July 25-August 8, 2011
July 25th- This morning Heavens, Rachel and I went to Heathrow Airport to got pick up Mama USA from the airport. We ended up being late because our trains took forever so she got there before we did. But I ran and hugged her. We got some food and made our way back home- the 3 hour ride home. Once back Mama took a nap and then Heavens made us a steak and mashed potato dinner and Kimi came over. We played table tennis a bit, gave out presents, and chatted. Then we finished packing for our trip.
July 25th- This morning Heavens, Rachel and I went to Heathrow Airport to got pick up Mama USA from the airport. We ended up being late because our trains took forever so she got there before we did. But I ran and hugged her. We got some food and made our way back home- the 3 hour ride home. Once back Mama took a nap and then Heavens made us a steak and mashed potato dinner and Kimi came over. We played table tennis a bit, gave out presents, and chatted. Then we finished packing for our trip.
July 26th- At 5:20am we got a cab to London St. Pancras to take the train to Paris. We got there around 6:30 and waited at the station eating food. Finally at 7:22 we boarded the Eurostar on our way to Paris. I slept most of the time because I was so tired. We got in about 11:50 their time (they are an hour ahead) and it took us 2 ½ hours to figure out the information/tickets to get to our hotel. We finally figured out we needed the metro and went to get in line to buy the tickets. In line there was a person dressed like someone who worked there handing out tickets. I asked why we didn’t need to use the machine and he said they were the same thing. I was cautious about it so I took a really long time getting out my money and while I was doing this a bunch of kids came running and screaming and the guy selling us the tickets took off. He was trying to scam us! Luckily it didn’t work. We got our tickets, got on the metro, and headed to our stop. It was only 2 stops away but it took us FOREVER to walk to our hotel. The cool part was though that once on our street we could see the Eiffel tower and from outside our hotel you could see it! We checked in and sorted our stuff out. Our hotel had an elevator only one person could be in at a time…kind of creepy. Our room was not very big basically just had a bed and dresser in it. And our bathroom was a bit small as well but not too bad. Later we went to the grocery store for some food. But we had to leave our key with the front desk! How weird! I’ve never had to do that before. We got some food (sandwich and pasta) and we ate it on a bench near the metro. That was when we met Jacques. He was a 63 year old man who was single and looking (mainly at me). He said he wanted a wife…..sorry Jacques you’re not my type J We took the metro to Notre Dame stop and found the Palais de Justice and Saint-Chapelle (a beautiful, beautiful church with breath-taking stained glass windows. Then we went to the Conciergerie (a former prison) and saw the coolest thing! I spotted it by the way. We were looking at the walls and ceilings and all of a sudden I saw something weird on the ceiling. We zoomed in with out camera’s and saw that it was a playing card- The Jack of Spades….how weird! And how did it get there? After we saw Paris Plage Beach (which is basically along the river with sand they brought in to make a fake beach). We looked at some shops and restaurants then went to Notre Dame. It was beautiful. We couldn’t find the crypt but we walked around the back to the gardens and finally found the Tower which was closed by the time we found it. Then we tried to find the Deportation Memorial and in the process found the bridge with the locks on them. The entire bridge (along the wire fencing) was filled with locks people had made (or wrote on) and then locked on the bridge. They then threw the keys into the river while making a wish. We looked at all the different locks then we found the Deportation Memorial which was very sad. When you walked down the steps you couldn’t see the city anymore. All you saw were walls and a small bit of the river in between the bars. Then you walked into the Memorial and saw the Tomb of the Unknown Deportee and 200,000 lighted crystals for each French victim of the Nazi’s. It was very sombre. After we went back up to the street to do some shopping and found some locks. We bought one and wrote Danielle and Mama USA 2011 on it. We locked it on the bridge then made our wish (for happiness and good health) and threw the key into the river. We did some more shopping then went to get some dessert for dinner but the guy was a little rude so we ended up getting a Crepe with Nutella and bananas to share. We sat by the Siene River eating our dessert. On the way home we stopped at the grocery store for some food- bread, olives, cheese, fruit. Then we went back to our hotel to facebook Heavens, eat and watch Harry Potter in French lol. We planned tomorrow, skyped Dad and went to bed!
