Aiming for fall?

Fall has always been one of my favorite seasons.  It gets a little cooler, a lot more colorful, and has become my signature time to leave on excursions (one year today I will be waking up my first morning in Dublin with Jen).  This has been one of the first years, as such, that I have been less than thrilled with its coming.  I have many months to my next trip, and this summer was so short.  Not to say that this last bit of summer hasn't been enjoyable.  The adoption was finalized, my mom and I both had fun birthdays, I got to work at Polo.  Lots of things have occured this month. 
None the less, I am just not excited for summer to be over.  Every night when I get off work and it's dark it makes me sad.  Which is an odd feeling, as at this time last year, I was looking forward to spending the shortest day of the year in as much darkness as I could.  I feel as though I am just sitting around biding my time.  I need to stop spending money, and focus on my trips.  But they are just far enough away to make them hard for me to anticipate.  I think they haven't quite fully sunk in yet, as they all came up so quickly.  I need to get myself in gear!

Just For Jen

So I haven't posted all summer, but stuff has definitely been happening. As Jen pointed out to me, this is unacceptable behavior. Thus, this post will hopefully be rather long, but satisfying to my past roommate and future travel companion. :)

The summer started off fairly low key. The weather was fairly bad, so we weren't doing a lot. We didn't even get the boat in the water til almost August. Still, we would spend weekends up at the lake doing puzzles and going on walks. We like to leave the dogs off-leash which the dogs love, but has led to several mishaps. The first was the burrs. Still not quite sure what type of plant it was, but it was like cheatgrass enclosed in some weird sticky mud. It plastered itself down to their skin and we could not brush it out. This is how I learned I do not have a calling as a dog groomer. Even with a professional dog razor they looked awful. The first day it was just Riley, but the next morning they both found it. John had to take them to get professionally done several days later, but at least we got the muck out of them for the time being.

Shortly after this was the Fourth of July. Since there had been so much rain and snow this spring, all the rivers in the area were really high. So John went and bought us river rafting tubes so we could go down the Priest River. When we first went to step in, it was frigid! But after the first set of rapids, it suddenly didn't seem quite so cold anymore. Still, it would continually catch me off guard when I got a face full of ice water over my head. None the less, it was a ton of fun! We only wished it had been nicer earlier in the season so we could have gone when the river was higher still. But as John put it, it probably wouldn't be fun to get in water that cold when the air was equally as cold.
The next day, Jeanne, Brandon, Hailey and Holden came up to the cabin for the day. Hailey and Holden were master butterfly catchers. I believe their grand total for the day was 19. Hailey even caught 3 in one swoop at one point. The kids splashed in the shallow water while the rest of us enjoyed the sunshine. Jeanne and Brandon introduced us to their "spicy lemonade." It was so good! It had jalapenos and basil mixed in, which made it quite possibly my new favorite lemonade. After awhile, Jeanne and I decided to be brave and just dive in off the end of the dock. Brandon was laughing at us for quite a while for all the noises we made as soon as we surfaced. Still, the experience was fun, and we all got a good laugh at the end.

The following weekend was the Portland Antique Show. Deena, my mom, and I had a space rented and set off at 4 in the morning for Portland to go buy, sell, and have a good ol' time. It really is an amazing show, and a lot of fun. Deena was pleased that she sold many of the things she has trouble selling here in Spokane, my mom got to both shop and sell, and I learned about diamonds. Deena taught me a few basics and then sent me out to scout the show to compare prices for her. I have never before liked diamonds on myself, but I found a diamond ring I would have been happy to own. Unfortunately I apparently go straight for the big boys and became attached to a several thousand dollar ring. The one nice part about it being so far out of my price range is it kills most of the attraction to it.
On Saturday, I met up with Anne Peasley and headed downtown. I had received an invitation the week earlier to show up for the filming of the Portland scene of the next "Where the Hell is Matt." If everything goes well, I could be in the 2011 video, unless the location gets cut. Fingers crossed! Not only was this experience a ton of fun, but I also got to meet Matt, who is pretty much my hero for finding a way to get paid to travel like this. The people who were there were hilarious too. We were told we could come in costume, as long as it wasn't trademarked, to identify ourselves in the video later. There was a giant head of broccoli, the SST (supershottwins) who had canisters, each with a shot of vodka, strapped all over their chests, someone with a flaming pitchfork, and several other highly amusing costumes. Everyone had a great time, doing silly dance routines. My favorite was, and a quote his dance move terms: Lasso, Lasso, Stomp the bug, Stomp the bug, Feet together, Hop, Left, Right, Laaaaaaaaaawnmower!
I bought Matt's book and the "I danced with Matt" shirt and he signed both. He also let me take a video dancing with him. It is very dorky, and makes me exceedingly happy every time I watch it. The book was a very poor choice for me though. I read about his experiences (even the bad), and all I want to do is go to these places and encounter such things. It is all so exciting! (Hey Jen, 56 weeks!)

The weekend after this (notice a trend yet?), was the release of the final Harry Potter movie. I, of course, had plans to go with several of my friends to the midnight movie. And it was so worth it. I spent the day beforehand learning how to make pumpkin juice, and getting my costume out of storage and put together. Heather, Alex, Jenn, and Jen were all there, and then Heather and I decided to go run around and take pictures with all the best costumes. We found an amazing Luna, Neville, Draco, Bellatrix, and Lord Voldemort himself. There was even a girl dressed as Harry from the cover of the first book, and it was amazing how much she looked like it. We gave her total props. At one point, a really drunk (and definitely underage) Professor Slughorn staggered his way into one of our pictures, to our amusement. Not ten minutes later he was throwing up all over himself and being led away, so drunk he didn't understand he was being kicked out, and thinking he was already watching the movie (which was an hour and a half from starting still). The movie was really good too. The best on yet. Still wasn't perfect, and I have my peeves, but overall, I was quite satisfied.
The following morning, I had to open at the bagel shop, but my mom got me off early so I could go have lunch with Heather's family, followed by watching the movie once more with them. Heather and I wore our themed T-Shirts and had a great time watching it once more. Heather even came prepared with Kleenex for me both times. She knows what a movie sap I am. Then we went to her parents condo and made Harry Potpies, Cockroach Clusters, Butterbeer, and had Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans out. It was all delicious, particularly the Potpies and Butterbeer. Ron ate most of the Cockroach Clusters, so they were definitely a hit too.

Finally the Harry Potter craze slowed down in our lives and the summer started to kick into full swing. We've been bridesmaid dress shopping like fiends all summer for Heather's wedding, only to have something foil the ones we like at the last minute and have to start at ground zero all over again. It is very frustrating. We are currently still without dresses, though Heather has found cake she likes. It was progress of some sort.

Then came the Priest Lake excursions. The whole family made it up this year, mostly overlapping, and it was incredible. I got the full week and a half off of work and spent most of that time in the boat every day. To summarize it: biking, hiking, surfing, skiing, wake boarding, climbing, wandering, remembering, tubing, snaking, roofball, swimming, diving, tanning, lazing, eating. Got it?
The first day everyone was up there was Jinnie's memorial service. Everyone spoke at the table, and some people even flew in only for the day to be there. It was very nice. Even Kashi, Brian, and Scott made it, which I think meant a lot to different people in the family. We ate some of Jinnie's signature dishes, and told and listened to our favorite stories. It was sad, but wonderful.
After that, the adventures began. David would pile us into the boat first thing in the morning to begin the water sports. We started with the usual. Everyone tubing, some skiing, me surfing. Then the sports exploded. All the kids tried and succeeded at everything. It was so much fun to watch them all find their favorite sport. Gaia was an amazing surfer, and even caught some great air wake boarding. Ainsley looks like a natural on the wake board. Liam is an awesome little skier. That got me to try wake boarding again, which I was finally fairly successful at, and all the adults tried surfing. Paula even got to the point of propelling herself! David just pulled us all day long. Except when we went to Hill's for drinks and pickle ball, or the sunken island for a mid-lake swim.
Every morning most of us went on a 6:30 bike ride, to try to see the moose. We never did on that ride, but it was always fun and beautiful at that time of day. Very peaceful. Then we let "Ranger Dave" direct us. We all ended up pushing our bikes up steep gravelly hills, hitting dead ends. Really, every one of us should know better than to follow David's directions.
And yet, the following day we did it again. We went to look for the rock slide at Lion's Head on the north side of the lake. It's a natural rock slide with water over it which forms a perfect water slide in nature. Following David's map reading skills, we ended up fording the creek as a human chain to pass bags and kids along, hiking for hours up the mountain (in bad water shoes), before turning around and going home. The hike was a lot of fun, but it would have been more so if it had been planned and we hadn't all ended up tired and with bad blisters from the shoes we wore. We did get an excellent view and found some huge huckleberries though. David wanted to go try again a couple days later, but no one was backing him on the idea. We did have fun teasing him about his ranger skills though, and comparing him to Bob Gregory, who would have never got us lost. Good thing David's a good sport about the teasing, I think some of those are going to be around for awhile.
Next, David and Meridith rented jet skis. We spent the next couple days speeding around the lake on them and having a right good time. I Photoshopped a picture to trick David into thinking he had missed seeing Ainsley ski too, which was actually successful for awhile. We also played a lot of roof ball, ping pong, hunted for snakes, went on a ton of walks, and played a lot of cards. We had several multi-player solitaire games and a couple Gin Rummy tournaments.
Partway through the week, I came back into town for the Michael Buble concert too. My mom, Courianne, Jeanne, Wendi, Becky and I all went together and had a great time. We had an amazing dinner at Clinkerdaggers, before wandering over to the arena. Becky brought us flamingo straws for our drinks, and Courianne got the amusement of seeing my mom get slightly intoxicated. Michael's opening act was a band called Naturally 7, who imitated instruments with their vocal cords. They were incredible! My favorites were the electric guitar, the bass, and the drum set. They sounded just like instruments and got really into their parts, air playing and having a great time on stage. Then following them up with Michael was the icing on the cake. He had fun sliding on his stage ramp, teasing his band, and the audience. After several hours of amazing music, we went out to where we could meet Naturally 7. I bought their CD, they signed it, posed for pictures, and got to meet all their players. It cracked me up how shy the bass player was off stage, when he was one of the more active ones down there.
The night after I got back to the lake was the big pig roast. Al had dug a hole, done months of research, and was roasting a whole pig in the ground Hawaiian style. We all helped him prep the pig, (me by recording the whole thing) which included hauling it to the hole in a wheelbarrow, seasoning it, stuffing its skin with garlic, putting an apple in its mouth, filling its chest with hot stones, wrapping it in banana leaves, foil, and wire mesh, before burying it in the ground for 24 hours. My favorite line of the night was Liam asking, "So, did you just find it dead somewhere?" We all had a good laugh at that, and John had fun daring the little girls to tough the eye and its teeth. Gaia was the only one brave enough, and not squeamish enough to do all the above. In the end it was quite delicious, though not nearly as good as John's pulled pork. They are talking about making it a yearly tradition, so who knows, we may get to do this again next year!

