Recap: On the 1st of August, I picked Phil up at the airport in Belfast, and then we wandered around the city. Quite big town, really, it doesnt feel like a city. It was a fun day, we went to see the Botanical Gardens at Queen's University, sat outside city hall and hate food (and noticed that the spire of a tower overlapped perfectly with a ferris wheel, making it look like there was a hilarious combination ferris-wheel-tower thing. We also had the wonderful experience of me being distracted enough by Phil's presence to get... lost. I dont get lost. It was disturbing.
We then took a bus up to Portstewart, which is a wonderful little town on the northern coast of Ireland. We checked into a hostel, and then went wandering in the rain. The pissing, wet, cold rain. It was fantastic. We had a lot of tea, and some good pasta, and some other food... some Cadbury's hot chocolate too. It was fantastic.
The next day, we went over to the carrick-a-rede rope bridge. Its a metre wide, 30 metre high bridge over a chasm between an island and the Irish coast. And it was sunny, until we got there. I bought a... well, basically a really large plastic bag that doubled as a rain coat for £1,50. We crossed the bridge, which wasnt as frightening as I thought it was going to be, and wandered the island. And then it began to pour. And to say pour is like calling a gunshot a bit noisy. The rain came falling down, and the wind screamed, and all movement stopped. Everyone on the island just stood there, unmoving, while the rain came crashing down. It ended pretty quickly, and the sun started gleaming. It was Ireland. Wholly, truly Ireland. We looked out over the sea to Scotland, and miles of the coast were bathed in sunlight, and right next to the light it was obscured completely by rain and mist. It was fantastic.
Then we began the Antrim Coastal Walk, a 15km walk along the glorious coast. Cliffs and spires, crashing waves and gleaming beaches, small ports and smaller towns. It was one of the most beautiful coasts I've ever seen. We walked along a 3 mile beach, and saw... cows. Yes, cows, on the beach. Fantastic. We met backpackers and climbed rocky peninsulas. Well, I jumped. Phil climbed. We eventually got off the walk and went up to a bus stop... saw our bus go by, and waited for the next one. They run hourly. We hit an hour and forty five minutes in the rain, and eventually tried hitchhiking. We got a guy in a sketchy white van to pull over. The van only had windows in the front and had no back seats. He lead Phil to the back, where there was a mattress (though it was obviously for transport, not... well, anything else. There was a lot of crap piled on it, and everywhere else) which she sat on. I sat up front, and he drove us all the way to our hostel. It was on his way, he was heading west to a festival in Donegal. He was also a really nice guy who loved to talk.
The next day we went out again, and finished the walk. We ended with the Giant's Causeway, which is a natural wonder. Its... tens of thousands of hexagonal rocks jutting out of the sea, looking like the earth is offering God a choice from a massive carton of cigarettes (not my quote). It looks more impressive in pictures, but it's still an absolutely baffling sight. The cliffs and such on the way there were more impressive... they towered over the sea, hundreds of metres down, with rock formations that would impress even the most accomplished geologist.
After our gorgeous coastal walk, we took a bus all the way to Dublin (about 5 hours). It took forever to walk to our hostel from there, its much further from everything than it makes it self out to be. And it was a bank holiday weekend, which meant the city was packed. Then... pub to see Blanche! We listened to some Irish music, watched some drunk guys' hilarious attempts to pick up women (including Blanche), and sang. Then crashed.
The next day we went to (gasp) the National Gallery! Which was really good, there was a fair bit of interesting stuff, including a large (for Ireland) exhibition on Irish printmakers. We ate a quick lunch on St. Stephen's Green, a great park I may or may not have mentioned before, then went back to the gallery. Later in the day, we grabbed our bags from our hostel, then walked the long way to the bus station to catch a bus to Slane.
Slane Farm Hostel! If you're ever in Ireland and have a car, it has my highest recommendations. Its pretty, very well maintained, the shower worked fantastically well... it was great. However, it was in the middle of nowhere. We went on a late walk that night, which had some good sights by the road, including a donkey that tried to eat Phil's shoe and my crotch (we both reacted appropriately. I took pictures). The next morning, we walked around trying to get to Slane Hill (a place of historical importance). We went up a muddy lane (did I mention it was raining?), over a fence (where we got struck by nettles), through a wheat field (where we got completely soaked), and up another muddy lane. We didn't actually get to the hill, but we did manage to get entirely drenched. And muddy. The return to the hostel was wet and cold. We got back and made tea and tried our best to get warm. Especially Phil, her flight was relatively soon.
