Hello Collegiettes™! Hope your Thursdays are off to a great start! As usual, I’ve got a full day ahead of me starting with a pit stop on my way to class for my new addiction, a Flat White (check out my Chic+Geek blog post for more info) and ending with a late afternoon stroll through Covent Garden with my friend Sofia! I’m really looking forward to checking out the Covent Garden market which I have yet to explore since arriving in London over four weeks ago. Sadly, I’ve spent the past few days consumed in facts about the British Empire and evaluating financial statistics so it will be such a treat to get outside, take in the gorgeous fall weather, and explore the city!
What have you been up to so far this week? Did you do anything fun over the weekend? Fortunately, I had the opportunity to spend my entire weekend away from the craziness of London for the second weekend in a row – what a treat! My classmates and I took off bright and early Saturday morning with Helen, our Boston College liaison, to the lovely English countryside to visit Bodiam castle, Rye, and Hastings!
(My friends, Morgan and Sofia, and I infront of Bodiam Castle)
Before taking a tour of Bodiam Castle, my classmates and I were treated to a morning cup of tea or coffee and slice of cake. If only breakfast could be so amazing everyday (lately I’ve been relying on my dwindling supply of Luna Bars)! We then walked across the courtyard and up to the castle to take a handful of group pictures and hear about the history of the site we were about to explore. According to our tour guide, Bodiam Castle was built back in 1385 to defend the area against France during the Hundred Years’ War. As you can see from the pictures, it is a moated castle surrounded by water on all sides.
(A latte and slice of Victoria sponge cake for breakfast – yum!)
After our tour was complete, we had some free time to take in the gorgeous weather (65 and sunny … I’m starting to think I’m not in London) and walk up to the top corners of the castle to take in the view!
The next stop on our weekend journey was the historical yet lively town of Rye where we spent the afternoon chatting over lunch, listening to a presentation of the town’s history, and walking up and down the cobblestone streets. In many ways, Rye reminded of me Bath (the English town I visited last weekend) with its narrow roads and corner cafes! My favorite part of the day was spent checking out the local boutiques and playing with all of the Springer Spaniels I saw walking through town! Seeing so many dogs made me realize how much I miss my own dog, Maggie!
After making a pit stop for some ice cream, my classmates and I re-boarded the bus and headed to Hastings, our final destination for the day. We arrived just in time to watch the gorgeous sunset, grab a bite to eat at the hotel, and take part in the town’s traditional bonfire and fireworks show!
(Hastings sunset along the boardwalk)
The following morning my classmates and I rallied from our crazy night for a walking tour of the town. After a long day of sightseeing (including the Hastings Castle), we stopped by a local cafe for a serving of fish and chips before boarding the bus for our journey back to London!
(View from the top of Hastings Castle)
(Remains of Hastings Castle)
If you’re interested in seeing more pictures from my weekend trip, make sure to check them out here! So far I don’t have any plans for the upcoming weekend but I’ll make sure to fill you in on anything exciting I come across when I write my Her Campus Study Abroad Blog post next Thursday. Have a great weekend!
Love,
Marissa
P.S. Have you ever visited a real castle?