July 27th- Today we woke up early and got ready. Had some breakfast and we were going to go to the Eiffel Tower but we got a late start and didn’t want to wait in line for too long so instead we took the tube to the Arch de Triomphe. It is a giant monument that Napolean had built after his victory at Austerliz. It is in the middle of 12 boulevards all converging into one. We went up to the top and got some amazing pictures of the boulevards and the Eiffel Tower. After, we decided to walk down the Champs-Elysse which is the biggest shopping street in Paris. We stopped for a baguette sandwich and some coffee. We continued walking down the boulevard to the Ponte Alexander which was a really cool bridge. We saw the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais and then walked through the gardens to the Louvre. We entered through the giant glass pyramid. We walked around and saw Venus and the Mona Lisa (which was over-crowded, super guarded, and not very big). Then we walked along the river to Notre Dame and this time got to wait in line to go up the tower. Unfortunately it started raining in line! While we were in line we ate some French Fries in France J We huddled together and waited for about an hour and a half. Then we went up the tower and got to see the bell of Notre Dame. It was really cool because it was named after Therese which is me J We also got to hear the bells in the other tower. We saw a panoramic view of the city then walked down and went to the tube. We went to the pharmacy then to the store for some food to tie us over. We went back to our hotel, ate, changed, and sorted stuff out. Then we made our way to the Eiffel Tower. It was absolutely amazing. There are no words to describe how beautiful and breath-taking it is. No matter where you look at it (from far away, up close, underneath it, during the day, at night, from on it) it was amazing. We got some pictures of it and underneath it then we got in line for our tickets. While we waited we were entertained by a guy dressed as a clown goofing around. Then we took the elevator to the 2nd floor- 400 feet, meeting some Italian boys who love America along the way and immediately got in line to go to the summit- 900 feet. We took some amazing pictures, and some with the Italian boys and then went back to the 2nd floor for some more pictures and finally the 1st floor- 200 feet for some shops and pictures. As we were making our way back down the tower we realized it had gotten dark enough out to turn on the lights. Once we were out of the tower we saw it all lit up and took some more pictures. Then the coolest thing happens. Every hour after the lights are turned on for 5 minutes there is a light show. We walked across the street to see it better. It was really cool. We took the tube back and tried to find some place to serve us food at midnight. Luckily there was one restaurant and it had really good food! Mom got chicken with mashed potatoes and I got French fries ad bread with tomato, chicken, and cheese. It was really good. We then went back to our hotel to skype dad before going to bed after a long, long, but wonderful day!
July 28th- Today we got up ate breakfast and then checked out of our hotel. To do that though, mom had to yell at two Chinese girls because they kept pressing the button on the elevator so instead of mom going down to the first floor she’d go down then come back up lol. NO BUTTON! Then we took the train/subway to the airport. First we had to take a tube but we had our luggage. Mom had a hard time getting through with her bag getting stuck which made her get stuck in the entrance. We had to get someone to let her out lol. It was sooooo funny. We ended up having to switch from the tube to a train. We got confused about where to go so I went to ask. However, I didn’t want to go out of the barriers and lose my ticket so I pushed the help button and they opened the gate but when mom started to go through they shut the gate and she got stuck lol. AGAIN! Once at the airport we had to wait for a few hours so we took naps, ate some food, and hung out. Finally we got on the plane and went to Rome. We got on a bus from the airport to the train station. Then we bought our metro ticket and lugged our suitcases all the way down to the tube and then were told we had missed the last train. At 9:00 at night. 9:00. Are they crazy?? So we had to lug our suitcases all the way back up and find a cab. We went to the line of taxi’s and found a guy but instead of taking us to a taxi car he took us to an unmarked car. I asked where his taxi car was (ummm don’t you have a taxi sign?) and he said it was the same thing. But I refused to get in so he took us back to the taxi line and gave us to a guy. I was still nervous the whole way to the hotel but luckily it was fine. We checked into our amazing room. It had a huge room with a big bed and a little bed and a dresser and space to move about. The bathroom was also big which was nice. Then we got dressed up and decided to go across the street for our nice dinner. We got fried cheese, bread, white and red wine, fried mushrooms, and my spaghetti was mushroom spaghetti and mom got bacon spaghetti. It was really good. Then mom paid while I went back to the hotel to skype Heavens J and we skyped Dad. Then we went to bed.
