given that my plan for this trip was loose, and i have no reason to stay on a schedule, i was open for an excuse to change my route. i had intended on moving on to france, but i knew that the two girls i had met in morocco, vanessa and andrea, were near alicante, and when carolynn expressed an interest on going, we hopped on a train.
alicante is about five hours by train south of barcelona. it is on costa blanca, an area of spain with white, beautiful beaches and amazing mountains for rock climbing and hiking.
when we got off the train in alicante, all of the tourist information booths were closed, so we had to navigate to find our hostel without a map. after lugging our crap (all i could think for the whole route was, why the hell did i bring four pairs of shoes?) for about 20 minutes, we made it to our amazing hostel, which made every moment of carrying twenty kilos worthwhile.
situated less than a hundred metres from the beach, it had a beautiful terrace filled with potted plants, overlooking the ocean, and with a view of a massive rock with a sixteenth century fortress built upon it. care and i actually cooked our own food in the kitchen! it is the little things that brighten up your days. for me, cooking a meal for myself, having my nails filed, using hand moisturizer, or using a foot pumice gives me a feeling of satisfaction, contentment and cleanliness that i can barely describe. pure happiness.
we sunned on the beach, slept, used the internet, read, walked... we truly paused for 24 hours. the hustle and bustle of travelling is energizing, exhilarating but also exhausting. big cities, after a few weeks, feel crowded, and you just crave a quiet evening listening to crickets. in no way am i sick of travelling, or overwhelmed by big cities, but i also want to listen to myself when i need a day off.
interestingly, alicante is a city of 300,000 people, so it is not small by any means! but, i got a good sleep in a comfy bed, a nap on the beach, and homecooked dinner on the terrace. i am one happy camper.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Monday, May 29, 2006
so sexy right now.
barcelona is one sexy city. everything about it is stylish: the clothes, the restaurants and the architecture. i do not think i have ever seen a place where i literally want to own every item of clothing that everyone is wearing. and the shopping. oh, the shopping! (mom, stop reading here) i desperately tried to drag myself away from the boutiques, h&m, zara... particularly dangerous for a girl with no money, and more importantly, no space.
i was in barcelona for a total of four nights. it is such a cosmopolitan city, with more museums than i can count, people everywhere and incredibly unique architecture. to fully experience barcelona, you would need two weeks! apart from the day i spent in bed with food poisoning, i got a good feel for the city. dad and i learned a bit of the history with a few walking tours, explored the ruins of a roman city excavated underground, walked the 300 stairs up to the top of gaudi's sagrada familia and had a yummy dinner at a restaurant that picasso used to frequent. i felt really bad when i got sick, because dad was forced to actually entertain himself!
gaudi's architecture is unlike anything i have ever seen. at first glance, the parks and buildings seem out of place in the city. almost like a disneyland theme park in the middle of a ritzy neighbourhood. however, with a closer look, you realize that his forms are all based on nature, and the world as he saw it around him. all of a sudden, they do not look foreign or odd, but they are incredibly in tune with the land. park guell is a must see, as is la pedrera and casa batllo.
now that dad is gone, i feel an unexpected emptiness. and it wasn´t only my morning coffee waiting for my on my bedside table when i woke up! at first i thought it was that i had no one to nag, no one to remind to zip up his backpack, no one to remind to wear sunscreen, and no one to get annoyed with when he didn´t follow directions. over the ten days we spent together, we developed a comfortable routine (i will not lie, it did not involve a ton of conversation... as those of you who know my dad will attest to). but, i had someone to plan with, someone to discuss a painting with, and someone to laugh about the cruddy restaurant in casablanca with. the other day, i saw a painting in the picasso museum, and immediately had something in mind that i wanted to mention to dad, that i knew only he would appreciate. anyway, i will quickly get used to being alone again, but it will be a transition.
carolynn came through barcelona from france, and it was lovely because we got to spend a few days together. not that dad isn´t great, but he just doesn´t understand shopping the way carolynn does! care and i went to the beach, ate mouth-watering food, and experienced some of the nightlife.
