Greeting them at the airport, they were very surprised and thankful that I was there to show them the way back to Exeter. Let's face it, I'd still be waiting by the train station for them if I didn't go pick them up myself.
By time we got back to Exeter, it was late and the three of us were hungry. And because I am living in a flat and I have taken on more responsibilities while being abroad, I thought ahead and I precooked a chicken dinner for my parents the day before. Now, they have never tasted any of my cooking before, and I was actually excited to have them eat some food that I learned how to make over the past year. With the help of 'perfect shake' seasoning and my mom's recipes, I was able to create a more than edible meal for me and my parents...my dad even delved in for seconds.
After dinner, I let me parents get to bed in order to be well rested for the next day. We only had one full day in Exeter and I was planning on using that one do to the fullest. But with their body clocks ticking to a different time zone, they pretended to be well rested the next morning even though I caught them yawning once or twice before even making it to breakfast.
And you can't go a day in England without eating porridge for breakfast...so we did. Just like the bear family that Goldilocks burglarized, the three of us gobbled down our porridge and coffee and made our way into the city of Exeter. Bigger than my parents expected, my mom was shocked by all of the trendy stores. If we had more than a day there, we could have done some real damage. But because this was our first and final day in Exeter, I made them hurry through the stores in order to see the true landmarks of Exeter. And the first one that we saw was Exeter Cathedral.
I have already blogged about Exeter Cathedral before so I don't want to go on and on about it, but my parents were truly taken back by how big and old it is. My dad found some of the dates inscribed in the doorways, some marking back to the 1400's.
Here is my mom at the side of the Cathedral underneath a newly bloomed tree.
After the Cathedral, I took my parents down to the Exe River, also known as the Quay. There are all different sorts of shops and restaurants over looking the river, and once we finished our browsing we decided that we had worked up an appetite for none other than high tea.
Now, I know what you are thinking. There are two girls and one guy in this situation, why would he want to go have high tea especially because he is so manly and a total dude? Answer: he didn't want to go for high tea. He suggested pizza and was out ruled by the girls. Moral of the story: always bring your son with you even if that means pulling him out of work.
But in all seriousness, when in England, you HAVE to do high tea. My year in England was almost coming to an end and I had yet to experience the triangle sandwiches and sugar coated, drop pancakes. And my dad being the good sport he is, ditched the idea of pizza and sat down for a lovely cup of tea with his two ladies. Brilliant.
And let me tell you, a high tea lunch is fantastic. Even though the three of us were sick to our stomachs after, I highly recommend it. Maybe you don't need to eat everything like we did, but if you have a sweet tooth and are hungry, high tea is the right meal for you.
Our day in Exeter was just getting started. After sitting and allowing our blood sugar to go back to normal, my parents and I headed back to campus in order for me to show them the famous Reed Hall. Reed Hall is where the University throws most of their balls, holds lunch-ins, and prints pictures of in the student handbook. It is truly picturesque. Who wouldn't want to attend Exeter after seeing a picture of a beautiful mansion with marble staircases and a magnificent garden? Well, marketing it as Exeter's dorms does make this University a number one choice...
Here are some of the gardens outside of Reed Hall.
And just when I thought we were all adults here, he goes ahead and touches the baby's butt.
Note: this is the guy who was too 'manly' for the high tea lunch.
Representing Kenyon-Exeter Program 2010-2011!
After walking around the gardens for a while and giving them a tour of the University, it was time to head back for dinner and for a good night's sleep.
The next morning we woke up bright and early in order to make our train to Bath Spa. With my parents still not able to adjust to the time change, I knew that they were going to be semi exhausted for our day trip to Bath before heading on to London.
But I was wrong. Old people can really surprise you. Thinking that I would have to borrow a gurney to wheel them through the town in order for them to see the Roman Baths, I was shocked when both of my parents actually had a hop, skip, and a jump. So once in Bath, we stored our suitcases and headed in.
And it was beautiful. Take a look:
Not knowing that it wasn't allowed, we even squatted down and touched the warm, bath water. At that moment, I kind of wished I was back in the olden days and I was there to go swim in the Baths as the Romans did. The water was so nice and warm and my feet were sore from walking so much that a little swim wouldn't have done any harm.