Eventually though, I had to come back to work. I did get to go spend a day on Schweitzer with Heather and Alex though, as they happened to be up there and call me as I got off work the evening before my day off. We played cards, drank huckleberry beer, watched the stars (trying to remember as many constellations as we could, but my astronomy class is rather quickly fading out of my brain), and went huckleberry picking. I had never been up there in the summer before, and it was a fun new way to see the mountain. The view of Pend O'Reille was beautiful, as in the winter it is usually obscured by fog and clouds. It was a fun mini trip, and I enjoyed spending the time with them. I don't get to see nearly as much of Heather as I used to, and it is always good to be able to hang out with her for awhile.

After coming home, my mom and I began painting the house. She had spent all summer trying to pick out colors, and after Judy and I finally told her to just pick one and stop getting more samples, she did. It is going to look amazing! We are doing the main part a rich grey tone, with a hint of purple to it, with cream trim to match the white bricks, and we are doing a deep red accent, including the front door being painted red. The door is what I am most excited about! The colors look amazing together though, and they really make my mom's plants pop out, especially the yellow of her black-eyed Susans. I do enjoy painting too, so its an enjoyable way for me to pay her "rent." She and John gave me permission to stay at home for awhile to save money so that I can try to afford going to Abu Dhabi this year, as well as Europe next fall. I'm sure I can make it work now, and I am really excited whenever I think about these trip potentials. I can't wait to get in touch with Kate and Steve about it, though I am waiting a bit as I know they are doing several different weekend trips to see their friends and for work. I have plenty of time, even if I am antsy to go somewhere new.

Now we are getting ready for GU to start up again at the bagel shop. All the freshman started moving in today, and we are slowing getting back to normal. We were prepping everything really well, and I was even sharpening the knives. Of course, being classic me, I sharpen all the knives with out incident and then as I finish the last one, drop it can catch it just in time to yank it across my own hand. Now I have a lovely deep gash across the side of my palm. My only consolation is that since I had just sharpened the knife, it is probably about the cleanest cut I could ask for. At least it doesn't hurt most of the time, though it is highly obnoxious when it pops open when I try to use my hand too much. I just figured my hands wanted to match with bagel shop knife battle wound scars. My best one up until now was my pinky one from trying to cut the turkey across the sinks. Poor life choice there. At least they make good stories. Now if only it would heal so I can use my hand properly again. Anyway, that about sums up my summer in hyper drive!

lots done in seven days.

What an exciting week this has been! Lots of catching up to do it would seem.
Last week was Heather's birthday, so I went down to Pullman to visit for the weekend. We had such a good time! I haven't been down to see her since last summer, so just hanging out in general was good, but then we were invited to help bottle wine at the local winery, Merry Cellars. What an experience! I set up, filled, corked, cleaned, foiled, and boxed bottles of wine. I enjoyed the corking the most, even if my arm and hand were very sore the following day. But this didn't stop me from going back again!
Since I spent most of my time on the corker, I ended up with severely purple hands, because it occurs before the bottles are wiped down. I guess they call it "getting caught purple handed" and are talking about making a T-shirt about it. My hands finally unstained the last little bit yesterday morning, just to demonstrate how purple my hands were. And for every half day shift we got to take home a bottle of wine, so I ended up with almost $70 worth of delicious wine. Plus we were allowed to sample what we were bottling. The owners puppy did a little sampling of his own when we weren't looking. Apparently he was licking wine off the floor and got himself drunk the first night that I was helping. He was obviously not feeling well the next day, and slept all morning in his crate.
On top of the amazing wine experience Heather and I got some of her wedding stuff going. We worked on her playlists (at least got a start on it), had lunch with Molly (a fellow bridesmaid I had not yet met), and talked about bridesmaid dresses. Hopefully we'll get the chance to try some on soon, so we can have an idea what the dresses we're considering will look like on us. Pictures online never quite do it justice. We also played a lot of Lego Harry Potter, like the awesomely cool kids that we are.
I've spent the rest of this last week working on my Father's Day present for John. I told him not to expect another gift after this, because there is no way I could ever top this one. A friend and customer of ours from the Bagelshop used to be a judge, and started the paperwork for me for an adult adoption. That's right, I asked John to adopt me this morning. So now papers are in-motion, and once we get the more formal forms and a court appearance, we will finalize it. Mind you, it's really just making official what already was, but it was still wonderful.

Idina Menzel!

Tonight I got to go see Idina Menzel perform with the Spokane Symphony. Wow is all I have to say. I like her even more now than I did before. She was not only an incredible performer, but also seems completely down to earth, and was quite hilarious to boot. My favorite was when she started telling us everything in her pill box to stall for time while her lozenge dissolved. Or when she tipped over her stool and just looked up and said, "I meant to do that..."
She sang part of For Good Capella too, not too mention the Finale B from Rent and Defying Gravity. And her rendition of Don't Rain on my Parade? I don't know if I preferred it or her story about Barbra Streisand that went along with it. Let's just say the story included Tequila shots and calling Beyonce a bitch and you can see my difficulty in this decision.
She also sang us some of the little songs she and her husband wrote for their son. Songs about getting in the car and changing diapers. My favorite is the full out swing song she wrote about him waking up, which besides being amazing, I can totally see her singing to him when he is 16, just to completely embarrass him.
I also liked that she seemed truly surprised that we clapped long enough for her to come back out for a third bow afterward. She was totally cool, and just a normal person, which is nice to see in a successful performer. And after her asides about Wicked, I am even more excited to see it now!
What I really can't believe is that this was my mom's first symphony. How I haven't managed to take her to one yet is beyond me. This was definitely a good first go though. Well, I'm still all giddy from this evening. So I'm going to go rip the two CD's of hers I just bought and try to call it an evening. What a lovely one it was!

Last Leg

So I have spent my last evening in Ireland in Dublin. An excellent choice (as well as convenient) I though, as I do quite love this city. Now, I love it even more. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day so I enjoyed walking through all the different areas and shopping districts. Plus I finished off my shopping that I wanted to do!..and then some...oh well. It is my last day in Europe for awhile. Unfortunately this was after I had finished my packing, so I got to do it all over again. I think I was rather effective at it though.
After I dropped my stuff off back at the hostel, I decided I needed one last good Irish meal, so I asked the desk guy at the hostel for a recommendation. Wow, was it amazing! Best meal I've eaten in Ireland, and I've really liked the food here so far! The restaurant was called Gallagher's Boxty House, and they were known for their potato dumplings. So I thought I would try them. I got the small one so that I could get dessert too. I wish I hadn't. I scraped my dish completely clean and was still craving more. So then I went for their dark chocolate cake with sauce and ice cream. Equally amazing. I was stuffed, and still wished I had more in front of me.
I also got to walk around the Temple Bar area, which I hadn't made it to yet, for unknown reasons. This is my third mini trip here in two weeks, I'm not really sure what my deal there was. Especially when it turned out to be so awesome. Live music and buskers all over the place, a drunk homeless guy dancing in the middle of the street to some of the buskers (It looked like a cross between the hokey-pokey and the chicken dance), food and the smells of all over the place. Plus tons of signs for the Leprechaun Museum, which I wish I had known about sooner. Oh well, guess I'll have to come back! Darn... :)

Cork it!

