"Paris holds the key to my heart"

Paris was fantastic, but didn't last long enough!!! Over the past 5 days I've: taken a night boat tour of the city, gone shopping numerous times, climbed the arc de triumphe, eaten 2 crepes, climbed the eiffel tower, seen the mona lisa, visited versailles, and much much more. Next stop, Normandy (where I will not have wifi) and the back to Bruges.

xoxo

pics:

1. eiffel tower twinkling

2. mary, justin, me, and kristiana at a cute cafe

3. view from the arc de triumphe to the eiffel tower

4. arc de triumphe

5. sally and i in front of the seine river

I don't know what happened to the pics...

So here are some =)

1. Bruges

2. Kristiana, Amanda, Elri and I in front of our cottage in Ireland

3. Wendy, Jenny, and I on the Irish coast

4. A group of us at the Thames festival

5. Sarah, Me, Amanda and Sally before tea!

Catching up… I’m no longer in the U.K.!

Sorry everyone for the gap in posts… I’ve been estranged from internet for more than a week now… but I’m back =)

I closed out my London experience with a traditional tea and scones with the girls, the Thames festival, dying my hair black (again), then the London Eye with Lauren (aka the largest Ferris Wheel you’ve ever seen!)

Ireland was awesome…. I loved my roommates. We stayed in little cottages in Rostrevor, Northern Ireland with a monastery being the only thing in walking distance. The greenery was gorgeous but it also made me appreciate what a pretty place we live in. The run behind Westmont through the oaks with a view of the ocean very much reminded me of a trail I ran in Ireland…. except in Ireland there are more sheep =)

Now I’m in Bruges—finally on the continent—and it’s beginning to feel like Europe! The canals and cute brick houses are like nothing I’ve seen before! (Except in Disneyland…)

Love you all and hope to talk to you soon

Xoxo Marina

Back in London! 9/7/09

So the quaint Quaker residence was relaxing, but now I'm back in the big city! It's nice that this trip has an ebb and flow...fast pace, and then a slow week before we pick back up running. This week for sure feels like a marathon. I have my first essay due, a bunch of other work to do, lots of group outings and things planned, and I want to make time to see a musical =) These are pictures from either Stratford (where I saw As You Like It performed by the Royal Shakespeare company), Coventry (where we stopped for a matter of hours to see a ruined and rebuilt cathedral), or back in London (Sally, Me, Mary with the Tower Bridge in the background!).

For the past two Sundays I've gone to Hillsong's church in London--and it's been an amazing experience! Next week, they're having a combined large service in London's O2 arena which holds 20,000+ people! So exciting!

Definitely the best thing about this trip so far is meeting a bunch of amazing people. Conversations are amazing and God is revealing a little piece of himself in every person I get to know. The Europe semester group is already becoming like a family and I love it =)

Now I'm just missing all of you at home!

xoxo

Marina

Oxford and Birmingham, 9/1/09

Yesterday our group made the transition to Birmingham for four days of rest and relaxation after the craziness of London. We're staying at this cute Quaker residence that's so serene! They have a nature preserve in their backyard, including a small lake. The premises are beautiful and it's been nice to rest. On our way over here, we stopped in Oxford for 3 hours just to see the sights. I ate in a pub where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien wrote! We'll be here (in Birmingham) until Friday, but I wish it were longer! I like the peaceful landscape and slower lifestyle... and they even have an art room that is like a dream!

Love you all

xoxo

Marina