Monday, April 25, 2011

Some Ireland snipets

Here is a link to some of our photos from our first few adventures in Ireland :)

http://photojournalworldtrip.shutterfly.com/pictures/223

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

London Photos

We've had some trouble loading our photos, but here are some London Highlights (London 4/1 - 4/11 2011)

http://photojournalworldtrip.shutterfly.com/pictures/14

Monday, April 18, 2011

THE "Rings" in Ireland

So far so good with driving on the roads in Ireland ;). Yes they are super narrow, but I think I am going to become a race card driver after perfecting some of these loops and turns! We are about halfway through our trip in Ireland. Started off visiting the small town of Wicklow - we actually got a parking ticket on our first day but they were nice enough to waive it for us....silly tourists ;). We contemplated sleeping in out rental car that night because London broke the bank, but our mom was not very okay with that so we are just eating pbjs and apples to make up for the amount of pubs we have been visiting. We are going to continue visiting the pubs.

After Wicklow we headed to Glendalough which had some amazing hiking trails, one that led to a beautiful waterfall we ate our lil packed lunch at and spend a few hours exploring! There was a group of about 30 girls staying at the hostel we were at in glandalaugh. They were about 14, 15 years old and in their "free year" at school, or something to that effect. Basically, at that age everyone gets a year off from organized classroom schooling and instead does things like travel around and learn outside the classroom. They said they do it to recharge the kids batteries and decide what they want to study further before they have to go back and take their upper level classes and exams.....I think that's an awesome thing to do for kids! Catch on US ;)

We then drove to Waterford where I toured the Waterford Crystal factory, got to hold the replica/model for the super owl trophy they use each year...kinda cool to see! Waterford was a quick stop, but we chatted with someone in a small store for about 20 minutes about our trip and where to go and what it's like in the states...they are so chatty here!

Next was Kilkenny, another one of our favorites! A very small town which takes about half a day to wander, but once you stop and talk to the locals a full day to experience! We checked into our hostel that night and headed to a pub nearby where we met a bartender who was planning a trip to Vegas and California. We chatted with him for about 2 hours and told us about some cool places to go in Ireland! Went out that night and the next day went to an outdoor market and got some homemade pies. The popular one here is steak and Guiness, but I have not tried this once yet. We stopped at a cute coffee shop called choch o latte and visited with the store owner for a bit before heading out to our next destination.


Cork was a big city we visited after this and stayed for the night before heading further down south Kinsale. I should elaborate on Kinsale because it was one of the most quaint and adorable, colorful, friendly towns we have visited! We went to the well known Fishy Fishy cafe for some fish n chips and went out that night to the local pubs. Everyone knew everyone so we seemed to be the new people in town.

From Kinsale we drove further south west to drive the Ring of Beara. The Ring of Kerry is the more touristy route, which we are going to drive today, but we figured we'd check out the road less traveled first. It was an amazing drive, lots of windy turns overlooking vast valleys of green with yellow spotted shrubs and lords cows sheep and horses. Not tons of trees here like on the east coast, more shrubs and tall mountains. Side note, I told mike i really wanted for us to have to stop our car while driving because there was a heard of sheep crossing the road. You know like in any movie that takes place in Ireland this happens and the people get out of their car and have to scare the sheep away ... I wanted it like that ;) well I have not got my heard of sheep yet, but yesterday we did get a cow lying in the road, alive don't worry. This might have been even cooler than my hopes for sheep.

After the cow We stopped to check out a stone circle and had to basically walk through these people's farm to get there....literally, mike almost got charged by a goat and a cow nearby got in a combat position when we got too close to it's baby calf. I didn't know farm life could be so dangerous. When we got to the stones and they were on top of this mountain with the Atlantic ocean gleaming a deep blue in the background. After wandering the circle for a bit we started to head back and out of this little pin comes running these 2 little jack russel looking doggies. When they finally go to us they rolled over on their backs to be petted, it was one of the jilightx of my day because it was so authentic and just so adorable. Made me miss Liberty and Cooper!!! So, mike and I hung out with our new friends for a while, holding them, petting them, they actually followed us to our car and we had to bring them back up the hill and sneak away. Next we decided to drive to a nearby beach. I did not expect the beaches in Ireland to be a clear blue, but this one was. I'll let you know if they are all like this or if this was our diamond in the rough! Mike and I decided to take a swim and although the water was cold it looked so inviting so we just enjoyed the views until our toes went completely numb. I think about an hour lat we regained feeling in our feet. I wore my beanie in the water with me, it was a warm sunny day, but it was still Ireland ;)