Cork was wonderful. I like the smaller cities like that. Big enough that there is stuff to do and things to see, but small enough that you can walk the whole of it. I quite enjoyed just wandering through all the different little stores and markets. I ate a lot of food, and accomplished a lot of nothing. It was wonderful.
The one thing I did do, as was my goal, was Blarney Castle. It was just as I had been told. The castle was quick, cool but nothing stupendous in relation to other castles. But the gardens. Those were amazing. I walked in them for a good couple hours.
Of course, the very first thing I did was bee line it for the top of the castle. Talk about some narrow staircases! And the stone steps were half worn away and rounded and slick from the numerous people tromping up them. I can't imagine living like that. And the kitchen was on the top floor. Talk about a hard working staff you would have in a place like that. Of course the line to the stone wrapped around the top of the castle, so I made small talk with the three Canadian guys behind me. One of them had a hard time with heights and while was braced for the upcoming lean, made an uneasy comment about falling.
This of course led into a whole line of jokes from his friends about not jumping off Blarney Castle. In the end we came to the determination that if this is on your bucket list, it should not be left for last. A person might realize they had finished all the had to live for and just flip off as they kissed the stone! Morbid yes, but we got the guy laughing and he was much more at ease by the time we got up there. He was even nice enough to take a picture for me when it was my turn.
They weren't kidding about leaning back either! I knew the concept of what you do, lean backwards/upside down over the edge of the battlements and kiss the bottom stone. What isn't said is how wide the gap is that you are leaning across. You HAVE to hold on to the bars, cause you are definitely not sitting on anything anymore to reach far enough out. It was a little disconcerting to be dangling like that and knowing that I was only on something solid from just above my knees down. The rest of me was hanging upside down three stories up with only a little hand rail to hold on to. No wonder they have a guy there to brace you! And here I thought it was just a formality to ease peoples minds. Nope, he is very necessary. Quite an experience though, and only time will tell if the eloquence will come to fore now. Should last me seven years though they say.
Now that this was accomplished, I left for the gardens. As I said, stunning. Waterfalls and trees and moss covered boulders everywhere. I found the wishing stairs, but I think I peeked a little on the way down, so I'm fairly sure I'm outta luck there. Though I did get my coin in the stream over my head, so that one is supposed to come true still. There is the Witch's Stone, the Witch's cave, the druids cave and the druid stone circle. There was also a type of passage tomb, that you are supposed to walk through, which I did, though I'm not sure quite what that one achieves. And the whole time it was sunny and gorgeous. How lucky I seem to be with all my traveling. Denmark was a little chilly/rainy, though not bad, but other than that, I have achieved almost perfect weather while traveling. This is through a European fall, winter, and fall. How can you top that!?
This morning I went for breakfast at the English Market, which they claim is one of the oldest markets that is still in it's original location in that fashion. I had a pain de chocolate, and got some pesto potatoes and a sandwich for my train ride. Then I stalled going to the train station until I was at the last train I could catch for the cheaper rate. Somehow, I think I'm not ready to go home yet, though the time seems to have come anyway. While I wasn't ready to stop traveling before, there was reason I was going home before, and that made it easier to make the transition. This time, there is nothing. Not I have to figure out what to do with myself, though I'd rather just keep traveling indefinitely. Guess it's time to start researching jobs, careers, and schools…wooo…

Northern Ireland in one quick swoop.

Well, I have explored as much of N. Ireland as I can in a day and a half, and I feel like I rather successfully hit quite a bit. and fairly effectively too! I took the train up from Dublin on Saturday morning and arrived in Belfast at around 2 in the afternoon. At first I thought rather unfortunately that my hostel was on the other side of town, but the walk turned out to be lovely. I wasn't really sure what to expect here, because I feel I have only heard of the rougher aspects of N. Ireland.
When I got to my hostel, I was a little concerned at first. It didn't seem especially clean and there didn't appear to be much in the near by area. But the workers there were especially nice and helpful, and I figured it was just a place to sleep really. One of the girls on staff recommended a couple of places to go to. Turns out this was the middle of the University district, I had just taken the wrong street in to notice this. So on the other block were tons of pubs, parks, and museums. I quickly headed out to explore.
I went to the botanic gardens first. While not the most impressive ones I have ever been to, they were an enjoyable walk. There was also a free museum in the middle of the park, which was a fun quick exploration. After this, I headed in towards the city center to see what there was. It was recommended that I do a black taxi tour, but the cost was only worth it if you did it in a group, and there was nobody around the hostel when I arrived to make a group with. Instead, I figured I'd see the safer areas of the city on foot.
There is not a lot to see in Belfast, so I was not too worried about walking a little further to see the things that were there. I saw their clock tower, the large ceramic fish on the waterway, and then headed into the Titanic Quarter. This is the city where the Titanic had been built, and it's slipway still exists on the northern end of the city. I had a fun little walk through the shipbuilding yards, before I decided to head back because the sky was looking a little iffy, and I didn't plan to get caught in a storm while a 30 min. walk away from the hostel.
The one thing I really love about Ireland, is how friendly everyone is. Talking to people on the street corners is totally normal, and everyone is willing to help a person out. Once I had crossed the waterway, I sat down on a bench and looked in my local guide trying to find somewhere good for dinner. I man stopped by me, just to make sure I wasn't lost and to see if he could help me in any manner. This just isn't something you see in other countries! You're always worried about ulterior motives and tend to be suspicious when a stranger singles you out, but here, they just honestly want to socialize. Even the guide books say to expect it and go with it! So I told the man I was just looking for good food and he waved me down the street with him and spent the next block pointing out restaurants and interesting places to eat for different types of food. It was very pleasant.
Eventually I ended up in a pub and had a rather nice meal before calling it a night. And when I got to the hostel I had an even nicer surprise. I must have turned up just in that point of cleaning where everything looks worse, because it was like a different place. Still not the nicest I've ever stayed in, but my concern was gone. I was also able to sign up for a free Causeway Tour because I had booked the hostel for two nights.
In the morning, I got ready to take my tour. The free breakfast was pretty insubstantial so I headed to Starbucks around the corner for some coffee first. When I came back I was mildly concerned at first. I met the tour guide, but overheard him saying something about overbooked and three of the freebies were going to have to get off. I was definitely a freebie, and if I didn't go on this tour, I wouldn't be able to go at all. But there was a group of three girls together, who since they were a group, were the ones not going. I was very relieved. I was hanging out with Erin, a girl from Australia and we stuck together for most of the tour.
Troy, or as he called himself Troooooooy, was our tour guide, and a fabulous one he was. He was telling stories the entire time and we were constantly amused and laughing. He quickly told his motto that what happens on tour, stays on tour. So there is no tattling on him about anything he says once you're off the bus.
Our first stop was Larrybane and Carrick-a-rede, the old rope bridge where the locals used to fish for salmon off the coast line. The bridge was a newer one, for safety reasons, but it was essentially the same concept, and we all enjoyed walking across to the island where a local explained what we were seeing and it's history. We were informed that the large island we were seeing way out in the water, was in fact Scotland. That this was the closest point between the two and it was only twelve miles away. I thought that was very cool.
Once we had boarded the bus again, we headed for Giant's Causeway, which is what I was really excited to see. I have been fascinated with it since the first time I saw "Where the Hell is Matt." It was just as good as I had hoped. The basalt columns were huge, and there was free reign to go climb all over them. Erin and I took pictures of each other, before we went to find the giant's boot, left when the Scottish giant ran away so quickly and turned to stone over the years, the organ, and then a local guide showed us the Old Lady, which really does look like an old lady climbing up the hillside. The colors were fascinating too, as parts of the soil were red from all the iron, and really showed against the green of the grass around it. It was a fascinating place, and I am so glad to have made it.
We had lunch here too. I had steak and Guinness pie, and is was delicious. We also had Irish coffee on Troy's recommendation, as apparently this hotel won an award for best Irish coffee in N. Ireland this last year. It was made with Bushmill's whiskey, which is the town the Causeway is right beside, and was delicious. Once we were all filled up, we loaded back into the bus and headed for Derry. Here we were taken on a one hour walking tour of the city. Our guide, Roy, has lived in the bogsite for almost his entire life, and was able to tell us the whole history of the battles with first hand experience. It was a fascinating, though very sombre walk. It felt strange to be walking through this city, knowing and hearing that all these tensions were simmering just below the surface still. The sidewalks and streetlights were all painted either the colors of the British or the Irish flag, depending on which political section of the city you were in at the moment, and there were Free Derry signs and IRA tags all over. Most of the tour was taken from the Derry Wall, built to subdivide the city, which is still part of the boundary of the two different segments.
Roy told us there were still political extremists and that the city was currently building the "peace" bridge to link the two parts of the city in hopes of making a statement to these people not to start anything again. The tour ended at the site of Bloody Sunday, where a memorial now stands. It was sad to see that most of the people killed were about 17 years old. There is always the issue of what to call the city as well. Depending on if your talking to a Catholic or a Protestant, you have to call it either Derry or Londonderry, and you really have no way of knowing which until it's too late.
On a less sad note though, Roy had the most interesting accent. It was unlike any other Irish accent I have heard before, with more of a roll to the r's and a bit of a trill to some of the words. When we asked about this, we learned that Irish is taught from birth in Derry. That children were expected to speak it in school and at home, and only spoke English to each other on the streets. So Roy's accent was not English Irish, it was Gaelic Irish, and it was beautiful. He read us a couple of political signs which were written entirely in Gaelic, and it was incredible to hear. Definitely a beautiful language, and it's good that it's not going to die out any time soon.
I feel as though I learned a lot in the last 24 hours, and it was a unique and fascinating experience. I have quite enjoyed Northern Ireland, and it will be interesting to see what happens to it in the years to come. There is still so much unrest there. For now though, I am heading south again. I am on the train to Cork right now, which I have heard good things about. I am excited to see Blarney castle, though sad because it is essentially my last stop for this trip. I am not ready to go home at all, though I could definitely stand to go to work and earn some money, and it will be good to see my friends again.

couple days later...