The owner of the hostel drove us to the bus stop. We got there 5 minutes early, and it ended up 30 minutes late. Which was highly stressful, considering it was Phil's only way of getting to the Airport even remotely on time. And it was cold and raining, and Phil's feet froze. But fun nonetheless. Well, before the frozen bit. She got her flight successfully, and I got to Dublin where I met up with Blanche.
The following day (yesterday) Blanche and I walked around parts of Dublin I havent been to before and visited an interesting, albeit small, gallery. We also walked around quite a bit, and bought bagel sandwiches for lunch. I spent €4 on it, which was a massive splurge, but worth it. We eventually got the bus to Glendalouch, where we spent a fun hour or so watching the Simpsons with posterchildren for ADHD (with an emphasis on the hyperactivity).
Today was The Return of [the?] Glendalouch. God I love that place... its just beautiful beyond belief. So far beyond belief. And this time it was misty and chilly and... well, it seemed like Ireland. Theres this really large rocky mountainside... big and tall. Last time we were there, Splinter and I were deciding how long it would take to climb to the top. Well, I now have the answer, having done it: about 45 minutes of constant climbing each way. It... well, it is quiet a climb. When I got to the top, I ate my peanut butter and nutella sandwich. Epic.
Now I'm in Dublin. Wow. So... Ireland is almost over. I get up at 445 tomorrow morning to get to the airport. I'm going to have something like 2 euro left when I get home. I planned that shit well. I wish Ireland an incredibly fond farewell... and know than I shall return at some point.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Thursday, July 31, 2008
The rocky road to... Belfast?
So the past days have been wonderful.
Glendalough is an absolutely gorgeous area, with two lakes and an indescribable amount of beautiful scenery, including a number of ruins, a 110 foot high monastic tower (still intact) and a miner's village. The ruins and lakes are in a large valley. One side of the valley looks like a massive landslide, with enormous rocks everywhere. Splinter and I used them as a path instead of... well, the path. There was also a small river (stream, really), that was covered in more rocks. Blanche and I hiked around there and up the river, I went nearly all the way up, climbing on and around waterfalls and stunning natural ponds. I may go back for a night before I leave.
We hiked around the breathtaking ridge of the valley, staring down into a landscape that puts to shame any painting, poem, or movie made about Ireland. My pictures dont do it even remote justice.
That evening we left Glendalough for Dublin, and checked into a great hostel called Avalon House (fantastic name, isnt it?). They have free wi-fi, free high speed internet terminals, free breakfast consisting of muesli, toast, coffee, tea, and orange juice, two pool tables, a foosball table, a ping pong table, and free luggage storage. And two TV's, and a host of free movies, though we didnt partake in those. We eventually went out to a pub... one of the most famous in Dublin, the Temple Bar. There was a group playing traditional Irish music, which we, of course, snag along to (we're pirates. We know the songs). The night was fabulous.
The next morning (Monday) we woke up and went to Trim Castle. Which is, beyond a doubt, the largest castle I've seen. (The Trim castle is actually the castle double used in Braveheart for the castle of York. I was wrong in my earlier post). We all got student discounts for the tour around the keep and access to the grounds. We climbed a few things on the grounds we shouldn't have, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We then went off and wandered over to the Yellow Steeple, which is a large ruined monastic... steeple. The entire steeple is 120 feet high, I think, but the back had a wall (20 feet high?) that was begging to be climbed. So we did. We climbed up the side of the steeple and into a ruined window, from which we... well, sat. It was thoroughly enjoyable, even with my paralyzing fear of heights.
Lunch was curry chips and a fish sandwich. Delicious.
That evening... we saw The Dark Knight. And I have no words. Well, I have a few. Namely: fantastic, incredible, stunning, dark, thrilling, powerful, and beautiful. And Heath Ledger was a god. Beyond a shadow of a doubt the star of the show, playing the character so twisted that it gave him insomnia and contributed to his devastating death.
Splinter left the next day. Karla, Blanche and I wandered, I bought Neverwhere and The Fountainhead, and we read in St Stephen's Green, a wonderful park in the south of Dublin. Dinner was a fabulous sandwich of ham, tomato and cheese, with large mushrooms cooked in soy sauce with cheese on top on the side. Delicious.
Then Karla left the next morning (Wednesday, yesterday) Blanche and I wandered around quite a bit, I went into H&M, found an amazing shirt that just barely didnt fit me, and bought stuff for dinner. We read in the park again, and watched children get mobbed by birds when they threw pieces of bread for them. Last night we went back to the Temple Bar, got two large bottles of Bulmers for 6,60 euro each, and drank and sang while the band played more trad music. Did I mention that we bought a two-litre of cider (real cider, not the bullshit non-alc stuff in America) at tesco for 4,50? It was pretty good, all things considered.
