Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  For me, this is the first time I've ever not been there for Thanksgiving, so its kind of difficult.  I know other people either A) don't always get to go home for Thanksgiving or B) its just not an important holiday for them.  But for me it is.  So I thought I'd once again try to preserve my feelings about missing it - and in particular, missing it because I'm studying abroad.

One of the things that makes it "easier" to miss, is that obviously, here in the UK, they don't celebrate Thanksgiving.  So there aren't any turkeys in store windows (I mean pictures, not the actual birds), not a lot of the Thanksgiving decorations that are usually around.  Nobody is wishing anybody a Happy Thanksgiving.  So its a little bit easier to almost forget that Thanksgiving is coming up.  I guess thats better than if you were in the US and you just couldn't get home.  At the same time, I am aware that Thanksgiving is coming up, so you don't completely forget.

My intention prior to coming here had been to hopefully have some type of Thanksgiving dinner here - maybe a bunch of us Americans would "cook" dinner and we'd have all of our British friends come experience an American holiday and all that corny stuff.  But it was unable to happen that way.  We're going to Paris this weekend (Friday to Sunday), but with the way our flight is, we have to leave and go to Edinburgh tomorrow.  So we can't make dinner or anything, can't even really talk to anyone back home.  I can't decide if this makes it easier or harder.

I keep telling myself (and my mom keeps reminding me too), that its only one Thanksgiving that I'm missing.  And its not like I'm missing it because I wanted to go up the road and do whatever, I'm completely unable to be there.  It also makes me feel a little better that our Christmas dinner is pretty much exactly like Thanksgiving dinner, so I have that to look forward to when I go home.

All in all, I'm not 100% sure how hard tomorrow will be.  But I'm hoping that the fact that we'll be walking around Edinburgh will help to keep my mind off of it. 

Thats all I can really think of for now, but I'm sure there will be a big blog post coming when I get back, either on Monday or Tuesday (cause I'm going to Paris!!! Yes, in France!!)

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!! 

Explorations in Northern Ireland

Ok so on our second day in Derry (Saturday), we hired a taxi to take us up to the Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-rede Bridge, and Dunluce Castle.  They're about an hour/hour and a half north-ish of Derry  It sounds really fancy and/or expensive but it wasn't as bad as you'd think it was.  To take a train and bus there and back, it would have been about 20 pounds (30 dollars) each, and to take the cab, it was 25 pounds (about 40 dollars) each.  So we decided to just go with the cab because 1) the cab would pick us up and drop us off at our hotel, 2) we could leave each place when we were ready instead of waiting for a bus and 3) we weren't 100% sure where the train and buses would leave us and pick up from, or how far we'd have to go to actually reach the various destinations once we got there.

The places itself were soooo pretty.  I liked Dublin, but it didn't feel lke that "classic Ireland" that you imagine, and this did.

The first stop was the Giant's Causeway, which is this natural stone formation on the ocean that looks like brick pavers were stacked up by giants.

From the Giant's Causeway tourist centre and gift shop area, its about a half a mile walk to the actual Giant's Causeway - so some of these first pictures are from that.

Approaching the Giant's Causeway

Me being silly and super-touristy :)  Holding up a giant rock!

They look like manmade stones but its actually natural

Just a little video from the Giant's Causeway.  I highly recommend watching the whole thing...

Then after the Giant's Causeway, we headed a few miles up the road (once again, in the taxi), to the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge.  You walk a little less than a mile and then cross this rope bridge that I believe they said is 100 feet over the water.  That gets you to this little island, and then you can come back.

Here's the rope bridge

And theres the 100 foot drop into the water ...

Our last stop on this trip was the ruins of Dunluce Castle - which we'd heard was very beautiful. 

View of one of the cliffs from a window in the castle.  I want that room!

Then we went back to Derry, all before 3 pm!

On Sunday, we wanted to go to a craft fair in one of the local churches, and since it didn't start until 11, we thought we'd sleep in a bit, wake up around 10 or so, go get breakfast and maybe do some shopping before heading to the craft fair.  Well, its certainly lucky we didn't wake up any earlier than we did, because apparently in Derry (and possibly other towns), almost nothing is open before 1pm.  And it closes at 5.  We saw a couple (literally) little cafes that were open.  But the stores weren't open, most restaurants weren't open.  It was crazy!  Well anyway, we went shopping around in the little craft fair.

Then we toured the city a little bit.  Derry used to be a walled in city and is one of the places where the walls actually survive.  So we walked on those a little bit.  We saw the memorial to Bloody Sunday.  We did other shopping, and stopped at cute vintage and antique shops.  All in all, it was a very relaxing and casual weekend.  And very enjoyable. 

Heres some pictures from around Derry

A gateway in the walls around the city (technically the walls go through the current city, but enclosed the old city)

Yay playground!

The most awesome playground thing ever!!! So much fun!  I think its called a Rota Rock.

Just to clarify, this is a statue (its a little hard to tell in the picture, lol)

Unfortunately this picture came out blurry, and I only took one shot.  But I really liked the Christmas lights so I'm posting it anyway

Bloody Sunday memorial

Thats all for now!  Another trip coming up soon!!