Day 11 - Auschwitz-Birkenau

Last night I was able to find warm food! I went to the restuarant below my apartment Stadine and found a table for myself. It was around 9:30 and the place was packed. I ordered a Polish beer, Zywiec Light and some Gnocchi. Gnocchi isn't Polish, but it sounded too good. :) I really enjoyed eating there, I did a bit of reading, but I mostly just looked around at the people enjoying their Saturday night. The room was full of voices and music, but I couldn't understand a word, which is really wonderful. Generally if you eat alone, you can't help but overhear the people sitting next to you and hear every word they are saying. But since I couldn't understand anything, their words were just noise. I was enjoying myself so much I didn't really want to leave. But I didn't stay too long, and went up to bed.

The next day...where do I begin? Auschiwitz will be an experience I will always remember, it was sickening, horrific, quiet and yet there was a strange sense of beauty to the place.

I headed to the Hotel Royal to meet for the "Cracow Tours" at 8:50. The hotel was only about a 5 minute walk from my apartment, and it was easy to find, thank goodness. The bus for our tour pulled up and I happily stepped inside. We made three other stops and then the bus was on the way to Auschwitz. At one of the stops, we saw about 50 people dressed up in old time war uniforms and holding flags. I couldn't really tell what was happening, but it appeared they were marching or preparing to do some acting. It was fun to watch them walk around in their uniforms and pose for pictures. It is 70 miles from Krakow so it took about an hour to get there. I tried my harest not to, but I fell asleep on the bus. Something about the motion of a bus always seems to make me doze off. I did miss some of the countryside, but I managed to get a good nap in. From what I saw of the countryside, it was beautiful.

We arrived at the Auschiwitz camp and we were allowed 15 minutes to look around. Everyone on our tour spoke English, as it was an English tour, but I might have been the only person from the US. There was one other girl alone on the tour and I didn't hear her speak once, but there is a good chance she could have been from the US too. Otherwise I was surrounded by Brits, Irisih, Chinese and even Italian people. They all spoke in different languages on the bus, but they were able to understand the tour in English. Every day I am sickened by the fact that I don't know another langauge. Everyone I meet here speaks two or three different languages and I am so shocked at their abilities. Spanish was so difficult for me to learn, my memory is horrible and I struggled through only 4 years of it. I guess if you start when you are young you can pick up just about anything. Its still embarrasing to only speak one language, at least to me.

We began the tour with about a 20 minute film about the concentration camp. It was a nice overview and showed footage of the camp from when it was being built and and pictures of the camp when it was being used. The story of the camp is horrible, but it was interesting to learn about why they choose the location for the camp and how they managed to build such a large camp of death while still hiding it from majority of the public. After the video our tour divided into two parts and we each had our own tour guide. We all had headphones to hear her speak, which was very helpful because we could follow slowly behind and still not miss anything. We began with Auschwitz I, the first and primary camp. She lead us through all the barracks and the displays they had set up. The camp itself is actually quite pretty when you remove it from all the horror that happened there. The trees are now very large, and the brick barracks are very nicely built. The area surrounding the camp is beautfiul and it was a nice sunny day to enjoy the outdoors. The exhibits and explanations we saw and heard were very distrubing and it was a big hard to look at some things. At least for me it was, others I'm sure wouldn't have a problem. Its just a haunting thought of standing where bodies were piled, etc. I'll stop there. Our tour of Auschwitz I lasted about 2 hours or so.

Once we were finsihed we piled back onto the bus and they drove us to the second camp, Auschwitz II-Birkenau. This camp is MUCH MUCH larger and the living situations were much much worse than Aushwitz I. The camp is about 400 acres of ground and held about 300 buildings, some of wood and some of brick. In the middle of the camp were rail tracks where "prisioners" would deboard the trains they were brought in on and were then seperated into "Fit for work" or "Unfit for work." Those designated unfit for work were taken immediately to the gas chambers. It is recorded that about 70-75% of all prisioners were killed in the gas chambers. Our tour guide repeated the same stats over and over again throughout the entire tour. Instead of saying the prisioners were "desginated unfit or fit for work," she would use the word "design." I think someone needed to correct her, but I didn't want to be the person to do that. So I just ignored it.

One of the most horrific facts to me is that only 10% of the SS army, or people held responsible for Auschwitz and camps similar were ever punished for their crimes. The other 90% lived free lives, I think that is very distrubing. I could go on and on about the sights I saw and the information that was presented to me, but I won't. It was an experience that is hard to sum up in words, it is a site of torture against human kind and therefore a bit hard to take. One thing I am disappointed about is they never explained WHY. It is a museum, so it states mostly facts, but I think they only mentioned Hitler's name one time and they never explained reasoning for the destruction of the Jewish popluation. I suppose I will have to read Hitler's book to figure that out, but it must say something that the entire exhibit is void of any reasoning or explanation. I am very glad I went to see it and I will be the better for it.

We got on the bus and drove back to Krakow...again I fell sleep for some of the ride. Right was I woke up we passed the most magnificant castle up on a cliff. It was beautiful and from that moment on I was wide awake taking in all the scenery. The landscape was pretty, large and small homes, new and very old homes, castles, open areas, it was wonderful. The bus dropped me off at the main center. It was still light outside, and the sun was about to go down in less than an hour, so I took the opportunity to take lots of pictures. I walked around the main square and I realized I still hadn't found a post office yet. So I stopped in a bookshop and found a tour book with a map. I found a post office location about 5 minutes from where I was, and I started on my way. I got about half way there and realized...it's Sunday. DAMN. I couldn't believe the one time I went out of my way to find a post office it was a Sunday! Unbelievable.

So I went back to the square and walked around a bit more, I then followed one of the main roads leading out of the square to my apartment and looked in some shops along the way. One of my favorites is a shop called, Baio. The store is a collection of all wood toys for children, I thought everything in there was fasinating. Wooden toys are very big in Europe, I have seen them in many places. It makes me remember the old toys we had growing up, the little train you would pull with a string...back to the basics. :)

One thing I would like to note about Poland are the pigeons. There are pigeons here, just like any other large city, but here they are considered sacred. People love them! When the country was in war, all the animals fled because there was no food. However, once the war stopped, the pigeons returned. People saw this as a sign of freedom and they were able to rejoice. Therefore, people love the pigeons. I think they are crazy, I consider pigeons "rats of the sky," so I am having a hard time not shooing them away, or kicking them. But I haven't done anything but duck as they fly at my head, I am working my hardest to be respectful, but sometimes its just difficult.

I walked back and took pictures of the entry to my apartment and the restaurant I ate in last night. I wanted to document these things, but I barely ever saw them in daylight! Ha! I decided to stop in the restaurant for some quick food because I hadn't really eaten all day. So I orded rice baked with oranges and pineapple and some coffee. It looked so interesting and I had to try it. It was really good, and they even served it with orange slices! My coffee was small, but warm. I packed a little bit and decided to head over to this internet cafe. Tonight Nic and Dorota are meeting me at my apartment around 8:30 and we will head to "The Pea and Carrott" for dinner. I am excited to be able to dine and drink with other people! I just hope Nick doesn't ask me to drink more Vodka. I'll stick to the beer, Zywiec Light please!

Tomorrow I leave for Prague! My train is at 7:00 am, which is really early for me. I really hope I make it in time!! I was able to reserve a room for me at a 3 star hotel, and from the pictures it looks very posh. I got an amazing deal for last minute reservations, and I hope it lives up to my expectations. I wanted to "pamper" myself a little bit in Prague, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't end up being some hole in the wall!

