This time next week, I will be on a flight to the United Kingdom where I will get to spend 3 weeks earning nearly a full semester of credits studying at Oxford University. 

I'll be taking 3 courses while at Oxford: 

1) World Affairs, a multi-lecture course with speakers from around the world, which will cover political issues including the Arab Spring, during which I was present in the Middle East.

2) Exploring Britain, a history course that takes us across the country to different sites including London.

3) This is the one I am most excited for, Shakespeare on Stage and Screen. We will be studying 8 plays and seeing them all performed live, including my favorite, the Merchant of Venice, which we will actually see AT THE GLOBE THEATER. I am beyond excited; I cannot allow my thoughts on it too much else I should ne'er sleep again. 

I will also have Friday-Sunday free every week to go explore on my own, so I am going to take major advantage of that. There's so much to see and so little time, but I'll be posting my adventures here hopefully weekly, if not in a weekly-recap form upon return. 

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL.

On my way back across the pond I'll be spending 4 days in Dublin with my mom, and then we'll be traveling over to Northern Ireland for another 5 days to see a friend and explore Belfast! Ghost tours and Game of Thrones filming locations are definitely on the must-see list.

I have so many adventures ahead of me this month, I can't wait to share them with you! If you have any questions about planning your own trips, I have a Pinterest board (link attached here) for Dublin and Northern Ireland, and many free sites are included on the list. I may set one up for Oxford too, I'll post more on that. 

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy following my journey! 
Liz

And so we come to the end of my travel posts... for now! The final day of our trip came with exhaustion: we were all ready to relax and get on with the Christmas spirit! But I’m glad we got to spend some time in Turkey. 22 hours in a country, or at least a city, is enough time to know if you want to return, and I know I have zero interest in ever going back to the over-populated Istanbul. 24 million people in dusty city streets and severely overcrowded public transportation — which is especially unnerving as a woman in a conservative Muslim society — is not my cup of tea. 

People constantly heckled you to buy whatever they were selling, and things were more expensive than in Prague, the capital of designer shopping. And hardly anything was in English; I know that’s not mandatory but it just makes travel difficult. Nothing was in Greek either, and considering most tourists we saw were Greek, and Turkey is… well we all know that old chestnut with Constantinople and the Ottoman conquest… but come on, stuff needs to be understandable, Turkish is far from a widely-spoken language. I was shocked to learn that Turkey has been voted the number one country for tourism: the airport wasn’t even easily accessible.

Regardless of the experience’s quality, we saw the main attractions in the city and that is what’s important. First we visited the Grand Bazaar, a popular shopping attraction very similar to what I’ve seen in the Middle East or Greece. Mostly knock-off designer bags, jeans, Nike shoes, even toys, so we didn’t really buy anything; but there were some beautiful pieces of pottery that we really liked, and mom bought a few little plates and bowls. They do a style of painting with three-dimensional designs of paisley and flowers, almost like henna, and it’s always very vibrant and beautiful. There were little Dervish men (Sufi Muslims from Persia) made out of pottery, in their traditional dancing clothes and form. Another Turkish specialty is these beautiful glass electric lanterns, but they were too difficult to transport in our suitcases and the electricity type didn’t match Bahrain or America’s unfortunately. 

Our next destination was the Blue Mosque, completed in 1616 following the invasion of the Muslim Ottoman Empire. It was large, and a strange contrast to the ancient castles of the European monarchs of the same age we had seen not even a week prior. It’s amazing to think of the differences in cultures across the continents, so different and yet both were engaged in political warfare, as is the case all throughout history I suppose.