All right, so I'm apparently on a 2-3 day cycle for updating right now...I'll work on that...later. But for now, I'm actually updating. So take it at face value and be happy for a post. I have seen a lot more of Ireland since I last wrote, and I have yet to be disappointed by it.
After we woke up (yes, in the castle), Pat picked us up and took us out to the Dingle Peninsula. It was a misty kind of day, but the gray of the sky really only makes the ground look greener. We stopped in Dingle for lunch first and while the others had coffee, I decided to do a little look into the shops in the area. I found a great little music store where I got a CD of local artists as well as an awesome "something" for Heather. Heather, if you don't like it, tough luck. Cause it's completely amazing, though I know you will. How's that for a teaser?
Before we headed out of town though, Pat mentioned a jewelry store that does designs with the Ogham (pronounced o-um) alphabet which is based on lines and slashes. Very cool. Mormor and Joan both got earring which read their names. I didn't get anything, but I did have a good deal of fun looking through the store. I'm looking for something, I'm just waiting for it to catch my attention.
When we left the store, we headed out for the coast line to take our drive. I still just can't get over how amazing the cliffs on this side of Ireland are. We even got to walk down a huge paved trail to a pier. It was neat to see the cliffs from this angle as well. Helps you to appreciate just how vast they are. We could see the barest outline of Dead Man Island, which looks like a person lying on their back, but were unable to find the Skellig Islands, though Pat gave us the whole history of them. Talk about determined people! I can't even imagine living like they managed there.
We stopped a couple other time to appreciate the view, or structures built. It's much like Joan said, it's strange to think that all of this was built and constructed and ancient before our country was even created. We just don't have that kind of ancestry in the states. I enjoyed just looking out the window as we drove and seeing these beautiful fields and walls and cliffs. The whole country is really just amazing to look at. I don't think I've found an ugly area yet.
Yesterday we had debated following up Dingle with the Ring of Kerry, but it was another gray day. Instead, Pat brought us to a waterfall just out of town (we were staying in Killarney). At first, the waterfall was rather unimpressive, more a series of waterfalls, but every tree was bright green, completely encapsulated in moss. Then as we followed the path, we came around the corner and saw the REAL falls. While the Torc Falls are not particularly large still, they were very beautiful in that setting. I chose to run up a path to the top of the falls too, which turned out to be completely worth the time. On my way down I ran into Mormor, who had come part way up too. While she didn't make it to the top, she did get to the clearing that had a fabulous view of the Killarney lakes.
When we got back down again, Pat told us he was taking us to Ruckmoss House, which was set on the lakes themselves. While everyone else went to look at the gardens, I chose to take the trail down to the boathouse. This was equally amazing. I took the back way there and was climbing up and down stone steps into little garden groves the whole way, and once I got there is was so beautiful! The lake was smooth as glass and reflected everything in it perfectly; the boats, the trees, the islands. There was a boathouse nature walk loop around the point which I jogged down and loved every minute of. It was just cool enough to be perfectly comfortable out there, and was very invigorating.
We then continued to drive through part of County Cork, and went to St. Finbar's Island which is where we had lunch and enjoyed a pleasant quiet afternoon by the lake. Just as we were leaving, people started showing up, which I think proves that we have really good timing. The ruins on the island of the old chapel were very different from others we had seen, and were set up to say the rosary as you walked around the room. From here, we continued our drive inland to Kilkenny.
While this evening was fairly uneventful, we were all tired from driving, we decided to go to the local pub for dinner that night. Kyteler's Inn was based from the lady who used to live on the property in the late 1200's to early 1300's until she was declared a witch and forced to run away to England. The food was fabulous, and towards the end of the evening there was even live music. I must say though, that it was very apparent that we were all so tired. Joan tried to ask what a song was called and to help us know the song, squeaked it like a dolphin, which set me off laughing. Then Sam followed up with a completely different song and we all just went around the table having moments. We were all laughing so hard. I loved every minute of it.
Eventually we went back to the hotel though, and called it a night. We had a straight shot back to Dublin first thing this morning. Mormor, Joan, and Sam are all flying to Edinburgh today, while I am staying here in Ireland for awhile longer. Now I have to get used to hostels again, and not eating regularly. Still, I'm excited to head to northern Ireland tomorrow. And I do love wandering aimlessly through the different cities, so it's not like I wont be enjoying myself. It will just be directed a different way than it has the last week.

family, and falconry, and castles. Oh My!

I should really be writing more frequently rather than less. There's no way I will be able to keep track of everything at the rate I'm going. And here I though my days would slow down once I met up with the family, but we've been continuing at a rather quick pace through the Irish countryside.
Yesterday our driver came to pick us up at 9 am, and on his suggestion we started to drive north through the Connemara region. We stopped first at a little beach, which Pat told us had highly unique sand. And really it was! It reminded me a bit of working with yeast, only larger. The sand was oblong and a creamy, off-white color. Definitely different from any sand I have encountered before, and the location smelled much better than the spot we had stopped at for photos of the Aran Islands a short while before.
After this, we had a lovely drive through the countryside, aiming for Kylemore Abbey. Not that this stopped us from stopping for pictures at beautiful seaside viewing spots, or old railway bridges, and streams. We even were able to see a guy digging peat moss by hand. He made it look so easy, but Pat explained to us some of the technicalities we weren't seeing when he shoveled out the bricks and tossed them aside; such as how heavy each of those bricks were. We did eventually make it to the Abbey, despite our pitstops, and enjoyed lunch next to the beautiful building.
As we headed back south towards County Clare, Joan mentioned some of the gifts she was hoping to buy for people back home. Pat quickly suggested a crystal store about ten minutes ahead, and we all agreed it could be fun. Not only did we get the history of all the designs they cut, but we were shown around by one of their glass cutting masters who now designs and trains and then were taken into the back room. Here, their master working that day cut a glass bowl with the claddagh design right for us (I had only learned the day before that the design originated in Galway). Talk about talented people! He didn't even mark the pattern, only three basic lines so that everything would line up appropriately. It was incredible to see. Mormor bought me a christmas tree ornament here as well as a vase for herself to be shipped home.
But was this enough for us for the day? Of course not! We stopped to admire a Galway Hooker and then headed up the Barrows into the hills. Here Pat dropped us off at the Poulnabrone, an over 3,000 year old portal tomb on the top of the hill where they found the remains of numerous bodies along with personal possessions. It's amazing to see these monuments!
Then, because this route was on the way, we decided this was the day to see the Cliffs of Moher. Wow, this was one of the highlights of the trip for me so far! I found the location for the Harry Potter movies, as well as the Cliffs of Insanity from the Princess Bride. The was even the remains of an O'Brian castle near the top. The view was incredible from up here, and with the sky completely clear it was a perfect view of the Aran Islands from here too! I just couldn't believe how vast the cliffs were. And it was so windy, though this I did expect. It almost blew you over from time to time up at the top. I had so much fun running from spot to spot trying to see the view from all the different angles.
Eventually though, we made it to our hotel for the night. One of the nicer ones I have ever been in! Right on the beach, it was out of the city a little ways, but it was very impressive. The bathroom was easily one of the nicest ones I've seen in a hotel. We think it might have been time shares, or seasonal properties for the most part, just because of the courtyard setup and overall structure it had. We did get to see our first peat fire though, which was exciting, and an interesting, though rather pleasant scent.
Before breakfast this morning, I went for a quick walk down the the shoreside to get pictures of the the water. It's amazing how large the waves are round here, even if it is the ocean coming in! We had a quick breakfast, and got ready to head out. Today was the day we were looking for the Austins, my great-grandfather's family who were in the states by 1870.
We started out, with a couple names, and a Parish area to search in. The pastor of the church we tried first was in a huge rush for a meeting he had set up, but he managed to point us in the direction of a cemetery to search in, as well as a man who lived not far away who might know information for us.
After searching the cemetery for awhile, we found the Austin headstone, with five different names. None of them were familiar to us, but it was a start. Then a man walked in to through the gate and hollered, "I hear you're looking for Austins!" Talk about a small town, the word had already spread through Cross about who we were and what we were doing. Turns out this was the man we had been going to find next, Keane. He informed us that there were only three Austin families in the immediate area, and that it was a fairly uncommon name. Then he sent us down the road to a descendant of the tomb we had found.
Anne had only just arrived to her house from New York, where she lives, for Easter. She invited us in and we started talking. Unfortunately she knew very little past her grandfather, but she and her husband were very nice. We have no way of identifying whether they are our family or not, but it is neat to think they might have been.
Keane had also told us about a lighthouse at the point that we could likely go up, so we followed the coastline around searching for Tom, the lighthouse keeper. He was there, but couldn't let us in at that time unfortunately. Still, what another amazing spot. I really just can't get over the cliff sides on the west coast here. We were able to go right to the edge of the cliff and look down at the caves and crashing waves. Sometimes the spray was so large you could see it clearing the top of the cliffs! Quite incredible, because we were definitely a ways up.
We tried to stop for lunch at the last bar before New York, but it was closed for the week. We ended up at a little pub across the street, and the gal there was able to point us toward the other church we had been looking for. This was another one which we had heard may be affiliated with our family, and while there were no records here, it was interesting to see this portable church from when they weren't allowed to worship. They had found loopholes to this rule though, and the movable church that they could carry to the beach was one of them. They were certainly determined people.
Pat told us at one point that one of the trademarks of the Irish, is that if you tell the not to do something, they are almost guaranteed to do it. Now I know where that trait in the family comes from! It's our Irish heritage showing through. Extreme stubbornness and determination to prove people otherwise. At least now I know why the whole lot of us behave this way. It's just bred into our blood.
Tonight we are sleeping in a castle. Yes. An honest to goodness castle. The part we are sleeping in was built in 1730. How cool is that? I think it's very much so. In fact, I am beyond excited about this fact. The registration desk has suits of armor next to it. The building has turrets. I a stoked.
We started off our stay here doing falconry. Mormor was especially excited for this, and Joan and I were happy to join in. Wow, what an experience. Jim met us at the front door to the castle, and as soon as we stepped outside, we saw Bruce waiting for us. Bruce was a Harris Hawk we soon learned, as we would spend the next hour and a half with him. Jim taught us to catch and toss Bruce as we went on a walk through the woods. At one point, poor Bruce got his leather traces wrapped around the branch he was sitting on. This was on ordeal, simply because he had flown just high enough into the tree that we couldn't reach him. Eventually we got him loose by getting him to flip back around the branch in reverse. He got an extra treat for being good during it. The funniest part was when he was on the ground though. He would chase after Jim doing this strange run/waddle because he knew Jim had treats in his bag. Then, right before he would try to jump on Jim's arm for a treat, he would crouch and wiggle his tail like an excited dog. It was adorable!
Finally, we had go take Bruce back to his roost though. Here we got to meet the other hawks and falcons they keep here. There was even a peregrine falcon, which has been clocked diving up to 250 mph. Talk about a fast bird! Once Bruce was all settled and happy, we moved on to the owls. There was one right up front which had the funniest fluffy feathers. He was name was Alvin and he was a real talker. There was also an Irish Barn Owl, which was a beautiful white color. We learned that this is the only type of owl which has all black eyes.
Then came Peggy. Peggy is an African Spotted Eagle Owl. While she didn't hoot, she did talk quite a lot too. We took her to the Walled Garden where Jim would take her to the opposite side. Then, when he gave a piece of meat a wiggle and whistled, Peggy would come swooping down to land on our arms, one by one. So many people stopped to watch. It's amazing how owls just draw the attention like that. Such an amazing experience. And the top of Peggy's head was about 3 inches deep of feathers. Like a big down pillow on the back of her neck. She would also nibble on our fingers for a moment every time we pet her. Jim said it's because she though we had food for her, so she would nibble, realize we had nothing, then let us pet her.
Finally, we had to say goodbye to the birds though, and go meet Sam for dinner, which we were about an hour late for now. We had spent two and a half hours with Jim and the birds. Sam was a good sport though, and we had another delicious meal, followed by some excellent creme brulee. What really astounds me is how every day somehow seems to manage to surpass the last. This was such an incredible day/evening, and I really don't know how tomorrow could top it. We will be heading toward the Dingle Penninsula though, and we will see what we will see. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to bed. In a castle. Yes!