Anna

Day 10 - Sanctuary of Divine Mercy and the Train System

Surprise, surprise. I overslept a bit this morning and I didn't make it in time to get on the tour of Auschwitz. I woke up and quickly got ready and headed out the door to the train station. It was not a nice sunny day like yesterday, it was a freezing miserable day and it was driziling. Nic had printed me a map the night before, which really came in handy. I navigated my way through the streets, but at a rather slow pace. My knee was even worse this morning and I was practically in tears as I walked the 1 or 2 miles to the train station. I don't want to complain too much, but OW. Once I arrived at the square a man approached me offering me a personal tour of Auschwitz, "We jump in my car and I drive you there." I thought, NO WAY and swiftly walked on. He came around later and said, "we take bus, train, whatever!" I quickly rushed away again. I can't imagine how that experience would have turned out!

I walked to the Information center in the train station and asked the many questions I had on my list. Turns out all Auschwitz tours leave at 9:00 am, so I purchased a ticket for tomorrow, thinking, I hope I make it. He showed me where they meet on the map, and again, I hope I find it! Then he told me how to get to the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy and how to buy my train ticket to my next destination on Monday. He also helped me figure out how the train works and told me which train to take to the Sanctuary.

I made my way across the square, purchased by train ticket, a 24 hour ticket and waited for train #19. It arrived shortly later and I jumped on, I saw my stop on the map and realized I had about 13 stops before I would arrive. I made sure to pay close attention to where I was and where I needed to get off. I noticed that we stopped at a station very close to my apartment and made a mental note that I could easily use this train instead of walking in the future. My knee gave a little sigh of relief. I made it to my stop and walked a little ways to the Sanctuary, it is a mini campus and I navigated my way to the church. It is a very modern church and it really is very neat in its simplicity. I walked in and sat down and just after that a mass started, so I figured I haven't been to mass in a while, why not. I sat through a Polish mass and only understood two things. Amen and Hallelujah. The stone church was freezing and I shivered the entire way through mass. I seem to complain a lot about the cold, but it was cold! After mass I took some pictures of the church, made my way to two other chapels and had a look around. There was no information anywhere in sight and the rain started to come down, so I didn't want to stick around and search the campus. Mom asked me to go here, but sadly I didn't know too much about it. Once I had arrived all the literature was in Polish, so I had no idea what I was looking at or what I was looking for. I finally gave up and decided to head back to the train for warmth.

Once on the train, I got off at a stop next to a VERY large Tesco (grocery store). It was a 24 hour Tesco, and ended up being much more like a Walmart. It also had tiny shops inside, much like a mall. I wanted to see if they had any bandages, or perhaps a sleeve for my knee to help me walk. No luck...nothing. I couldn't even find bandaids, or any care stuff. So I picked up some bread, oranges and peanuts for my lunch...yum, yum. I got back on the train and headed back to the square in which I started. I walked into the VERY large mall there because I figured it would be warm and I could figure out my next move. It was getting dark at this point. I ate my lunch inside the warm mall and made my way around stopping in every shoe store and every athletic/hiking store looking for a new pair of boots and a sleeve for my knee. I found lots of cute boots, but nothing I was willing to pay lots of money for, however I am regretting it a little as I type this, and I found nothing to help my knee. I did see some nice European shops and I enjoyed people watching there. It is like any large American mall, three stories and full of people...so many people. I left and made my way to the train, I took it back to the stop by my apartment and made my way home. I went inside for some rest and warmth. Then I asked Nic for directions to a near Internet Cafe and here I am. I limped the whole way here. :)

I am starting to get very hungry, so I hope I can find a good place to eat. I really need some warm delicious food to end my day on a good note, although it is getting pretty late here. Nic said the restaurant below me speaks English, but I'm still a bit weary. I will say it wasn't a hugely eventful day, but I certainly spent most my time experiencing the Polish culture and the city. Tomorrow, I will go to Auschwitz, relying on my alarm clock of course and I am sure it will be an interesting site. I will be putting many layers of clothes on, because I gather it will be very cold there. Nic and Dorota have agreed to do dinner plans tomorrow night as well. So wish me luck in my search for food, and hopefully more laundry tonight! Miss you all and I would love to hear from you! Anna0210@aol.com.

Narazie, Anna

Day 9 - Wawel Hill and The Main Market Square

I allowed myself to sleep in this morning and catch up on some sleep. I also did some laundry because my apartment has a large towel rack that works wonders as a dryer. My knee has been bothering me quite a bit the last few days. I feel like I either tore something or stretched something and it is causing me a bit of pain. I need to take a day or two and let it rest, but that won't happen for another 3 weeks, so I will have to find another alternative to help it. Once I got ready, I was out the door and it was a beautiful sunny day outside. I had a little bit of a limp starting out and I tried not to let my pain show too much.

My first stop was Wawel Hill. Wawel hill has the Royal Castle and the Wawel Cathedral, it holds great significance in Poland and is guarded by a large brick wall that goes all around the property. It looks exactly like a castle you would imagine in a childhood fairytale. I find it a bit difficult to be a tourist in Poland, without a detailed book that gives me step by step instructions. On most signs, English is the 3rd or 4th listed language and I find I don't get the best explanations of things. So it takes me a bit longer to figure out where I need to go and what I need to be doing. I manage to get it done, but it does takes a bit of time. Either way, I made my way around Wawel Hill and saw some beautiful views of the city over the river. I then looked into taking a tour of the Royal Castle, but decided against it. Instead I roamed around and took pictures of the picturesque castle. I then went inside The Cathedral and gave myself a tour of that, there were signs in English so I was able to read my way through. It was very pretty and a lot of Kings are burried here. Nic and Dorota informed me the night before that Wawel hill was seized numerous times after it was built and most of the things inside the Royal Castle have been burned over the centuries. There is still some on display, but a lot of the beautiful art and tapastries that once made the Royal Castle so beautiful have been ruined. I enjoyed my time there, and made my way down the hill to the main road, Grodzka that leads from Wawel hill to the Main Market Square. I spent a lot of time here, because the sun was shinning and it was warmer standing in the sunlight. I took a lot of pictures, the structures that surround the city centre are eye catching and each are built in different centuries, making a very diverse skyline. I walked around seeing all the buildings and decided to enter St. Mary's Catherdral, which is the primary church in the centre. It is one of the most magificent churches I have ever seen. The entrie church is decorated in bright colors and designs from the floor to the ceiling. The paintings on the stone walls and ceilings are tremendous, I could have sat there and looked at it for hours. The detail in the Cathedral is very impressive.

I was walking out of the Cathedral and I turned around and saw Nic and Dorota walking in! I couldn't believe it, the entire city of Krakow and I ran into them again. It was hillarious. They had taken a quick break over lunch to run a few errands and came inside to see the Cathedral. They took me over to the Christmas mart and Nic purchased some hot wine, which I tried and I did not like at all. So I gave it back to Nic. :) Also, Nic bought me some goat cheese which is a traditional Polish food, I thought it was really good and the warmth helped! We walked around the Christmas mart and saw all the different booths. It was very lovely and it did put me in the Christmas spirit. Next, Nic lead me to an art museum he recommended and we discussed dinner plans at 8, and they were on their way.

