TopShop...

...is amazing. And dangerous - very, very dangerous. I stumbled my way into the massive, huge, world-class TopShop at Oxford Circus today and just about died. Bags, shoes, sparkle, 3+ floors, boutiques within boutiques, jewelry counters, and even a cafe! It was beautiful. It was not quite as cheap as I had hoped, but it was still beautiful. Oxford is just shopping heaven and only a hop, skip and a jump away! Seriously the location of our dorm couldn't be better. I love love LOVE IT.

And I finally got a lamp in my room so my "closet" corner isn't quite so dark. Choosing daily ensembles in the dark is not so pleasant. We also finally got a full-length mirror sittin' pretty in the hallway so that we aren't so clueless about the bottom halves of our bodies.

I am loving loving London. I don't even care about traveling so much; I just want to learn this city inside and out. Plans for the weekend include trying a fancy Lebanese restaurant, London zoo, Indian food, beaucoup de walking, babysitting for 4 kids, and enjoying the sun while it lasts. :-)

As Promised

I have finally gotten my photos on the web - phew! I remember in college how much I loved uploading, captioning, organizing, etc... now i just don't have the energy for it! So the captions are severely limited and the order is probably whack, but it's the best i can do for now. Enjoy!

Carolyn's Pictures

Just A Taste

Just a few pics until I get them all organized and up on the web...

ARGH!!!

I FINALLY get internet access in my room, and now it won't let me access random sites?? For example, I can get to gmail (thank goodness) and google search sites, but Leanne can't access her yahoo mail. I can log onto gchat but not AIM? And worst of all, I can't get to hip tranquil chick!!!!!!!!!!! ARGH!!!!!

Oktoberfest!

Hello from Munich!! I wish I knew how to say Hello in German, but alas, my German is pretty weak sauce. Nonetheless i have managed to make the best of my short time here in the land of Schnitzel. After spending a FRIGID night in the Zagreb airport, the girls and i boarded our tiny tiny plane to Munich very early this morning. A quick train ride later and we arrived at our hostel. A quick breakfast and brushing of teeth, and we were off to spend the afternoon at the Dachau Memorial Site. We were blessed with a gorgeous fall day in Munich, complete with trees of orange and red leaves, a crisp breeze, and beautiful sun. The beautiful setting helped make the Dachau experience a little less depressing, but it was definitely quite an emotional experience. What really got to me was walking into the actual gas chamber used in Dachau... i mean i was speechless. And then the pictures of the men, not the pictures of bodies piled up or of death, but just the profile pics of men who spent their time there, some even dying there. It was heartbreaking. How some people still deny the existence of the Holocaust and concentration camps is beyond me. Denial is a powerful thing, it seems. Anyway, it was an important experience and one I highly recommend to anyone visiting Munich.

After Dachau, Jenny and I ventured into a very traditional German restaurant across the street from our hostel to eat. We had bowls of creamy mushroom soup, fresh baked bread, pork schnitzel, french fries, and for dessert - fried apple beignets and apple streusel. It was incredibly decadent and rather tasty (the fried apple beignets were my fave). After gorging ourself with food, we hobbled across the street, took quick but hot showers, and tumbled into bed for a short nap. Sadly i was awoken only a short time later to Jennys insistence that it was time to get up and hit up Oktoberfest, and im so glad we did! No lines, no nothing. The place was like the carnival of your German dreams! Naturally we were there for the food, even after such a decadent lunch, and made a quick tour of the stalls before deciding on some long weiner hot dog sausage thingy for me and a fried fish sandwich with some killer tartar sauce for Jenny. For dessert, dark chocolate covered banana and my first candy apple. All in all it was a wonderful experience, even with the hideous drunks and aching bellies.

I imagine we will sleep very well tonight. Plans for tomorrow are up in the air.. i think i might forego the castle and spend mz last day in Munich exploring the city. I love exploring. The next time I write, i hope to be in the comfort of my own dorm room, tapping away at my beloved macbook instead of on dirty public keyboards. I will also post pics asap. Kisses, darlings. Ciao!

Last Night

Shed a tear, my friends, for tonight concludes our week long journey, sailing through the pearly waters of the Adriatic Sea. We have just arrived in Split, where we began our trip last Sunday, and will spend the day sightseeing, having our final Croatian dinner, and then will head to the airport to fly to Munich. We dont actually arrive in Munich until tomorrow morning (layover in Zagreb), and then plan to spend the day at Dachau and the evening at Oktoberfest. I am excited to return to land and dive into history (albeit incredibly painful). Ive loved my time in Croatia, but i am glad that the time is over. Last night the girls and i all had our own Captains dinner at a lovely Konoba in Omis. Three liters of house wine later (one of which was on the house!), we headed off the local bar to play with our fellow pirates, dance a little, and then i called it an early night (of course). It was lovely. Its all been lovely. I cannot believe how lucky i am to have experienced such beauty at this point in my life. Thank you.

Crosheya!!!

Hello mz beautiful friends! I know i promised loads of blogging while abroad, but itćs been a bit difficult, what with no internet in my room yet, and internet cafes being a bit rushed. I am currentlz in Makarska, Croatia enjoying the tail end of my sailboat cruise through the Adriatic. I LOVE Croatia, as it is both beautiful and relatively undiscovered in terms of American tourists. Our boat is surprisingly decent, and i got lucky enough to have a whole room to myself! I am rather enjoying my over the toilet showers and comfy bunk. Mornings are spent laying out on the deck, enjoying the phenomenal weather, reading, journaling, etc. Afternoons are spent in various cities (so far Hvar is my fave), evenings are spent wining, dining, and sometimes partying, and its pretty amazing. Our group is mostly Australian, and they are a fun bunch. The weather has been immensely kind considering its October and definitely the end of season here. I am loving loving loving it.

That being said, I cannot wait to get to Munich on Sunday morning and to venture into the holocaust museum, castles, etc. I will, of course, take a small part in Oktoberfest, but its definitely not my primary goal. Ill be back in London late Monday evening, and im a bit excited to check out classes on Tues. After much work and shopping my prison cell of a dorm room is finally shaping up to be something very Carolyn-esque indeed. (loads of colors, pink, patterns, shapes, candles, etc.) At first I wasnt the biggest fan of London, esp. since i had just come back from an incredible weekend in Paris, but it has definitely grown on me. Jenny and i inadvertently trekked through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park one afternoon, carrying loads of shopping bags. The park was beautiful, although we would like to experience it sans shopping bags next time.

I cant believe im actually in Europe, living the life, and experiencing it all. More to come soon, i promise. Ciao, darlings!