But because we only went to visit Bath Spa as a day trip, we had to hurry through before walking back to the train station in order to catch our train to London. While walking back to the train station, my dad saw one of England's famous, red telephone booths and had to have a picture with it. Being the understanding daughter that I am (and because I totally get where he is coming from because I made one of my classmates take a picture of me with a photo booth in Stratford), I told my dad to go stand in and around the front of the booth and I would happily take his picture. Problem. When the time came for the big photo shoot, my dad froze up and suddenly became embarrassed that he was turning into a stereotypical tourist. But when in a different country from your own, I find it to be not embarrassing, but necessary to take those kinds of photos. But my dad didn't agree so rather than posing with the telephone booth, he decided to pretend like he was actually making a phone call and told me to snap pictures when he was inside. So, here is the triptych that I am so very proud of:
Out of all times, he chose that one time to get stage fright and not pose.
Just before leaving Bath forever, my parents and I found a pretty place to capture on film.
And an hour and a half later, we made it to London!
After spending about an hour trying to find our hotel even though it was literally in front of us due to miscommunication (my mom's fault) made by me, we were on our way to explore the city.
First stop: Millennium Bridge!
Next on the list: Tate Modern Museum.
He still thought that butts were funny.
After a full day of Bath, walking around London, and then looking at art in the Tate Modern, the three of us were starving. I don't know if any of you have ever heard of this place before, but if you are in London, everyone goes at least once. The restaurant is called Wagamama, and although it has nothing to do with real English food, everyone goes there before their study abroad time is over. Why? I don't know and even after eating there, I am still a little curious as to why this noodle place is so famous. Don't get me wrong, it was good, but nothing to go crazy over. So for our first night in London I made my parents take me to Wagamama so that I would for sure have eaten there before coming back to America.
Walking the streets of London on our way to dinner.
The next morning we woke up early in order to get a head start on our day in London. First stop, Trifalgar Square. However, the square ended up being closed down for some event they were setting up for and my picture with the lion statue was soon out of reach.
Good thing I'm traveling with people who know what they're doing...
After the Trifalgar Square mishap, my parents and I decided to walk through James' Park and see Buckingham Palace. But we forgot about one crucial thing. The Royal Wedding was in exactly one week, so of course it was a zoo there. But we were able to see a cool marching band and the changing of the guards!
After Buckingham Palace, my parents and I made our way to Hyde Park, and took a beautiful stroll that I had never gone on before. After grabbing a famous fish 'n chips pub lunch, my parents and I made our way to what other than HARRODS!
After shopping through the biggest and best department store in the world, my mom and I stumbled upon my dad doing a little shopping of his own...
Yes, that is my father in the pet department of Harrods. He said he was testing out the stroller for Lucy, but I think he thought that the pink went well with his jeans. Our high tea lunch really did change him.
After our amazing time in Harrods, we walked around the streets of London for a while until we came across the Victoria and Albert Museum. After the museum, we kept walking around and appreciated all the great sites that London has to offer.
But before heading back for the day, the three of us made an appearance at Kensington Palace. Although Kensington Palace isn't as nice looking as Buckingham Palace, Kensington Gardens is very beautiful, filled with a pond and swans.
And just before heading back to our hotel in front of St. Paul's Cathedral, my dad found his own little hub dedicated to himself.
For those of you who don't know my dad, his name is Lance.
And after going to dinner and visiting St. Paul's Cathedral one last time, we called it a night before we jetted off to Rome, Italy the next morning.
The next morning we had a 6:05 flight to Rome which meant that we had to be at the airport at 4 am. Now, I am not a morning person, but if it means waking up early to get to Rome, I'm the first one up without a doubt. After landing and checking into our hotel, we were all in good spirits and ready to take on the day. Activity number one: eat. And what other to do than to eat at an outdoor cafe in Rome during the Spring?
After a full Italian pizza, we decided that the colosseum was next on our list of things to do. And when we were let out on the square to the colosseum, we just happened to run into the four most hysterical Italian women. They were screaming and shouting and pushing until the came to us asking if we would take their picture. I guess Italians do site seeing too, but after we took their picture, they exchanged the favor.
Note: my dad was upset that we didn't take a big group photo with the four women.