So I went into the art museum, Galeria Sztuki Wspotczesnej and I saw the artist Bunkier Sztuki's work. (Nic, I sure hope that is correct!) He does pencil sketches of large city landscapes, it was really impressive when you look at the detail of the pencil work. He also had a few video installations that were very interesting. I enjoyed the exhibit, thanks for the recommendation Nic. The only thing wrong with it was the tempature, it was FREEZING in the museum and I went into the connecting cafe to warm up with some coffee. I sat at a small table, one of the only tables open and made myself at home. The waiter approached me and asked me something in Polish, which I quickly replied with my usual, "Hello, I am sorry, I do not speak Polish." And he gave me the typical reponse here, "Oh, okay..............., I will bring you an English menu." And he did, so I ordered a Hot Chocolate with Whipped Cream. Yes, I felt like being a kid again and treating myself to something delicous and warm. The waiter tried to convince me that I needed cake to go along with my hot chocolate, but I declined. He then brought me my hot chocolate, but it wasn't the hot chocolate I am used to. It was actually real melted chocolate, thick melted choclate. I couldn't believe it, and I couldn't even finish it. I was drinking pure chocolate, it reminded me of the chocolate river in Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.

After my real hot chocolate, I went back to the Christmas market and did a bit more looking around. I bartered with a man over some things I wanted and he was hillarious. He told me I was too beautiful to look at, so he could only look to the side and tell me no. It was a nice boost for my confidence level in another country, and I still got the price I wanted in the end! I took some time and went into touristy shops in the area. I was interested in what Poland is known for and what they were selling. I bought some postcards, and I have them right here with me, but I can never find a post office. So who knows if I will ever send them!

It gets dark here around 3:30 and is pitch black by 4:30, its really sad because I always think its much later than it actually is. But it gets so cold when its dark that I can barely stand to be outside. I began to walk down the main road again towards my apartment. I was starving at this point and I was looking for a nice place to stop and grab a small bite before dinner later. However, I hate being the stupid American that can only speak English and I find myself too scared to walk into any place for fear they don't speak English. So instead, I walked into a small grocery store and picked a few random things up to last me my time here. Including a Coca-cola light! I haven't tried it yet, but I certainly have my hopes up that it is the kind I like. I realized they do not have plastic bags here and they charge for cloth bags, so I tried to stuff everything in my bag from the Christmas mart and my purse. I was successful, but it was very full.

As I continued to walk home, I walked in front of St. Peter and Paul's Church (as I do everyday) and the sign said, Classical Music Concert today at 4:30 and 8:00. I decided to check out the price because it was just about 4:30, and why not, right? They told me 40 plz, and I said no thank you, but then the man said, 20 plz for you. And I decided to go. I walked into the church and made very loud noises with my large bag as I walked down the aisle. I think everyone turned to look at me, but oh well. I found my seat and not too long later, the piano player came out and started his concert. It was really beautiful piano playing, and I knew most of the music he played. It lasted about 45 minutes and I was very pleased with myself for going. The church was very pretty, but not as pretty on the inside as St. Mary's Church. The outside of the church however has statues of all the aposltes and is really neat to look at. I swear, Poland is COVERED in churches. Just about every 5 blocks you will see another church, each one unique and magnificent in its own right. The country is 90% Catholic, and takes it very seriously!

I then walked the rest of the way home, still limping I might add, and made some tea. I enjoyed a few animal crackers and tea and took about a 30 min. nap. Then I organized my laundry, put on my many, many layers and began my walk to Nic and Dorota's. This was my frist attempt getting there by myself and I was a bit nervous. It is dark out, but I had the path pretty much ironed out so I was confident I would succed. To make matters worse, I had used all my cell phone time up, so I didn't have a way to contact Nic or Dorota if I needed to, so basically I couldn't fail, pressure was on. I set myself as a determined Polish person on my regular path home and walked the 20 or 30 minutes it takes to get there. I only took one wrong turn, and realized it about 3 minutes down so I turned back, got back on the right street, praying it was correct. Then I saw a very famous statue that I use as my marker for their home, and celebrated at my success! Their apartment is right across the street from a convent, and they informed me that when Pope John Paul II (who is from here by the way) went to the Vatican, the nuns he took with him were from this convent. I think that's very impressive! Nic told me at night he can see the nuns doing "their nun things," and I think that is odd. :) Anyway, Marta and Goofy let me into the building on their way out for a walk, although I don't think she had any idea who I was. I said "Hello" very enthusiastically and she just ignored me and opened the door. Oh well! I walked up to their apartment and rang the bell. I think they were suprised to see I made it the entire way with no problems! Yeah me!

I brought them a bottle of wine, which Nic quickly opened and we began to chat about our days. They made a wonderful Turkey soup from the leftovers and we ate that with some warm bread. It was really good, but it didn't quite fill us up. So we got out more mashed potatoes and Turkey from the leftovers, oh and gravy and had a bit more. We talked a lot about different things in the world, and Nic and Dorota's experiences living in Paris and staying in Mexico City. I also made it a point to add more money to my phone. Then at midnight or so, Dorota called me a cab home, which I was thankful for because I didn't know if my knee could take the walk home. Once home I packed up a few things, folded my now clean and dry laundry and went to bed. It was a great day, but I needed rest. Tomorrow I have every intention of going to Auschwitz.

Do zobaczenia wkrótce, Anna

Day 8 - Thanksgiving in Krakow

I woke up very early to repack my stuffed backpack and I still ended up later than I expected. Kristin offered to drive me into Sheffield to catch my train, at 8:30 am. I said my goodbye to Ian and he told me I am welcome back anytime. I was very excited about that, but I couldn't make any promises. Kristin drove very quickly to the train station so I could catch my train, thank goodness she did because I barely made it! We rushed through our goodbyes, gave quick hugs and I hurried to look at the departure trains. I had to ask for help because I couldn't find my exact train, and the woman told me platform 2, either a train at 8:18 or 8:30. I found this rather odd because according to my clock it was already 8:25. But I ran around the corner and jumped on the 8:18 train, I was the last one on and the train began to move just as I stepped in. Kristin, your fast driving got me on an early train! I couldn't believe it! As panicked as I was, I quickly asked someone to move so I could get into a reserved seat. There was no where else to sit and I didn't want to spend the time looking! A women snapped at me saying, "Its reserved." But the man quickly moved, and said, its only reserved from Lesiester on, so it was perfectly fine for now. I began to relax a little, but I refused to let myself sleep so I didn't miss my stop. I stepped of at Darby and waited for my connection to London Luton. As soon as I was on, I felt relieved and got a small nap in.

Once at London Luton, I jumped off the train and caught a bus to the airport. I had to check my big bag because you are only allowed one carry-on for EasyJet flights. I was a bit reluctant to hand over my bag, but it turned out well in the end. I spent a long time in the terminal waiting for my plane, but I was able to enjoy a nice bagel and some much needed water. I also spent some time reading travel books in the bookshop, that came in handy later! EasyJet does not give seat numbers so everyone ran like cattle to the plane and scrabbled to find open seats I was able to snag one by the window and look at all the wonderful sights. I sat next to a rather rich couple from the UK, and they began drinking on the flight and having a rather good time. I found them most entertaining, and 2 hours later we landed in Krakow.

