Camping at a 5* resort in Wales

Throughout my first year of studies civil engineers have promoted their annual camping trip. I was expecting tents, campfires and hiking, but then I was told we are staying at a 5* resort with spa, waterpark, high ropes course and more  in the middle of a National Park in Pembrokeshire called Bluestone. I never knew the perception of camping can differ that much just across the Europe! Apparently it was proper camping the year before and they just stack to the name in order to avoid confusion. Because, clearly, there's no confusion this way.

Welcome to Bluestone

On the way there the car that I and Auste were going in took the scenery route: villages and fields instead of motorway, standing on the side of the road for 15 minutes to let a herd of sheep go by, you know, usual Wales stuff.

Sight at Bluestone the evening we arrived.

The usual day was sleeping in, watching UEFA Euro 2012, eating and predrinking, and then drinking heavily during the night again. In snapshots it looks like that:

However, there were a couple of days which surpassed even this exciting schedule. Firstly, of course, we tried out the waterpark. It was so so great! For example midway the external top-open slide there are a couple of little balconies with jacuzzis, and in the main swimming pool there was an inflatable obstacle course, like the ones shown on TV. Couldn't ask for anything better! Another day we went to an adventure park. It was my first time and it was breathtaking! It just seems they really love water in Wales because even when it's not raining everyone is still getting soaked.

Still the best part was our trip to Tenby. The cutest little town I have ever seen and with the most amazing seaside. It has tall rocks, it has island with a house (prison?), it has ruins on a hill - everything to be mysteriously attractive. And the scenery... I just couldn't get enough of it. And there were a couple of dead jelly fishes on the beach. Just so you know. I would love to come back again and again. Maybe I can have a villa there when I'm crazy rich lady engineer, haha?

On the last day when everyone was trying to rise from the dead, just the three of us went for a walk the trail round the National Park. It was damp and slippery, but it was worth it. We came across gorgeous ruins and saw the nature so green that the Great Wizard of Oz would envy.

And then we left back to Birmingham, straight to the University to collect our first year final marks. The most stressful journey in my life!

When you have good friends and a free day.

Despite how hardly I tried to fill in my free time between exams and while waiting for results, I still had too much of it. Joke! But still, what is a better activity when the weather is so good and you have been in a country for only half a year yet than day trips to other cities! The glorious megabus gives a chance to travel between bigger cities cheap, so why not to use the chance.

Manchester

Upon arrival. I'm not saying we got lost. It only took us longer to get where we needed.

MOSI - Museum of Science and Industry - a really fun interactive museum. Definitelly worth a visit!

Inside MOSI. My passion #2 - wind power. Had to have a photo!

For me Manchester was a city where old and modern comes together  in  an exceptionally harmonic manner. I have once described Manchester as The City of Craziest Buildings and I do not take that back. It's just surprising how well they fit with the old architecture.

Another example of how old and modern comes together - this is an altar in Fraser Chapel, in the old Gothic Manchester Cathedral.

Finished the stay by trying frozen yogurt for the first time. Delicious!

Bristol

My extremely long and picturesque visit to Bristol on my way to Milan didn't leave me thinking I've seen enough of it, so given the chance we were on the way.

Civil engineers and the b.e.a.utiful suspension bridge. (Photo clearly taken not by a civil engineer -.-)

By the cathedral. I found Bristol as really lovely place with its own charm, I'd gladly stay there for longer.

Lochs, Glens and Ben Nevis. And Mimosa Pudica.

This post will be massive (not too much reading though, I'm not fond of writing much) so brace yourselves and get some popcorn ready before we kick off.

At the end of my first year at the University I had to sit five exams over the course of six weeks. Mathematically obviously, there were a couple of bigger, like one-week-long gaps between them. Normally people (or rather normal people) use them to revise for the upcoming extremely important assessment; but I'm not one of those normal guys now am I?

I used one of those weeks to go back home to Lithuania for the National Traditional Karate Championship and just to say hi to everyone, and the other one to visit my friends in the Kingdom Far Far Away, a.k.a. Scotland.

