dernier Jour: Day Two

#wavetheflag at the Eiffel Tower!  Go Cougs!

The girls and I got up first thing on Saturday morning and took the metro to the Eiffel Tower.  It was absolutely massive, but wasn't what I was expecting.  Maybe it's because we see it all the time in pictures, but it didn't take my breath away.  It's an iconic monument, no doubt, but I didn't think it was as impressive as everyone kept saying.  Nonetheless, it was a wonderful opportunity to experience something famous.

Musee d'Orsay

After taking dozens of photos, we hopped the metro to the Musee d'Orsay.  We got let in for free because we were all on UK visas which was cool.  We wished we'd known that the day before so we could have avoided paying the rather expensive entry to the Louvre.  Oh well.  I actually liked the Musee d'Orsay a bit more than the Louvre.  It wasn't as intimidating.  The building was beautiful.  Previously, it was a train station, so it has the tall foggy glass ceilings and iron supports that train stations of that time usually did.  The glass ceiling tiles allowed for a lot of natural sunlight.

Inside the main room of the Pantheon

We stopped into a little cafe for lunch then went on to the Luxembourg Gardens.  We walked through the gardens and over to the Pantheon.  I love old building like this.  They were doing construction on the dome, so I didn't get any good outside photos, but the inside was really pretty.  In their crypt is the final resting place of Voltaire, Marie Curie and her husband, and many others.

Continuing on our journey we trekked over to Love Lock Bridge and then Notre Dame.  We got a little turned around in the Latin Quarter, but followed the sight of the steeple on the horizon all the way down to the Seine.  Love Lock Bridge is actually several bridges in Paris where lovers come to place a lock on the railing of the bridge and toss their key into the river in hopes that their love will last forever.  What they don't tell you is that there are so many locks that they have to be removed once every seven months.  The Love Lock Bridge we visited is on the bridge just behind the cathedral.

Danni, Molly, Caylyn, me, and Olivia at Love Lock Bridge with Notre Dame in the background

Notre Dame was my favorite stop that weekend.  When I first walked in I was hit with this sudden overwhelming awe and reverence for the place.  It was a powerful experience.  The place was packed with tourists and worshippers alike, but their presence didn't take away from the experience.

The glow of the chandeliers against the ancient walls leading up to the vaulted ceilings created an atmosphere that was magical.  The stained glass windows added light and color, and prayer candles flickered against the stones creating movement in the light.  There were hymns playing softly in the background and the low buzz of the tourists whispering to one another and prayers being uttered.  I would love to go back one day to attend a service.  I'm sure it would be a great experience.

To finish off the day we took an evening river cruise.  It added a special something to be able to sum up all that we had seen in the past two days from a different perspective.  The sun was setting, casting a glow to all of the famous buildings and monuments.  The perfect way to end another great day.

Bonjour, Paris! Day One

Rooftops of Paris

I spent the weekend of Valentines Day in Paris with a large group of students from Swansea.  We had a wonderful time!  It was a very busy few days, but we managed to see everything we wanted to.

We took the bus Thursday night and drove all night to get to Paris Friday morning.  Unfortunately for me, I didn't sleep but two hours on the bus.  I was tired, but when we arrived in the outskirts of Paris, I hit my second wind.  After dropping our bags off at the hotel, my group of four Americans, a Canadian, and an Australian set off to sightsee.























First stop was the Opera Garnier, one of the most famous opera houses in Paris and home to the National Ballet of France.  It was as breathtaking as its pictures.  The main hall was my favorite, with its grand double staircase with gilded accents on every surface.  I would love to go back some day and attend a show there.  The main theatre seemed a little bit small to me, but I think it was simply because I was standing in the back with a poor view of the upper decks.  The entire room was covered with red and gold velvet.  Next we wandered into one of the halls.  It had an enormous fireplace at one end, then glassy hardwood floors and gold chandeliers lining the the hallway all the way down to another enormous fireplace.  It was massive and reminded me of Versailles' hall of mirrors.