Krakow is FREEZING, at least that was my first impression. I was very happy to be an American at that point, because I was able to get through customs faster. The European Union line was extremely long, but I was the second person through the "All Other Passports" line. I grabbed my bag off the carousel and walked out to see many people waiting for visitors. I took a look around and saw Nic Bartlett wondering toward me looking at the arrival signs. I quickly waved and he saw me. He lead me to the bus and we were able to catch up on the past few years, all things we had in common back then. etc etc. He also explained to me that the English view Krakow as a vacationa spot, almost equivilent to Vegas for Americans. Since it is so cheap to come here, the English come to party, which explained the people next to me on the flight. He also explained that English don't have the best reputation here because of that, and I will likely be mistaken for English. It was interesting insight. We jumped on a train and headed toward the city. Nic graciously carried my backpack the entire way! I felt horrible, because it is really heavy. He insisted, so I didn't argue. Once off the train we walked, although I would consider it more of a jog, to the apartment I was staying at. We got the key from the women downstairs and we walked in to set my things down. The apartment is incredible! Thank you Nic and Dorota! The first thing I noticed was it was very warmly heated, and I felt great about that in the freezing cold. It has a nice sized bathroom, kitchen, dinning room, bedroom with a wardrobe and a loft. The apartment has two large beds and its all just for me. I feel a little lonely in there, it seems like a lot of space for me, but I am really liking it.

We dropped off my stuff and ran through the city to Nic and Dorota's apartment. I tried to pay close attention to streets so I could navigate my way around, but I felt mostly overwhelmed. It was very dark and the city is very big. Of course I don't understand any Polish, so I do not recognize anything on the signs. To say the least, my first feeling of Poland made me feel very out of my comfort zone and I worried a little bit about how I was going to get around. Once we arrived at their place, which seemed like FOREVER away, although Nic says, "10 min," I was greeted by Dorota. Dorota is so kind-hearted and such a welcoming person, I really enjoy her company and the knowledge she shares.

Nic and Dorota prepared an amazing Thanksgiving dinner for me and their neighbors, turkey and all! Dorota set the table and it all looked lovely. The turkey looked amazing, according to Nic and Dorota is was quite a challenge getting a whole turkey here in Poland. They would never sell an entire turkey, only parts of a turkey and they had to go to great lengths to find one. Their neighbors arrived, Marta, Janusz and Maciek and they greeted us with "Happy day." They had never heard of Thanksgiving and did a bit of research on what it was they were celebrating. The son, Maciek was the only one who spoke English, but they did a very good job with hand gestures and smiles. They were all very nice, and it was wonderful to hear everyone speaking Polish. It is a really pretty language and I enjoy listening to it. Nic, Maciek and I had some good conversations in English. They brought along their wiener dog, Goofy, and I took to him right away. He eats vegetables, carrotts, celery and apples. I found that adorable!

Nic and Dorota served turkey, mashed potatoes, curried beats, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, gravy, spinach tart, stuffing, tiramasu, and polish cake. It was AMAZING! Nic is a VERY good cook, and it was better than anything I could ever make. He did a great job and I was so happy to have celebrated Thanksgiving. It was such a surprise. We drank lots of wine, and Nic had me try the Polish Vodka, Zubrowka. It is made from Bison Grass, and actually has grass in the bottle. I don't really like Vodka, but it was one of the best I've had. Nic tried to make the dinner as traditional as he could and it was fun to see the neighbors ponder what exactly they were eating. If you know me well, you know that mashed potatoes are my all time favorite so I was looking forward to those the most. Apparently Polish would NEVER puree a potato and serve it, you should have seen the looks Marta, Janusz and Maciek gave the potato mixture. I couldn't stop laughing. I put a large helping on my plate, dug a hole in the middle and poured gravy in the center. I was demonstrating on how Americans traditionally eat mashed potates. Maciek looked at me like I was disgusting, he put a very small amount on his plate and said, "okay, I try this?" Oh it was funny. Other than the mashed potatoes the neighbors didn't seem to weirded out by anything else on the table, so that was good.

Once dinner was finished and the table was clean, I started to fade because of my long day. Nic and Dorota kindly walked me home and pointed out a few of the great sights of Krakow. They gave me some pointers, because I would be on my own tomorrow. I also noted the road home so I could walk to their place tomorrow as well. Poland is starting to grow on me. Yes, it is different and I can't understand anything, but so far I really like the people. I am looking forward to tomorrow and seeing the city. Their neighbor even told me I look Polish! Dark hair and dark eyes. I guess I will fit right in!

Day 7 - Caving in Castleton

I slept in a bit this morning and when I woke I spent most of the morning trying to book some more travel for the trip. It was a bit overwhelming, but it needed to get done. Just before lunch we left to go "caving." We drove to the Peak District, to the Speedwell Cavern. The Peak District is full of caves, created over 200 years ago by miners looking for lead. Speedwell Cavern is navigated by a boat ride. Kristin and I were the only two on our boat, besides the crazy tour guide. This was great news to us because standing outside the shop was a large group of school children. I can't imagine how annoying the trip would have been with 20 children surrounding us! We walked through the very large door and prepared ourselves with our very fashionable helmets. We then walked down the 105 steps, built out of stone. The stairs were all different sizes and covered in mud and water, not the mention the ceiling would slope up and down. It was difficult to go down because if you watched your feet, your head would slam into the top. I was very pleased with my fashionable helmet about 15 steps down. Ouch!

We got to the bottom and the guide held the boat for us as we got on. Kristin asked if people fall into the water and he laughed and said "yeah, all the time. It's hilarious to witness," and continued to laugh very loudly. It was a bit odd. Nonetheless, we climbed into the boat and set off down the cave. The walls around us were curved like an arch, but only about 3 or 4 feet above the water line. I think I bumped my helmet about 5 times until I decided to sit leaning on my knees. It was like a very long hallway in front of us full of water with just about 3 or 4 feet to the ceiling. It was a mile and half long in the pitch dark lit only by tiny lights placed every so often. The guide was quick to mention "the monster" straightaway and seemed more concerned about us hearing the monster than giving us practical information about the mine. About every 2 minutes, he would turn his back to us, look down the mine and say, "can you hear the monster?" Yes, it was strange. The monster ended up being another boat and we had to move into a very cramped passage to let them pass. 

When we arrived at the end, we got out of the boat and stood below a very large cavern. As the pamphlet describes it, "a cathedral-like cavern." He then showed us the "bottomless pit" below us by turning on a large light...it was less than impressive. The large light had fallen over and was shining directly below it, only illuminating a small bit of the water in the "bottomless pit." It looked more like a small pond full of black water. The only thing between me and the bottomless pit below was a small guard rail that I was leaning on. Then the guide mentioned,  "the rail here was installed in 1920, its still the exact same rail." I looked down and it sure did look fragile and I quickly stepped back surprised that I had been leaning my entire weight on it. Kristin laughed and said, "yes, well it looks like the same rail." I began to think to myself, no way in hell would this cave be open in the USA. There were so many regulations being broken in every direction, I couldn't believe this place hadn't been sued yet, there was liability EVERYWHERE. We did not sign a waiver or anything, and at each turn I could think of a possible threat to my saftey. It was mayhem! 