Finally we visited Agia Sofia (St. Sophia’s, or Holy Wisdom), the oldest Greek Orthodox church in the world. It functioned as a church from 537 to 1453, when the Ottomans invaded and destroyed much of its gold mosaics and iconography of Jesus and Mother Mary. It is said that they left the images of the other saints because they carried over into Islam, and added an inscription of Allah on the dome. There was even a painting of an Ottoman emperor kissing the feet of Allah because he had divorced and remarried 3 times and wished to remarry again, against Islamic beliefs. We had a very knowledgeable tour guide who, although Muslim, made very clear she was interested in the history and the connection of religions rather than the superiority of one or the other. At Agia Sofia, they are still restoring their damages today, and many of the covered mosaics are being rediscovered.

It’s not a perfect country by any means, and not somewhere I’m likely to return, but I’m glad I had this opportunity to see such historic landmarks of an ancient land.

So comes the end of my tour of Europe! The rest of my vacation was spent in Bahrain, socializing with old friends and enjoying a true melting pot of cultures (which mostly consists of delicious foods!) Stay tuned for some great book recommendations, I’ve been reading a lot while I’m overseas, and whatever else comes my way on this adventure! I hope everyone had wonderful holidays, and I’d love to hear about your trips or at-home adventures this season, so please feel free to comment! 

I decided to write about Prague all at once, because we spent most of our three days here with the castle. But first some background.

Prague has four districts that are considered separate cities, although they are all in the same city. There is Old Town, which dates to the 800s and is where our Marriott was. Then there is the newest, Jewish Town, which has the oldest Jewish cemetery in the world, and dates from the 1300s; strangely, due to events in World War II as well as many, many persecutions over the past nearly-1,000 years, the entire Jewish population in the Czech Republic is less than 10,000. The other two districts are indistinguishable but designated by their origins, from the 900s, and the second from the 1100s.

The Castle has had inhabitants on that hill, where a rich supply of natural spring water runs through, since 3600 BC. The castle was built by Pre. a people that were not Slavs but Bohemians. The throne was then transferred to the Luxembourgs (yes, the founders of that little country), and then to the Jagiellons, until the Habsburgs of Austria took the throne in the Baroque era (late 1500s to the 1600s). It was Franz Joseph and Sisi (see my second day in Vienna blog post) that saw the end of the Habsburgs in Czechoslovakia, and Sisi became the Queen of Hungary later in her reign for her freeing of the Hungarian people from Austrian rule.

The Castle has, of course, gone through changes over the thousands of years it has been inhabited, but it largely hasn’t changed since the 1300s. The museums at this location are sprawling. There are over 14 of them in the area. We first walked up the mountain/hill across the city, so we saw the castle and its cathedrals from there; then we ventured to the other side, to the Castle itself, and that was even more impressive. The city is expansive, colorful, and ancient, and we saw it from every angle.

The most notable museums in the Castle were the main museum of history (where no pictures were allowed but where I learned the information relayed above.) There was an armory, with replicas of real shields and weapons, armor and especially helmets. 

They also had rooms of replica homes, the coolest of which was the Herbalist’s, and the Psychic’s (a normal house, I was happy to see); psychics are people too! 

The Castle reminded me of the Red Wedding in Game of Thrones, or Casterly Rock, or at least how we imagine it could look. It was medieval and yet something I would love to see more of nowadays, funny how that works. It pains me to know that so little exists from that time, and worst of all that the artifacts show that wear and tear. It’s also frustrating that we know so little concrete evidence about life in the castles we so love to tour. But we learn more every day, so that’s the positive side.

We also saw the cathedral there where a lot of relics and people were buried who were former Habsburgs or other royals, it’s as close as you can get to meeting royalty as a peasant like me so that was fascinating. 

Our first day we took an antique car ride around the city, which turned out to be a very informative tour. We saw the house where Amadeus was filmed, and learned that the director, Milos Foreman, was Czechoslovakian (see my second day in Vienna post for more on this as well.) We learned where Mission Impossible: III and IV, (Ghost Protocol) were filmed, and that’s something I was super fascinated by as a Tom Cruise lover (I know, I know, very unpopular but I   can’t help but be impressed, he ages like a fine wine it’s amazing.) 