all in all, a return visit to barcelona will definitely be in the cards for sometime in the future. any city this classy, stylish and sexy is high on my list. but first i will have to make a few million to afford my new wardrobe.
i was in barcelona for a total of four nights. it is such a cosmopolitan city, with more museums than i can count, people everywhere and incredibly unique architecture. to fully experience barcelona, you would need two weeks! apart from the day i spent in bed with food poisoning, i got a good feel for the city. dad and i learned a bit of the history with a few walking tours, explored the ruins of a roman city excavated underground, walked the 300 stairs up to the top of gaudi's sagrada familia and had a yummy dinner at a restaurant that picasso used to frequent. i felt really bad when i got sick, because dad was forced to actually entertain himself!
gaudi's architecture is unlike anything i have ever seen. at first glance, the parks and buildings seem out of place in the city. almost like a disneyland theme park in the middle of a ritzy neighbourhood. however, with a closer look, you realize that his forms are all based on nature, and the world as he saw it around him. all of a sudden, they do not look foreign or odd, but they are incredibly in tune with the land. park guell is a must see, as is la pedrera and casa batllo.
now that dad is gone, i feel an unexpected emptiness. and it wasn´t only my morning coffee waiting for my on my bedside table when i woke up! at first i thought it was that i had no one to nag, no one to remind to zip up his backpack, no one to remind to wear sunscreen, and no one to get annoyed with when he didn´t follow directions. over the ten days we spent together, we developed a comfortable routine (i will not lie, it did not involve a ton of conversation... as those of you who know my dad will attest to). but, i had someone to plan with, someone to discuss a painting with, and someone to laugh about the cruddy restaurant in casablanca with. the other day, i saw a painting in the picasso museum, and immediately had something in mind that i wanted to mention to dad, that i knew only he would appreciate. anyway, i will quickly get used to being alone again, but it will be a transition.
carolynn came through barcelona from france, and it was lovely because we got to spend a few days together. not that dad isn´t great, but he just doesn´t understand shopping the way carolynn does! care and i went to the beach, ate mouth-watering food, and experienced some of the nightlife.
all in all, a return visit to barcelona will definitely be in the cards for sometime in the future. any city this classy, stylish and sexy is high on my list. but first i will have to make a few million to afford my new wardrobe.
Saturday, May 27, 2006
temporary downer.
the inevitable has happened. food poisoning! i had a lovely few hours in barcelona before i got hit head on with this crazy sickness. it was my dad's last day in europe, and i felt terrible, because i spent the whole day in bed. i know that getting sick over the course of three months is inevitable, and certainly after spending some time in africa, but it is wonderful to be sick when you have your parents here. there is something about being sick and just finding the ultimate comfort in mom and dad.
perhaps this has been a blessing in disguise. i had been worried about burning myself out, and this has forced me to sleep ALL day. i tried to go out to the gaudi's famous park, but it didn't work out. i had an unfortunate date with the toilet there as well.
i keep reminding myself that barcelone will still be here tomorrow, or even next year. being sick has not ruined my trip, it has just delayed me slightly. the whole point of this backpacking adventure was to get a taste of different countries, different cities and different cultures -- hopefully this will be my one and only taste of food poisoning!
love from barcelona. more from this stylish, fast-paced city tomorrow.
perhaps this has been a blessing in disguise. i had been worried about burning myself out, and this has forced me to sleep ALL day. i tried to go out to the gaudi's famous park, but it didn't work out. i had an unfortunate date with the toilet there as well.
i keep reminding myself that barcelone will still be here tomorrow, or even next year. being sick has not ruined my trip, it has just delayed me slightly. the whole point of this backpacking adventure was to get a taste of different countries, different cities and different cultures -- hopefully this will be my one and only taste of food poisoning!
love from barcelona. more from this stylish, fast-paced city tomorrow.
this could have been the start of a beautiful friendship.
inspired by the movie of the same name, i expected a visit to casablanca to be a romantic journey, with beautiful architecture and lovely cafes. blame it on the film.
i certainly did not hate my twenty-four hours there, being accosted by old women, scammed by cab drivers and staying in creepy hotels, but i will let you know some reasons why you should NOT take a vacation there.
