Maddie and I started our trip on Thursday afternoon after our last class of the day. Our 8:30am class was cancelled the next day and our other professor was okay with our leaving. So we caught the train around 3:45pm to Milan, which is about an hour and 50 minute trip. Once we got to Milan we weren't sure where the bus to the airport was because there weren't any clear directions, so Maddie offered to just pay for a taxi. We found the taxi and had him take us to Milan Malpensa Airport. The fare ended up being $125!! And at first we didn't have enough money between the two of us, and he wouldn't take a credit card, so Maddie had to run inside and find an ATM while I stayed in the taxi with our stuff, waiting for her to come back and praying that he wouldn't just drive away with me still in the car! After we finally paid the man, checked in, and got through security, we realized we were flying into Luton Airport in London, not Gatwick. So Maddie had to call her mom and figure out how we were supposed to get to the hotel because she had figured out directions from Gatwick. Luckily they just called for a car to pick us up at the airport.
After the fiasco that is traveling occurred, we made it to the hotel safe and sound. We stayed at the Sheraton Park Tower, which was absolutely gorgeous, and her parents got us our own room.
The next morning we had a delicious breakfast buffet down in the hotel's restaurant. Maddie and I were SO happy that we got to have breakfast because we never get anything more than cereal at school because we have to get our own breakfast. We munched on eggs, pancakes, pastries, fruit, yogurt, cereal, and so much more! Mmmm mmm mmm :) After breakfast we headed to the Tower of London, which was so incredible. It has been around since something like 1080 and it is where all the prisoners were held and executions took place, and now it's where the crown jewels are held and where the beefeaters live.
After the Tower of London we took a drive through the financial district back to the hotel. Barry, Maddie's dad, wanted to show us the insurance company Lloyd's, which he works with, because some executives want to take Maddie and I to lunch and on a tour of the facilities when we go back to London at the end of our term! How exciting. We went back to the hotel to rest for a short while then Maddie, Kim (Maddie's mom), and I headed out to do some shopping. We went to Harrod's which was so amazing and overwhelming. The store is enormous and has just about everything. It's crazy to think that there is only one in the world!
That night we went out to this restaurant called Fifteen. It is actually owned by the chef Jamie Oliver and profits go towards helping young adults in bad life situations with year long apprenticeships learn to become a chef. We actually got to sit at table 15, which appropriately is Jamie's favorite table! The dinner was fantastic and our waiter was really entertaining. After dinner we went to Barry's favorite pub called the Grenadier and had a pint.
The next day consisted of another delicious breakfast buffet. So much great food! Then we headed out to Westminster Abbey. It is always unfortunate when I'm not allowed to take pictures inside of the buildings, but I think I would've take 100 pictures just in the inside of the Abbey! It was gorgeous, and crazy how many members of the royal family and famous people in British history are buried there.
In Parliament Square, just outside the Abbey, policemen were setting up barricades because there was going to be a demonstration about the current situation in Egypt. So we made our way over to Big Ben and the House of Parliament to take some pictures before the demonstration started so we weren't stuck in the middle of it.
From Parliament Square we took a taxi to King's Cross Station to go take pictures at Platform 9 3/4 from the Harry Potter movies! Even though I've only seen one of the movies, it was still really cool to go to! The platform wasn't the real one, but the station that they go to in the movie is King's Cross Station.
From there we headed out to do a little more shopping. It's fun to see all of the shops and the styles. Some are similar to what we'd find in the States, but there are some things that I don't think I know anyone who would actually where it! The best part was high tea at Harrod's. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience!
That night we went to have drinks at the King's Arms Pub with some family friends of the Colliers. They were in town for the week and wanted to catch up! Then we went out to Barry's favorite restaurant called Motcomb's and we had some fabulous food, once again.
The next morning we had to wake up around 6:30am and get ready to leave. It basically takes an entire day of traveling to get from London to Brig. Taxi ride to Victoria Station, train from Victoria Station to Gatwick Airport, wait at Gatwick for awhile, plane from Gatwick to Milan Linate Airport, bus from Linate to Milano Centrale train station, wait an hour and a half for the next train to Brig, train ride to Brig, and then walk from train station to our dorms. We got back at 7:15pm.
While at the train station in Milan we went to buy our tickets and these people left their bags in front of the self-service ticket machine and went to another one, so we waited for them to grab the bags because we didn't want to be rude, then all of a sudden this guy comes swooping in and starts working the machine for us and getting our tickets ready. This frustrated Maddie and I because we knew what were doing but didn't know how to ask him to stop since he was so insistent on helping us, then after he was done expected money when we didn't even ask for his help in the first place. So we didn't pay him. He wasn't very happy but oh well! Then on the train ride, so many random things happened. This girl sitting across the aisle from us was playing her music so loud that Maddie and I were singing along. We could clearly understand every word coming out of her earbuds! And then she proceeded to pluck the little eyebrows she had left for about a half an hour. They got off at Domodossola, Italy and these two VERY loud Italian men took their seats. These guys were seriously SO LOUD. The whole time! Then the conductor got into an argument with this lady about her tickets, and someone else started talking really loud on their cellphone...Maddie and I were just like, "what the heck is going on right now?!" I think we were just very tired.
But all around it was a great trip! I'm glad I got invited, and thank you again Collier family for having me out there with you :)
And again, I have a ton more pictures on my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=322449&id=672975663&l=f5ef9e53ac
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