The tour guide continued to show how the tunnel continued on to the other side of us, and actually continued under the neighboring town. He showed us a map of the underground cave system and blurted out a few odd facts. He took our picture, which was most important in my mind, and we returned to the boat and headed back. The ride back was a bit more frantic, since we weren't moving slowly to hear all the information. The guide turned up with power on the boat and we sped through the cave. But of course the cave isn't straight, so we spent the mile and a half bouncing back and forth from wall to wall with a large BANG everytime we hit the side. Only the guide didn't seem to mind and continued to shout, only in the opposite direction so I only heard about half of what he was saying. Finally, as we neared the dock he quickly mentioned a story about two bodies being found just beyond the dock. A young couple on their honeymoon was murdered by miners way back when because the women's saddle was worth so much money a the time. I found this story the most exciting of the adventure, but he quickly pushed us out of the boat and back up the 105 steps. The cave was very worth seeing, but it was a bit less than we expected. We laughed most the way through it and all the way to the car. It was my first experience boating through a cave, I would say the humor was a bit more exciting than the adventure, but it was good anyhow! 

After our caving adventure we headed to Bakewell, for some shopping! We walked in and out of shops most of the afternoon. It was a very cute village and I really enjoyed the experience. All the shops are what we would consider boutiques. I found them all unique and mostly just enjoyed looking. We ate lunch at The Original Bakewell Pudding Shop. Bakewell is known for Bakewell Puddings, which is a traditional English pudding. From what I understood it is a pastry covered in strawberry jam, and then covered in some sort of egg mixture. I had a filled jacket potato with beans and cheese for lunch (not sure why I mentioned that, but I remember it). Kristin and I shared a Bakewell Pudding for dessert, with custard. I thought it was extremely delicious and really enjoyed my dessert.

We continued to shop and made our way back to the car, and back to Bethleham Chapel. I quickly got online to journal and book my travel while Kristin prepared dinner. Tonight Kristin served Bolognese, it was very good. Again, I ate my oversized bowl full. I will be leaving Bradwell with my pants a bit tight tomorrow, they have fed me very well. After dinner, we headed over to the nearest pub, Whitehouse Tavern (?). Just around the corner from their home. We walked in the pub and we were the first ones there, which seemed a bit odd since it was Pub Quiz Night. Every Wednesday, the pub has quiz night. Team form at the pub and the owners reads out random questions to each team and you are to write down your answers. It's great fun. I have to admit, I am terrible at quizes, but my team did the job well. Every American based question that was asked, everyone in the pub would immediately look at Kristin and I and ask for the answer. It was very embarrassing to not know questions like, "What was Mickey Mouse originally named?" and other similar questions. Ian, Kristin, Barry, Danny and I made up one team and I'm sad to sad we ended in last place with 23.5 points. It was a sad day, but we were all smiling in the end. After the quiz game, Barry ordered food for the table and surrounding tables. In the basket was a black bread looking food and they all suggested I try it. So, the brave person I am I grabbed one off a toothpick and took a bite. It was okay, almost like spicy bread with a kick. I politely asked Kristin and Ian what I was eating and they hesitated, "go ahead and finish it first." UH OH was my first thought, what the hell am I eating if they won't tell me what it is?!? So I asked several people around me what I was eating, and all said the same thing, "Is this your first Black Pudding?" I replied with a yes. "Well then, once you are finished we will tell you what it is." This had me highly concerned, but I figured I would be a good sport and finish it off. Once I swallowed my last bite, I asked Kristin and Ian again. They looked at each other with a puzzled look, and Kristin finally said, "Pigs blood." I let out a gasp and said, WHAT?!?!?! Ian then explained, "you know when they cut a pigs throat, all the blood that spills out is fried, and its called Black Pudding, that is what you just ate." I must admit I gagged a little. That is disgusting, although it really wasn't too bad really. Who thinks of eating pigs blood? I didn't even take a second look, YUCK!!!!! I can't believe I ate that, I had to swallow it down with my pint. 

We finished off the evening speaking with Barry, who oddly enough works as a free lancer in the HR industry. He gave me a few tips about following my strengths into a new career and taking my time to do so, as long as I had all decisions made before I was 27. To me, that was a bit of a stretch, 27, that's a hard guideline to follow. I really liked him and he wished me the best. He even offered that I should go into HR since I enjoy visiting with people so much...it's an idea I suppose. I figured it was quite humorous to travel all this way and meet a professional in the HR consulting industry...it seems to be following me everywhere. 

I just took another FREEZING cold shower, I plan to skype my family tonight to wish them a Happy early Thanksgiving and then pack for my journey tomorrow. For those of you who voted, thank you by the way...I am off to Poland tomorrow! Krakow to be exact. I will be meeting up with Nic Bartlett, for those of you who know Nic. It will be a great city to see and I'm sure it will get me out of my comfort zone. Thanks for reading! 

Cheers, 

Anna

Day 6 - Walk with the Ramblers

Kristin woke me up and I had enough time for a quick breakfast and to prepare for our day of walking with the Ramblers. The Ramblers is a group of elderly people in the area that meet every Tuesday at 10 am and go walking for the day, until about 2 in the afternoon. Kristin was invited to join the group on her off weeks and we decided to tag along today. She packed us a nice lunch and we were off to meet our fellow walkers. Everyone in the group was so welcoming and I really enjoyed the company. My two favorites were a man named Peter and his girlfriend Dorothy. They were very chatty and asked all sorts of questions about Nebraska. The large group, about 20 in total, took a bus to a nearby village. All "seniors" in this country ride the bus for free, so Kristin and I were the only two that had to buy bus tickets. Kristin bought us a roundtrip and then we realized we only needed one way tickets because we were planning to walk home. Whoops! Thanks for the bus tickets Kristin! 

The group hoped off the bus and we spent the next 4 hours walking through the countryside back to the village of Bradwell. England is full of public walking paths, allowing anyone to walk on other people's property, right through their field with their sheep and cattle. It was a bit odd for me to be walking among the sheep, but it was very fun. We walked through many fields and I was able to get very muddy. Luckily Kristin let me borrow a pair of her walking shoes otherwise I would have been in trouble! The walk was tremendous, Dorothy pointed out the farm she was born on and all thing things around the area. The group told many "back when" stories, and I found them all very entertaining. It was a long walk for me, up hills, down hills, through fields, etc. I was ready to be finished when we arrived back in Bradwell, but it was an all around great experience! I really enjoyed the day and I took lots of pictures. The group is so fun! I would go weekly if I lived here. 

After our walk, Kristin drove me to Chattford Manner. This is the home to the Duke of Devonshire and was used in the filming of Pride and Prejudice. It is an incredibly beautiful Manner, and extremely large. It is open for tourists even though it is still the home of the Duke and his wife. I found that very odd, but I was very impressed with it. I did recognize a few areas from the movie. After that we drove around to different shops in the area to look around. The shops are very cute and I really enjoyed that, however all I bought was a postcard. :( I can't carry much home in my back pack! Once home I showered to warm up a bit and stood in front of the fireplace for a long time. Kristin and Ian prepared another WONDERFUL dinner. They served pasta with spicy meatballs. It was one of the best pasta dishes I have ever eaten and I almost finished my oversized bowl full! Delicious! We also enjoyed some Honey Cider we had purchased earlier in the day, it was very good cider. We ended the night curled up on the couch by the fire.

Ah, the life. :)

Anna

Day 5 - Sheffield, Bradwell, Bethleham Chapel

Matt and I woke up and got ready for our day. I packed my backpack which seemed a bit more heavy then when I arrived. And it certainly did not get any lighter on our walk to the train station! It was raining when we left and Matt kindly offered me his umbrella since mine was nicely tucked away and he used his hood. We got onto the train to Liverpool Street Station and then we jumped onto the Central line train. Once we arrived at King's Cross Station/St. Pancreas I hugged Matt goodbye and I was on my way, on my own again. 