1. there are lots of ugly cities closer to you. casablanca was built fairly recently, to have the look of a moroccan city. however, the french inspired art deco architecture looks like a 70s film set, has gone all black and is downright ugly.
2. there is virtually nothing touristy to do there. the only monument is the third largest mosque in the world. it is the mother of all moroccan mosques, but overpowers the city completely. it was built to celebrate the king´s 60th birthday. now dad wants to know what he is going to get for his 60th!
3. being severely cheated by a taxi driver is not the thrill it is made out to be. just when i thought my french was getting better... i discovered that arguing in your second language is really hard! the cab driver won.
4. toilet paper is classified as a luxury item.
5. cab drivers get lost even though they have lived their whole lives in the city. no joke! he could not find our hotel, we almost missed our train, and then we had five minutes to run through the airport to make our plane. which, by the way, is incredible stressful.
6. a nice restaurant consists of pastel coloured pink and green birthday cake decoration-style wallpaper and a mirror for a roof painted with a large asian-inspired image of a dragon. we are still not sure why there was a copy of Le Petit Prince on the wall. crooked chandeliers, scuzzy chairs and fake flowers also donned the place. soooo tacky!
7. the window in our hotel room faced the hallway. and i think there were bed bugs. i guess we got what we paid for.
while my casablanca was not exactly what i had anticipated, my dad and i could not stop laughing. i guess it is all part of the adventure.
i certainly did not hate my twenty-four hours there, being accosted by old women, scammed by cab drivers and staying in creepy hotels, but i will let you know some reasons why you should NOT take a vacation there.
1. there are lots of ugly cities closer to you. casablanca was built fairly recently, to have the look of a moroccan city. however, the french inspired art deco architecture looks like a 70s film set, has gone all black and is downright ugly.
2. there is virtually nothing touristy to do there. the only monument is the third largest mosque in the world. it is the mother of all moroccan mosques, but overpowers the city completely. it was built to celebrate the king´s 60th birthday. now dad wants to know what he is going to get for his 60th!
3. being severely cheated by a taxi driver is not the thrill it is made out to be. just when i thought my french was getting better... i discovered that arguing in your second language is really hard! the cab driver won.
4. toilet paper is classified as a luxury item.
5. cab drivers get lost even though they have lived their whole lives in the city. no joke! he could not find our hotel, we almost missed our train, and then we had five minutes to run through the airport to make our plane. which, by the way, is incredible stressful.
6. a nice restaurant consists of pastel coloured pink and green birthday cake decoration-style wallpaper and a mirror for a roof painted with a large asian-inspired image of a dragon. we are still not sure why there was a copy of Le Petit Prince on the wall. crooked chandeliers, scuzzy chairs and fake flowers also donned the place. soooo tacky!
7. the window in our hotel room faced the hallway. and i think there were bed bugs. i guess we got what we paid for.
while my casablanca was not exactly what i had anticipated, my dad and i could not stop laughing. i guess it is all part of the adventure.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
arabian nights.
i am in africa. wow.
as i was thinking about what to write for this blog entry, i could barely find the words to describe our time here for the last 48 hours. it really is another world; one i have only seen in movies. it has been an opening, humbling experience, but also quite the little adventure!
getting here was a drawn out process. a long bus from seville to algeciras, a dumpy port city in the south of spain, followed by a ferry into tangers, a dumpy port city in the north of morrocco. i must say, however, that tangers does not deserve its negative reputation. it is not a pretty city by any means, but i never felt unsafe or overwhelmed. on the bus, my father acquirred two new daughters, two lovely girls from vancouver island, vanessa and andrea, who had just come from surf camp in portugal. its funny, because i thought we were travelling by the seat of our pants, but they really were! i loved it: one minute they were going to go to meknes, then tangers, then they decided to come to marrakesh with us! in tangers, we explored the medina, got our first taste of the markets and learned just how gullible my father is!
