As much as I would love to be able to drive while being in the UK, public transportation has its advantages – the ability to travel cheaply. Since being here, I have been luck enough to take some great trips that are actually pretty close to Brighton.

     The first stop was London – somewhere I have always wanted to go. The international office organized a trip for us so I was able to freely explore and be a tourist with a group of study abroad friends. We saw Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, and Trafalgar Square, among others. I had to keep reminding myself that I was actually there – that it wasn’t just a dream. We learned that the street performers in London actually have to audition for a spot in the street, so all the performers were really good! We watched a humorous man lay between 2 sheets of nails as another guy stood on top. It was ridiculous. London is definitely a city I plan on visiting as much as possible while in the UK.

The next stop was good ol’ Brighton. My friend, Anny, and I took a tour of the Brighton Pavilion, or as I like to call it “the Taj Mahal.” It looks like it was built to mirror the style of the Taj Mahal. It only cost us 5 pounds because, as students, we are considered residents. The Pavilion is huge! Especially the dining room where the chandelier weighs 1 ton! There is also a tea room in the Pavilion so we couldn’t pass up some tea and scones. We got cast iron tea pots full of tea and I instantly fell in love with scones with cream and jam. It’s a good thing I haven’t found anywhere to buy scones in bulk or I would be gaining a lot of weight!

     The final stop of the week was Lewes Castle. It was an interesting tour because it is the remains of a castle that after paying you get a key to freely explore. It is a pretty small castle compared to some of the other places in England, but it was interesting to explore and make my way to the top. There was an excellent view that pictures cannot justify because it was a rather gloomy day. My friend and I stopped at a tea room in Lewes that is also a flower shop. Peppermint tea and scones were my choices, this time with blackberry jam. Although it was a tad expensive, it was worth it to warm up and enjoy some sweets.

     Although I can’t say public transportation is my favorite means of getting around, it does lead to many great adventures while abroad in this brilliant English country! Cheers for now!

Location: Europe