I walked to the new St. Pancreas station, which is a very nice looking station. I quickly panicked as I approached the Eurorail station because I realized I did not have a print out of my itinerary or even a reference number! What an idiot I am, so unprepared. I calmly thought to myself, I should just try to check in and see what happens. So I jumped in line at the auto check-in machines and swiped my credit card to look up my booking. "Eurorail does not recognize card for booking reference." Crap!! I tried a three times and then it dawned on me, I didn't book my train ticket with Eurorail, I am only going to Northern England, not to another country! Again, another idiot moment and I sheepishly slid out of the way and continued to walk further into the station. At this point I felt very embarrassed and ashamed of my unorganized and quite stupid self. But I decided to blame it on the early hour and move on. 

I then found the National Rail Lines auto-check in booths and smiled at my mistake. I quickly walked up and swiped my credit card, the screen flashed "Please enter reference number:" Crap again! So I swallowed my pride and took the easiest option...called home. It did occur to me that it would be 2 am in the states, but I qualified this as an "emergency" and rang anyway. Dad answered the phone very startled and I quickly reassured him that "Everything is fine, I am perfectly fine, please don't panic." Once he realized that I wasn't in need of serious help, I explained that he needed to open my email, get into the train website and look up my reference number, he was able to help me. I can imagine he wasn't too pleased with me calling at 2 am to get a reference number, but he was very happy to help and saved me from a complete panic! Thanks Dad, I appreciate your assistance! 

Once I was able to retrieve my tickets, I stopped for a chocolate croissant (YUM!) and some coffee. Then it was time to board. The train ride lasted about 3 hours, it was a beautiful ride through the countryside. Rolling green hills, fences made of stone divided the green countryside into squares or rectangles, and sheep where everywhere. We would pass through small towns or villages with large stone homes which had smoke pouring from their chimneys despite the very sunny day we were lucky to experience. The cathedrals in each town were equally beautiful to the next and I enjoyed most of the ride just watching the country move past my window. 

I arrived in Sheffield and Kristin Kern-Lowe was gracious enough to pick me up at the Taxi Rank (whatever that means). Kristin found me just fine and we jumped in the car to head to her home in Bradwell. Sheffield is a lot bigger than I imagined. We stopped at a store called B&Q, which is equivalent to Lowe's or Home Depot. Kristin and Ian are looking for an artificial Christmas tree, but due to the large ceilings in the chapel they need a 10 foot tree. Apparently it is near impossible to find a 10 foot tree in England since most homes are much too small for such a large tree. Kristin had no luck at the B&Q and so we drove home. We winded through the narrow roads of the area and the views were unbelievable. It is very pretty up here and I enjoyed looking at the hills and villages as we passed. 

We arrived at Kristin and Ian's home -- Bethleham Chapel. They purchased it just over a year ago. It was built as a church for a religion that is no longer exists here in England. The previous owner updated the chapel and turned it into a very modern home. We parked the car along side the chapel and as I got out my first glimpse was of their next door neighbors...a graveyard. The graveyard is very old and was used by the church many years ago. It looks eire as all the large tombstones lean in different directions from the movement of the ground below them. They are all stone and some are green from the moss and earth that have covered them. I loved it!

Kristin gave me a quick tour of her beautiful home. The first floor is a large open space with a brand new and I should say, very impressive kitchen. The room serves as the living room with a eco-friendly (added that for you Nicole) coal burning fire-place. This is the only source of heat for the main floor, and it quickly became essential for my well-being! They also have a dining room and a large modern spiral staircase leading upstairs. Upstairs is the master bedroom, guest bedroom, large storage area, their old kitchen space and a bathroom. It is all very nice, I think it looks amazing. 

Also off the main floor, through the fire-proof door is a office and down another spiraly staircase a laundry room, storage room and bathroom. The downstairs area is not heated and the bathroom holds the only shower in the house. The room is FREEZING, but luckily the water is hot (thank you electric showers). So you can only imagine the temperature difference when you shower, my hands and feet were so cold they burned under the hot water and I couldn't feel anything. 

The chapel is very cold and I have not taken my coat off since I arrived, except to sleep. Right now as I am typing I have 4 layers on, a hat, pants, socks and my fingers are so cold its hard to type. YIKES! I struggle to stay warm so thankfully Ian and Kristin offered me a water bottle that you can fill up with boiling water to keep you warm. I have it with me at all times, I even take it to bed to keep me warm under the covers! 

After the tour I went with Kristin to walk a neighbor's dog, Monty. We walked up a very steep hill and I will admit I was struggling. I think Kristin was just trying to break me in for the next few days! After our nice walk we came back to the chapel and I worked on some emails. Kristin worked on getting a fire started for warmth and she began cooking dinner. Ian and Kristin are VERY good cooks and have fed me the most amazing meals. They swear by Jamie Oliver and I will look into getting one of his recipe books when I return to the states. Kristin prepared fresh pizza dough and a pizza sauce from scratch. I was already impressed and I was able to contribute by stirring the sauce! I didn't want to mess anything up, so she gave me something simple. Once Ian was home they worked on the contents for the three individual pizzas...peppers, mushrooms, pine nuts, and cheese. It was delicious!! We also had some wine and watched a bit of TV before retiring for bed. 

Goodnight, Anna

Day 4: Day in London

This is my last full day in London and I wanted to make the best of it. I told Matt that I couldn't travel all the way to London and not see the parliament building, big ben and westminster abbey. At least just see them! So we started off by heading there and saw the usual sites. I took some good tourist photos and I even made Matt walk into Westminster Abbey with me, which he had never actually been inside. It was Sunday so most of it was closed off, but I did light two candles at the church and felt proud that I took the time. We then moved on and went to the first "mall" in London. Yes, I went to a typical mall, but with not so typical stores. It was so incredibly busy, it was insane. We went to Marks and Spencers and I got my diet coke that I crave (it tastes like Coca LIght). Then we grabbed some grub at "Eat." and began our shopping. I looked mainly for a pair of boots, but didn't end up buying any in the end. The stores there were incredible, all high fashion and all high price. It was like all the expensive high end shops of London in once place. 

I did need some make up from the Mac Makeup store, so we made our way there. The oddest thing happened. I found the foundation I wanted and asked the nearest clerk if I could get the foundation in "light" (since I have the palest skin in the world). She said yes, looked in a few drawers then walked back over to me and said "I'm sorry, you can't actually get this here, we don't sell it." I looked at her very strangely since the foundation was clearly on display at the store, and responded "What? Really? Why not?" in my nicest tone. She quickly grabbed the display, said "this shouldn't even be out anymore, I am taking it to the back. We haven't been sent the foundation yet for the store." It was the oddest thing in the world. Matt and I looked at each other stunned and walked out laughing. I felt very discriminated against. After walking laps of the mall, we returned a couple hours later. I asked another clerk for the foundation and she politely found it and rang me up! I couldn't believe it, I don't know if the first clerk was an idiot or frankly just didn't like me. Very odd, but I got what I needed. :) 

I did buy a straightener at the local superdrug because mine broke on the 2nd day here. :( So if anyone needs a UK straightener once I return to the US, let me know. The shopping was great, but all in all I could only window shop. I love the store Paperchase, and I spent some time in there looking at all the fun things. I could spend hours in there, it is like a stationary/art supply/fun trinket store. I could happily own one. I did find a few items in the store that I think Gina Kovanda would love. A robot keychain and book mark was one item. And the other was a tape dispenser shaped like an old tape from a tape player. It was SWEET!!! So there you are Gina, a shout out to you!

