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Published: December 26th 2013
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Hello everybody! Fist of all a "Merry Christmas" to everybody!! I'm more than a month behind with the blog because I visited the UK in mid-November.
In Wroclaw I boarded Ryanair towards Bristol, United Kingdom in what became my third visit to this country after 2004 and 2007. The only reason to visit the UK was to meet with some friends I've met during prior travels. I didn’t manage to see all of them. Rebecca had to move just during those days I planned to meet her. I knew in advance that they might have to move anytime during those days, too bad! We spoke on the phone though. When I arrived in Bristol I took a bus to Cardiff in Wales where I met Ian. He's a Polish-Filipino guy who grew up mostly in France and also some years in Philippines where I met him back in 2008. He studies in Cardiff and loves to travel too and we kept in touch via Facebook.
Before I write more about my stay in the UK, I must tell a short story about my blue Sebago shoes that Ian brought me back to Cardiff. When I went to visit
my cousin in Tallinn, Estonia, I forgot my shoes at the hostel. At the hostel there were many other foreign students living, also on the Erasmus exchange program like my cousin, and I spoke to some Turkish students while there. After contacting the hostel via e-mail, they confirmed having my shoes. Ian receives my travel blogs too and after reading my blog, he wrote me a message saying that he's also going to Tallinn to visit a Turkish friend who's studying there as an exchange student. Then I told him that I also met some Turkish students at my hostel and he told me that his friend is also living in that same hostel! I couldn't believe it, too many coincidences! So then I asked him if he could bring me back my shoes. The world is, again, VERY small!
Cardiff is the capital of Wales and has about half a million inhabitants and lies on the shores of Bristol Channel. It gave me the impression of being a very laid back and relaxed city. On one of the few sunny days Ian and I went cycling around Cardiff Bay which was very nice and we had some
lunch in the area of the Waterfront Park and Landsea Gardens. I happened to be in Cardiff when there was a rugby game of Wales vs. South Africa and the city centre was very busy with a lot of supporters since the stadium, Millennium Stadium, is right in the city centre. It was a nice atmosphere. We also went to the Cardiff Central Market where I tried some delicious, traditional Welsh cakes which are made of flour, raisins and dry grapes. We also took a look at the Cardiff Castle and had a walk through the Bute Park with its Taff River and the Blackweir Bridge. The first night we went to Ian's friends and he showed us how to make sushi. I never made sushi before and I'm not a fan of sushi at all, but it was fun making them. Another night we went to a birthday party of a friend of Ian and went to a club after this. Ian’s housemates also joined. Being in the UK you know that such nights involve a lot of drinking hahaha. Then another night I went out with Ian’s house mates to a big party, lots of people and again
lots of drinking (not for me though, those who know me know that I don’t drink much). All by all, I had a great time in Cardiff. I didn’t do too much because after going from place to place every 4 or 5 days you get a bit tired. So it was good to just chill a little bit. It was great to see Ian again. He and his house mates were all very cool and friendly, can't complain!
From Cardiff I went to
Leicester by bus, making a stop-over at Birmingham. Leicester is pronounced as "Lester". Here I visited Simon and Vanessa who I met in Australia back in 2008. We were in a group that went to the Whitsunday Islands in Queensland. Leicester has about 350.000 people and has a big Indian community. Here they celebrate one of the biggest Diwali's outside India! Simon and Vanessa took me to Bosworth Battlefield, a historical site where King Richard III was killed during a battle against Henry, who then became king of England. The battle happened in 1485. Earlier this year they found the remains of Richard in Leicester. In the evening we went to a bar with
some of Vanessa’s and Simon’s friends and later on to an Indian restaurant offering an excellent all-you-can-eat buffet. The next day Simon and I went for a walk through the Bradgate Park which I found beautiful with all the deers and the Lin River which flows through. Here you can see the ruins of the house of Jane Grey, who was queen of England for just 9 days. We walked up the Old John and the War Memorial which are on top of a small hill. From the top there was a nice view over the park and its surroundings. We had a cup of tea before we left to Leicester city centre, but first we picked up Vanessa and Alysee. The city centre was full of people because it was the day they’d turn the Christmas lights on for the season. We went to see the camels that were in the street and we saw a very small part of what was supposed to be a Christmas parade / procession. We walked around a little bit, ate something at the market and went home later. Leicester isn't a city tourists would visit, it's "just a city" and if it
wasn't for Simon and Vanessa, I would have never visited Leicester. I had a very short but nice time with Simon and Vanessa. The next morning I flew out from East Midlands airport. I spent 10 days in the UK and it was very nice to see my mates again after 5 years.
Thanks for reading and again a "Merry Christmas"!
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Naida Felicia
non-member comment
Deseonan pa dianan di fiesta pa Tonchi
Tonchi, bon dia Dios bendishoná bo, nos ta enjoy kada biaha ora nos mira bo potrètnan i den mi orashonnan mi ta pidi Dios laga bo sigui disfrutá di bo biahenan pero kuida di bo i warda bo unda ku bo bai. I pa e dianan dushi di fiesta aki, pa tin hendenan rondó di bo ku lo selebrá e nasementu di Hesus Kristu huntu ku bo , konsiente ku el a bin pa salba mundu hinter, pa ken ku asept'e i kere den dje, no bai pèrdí sino haña bida eterno. Tonchi pasa felis kambio di aña i sigui disfrutá di tur loke bo ta mira rònt mundu ku Dios a kreá. Di parti hinter famia Felicia i instituto, un prospero aña 2014 yená ku dicha i felisidat. FAMIA F E L I C I A....................................nos ta apersiá i stima bo.