Little behind now.

All right, so I'm a little behind in my posts, after the whole internet fiasco in Dublin. It worked but it didn't, they charged but it was free, but they gave it to us for free because it wasn't really working. Chaos. That's all it was. Chaos. None the less, I absolutely loved the city. We did one of the hop on, hop off bus tours which was a really neat way to see the city. Plus we had some really funny bus drivers. One guy changed his name in his introduction at every stop. One name even had a 5 minute monologue of explanation to go with it.
We stopped at St. Patrick's cathedral, where Jonathon Swift is buried, first. What a cool old church. One of the only ones I've seen them allow you to take pictures inside of too! I really like that they had written explanations for why things were set up the way they were. And the old battalion flags were amazing. They were practically falling apart on the wall. You could definitely tell that they had seen battles.
After the church, we decided to balance things out again and headed for the Guinness Factory. It was really neat to see the process of how everything was made as well as the old machinery. My favorite part was the sampling as you went through though. Although the old advertisements were awfully fun too. I took pictures of the Alice in Wonderland ones for Jenn. And then when you reached the top you could get a free pint with a view of the whole city. We didn't stay too long as it was very loud, but it was a really cool thing to see.
We also saw the Museum of National History. This had old furniture, dresses, jewelry, and a special room to the high crosses. It was fun to see what things had been specifically made in Ireland over the years and what trademark styles and craftsmanship they have been known for in different eras. I only wish the neo-Irish art display had been open, as this was the one which I had been hoping to see. I still enjoyed all the other exhibits though.
We went to stop at Molly Malone and the Book of Kells next, as well as do a little shopping. All three were a success. Pictures were taken with Molly's statue, and sterling jewelry was purchased. Then came Trinity College. What a beautiful campus! I wouldn't mind going to school there! We quickly found the book of Kells exhibit which was very informative. We even got to watch a video of how they used to bind books. It looked very complicated, yet amazing. I would love to try doing something like that, but you could tell they only made the individual steps look easy and quick. Still...it could be quite a lot of fun! Eventually we made it to the room with the actual books. There was even a scholar who started talking with Joan who could read the old script. It was just neat to see these old books I have always heard about.
Once we got back to the hotel, I went out in search of better internet. I did not find any, but I did have a spectacular walk through several different parks. I started taking pictures of all the different colored doors too, though I know I only got a fraction of the colors I had seen over the several days we were there. I eventually ended up at the Oscar Wilde statue, which had a couple pedestals covered in his one liners. He would have been someone to meet! Sounds like you were always amused when he was around, and he was very clever in some of his statements. My favorite was, "This suspense is terrible. I hope it will last."
This morning our driver showed up at the hotel to pick us up. His name is Pat and he is a very nice guy. He answered all the random questions that were thrown at him throughout the day, only to get stumped at the end when Mormor asked him what Ireland's National Bird was. And they threw some obscure ones at him too. Quite impressive really. We had no idea what there was to see between Dublin and Galway so he made some amazing suggestions. We stopped first at Newgrange, which is an old one-passage burial mound which predates both Stonehenge and the pyramids. We got to go inside and see all the old carvings, including the triskel, and they showed how the light works coming through the lintel window to light up the back area on the Winter solstice. It's incredible that they built something so lasting over 5,000 years ago. Plus the fact that the roof hasn't leaked once in all that time. Talk about some workmanship!
After Newgrange, we made our next stop at Clonmacnoise, the remains of an old monastery on the Shannon River. We got to watch a video about the history of the sight and how it developed before wandering the grounds. There were two of the original high crosses here, as well as the towers they used to escape raiding vikings. It had an amazing history, and it was beautiful walking through the ruins along the river. It looked so archaic! And the last bit of the pilgrimage to the founders grave cut right through the cemetery, so you could walk on the last leg of the granite trail. At this point, it started to cloud over for the first time in Ireland since we arrived. Shocking isn't it!? We've had beautiful warm sunny days. It looked like rain for a little while, though it had cleared up by the time we reached Galway.
We got settled into our hotel and then went for dinner. Another delicious meal, though I laugh every time I see corn in odd dishes because it is exactly what Pat and Janine told me I would see. Once we left the restaurant, it had started a mist like rain. It was really quite lovely, so while everyone else called it a night, I went for a walk on the beach. It was wonderful! Though my hair is now a frizzy mess again. Guess I won't be going straight again for a little while. Worth it though! I had to turn back in because it looked like the clouds were coming in thicker, and while I enjoyed walking in the mist and the wind wasn't bothering me, I didn't enjoy the thought of being caught in an actual rainstorm tonight.
So here I am, back at the hotel again, after another wonderful day in Ireland. My mom may be in trouble, as I really like this country so far. I just may not come home now! Good food, good people, good culture...but then again, I feel like that in most countries I visit. Still, there is something particularly appealing here, though I can't quite put my finger on what it is. I'll just enjoy it instead!

Last day in Denmark

Well, today was another wonderful day. Shocking I know, as I seem to be having so many awful ones while over here. We all met up for breakfast, after which Joan, Mormor, and I decided to go to the Royal Copenhagen Museum/Outlet store. Guess which part of this it was which I was truly looking forward to? That's right, the shopping. I have wanted a Royal Copenhagen tea set for quite some time now.
Our cab driver to the store was incredible. He took it upon himself to tell us the history of every building we drove past and explained how the city evolved into what it is today. His sister even used to be one of the R.C. hand-painters a number of years ago. Talk about an amazing talent! We made sure we gave him a good tip afterward, because he gave us such a fantastic experience.
When I started looking around, at first I thought I must be translating the signs incorrectly. Some R.C. tea cups alone are up toward 40 euros. With the discounts, I was finding cup and saucer sets for 7. I was amazed! Yes, these were the "flawed" pieces, but they consider a 2nd hand piece to be ones which had one drop of paint in the wrong spot, or had a glaze come out slightly the wrong shade. In the end, I found a set of eight cups and saucers which I then had shipped to my mom's house in Spokane. I am so excited to receive them! I will now just have to keep an eye out for matching sugar and cream dishes that I like. No big deal, there is no rush. But I am very pleased with the ones I selected.
After this we rushed back to the hotel, where we were to meet the other part of our Danish family. These we had never met before, though Joan has been emailing with one of them for quite some time. Tova, her son Lars, and her daughter Hannah were an absolute pleasure to meet. They drove 3 1/2 hours to Copenhagen to meet us and spend the day with us, and brought pictures of the family, as well as newspaper cutouts about us that they had saved from all the years. Tova spoke very little English, Hannah some, and Lars spoke it very well. They brought presents for all of us too, which was very sweet of them.
After socializing for some time, we headed out for some lunch. Delicious, once again. We had open-face sandwiches once more, a signature Danish dish. I had their special salted pork, cooked in a way you cannot find in the states, and another one which was roast beef with a horseradish tartar sauce and a mango chutney. Sounded strange, but it was so delicious I cannot begin to tell you. What a combination of flavors I would never have thought to combine!
After lunch, we all headed for the Harbor tour of the city, which our relatives joined us for. Such an interesting way to see the city. I can see why all the locals recommend it as a must see. The tide was really high though, so we had to stop the boat at every bridge and check the depth to see if we would make it under. There were several close calls, and the last bridge the captain was not willing to risk.
After the boat ride, we stopped at a local cafe for drinks and pastries. I had tea, and shared a chocolate cake and a sort of raspberry tart with a vanilla cream with Mormor. Once again...delicious. I can't even begin to tell you how many pastries I have eaten in the last 48 hours. At least I enjoy them though. The best part here though, was that one of the waiters, a younger guy came up and asked if we were from the states, as he was about to travel there for the first time. He was going to be in Washington, so I was chatting with him about places worth seeing and what to do with his interests. After he left, I looked over and Tova just gave me a look and waggled her finger. This was because earlier in the day I had told them my mom's statement that I was not even allowed to make eye contact with boys, much less talk to them while traveling. Tova said something in Danish which Lars translated as being "You looked him in the eye!" It was hilarious! The whole lot of them had such an incredible sense of humor, and we greatly enjoyed conversing with them.
Unfortunately, they had a long drive ahead of them, so we exchanged emails and addresses and said our goodbyes. It had been so wonderful to meet them, and realize what wonderful family we have, even if they are so far away. After seeing them off, Mormor and I went on one final walk to take a last set of pictures. Along the way the wind picked up, and we were sand blasted for a block or so. Mormor decided this was enough for her and headed back to the hotel, while I went to one last spot to see the large anchor and then to a bakery to pick up some pastries for breakfast in the morning. I look forward to eating them, and am very proud of myself for not sampling them yet.
Still, I am packed and ready for the next leg, though I wish I had more time here. I suppose I feel that way about every place I have left though. Hopefully I can stay in touch with this part of the family, and maybe I will have another opportunity to come and visit them in the future. Tomorrow morning we head for Dublin though, bright and early. So be ready Ireland, cause I'm coming to visit!

