I’ve been avoiding writing this blog because I don’t want to accept that this trip is actually ending. I really don’t want it to end! I’ve met some amazing people along the way, from my roommates, fellow Bucknell students, and my new friends from as far as California. It’s unfortunate knowing that I won’t see any of them next semester since I’ll be studying abroad in Australia and Singapore. (I’m trying to convince them to visit me) I;’ve already said I’ll take a trip to California once I come back though! Anyways I had a long weekend, specifically a five day and four night solo trip around the UK. I crammed in as much as I could into this trip to the point where my feet were killing me every night. I’ll try to be brief because if I wasn’t this blog would be the length of a book. 

On Friday, I flew into Manchester bright and early in the morning. I grabbed breakfast at Cafe 19 and had the best Eggs Benedict. From there I went on a sightseeing mission: Manchester Cathedral, John Rylands Library, Manchester Art Gallery, The University of Manchester, and the Manchester Museum. I also stopped in Chinatown and had an amazing iced matcha fromTsujiri. My step count for that day was over 25,000 steps. To say I was exhausted by the end of the day would be an understatement. 

Saturday I hopped on a train and went to Preston to get the famous Spud Bros. I waited in line for almost an hour, but it went by fast since I ended up befriending the two girls behind me in line. Come to find out they are from Australia and traveling across all of Europe for the summer. They gave me some great recs for when I’m in Australia. I was a bit skeptical about the jacket potato at first, but it was good! I got the classic cheese and beans, with garlic butter, crispy onions, and something called “tram sauce”. I still don’t know what tram sauce is, but I believe it should be on every potato. Then I was off to Liverpool. I walked through the Walker Art Gallery, which was gorgeous, and also went to the World Museum. Then I headed to the Royal Albert Dock and watched the sunset, which was such a beautiful view. Again, I did a bunch of walking around the city that night.

Sunday started with a 2 hour and 30 minute train to London. Thankfully all the trains have wifi so I kept myself accompanied by watching tiktoks and youtube videos. When I got off I headed straight to the British Museum and to be honest it was just straight chaos. I could barely enjoy looking at all the artifacts because it was so loud and packed with people. I did get to touch an ancient Greek coin dating back from 400 BC though. To recover, I went to the Golden Union and ate the fish and chips before exploring Chinatown and The National Gallery. (If you couldn’t tell by now, I love going to art galley’s) This gallery blew me away. The architecture of the building itself, the art pieces, and of course Van Gigh’s Sunflowers was just so beautiful. I bought some very touristy souvenirs for my friends back at home and then hopped on the London Eye boat tour. I scored the best seat on the boat tour, which was right in the front! I would highly recommend this tour to anyone going to London as the views from the water were gorgeous, plus the tour guide was really funny. 

Monday I got up bright and early and started my day off with a traditional English Breakfast. (The beans are starting to grow on me) Then I went to Buckingham Palace just in time to not see the Changing of the Guards. They were setting up for an event so it was canceled for that day. I was a bit upset, but kept going on until I got to Harrods. This was bad timing #2 because the little bear keychain dressed in a guard outfit was sold out. Apparently, they sell out all the time. To help with me being disappointed twice in the same hour, I stopped and got ice cream from Parlor by the Ice Cream Union (HIGHLY recommend). I continued on and took the bus to Notting Hill where they had a street market with items ranging from jewelry, clothing, and cute trinkets. But the best part of this entire trip was this place I randomly found called Keiko Uchida. It’s run by the sweetest elderly woman who is truly passionate about matcha. I was there for over 45 minutes while she explained the different types of matcha, the difference between a Japanese vs Chinese bamboo whisk, and even the history behind why the whisk stand itself is supposed to be blue. I looked at the time and realized I could still make it to the Camden Street Market before it closed. So I quickly got on the bus and headed on over. This market was filled with small shops and I spent almost two hours looking at everything. I ended up buying a custom belt that they make right in front of you and even got to pick out the leather and the buckle that was put on it. I definitely put a dent in my bank account after this trip. When the market started closing for the day I walked around the town before going to Regents Park to sit down for a bit and reflect on my trip. I really did want to leave! (no offense to Ireland) It was getting pretty late by now so I made one final stop at Queen Mary’s Garden before getting back to Manchester at 1am for my flight for the next day.

With a few hours to spare before my flight, I squeezed in one last day in Manchester. I went to a food market in center city Manchester and had the best jerk chicken. I explored the Northern Quarter which had some local shops, my favorite was the Manchester Arts and Crafts Center. I grabbed a matcha and headed to the Art Gallery one last time. I ended up sketching some of the sculptures in the museum with these two girls I met there. It was the perfect way to unwind before heading back to Dublin. 

I can’t believe this is the last week on this program. This experience was truly amazing and this trip holds a special place in my heart. Now I’ll be looking over the 5,000 photos I took on this trip while I prepare for my next study abroad experience. 

What I will miss about Dublin

• Legally being able to drink here
• ROCKSHORE CIDERS
• Calling fries “chips”
• Talking to random people on the street 
• My friends from California
• No tip culture
• Laid back work life
• Actually doors on bathroom stalls (no weird space in between) 

What I can’t wait for in America

• Driving my own car
• Flat sidewalks 
• Not having to ask for ice in my water at a restaurant 
• Seeing my little sister
• FREE water 
• Raising Canes 
• Filipino food

Image 1: Inside of Manchester Cathedral

Image 2: Notting Hill

Image 3: View from the London Eye Boat Tour

Image 4: Keiko Uchida

Image 5: Spud Bros.

Image 6: Late night in Manchester