you know how in ALL the tourist books it tells you not to follow the random dude telling you to follow him into a dark alley to find his uncles/fathers/brothers restaurant? well, i kid you not, my dad bolted off like a bat out of hell. andrea, vanessa and i were calling out for him, staying several metres behind the sketchy dude. the man tried to tell us that this restaurant was even listed in lonely planet! we were highly skeptical, and i was terrified that dad was going to get everything stolen. well, you would never believe it. it was HIS restaurant, and it was the best and cheapest meal we have had the whole trip! AND to top it all off, it was even listed in lonely planet. my dad has not stopped gloating.
we paid the extra 8 euros for the couchettes on the night train to marrakech, and i am so happy that we did. we slept like babies and the 10 hour train ride went by in an instant!
marrakech is a dream. it is a completely pink city, pink toilet paper included! they say it is pink because the sun is ALWAYS shining; and so far, it has. our riad, or hotel, is a secret oasis in the city. and SO cheap! all the rooms are surrounding an open courtyard with plants, a small pool and many comfy cushions. there is even a roof terrace! the souqs are a wonderful attack on the senses. spices, tea, more scarves and shoes than i could ever imagine, music, colours, delicious food.......
but the kicker is this: in the evening, the main square in marrakech transforms into a massive fair. every single night all year, for locals included! snake charmers, henna, food stalls, freshly squeezed oj for three cents, monkeys, musicians, acrobats, and any food you could dream of... including intestines and animal heads. there are thousands of people, mainly men, and it rages on into the night. almost an indescribable experience, i do not think you could picture it until you saw it. without it, it has been written, marrakech would be a typical morrocan city.
tomorrow dad and i are off to hike in the atlas mountains. c s n and y were right on in their song, marrakech express.
as i was thinking about what to write for this blog entry, i could barely find the words to describe our time here for the last 48 hours. it really is another world; one i have only seen in movies. it has been an opening, humbling experience, but also quite the little adventure!
getting here was a drawn out process. a long bus from seville to algeciras, a dumpy port city in the south of spain, followed by a ferry into tangers, a dumpy port city in the north of morrocco. i must say, however, that tangers does not deserve its negative reputation. it is not a pretty city by any means, but i never felt unsafe or overwhelmed. on the bus, my father acquirred two new daughters, two lovely girls from vancouver island, vanessa and andrea, who had just come from surf camp in portugal. its funny, because i thought we were travelling by the seat of our pants, but they really were! i loved it: one minute they were going to go to meknes, then tangers, then they decided to come to marrakesh with us! in tangers, we explored the medina, got our first taste of the markets and learned just how gullible my father is!
you know how in ALL the tourist books it tells you not to follow the random dude telling you to follow him into a dark alley to find his uncles/fathers/brothers restaurant? well, i kid you not, my dad bolted off like a bat out of hell. andrea, vanessa and i were calling out for him, staying several metres behind the sketchy dude. the man tried to tell us that this restaurant was even listed in lonely planet! we were highly skeptical, and i was terrified that dad was going to get everything stolen. well, you would never believe it. it was HIS restaurant, and it was the best and cheapest meal we have had the whole trip! AND to top it all off, it was even listed in lonely planet. my dad has not stopped gloating.
we paid the extra 8 euros for the couchettes on the night train to marrakech, and i am so happy that we did. we slept like babies and the 10 hour train ride went by in an instant!
marrakech is a dream. it is a completely pink city, pink toilet paper included! they say it is pink because the sun is ALWAYS shining; and so far, it has. our riad, or hotel, is a secret oasis in the city. and SO cheap! all the rooms are surrounding an open courtyard with plants, a small pool and many comfy cushions. there is even a roof terrace! the souqs are a wonderful attack on the senses. spices, tea, more scarves and shoes than i could ever imagine, music, colours, delicious food.......
but the kicker is this: in the evening, the main square in marrakech transforms into a massive fair. every single night all year, for locals included! snake charmers, henna, food stalls, freshly squeezed oj for three cents, monkeys, musicians, acrobats, and any food you could dream of... including intestines and animal heads. there are thousands of people, mainly men, and it rages on into the night. almost an indescribable experience, i do not think you could picture it until you saw it. without it, it has been written, marrakech would be a typical morrocan city.
tomorrow dad and i are off to hike in the atlas mountains. c s n and y were right on in their song, marrakech express.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
boots of spanish leather.
after being in spain for five days now, i thought i would offer some general impressions. my dad flew over and joined me, and we have tackled the streets of madrid, and the alleys of seville.