Saturday, April 16, 2011

THE Luck of the Irish

Our last few days in London were great! Thanks so much aaron and anya for letting us stay with you! Even though we had about 11 days to spend in London there is so much to do and see there I'll have to go back someday ;) On Suday, our last day in London we visited emily one last time before leaving. She took us to a park nearby her house to spend some time in the sunny weather. We played frisbee with her and her friend and like she said, when the sun comes out everyone goes to the park. It's like their day at the beach i guess. The weather in london and ireland has been great, its only rained once since we've been on our trip...very lucky! On Sunday we also visited Abbey Road where the Beatles crossed the street for their famous album cover. I was VERY excited we got to fit that into our trip. There is quite a bit of traffic on that road so it was a challenge trying to take a decent photo without risking your life ;) one guy was literally in the road stopping traffic so he could get a good shot..... I definately felt like a tourist that day ;)

We flew out of London on April 11th and arrived in Dublin Ireland. We decided to rent a car for our time in ireland since we will be here until the 26th. Figured we could make our way around the island and stop and go as we please.... No set plan.... Just going- which has been working out great! Well, i did have one reservation about renting a car... I told myself I would never rent a car again after a road trip my girlfriends and I took in Australia... And although that is a completely different trip and a totally different story its worth taking a break from beautiful Ireland to explain...

Basically myself and 3 of my girlfriends who I studied abroad with in Australia decided to rent a car and head up the east coast of Australia to Carins for a little road trip on our summer break from college or Uni as they call it. We were traveling from Brisbane and had about 2 weeks to travel. I was the oldest so put my name on the car - cheaper that way! Now before I start this story let me just say that im shocked it even happened, it surprises me again and again each time I tell the story. So here we go...

We headed out in our compact 4 door red little rental driving on the odd side of the road but loving the slight challenge of it... We were taking turns driving and i think each of us has our own little experience with this car. First, im driving along and a bird hits the windshield. Probably killed it not sure, but who hits a bird?! We drive on. We decide to stop in Airlie Beach and take a walk along the water. We get back to the car and realize we have a bent rim and a flat tire....probably the pot hole we hit a few miles back... They dont work in maintaining the roadways too well in between cities. And some cities in au are quite far apart so you are just driving through bush for a while. Back to the flat tire, my friend cristalle luckily lnows how to change a tire. The jack is not working too well tobpift the car so after 10 minutes of trying she reaches her hand underneath the tire to see how much room there is. The jack gives, and the car falls on her hand! We pull her hand iout from underneath the car and she has to go to the hospital :(. We get a new rim since ours is bent and a new tire. Cristalle gets a cast and we decide to thik positive and not let it ruin our trip. On to the next stop! We made a mistake and drove as it was starting to get dark, you're not supposed to do this. We r looking for the next town to sleep in and out of nowhere out jumps a kangaroo, smack in the middle of our car. We hit it. We cant stop because on either side of us is just bush and the road is completely dark and empty. We hear clunk clunk, clunk clunk and realize we need to get to a town fast. We finally find an exit and a gas station and i'm the first to get out to look at the damage... Half of our front bumper is literally removed, ripped off the car, completely gone and along the enges of the torn bumper is fur, poor kangaroo!!!! We dont know what we will tell the rental car company, but whats done is done, keep calm and carry on as they say. This car is obviously giving us some trouble and we kinda sit back and laugh at it all. We finally make it to Carins and here we get to snorkel, go to the white sandy beaches, go out, and just enjoy our destination! The trip is great and time to head home with a bit of a cracjed windshield - bird, a substitute rim and new tire - pot hole, and half of a front bumper protecting the car - kangaroo. Oh this car!!! We are about half way home, Denise and I are sleeping in the back seat and we wake up to the car swirving, twisting, circles, glides...hill...then, flip. The car flups and we land on all 4 wheels on the opposite side of the road facing the opposite direction we were headed. Somehow all i was thinking as we were tumblung was shoot this car is under my name, my dad's going to kill me!! Screams were followed by silence as we stop. Then panic. We all get out, check ourselves and somehow we are all okay. Our car, not so okay. The police come, towe our car away and report it totaled and shocked and speechless we head back on a greyhound bus to Brisbane. I guess we dont need to explain the windshield, rim and tire and busted bumper to the rental car company now... We now look back and laugh at this story of our Aussie Roadtrip which despite this crazy rental car still ended up being one of the best vacations ever. Lesson: always purchase full coverage insurance, kangaroos are noccturnal animals so seriously dont drive at night, look out for potholes and if this all goes wrong at least you have a good story to tell!

