Walking to Mumbles

Jessica, Stephanie, Nicole, and I met up at ten this morning to start our adventure to Mumbles, a small town within a 3-mile walk of campus.  It was a brisk but sunny morning; when we started out, part of the water on the coast was still frozen!  We just strolled along the beach, reaching Mumbles just in time for lunch.  We ate at the White Rose, a pub recommended by Stephanie's flatmates.  The desserts alone made the stop worthwhile!  We continued on the the Mumbles Pier, which provided an excellent view.  There was an adorable dragon slide on the pier, so we all had to get pictures with it!  We climbed up a hill (on a whim, really) only to discover a breathtaking view of the Gower.  It was so peaceful to just sit down, take in the view, and listen to the sound of the waves on the shore below.  Such an amazing experience shared with amazing people!

Mumbles Pier

Mumbles lighthouse from the pier

Me with the Mumbles Pier dragon :)

Looking out at the Gower...so beautiful and peaceful

A day in Bath

Me in front of the Bath Abbey

Caroline, Jessica, me, Stephanie, Nicole, and Rachael at the Roman Baths

I have been so antsy to travel and blog, so the trip to Bath today gave me the perfect opportunity to do both!  We boarded the buses at nine for a two-hour drive.  First stop--the Roman Baths.  The Baths are located right next to the Bath Abbey, so we admired that while waiting in line.  I loved getting to tour the Baths, and the history behind them was fascinating!  The earliest inscription from the Baths dates back to 76 AD.  I found it interesting that people used to send messages (written on thin pieces of pewter) to Minerva, the goddess worshiped at the Baths, by dropping them into the water. Often these messages were curses on people who had stolen items from them.  After leaving the Baths, Jessica, Stephanie, and I headed to find Sally Lunn's House, a tea shop located in the oldest house in Bath.  We decided to try the famous Sally Lunn Bath Bun, shown below with chocolate butter.  It was so delicious! After enjoying our lunch there, we walked around Bath, exploring the Abbey and walking to the Circus and Royal Crescent.  These were streets with houses built in arcs around them; they were very picturesque.  We enjoyed browsing through some unique shops, including the Fudge Factory, where we saw the adorable chocolate sheep and hedgehogs!  I bought a caramel apple there--my splurge of the day!

Outside of Sally Lunn's

Sally Lunn Bath Bun with chocolate butter... Mmmmmm :)

Cute little garden I saw while just strolling around- a hidden treasure of the City of Bath!

Big Pit

My adventure today included a tour of Big Pit, the National Coal Museum in Blaenafon, Wales.  We got to go underground the see the actual mine.  This is when we got to wear our hardhats; they even had lights attached to them!  We traveled 90 meters down the mineshaft, and a tour guide (who used to work at the coal mine when it was still in operation) led us through part of the mine.  He told us that entire families used to work in the mines.  The children from ages 7 to 12 were in charge of opening and closing the doors to keep the air in each part of the mine fresh.  Because explosions would produce carbon monoxide, this was vital to the safety of the miners.  I found it interesting that the mine owners paid the miners in tokens that could only be used at the company store.  This added to the already-poor lifestyle of the miners and their families.  Most of the ceilings in the mine were very low; even I had to duck down!  On the way out of the mine, our tour guide sang us an old mining song and invited us to join in!  All of the miners (workers at the museum) were very friendly and joked around a lot.  It made for a fun tour!

 Left--Stephanie, me, and Jessica rocking the hardhats

The beach

Swansea University is literally right across the street from a beach!  During our lunch break today, my friends and I decided to enjoy the beach while the sun was out.  It was gorgeous and so peaceful!  I feel like I could just sit in the sand and look out at the ocean all day.

The Gower

Yesterday I attended the orientation for my British Culture and Politics Since 1945 class.  All the American students were welcomed by the professor of the class as well as the ladies who work for the Study Abroad program at Swansea University.  Everyone was very welcoming!  We received diaries (planners) for the upcoming semester as well as our Swansea student ID.  We also finished our enrollment forms, and after the orientation, I picked up my bus pass.  It will give me unlimited access to any of the Swansea buses, which will make it much easier to travel to and from the Uni (what the British students call the University), the City Centre, and the Hendrefoelan Student Village (where I live).  In the afternoon we went on a trip to the Gower Peninsula.  Even though it was cool and rainy, there were still people surfing at the beaches there.  We were only able to get off the bus outside of the city of Rhosili, by a place called the Worm's Head.  Some of the cliffs drop right off into the water!  It was gorgeous even though the weather was not too favorable.  The pictures show me at the Worm's Head.

Almost there

As I'm sitting here in the Birmingham International Airport waiting for my train, I realize that I am just three train rides, just a few hours, from Swansea. I am so excited for it! It will be nice to be done with the traveling part for a bit. I can't wait to unpack my suitcase and whip out my camera to take more pictures. I want to save the battery on my iPod, so the next time I write, I will be in Swansea!

Exciting Beginning

It's hard to believe that I head to Omaha tomorrow to start my journey!  A call from Continental Airlines saying that my flight from Omaha to Newark on Wednesday had been cancelled sent me into a frenzy.  After spending some quality time on the phone with a representative from Continental Airlines, I finally managed to get a flight to Houston then Newark tomorrow.  Now I am just praying that my flight from Newark to Birmingham doesn't get cancelled.  Mom helped me organize my suitcase, so as of right now it looks like I'll have plenty of room for souvenirs.  It's been a little hectic, but I know this is just the beginning of a great adventure!