1. everyone talks so fast! i mean, i thought i spoke fast - but nothing like this. even after taking a class in spanish (kinda) i only catch about every twentieth word. when they talk to us, we just stare blankly and look dumbfounded in a deer in headlights kind of way.
2. on the other hand, everyone walks damn slow. wandering or meandering through the streets, no one seems to have anywhere in particular to go, or anything important to do. or, if they do, they don´t seem to be overly concerned about getting there on time. (hmmm. that rings a bell with someone in my life... ahem. mum) whereas i am accustomed to cities like new york and toronto where everyone is on a mission, and if you stop for even a second you get mauled by the crowds.
3. time is on a different schedule. from 2-5, the daily siesta, everything closes for a long lunch, naps or conversation. then, the streets are empty for a few hours before dinner which doesn´t start until 10! works well for night owls like me, and dad likes it because he gets his much-needed nap.
4. food is delicious. whoever thought of tapas, sangria, and paella is a genius. i haven´t yet found anything that i don´t like, except, have they never heard of decaf?
5. the per capita number of priests in madrid is disturbingly high. every few blocks, a priest, a nun, or a cardinal walks by. dad has lots of friends in spain.
6. spanish men are short. i don´t think i will find my dream man here.
7. seville is the hottest city i have ever been in. alex warned me that i may melt, but man, it is SO hot. you sweat from everywhere, and i seriously mean everywhere! i love it, because i find the heat rejuvenating, but i worry that my dad may have heatstroke.
8. seville seems more passionate and vibrant than madrid. could be the heat.
on to morocco tomorrow. we´ll be on the overnight marrakech express.
1. everyone talks so fast! i mean, i thought i spoke fast - but nothing like this. even after taking a class in spanish (kinda) i only catch about every twentieth word. when they talk to us, we just stare blankly and look dumbfounded in a deer in headlights kind of way.
2. on the other hand, everyone walks damn slow. wandering or meandering through the streets, no one seems to have anywhere in particular to go, or anything important to do. or, if they do, they don´t seem to be overly concerned about getting there on time. (hmmm. that rings a bell with someone in my life... ahem. mum) whereas i am accustomed to cities like new york and toronto where everyone is on a mission, and if you stop for even a second you get mauled by the crowds.
3. time is on a different schedule. from 2-5, the daily siesta, everything closes for a long lunch, naps or conversation. then, the streets are empty for a few hours before dinner which doesn´t start until 10! works well for night owls like me, and dad likes it because he gets his much-needed nap.
4. food is delicious. whoever thought of tapas, sangria, and paella is a genius. i haven´t yet found anything that i don´t like, except, have they never heard of decaf?
5. the per capita number of priests in madrid is disturbingly high. every few blocks, a priest, a nun, or a cardinal walks by. dad has lots of friends in spain.
6. spanish men are short. i don´t think i will find my dream man here.
7. seville is the hottest city i have ever been in. alex warned me that i may melt, but man, it is SO hot. you sweat from everywhere, and i seriously mean everywhere! i love it, because i find the heat rejuvenating, but i worry that my dad may have heatstroke.