Today we wandered more, Blanche got an umbrella and towel. We sat in a gazebo on the green (its raining) and read some, and sat in the hostel and read more. I'm going to get on a train in an hour and a half to head to wonderful Belfast, withdraw Ulster pounds (damn UK, stupid different currency with wretched dollar-to-pound exchange rate), and sleep in a hostel, then pick Phil up the next morning! What could be better? Well, tomorrow morning being right now, for one. And a couple hundred thousand pounds. That'd be good too. And a house in Switzerland and an EU citizenship. But that'll all come in a few years :-P
Glendalough is an absolutely gorgeous area, with two lakes and an indescribable amount of beautiful scenery, including a number of ruins, a 110 foot high monastic tower (still intact) and a miner's village. The ruins and lakes are in a large valley. One side of the valley looks like a massive landslide, with enormous rocks everywhere. Splinter and I used them as a path instead of... well, the path. There was also a small river (stream, really), that was covered in more rocks. Blanche and I hiked around there and up the river, I went nearly all the way up, climbing on and around waterfalls and stunning natural ponds. I may go back for a night before I leave.
We hiked around the breathtaking ridge of the valley, staring down into a landscape that puts to shame any painting, poem, or movie made about Ireland. My pictures dont do it even remote justice.
That evening we left Glendalough for Dublin, and checked into a great hostel called Avalon House (fantastic name, isnt it?). They have free wi-fi, free high speed internet terminals, free breakfast consisting of muesli, toast, coffee, tea, and orange juice, two pool tables, a foosball table, a ping pong table, and free luggage storage. And two TV's, and a host of free movies, though we didnt partake in those. We eventually went out to a pub... one of the most famous in Dublin, the Temple Bar. There was a group playing traditional Irish music, which we, of course, snag along to (we're pirates. We know the songs). The night was fabulous.
The next morning (Monday) we woke up and went to Trim Castle. Which is, beyond a doubt, the largest castle I've seen. (The Trim castle is actually the castle double used in Braveheart for the castle of York. I was wrong in my earlier post). We all got student discounts for the tour around the keep and access to the grounds. We climbed a few things on the grounds we shouldn't have, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We then went off and wandered over to the Yellow Steeple, which is a large ruined monastic... steeple. The entire steeple is 120 feet high, I think, but the back had a wall (20 feet high?) that was begging to be climbed. So we did. We climbed up the side of the steeple and into a ruined window, from which we... well, sat. It was thoroughly enjoyable, even with my paralyzing fear of heights.
Lunch was curry chips and a fish sandwich. Delicious.
That evening... we saw The Dark Knight. And I have no words. Well, I have a few. Namely: fantastic, incredible, stunning, dark, thrilling, powerful, and beautiful. And Heath Ledger was a god. Beyond a shadow of a doubt the star of the show, playing the character so twisted that it gave him insomnia and contributed to his devastating death.
Splinter left the next day. Karla, Blanche and I wandered, I bought Neverwhere and The Fountainhead, and we read in St Stephen's Green, a wonderful park in the south of Dublin. Dinner was a fabulous sandwich of ham, tomato and cheese, with large mushrooms cooked in soy sauce with cheese on top on the side. Delicious.
Then Karla left the next morning (Wednesday, yesterday) Blanche and I wandered around quite a bit, I went into H&M, found an amazing shirt that just barely didnt fit me, and bought stuff for dinner. We read in the park again, and watched children get mobbed by birds when they threw pieces of bread for them. Last night we went back to the Temple Bar, got two large bottles of Bulmers for 6,60 euro each, and drank and sang while the band played more trad music. Did I mention that we bought a two-litre of cider (real cider, not the bullshit non-alc stuff in America) at tesco for 4,50? It was pretty good, all things considered.
Today we wandered more, Blanche got an umbrella and towel. We sat in a gazebo on the green (its raining) and read some, and sat in the hostel and read more. I'm going to get on a train in an hour and a half to head to wonderful Belfast, withdraw Ulster pounds (damn UK, stupid different currency with wretched dollar-to-pound exchange rate), and sleep in a hostel, then pick Phil up the next morning! What could be better? Well, tomorrow morning being right now, for one. And a couple hundred thousand pounds. That'd be good too. And a house in Switzerland and an EU citizenship. But that'll all come in a few years :-P
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Skellig Islands. Etc.