So far so good as far as driving goes in ireland. Our route so far has beed Dublin - Wicklow - Glendalough - Waterford - Killkenny - Cork - Blarney (we kissed the stone!!) and now at a B&B in Kinsale (adorable town). Went out last night and hung out with some hilarious Irish guys! Stood outside the pub after it closed for about another hour, purely entertined by our new found friends and got in at about 3:30am. We are happily sleeping in this morning!

Roadways here are very narrow, but they areactually kinda fun to wind in and around on! In
southers Ireland now, Kinsale - adorable town! Heading up the west coast today which is supposed to be scenic and beautiful. Everything so far has been breathtaking so I can only imagine whats next!

Saturday, April 9, 2011

THE Tube Town

















So we have been in London for 9 days now and I will say it has been hard to find time to sit down on a computer long enough to write something thoughtful - so yes, we've been having a great time!

Unfortunately, I fell sick just a day before our flight so the highlight of day 1 in London had to be the moment my head hit the pillow of my hostel bed, which then became my new best friend for the next 3 hours, or 4 - best nap of my life. That night we went for a quick bit to eat at a nearby hole in the wall restaurant. What did we eat?- Pho. Clearly diving into the British culture already ;) It gets better I promise.

Day 2 we met up with a friend of mine who I studied abroad with in Austalia, Alice. She and her sister Emily showed us around London for the day. We moseyed through Covent Garden watching street performers make fun of small children, witnesses (and walked through) a flash pillow fight in Trafalgar Square, from there - Westminster Abbey, the House of Parliament and Buckingham Palace - the flag was up so the queen was in! Our day ended at some Cider Pub with tons of other cider drinkers drinking lots of cider and getting louder and louder. The night ended with Alice announcing as we headed for the tube... "But I just want to daaaance!" - Welcome to London!

In between then and now my favorite places we have been are our trip to Stonehenge and a visit to the adorable little town of Bath, walking through the busy streets of Camden and the Stables Market with tons of cheap but delicious food, stumbling upon amazing places such as Highgate Park which we spent hours at and of course hanging out with friends! I'm starting to get British humor, or at least the concept of it ;)... And - this is not all that important, but the faces of Prince William and Kate are in every London Tourist shop you go into...shirts, mugs, mannequins, even flags have their faces printed on them. It's been tempting, but so far I will not be smuggling memorabilia of British Royalty back into the US ;)

Timing was great on this trip and we were fortunate enough to be able to see Emily and Alice, as well as 2 of my friends from college Anya - who lives in London with her husband and son and whose house we are staying at now :) - and Rachel and her boyfriend Mike who happened to be visiting London when we were. We all went to dinner last night and had a good traditional english pie, then Anya introduced Rachel and I to "Pimms" at the pub - YuMMY!

Although we have been here over a week there is so much to do in London alone so I am sure we have not yet seen everything, but we are very satisfied so far! We have found that wandering around has been the best way to find cool places or stumble upon things. We plan on ending the trip with a BBQ at Emily's house tomorrow night, then flying out Monday morning to go to our next stop - Dublin!

Important Words or Phrases:
Bloak, Rubbish, Buggie, Toilets, Pleasant, Quite, or Quite Pleasant, Lovely, Bin, Tube

Things to Remember that confused me at first:
Don't ask for the "Restroom" it's "Toilet", the Tube is the Underground and it can take you anywhere around London, to stand on an escalator go to the right to walk up it go to the left (it's this way in Australia, somehow I forgot), buy an Oyster card for the tube, Carlsberg Beer was not so bad and one of the cheaper options