Danish Family Ties

Whew, what a day! We started off when Joan and Sam called at about 7, ready to head for breakfast. The hotel does a free one for the guests, but it was pretty nice. The pastries here are wonderful. Go figure! After breakfast we went out shopping, so that gifts could be purchased for people back home. Joan was specifically looking for a ring, so we did a lot of window shopping.
Then we came upon the Royal Copenhagen store. So cool! We spent quite a little while wandering through and looking at all the different styles of kitchen sets, collectibles, and other figurines they had in stock. It was wonderful, though it would be better to actually get to see them painting the pieces. Still, it was neat to wander through the store.
After Joan and Sam headed back to the hotel, Mormor and I kept wandering for while longer. We found a really cute jewelry store, to which I am debating purchasing a pair of earrings, and on our way back heard a band playing. We stopped to figure out what it was and realized it was the Danish changing of the guards and the royal band and new guard set were marching down the street toward the palace. We quickly followed them and got to see the whole ceremony, which we later learned not only happens when the royal family is in residence, but that it meant the queen was there because they have different, less extravagant ones when it is only the princes there.
Shortly after this Helle and Mona came by the hotel to start our afternoon together. Their grandfather was my great-great-grandmother's brother. They took us to a restaurant for lunch that was right by the courthouse and the "Bridge of Sighs" and back in the day was only inhabited by prostitutes and thieves. Today it is one of the older restaurants in the city. They ordered us several plates of traditional Danish food that we could all share, Danish beer, and a Norwegian liquor which Helle referred to as...schneps, I think.
The meal was absolutely fantastic and once we were all stuffed they lead us to the bus and back to their homes. We went to Mona's first, where we had drinks and chocolate. Mona speaks very little English, but we were able to co-mingle a conversation together and had a good time laughing at stories and our attempts to understand each other. Then we walked to Helle's house which was only 10 minutes away. She lives in the same house she grew up in, which Mormor and Joan visited in their teens. Helle says it is because she is like a turtle. She never moves.
Helle had purchased some Danish pastries and made tea and coffee for us. We spent the rest of the evening exchanging family stories, showing family trees, and just having an overall wonderful time. We didn't make it back to the hotel until almost 9 tonight.
Some of the family stories were wonderful though. Helle was telling us about how after the war, Bedstemor, Joan, and Mormor had put together packages of clothes and candy to send to them. She started crying when she told us how much it had meant, and how she'd felt like a princess in her new clothes. Mona told us how she had been the only girl to have pantyhose at that point in time, and it was wonderful. The funniest part of the story was when Mormor mentioned she remembered sprinkling some white powder in the box, because if they thought the clothes were new, they might make them pay for the package in Denmark, but if they looked used they would not have to. This made Helle laugh, because she remembered the distinctive smell (it had been moth ball dust) to the clothes, and the unusual taste it had left on the candy. She had just told her friends that this was the type of candy they ate in the States and not thought anything of it.
We also heard many stories about when the family went to visit them that last time when they were only children. It was fun to hear all these aspects of the family and to see old photos that we simply don't have access to back in the states. Overall they were both fantastic to meet, and I greatly enjoyed the day with them. Tomorrow we meet Tova and her son, who were from my great-great-grandfather's side of the family. This is the family none of us have ever met, so we can only hope it will be as wonderful as today was.

I saw a mermaid!

Today is the day I finally made it to Denmark! Very exciting for me, as it was one of the places I was most disappointed to think I was missing. I got up early to catch my 7am train and cruised across northern Germany. Beautiful country side, and one of the nicest trains I've been on. There were only about 5 of us on the entire 3 car train! It was amazing to have it practically to yourself. I also got to take the train on a ferry to get across to the island. While a short trip (45 minutes) across, it was exciting to see the train drive on and off the boat. One more experience for the books!
I got to Copenhagen a little after noon, and got to walk halfway across the city to get to the hotel. While overcast, I still felt over-warm with my backpack on, so I made quick work of it to check in. Mormor, Joan, and Sam hadn't arrived yet. Turned out they had missed their connection in Amsterdam and were delayed by two hours for the next flight. Worked out perfectly though, as it meant I was only here about an hour and a half early, which gave me time to take a shower (after spending 30 minutes trying to figure out how to turn it and the lights on) and get cleaned up.
Once they got settled in, we went to wander a brief little bit. The brief is emphasized because it was definitely raining on us, and I was the only one with an umbrella. Puts a bit of a crimp on the exploration. We asked for a restaurant recommendation and ended up at a cute little cafe down the street. I had an excellent Caesar salad with rooster breast (more moist than almost any chicken I've ever had), Sam had apple die (Danish style) with ice cream, and Mormor and Joan split 3 open face sandwiches, which turned out to be huge! It was all delicious, and we topped it off with coffee and tea.
After dinner, we were going to call it a night, as they were all jet lagged. I decided I was going to go find The Little Mermaid first though, as the skies had cleared up, and I was primed for some walking. Mormor decided she's rather go with me, and got dressed again to join me on my adventure. It was amazing! The tide was out, and I couldn't believe how close I could get to her. Even better than I had expected. After taking tons of pictures, we spotted a windmill, that I thought looked amazing on the other side of the park. So...detour! Crossed a pond through some battlements (turns out it's one of the best preserved fortresses in this area) and up a hill. As we get closer to the windmill, we realize that the "lake" is in fact a moat. That we had crossed a true medieval castle moat and not even realized it! How cool is that?!
It was beginning to cool off though, and Mormor was still jet lagged, so we headed back to the hotel after this. On the possibly round about method, due to Mormor not trusting my sense of direction (which turned out to be correct), but back towards the hotel. We stopped to check out the guards at the palace this time, as we had cruised past them in my mission to see the Little Mermaid earlier. We even saw one of them slip up and step out of time! It was fun to be so close to them and watch them do their routines though. We were literally within 4 feet of them, and could even hear a couple of them talking to each other, and their whispered marks to stay in time.
Now though, we're calling an early night with the hopes of getting everyone on the European schedule by tomorrow...mostly. So hats off to an awesome day!

Ich spreche nicht Deutsch

Well, that was chaotic transportation. Due to some railway work between Usti and Dresden, they had to transfer us to a bus. Which was running ten minutes late when it left! Needless to say I was a bit late boarding my train in Dresden, though they were holding the train as it was beyond our control. And I got to take a quick cruse through Dresden which I found interesting in a music history context.
I have to say too, that I feel much more comfortable conversing in languages I don't speak fluently now. After being in countries where I don't even have a vocabulary base to the languages (German and Czech), it seems almost a relief to be able to communicate at all. Which is why when I tried to ask a question of the couple sitting across from me and they just shook their heads and said, "Spanish." I immediately started trying to communicate in Spanish with them.
Normally I feel uncomfortable speaking anything other than English, though I try with the country I am in, just because I find the lack of fluency aggravating for me. I couldn't believe how quickly we were able to communicate what was going on in the train, and I am happy that I remembered some of the words I did. I still couldn't hold a conversation in Spanish if my life depended on it, but I was completely comfortable asking basic questions and understood how they were answered. I found this rather invigorating. Now if only I could do that in every language...
The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful, other than it was sunny every time I was in a vehicle and as soon as I stepped out it would start pouring. And there were two really drunk Irish girls on the last leg too. As in they had a bag full of empty clinking bottles, and you could tell when they were getting drunk as they got louder and ruder. They had a very loud conversation about what a cell was called in Germany, and it took the one girl 10 minutes to explain it to the other. My favorite part though was when we were about to get off and they were right behind me. Not only could I smell the alcohol reeking off them but one "whispered" to the other, "I think people might think were drunk" before collapsing in a fit of giggles. Think!?
Hamburg is very pretty, and still surprisingly warm despite the rain. It will be pouring one second and the next I'll need my sunglasses. It's an interesting combination. I went real traditional tonight though and got a kebob sandwich. It was delicious, though pointedly turkish. I did enjoy a delicious muffin for dessert though, and stocked up on clementines and water for the morning train ride. It's going to be an early one!
When I checked into my hostel, somehow my reservation had been changed. Even in my email confirmation the date was correct, but they had me checking in tomorrow for 3 days! I was quick to let them know that wouldn't work, and they informed me they were booked full. Slight issue! They managed to squeeze me into an all girls room at the same rate though, so thankfully I'll have a bed tonight. Unfortunately it's booked full because of a bunch of high school groups. I'm currently surrounded by excess high schoolers all from different countries that have mobbed the entire area. Talk about overkill!
Basically between the rain and the early train, it will be a low key evening. I walked the local neighborhoods, but didn't feel up for heading downtown when I'm on a time limit. That will just have to be for another time. Plus the fact that I have run into very few people who spoke English, so while they were willing to co-mingle an understanding together with me, it's more work that it's worth when you're just trying to order a sandwich and call it a night.

