Flying on a party bus..a weekend in London & Oxford

After class last Thursday afternoon, Stef, Ali and I hurried to catch the train to the airport to catch our flight. We flew on Ryanair, a low-cost airline we had heard a lot about but had yet to fully experience. When you buy your tickets online, there is a list of extra costs that can be added at any minute: if you bring more than one bag (including purse, etc..alll has to fit in one small bag or you'll pay about 24 euro to check it. Our friends had someone coming through the line at the gate measuring bags).

Ryanair is like Southwest, but instead of friendly southern flight attendants, the flight attendants are Irish men trying to sell you raffle tickets, smokeless cigarettes, snacks and drinks throughout the flight. It’s kind of like a party bus in the sky..maybe like Soul Plane without Snoop Dogg and with rowdy Europeans. Oh, and the best part is that if the flight achieves an on-time arrival (we only got it on the way back to Madrid), a trumpet sound of victory goes off at touch-down and an overjoyed, recorded Irish man goes “Congratulations on being part of yet ANOTHER on-time Ryanair arrival! Blah blah blah” after which the one Spanish flight attendant has to quickly and begrudgingly translate to Spanish. Good times.

We arrived at Stansted airport and parted ways. I took a bus straight from the airport to Oxford, to meet up with Michael and Leah. They came to get me from the bus and it was a joyous reunion. We went back to Michael's house for the night, then he showed us around Oxford on Friday. It is such an old and lovely city.

Starting off the day with sustenance..aka a triple layer PB&J man-wich

Right by Michael's crib

Aw look at Oxford..so quaint. And it was a sunny day, yay! I'm told that doesn't happen tooo often.

  

View from the top of Carfax tower in the center of the city

Pretty chocolate yummmm

One of the many 'colleges' at Oxford...this is the oldest one, called Christ Church. College kids live there? ahh

I love this building. What is it again, Michael..part of Christ Church right?

Look at those newly-converted British kids, so excited to "top up" (add minutes). It was so funny being back in an English-speaking country because their English is weirdddd

Michael's street

On Friday evening Leah and I took the bus back into London, had dinner, went to her apartment and then went out. Saturday was our tour de London!

Hey London! The tube.

We went to get Michael from the bus, then headed to Portabello street, where there is a giant street market every weekend. There are lots of touristy stands claiming that they're selling "antiques", but still cool to walk around and look.

The market.

Met up with my mom's college friend Steven and his family for lunch!

After lunch we met back up with Michael and Leah for cupcakes..Steven's 3-year-old son Max really enjoyed his, hehe. What a cutie.

 

Everyone told me I had to make sure to go to the department store Harrod's. It is so insane..there's so much stuff!!! I seriously got confused trying to find my way out.

Buckingham Palace

 We saw the Tower of London, walked on the Tower Bridge and along the Thames. So cool at night.

After touring around we had dinner and talked for a long time, then walked Michael back to the bus station. 

  

It was just me and the street cleaners out when I was waiting for the bus at 5:45 am to make it to the airport for my 8:30 flight!

Ryanair at 8 am Sunday morning. Hasta luego rainy London!

It was a short but great trip, and it was so fun to be able to see the very different experiences Michael and Leah are having. It's amazing how "going abroad" can take so many forms.

My mom told me the other night that I received a summons for jury duty in the mail at home. Uh ohhhh I better book my flight now! Sorry, but as terrible as it is I will not be performing my civic duty in Skokie, Illinois in March. I promise to make up for it.  :-)