So on the 22nd, we were in Dingle. Dingle is a small peninsula in eastern Ireland, and has a lot of traditional music, is decorated like an impressionist on crack, and is gorgeous. We biked around the entire peninsula. Thats... well, about 30 miles. It was wonderful. First, it was a ton of exercise. Which is fun. Second... it was absolutely beautiful. There are going to be so many damn pictures when I get back to the states, its going to be completely ridiculous. There are tons of cliffs, small stone forts from the (you guessed it) stone age, and a host of other stunning sights. It blew my mind. Google it, I suppose, because you wont be seeing my pictures for a while. The next day we just chilled for a while. We were tired, and biking wears out your ass like its nobodies business. Especially 8 hours of it (we took our time).
We left Dingle on the morning of the 24th. We took a bus somewhere, then somewhere else, then to Caherciveen. Which, by the way, was amazing. So... within walking distance of our hostel, there were two ancient stone forts and a castle. A large, ruined castle. The first night, Karla, Splinter, and I went off to explore. We met this woman (Mary) from Texas, and invited her along. So the four of us went to the forts and explored, climbed a bit in these random tunnels, and climbed around a large ruined castle (by the way, the castle in Braveheart? Well, one of them. It was that castle). Mary was cool, very chill, and she eventually began to keep up with the ridiculous bickering of me and Splinter, and chipped in with a few dirty jokes of her own. Fun stuff. On the 3.5km walk back, a dog followed us all the way to the hostel. I'm a bit worried about it, I hope its ok.
Then we went and got a boat out to the Skellig islands. They're these large chunks of rock in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. And are... well...... impossible to describe. They jut out of the ocean as if god threw a spear into the sea. It was fantastic. We walked up hundreds of carved stone stairs to the summit, took more pictures that your body has room for, and ate lunch. On a fucking rock spear. Damn straight. Theres actually an old monestary there, which is very cool, and quite interesting. People lived on that deserted island.
Also... little Skellig is protected. No boats can land there. As we approached it, we thought the top half of the rock island was a different colour than the rest... it was white, not grey. Then we realized that the mile long island is actually coverd with tens of thousand of birds. Yeah. That fucking many. It was amazing. And Karla drove the boat on the way back! And I got to jump from the boat to a ladder on the pier (a rusted metal affair) because the captain asked me to stay behind to help with the engine. Oh god it was exciting. Incredibly so. The next day... well, today, we made our way to Glendalough. Its a small town south of Dublin, and it... well, it epitomizes the rugged, romantic Ireland so many people imagine. We're going to go hiking around tomorrow. I'm... quite excited.
Woozy the Stoked
We left Dingle on the morning of the 24th. We took a bus somewhere, then somewhere else, then to Caherciveen. Which, by the way, was amazing. So... within walking distance of our hostel, there were two ancient stone forts and a castle. A large, ruined castle. The first night, Karla, Splinter, and I went off to explore. We met this woman (Mary) from Texas, and invited her along. So the four of us went to the forts and explored, climbed a bit in these random tunnels, and climbed around a large ruined castle (by the way, the castle in Braveheart? Well, one of them. It was that castle). Mary was cool, very chill, and she eventually began to keep up with the ridiculous bickering of me and Splinter, and chipped in with a few dirty jokes of her own. Fun stuff. On the 3.5km walk back, a dog followed us all the way to the hostel. I'm a bit worried about it, I hope its ok.
Then we went and got a boat out to the Skellig islands. They're these large chunks of rock in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. And are... well...... impossible to describe. They jut out of the ocean as if god threw a spear into the sea. It was fantastic. We walked up hundreds of carved stone stairs to the summit, took more pictures that your body has room for, and ate lunch. On a fucking rock spear. Damn straight. Theres actually an old monestary there, which is very cool, and quite interesting. People lived on that deserted island.
Also... little Skellig is protected. No boats can land there. As we approached it, we thought the top half of the rock island was a different colour than the rest... it was white, not grey. Then we realized that the mile long island is actually coverd with tens of thousand of birds. Yeah. That fucking many. It was amazing. And Karla drove the boat on the way back! And I got to jump from the boat to a ladder on the pier (a rusted metal affair) because the captain asked me to stay behind to help with the engine. Oh god it was exciting. Incredibly so. The next day... well, today, we made our way to Glendalough. Its a small town south of Dublin, and it... well, it epitomizes the rugged, romantic Ireland so many people imagine. We're going to go hiking around tomorrow. I'm... quite excited.