8. seville seems more passionate and vibrant than madrid. could be the heat.
on to morocco tomorrow. we´ll be on the overnight marrakech express.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
the emerald isle.
if you are reading this, and you have never made the trip to ireland, i suggest you go and book one now. seriously. it was amazing! carolynn and i had a somewhat relaxing, rejuvenating time.
the highlight of our journey was our trip out to the aran islands. the largest of the three islands, inishmore, is the equivalent to stepping back in time. after stepping off the ferry, you experience a wave of calm. everything moves at a different pace, the locals speak irish, and bikes are the major form of transportation. the best ten euros i have spent so far, were on the bike rental for the day. admittedly, i am not a pro-star biker, but after sweating it out on the first few hills, i was good to go! we went to the major tourist attraction of the island: an old celtic stone fort built in c. 2000 BC. once i learn to attach pictures, i promise to add some. (warning: this may take me awhile!) afterwards, we went exploring and discovered a worm hold at the end of the ocean. it is difficult to explain, but it is essentially an olympic size swimming pool that has been naturally carved into the stone. it is surrounded by what looks like worm holes carved into the rock. really astounding. we stayed at a cute bed and breakfast, and after being out partying until all hours the night before, we actually fell asleep before 8 o´clock!
we ended out trip in ireland with a day trip to the cliffs or moher, which are a little touristy, but a definite must see. it is crazy at times to think that there are so many beautiful places on earth.
i am in madrid as i write this, and have much to say. but internet time is running short, so i will have to post tomorrow. my first impression of spain is that time is certainly on a different schedule here. no one eats until ten o´clock at night! oh, and tapas are a dream.
the highlight of our journey was our trip out to the aran islands. the largest of the three islands, inishmore, is the equivalent to stepping back in time. after stepping off the ferry, you experience a wave of calm. everything moves at a different pace, the locals speak irish, and bikes are the major form of transportation. the best ten euros i have spent so far, were on the bike rental for the day. admittedly, i am not a pro-star biker, but after sweating it out on the first few hills, i was good to go! we went to the major tourist attraction of the island: an old celtic stone fort built in c. 2000 BC. once i learn to attach pictures, i promise to add some. (warning: this may take me awhile!) afterwards, we went exploring and discovered a worm hold at the end of the ocean. it is difficult to explain, but it is essentially an olympic size swimming pool that has been naturally carved into the stone. it is surrounded by what looks like worm holes carved into the rock. really astounding. we stayed at a cute bed and breakfast, and after being out partying until all hours the night before, we actually fell asleep before 8 o´clock!
we ended out trip in ireland with a day trip to the cliffs or moher, which are a little touristy, but a definite must see. it is crazy at times to think that there are so many beautiful places on earth.
i am in madrid as i write this, and have much to say. but internet time is running short, so i will have to post tomorrow. my first impression of spain is that time is certainly on a different schedule here. no one eats until ten o´clock at night! oh, and tapas are a dream.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
the country of god.
i have only been in ireland for two full days now, but it feels like a week. in a good way, time is passing at a slow pace, and i feel as if i am making good use of my minutes and hours.
it has been lovely to begin my trip with familiar faces. not that i don't love meeting people -- and i am sure i will meet many -- but sharing exciting new places with strangers just is not the same thing. as carolynn would say, i use too many superlatives, but i mean it when i say that they have brightened my trip so far.
we flew into ireland on the sketchiest flight of all time. i have never heard amazing things about ryan air, but let me tell you: they have the bumpiest landings of all time. the guy sitting next to me said that this is a regular thing. as well, none of us could understand a word that the flight attendant was saying! can you picture us, in an emergency, with a flight attendant that speaks no english. good thing i am not scared of flying.
i have been to dublin before, but visiting a place again is ideal. i was already oriented to the city, and i knew what i had enjoyed and what i hadn't. the girls were up for lots of wandering and relaxing, and it ended up being a perfect trip. i didn't repeat any of the things i had done last summer! finding cheap pub food was the biggest challenge that we had. but our pints of guinness went down smooth, and we managed to find our way back to our hostel at night without getting lost -- which is a success in my books. carolynn has a high school friend who goes to trinity college for med school. so, we got to go to the trinity college pub, and he took us to the greatest places. seeing a city with someone who lives there makes all the difference! in case you all didn't know, there are 850 pubs in dublin! don't worry, i think we only saw 3 or 4 in all.
