Churches, Castles, & a Donkey

Happy Holy Week! (Am I the only one who will be listening to the Jesus Christ Superstar soundtrack this whole week?)

I hope you all had a great weekend. Before I go into my weekend I would like to express my excitement for Loyola making it to the March Madness Final Four (Go Ramblers!)
Now originally I had thought about going to Budapest this past weekend, but sadly it did not work out travel wise. Instead I decided to sign up for a day trip to Leeds Castle, Canterbury, and the Cliffs of Dover.
Leeds Castle is said to be the "loveliest castle in Britain" and I could see why. Not only was the castle charming but the surroundings grounds were beautiful. I even saw some wild daffodils which means spring is finally coming. We walked through the castle and I learned so much about its history and even its current use (they were setting up for a wedding later that day)

After Leeds Castle we went straight to Canterbury where we immediately had lunch. Sadly I wasn't able to really explore the city but the Canterbury Cathedral was absolutely breathtaking. It had some of the most unique and beautiful stain glass I have ever seen. This was also a nice time for me to sit and silently reflect in some prayer.

Soon I was rushed back onto the bus and we went to the Cliffs of Dover. The best view came when we drove by but we also stopped on a beach to get some more pictures. The white cliffs were beautiful and since the weather was nice it was also pleasant to just be on the beach. As an added bonus they also took us to a great spot to get a photo in front of the Dover Castle.

My weekend doesn't end there. On Sunday I went to St. Paul's Cathedral to attend a Palm Sunday Mass. The cathedral is breathtaking and the mass itself was lovely. Also during the procession I was able to pet a donkey, so from the start I was happy. Afterwards I decided to go to the Tate Modern Art Museum, because I was so close. I have mixed feelings about Tate. most likely because when I visited a few years ago with my family I saw a very disturbing exhibit that included bloody dead animals. Although this time around was better there were a few pieces I enjoyed but nothing blew me away.


I am although very happy with my weekend. Instead of simply doing nothing after my plans fell through I decided to be proactive and simply make new plans.  I need to take advantage of every weekend now considering my time here is almost up. I only have 5 more weeks, where did the time go?

Do you have any plans for Holy Week? Any other day trips from London you recommend? Let me know in the comments!