The second day we went to the Charles Bridge, a very famous, ancient bridge that is now just for walking. It had great views of the city and is lined with beautiful statues. Also, Tom Cruise ran across this bridge in MI3 so that was pretty exciting! We also saw the famous Astronomical Clock of Prague, which was built in 1410, the 3rd oldest in the world. It has an ornate show of little figurines on every hour, and it's a beautiful building, a true marvel of historical architecture.

The third day, we went to the Jewish Quarter, saw parts of the Kafka Square named for the writer Franz Kafka who wrote in Prague for a few years, and most notably saw the oldest Jewish cemetery in the world! It was so eerily beautiful. There was an adjoining museum about burial customs as well as a background on holy days and their differing calendar, which was something I never knew much about so I was excited for this opportunity. There was a building built like a synagogue with names of every person who was confirmed dead or missing during the Second World War, and most names were connected to Terezin Concentration Camp. It was too far from the city for us to go, but it was moving enough to see their names along the walls of this memorial.

We spent the rest of the time walking the markets and eating the local cuisine. Overall, our time in Prague was brief but well-spent. I’m writing this from the flight to Istanbul, where we’ll spend Christmas Eve, and then it’s onto Bahrain for Christmas Day and the rest of my Christmas break! 

Today wasn’t a full day in the city, but we made the most of it before our flight left for Prague, the feature of my next post. We decided to visit another Christmas market in Karlsplatz, which was about 25 minutes from our hotel, and St. Charles Church, the namesake of the plaza holding the festivities.

This church proved to be one of the more immaculate churches because of its mind-boggling height, somewhere around 10-12 stories of domed artwork. The church had an elevator indoors which allowed you to go all the way to the start of the dome, and then there were steps to go up, through the dome and beyond into the outside through the top of the building. My mom and brother, Christopher, ventured to this, but Nicholas and I stayed down for our fear of heights. It was terrifying to think how the artists had worked to paint it all, nearly 300 years earlier.

Some paths and stairways were visible behind the dome and as we went up the elevator, a terrifying testament to how it was accessed before elevators.

Vienna has been my favorite city in a long time, and I’m learning German with renewed vigor, hopeful that upon my return to Austria I can travel to the smaller towns more easily. When I return to the city again, I am hoping to visit the Belvedere museum plaza, something I was vague on and didn’t particularly understand existed so largely, until our taxi to the airport drove through it. It’s a huge plaza heading away from the city center that holds another Habsburg palace, as well as smaller museums, including the Army Museum.

I would also like to visit the Military History Museum, the Natural History Museum (in the Museumsquartier, across from the Art History Museum we visited in the last post about my trip) and to take a day trip out to the ‘Sound of Music’ house. There is also another palace (I know I know, but I’m a sucker for crumbled monarchies!) about an hour outside the city which has beautiful gardens, similar to Shönbrunn, where I would also return on my next trip. I’ll be aiming for a spring/summer venture, to see the city in a new light.

Thank you for reading about my adventures in Vienna, and I hope you’ll come along with me for my next post of this trip, to Prague! 

Today we saw the Museumsquartier, a large, LARGE group of squares and plazas with museums on every side. There are sculptures everywhere as well, and mini parks I”m sure would be gorgeous during the spring and summer months. Of course I was most excited to see Mozart’s statue, as he is one of my main celebrity crushes.

In this plaza is the Freud Museum, Leopold Museum, and about a dozen others. We saw the Art History Museum, in Maria Theresiaplatz, where there was a large Christmas Market of course! Armed with some glühwein, glorious German mulled wine, we ventured in. Valasquez was on special exhibition, but we saw many classical artists. I didn’t have as much time as I would have liked to read about all the different people, but I took all the names and I’ll hopefully be able to learn more at home. The majority of the museum was priceless Habsburg collectibles.

We went to the town hall and the current parliament building for all of Austria, and took some pictures of the architecture there (pictured in above slideshow) when we saw the largest, oldest Christmas market, the Christkindlmarkt! It was beautiful and the glühwein was magnificent.