We left the mall and headed to the Somerset House for ice skating!! It was so much fun!! We had to buy tickets for hours after we arrived, so we decided to grab dinner first. We went to Zicci, or something like that, I forget the name. It was an italian place and pretty good. I was overly excited because coke was served in a glass bottle. I choose coke over wine because I was that excited...I'm such a kid inside!! The restaurant is lined with wooden logs all around that you could write on, so I took the liberty to write "Matt and Anna, 11/08," just to mark that I had been there. Matt laughed, but hey it was fun! Matt asked me how many times I think I will fall while skating and I smiled and said "5." I asked him the same questions and he quickly said, "only once." I thought it was a bit cocky considering neither of us had ice-skated since childhood. 

We made our way back to the ice rink and dropped off our bags. Actually, I had to go through the line a couple of times because I tried to sneak my purse in and I got caught, oops! We went to the counter to pick up our skates and I quickly panicked because I had no idea what my shoe size was! So I quickly took my shoe off to look for the UK size in my current shoe. It said, UK 5.5, so I decided to order a 6. I asked the girl for a 6 and she came back with a 7. The 7 fit perfectly, so it all worked out. Matt also received a size larger than he asked for, I don't remember if that is typical skating practice, but moving on...

We went to Somerset House and it was really pretty. They had a very large Christmas Tree set up next to the rink with fun lights moving all around the ice. It really made it feel like Christmas. We stepped on the ice, and I forgot how hard it is to balance on ice skates! It was a bit scary and difficult but I made my way along and pushed myself forward. I used the ledge at first, but slowly moved away. Hilariously enough a little while after I pushed forward, I turned around to find Matt and he was clinging to the ledge near the beginning. To put it nicely he was TERRIBLE. And I started laughing so hard I almost peed my pants. I started teasing him about "only falling once" and laughing so hard!! Matt couldn't believe how terrible it was, but it was hard to skate I was laughing so hard! I should mention I was not much better but I could put one skate in front of the other and move myself along with out wobbling. I will give Matt credit, after about 5 times around he got much much better and by the end he and I were doing very well. You are in timed slots, which only last an hour, so our ice skating was limited. But it was so much fun that we laughed and smiled the entire time. I remember asking what time it was thinking it had only been about 20 min, but we only had 10 minutes left! It was incredible how quickly the time went. It was fun to see people who had no coordination move all over the ice with no control while others glided perfectly. Matt ended up falling only one time and got his knee wet on the ice. I was able to make it the entire time without falling once! One couple cut me off and I got really wobbly, but I was able to keep my balance and gracefully skate off. I was so proud of not falling! I included a link to the website so you can see it. It was so pretty and so fun. It was the perfect way to end the trip to London, I felt like a kid again! 

http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/ice_rink/default.asp

We went home after another exhausting day and chatted a bit before bed. It was a perfect last day in London with such great company. 

*A special thank you to Matt for making my trip so wonderful. He was a wonderful host and I couldn't have had a better time. I owe you one! 

Cheers! 

Day 3: Matt's Family Christmas Celebration

I am a bit behind with my postings, but good times mean a few things have to suffer. 

Day 3: Matt's Family Christmas Celebration

Matt and his sister will be in Thailand for Christmas this year, therefore his aunt and uncle planned an early Christmas dinner for his family. They were kind enough to invite me along, which was very exciting for me. 

Matt and I took are time getting ready this morning, with only 1 goal in mind: get to the train station for the 12:30 train. Matt surprised me with warm croissants for breakfast...wonderful. He certainly knows how to brighten my day. I sipped warm tea and ate my croissants to begin my day, lovely. We did make the train and once at the station we went to the store and purchased some liquor. I was insistent on bringing something to Matt's Aunt for having me to dinner. I grabbed a bottle of Cabernet Savingon and Matt grabbed some Kronberg beer and we were on our way. We grabbed the bus and got on another train to Catford Bridge. Once off the train we walked about 10 minutes to Matt's Aunt and Uncle's house. It was a very nice walk and the neighborhood was full of very old beautiful houses. We walked up to #94 and Matt knocked on the door. Matt's Aunt, Jill greeted us with a warm smile. We walked into their entry way and the house seemed so cozy, it was very nice. The house seemed like a very traditional English house in my mind. The main floor included the entry way, the formal room, a large staircase leading upstairs, a cozy dinning room, kitchen and a very nice family room leading out to the garden. The garden was beautifully green with lots of plants, I was very impressed and noticed I kept starring out the window at the garden. The upstairs had three bedrooms, which I didn't actually see but Matt informed me. They had a restroom on the 2nd floor, with the toilet in one separate room and the sink and tub/shower in another. Matt told me this home was considered an "upper-middle class" home, which made sense because it seemed quite large compared to other places I have seen in London. The dinning room was equipped with an old stove, I'm not even sure the proper name for it. I have never seen/used one, but I found it quite comforting. The living room was warmed by a wonderful coal fire and we sat around with drinks and chatted for a bit. 

I met Matt's cousin Sarah and her boyfriend Andy, Matt's sister Lisa and her boyfriend Dan, and Matt's aunt Jill and uncle Clive. They were all lovely people. Andy actually used to work for Gallup and lived in Lincoln, NE for 6 months quite a few years ago. What a small world!!! I travel all the way to London and meet an English man that has lived in Lincoln, NE of all places. Matt had never met him before so it was a very big coincidence that we all worked in the same industry. Very odd, and yet it was a great feeling to have a sense of familiarity with another person. 

We sat down to "Christmas dinner" around 3 or 4. I forgot to bring a watch with me on this trip, since I don't generally have one anyone, and therefore I have NO sense of time over here. Its actually nice to have no clue what time it is, and not really care anyway. The table was a bit smaller and all "non-Jordan's" (guest) were required to sit in spots that did not have a table leg. Therefore, I was placed at the end of the table. Dinner was delicious, and I would consider it a traditional English meal. We started with a salad -- actually scratch that, we started with wine and beer and then moved onto salad. It was a tomato, avocado, mozzarella, basil and oil salad...delicious! This happens to be one of my favorites! The main meal consisted of, beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, broccoli, mashed carrots, leeks, cabbage, cheesed cauliflower, parsnips, roasted potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and I think that might be it. It was a lovely meal and it lasted quite a while. I liked everything on my plate, except the parsnips. They are very similar to yams, and a bit too sweet for my taste. The Yorkshire pudding was really good! His family was so impressed that it was my very first. Dessert was fruit with a chocolate cake, it was very good. We then moved into the living room for more chatting and of course more wine. It was very fun. I really enjoyed spending time with Matt's family and experiencing their culture. I felt very much at home and we ended up staying much later than planned. 

They served a second dessert, Christmas pudding with custard and cream and mulled wine a bit later. I did not like the christmas pudding at all, in fact I had a hard time politely choking down a few bites. I did enjoy the mulled wine however. We all watched "The X Factor" as everyone there was very excited about the show. For those of you who are like me and have NO clue what the show is, it is very similar to American Idol and was started by Simon Cowell. It was very entertaining and we sat talking for a long time after. Lisa, Dan, Matt and I hitched a ride to the train station from his uncle Clive and we headed back to central London, this was around 11 or so (i think). Once in central London, Matt and I went to a fun bar for a few drinks and chatted. Then we headed home and caught the last train out. It felt great to sleep that night after a long day of eating and drinking.