Cruising through Prague at the speed of light!

Well, I may be comatose by the time I get to Copenhagen, but no one can say I squandered this week! I think I completely finished Rachael's list of things worth seeing except for the paddle boats which just don't seem as much fun alone. I started off getting my train ticket, which is extra confusing in Czech. And the schedule she gave me to go with my ticket (which only says Praha--->Hamburg) seemed to stop at Berlin. Because yes, I have three changes to make and my ticket says none of them. When I got back to my hostel though, the first thing I did was to check the online schedule and I think I know what's going on now, so I feel pretty good. And I get to cruise through Dresden by bus too! Bonus!
After getting my ticket, I walked to Wenceslas Square and checked out the shops between there and Old Town Square. I have to say, some of the things I saw would not fly in the states! The museum of sex toys with a machine being demonstrated on a mannequin right in front of the open doors? The amounts of nudity on public signs? All I could do was laugh about how I definitely was in a different world.
After my amusement had subsided, I decided to walk to the castle. I managed to get lost on a side street, found an older couple from Newcastle that were looking for the same thing, and we found a police officer to direct us. The couple was there for a wedding, their nephew was marrying a Czech girl, and it turns out it was one I had actually noticed the day before. I'd seen the girls wedding dress as she was married in Old Town Square and had taken note of it. We enjoyed walking up to the castle together, but parted ways at the top of the stairs. They needed a breather, and I was on a mission to see as much as I could as fast as I could!
I wandered the grounds and checked out some of the buildings. There are great views all over this city! I was amused by the barbie museum within the compound though, and somehow I kept managing to get caught behind slow moving tour groups that were near impossible to get around. Still, I eventually made it out the other side of the compound and found the old castle stairs to climb back down off the hill. I have to say though, since I witnessed this several times, that I don't understand using one of those clear, see-through umbrellas to protect against the sun. Just seems like it defeats the purpose to me.
After this I was going to go to Vysherad, the fortress. I could have taken the metro, but decided I was making good time and would continue on foot. I did make good time, but managed to miss the entrance to the hilltop and looped the entire enclosure from below before I finally found the stairs up. It was amazing up there! It was close enough to the river that there was a wonderful cool breeze rippling past, and the grounds were fabulous. Rachael did not lead astray! I continued with my trend too, and found Dvorak's grave. Just wandering around the hilltop and seeing all it's lookout points was worth the walk. I decided to reward myself with walking back too.
I have never seen cops give bikers so many tickets before! There is a tunnel they're supposed to walk their bikes through, with two cops on bikes sitting on the other end. I saw them dole 4 out on the spot! It was like a speed trap, and there couldn't have been a better set up, as the bikers couldn't see them til the zoomed out of the tunnel. I also saw what may possibly be the worst haircut ever. Bald on top, and the sides wire dreaded down to his butt. Talk about needing a haircut. The girl with him was near as bad, her dreads had not been well looked after and were frizzy and dirty looking. I was just surprised that their kid didn't have dreads too, as they seemed the type to wear them through thick and thin.
I also found the astrological clock (which is sadly on a building which is incredibly close to my hostel which I have walked past repeatedly)! It is really cool, I just wish I knew how to interpret what it says. It has all the astrological signs, and numbers, and sections and three wheels spinning within each other. I think part of it shows the current rising sign, but that's about all I could logic out of it. Still it was unique and cool in my mind.
Now I just have to figure out what to have for dinner. I'm not really in the mood for more Eastern European dishes, and I'm trying to figure out what other ethnicity they might serve well here. There are tons of Italian restaurants, and a couple the cover several different styles. I just am not up for any more traditional Czech food.

Czeching In!

So Prague did not fall flat! I got off the train at 1:30 and even while wandering for my hostel I was already gaping at the buildings. There is awesome buildings all over the place! Though I may have wandered down some wrong street because I was looking up instead of at street signs, so I carried my pack a bit further than I really needed to. Oh well!
It was so warm here that the first thing I had to do was take a shower from carrying my stuff. Then it was time to explore. I went to the Charles Bridge, climbed to the top of Petrinske Hill to the Eiffel Petrin Tower (Though I did not climb it. Too expensive!), checked out the local vendors, and roamed Old town and the Jewish Quarter. I also had to stop at an electronic store and buy a new converter plug, because like an idiot I left mine on the train. But I'm good to go again now!
I also enjoyed a klobasa sausage which was delicious. Then I later found out what it is made of. Pork, beef and bacon traditionally. Of course I liked it! I also had some ice cream as I wandered and called it good. I think I found a bakeshop I am going to try here this morning before I really get wandering again. I also found the shirt Rachael always wears that I think is really cute. They all say Czech me out! on them. Didn't get one, but I was excited to spot them.
Did I mention that my current roommate is Danish? I took that as a sign that I am on the right track here. She is from Copenhagen, and just recently got back from visiting her family in the states. She is also a violinist and we spent the evening talking music last night. This has only cemented in my mind, that I think Denmark is going to be amazing!
Today I have to go buy my train ticket north for tomorrow. Hopefully I'll make it to Hamburg, since that is so close to Copenhagen. It will make getting there to meet my family much easier, because I would arrive only about 35 minutes before they would land. We'll see though, it depends on routes. So...off to the train station! BAKESHOP! Then to the train station! Then out and about!

My socks have been rocked.

Dear Vienna,
Thank you for an absolutely AMAZING day.

I don't know that I can quite explain how amazing yesterday was for me. I started off waking up on my sleeper train, which was really quite comfortable. I will definitely look into traveling this way again. They come and wake you up 30 minutes before your stop and then come again five minutes later with breakfast for you. Simple yes, but a nice courtesy I had not expected. There was an Austrian girl in the bunk getting off two hours before me, so I woke up with her wake up call and spent the morning looking out the window. What a gorgeous countryside. I discovered the girl was Austrian when she said something to me in English, and I swear to you she sounded American. She laughed when I told her this and said she had studied in the states for four years. Her accent was perfect. She was really nice though and spent her last bit on the train teaching me some German niceties. Excuse me, hello, good bye, thank you etc.
Now I don't remember if I had posted this before, but about the time I got on the train, I realized I had booked my hostel in Vienna for that night as well, and I definitely wasn't getting there before 9 in the morning. Oops. This usually means you have to suck up the cost on your own because you didn't call to cancel, though I had no means of doing this. When I got to the hostel, I explained this and my receptionist pursed her lips at her computer and thought for a minute before smiling at me and saying, I'm not going to be that mean to you. Not only did she not charge me, but since my bed had been set up the day before, she let me up early to the room! She was so friendly and helpful. Even gave me a map of Prague for the next day too.
I got up to my room and all the girls were awake but present. One gal from Minneapolis (Bree) and another from Korea (Yun) got talking with me and we made plans with each other for throughout the day, though we didn't split up till after breakfast. I had my first turkish tea call cay pronounced chai and it was delicious!
Bree and I hung out first. We were going to head down to the old Schonbrunn palace on the south end of town. Talk about an amazing mix of cultures! The palace was set up like Versailles with its structure and gardens, very western Europe, while buildings across the street had the Eastern Europe steeple style. Similar to what you think of in Russia to top buildings. Austria is definitely the cusp of the two halves culturally. The grounds were beautiful though, especially the Gloriette which gave an incredible view of the city, and you could tell how amazing they would become in the summer. There was even a full labyrinth, though we didn't go in because it had started to pour on us and we didn't fancy getting lost crammed under one umbrella. Sad though, because I would have loved to get lost in an old hedge maze.
After this we decided to get my second umbrella (I brought two because the one starting to break) and find a place to hole up for lunch. Bree was wanting to try Wiener Schnitzel and hearing her talk about it had made me want it as well. Of course as soon as we get the umbrella, it completely cleared up, but it did this on and off all day. I ended up giving my spare to Bree because she was concerned it would continue, even though I told her north Italy was gorgeous right now and is supposed to stay that way all weekend. We went to a cute little restaurant that sold dyed easter eggs for a Euro on the table and each got a different style of schnitzel. They laughed at me because I ordered not only the one off the kids menu, but also a raspberry soda, which the waitress informed me was a "youth drink." Who says pop is only for kids! It may have tasted rather similar to a Shirley Temple though, which may have explained her comment, though ensured that I enjoyed the experience. Both our meals were delicious though.
After lunch we headed to the north side of town. I was determined to see as much as possible in my one day there, and it is one of the few cities I felt positively giddy about the second I had stepped off of the train that morning. In fact, I believe Paris, Florence, and Vienna have been the only so far, though I am expecting Copenhagen will be much the same for me. We went to Stephensdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral) because we heard you could climb to the top of the south tower. Over 400 steps up a narrow, spiral, stone, staircase. The view at the top was worth every moment of it though. The church was all old gothic architecture and the roof was tiled in colors to create patterns and pictures. When we came down, we tried to find Mozart's house which was around the corner, but turned out to be a complete bust. Still, it was neat to know that's where we were at.
After this we stopped at a chocolate store, got distracted by some break dancing street performers, and got caught in another sudden downpour. Eventually we headed back to the hostel though, as she had to catch my sleeper train in reverse, heading to Venice, and I had to get changed. This is because I was to meet Yun at the Staatsoper, the Opera House. In Vienna you can get 4 euro standing room only tickets for the show each night. I got to go see Don Quixote the ballet, and it was amazing! I couldn't believe how long the prima stayed en pointe without moving! And they even spun Don Quixote around a windmill on stage.
The opera house was absolutely beautiful. I almost wish I had arrived a day sooner though, because last night they had performed Madame Butterfly, and that would have been worth seeing! Still, the ballet didn't end till almost 11 and there was the 30 minute walk back to the hostel, and I was exhausted! I can't begin to tell you how tired I will be by the time I get to Copenhagen. I wasn't kidding myself about this being a whirlwind week!
None the less, I have enjoyed it all. Vienna was beyond incredible and I loved every single minute of it. I will definitely be back here again. It's a big city and tons to do here. My feet will attest to the amount of walking I did there too. I have blisters on the ball of my right foot, that are making life interesting today, especially since I went to the wrong train station at first and really had to hustle to catch the train I'm now on to Prague. Obviously I made it though, with about a minute to spare. Thank god I had tried to get there early! That'll teach me a quick lesson though, and I can bet you I'll never make that mistake again. So cheers to Austria, for the most amazingly chaotic day. You rock my socks . Prague, you have a lot to live up to now!