The Louvre courtyard

The Louvre was the next place on the list.  Overwhelming would be a very good word to describe it.  I knew it was big, but I had no idea how easy it would be to get lost amongst the thousands pieces of art displayed in the former palace.  We saw the two main must-see items, the Mona Lisa, and the Venus de Milo.  I was disappointed to find that the Mona Lisa viewing area was a chaotic mess.  The famous portrait is hanging on the back wall of a huge hallway.  There was no queue, no specified viewing area, nothing but about two hundred people elbowing their way to the front to take the obligatory photo and then push their way back out of the madness.  I was kind of hoping it would look like it did in The Da Vinci Code...not so much, but that was okay.

We walked through the Jardin des Tuileries on the way to our next stop, the Grand Palais, home of Paris Fashion Week.  The garden was pretty, but bare due to the winter weather.  I was surprised to find that rather than concrete walkways there was a light beige gravel mixture spread over the designated walking areas.  We passed this guy who appeared to be a pigeon whisperer.  He was catching pigeons mid-flight then literally handing them to the onlookers.  The strange things you see when you travel.  We made our way to the Grand Palais which is this enormous convention center with a glass roof that looks like an atrium garden from the outside.

Grand Palais behind Pont Alexandre III

The Grand Palais was in between conventions, so we couldn't go in.  Next up was Laduree on the Champs Elysees.  We all got macaroons from the store.  They were absolutely delicious!  By far, my new favorite treat.  We walked down the Champs Elysees, and grabbed lunch.  It is a street made for walking.  The sidewalks are about three times as wide as they are in the States.  All kinds of shops lined the streets, from Sephora and H&M to Louis Vuitton and Chanel.  I wish I'd gotten to see the trees when they had leaves on them.  The whole street is lined with these perfectly manicured trees and flower pots.  It made a lovely background to the cafes.



We continued down the street until we reached the Arc du Triomphe.  All I can say is wow.  There it was in all its grandeur.  What an amazing memorial to the victories of France.  It sits in the middle of a massive traffic circle.  Around eight different streets all merge at this point.  A while back, someone once told me that no matter where you are in Paris, somehow you'll always find your way back to the Arc.  I definitely understand what they mean.  Strangely enough, I found that I liked this monument more than the Eiffel tower.  Something about it is more understated and less gaudy and ostentatious.

It was a crazy first day in Paris, and by the time we hit our last stop, the Galeries Lafayette, I was completely exhausted.  The inside of the building looked like another opera or basilica.  It was beautiful.  I've seen pictures of the place at Christmas, and would love to return and see the enormous Christmas tree in person.  But even without the Christmas tree, it was awesome.  We somehow miraculously managed to see every main destination on the right bank of Paris in just one day.  We walked through almost ten arrondissements and past dozens of iconic sights. It was Valentines Day, so the six of us girls got bread, cheese, chocolate, and macaroons to eat in our hotel room and celebrate spending a wonderful day amongst friends in one of the greatest cities in the world.                    

Tales from day two can be found in the next post.  Pictures from Paris are all posted to the site, so check them out!  The adventures are to be continued!

Welcome to Swansea University: Move In, Orientation, and My First Weekend

Panorama of my dorm room.

I got to Swansea with no troubles at all on Thursday.  The train ride from Cardiff was only an hour, and very pleasant.  It was sunny when I first arrived.  You could see the beach and the ocean running parallel to the road to school.  I found my dorm, picked up my keys and moved in.  I realized, upon walking into my empty dorm room, I could possibly be facing the most problematic part of studying abroad...having to completely restock your room.

Summer before freshman year at WSU, I, like hundreds of students before me, spent two months buying linens, hangers, mini fridges, desk supplies, and dozens of other things that simplify the transition into school.  At the end of the year I learned how to properly repack everything in order to move it all back into a room the next year.  So when I first saw my room, I felt incredibly unprepared.

After dropping off my bags, I took the bus into town and bought bed linens.  I did my best to not buy too much at one time, but even so, when I re-boarded the bus with my two bags, plus a pillow and duvet, and squeezed into a seat, it occurred to me that I was going to have to readjust my shopping patterns.  I quickly realized how spoiled I've been with my very roomy SUV and ability to cart everything I needed home in just one trip.