Thank you Matt for including me in your family holiday, it was so much fun! I was able to celebrate Christmas before my Thanksgiving!!!

More soon. 

Cheers, Anna

Day 2: London

Matty and I had dinner last night with Amit and Michael. We went to the Piccadilly Circus area and ate at The Living Room. It was a very modern/chic place, I really enjoyed it. The bathrooms were a bit out of my league...but thankfully Amit gave me instructions. The basement was a circle of wood walls with two hidden doors. The mens and women's toilets were only marked by a shoe (a heel for women or a shoe for men) nailed above each door. Luckily Amit made a fool of himself walking into the women's toilet and advised me not to make the same mistake. I quite like the Piccadilly Circus area, it has all the christmas lights out and the shop windows have beautiful decorations.

Matty let me sleep in today, it was a great surprise. I feel very well rested now and I am caught up to UK time. He even made me biscuits, eggs and bacon for breakfast. I couldn't ask for a better host! We took our time getting ready and I booked some travel for next week. Despite the late start, we had a fun and packed day. We took the train to central London and first thing off the Tube we stepped into a phone store. I purchased a cell phone and a couple SIM cards to use whilst I am over here. Since the rates are expensive, I will not give out my number, but if you need to get a hold of me, let me know.

Next thing we went to a very small gallery featuring the artist, Lucian Freud. It was a fun and the art was very good. We then made our way to the Tate Modern, for a special exhibit by Cildo Meireles. It was an amazing exhibit, and we enjoyed ourselves. He is considered a Neo-concretism artist and wishes to engage the body as well as the mind, meaning his art is interactive. It was so much fun and one of the best art exhibits I have seen. It begin in a mesh cube with matching weighted balls laid on the floor, each ball had a different weight but you could pick them up and kick them around. Matt threw one across the cube like a bowling ball and we did get yelled at, "NO BALLING!!" Matt called him a prat and we moved on. :) The next piece was a large square with broken glass as the floor. We walked around on the broken glass passing through numerous barriers set up by the artist. It was a very odd and fun feeling to walk on broken glass. The exciting piece was a room with all contents being red, it was your basic living room but everything inside the room was red, and the connecting room was all black with what appeared to be red paint all over the floor. You had to walk across the red paint to get to a floating sink with red running water. It was very eye captivating. Our favorite room was filled with long rulers hanging from the ceiling, and clocks covering each wall. The rulers made a swirl effect and the pathway got smaller and smaller as you walked, until the rulers all met in the middle. It was a blast walking through t he rulers, you couldn't see through to the other side. We took pictures. :) Lastly, the exhibit ended with a room full of talcum powder. Literally, you had to take off your shoes and socks (you could either go bare foot or put on large rain boots) and walk through a dark room with the floor made entirely of talcum powder. You could not feel a solid floor underneath the powder, it was a very odd sensation, almost like walking in water. You had to feel the art and it was so much fun. I made my way around the corner to the single source of light, one burning candle and Matty turns to me and says, "I have such an urge to push you over right now." I politely replied, "you do and you die!" He resisted. :) For all those who were around for my childhood, it very much reminded me of my days "playing powder" with Jill Baker. Jill, you would have loved that room too. :)

After we left the Tate Modern, we walked across the Millennium bridge, right in front of St. Paul's Cathedral (so beautiful) and into the closest Tube station. We made our way back to the Leicester Square area (well honestly, I have no idea exactly where we ended up, but it was around there), and to the theatre. The play Rain Man was our main event of the evening, with Josh Hartnett as the lead role. He is so beautiful in person, and the actor who played Ray did an outstanding job. The play was very good and I give it my top reviews. At the end of the play I mentioned to Matty, "Josh Hartnett looked and even acted exactly like Tom Cruise in the movie." Matty was stunned to hear there was a Rain Man movie which I find hillarious, so I told him we need to watch it.

Lastly, we made our way home. I insisted we stop for Cadbury chocolate and so we did. Matt made me some warm tea with milk as I figured out my new phone and all the details. It was a very fun day and I would do it all over again! I hope you don't mind the long explanation of our adventures today, it was just too fun not to mention!

I will leave you with one last thing. As we ended the night with the Telly we heard the phrase, "Nevermind what haters say." We both laughed and thought it was a very wise saying to adopt. So there you have it, "nevermind what haters say."

Cheers,

Anna

(Estelle, can you forward this on to Jill and Andrea? I am not sure I have their correct email addresses. Thank you!)

Hello From London

Hello all,

Alas, I have arrived in London! It was a long and exhausting journey, but I am here and Matt Jordan was able to great me with a smile and a hug. My flights were happily uneventfully, everything went as smoothly as I could have asked for. However, I sat next to a rather large women on my 9 hour flight from Dallas to London, which made it quite difficult to maneuver around. But we had matching Eyewitness Travel books and we were both able to laugh about it. She was on her way to Egypt, I found myself quite jealous of the adventure in front of her and it was interesting to discuss her past travel experiences. I think she was growing rather fond of me until the lady behind us politely asked me, "Is this your mother?" You can just imagine the look on her face, it made the situation a little tense, but at least the insult wasn't against me. :)

Across the isle from me was a very large young man. Every time he stood up and got something out of the overhead compartment his shirt would lift up to his belly button and all I could see was a pot belly gut the size of a small child spilling over his jeans. You can imagine my disgust. We will leave it at that, but I wanted to share a little snapshot of my view on the plane. :) You are welcome.

Once we departed the plane, I headed for customs with my one carry-on and my one personal item. I know it may be hard for many of you to believe, but I was able to pack everything I need in one large backpack (thank you Tony and Deb Lee Toth). I still can't believe it, for a girl I am very proud of my minimalist attitude. If anyone needs lessons, I am happy to help you pack. :)

The lady that sat behind us decided to cling to my side for whatever reason because she was unable to find her way to customs. I pondered her inability since all signs read, "Arrivals" or "Baggage Claim." She then asked if she could follow me to get our baggage and to find the train to Central London. I had to disappoint her by saying I don't need to pick up baggage and I would be taking the underground. I wished her luck because frankly if she can't find her way to customs, how will she ever find her hotel?

So onto the Underground I went, Piccadilly Line all the way to King's Cross Station and then the Circle line to Liverpool Street. I passed through Gloucester Road, where I used to live and it brought back a lot of memories. It felt good to be back on the tube, I miss this city and its excitement. Once I left the underground at Liverpool, Matt was there to greet me. It was great to see him. We caught another train back to his flat. It is a very nice place, very new and clean. I feel very comfortable here already. We walked down to the store and bought some lunch, a baguette, cheese, crisps and a soda . I was quite overwhelmed by the candy isle and I had to convince myself to walk directly by it. I forgot all the delicious candy they have here. I did however buy some digestives (Nicole, I know you are jealous!).

Tonight we are going to dinner at The Living Room in the Piccadilly Circus area. We will meet Michael Gegg and Amit Sidpuhra for dinner, it will be like old times. I am not sure what we will do after dinner, but I hope to fill you all in later.

Next email I will have more to talk about than my flight experiences. I haven't done much in the city yet, so I can only send what I've seen. Miss you all and keep me updated on your lives.

Cheers,

Anna