Sleeper Train!

Venice is a beautiful city! I just wish I didn't have my bag on my back the whole day so I could have explored it more thoroughly. It was another gorgeous day though, in fact I got rather warm in my coat! And you think I would get sick of taking pictures of bridges, but then I take a corner and am taking them of another one all over again. Sadly I didn't make it to the far side of the island where the plaza is. If I had known it was so wonderful as I was later informed I would have taken the water taxi there! Alas, I may have to come back another time. Darn, I hate it when that happens. Such sufferings.
Still, I spent the day admiring the city, debating buying a carnival mask (which I decided against after trying some on and seeing how odd they looked on me), and soaking up the sunshine. I spent an hour sitting in the local park just people watching in the sun.
After a bit when my back was starting to hurt (I'm definitely out of shape in hauling my pack around after three months home) I decided to get some pizza for lunch. It was low key when a guy asked me if the pizza was good. He got really excited when I responded and he realized I was also an American. Guess he hasn't run into many on this trip. Stephen was a nice guy, we talked most the afternoon about random things and experiences we've had traveling and where we were each going next. Little full of himself though, and how much money he makes. I got kinda sick of hearing about that. I understand that he is a trauma surgeon, I think that's commendable. I don't need to guess what his yearly income is, thanks. Especially when I compare it to mine. And then he keeps telling me that the money isn't the important part. So why is it the one topic he kept coming back to over and over and over…! Still, it was nice to spend the afternoon with someone, and it obviously made his day that I was willing to spend it talking. We ran into each other again later in the evening when I was sitting on the steps to the train station waiting for the lights to start turning on the the Canal Grande.
I saw tons of gondola drivers all over the place, but only saw one group go for a ride. I figured it was probably cause it was so expensive, but then I wondered if that was only part of it when I saw the guy take his spin. I'm sure it would have been a wonderfully smooth ride about 30 years ago, but there were nothing but motorboats and their wakes out there today. That gondola was a rocking! Looked fun, but not in the way I would expect to have on a gondola ride. That makes it even more money to spend on a ride that doesn't go as smoothly (literally) as expected.
I did get onto the sleeper train for tonight though. I am actually on the train as I write this. I'm rather excited for my first experience of this. I got a four bunk cuccetta for girls, but judging from the set up, I think there may only be three of us in here. I am supposed to arrive in Wien Westbahnhof at around 8 am and then we will see what the plans become after that! Germany may or may not happen at this point, but I will make the most of whatever happens!

Heading for the canals.

Oh, what a day! I got to spend the entire afternoon in the leather market for starters, which is always a plus in my books! And you should see my gorgeous new purse…and scarf…and bracelet…ok, so I went on a shopping spree. But I rather figure I'm getting all the things I held back on last time because I didn't want to have to carry them, and since this is so much shorter of a trip I feel comfortable carrying things. I held back on the coat though. All the ones I was drawn to were very similar to those I already own. And then later on several girls complimented the coat I was wearing and asked if I had bought it here in Firenze. I am, in fact, wearing my pleather jacket John bought me in Vegas last year. I think that is a massive win, and it makes me love this coat even more than I already did, which was a lot.
Later on in the evening I met up with Martha, which was exciting. She couldn't believe when I whipped out a six pack of bagels for her, including the last orange cranberry of the day from Monday. She's going to be the envy of the GU Florence kids, as they apparently all know her from the bagel shop and are always talking to her about bagels. I told her she should just walk down to breakfast with one tomorrow and tell them, "Yeah, the Ultimate Bagel delivers now. Even cross continent."
We had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant Martha had picked out. Free wine since she was a student. We caught up on gossip and had a lovely meal. I had the spaghetti alla carbonara and we made a toast to Jinnie who the meal reminded me of greatly. Then we had a slow amble back across the river, though we stopped on the pont for awhile to watch the sunset, and then went to Perche no! for dessert. Delicious as always, and Martha had never been! She said she hadn't been able to find it, so it was neat to show her a good little spot as well.
When I got back to my hostel, there were a couple of Argentinian girls in my room. They were very nice, and we commingled a conversation together between Spanish and English. They were pleased to hear that I could understand their English so well, though they said it was easier for them to understand Scottish accents than American ones. We had a very pleasant evening before they headed out for their last night in Florence. They were bound for Rome in the morning. I, however, had a wonderful nights sleep. I highly recommend that hostel to anyone staying in Florence, I've had fabulous experiences every night that I have stayed there.
I am now on the train to Venice, and I always am blown away by how beautiful the Italian countryside is. I am highly amused that every time I prepare to change locations I get really nervous, to where my stomach feels a little off kilter, but as soon as I step onto whatever my form of transportation is, I feel nothing but excitement. It's worth the anxiousness every time, though I still can't figure out why I feel like that each time. You think I would be over that by now.
I have been looking in my rail book that I picked up in London off my hostel's bookshelf to plan out the rest of my week. There is a sleeper train from Venice to Vienna every night that gets in at 8:30 in the morning. Not only that, but it is the only train on that route which stops at the station I need. This trip is just piecing together so beautifully! Now I just need to see if I can book that train for tonight as soon as I come into Venice. Then I can spend a whole afternoon exploring and travel all evening. Completely ideal. Plus the fact that I haven't taken a sleeper before, and I am rather excited for that. Hopefully it all works out, though I brought a list of Venetian hostels in my ipod just in case.
If these trains work out too, I may get to make a quick pitstop in Germany on my way north too! Do you think I could hit more cities any quicker than I am? Probably not, but I am loving every extra city I get to see. A lot of it will depend on Prague though, and how much I love it and how quickly I can get through the things I want to see. I probably will have to decided between the concentration camp and Germany though, and I think I'd rather see Germany. Less depressing, though I would be very interested in seeing the camp too. And I had been thinking of flying into Copenhagen, but now I'm thinking I'll still just train in. If I do, I get to go on a train ferry, which just sounds cool in my mind. Though that one would also be a night train, so I don't know how much of it I would see. You never know though. That is still several days out, and you all can see how at whim my travel plans are still changing. Rather impressive I think considering what a tight timeline I am on. Somehow though, I will make it all work.

Italy 2.0

This morning was absolutely gorgeous. London was all misty and gray, which made all the green seem...greener! I also heard some of the most amazing birds as I walked to the train station. Sadly, I needed this awesome to begin my recovery from last night. First I went for my Indian food, which the place the hostel recommended...eh. I was really rather disappointed overall. Then there was the lack of awesomeness which came from the other people staying at my hostel. While the place itself was rather nice, the people were rather not.
People hung out underneath the dorm windows being loud and drunk until 3 am. This included people leaning out their windows from many different rooms and telling them to "shut up!" repeatedly. Or the couple that decided coming into the room and beginning packing for the next day at 12:30 in the morning was acceptable, and then turned on lights to read. Or the guy that checked in at 2 am and I swear all his belongings were in plastic bags cause all I could hear was "crinklecrinklecrinkle." So essentially I managed to get another cumulative 2 hours of sleep last night. Just to top off my jetlag you know. So I'm a little sleepy today, but that's just going to be how it is.
My train to Gatwick airport had the final destination of Brighton. Being the literary dork I am, all I could really think was weather I'd find myself a militia man like Lydia. Points if you get the reference! The ride was uneventful though, and while I did not find Wickham, I did see whole fields of daffodils along the way. And tons of fabulous little housing areas with all their laundry hanging in the back yards. I love Europe for stuff like that.
Getting into Italy was a little more interesting though...as I signed in, they told me my backpack was considered excess baggage and seemed sure I was going to pitch a fit that I had to pay to check it. This rather made me laugh, since I saw people with whole trolleys overflowing with ginormous suitcases and all I could think was how much it must cost to travel like that if it cost extra to fly my way. Then came passport control in Florence. She looked at my passport for a good several minutes before telling me I was over my 19 days. First off, what 19 days, since I was here 3 months last time and nothing of the sort was ever mentioned to me, and secondly, she was basing this off my Iceland stamp from December. She said it showed that I left Iceland on the 23rd of December. Which I agreed to, while telling her that I left it to go back to the states. Every time I pointed to my return to the US stamp, or my new ones from Iceland/London in the last two days, she would look at me blankly. Finally she understood this was only my 3rd day in Europe this trip, and that I was nowhere near 19 (still don't understand what she was talking about there as those usually apply country by country and I definitely wasn't in Italy that long).
Oh well, I made it in and that's all that matters. That and how stunningly sunny and wonderful it is here now! I'm just sitting in the hostel waiting for my room to be ready so I can ditch my bags and go wander. I've got some train tickets to buy, a city to wander in, and Martha to hang out with! I already stopped and got a sandwich at my favorite focaccia shop and have begun the culinary awesomeness that the next 24 hours will hold.