When I got back to campus I unpacked, posted my pictures, and settled in.  It's a nice little room.  I love the window I have on the back wall.  It takes up the entire width of the wall and helps immensely with the natural light.

After dinner, I met all of my flatmates.  I got really lucky to end up with such a great group of people.  It's a very diverse crowd, with people from Norway, France, Italy, the US, and of course, Wales and England.  I think I'll fit right in :)

My picture collage behind my desk.

Friday was orientation.  I was shocked to see how many incoming international exchange/study abroad students there were.  There were 80 kids from Brazil who were with Engineers Without Borders, then at least 150 other students from all over the world.

I met a girl from Canada, a girl from Australia, and a girl from Spain just on the row I was sitting on.  The day was just your typical orientation.  Here are the services we have on campus, be safe, go to class, and have fun.  I was surprised, however, that we didn't get a campus tour.

Afterwards, we signed up for classes.  Which, I must say, was the most inefficient process ever!  As an international student, I'm taking classes from three different disciplines:  history, political science, and business.  I had to go to each department person and get them to sign off on the classes I wanted to take.  It wasn't really like we were even getting special permission to take a class, it was just the way you registered.  Once I got all of the classes I wanted, I had to go back to the business department, where I started (they are my "home" department) and turn in my registration forms.  Between standing in line and playing Tetris with my schedule to get my classes to fit, the entire process took about six hours.  Talk about an adventure!

Over the weekend, I was way busier than normal.  Friday night I had my first clubbing experience with my flat mates. It was very different than the fraternity parties at WSU, but I think I like Swansea's social scene a little bit better. 

Saturday, they took me to the main grocery store in town, Tescos, their version of a super-Safeway. My neighbor, Marisa, patiently waited while I stood there reading labels on items I typically just snatch off the shelves back home.  It's definitely going to take some time to get used to the new brands and packaging.  I found it very interesting that the marketing for everyday goods is directed towards niche markets rather than brand name recognition. In the States I look for the packaging and label to find what I'm looking for, then closely read labels if I'm trying to choose between similar products.  Here in the UK, it seems to be there is one product for each need.  For instance, once brand of laundry detergent that specializes in unscented, allergen-free detergent, rather than several brands offering a wide selection of products based on what the individual companies believe will sell.

My two neighbors, Marisa and Alexia, at Swansea Bay.

Sunday, a group of us walked down to Swanswa Bay. The weather changes so drastically here, it reminds me of Pullman in the fact that one minute it's pouring down rain and in five minutes the sun will come out.  It's funny, when it rains it is not the huge rain drops that just pound on your head, but a steady shower that will quickly drench you if you're not careful.  After all of the snow and cold in Pullman, I don't mind the rain so much. It hasn't dipped below freezing, so I can't complain!  The bay is quite nice, but not too much to see.  Nonetheless, it was a very nice outing.

Classes started today, so expect a full report soon!

Traveling Continued

A chill of excitement ran through me when I saw Big Ben and the London Eye for the first time.  My flight landed smoothly, and I was off the plane and down the jetway before I could blink an eye.

Immigrations and customs turned out to be rather easy to get through.  Luckily, I had all of my papers in order, and there were no other problems.  It had been smooth sailing the whole trip, that was until I got lost trying to find the bus terminal.  If I can make it through Atlanta airport by myself with time to spare, I can take on anything.  Come at me Heathrow!  Well, maybe I shouldn't have been so sure of myself...it's bad enough when you get lost prior to asking directions, but there is a very special kind of embarrassment involved when you get lost after you receive directions.  I'm still not totally sure how I got so turned around.  Somehow, I managed to lug my overstuffed luggage around in circles for about twenty minutes before I pushed my pride down far enough to stop and ask for directions, again.  The second time I managed to get headed in the right direction.  After wandering down a few lonely corridors, past a rather sketchy looking freight elevator, and through the Heathrow Underground station, I finally found the bus terminal.

