Stonehenge and Bath!

The most frustrating part about being abroad so far is the fact that I have had the whooping cough since I stepped off the plane. It has actually turned into the whooping cough after going through several stages. First it was the dreaded tickly cough...so annoying, then it moved onto continuous sneezing and runny nose, then I think it moved into my brain for a week and I became psychologically unstable and then back to the tickly cough and now this week it is a chest cold. It wouldn’t be that bad, if I wasn’t constantly annoying everyone at work. I sit with about a 2 foot radius of everyone, not to mention the fact that I am using their computer and spreading all of my American germs all over it. It seems better today, but regardless it has interfered with much of my social life, which this weekend began Friday night, not Thursday night, due to my prolonged illness. After a week of work and a day’s worth of coughing there was no way I was going to make it back to “An Anon” on (there’s a tongue twister) Thursday night. The rest of the group ventured back to the “£7 cover” night club, which sounded like a good time, but I was happy and relieved to sleep. Friday morning I awoke ready to take on the day, while some of the group stayed home to sleep off the copious amount of alcohol they consumed the night before and missed class. Caroline, Haley, Tim, Erin, Chris and I headed to class; this is where my bottomless pit of a stomach started to get the best of me this weekend. There is this cookie shop called “Ben’s Cookies” (take a gander) right outside the South Kensington station. Every Friday when we get off the train the aroma of soft cookie goodness fills our hung-over noses and it has seriously been a struggle to resist the temptation of buying a cookie during break. Last week this stupid Alabama girl started talking to us, and had a cookie in her hand and said “have y’all been to Ben’s Cookies yet?” and that was the end of it for me. So this particular Friday, the one Friday I was not hung over, the aroma took over me and I gave into the deadly cookie calling. Let me tell you, if I ever come back to London, (and the chances are pretty great), I will now forever more get a cookie at Ben’s Cookies right outside of South Kensington station. It was literally the best cookie I have EVER had. I know for a dessert lover, this is a bold statement, but I kid you not. Caroline got a “Chocolate Chocolate Chunk” cookie, Haley a “Chocolate Chunk” cookie and I the “White Chocolate Chunk” cookie. All of those cookies were great, but the best one of all was the one we all shared, the “White Chocolate Chunk and Cranberry” cookie. It was heavenly, the best cookie I have ever had, like I said already. Sadly I only have 2 more opportunities to devour this heavenly food, but in a sense this is a good thing. Thank god I do not live in South Ken, because I would probably eat one everyday. No self control, what-so-ever. What a great start to a great weekend! After our cookie indulgence, we headed back to Nido for lunch and then Caroline, Emily and I headed to Angel to visit a furniture store called “Atelier Abigail Ahern” Sarah Weltner suggested we visit. We got there and of course the sign on the door read “Sorry, Atelier Abigail Ahern will be closed Friday, July 11. Sorry for the inconvenience.” Damn right it’s an inconvenience! The one day we go to visit your store, you are closed. Well, thank god there were lots of cute boutiques nearby, we shopped for the rest of afternoon and then headed back to Nido to get ready for the night. Caroline, Emily and I then headed to dinner at a tapas restaurant that Emilee’s boss recommended but once we got there we saw it was VERY crowded and we were starving so we looked around the area and found another cute café. We ordered a bottle of wine and 4-5 appetizers and split them all. It was one of the best meals I have had in London so far. After dinner we met Chris is Leicester Square for ice cream (another unnecessary eating) and then Chris, Caroline and I headed to Ed’s (the party promoter Chris knows) bar of the night “Café de Paris.” We got in for free and then headed to Ed’s table. The club was a circular dance floor surrounded by the bar. Most of the ceiling was over taken by the chandelier. The upstairs overlooked the dance floor in the same circular shape, with cushy couches and low lighted tables around the edges. Each table was an estimated £500, and Ed of course had one, with Grey Goose vodka bottles all night. The table of guys next to us was getting massages from the French maid dressed bar girls. We each had a couple drinks but then headed back for an early night. We had to get up at 7:00 AM for our journey to Bath and Stonehenge the next day!

Saturday we ventured to Bath first and then Stonehenge. Bath was absolutely beautiful and the ride there was a perfect opportunity to see the English countryside, which too was amazing. We headed straight to the Roman Baths, and exhibits which were very cool. Unfortunately, the day we picked to go was the busiest day of the year due to a cricket tournament, so it was very crowded, but it was still very interesting and fascinating to see. Next we headed to Stonehenge just before the rain hit. Stonehenge was fascinating. The rocks are from south Wales, which is across water and the rocks are estimated to weigh up to 4 tonnes! It is unfathomable of how they built this structure over 4200 years ago. This structure was ancient to even the Roman’s, and it is still standing! Personally I think it is a calendar, and was possibly used for religious ceremonies, seeing that religious ceremonies and some of the rituals revolving around the seasons went hand in hand in that time period. But who knows, it’s amazing. Haley and I did a cartwheel in front of the prehistoric monument, a good decision in my opinion. Saturday night Tim, Erin, PJ and I met Pat McNerney and Julie Onofrio for dinner at a pub. It was a great dinner; I stole a glass, taking after my own mother. Then we headed to a pub in Leicester Square to meet Christopher, Emilee and Caroline. We had a beer there, and I stole another glass (it’s in the Kirsch genes). We then headed to “The Rocket” for a couple more drinks and then back to Nido. Sunday morning Emilee, Caroline, Erin and I got our selves up and headed to a bike tour. We arrived just on time and off we went. I’ve decided that tours are ALL dependent on the tour guide and Tom was perfect! We visited all the big sites (Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Parliament, Trafalgar Square, etc.) via bike. It was a very fun tour, even though every time I sit down now I wince in pain, you can use your imagination. I think we are going to use the same company “Fat Tire Bike Tour” in Paris for a tour. It is a great way to see a big city fast, and since we are only in Paris for a couple days, it will be perfect! After our bike tour, I once again could not resist the ice cream store right by the station, so I grabbed a cone and then we all headed back to Nido. It was a great weekend, even though my ass still hurts from our 4 hour bike ride. Get ready for the build up to Paris next weekend!!!