Vienna is a city I know I want to return to, hopefully in the spring or summer for a slightly different take, so I can see the museums that I missed out on. But I loved this city, and these traditions of glühwein and such will be adapted for my home forever now.

This day in Vienna will be especially memorable because our family friends, the Sonntags, who are from Slovakia but live in Dubai as expatriats, much like how my family live in Bahrain but are from Pennsylvania. They were en route from Innsbruck, Austria, where they were skiing, so they took the train to meet us in Vienna. It was great to see Richard, we haven’t seen each other in two years and with both of our international lifestyles who knows when I’ll see them all again, but that’s life when you travel as much as we do! We went to St. Stephan’s again, it’s the center of the city, and then we set out to the Hofburg, the parliament complex of the former Habsburg empire. Be sure to read my day 2 in Vienna post, where I gave some background on the Habsburg dynasty, my new obsession.

This was a palace where they spent more time than Schönbrunn, and they had an entire museum on Sisi called the Sisi Museum. It even went into detail of her childhood and her hobbies, her exercise equipment was on display, and her dresses as well as her writings. She was a great poet, a typical melanchly sort, and her period of mourning after the suicide of their only son and heir was her most creative and her psychological state the most fragile, naturally. She was what I call dismally fascinating, and I absolutely adore her for it. 

After leaving there we went into St. Peter’s Church, and then our family ventured into the catacombs.  The Cathedral, est. ca. 1300 by Kaiser Karl IV, and housed his and his family's bodies, the royal Habsburg's organs, a mass plague burial of the upper class, and many many stacks of coffined burials for nobility, two floors, all the way through WWII. Also, priests and bishops of the church have been buried there since 1630, and will continue to be buried there indefinitely.

Later in the evening my mom and I went to a free concert in the catacombs of St. Peter’s, and that was a fascinating experience. They played Baroque music on actual Baroque instruments: a hurdy-gurdy, bagpipes, a wooden flute, a cello, and a harpsichord, the latter of which I had never heard played live. The choice of music was unfamiliar compositions by the court composers of the Habsburgs at the Hofburg, which was an unexpected tie-in with all else I had learned that day. Everything was in German so I only caught about 1/3 or so of the information spoken, but I really enjoyed the concert nonetheless. 

Tomorrow we head into our fourth and final day, when we venture to the Museumsquartier, and the Art History Museum at Maria Theresiaplatz! 

Today we set out to see Schönbrunn Palace, the beautiful yellow palace Vienna is often known for. This is the number one attraction in Vienna, and as far as I am concerned it is the greatest site where I’ve learned the most, and if I only had one day in the city it is where I would return.

Of course there was a beautiful Christmas Market out front, I have learned they are everywhere in the city, and it was here I first tried Glühwein, or mulled red wine with Christmasy spices like cinnamon and nutmeg; this is surely a new tradition for me, it was so delicious! Every market has its own mugs, and I’ve collected one at each location and will continue to throughout my whole trip! It’s a great souvenir for an affordable price, and a great excuse to get more Glühwein! 

We took the public transport to the market, the metro. Our stop was in Stadtpark, the city park of Vienna. It’s a beautiful park with a golden statue of the favored composer of the Viennese monarchs in the 19th century, Johann Strauss. On this trip to Schönbrunn I learned everything there is to know about the Habsburgs, the royal family of Austria, and I hope I’ll retain it all and continue to read about it when I go home. 

The castle was amazing. The Habsburgs loved gold and lavish lives of decadent shows of their riches. The most prominent features in the castle were the walls, of which were 3-dimensional artistic vines of gold-plated woods and ceramics. They heated the castle with large, gold and ceramic ovens that were stoked from a hidden passage in the walls so as to keep the rooms clean. The receiving rooms, where the Kaiser/Emperor would meet guests, were so structured and regulated that even the inclination of the emperor’s head was uniform for each guest. They even had a recording of Emperor Franz Joseph, my favorite monarch, saying “thank you, it’s been a pleasure”.