Happiness in the sunny Vilnius. Photo by L.O.

Schedule was simple - we all meet up in Glasgow, check it out, climb Ben Nevis, visit Edinburgh, and part our ways there. As usual, I bought the cheapest tickets I could find leaving the factor of comfort for when I'll be crazy rich lady engineer. Thus my way to Glasgow was almost 8 hours on the coach overnight; only £10 though. My way back from Edinburgh, however, was fancy only-four-hour-long train journey. You would never guess how much I paid to get across almost the whole country in the comfort of the train - £5! That was my first and one of the very few encounters with megatrain.

Glasgow

I arrived to Glasgow as early as 6:15am. And it was freezing cold. Partly because I barely slept the night on the bus. I normally do sleep well no matter what the conditions are but these managed to exceed any worst case scenario - imagine a night on a full bus when you can't sit down. Or rather can only on one buttock. Why? Because I am gracious enough to spill almost boiling tea (at least I'm sure my thermos is working great; whoop whoop!) on myself and my seat in a way that the worst scold was left on my bum. The visualisation of positions I slept in on my seat that night can be found in the book. Don't pretend, we know you know which one.

Panoramic view from the top of cemetery. Photo by L.P.S.

Strong and sturdy but rather cosy church. Photo by L.P.S.

Photo by A.S.

Roofs of Glasgow. Photo by A.S.

Beautiful idea! Photo by A.S.

As soon as we all have gathered, we started wondering around, saw quite a few panoramas of the city, visited cemetery, a lovely Gothic church, went to a couple of museums (some pictures above) but nothing was as exciting as the crazy stairs (pictures below). Mind blowing! Glasgow has incredibly steep streets you know.

Okay, I have to confess. When I said there's nothing as exciting as the stairs I lied. Glasgow has beautiful and amazingly rich botanical garden and there I found a plant by which I could stay day and night until I would forget my name but never forget its - Mimosa Pudica, also called as the shy plant. The sign by it said "Please touch", so I did, and was entirely mesmerised!

Ben Nevis

We left Glasgow for our one day trip to the top of the UK. Ben Nevis is the tallest mountain in the British Isles, so I was expecting a trip like the one shown in Seven Years in Tibet. To my disappointment there was a path all the way to the top and there was close to none challenge. Except the fact that I become a bitch witch when I'm hungry, so that was an inconvenience. And the mischievousness of the mountain - we thought we saw the top at least 5 times when it kept suddenly appearing further and further. The view was worth it though!

Casual stroll in the morning

The sudden realisation of underestimation

Our true colours shining through

Never give up, it's such a wonderful view!

Everybody look left, Everybody look right, Everywhere you look I'm Standing on a mountain!

'Cause I'm on top of the world, 'ay

The fun of going down.

P.S. On the way up I saw one of the most beautiful things I bet I will ever see in my life - a group of people were going down and each of them was carrying one end of rope. Each of them except the one in the middle - the one in the wheelchair that was supported by the ropes. *still braking into tears*

Pentlands

As if one mountain is enough for us! As soon as we reached Edinburgh and dropped our luggage we made our way to Pentlands. The place of spiky bushes and emo cows.

The spiky bushes. Fun.

Emo cows. Friendly.

One of my very favourite pictures ever. ♥

'cause only a ninja can sneak upon another ninja

Because it's not the cows that might ambush you.

Edinburgh

So I've seen the most amazing places of Scotland. How can Edinburgh impress me? And it could. Especially Arthur's seat - a hill in the middle of the city, to which everyone from the youngest to oldest climb just for fun. I can't help it - Scotland is amazing! 

The view from Arthur's Seat

Me and bridges. Always.

Scott and Scottish Monument in Edinburgh, Scotland.

When I left my friends found this sculpture. Soon, very soon, because I'll be back. As decided - having visited mountains and valleys the next time is for bridges and lakes of Scotland.