And when we turned to the right, there we were, standing right in front of the colosseum! I was really excited because the last time I was in Rome (which was about three years ago), my favorite site was the colosseum. But not only was I excited to be going back, but I was so happy to be going with my parents because not only had I never been to Rome with my parents before, but it was also my dad's first time in Italy! So naturally, he was really excited to see all the sites firsthand.
But before entering the colosseum, I had to take care of business. Now, I can lie and say that my parents made me do this, but in actuality, I was the one who jumped at the opportunity. Yes, I know, so touristy, but if you were in Rome and were faced with the option of being able to take a picture with a gladiator or not, YOU TOTALLY WOULD. Duh.
Inside the colosseum!
After the colosseum, our tour continued on to Palentine Hill, one of the world's first palaces. Now, I didn't know much about Palentine Hill, but after going on the tour, I turned out to really love it and its story. Apparently two twin brothers fought over land (who happened to be raised by a wolf) and it ends with one of the brothers killing the other even though they were best friends and each others only family. It just goes to show how greedy people can be, especially when an entire marble palace is up for grabs. Now, if that ever came between me and my brother, I would suggest that we go halfsies on the thing. Matt could get one half of the palace, and I could get the other half. No one gets hurt and both siblings are happy and living in luxury. Sad that things didn't work out that way for Remus and Romulus, but I guess that it does teach a good lesson for all of those siblings out there...especially those competing for a castle.
But here is the full story of Remus and Romulus:
Romulus and Remus were twin brothers. They were abandoned by their parents as babies and put into a basket that was then placed into the River Tiber. The basket ran aground and the twins were discovered by a female wolf. The wolf nursed the babies for a short time before they were found by a shepherd. The shepherd then brought up the twins.
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When Romulus and Remus became adults, they decided to found a city where the wolf had found them. The brothers quarrelled over where the site should be and Remus was killed by his brother. This left Romulus the sole founder of the new city and he gave his name to it – Rome. The date given for the founding of Rome is 753 BC.
This story, of course, is only a legend. The actual growth of Rome is less exotic and interesting. The city of Rome grew out of a number of settlements that existed around seven hills that were near the River Tiber. The settlements were near the river for the obvious reasons of a water supply. The Tiber was also narrow enough at this point to be bridged. However, the area also suffered because of the nearness of the river. Each settlement was separated from the other by marshland. Each individual settlement was vulnerable to attack as a single settlement. By joining together they were stronger. To join together, the marshland had to be drained. This was something that took years to do. The legend of Romulus and Remus gives the impression that Rome was created very quickly; the truth was very different.
Here is a picture of the remains of Palentine Hill:
Here is a picture of the remains of Palentine Hill:
After our tour of Palentine Hill, we walked around the forum. Although we had to move through it quickly since it was about to close, we were able to see everything, getting an especially great view of the entire forum from Palentine Hill. Here we are at the forum:
Exhausted, we decided to take the bus back to our side of town. But little did we know that the bus system gets very crowded very quickly. Halfway through the bus ride, I got a pit in my stomach because I was unsure of how we would all signal to each other to get off the bus since we had all been separated. Luckily, I found an open space next to my dad and in eyesight of my mom in order for us all to know when to get of the bus so that we could all stay together. But as our bus stop approached, my dad and I looked at each other, wondering how we were going to push through the crowd of people in order to get off at our stop. As the bus stopped, I watched my mom push through the crowd at the end of the bus, but unfortunately for me and my dad, we were not at the end of the bus. We were in the middle of the bus and because there were so many people, the doors got jammed and our doors never opened to let us out. So there we were, stuck on a jammed pack bus trying to get my mom's attention to tell her that this was not going to end well. And it didn't. The bus started moving again, and outside from the window, we both watched as my little mom stood there on the street as we were driving away. Fortunately the people on the bus were very nice and very helpful, telling us to get off at the next stop and if we just walked straight, we would be back in action with my mom in no time. And we did. My dad and I only had to walk a few blocks to find my mom scoping out possible dinner places where the bus had let her out. And props to her. In hindsight, I am really happy that the bus didn't let us off and gave my mom time to search out different restaurants because the place that she chose was literally serving heaven on a plate. Best seafood spaghetti of my life. I love my pasta, and this place did it for me! With the best waiters, best dishes, and the best dessert, I had never been happier or more fulfilled from any meal EVER.
