Thursday, May 20th

Woke up in disbelief that the night before had occurred. The girls and I went for breakfast at this amazing Dutch Pancake House where the pancakes were the size of pizzas and filled with fruit and ice cream. Then we met with reporters from the BBC! How unreal is that? The facility is overwhelming, full of marble floors and winding staircases. So beautiful and ornate, unlike any newsroom I've ever seen. The reporters were phenomenal, they are spearheading BBC Persia. They cover all of the goings on in war-torn areas in the Middle East, specifically Iran. They showed us footage from over there that has not been seen by anyone: police running over protesting civilians, raids of colleges, brutal beatings. We have no idea about how much suffering is going on in that country. Even more striking was the fact that these reporters are unable to return to Iran because of their involvement with the news. Such a commitment.

We found a great pub and watched a cricket match while eating bangers and mash. How English is that? We stayed at the pub for hours, soaking in the culture, and even met a fellow Gator who graduated in 2002! The Gator Nation is everywhere! We then had amazing Tiramisu to celebrate Isabel's birthday at Stockpot, this amazing fusion restaurant with great food and even better prices. We're nearly locals!

Love you all! xx