Woozy the Stoked
Monday, July 21, 2008
And we leave the rover behind
Well, we're in Ireland. And I can barely begin to describe how wonderful it is. We saw the Cliffs of Moher in the first few days... on my birthday actually, which was wonderful beyond any kind of belief. I also started sketching again while I was there, which brought a lot of people over to look at me, including this guy that brought his entire family over to look at me. Which was akward, but fun. Very enjoyable. I like compliments, even if I havent sketched in over a year.
We also went to Doolin pubs in the evenings to listen to traditional music, which was fantastic. Not something you experience anywhere but here. I suppose thats obvious though.
Doolin is this buttfuck town in nowhere Ireland. And its wonderful. Its a hopping traditional music scene, even though theres nothing around it for miles and miles. Thats sort of fine though. It happens.
Then we went to work on a farm, which was indescribably awesome. Like, completely nuts, but awesome. And... I have ab definition. Thats right, I have abs. For the first time in my entire life. Although even though I looked fantastic, I was dirty as shit. We couldnt use much water (they had a shallow well, water was limited), so we didnt shower for... 7 days. Jesus fuck. I felt horrible, although the shower I took after seven days of horrible shit was the greatest thing ever.
We used manly weapons to chop down brambles. This one thing called a slasher, which I prefer to call a glaive, as its weapon form (not farm tool) is called.
Now we're in Dingle, which is exciting, although I'm trying to figure out how to get us down to Portmagee to get to see the Skelligs.
So... if anyone helps me with that (a lot of websites arent working from this internet cafe, which is very upsetting (especially considering that one of them is the bus eireann website)) I'd be in your debt, If you figure something out, email me. I'm not even sure how to get there by public transportation as it is, and its going to cost out the ass too, so... well, I'm a bit upset. Help?
Just find transport from Dingle to Portmagee, or Valentia island. Or Derrynane, Ballinskelligs or Cahirciveen. Any of those. That would really make my day.
hills.alex@gmail.com
Make my day please.
But things are still going really well.
Oh. And KARLA IS HERE. Which is just about the greatest thing ever. Jesus may as well have risen from the grave (again, the bastard). This trip continues to improve.
Basically the greatest thing ever. Yup.
We also went to Doolin pubs in the evenings to listen to traditional music, which was fantastic. Not something you experience anywhere but here. I suppose thats obvious though.
Doolin is this buttfuck town in nowhere Ireland. And its wonderful. Its a hopping traditional music scene, even though theres nothing around it for miles and miles. Thats sort of fine though. It happens.
Then we went to work on a farm, which was indescribably awesome. Like, completely nuts, but awesome. And... I have ab definition. Thats right, I have abs. For the first time in my entire life. Although even though I looked fantastic, I was dirty as shit. We couldnt use much water (they had a shallow well, water was limited), so we didnt shower for... 7 days. Jesus fuck. I felt horrible, although the shower I took after seven days of horrible shit was the greatest thing ever.
We used manly weapons to chop down brambles. This one thing called a slasher, which I prefer to call a glaive, as its weapon form (not farm tool) is called.
Now we're in Dingle, which is exciting, although I'm trying to figure out how to get us down to Portmagee to get to see the Skelligs.
So... if anyone helps me with that (a lot of websites arent working from this internet cafe, which is very upsetting (especially considering that one of them is the bus eireann website)) I'd be in your debt, If you figure something out, email me. I'm not even sure how to get there by public transportation as it is, and its going to cost out the ass too, so... well, I'm a bit upset. Help?
Just find transport from Dingle to Portmagee, or Valentia island. Or Derrynane, Ballinskelligs or Cahirciveen. Any of those. That would really make my day.
hills.alex@gmail.com
Make my day please.
But things are still going really well.
Oh. And KARLA IS HERE. Which is just about the greatest thing ever. Jesus may as well have risen from the grave (again, the bastard). This trip continues to improve.
Basically the greatest thing ever. Yup.
Friday, July 11, 2008
We had sailed seven years when the measles broke out
Splinter, Blanche and I are about to get on a plane to head to Ireland, where we're going to a hostel called... the Jamaica Inn Hostel. Go figure.
Excitement! We then go to the western end of County Clare to stay by the Cliffs of Moher and the
Burren. Wiki them, you wouldnt believe how gorgeous they are.
Love
Woo
Excitement! We then go to the western end of County Clare to stay by the Cliffs of Moher and the
Burren. Wiki them, you wouldnt believe how gorgeous they are.
Love
Woo
Thursday, July 10, 2008
And we called her the Irish Rover
Switzerland. Oh my god Switzerland. I have never been to any place that I like as much, with the possible (possible) exception of Hawaii. I took the train from Paris to Zurich two days ago, and met Phil there. We then took the train to Luzern where we checked into our hostel and left our bags. Then we took the bus to a cable car which ran up the alps. Yes, up the alps.