My next adventure was figuring out how to get on the bus.  Yes, I am very aware how dumb that makes me sound, but I'm telling you, it's a lot harder than it looks.  My bus was parked outside in the terminal.  I found it with no trouble.  The buses were parked under an awning type structure with a fence blocking the waiting area from the boarding area.  I walked down to the end of the fence where the security guard was standing near the only visible opening in the fence.  I asked him to confirm which bus stand my RailAir bus was parked in, and he pointed me in the right direction.  Like any independent young woman, I took off in the direction of my bus ready to begin the next leg of my trip.  I marched right up to the front of my bus, only to find that my driver was nowhere in sight.  I looked around and saw the other drivers hovering near their buses.  I guess I'll wait.  A few minutes later I see my bus driver coming towards me, then I see the gate (I didn't see only moments before) being opened by what looked like my fellow passengers.  Here I am standing past the barriers, literally in front of my bus, watching the lady and gentlemen that were very obviously supposed to be first people boarding the bus.  Oh my gosh, I jumped the queue... Yep boys and girls, I broke the cardinal rule of British manners, I jumped to the front of the line.  In my defense, it was totally on accident.  I waited for the lady to board the bus, but the man behind her ushered me ahead of him.  He was very nice about it, but I'm sure he was thinking all sorts of lovely thoughts about stupid foreigners who have no concept of waiting in line...or at least, that's what I imagined he was thinking as he shook his head and let me pass.

I boarded the bus, bruised ego and all, to be pleasantly surprised by the cushy leather seats, free wifi, and full seat belts (which we were required by law to wear).  The ride wasn't bad, but getting used to riding on the wrong side of the road was a little terrifying at first.  After I survived what I perceived as several near death experiences (in all honesty, they probably were not as bad as they seemed, but I was a little concerned we could potentially run over the very tiny British cars) I began to relax and enjoy the country side.

We arrived in Reading, where I grabbed lunch at Subway (yay American food) and caught the train to Cardiff.  I really enjoyed the train ride.  My train had entertainment centers on the backs of all the headrests, like they have on the big airplanes.  It was a quiet ride.  I struggled to stay away.  The twenty six hours I had managed to stay awake was finally catching up to me.  Terrified of sleeping through my final stop, I kept busy until we arrived in Cardiff.  My hotel is literally a block and a half from the train station so I just walked over and checked into the Maldron Hotel.  It's an independent branch of the Best Western Branch.  I crashed shortly after I got in, my first adventure concluded.

The view from my hotel room.

My Journey Starts Here

Departure Day

I began my study abroad adventure two days ago (give or take a few hours. The time zone thing is confusing!), and I'm already beginning to understand why everyone pushes students to study abroad.  I realize this sounds like an overstatement, but just in the past two days I have done so much that stretched my comfort zone.

The initial goodbyes at the airport were hard, but when I walked down the stairs to catch my flight to Seattle and saw my plane (it was painted with the WSU Cougar logo) I knew it was going to be a good trip!  I arrived in Seattle with no problems, but my arrival gate was literally as far away from the departure gate of my next flight as you could get.  I've only been to the Sea-Tac airport one other time, and then I just had to find my way to baggage claim, not to another gate.  After taking three trains, and a lot of prayer (I kept reading signs and making turns hoping I was headed in the right direction) I made it to my departure gate in plenty of time to grab some lunch and check in with the family.

My flight to Amsterdam was rough.  Not because the flight itself was bad, but because I hate being cooped up for ten hours.  I was really hoping to sleep...no dice.  That being said, I survived and made it to Amsterdam in one piece, although pretty sleep deprived.  When we touched down at Schipol Airport (pronounced skip-ole, oddly enough) I was struck by the fact the airport looked very similar to dozens of airports I've landed in in the States.  My dad commented to me once that the rest of the world "...is just living life like everyone else."  Everything looked so normal!