July 29th- Today we got up and went to breakfast. We were wondering why breakfast was on the 6th floor and realized it as soon as we got there. It was beautiful. There was a nice balcony outside and inside there were windows lining the room so you could see the view outside. We were in line with the tops of the trees. It was so cool. It was a nice spread for breakfast as well. I have been eating a lot of mozzarella and tomatoes with oil and vinegar. It is really good. Then we took the tube to the Coliseum. We got the Roma Pass so we could get in for free but we still had a long line to wait in. As we walked up to the Coliseum we saw a tour group that let us skip the line and was only 18 Euros so we decided to do that. It was absolutely beautiful. It was huge and just amazing thinking about what happened here so many years ago. We followed the tour group into the Coliseum and had to have our Roma Pass scanned. In the process of this happening we lost our group. We could not find them. I was getting so upset that we paid for this and didn’t even get the tour when at the last minute we found them. So we went with our tour through the Coliseum (which didn’t last very long) but was interesting. We learned that underneath the stage is where all the animals and people were brought in and they were pushed up through the stage for the show. We learned that they turned the stage into a jungle for the opening act and had people hunt animals. We learned that the gladiators were stuck in a life they didn’t deserve and had to save up all their money just to buy their freedom (which only 2% accomplished) and some who weren’t very good were put into a battle knowing they would lose. The ones who did buy their freedom usually came back and joined again at their own will because it was all they ever knew. The women had to sit the furthest up in the stands because the men were afraid their wives or girlfriends would make eye contact with them and leave their boyfriends or husbands for the gladiators. You were also killed if you were a Christian and had to sit near the giant cross in the stadium. It was really cool to see and take pictures. We also learned that half of it was destroyed during an earthquake and that the pieces were taken and used to build other buildings. After the tour we walked around a bit then headed out walking down the road seeing the Arch of Constantine, seeing the Roman Ruins and tried to find the Victor Emmanuel Monument. We were going to go to the Forum and Palantine Hill but because the people working there went on strike it was closed. So we tried finding this monument. We saw this HUGE building named the Ministry of Culture and Heritage so we assumed it wasn’t the monument. However, after searching for another like 20 minutes (finding churches and other buildings) we realized the big statue in the middle of the HUGE building was the Victor Emmanuel Monument lol. After walking around so much we decided to get lunch. We went to a pizzeria and ate brushetta and pizza before heading to the Pantheon. We went into the Pantheon which is a huge church that was dedicated to the martyrs after the fall of Rome and has been preserved ever since. After the Pantheon we got some gelato because we heard that it was awesome in Rome. Mom got chocolate chip and I got nutella. It was absolutely amazing! Then we walked to the station and headed home. On the way home we saw the American Embassy which was cool. We relaxed a bit then walked to Trevi Fountain. On the way we found the church- Trinita Dei Monti which was a beautiful church that led down to the Spanish steps to a fountain. It was gorgeous. Then we decided we were hungry so we ate at McDonalds before going to the Trevi Fountain. The McDonalds was HUGE! It had its own spot dedicated to coffee and ice cream. Then once inside someone took your order while you waited in line and gave you a receipt. There were also these carts that you could use to push your food around if you had too much J After dinner we walked to the Trevi Fountain. It was packed but it was beautiful. There were also guards there which I didn’t know why. But we found a spot to make our wish and throw our coin into the fountain. Mom and I put our hands in and then Mom put her feet in. Then we walked home and skyped Dad and Heavens before bed.