God damn. I... the beauty was indescribable. Completely indescribable. I cant even believe that I went there yet. If I had a way to post pictures (if I even had a way to connect my camera to the computer) I would. But... holy fuckshit. The alps are absolutely gorgeous. We got about 2/3 of the way up the mountain and started walking on this trail, which very quickly turned into a cow path. Teeming with cows. And it was beautiful. Nature tops anything... anything man-made. We can approach it, we can surpass it in our ingenuity, but not in sheer, raw beauty. The mountain towered over us as we hiked, and the Swiss countryside law sprawled below us. Civilization disappeared, and the sheer power of nature overwhelmed us. We spent a good amount of time walking, then stopping and exclaiming something to the extent of "Oh. My. God."
When I can finally post pictures... you'll understand. Until then... well, just believe.
Also, at the end of our hike, we encountered a herd of cows. We walked close to them and took pictures. I said something to the extent of "attack cow", and one of them started walking towards Phil. And wouldnt stop. It just kept approaching us. So we eventually left.
We went back to Luzern and wandered for a bit, then had a bottle of Italian wine Phil brought from Italy (of course) on the beach before going to bed.
And god damn... the next day... continued to be amazing and gorgeous and wonderful. I'll write more when I can. Now, its time to go to bed, for Blanche, Splinter and I leave for Ireland tomorrow afternoon.
God damn. I... the beauty was indescribable. Completely indescribable. I cant even believe that I went there yet. If I had a way to post pictures (if I even had a way to connect my camera to the computer) I would. But... holy fuckshit. The alps are absolutely gorgeous. We got about 2/3 of the way up the mountain and started walking on this trail, which very quickly turned into a cow path. Teeming with cows. And it was beautiful. Nature tops anything... anything man-made. We can approach it, we can surpass it in our ingenuity, but not in sheer, raw beauty. The mountain towered over us as we hiked, and the Swiss countryside law sprawled below us. Civilization disappeared, and the sheer power of nature overwhelmed us. We spent a good amount of time walking, then stopping and exclaiming something to the extent of "Oh. My. God."
When I can finally post pictures... you'll understand. Until then... well, just believe.
Also, at the end of our hike, we encountered a herd of cows. We walked close to them and took pictures. I said something to the extent of "attack cow", and one of them started walking towards Phil. And wouldnt stop. It just kept approaching us. So we eventually left.
We went back to Luzern and wandered for a bit, then had a bottle of Italian wine Phil brought from Italy (of course) on the beach before going to bed.
And god damn... the next day... continued to be amazing and gorgeous and wonderful. I'll write more when I can. Now, its time to go to bed, for Blanche, Splinter and I leave for Ireland tomorrow afternoon.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Your man Mick McCann from the banks of the Bann
One word describes the feeling of the past few days:
Splinter. He showed up (unbeknownst to me and Blanche. Congratulations to Lark and Jon for keeping a secret) one day. The alert mechanism (buzzer/doorbell) sounded, and Blanche opened the door. I was in the other room drinking wine. She screamed. I thought a vengeful ex had come to stab her (in the vein of my adventures). I was happily mistaken when Lark informed me I had to go meet the stranger. And when I say stranger, I actually mean Sexy Scottish man-beast. The events of the past four days have been defined by him (even though he arrived last night).
A brief summary? Fourth of July, celebrating Defeat-The-British day was wonderful. We had a dinner party, invited friends, ate, drank, and ended the night with a rousing show of Muppet Treasure Island (who hired this crew?). It was wonderful. The following day, however, was spent at d'Orsay, looking at gorgeous architecture and art, marveling at the works of the masters. How I wish I were even remotely similarly talented.
Yesterday was Hashing. For the uninitiated: Hashing is a drinking club with a running problem. Without going into details of the sacred rights performed, it was amazing. And we even got exercise. Damn.
Then Splinter showed up, to a rousing chorus of cheers. We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly on the river that evening, singing and drinking, then went to bed. (note: 3 people do NOT fit on a twin. Trust me) Today we went to a Dali museum in the large basement of this small house-thing. 300 original pieces. Beautiful. And the rest of the day awaits. I leave tomorrow at the asscrack of dawn to go to Switzerland and see the wonderful Phil.
Woozy out.
