Edinburgh & Newcastle Upon Tyne!

       I decided to take a little trip to the UK...nbd. So I headed off to Edinburgh, Scotland with Maeda for 2 nights. We made the trek to Charleoi Airport...off the beaten path in Belgium to snag a cheap seat on a Ryanair flight. We arrived in Edinburgh around 10pm to be greeted by my cousin Conor. He has lived in Edinburgh for a good few years now and it was really great to see him after such a long time. He drove us around the city for a while to give us a mini tour before dropping us off at our hostel.

Me and Conor in Edinburgh.

       We stayed at the Caledonian Backpackers just off Princes Street. It was a really cool eclectic place, and it had WIFI! #winning! Its the little victories that make every day better...we were able to stay in touch with reality while we were there! Anyways, we shared a room with 8 beds in an all female dorm with some people from Australia and New Zealand. Its amazing to think about all of the people we have met from all over the world. 

This was the common room/breakfast room in our hostel.
It has such a cool vibe and I loved all the color!

I almost forgot to mention I tried Vegemite! It was a breakfast option to spread on toast...lets just say I wouldn't recommend it. Its a favorite "Down Under," but lets just assume our taste buds are VERY different...I thought it was pretty gross...sorry to disappoint. 

     Around 11AM we headed out to explore Edinburgh. We didn't have much of a plan, but that is half the fun! We made sure to hit up the Edinburgh Castle, the Christmas Markets, and obviously stop in a few "touristy" shops. We truly walked ALL over the city, it is quite adorable. We walked the Royal Mile, and struggled a bit to find one of J.K. Rowling's inspirations for her depiction of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Who knew she wrote some of the books right there in Edinburgh?!?). We ended up finding it...after about 2 hours of walking and asking about a half dozen people for directions...but it was awesome to see! It was such a beautiful public school...our public schools back home don't exactly look like Hogwarts...

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Christmas Market.
These markets are always so quaint and beautiful..I LOVE CHRISTMAS TIME!

Casually hanging out with Comet outside the Christmas Market!
'Tis the Season!

The glowing George Henriot School in Edinburgh.

           After a great stay in Edinburgh, we boarded the Megabus to take a little drive to Newcastle Upon Tyne ( I learned it is called "Upon Tyne," because it is just along the Tyne River). We decided on this destination because it is where another Loyola study abroad program is located. Some of my close friends from back home were studying there and we joined them on their last weekend! Unfortunately, they were heading back to the U.S. forgive this week...not lucky to come back in the spring like me.
     

Angelica and I ready for the game!

        Anyways, once we arrived we were greeted at the station by my friends Angelica and Kristyn. They gave us a walking tour of Newcastle before we headed back to their flat. Later on we went into Newcastle to see more of the town they have spent the last semester in. It is great to go to other cities to see how other Loyola students live abroad...I'm still partial to Leuven obviously, but Newcastle was very nice. On Saturday we got tickets to go to the Newcastle United "football," (a.k.a. soccer) game. It was great to go to a real match because soccer is HUGE over here.

We had really great seats, we were just 2 rows behind the goal! It was great, just FREEZING! I was not ready for the cold! It seemed to be a major theme of the weekend.
Note to self: Bundle up, its December.

Angelica, Kristyn and I.

Maeda and I at the Millennium Bridge in Newcastle.
This bridge is one of the best known landmarks in Newcastle.

            After a great trip, we had to get to bed early to catch our 5:30 AM bus...oh the joys of travelling on a budget! We hopped on a 4 hour bus to Manchester, to get another bus to the Manchester Airport. After arriving a bit later than expected, we rushed to our gate to make our plane. Luckily, everything went smoothly. So after a few more buses, trains and bike rides...we arrived back in Leuven around 6PM...so college commuting for 12 + hours to get home...BUT IT WAS WORTH IT!

         
          Its almost Christmas...meaning its almost time to head back to the states for a bit! I have some holiday festivities in Leuven first, stay tuned!