I could go on all day about the glory of the Habsburgs, but I’ll give a very brief overview. Maria Theresia, of whom a major plaza and Christmas Market is dedicated to in the Museumsquartier (where we are going tomorrow), was the favored monarch, ruling over 60 years, around the late-1600s to the mid-1700s. There was some unrest and assassination until the 1800s when eventually the people’s favorite, the humble, modest, loving Franz Joseph came to power. In his own time he was much beloved. He came to power at only 18, and married a Bavarian princess, Elisabeth, nicknamed Sisi. Not liked during her time for her dislike for her husband, she was tragically depressed and spent most of her life apart from Franz Joseph, notably two years on the Greek island Corfu, and on her yacht. She was a tragic wonder, a fascination and a legend, stabbed to death by Italian terrorists. Her husband’s response when learning of her death was “you have no idea how much I loved this woman.” He was a great man and my favorite monarch I’ve ever learned about. He even lived modestly, considering all the money he had, and he put his people first in every way he could. Upon Sisi’s death, however, it was her legend that lived on into modern history, mainly through cinema and Hollywood publicity.

When we left we browsed the gardens, which i”m sure would be more impressive in the summer, but they were so large and the statues in the front, in Greek form, were very regal and gave the yard a speechless appeal. The aviary was particularly interesting, built in the late 1700s and still functional. We also looked at the Christmas Markets on the premises; these things are EVERYWHERE here, it’s great!

After leaving, we went to the Mozarthaus… the actual apartment W.A. Mozart lived in after 1785 until his death! 5 Domgasse, Wien… the address Mozart’s freelance writings were written at, including The Marriage of Figarro, Don Giovanni, countless sonatas and concertos, and the famous Requiem. This is where his pupils came to be tutored, and where his famous parlor games were played. This was where Haydn told Mozart's father Leopold, “your son is the greatest composer I’ve met or heard of”; HAYDN said that!

Needless to say I fangirled endlessly.

I learned so much here. They had an entire section on disputing the legends of Salieri’s hatred of Mozart, the subject of Milos Foreman’s Amadeus film in the 1980s. I learned that Salieri was actually a fantastic composer, and an accomplished musician, working for the monarchy in every possible musical avenue, as court composer to organizer of music entertainment events. He was just more modest than Mozart, and that is why his fame was not so eternal. They actually had a good relationship, and it was Salieri who had Don Giovanni performed at the Orangery in Schönbrunn for its first performance, to the royal family.

Mozart had a good friend, Antonio Saliman, who was of Nigerian descent.

His co-writer (who wrote the words) for his operas was just as talented as he, and famous for his librettos.

I also learned that Mozart was a member of the Free Masons, and his last finished composition was a cantata for their organization in Vienna.

The mystery of his death was never solved, and the reports of his poisoning came from his sudden falling ill. It is likely he took mercury in an effort to end his illness, which as we know now, is practically suicide. But with his involvement with the Free Masons I wonder if it could not have been… Illuminati… but that’s just me. It broke my heart to hear all about his struggles on his last day. He still sang the parts in Requiem with his assistant and his wife, and it was during Lacrimosa, my favorite part of the Requiem, that he faltered and could not continue. He died 11 hours later. 

The lives of Mozart, Salieri, and the Habsburg monarchs were the focus of today, and I couldn’t have been more pleased! This was my favorite day in Vienna, altogether.

17 hours of travel time to Bahrain paired with 11 hours to Vienna all in three days... but finally, I'm here! 

We are staying at the Marriot right in der Mitte, or the city center, which I would highly recommend for its scenic views and walking location for all the major destinations in the city, especially at this time of year.

