Porto, home of Port wine

Hello all, 

We have been in Porto two nights already and our last night is tonight. Porto is the second largest city after Lisbon the capital. 

Yesterday we went on another free walking tour around the city. We saw the main sights including the tallest point here in Porto. A tower which measures 250 m we think, anyway we climbed up it today to get some good views. We also stopped at a bookshop which has been ranked the third prettiest bookshop in the world. Two famous authors have written there centuries ago and also the staircase inside was an inspiration for dumbledores staircase up to his office in Harry Potter. 

The walking tour also took us down to the waterfront area. Where the big bridge that connects Porto to another city is found. The smells and aroma's around the 'food' area was to die for, especially when you hadn't eaten! 

The pastries and cafe's are pretty cute, so we end up sitting in them for a while eating Portuguese tarts every so often. 

Today after climbing the tower and visiting the bookshop we took tram 22 around the city for a nice casual ride! 

Tomorrow we have another day before setting off on a night train to San Sebastián in Spain! Ready for Tapas and beaches...

Porto from the bridge

Every roof is made of terracotta tiles

The staircase in the bookshop

Out front of the bookshop

The view from up top of the tower

Tram ride through the city

Street art

And to finish, our amazing dinner from last night! 

Molly xx

Aveiro, the Venice of Portugal

We arrived in Aveiro on Thursday after a 2 and a half hour train ride. Walking down the Main Street to find the hostel was pretty easy and we even arrived early! 

For lunch we went to a little cafe bakery and spent little to what you would at home! A huge strawberry tart cost only €1.50! We were very pleased with our findings :D 

After a little walk down the canal and seeing the boats we got back to our hostel to get in our dorm. It is a really cool hostel, awesome kitchen and lounge area and we can wash our clothes! Imogen once again cooked a superb dinner and we decided a little ice cream with a walk was in need! 

The Canal next to our hostel

Cute little house

Procuitto wrapped chicken with rice and green beans! 

Today we had breakfast st the hostel, nice bread with jams, hand and cheese, cereals and even apple and cinnamon cake! 

We set off to go on a boat ride down the canals. We were showed the salt pans and the piles of salt. The fishermans houses, ceramics factory and why the houses have ceramic tiles to protect the houses from the salt. 

We then went and hired some free BUGA bikes! Riding up and down the canals with bikes without breaks was fun! Until I nearly ran straight onto the road! For lunch we had some more Portuguese tarts on a bench next to the canal then opted to go for a walk around the shopping mall. Which I believe was the first shopping mall on Portugal, perhaps. 

 

The boat ride! 

Some stairs we found! 

The boats in the canal 

Tomorrow we head to Porto, our last stop in Portugal! 

Anyway talk soon

Molly xx

Sand and castles

With a late night listening to fado music, we set off on tuesday later than planned to go to the thieves market. We caught a tram around the city and ended up in the right place to see the markets! They were pretty big, but soon became repetitive. Infact Imogen and I said how lucky we are to have Salamanca markets at home, selling good produce and local wares! 

We then caught a bus down to the train station to make our way along the waterfront to Cascais. It's a little beach area, quite a popular place for tourists. The water was freezing! And I mean freezing!!! Got some rays after I put sunscreen on, but can now feel my face burning... 

The thieves market

Cascais

Imogen at the beach! :D

There were lots of fish too, kinda freaked me out

Today we got to Sintra! A beautiful little historic town tucked in between hills and more cobblestone streets. By train we arrived to walk along and treat ourselves at a cute little cafe. Fresh orange juice and lush Portuguese tarts it was! Seriously they are amazing! We then walked into the town to see the gorgeous views on the hills and the amazing romantic architecture. Catching the bus up the bigger hills we arrived at Castelo did Mouris. A castle which was basically made up of a wall, but we went for a nice walk under the canopy of trees. We then went up to the Palacio Nacional da Pena. A palace from around the 1800's. it looked like a Disney castle! It was pretty cool, sitting on top of this point with a surrounding garden which was more like a forest. The photo opps and views were pretty incredible, but got most of them on my camera, not my phone :( but here are a few! 