July 30th- Today we got up early and grabbed breakfast before heading to the Borghese Gallery. We walked there and walked through the park to get there. It was a nice walk and we ended up getting there really early. We couldn’t take pictures which sucked but it was cool because the ceilings had beautiful art on them! We went back to the hotel to nap and I skyped Heavens. Then we went to the Vatican Museum. There were tons! I mean tons of rooms; lots of different statues and art. We FINALLY made it to the Sistine Chapel. We weren’t supposed to take pictures so we snuck a few then left because it was so crowded. It was cool thought because the Vatican had a garden and huge buildings and is its own country. It even has its own stamp/post office. Then we ate some lunch- mozzarella and tomato sandwich and chips and then headed to St. Peter’s Basilica. They had a lovely fountain which my mom and I wanted a picture in front of but the woman we asked to do it was so rude and basically said no. Luckily there was a young girl there that said yes. We went in (you couldn’t wear shorts of bare shoulders) took some pictures and rubbed St. Peter’s feet (the statue) because it is supposed to be good luck. Then we went back to the hotel and changed and went to dinner at Café Veneto. I wanted to go there because it was fancy and you ate outside but inside. It was like a greenhouse so glass windows but you were outside of the main building. There were really small portions and it was 5 euros just for water. Plus they had a wine menu and the most expensive bottle of wine was 1,450 euros! How ridiculous!? I got spinach and ricotta ravioli and mom got spaghetti with meat sauce. We also got bread and oil. After, we walked to an American bar for dessert. We got some coffee with milk and some fruit with ice cream. Of course Mom with her perfect timing decides now she is going to figure out she is allergic to kiwi….as we are eating it! So we ended up leaving and trying to buy cigarettes for her on the way home but couldn’t because you need a special I.D. card. So we came home and skyped Dad and Heavens before bed.
July 31st- Today we slept in and got some breakfast. We were going to go to the Forum and Hill but mom wasn’t feeling very well so instead we relaxed in the hotel for a bit. I uploaded pictures and skyped Heavens. They we got ready and went out to find a pharmacy but couldn’t find one that was open. We decided to eat at the Hard Rock Café because we were having so much trouble with Italian places. Mom got BBQ ribs and pulled pork with coleslaw, beans, and fries and I got pasta with grilled chicken in a lemon sauce, peas, mashed potatoes, asparagus and garlic bread. After, we got dessert which was really good. Mom got chocolate mousse bite and I got a chocolate peanut butter bite. We took lots of pictures of some cool stuff in the Café. Then we went back to the hotel and I facebooked Heavens and skyped Dad, we showered, and packed then watched Gnomeo and Juliet and I straightened mom’s hair before bed.
August 1st- Today we got up and got ready then checked out of our hotel and headed to the train station. We took the tube there as it wasn’t too bad. The station however was soooo confusing. Our train had a different place it was going to (we didn’t realize that was the end place but that it was stopping at our place as well) plus everything was in Italian so it was confusing. I waited in line to ask someone and mom and I both asked people. We finally figured out where we were going and just as the train pulled in a guy came up to us making sure we were in the right spot then he took our bags and started wheeling them to the train. We tried to stop him but he didn’t. We got to our seats and then he demanded 5 euros for helping us. I was like we didn’t even ASK him to help us. So I gave him 3 euros and said that was all I had, but I was like seriously?? We took the train from Roma to Florence. When we arrived we went to the info center across the street and got directions to our hotel. It didn’t seem like a far walk but ended up being one. Plus our hotel didn’t have a sign out in front of it so we got confused and missed it the first time. Finally we found it and checked in. This room was the smallest room out of all of our hotels. Basically only a bed fit in it and our bathroom was quite small as well. The good thing was that it had air conditioning which no other hotel had. I was happy about that. We walked into town, walking through the market which was nice. I even got asked if I wanted to date a guy working at the market lol. We looked at the outside of a church that we found. It was absolutely beautiful! Then we walked to the Accademia where David is so we knew where to go the next morning. We found a small park and sat for a bit before we heard thunder and thought it would be best to go home. We shopped a bit then got back and relaxed a bit. I uploaded pictures on facebook and we napped a bit. Then we got all dressed up and went into town to find dinner. We picked a place with an outdoor restaurant. There were really nice waiters who talked to us. We ordered from the set menu. I got spaghetti with egg and bacon and pork in lemon sauce with potatoes and a cream caramel dessert. Mom got spaghetti with meat sauce, pork in lemon sauce with potatoes and cream caramel dessert. The spaghetti was amazing, the pork alright and the dessert very gross lol. It was like baby food haha. I also got a glass of red wine which was pretty good. Mom got coffee with milk but we had to ask for some cream lol. They were really nice there. We went back to our hotel and skyped Dad and Heavens. However, I got really mad at Heavens because she decided to go get her lip pierced WITHOUT ME! It wasn’t the greatest conversation as I was upset she went without me but I finally got over it and we went to bed.