Splinter. He showed up (unbeknownst to me and Blanche. Congratulations to Lark and Jon for keeping a secret) one day. The alert mechanism (buzzer/doorbell) sounded, and Blanche opened the door. I was in the other room drinking wine. She screamed. I thought a vengeful ex had come to stab her (in the vein of my adventures). I was happily mistaken when Lark informed me I had to go meet the stranger. And when I say stranger, I actually mean Sexy Scottish man-beast. The events of the past four days have been defined by him (even though he arrived last night).
A brief summary? Fourth of July, celebrating Defeat-The-British day was wonderful. We had a dinner party, invited friends, ate, drank, and ended the night with a rousing show of Muppet Treasure Island (who hired this crew?). It was wonderful. The following day, however, was spent at d'Orsay, looking at gorgeous architecture and art, marveling at the works of the masters. How I wish I were even remotely similarly talented.
Yesterday was Hashing. For the uninitiated: Hashing is a drinking club with a running problem. Without going into details of the sacred rights performed, it was amazing. And we even got exercise. Damn.
Then Splinter showed up, to a rousing chorus of cheers. We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly on the river that evening, singing and drinking, then went to bed. (note: 3 people do NOT fit on a twin. Trust me) Today we went to a Dali museum in the large basement of this small house-thing. 300 original pieces. Beautiful. And the rest of the day awaits. I leave tomorrow at the asscrack of dawn to go to Switzerland and see the wonderful Phil.
Woozy out.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Slugger O'Toole who was drunk as a rule
And how. Last night was fantastic. Actually, the entirety of yesterday was fantastic. We stayed home for a bit, letting me get my bearings and rest, then we went out and walked around... sort of a tour of the area. And Lark has an amphitheater right behind her house, which blows my mind. Just this random roman amphitheater in the center of Paris. Then we went to this park with a large hill covered in a thick bush, except a pair of helix paths that wound up to the top, where there was this small, open metal gazebo. We promptly sat down, Jon took out his violin, and played for a while... Blanche and I sang some. We attracted a crowd, which at one point included a class of 20ish small children. Eventually, however, the park ranger (which implies a lot more responsibility than he had) stopped us, because he thought we were asking for money. Bitch. Whatever. Then we wandered, went to a garden, then by the zoo (not inside) and saw two red pandas, which are the cutest damn things ever. They're crosses between a raccoon (for the tail), a fox (for the body and color), and a shovel (for the head). Then we went and bought a picnic lunch. Bread, cheese, ham, salami, apricot, and hummus. We went back to the amphitheater to eat it. And damn, it was good. I fell asleep on the ground too, which was also good.
Back home we sat around, singing and such, for a while. We may have done other things, but I frankly dont remember them. Then we went downstairs and one door over to this cheap chinese place, bought some, bought a baguette across the street, and then ate dinner on Larks newly fixed table. Lark mixed a few delicious drinks (as always. Resident bartenders are useful). And, fun fact, baguette dipped in sauces from chinese food is astoundingly good.
We eventually went out. At around 10, when it was still sunny. Yeah, sunny. It looked like 4. We wandered looking for live music, and eventually found some at 1130. We got some drinks and stayed till they stopped playing at around 12. We hopped on the metro back to the area around Larks, and then wandered. Notre Dame, etc. Then we went down and sat by the river with a bottle of wine illegally purchased after midnight. We played some music and sang, and eventually this group of four people came by and sat next to us. They were french, but all spoke english fluently and impeccably (better than some native english speakers I know. Like my brother). Our new companions brought some other delicious drinks, and we all sang until... well, I dont really remember. Sometime after 315. (EDIT: we got in at 5) They had two guitars, played some incubus and a whole host of other things. It was an absolutely amazing time. We invited them to our get-ready-to-beat-the-shit-out-of-the-English day celebration. One of them, Victor, is coming. God damn fun.
This morning was bad for me though, I woke up a bit hungover and a lot sick. I lay in bed for quite a while (till around 3, I think). Lark babied me, asking if I needed anything many a time. I eventually got a croissant... which took me two hours to eat. I'm still feeling off, but I'll survive.
Its party time tonight.
Back home we sat around, singing and such, for a while. We may have done other things, but I frankly dont remember them. Then we went downstairs and one door over to this cheap chinese place, bought some, bought a baguette across the street, and then ate dinner on Larks newly fixed table. Lark mixed a few delicious drinks (as always. Resident bartenders are useful). And, fun fact, baguette dipped in sauces from chinese food is astoundingly good.