The lush tarts! 

Historic town

The palace

Living a Disney dream! Ha not yet, but I actually will be soon! 

Tomorrow we head to Aveiro, which has been said to be the Venice of Portugal. I'm pretty excited!! 

Molly xx

Sunscreen was applied!

So I arrived in Lisbon, Portugal at around 7.40 pm last night to then catch a bus into town to meet immi! Luckily she had arrived earlier and found her way around so she knew exactly where to head for our hostel! The streets are all layed with individual rocks so they are all literally cobblestones, the building are tall and old and there are even more, and I mean lots more hills than Hobart!! 

Immi and I wandered and talked and eventually found a little restaurant to sit and eat tea at ten o'clock, which we found out today was the first cafe in Lisbon to sell coffee! I think...

In a dorm of eight there were bound to be snorers right? Correct! Going to bed at around 12 meant I would then lie awake for the next three hours purely because there was alot of noise and light! 

Today we went for a little walk up and down the hundreds of stairs to then come back and go on a walking tour. This walking tour went for around 4-5 hours, literally walking around the whole city! We saw art, photography, churches, fake monuments and much more! It was possibly the best way to see everything, and it was free! The heat however was hot, and yes mother I did apply sunscreen and will continue to do so as I wish to tan safely :D 

Back at the hostel now, feet are sore and a shower is well due for. We need to head out soon again to get to a train station to reserve seats for our trains and activate my eurail pass! 

Tonight the hostel is having a little walking thing again but this time to local bars where traditional Portuguese music, fado, is being played, which we might pop along to! After Imogen has cooked us dinner :D 

We are in Lisbon for another three nights, hoping to head to the beach soon and there is a big market held tomorrow! 

Be aware that I'm writing this off my phone, so any grammatical mistakes I make I give up on trying to go back and fix them all! 

Bread is so good!! 

Stairs everywhere 

Hope everyone is well! 

Talk soon

Molly xx

Summer has arrived!

 

Hello hello everyone!

The sun has arrived! Just thought i should mention that to you all as it seems to have taken forever for the sun to come out! This past week has probably been my best week here so far. With summer term coming to an end there were multiple functions held in a big marquee out on the lawn with wine, champagne and Pimm’s! ( which i haven’t really taken a fancy to). The summer concert was held on Thursday night which held a fantastic display of the musical talent in the school. I was very impressed and in awe of the talent here at such a young age.

 

I love this photo! Alexa, Kylie and i with two of the girls

(credit to Kylie for the photo!)

We got our own reserved signs!

Inside the marquee

Thursday night ended up with a lot of music, singing and dancing outside which evidently kept the kids up all night, so they say… but all was fine come Friday morning ready for our final school day. We had two assemblies to farewell staff members, children leaving and give out awards. There are heaps of talented kids here at All Hallows, wether it be musical, academic or sports everyone seems to be at everything! Friday night we had the leavers reception, for all of the year 8’s and their parents, gave them time to feel like the leavers of the school, like i had at home when leaving Ogilvie.

Friday night was our last night at the Pub as a group as Will and Emilio have now finished here! Things will be very different come September with new people coming in and others leaving, but hopefully it will be as good as the last five months have been. Can you believe I've been here for 170 days already! Time goes so quickly when your working and having fun!

Saturday we had our Prize giving day where all kids form year 3-8 and their parents attend the service in the marquee. But first i had to attend mass, which was highly embarrassing as i had no clue as to what to do,which is how the year 8’s say they will now remember me, apparently it was funny? Anyway straight after Mass we headed out to prize giving for 2 hours or so to see the main prizes handed out. Saturday was fun and rather warm, i managed to get pretty sunburnt on my chest! which hurt a lot… Saturday night we had to look after a group of Spanish kids who weren’t leaving until Sunday afternoon, which turned out to be an interesting night. Involving kids running outside and around the school as well as an air horn being blown at around midnight, But it was all good and fun!

