MPA Boat Party!

The MPA programme had its annual boat party this past Friday!

Four-hour cruise on the River Thames getting to catch up with second years as well as meeting tons of the incoming first year students!  Thankfully, the boat wasn't named Poseidon like it was in Prague... 

Check out some photos from the evening! 

Susannah and Me- She's my 1st Year MPA Buddy!

Jenny and Me

The O2

The London Eye

The Girls

Brett and Me

Prague Recap: Day Three

On our last day in Prague, we were determined to do several things still remaining on the list before we headed off to the airport.  One of the first things on the list was checking out the Charles Bridge, now during the day, and the area round it.  The Charles Bridge is one of the famous bridges in the city for numerous reasons including surviving the large-scale floods as well as for the Christian statues placed along the bridge. 

View from the Charles Bridge

View of Prague Castle from the Charles Bridge

After wandering around the bridge, looking at the various goods vendors were selling, we decided it was time for breakfast. Once refreshed with coffee, we found ourselves on the hunt for the famous John Lennon Wall. We did end up being lost for a little bit, but we discovered more churches as well as got to see more of a residential neighborhood because of it. Eventually, we stumbled upon the famous wall. 

John Lennon Wall 

Post John Lennon Wall, we grabbed a few Pilsners and sat along a canal. Before we headed to the airport, we walked along the river encountering many famous statues and just took in the nice weather. 

All in all, it was a great city break! It was the last weekend trip of the semester as the end of the term approaches and spring break begins. It was a great way to start birthday celebrations off! 

Prague Recap: Day Two

On our second day in Prague, we enjoyed out extra comfy beds by sleeping in for a bit. School has gotten the best of us lately, so we were grateful for a few extra hours of sleep! 

Our day got started by checking out Prague Castle. Prague Castle is the largest Medieval castle still remaining in the world. While the Palace was closed due to the installation of the new Czech Republic President, we were still able to see the  St. Vitus Cathedral, the Church of St. George, and the Golden Mile.

St. Vitus Cathedral  

Inside St. Vitus Cathedral

After we explored the Castle, we took in the amazing views over the cities!

View of the City

The rest of the day, we spent exploring the famous squares in the city and indulging in the delicious food that the Czech Republic has to offer! We caught the performance of the Astronomical Clock with the dancing figurines.  I did pick up an early birthday present to myself of garnet earrings and pendants.

Apple Strudel

That evening, we walked along the Charles Bridge to take in the night views of the city. While we had done the river cruise, we wanted to get to see the Charles Bridge, itself, lit up. It was entirely different than the day time (see the next post!). The rest of the evening, we spent experiencing the Ice Bar. I had done one in 2010 in Copenhagen, so I was looking forward to checking out a new one!

Bit Chilly

Stay tuned for the final post recapping the jaunt to Prague!

Prague Recap: Day One

Over the weekend, Jenny and I traveled to Prague for some early birthday celebrations! It's been a city I've dreamed of visiting for more years than I can remember. Full of history, color, culture, and food, I was not disappointed. 

We were able to grab an Expedia deal that allowed us to get BA flights out of Heathrow and a four star hotel within our student budget. Not too shabby, eh?  

To start our Friday, we headed out from our hotel to catch a view of Prague Castle from the river bank. We were within a two minute walk to the famous Charles Bridge.  While the city was foggy (good old London fog following us...), the views were still incredible. We got our first taste of the amazing city, and were ready to keep exploring. But, first lunch!

Our first lunch was traditional Czech food full of Pilsners! 

I settled for Czech goulash and bread dumplings. 

Once our bellies were full, we wandered around the Old Town Square to see the Astronomical Clock, the colorful buildings, and the Church of Our Lady Before Tyn.

Astronomical Clock  

Church of Our Lady Before Tyn 

Jenny and I had decided to purchase Hop On-Hop Off bus tickets. So, we started our 48 hour pass on that afternoon as well. I'm a huge advocate of the Hop On-Hop Off busses because you get more facts about the city, get to see things that you often would not see, and transport throughout the city. We were able to see sights such as the building used for the Bourne Identity, the Strahov Stadium, and the older buildings in Prague that are now used for the government and hospitals that we normally would not have had time to see (or find)! 

Strahov Stadium 

Once we rode around once, we hopped off to wander the bridges and the area around our hotel. We had booked a dinner river cruise for the evening, so we headed back to the hotel to get ready for that. 

The dinner cruise celebrated Czech heritage. Complete with Pilsners, a live band, and traditional food, Jenny and I had a great time on board. We were also able to grab numerous photos of Prague at night! 

Charles Bridge at Night

It was truly a great first night in Prague! Stay tuned for updates about the second and third day!

Far, Far Away!

For an early birthday present, I'm headed to Prague this weekend with my friend Jenny! 

Stay tuned next week for a re-cap!

Upcoming Travel Plans!

Exciting News!

I'm headed to Prague for my 23rd birthday this year! I cannot travel the weekend of my actual birthday due to a group project being due, but I'm headed there the weekend prior. I've always wanted to go to Prague, so I'm excited to check the city out while celebrating. 

Spring break plans are also coming together. My Dad and I are going to be traveling for three weeks, but I wanted to spend some time traveling to other places before my summer term begins! 

After my Dad leaves, I'm going to be taking a solo trip up to Edinburgh, Scotland. I just booked the hotel for four days of exploring the city as well as a day trip to find the Loch Ness monster! From there, I'm headed home to London for an evening before Nicole and I head off to Verona, Italy. We're spending several days in Verona before heading off to Venice! 

I'll essentially be traveling for a month to a wide range of towns, cities, and countries. I'm super excited to get traveling again in Europe. I cannot wait to see these places and see what I stumble upon!