We set out, fighting jet-lag, intent on discovering the beauty of Vienna from the start. My first impression was the taxi ride from the airport, and coming into the city it was as reminiscent of home as it was of other parts of Europe. With the exceptions of a few differing plants along the road, and traffic signs in a different format plus kilometers, there was factories and homes with only slight variations from what I'd pass in Reading or Philly. But as we neared the city, and passed over the beautiful, elegant, famous Danube River, we were in a darling paradise, a historic beauty that was aged enough I believed it was real, but just incredible enough to take my breath away.

To put it in the most relatable way, it feels like a town in Disney World. The sidewalks are directly up against the buildings, which are all vibrant colors or pastel yellow, with greening metal roofs or delicately white moldings around each window and doorframe. The German language itself is so charming that it felt surreal to be in such a place of timeless elegance. Vienna has a childish innocence mixed seamlessly with mature dignity, with just a smattering of sex clubs to remind you that this is, in fact, modern Europe. It's a complete immersion into the familiar European culture, with an occasional McDonalds and Starbucks to call to globalization, but the cultural identity is not lost in this great city. 

The shops and streets are decorated for Christmas, and the prominent decoration is fir trees lining the streets, in the center of the walks, at the corners of each building... hundreds of them, and not even decorated, just in their natural state of beauty. The Christmas Markets, a tradition since 1298, are spread throughout the walkable square, where delicate Christmas tree ornaments, snow globes (invented in Vienna), hand-carved wooden items, Steiff teddy bears, Tuhn toys, and other classic German goods can be bought. 

The food was my favorite part. Bratwurst, of course, being sausage and of piggie origin was not something I endeavored upon (micropigs are my soulmates, I don't eat pork) but my family certainly enjoyed it. I had pumpkin soup in a bread bowl, and if we are out tonight I'll be getting the goulash in a bread bowl; the bread was delicious German sourdough and the pumpkin soup so fresh, as was everything in the market. The pretzels were larger than entire loaves of bread I've seen! Had they not been out in the cold I'd have gotten one, as I'm sure they were heavenly when soft and warm. 

The best of the food was the mulled wines, hand-crafted and invented in competitions, then the winners are sold throughout the city in the same little ceramic boot mugs, which can be bought for the 3 Euro deposit or returned for a refill. We tried the Trifoler Apfel, with real chopped apples blended with white wine and cinnamon and about a dozen other subtle ingredients, and I've never been warmer!  

Update: I collected the mugs at each location and have about 6 altogether.

Our next venture was the St. Stephan's Cathedral, a Catholic church with a spire reaching up to 67 meters (about 220 feet) that my mother decided we should climb. This was a terrible endeavor for my brother Nicholas and I, who are terrified of heights, but I kept Indiana Jones in mind and figured this was pretty safe by comparison to' Last Crusade's' "leap of faith". 

I got some great photos and saw a breathtaking view of the city I'm already in love with! I found it especially lovely how colorful the shingles on the roof were; I wonder how long they have been there, judging by the coat of arms  I'd say hundreds of years, and that's not even old for a city like Vienna. So incomprehensibly fascinating.

Now comes to the real Wahba adventure... but first let me give some background, and a bit of warning that may seem obvious upon its retelling. In Vienna, there are these men dressed in festive red coats or sometimes a navy or black, with gold fastenings and embroidery. They speak tons of languages fluently and appear to be tour guides here to help you. They have information on lots of attractions and will give you guidance to your desired destinations.

But these men are not your friend. They are shysters at their best. 


They work for rinky-dink theater companies that are amateur at best, overselling the tickets for upwards of 50 Euros to these little venues with tiny shows that are presented to be concert halls and masterful performances with full orchestras. We were victims of one such shyster (interestingly, this word originates from the German Shiesser, or "worthless person".) 

Luckily we did not spend as much as some people are pushed into, my dad is a master negotiator, but we were not impressed with Palais Palffy's concert of Mozart and Strauss. Most concerts in Vienna are tributes to these golden composers, and I am personally about 99% sure that in a past life I was romantically involved with W.A. Mozart and am still very much in love... so I was not happy to see his name soiled in the name of riches, the one thing he detested and died in poverty to protest, for the sake of music's purity. 