The next day, we started the day right by heading over to the Trevi Fountain.
After the Trevi Fountain, we sat down at a little cafe in order to get our morning coffee. With my dad wearing his Kenyon hat, we ended up bumping into newlyweds who were on their honeymoon from Ohio. So cute, and such a small world.
But it seemed appropriate that love was in the air because not too much later, I found my newlywed to be, Pinocchio.
What can I say...he has good legs...and a nose with true character.
After my little alone time with Pinocchio, my parents and I got on our way and over to the Pantheon; another one of Rome's great sites.
Inside the Pantheon.
Due to the heat and because I just happen to love ice cream, we stopped to get a gelato! But I don't mean just any gelato, I'm talking a giant cone with a scoop of panna on top. Yummm.
After another outdoor patio lunch and some gelato, we were on our way to the next place. That place being the Vatican.
Here are my parents trying to figure out where we are and where we need to be. Even though I knew where we were and how to get there, they didn't listen to me because of my history of not being able to read a map. But on this trip they learned that going abroad taught me many more responsibilities, one of them being map reading. I hope it sticks.
Here I am standing in Vatican City in front of St. Peter's Cathedral.
After my dad did his tour of the Vatican and my mom and I finished our shopping trip, we decided to go visit the Spanish Steps.
On our way to the Spanish Steps.
After the Spanish Steps, we went to go visit something else (which I have no idea what it's called and I can't even look it up on google because I have no idea what it even is). But anyway, once we got to this thing, it ended up having a fence around it because it was being remodeled, but here is a picture of this mystery building anyway.
Here I am jumping in the picture. I thought I was going to be cut out of it if I wasn't taller, so I gave myself a little air to make sure I made it in.
And after another good spaghetti dinner, we ended the night with another gelato.
One day, two gelatos. Who's counting?
The next morning my dad and I decided to head back to the Trevi Fountain before our train to Florence because silly us, we forgot to throw a coin in the fountain the day before. And you know what they say, if you throw a coin in the Trevi and make a wish, you will return to Rome one day. And I definitely plan on coming back to Rome and if I can do anything to help my chances, you better believe I'd wake up early to throw a coin in. It's all looking toward the future.
With that form, he'll be back to Rome sooner than later.
And right before our train to Florence, I managed to sneak another visit to Balboa Fountain into our curriculum.
An hour and a half train ride later, we were in Florence, or as they say it, Firenze. After checking into our hotel, the first thing was saw was the Duomo. I know that the Duomo is in the middle of the city and is huge so it's not like we could have missed it, but still, seeing it a second time, it still took my breath away.
The Brass Doors.
After lunch and seeing the Duomo, we decided to take a walk down the mercado/leather market.
After buying different gifts and finding Matt the perfect souvenir (a nice, leather belt), we decided that too many hours had passed without getting another gelato. So we did.
While walking and eating gelato at the same time (if the gelato is big, it can be overwhelming and can be a very difficult task), we made our way to Ponte Vecchio.
Not great lighting, but it's not like any sun or shade can ruin a picturesque family moment.
After the Ponte Vecchio, we made our way to Pitti Palace. Although we were too late to go into the gardens, we were okay with just looking at the palace and resting our feet for a bit.
Before heading back to the hotel to freshen up before dinner, my dad decided that he wanted to go whine shopping in the one store that head four (real) dead pigs dressed up in dresses sitting in chairs and playing a game of cards. Not okay. As many of you know, I used to be a vegetarian and if health didn't matter, than I would still be a vegetarian. So the sight of these four little pigs brought nothing but disgust and sadness to my heart, making me do nothing else but boycott the store and wait outside for my parents.
You can't really tell from this picture, but at that tiny table, underneath and to the left of the boar's head, there are four dead, little pigs sitting around the table dressed up in dresses.
The next morning we woke up early to go see David at the Academia. Luckily for me, I was with my parents so they thought ahead and booked tickets so we wouldn't have to wait hours upon hours in line. Side note: I was actually the one who booked the tickets so I don't know why I just gave credit to my parents. They were supposed to do it weeks in advance and forgot (although I e-mailed them all the information of what to do), but I ended up doing it anyway. Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to take any pictures of David (although I did sneak a quick picture on my phone and got yelled at) so I can't post any on the blog. But after the Academia, we went for a stroll of the Piazza where the fake David is and where the real one used to be in the olden days.