We eventually went out. At around 10, when it was still sunny. Yeah, sunny. It looked like 4. We wandered looking for live music, and eventually found some at 1130. We got some drinks and stayed till they stopped playing at around 12. We hopped on the metro back to the area around Larks, and then wandered. Notre Dame, etc. Then we went down and sat by the river with a bottle of wine illegally purchased after midnight. We played some music and sang, and eventually this group of four people came by and sat next to us. They were french, but all spoke english fluently and impeccably (better than some native english speakers I know. Like my brother). Our new companions brought some other delicious drinks, and we all sang until... well, I dont really remember. Sometime after 315. (EDIT: we got in at 5) They had two guitars, played some incubus and a whole host of other things. It was an absolutely amazing time. We invited them to our get-ready-to-beat-the-shit-out-of-the-English day celebration. One of them, Victor, is coming. God damn fun.
This morning was bad for me though, I woke up a bit hungover and a lot sick. I lay in bed for quite a while (till around 3, I think). Lark babied me, asking if I needed anything many a time. I eventually got a croissant... which took me two hours to eat. I'm still feeling off, but I'll survive.
Its party time tonight.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
How the trade winds drove her (Part 2)
More thorough update:
I got on New Jersey Transit and took the one hour, three stop train to Newark airport, which was... well, boring. And I ate my last wawa sandwich for months. And had my last wawa lemonade-tea. Damn.
Oh well, I got to Newark airport and through check-in, security, and to my gate in about 20 minutes. Because I'm amazing. Then I waited at the airport for quite some time until my damn plane showed up (like an hour late). The ride was nice though, because... well, frankly, because I had just flown on United from Hawaii, and... united sucks. Continental was awesome, with free meals and such. Even though the meals suck, they're free. And the entertainment! Strippers!
Or their movie thing. I watched Edward Scissorhands, Penelope, and the Princess Bride. And read a lot of one of my favorite books, which I need to throw out when I finish it. I need to toss all my books to drop the weight :-(
I got in about 45 minutes late, I think. Not sure. But we stayed in the plane for so damn long, it was distressing. Then I followed Lark's incredibly detailed amazing fantastic
directions. And fell asleep on the train and missed my stop. Damn. Oh well. I'm here now, and we've been doing some nice fun stuff. And will be doing more.
Paris!
I got on New Jersey Transit and took the one hour, three stop train to Newark airport, which was... well, boring. And I ate my last wawa sandwich for months. And had my last wawa lemonade-tea. Damn.
Oh well, I got to Newark airport and through check-in, security, and to my gate in about 20 minutes. Because I'm amazing. Then I waited at the airport for quite some time until my damn plane showed up (like an hour late). The ride was nice though, because... well, frankly, because I had just flown on United from Hawaii, and... united sucks. Continental was awesome, with free meals and such. Even though the meals suck, they're free. And the entertainment! Strippers!
Or their movie thing. I watched Edward Scissorhands, Penelope, and the Princess Bride. And read a lot of one of my favorite books, which I need to throw out when I finish it. I need to toss all my books to drop the weight :-(
I got in about 45 minutes late, I think. Not sure. But we stayed in the plane for so damn long, it was distressing. Then I followed Lark's incredibly detailed amazing fantastic
directions. And fell asleep on the train and missed my stop. Damn. Oh well. I'm here now, and we've been doing some nice fun stuff. And will be doing more.
Paris!
How the trade winds drove her
I just wanted to tell everyone that I arrived safely in Paris. Though I fell asleep on the train to Larks, but... well, it ended ok. More to come after we go out!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
There was Johnny McGurk who was scared stiff of work
Well, this is the first post, I suppose. Well... thats fantastic, isn't it. I figured I'd have something up so people know they got to the right place. Although... Woozy? If you get here and dont know that I'm Woozy the Red, something must be wrong.
So, status: I'm packing. Well, I'm about to start. I get on a plane in 22 hours and havent started. Basically because I'm awesome.
And I still have more to do than your body has room for. But I'm pumped, and thats all that matters.
My plane is at 805pm. I have to leave my house at like 2 to get to the train station in New Jersey (ugh) to get to Newark (ugh again), then I'll be gone for quite some time before I sail into port (Lark's).
Thoughts: I've been more scatterbrained from stress today than I have been since my first day of college.
So, status: I'm packing. Well, I'm about to start. I get on a plane in 22 hours and havent started. Basically because I'm awesome.
And I still have more to do than your body has room for. But I'm pumped, and thats all that matters.
My plane is at 805pm. I have to leave my house at like 2 to get to the train station in New Jersey (ugh) to get to Newark (ugh again), then I'll be gone for quite some time before I sail into port (Lark's).
Thoughts: I've been more scatterbrained from stress today than I have been since my first day of college.
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