today carolynn and i took a train all the way to the other side of ireland (2 and half whole hours! which is long for them), and we are in galway. it is such a lovely, quaint city -- perfect for a day or two. it has been sunny so far, and just when the skies opened up, the sun came back out. i think luck is on our side. tomorrow we are heading out to the aran islands for a bit of biking and exercise. apparently there are a thousand and one irish stone ruins for us to discover. it will be interesting because most people on the aran islands speak irish, and less english. i think we will also be staying in a b & b owned by locals, which i am really looking forward to!
tim jebb tells me that ireland is the country of god. i'll let you know if its true.
it has been lovely to begin my trip with familiar faces. not that i don't love meeting people -- and i am sure i will meet many -- but sharing exciting new places with strangers just is not the same thing. as carolynn would say, i use too many superlatives, but i mean it when i say that they have brightened my trip so far.
we flew into ireland on the sketchiest flight of all time. i have never heard amazing things about ryan air, but let me tell you: they have the bumpiest landings of all time. the guy sitting next to me said that this is a regular thing. as well, none of us could understand a word that the flight attendant was saying! can you picture us, in an emergency, with a flight attendant that speaks no english. good thing i am not scared of flying.
i have been to dublin before, but visiting a place again is ideal. i was already oriented to the city, and i knew what i had enjoyed and what i hadn't. the girls were up for lots of wandering and relaxing, and it ended up being a perfect trip. i didn't repeat any of the things i had done last summer! finding cheap pub food was the biggest challenge that we had. but our pints of guinness went down smooth, and we managed to find our way back to our hostel at night without getting lost -- which is a success in my books. carolynn has a high school friend who goes to trinity college for med school. so, we got to go to the trinity college pub, and he took us to the greatest places. seeing a city with someone who lives there makes all the difference! in case you all didn't know, there are 850 pubs in dublin! don't worry, i think we only saw 3 or 4 in all.
today carolynn and i took a train all the way to the other side of ireland (2 and half whole hours! which is long for them), and we are in galway. it is such a lovely, quaint city -- perfect for a day or two. it has been sunny so far, and just when the skies opened up, the sun came back out. i think luck is on our side. tomorrow we are heading out to the aran islands for a bit of biking and exercise. apparently there are a thousand and one irish stone ruins for us to discover. it will be interesting because most people on the aran islands speak irish, and less english. i think we will also be staying in a b & b owned by locals, which i am really looking forward to!
tim jebb tells me that ireland is the country of god. i'll let you know if its true.
Monday, May 08, 2006
adventure begun.
so. i have arrived in europe for my three month and one week extravaganza. i'm exhausted, but so excited. i flew in last night on a red eye and was welcomed by my lovely friend kristin who has a flat near russell square. after she fed me, and we caught up, i headed out to explore the infamous harrod's and notting hill. they are farther apart then i realized.... notting hill was cute, but i did not find the blue door. although, i did have a spotting of brass from csi. for real! he was carrying bread, and i stared at him for quite awhile. i got a "hi" out of him. sometimes i forget that 'famous' people are just real people too, who have to buy bread and feed their families. i got a taste of lse this evening with a few pints at the campus pub. kristin has already fallen asleep, and i should probably sleep myself, as it is 12:30 at night and i haven't slept yet! i think i am doing a bang up job of switching to this time zone. although, admittedly, i did fall asleep on the tube this afternoon.
i have a great feeling about this adventure, though. i wasn't nervous at all on the plane, AND the seat next to me was left empty! i got to spread out and sleep comfortably. that was definitely a sign. also, at the airport in ottawa i found and penny and picked it up.
after only one day of london carolynn, kristin and i will be heading to dublin tomorrow. we'll be searching for craic.
write lots friends!
xox
i have a great feeling about this adventure, though. i wasn't nervous at all on the plane, AND the seat next to me was left empty! i got to spread out and sleep comfortably. that was definitely a sign. also, at the airport in ottawa i found and penny and picked it up.
after only one day of london carolynn, kristin and i will be heading to dublin tomorrow. we'll be searching for craic.
write lots friends!
xox
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