This was my very first Thanksgiving away from home, and I was very homesick that day. However my friends here at Saint Gabriel's made the day special for me! When I got home from class in the afternoon this was here to greet me on my message board...
That night Cheryl and I headed out to have Thanksgiving dinner at an American restaurant right here in Manchester called Southern Eleven. I have to be honest... I was pretty skeptical. The website said they offered real southern American cooking, but I figured I would be the judge of that. :) The food was absolutely amazing! We had fried pickles for an appetizer (can't get more southern than that!) and I had a meal of fried chicken with creamy mashed potatoes and gravy. It was delicious! Of course, with it being Thanksgiving and all, I just had to top off the meal with a slice of chocolate and blueberry cheesecake. This was not my 'traditional' Thanksgiving meal, but then I realized something. Even though I am thousands of miles away from home, I was able to have a great day surrounded by friends that I love. I have so much to be thankful for this year! Besides, today when I was at Tesco (where I get most of my groceries) I was able to find Thanksgiving dinner in a bag! How is this possible, you say? I will let the picture speak for itself...
They really do taste like all that - it's amazing and odd at the same time. :)
This past weekend I embarked on my very last trip. It was bittersweet, because while I loved exploring Bath it reminded me that my time here is winding down to an end. I took the train Friday morning down to the south and had my first nail-biting experience of changing trains with just a few minutes in between. Everything went off without a hitch so I was very glad! After checking into the hotel I was browsing through their attraction highlights booklet and came upon this page...
They might as well call it Mary-town. This place had the cutest shops and buildings everywhere. I met up with Grace, a friend that I met at my orientation in London. We caught up while working our way through the Bath Christmas Market - where I was able to snag some cute Christmas presents! Artisans from all over the world had gathered there to sell their goods - and it was everything I needed to propel my Christmas spirit into high gear. Christmas lights, carolers, hot chocolate, and roasted hazelnuts were everywhere... it was truly magical! Saturday we set out to explore the Jane Austen Centre. It is a quaint museum close to the home that Jane lived in while she was in Bath for a brief time of her life. Here is a picture of a Regency-era dress and writing desk that would have been in style during Jane's time...
After leaving the museum we went down the street to see the actual home that Jane lived in - 25 Gay Street. It is currently a dental office...
It is very inspiring to walk the same streets that Jane did when she was alive. Next Grace and I set out to find the Royal Crescent - an architectural gem. I have seen it in movies (many times they were based on Jane Austen's novels) and I couldn't wait to finally view it with my own eyes. It was built between 1767 and 1774 and is a classic display of Georgian architecture. Needless to say it is massive and even though I was very far away, I still couldn't fit the entire thing in one picture...
Afterwards we set out to explore the Assembly Rooms, which had been designed by the same man that designed the Royal Crescent. In Georgian society these rooms were used for upper class high-end people. It was a fashionable place to go and socialize with others. Anyone that has read Jane Austen's Persuasion will remember these were key rooms where much of the gossiping went on. Many of the rooms were closed due to a wedding that day (lucky bride!), however we did get to see the main Ball Room, which was incredible. Here is a picture I took at the entrance...
You may notice that all the buildings in Bath look like they are the same color. You would be correct! I was told by my friend Grace, an engineering student, that this was a code in Bath. Every building is made from the same type of stone; the only noticeable difference is in the much older buildings where pollution has discolored parts of it. Essentially though, they are all made of the exact same thing: Bath Stone.
We browsed the Christmas Market a bit more and before I knew it - it was time to come back to Manchester. I had a longer train journey back, and I was excited because I would be going through Wales for a bit. I have not been able to visit Wales on this trip, so I will definitely have to come back some day to visit it. Sadly the only picture I have of the Wales countryside is from a train, but I wanted to show at least a part of it...
Now I am back in Manchester and set on enjoying my last few weeks here with my friends. I have met wonderful people here, and I will be very sad to leave them behind. However I am looking forward to reuniting with my family and friends back in the States, as well. It's a bittersweet time for me, but I can honestly say that this has been the best experience of my life. It is a time I will always treasure. :)
Flat Hannah's Corner
Flat Hannah and I cannot believe that our UK adventure is almost at an end! We have had so much fun exploring Britain and making new friends. We tried to enjoy as much of Bath as we could, especially the food! We ventured to have lunch at the famous Sally Lunn's Restaurant and it was a terrific meal. It is one of the oldest houses in Bath, and has been serving amazing food since 1680. They are famously known for their Sally Lunn Bun, which we - of course - had to try. It is essentially a giant dinner roll and served with anything on it imaginable. We opted for the chocolate and butter topping which was out of this world! You could also get it with cinnamon and butter, lemon curd, raspberry jam, and many other insanely delectable combinations. Oh yeah, and did I mention we ate our meal in the Jane Austen room here? Coincidence... I think not! Here is Flat Hannah outside this amazing food-fest called Sally Lunn's...
I don't think Flat Hannah and I have had our last adventure together, though. Even though we don't have any more trips planned, we've still got 3 more weeks in Manchester and a very long plane ride across the Atlantic before we get back to Kansas City. Who knows what could happen in the meantime!
Cheers!
you have a flat hannah?! i have a flat stanley!!
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