Moral of the story: fast-talking salesman can be selling ANYTHING, and Google your options before purchasing, folks.

Our concert was not terrible, but not what we were sold on. The "authentic costumes" were nothing like our Renaissance Faire could have procured; the "full orchestra" was 6 people; the "large stage" was about 20 feet across; the "opera house" was an art building ACROSS THE STREET from the ACTUAL opera house; and the ballet "dancers" get quotation marks because if I can replicate your moves, lady, then it's not very good ballet. 

The highlight of the show was the leader of the sextet, who was a well-accomplished violinist, and the cellist, who was hilariously jamming out to every song. The musicians were alright, and the sole opera singer was even tolerable, which is hard to manage even in professional opera. Had the show been advertised as an intimate setting and not sold as an elaborate life-changing event, we would have been satisfied. But the lies paired with charing a mandatory 1 Euro 50 for EACH COAT to be checked upon arrival is why I warn all of tourism against these men in ornate coats. 

Overall it made for an eventful first day in the city; stay tuned for our second day at Schönbrunn Palace, the famous Yellow Palace of Austria, the summer residence of Austria's former monarchs.

This semester I've been very keen to be impulsive. When opportunity strikes, I take it, and I've been trying new things and learning so much about myself. Never say never, and anything is possible; these are two of the most cliché sayings and yet so true right now, and I couldn't be happier about that. 

I love being young and selfish with my time and I think that's a-ok. I'm not very good at the selfish part, but I'm trying to put myself first because now more than ever is the time to do that! 

Billy Joel's 'Vienna' has been my power anthem all semester for such inspiring lyrics and I'm really, REALLY trying to enjoy the ride, Billy, thanks for the reminder.

When the opportunity arose to travel this Christmas instead of staying home and finding a part-time job or otherwise slacking off indoors this winter, I jumped at it. My parents and I discussed it and decided on... a tour de Europe East!

This month I'll be spending Christmastime in one of the most magical places for winter ever, Vienna, Austria! After that we'll be traveling to Prague in the Czech Republic, then a pitstop in Istanbul before going to Bahrain where I'll relax by the beach for most of January before coming back in time for the spring semester. 

I'll be writing every day in Europe, and keeping up-to-date on cultural events of note while in Bahrain. My family live there, and I had lived there for three-and-a-half years in high school; but I might tourist-it-up a bit for the sake of interesting journalism! 

I'm so fortunate to be able to cross such things off my bucket list, and I can't wait to experience these new places this Christmas, while spending rare time with my family! Therapuetic reading by the pool on the beach, dinner and drinks at the British Club or Crown Plaza, parties with friends and catching up with an island of wonderfully diverse expatriats... I really can't wait to "hang up the phone and get away for a while".

Earlier this month, Toni, Martina and I took a girls day and visited one of the most exciting places in Lancaster City: historic Central Market! The website announces the Market to be "the Country's Oldest Farmer's Market, in the Heart of Amish Country." It is held every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday afternoon in a 120-year old building built with classic red Lancaster brick, located in one of the most beautiful parts of town. Lancaster, like all cities unfortunately, is going somewhat downhill, but the historic districts are thankfully in tact, and as beautiful as ever.

We decided to get some organic foods and teas that particular weekend, and as lame as it sounds it really was exciting. It feels good to be in company with so many other people who share your interests in a place, and everything was so well priced. It was refreshing to see a place that was genuinely 'small-town' in such a big city. 

We took the bus in and spent about an hour at the market, and I got two homemade teas from the herb-and-tea shop there: Russian Spice and Apricot Orange, and I also got a loose-leaf diffuser. It is delicious, especially the Russian Spice, and I am actually thinking about trying to make my own tea this summer. I also got some organic snap peas to snack on. All together I spent about $6, it is really well priced. I've got some pictures I'd love to show you too, see the slideshow below!