2013 gaps!

 

Thankyou Kylie for all the photos!

Sunday was a pretty relaxed day. Wimbledon finals were on and it was quite a significant occasion for the British as they hadn’t won for 77 years or something, so  basically was like Dad yelling at the footy, but instead it was masses of people yelling at Murray over Tennis. Sunday night involved a bit more music and singing, sitting on the rooftop and cards. Late nights all round this week, i’m quite surprised i’m still alive and haven’t carked it from lack of sleep every night.

Today has been amazing! Went to Thorpe park, which is a theme park similar to Dreamworld, but amazing! Apart from the queues which were to be expected, the adrenaline rushes were incredible. i am still on such a high after it all i literally haven’t shut up since i got home. You all need to look it up on the internet, because yeah, i went there! and now i want to go back, or to Alton Towers which apparently is even better!

Now i need to pack ready for my little Europe tour with Immi, starting on Sunday! getting nervous and excited all at the same time, mainly because we don’t actually have a lot of things booked. But hopefully it will all work out in the end!

Hopefully this has given you a little insight into the last week, as it have been amazing! i look forward to more great weeks like this to come!

Ta Ta for now!

Molly xx

Oh the joys of England

So yet again it has been quite a while since i posted. Cant even remember what has even happened since i went to France. i have been busy lately booking and organising summer holidays. I’m meeting up with a friend, Imogen in Portugal on the 14th of July, where we will then do the ‘Europe tour’. From Portugal to Spain, then Paris to go to Disneyland!! so excited, all my childhood dreams will finally come true. Then we will head to Belgium, Netherland, Germany, Czech Republic, Hungry and we will Finish in Croatia where i will then fly back to London and head back to school. Mum arrives on the 17th of August, where she will then come meet me out in Somerset, stay at school a couple of sights before heading into London!! Go to a show, do the sights and i have finally convinced mum to go on the London Eye, which is something you cant not do when you come to London.

We are coming to the end of our summer term, only two weeks left until we are free for 2 months. Half term was a few weeks ago, yet again another holiday break. This time i went to Henley again with the Hannah’s, and went on a lovely little river boat ride down the Thames, where we stopped off to have a cute little picnic on the boat. The Henley regatta is coming up in a couple of weeks and preparations for it were being set up already. The tents, stands, marquees and all bits and pieces were coming together for the huge event! I also found out that Imogen was in the country so i went and met up with her in Brighton for a day! Basically we talked, and talked and talked. i had to catch up on all of the goss of course! but we managed to have fish and chips for lunch along the beach of rocks, because of course there is no sand in England!! Anyway, that was a great day and i got home on such a buzz, it was great seeing someone familiar and could just talk for hours without the problem of dodgy internet connections or having to be quiet around kids!

Setting up for the regatta  

Brighton pier and beach of rocks

Imogen et moi

 

Last weekend i got up to London to see a few people. Stayed at a hostel overnight and went out to Fabric, a club that has been voted one of the best in the world, apparently. Headed home as the crows came up to have a few hours sleep before finding my way to Camden markets. I managed to buy a few bits and pieces for the fam, before i was dead on my feet! caught the tube by myself and got to Paddington to get my train back to school. 

I have booked my flights home, ( actually mum did it) but anyway, I'm leaving school on the 14th of December, where i will fly to Rome to for 5 nights, have a look around Italy, the head home on the 19th flying Qatar airlines. Apparently they are the best in the world, so we will see :)

SO school and work is very busy at the moment, coming to the end of the school year we have things going on everywhere. We have sports day tomorrow, if the rain holds off, fingers crossed!

Anyway, hopefully shall talk to you all soon. Getting excited for Christmas already! and to be back in my home country, it will be great. Missing everyone at home

Molly xx