August 2nd- Today we got up early and got ready. Then we ate breakfast in our room because that is how this hotel works. They bring you breakfast in bed lol. However, you don’t really get a choice of anything. You get two croissants and two rolls then tea or coffee and juice. Then we walked to the Galleria de Accademia to see David. We had to wait in line because we didn’t have reservations but we didn’t have to wait too long, only about an hour or so. We went in a looked around a bit. We weren’t supposed to take pictures so I snuck a few but it was difficult because they had security all over and cameras. So I only took a few then put my camera away. We saw some statues and some old instruments. Some were quite cool. We were looking at all the different statues then I walked through the curtain to go into the next room. I saw a sign saying Michelangelo so I stopped to look at the statue when I hear mom whisper next to me, ‘Danielle…’ I turn to look where she is looking and I see him….David. He was massive. I mean HUGE, and breathtaking. It was amazing. We just stood in aw for a bit then walked around him and saw that they measure the stress in his right leg to make sure he doesn’t break. It was just amazing to see him and try to figure out how they got him into this building as he was originally outside. Now there is a fake David outside. We looked around a bit more then we saw David one last time before leaving. Then we decided to walk to Ponte Verricho which is the Golden Bridge. Most of the shops along the bridge sell gold. I’m not even sure if you are allowed to drive over the bridge anymore as there are so many people shopping on it. Also, it’s hard to tell you are even on a bridge as its just shops. But it looked really cool and we looked at some shops and took some pictures. We also saw some more locks like the ones in France. We walked back to the hotel doing some shopping and seeing some cool buildings along the way. When we got home we napped and skyped Heavens and Matt then we got ready to go out to dinner. We decided that we were going to get some food to bring back and watch a movie. However, this is easier said than done. We were in the store trying to find some snacks but I wanted something substantial as well like a sandwich or something. However, this was a mission. We decided to buy stuff to make our own sandwiches, but we couldn’t buy mayonnaise because we didn’t need an entire jar for it we only needed a little bit. So we decided to buy butter instead. We went to check out and were told the butter we were buying wasn’t what we thought it would be and we couldn’t eat it like we wanted to. At this point I was ready to give up. After being in the store for about a half hour I couldn’t take it anymore, so we left. We found a little restaurant that did burgers so we decided to buy a burger then mom went back and got some snacks from the store. We went back to the hotel and watched The Next Three Days while eating snacks/dinner before bed.
August 3rd- Today we were going to get up early to go to a church- the one we saw yesterday that looked beautiful on the outside- but we were both tired so we got up for breakfast then went back to bed and slept until about 1. We got ready and went to lunch. We went to an American Diner which was cool. I got a hot dog and fries and mom got onion rings and we both got coffee. Then we went to the church and had to wait in line but only for about 45 minutes. We went in and it was beautiful. We each lit a candle and said a prayer for someone or something. Then we walked around and saw the beautiful painted ceiling and the paintings on the walls as well as the fountains and bought some souvenirs. Then we went back to rest before dinner. I was on facebook talking to some people while mom rested. Then we got ready for dinner. We decided to do dessert first tonight as the dessert was the best part of Italy. We got waffles with ice cream. I got a waffle with cookie ice cream, mint ice cream, and chocolate ice cream. Mom got a waffle with cherry ice cream and strawberries and raspberries on top. Then we went to dinner. We went to the same place we went the first night in Florence. I got the spaghetti with egg and bacon again because it was so good and a glass of red wine. Mom got a salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, olives, onions, and feta. We relaxed and ate dinner. Some guys came by to play music and it was nice but then of course they wanted money for it. Then we went back to our hotel and skyped Heavens. We decided to trip her by telling her I was getting a ride home from a friend and she couldn’t come to the airport to get us. We did it to get back at her for going to get her lip pierced without me! She so believed it! But then we told her we were just kidding. We went to bed and I attempted to sleep. However, I didn’t account for the fact that Mom would be super hyper. It took me forever to fall asleep because it took her forever to fall asleep.