Sunrise over Greenland

I was very relieved to find, as promised, that all of the signs were in English.  After hiking through the airport to my final flight, I noticed that everyone at that airport has to go through security twice.  Once, upon their initial arrival, and then again at the actual gate, just to get into the waiting area of the flight.  I was a little annoyed, since this would be the second time doing the TSA dance of removing jackets, scarves, shoes, liquids, laptops, and putting them all back on and in my bag without holding up the line.

When I sat down, I started hearing all of the British accents and conversations in Dutch and several other languages.  I looked around at my fellow travelers and began to feel very foreign myself.  Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.  It's funny how we get used to being in our own country.  I've been surrounded by fellow Americans my entire life.  It's a totally different feeling when you're one of a handful of Americans in the entire airport.  That's something I'm going to have to get used to.  When I moved to Washington I had to get used to being a Southerner in the Pacific Northwest, but at least we all shared a nationality.  I think it is going to be a very interesting experience learning to assimilate into life in the UK.

The rest of my journey to Wales can be found in the next post.  New pictures have been posted.  Check out my link on the left side bar. 

Feature: WSU Honors College Students in Action

Courtesy of WSU Honors College

I was notified this morning that the WSU Honors College has featured my blog on their Students in Action page.  The website can be found here.  

I have been active in the Honors College for two years now, both as a student ambassador and as a mentor to incoming freshmen.  We have a wonderful program centered around small class sizes and discussion based lectures.  We like to think of ourselves as "a liberal arts college in a research university."  

The classes are always interesting and engaging, but my favorite part of being involved with our program is our strong sense of community.  You can always find a friendly face on campus, and a person who shares your interests and passions.  I actually met my two closest friends through the Honors College.  The first, during freshman orientation and the second, last semester in my Honors English class.  All of our students come from incredibly diverse backgrounds.  This combined with the mutual commonality serves as a foundation for meaningful connections with other students.  Plus, it's a fabulous conversation starter!

My exchange program in Swansea is just one of several exchanges offered by the Honors College, as well as many faculty-led trips to places like Brazil, Ireland, and Scandinavia.  

Just a quick thanks to the Honors College staff who helped get the site up and running, and all of those who have helped me through the application and advising process.

An update on my departure preparations:  I leave in T-minus nine days.  I'm slowly crossing things off my To Do list.  Typically, I am packed more than a week in advance, but I am majorly procrastinating.  Luckily, it's all I have left to do, and everything's coming together.

And So It Begins...

The week of Thanksgiving I received the envelope I've been waiting for all semester; my acceptance package from Swansea.  It was official, I was in!

It took a couple of weeks to get all of the final details worked out, but I finally sat down and booked my plane ticket tonight.  In five weeks, I'll be on a plane to London for a couple of days and then on a train to Swansea!

There is still a lot left to do, like booking a train ticket, finding a taxi from the train station to my hotel in London, finding a hotel...the list is never ending!  I'm slowly getting it all done.

Introductions and Pleasantries

Hi guys!

I'm writing this blog to document my semester abroad in Swansea Wales, and to share my adventures with my friends, family, and any future students considering going abroad.

For the sake of any newcomers, I will go ahead and introduce myself.

My name is Taylor, and I am a sophomore honors student at Washington State University.  I am an accounting major, with a background in Spanish and French.  My Spanish is coming along nicely, but my French needs a lot more work.  While home for Christmas break, I'm brushing up on my German to prepare for a visit to a friend of my in Muhlheim, Germany.

I grew up in the southeastern part of the United States.  The one question I get all the time, even after having lived in Washington for almost three years now is, "Where are you from, because you aren't from Washington."  My southern accent comes out the most when I'm tired.  I'm secretly hoping I'll come home from Wales with a cool southern/british accent hybrid.

I love to read, travel, and watch TV.  Any of my friends can tell you, I'm entirely too invested in the well-being of my TV drama characters...don't even get me started on the emotional trauma Downton Abbey has put me through!

Anyways, that's all for now.  Keep checking back, subscribe to the RSS feed, or keep an eye on Facebook for new updates! There are the appropriate links to start following this blog on the left side bar.

Talk to y'all soon!