Settling Down and Traveling Around

So my blog has had a few roadbumps getting going, i.e. I lost my password and I'm not in my flat enough to sit down and write not to mention I have limited band-width per week in the flat (the internet is a rare commodity here haha). Anyways, I love my little flat located in the Arabic district (many times I'm the only woman not covered on the road outside), our main street outside, Edgeware road specializes in Halal cuisine, and Fatoush (which is essentially salad with crutons) is the delicacy not to mention every cafe offers Hookah. The flats themselves are full of international students from all over the U.S. primarily, and I've gotten to know quite a few of them. My flat has four other girls from my program, and I love them all, we all get along well and have named our flat "The Gypsy Tavern". In my program is 30 other students, half from the University of San Francisco and half from Fordham in NY (ya Ian!).

Our University is located in the heart of Kensington High Street, right by the National History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Royal Albert Hall, and Kensington Palace. It's a cool place to go school. From our flats we are about a 30 minute walk from everything in London, which has allowed me to explore loads of London on foot!

I've also been out of London a lot considering I've only been here 3 weeks. The first weekend here, I went to Amsterdam and Brugge with a student tour. It was so incredible, we left 5 a.m. Friday morning and did not sleep until we returned Sunday night. In Amsterdam, I saw clog making, cheese making, got a canal tour, saw the Van Gough Museum, and got a Red Light District walking tour and in Brugge I saw the Madonna and Jesus that Michaelangelo created for the Flemish Cathedral and I touched Jesus's blood in a church there! Not to mention tried Belgian chocolate and beer (not together don't worry).

Then last weekend, our class went on a day trip to bath, which was the perfect amount of time to spend in the town. It is gorgeous (everything is limestone) and we got an amazing walking tour of the town and then the ancient Roman bath houses. But I couldn't imagine spending longer than a day there, it just seems like the kind of place to grow old and eat crumpets (which I still have yet to taste, although I did discover what Yorkshire Pudding was).

As far as exploring London goes, I have seen about 5 museums, explored Soho, Picadilly Circus, Oxford Circus, Westminster Abbey (which is the most incredible place I've ever been in), the London Eye, Big Ben, been to two plays in London theatres, and walked in Regent, Hyde, and Green Parks. All I can say is so far I love London town!