August 4th- Today we got up and got ready then ate breakfast. Before we checked out we decided to go back to the market for one last look then we checked out and got a cab to the airport. Unfortunately we were super early for our flight. We had to wait at the airport about 6 hours until we left. We watched Despicable Me, played cards and read. We got to Gatwick and I was super excited to see Heavens! She brought me a bear and a balloon! J We got the train to Victoria then got some food and coffee before taking the train back to Butler Court where we gave out our souvenirs to Rachel and Heavens. I also got souvenirs from Heavens- a frame with Soda on it a beer fest glass and a key chain. After all this, we all went to bed. I was happy to be back with Heavens J
August 5th- Well today started off great! Heavens and I are officially dating now J And yes, I asked her lol. Today we slept in a bit then got ready and all four of us went to the café for a full English breakfast! It was mom’s first! After, we went to the store to get groceries for the next few days. We hung out a bit before dinner which was jacket potatoes…yummmm. Then we went to pub club with Brandy, Mad Dog, Chris and a few others. We drank a bit and chatted about our trip and then got a kebab on the way home! It was a good Friday!
August 6th- Today we got up early to go into London! We went to Camden Market. On the way stopping at the station for some breakfast and Heavens got the best customer service ever! Lol. We did some shopping at the market and got food. Mom and I got paella…yummm yummm. Then we took the tube to Westminster to walk along the Thames. When we got to the station Mama USA and I heard all these people screaming and shouting so we walked up to see what was going on expecting to see something really cool….only to find that it was a bunch of screaming girls for Justin Beiber…. Maybe he had a concert or maybe they are just losers haha. We walked by Big Ben and the London Eye then went across the bridge to find the guy who makes frames out of metal. He takes the long piece of metal and bends it into names and flowers and hearts to make picture frames. They were really cool. We stayed with him for like ever and got so many different frames made. While Heavens and I were on the bridge Mama USA and Rachel went to the carnival and Heavens got a phone call from Rachel trying to find us. One of the guys who was perfoming came over to her because she was waving her arm trying to find us and he asked if her arm was having a spasm. He then asked if she was on the phone, he took the phone and asked Heavens a joke. He asked what has small balls and hangs down. The answer: a bat. Then he said what has big balls and hangs up. Then he hung up the phone lol. Poor Heavens was still wondering what the answer to the joke was hahaha. We made our way down and we watched some acts for a while. Then we walked to Covent Garden area (up Fleet Street…dum dum duuuummm!!!) Don’t worry we didn’t go into a barber shop haha. Or a pie shop…ewww. Then we finally found a pub for dinner (took us forever) but I am happy with our choice. Rachel went home and Heavens, Mama USA and I got dinner. Mama USA and I got fish and chips, and Heavens got steak pie. After dinner and relaxing we went to see the show the Woman in Black. It wasn’t as scary as it was advertised for but it was scary as things jumped out at you. It was really good though. I enjoyed it. Then we took the 2 hour tube ride home L
August 7th- Today we slept in late, finally got ready and went into Romford for some shopping. Then we went to the pub for some Sunday Roast. Mama USA got beef roast, I got chicken and Heavens got pork. They were pretty good. We also got dessert. I got sticky toffee pudding…yum. Mom got chocolate cake and ice cream…mmm. And Heavens got blueberry and cranberry crumble….gross! Then we went home and had a Big Brother marathon!
August 8th- Today we slept in again. Then got up and went to the café for breakfast. Then we went to morrissons and home to pack all day. We had lots to pack and sort out. Then we watched the last of Big Brother before dinner. Mama USA made us spaghetti pie and Heavens made homemade garlic bread. It was really, really good. We had a few drinks and played cards. We played Euchre which was cool and lots of fun. It was a good last night with Mama USA!
Until next time,
¬D¬