My mom told me to put my hand there, and then I got yelled at for touching the lion. Mom's fault.
Fake David.
After looking at the fake David, my parents and I then met up with three of my friends for lunch! Two of the girls go to Kenyon and are both studying abroad in Florence while my other friend is from high school and is studying abroad in Paris but was in Florence. It worked out perfectly that all of them were there when my parents were visiting so that we could all sit down for a nice, relaxing lunch.
And then the leather store happened. When we were sitting down for lunch, we met a true Italian man who invited us to come check out his leather store when we finished eating. Intrigued by the sounds of his shop and the fact that he makes the leather for Prada, we decided to go in and see what he had to offer. One leather jacket, six purses, and three hours later, my friends, parents, and I left his store with lots of new merchandise. If you want to see/buy one of his bags, ask my mom about it and she'd be happy to hook you up.
After the leather store, we needed to cool down with some gelato, so of course, we did.
After such a long day on our feet, my mom and I thought 'why stop now?' and continued to shop at the mercado while my dad rested with a glass of wine taking in Italy's scenery. Once finished shopping at the mercado, we took all of our leather goods, got my dad, and freshened up at the hotel before heading back out for dinner.
And dinner was fantastic. Our last night all together in Florence, I decided to order another seafood spaghetti.
While walking around trying to find the perfect gelato after dinner (yes, we already had gelato a few hours earlier, but there should be no judgments when in Italy), we came across a wild boar statue. At the time, I just thought that the statue was cool and wanted to take a picture with it. But after looking it up in a guide book, I learned that if you touch his snout, you will be sure to return to Florence one day. And lucky me! I just so happen to be touching the boar's snout without even knowing the legend! It's fate.
And yes, we were able to find more gelato with no problem.
Exhausted, we headed back to the room and went straight to bed in order to wake up early the next morning.
The next morning was a little bit hectic. Packed from the night before, we were still running late because there was no one there to check us out at the front desk. Why? I don't know. But finally a man came and we were able to head to the train station.
Unfortunately, my trip with my parents was coming to a close, but fortunately it was because I was headed off to Greece with my friends. My parents were leaving back to England to fly out of London Heathrow anyway, so I didn't feel too guilty leaving them a day early in order to go relax on the beaches.
And it seems like they had a fun day without me. Once they dropped me at the train station with my friends so we could take a bus to the Italy's coast, they headed off to Pisa to go visit the leaning tower. I haven't seen any pictures yet, but from what I hear it looks like they are trying to hold up Pisa by standing no where near the leaning tower... How, or why this happened, I still don't know, but that's what I get for leaving my parents a day early.
To sum up this post, I had the most amazing trip with my parents ever. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if my brother, Matt, was there too (and Lucy). I loved showing them Exeter and my life in England as well as visiting Bath, London, and Italy with them. They were only here for ten days and we managed to fit in Exeter, Bath, London, Rome, Florence and they squeezed in Pisa too. This trip = total success and so much fun. Although the snoring got a bit old at times, I never complained (maybe once or twice) because I was just so grateful to have them there in Europe with me and so happy that they were there to go traveling with them.
Nothing will be able to top this trip (unless Matt comes next time), and I have so many great memories from it. Although they did complain about sore feet, they were able to keep up and never once mentioned being jet lagged (very impressive). So although I am so sad that they had to leave, I am seeing them in two days when I head back to Los Angels, California!!!
It is very strange that my year here only has two days left, but I am also ready to start my summer in LA. Even though I spent a few weeks at home during winter break, it feels like I haven't lived at home in a very long time because last summer I lived in New York for my internship. So this summer I am ready to be home and sleep in my own bed with my Lucy dog.
Again, I am sorry about the delay in posts and I still have three more to do before I call it quits on this blog. I still need to report on the five days I spent in Greece and then another five days in I was in Florence, Venice, and Pisa, all of which have amazing stories behind them, and of course, I have to report back on my latest London trip. But remember, Rome was not built in a day, and neither was this blog. So as of now, keep checking for more updates because there are a few more to come!
