After a few more days relaxing and enjoying Dublin we flew back to London. Silly us booked a really late flight to Stansted, so only just made the last train and once we got to Liverpool we had no idea what to do. Eventually a bus arrived that took us to Victoria, which is where Sam and I thought we could get a bus to Bromley. Mat was staying at Tom's again in Acton so he caught a cab from Victoria. After Sam and I wandered around for a bit trying to find our bus we were informed that we actually had to be at Trafalgar Square to catch a bus to Bromley. So we hopped in a taxi which dropped us at Trafalgar Square. When we got to our bus station it was closed, luckily a man there directed us to a different one which we then found. Finally we hopped on a bus to Bromley which took about an hour, then got a taxi from Bromley to Shortlands. We arrived home at 4am....what a debacle! So exhausted. Definitely taught me a lesson in terms of booking flights. It's definitely worth paying that little bit extra if you can avoid a night like this!
Had a great sleep and a relaxing day in Bromley and Shortlands. Dad arrived the day before us and then Mum arrived. Had a wonderful BBQ with the family, it was so nice to see everyone together. On the Saturday Sam and I made our way back into London to meet up with Mat, Boydy and Sam's friends Jesse, Tonking and Haighy. We had a really chilled out day drinking on the outside patio at Belushi's bar, catching up and telling stories. It was a really hot, sunny day - perfect weather for an afternoon session in London!
Sunday it was time for The Church round two. The boys all dressed up in matching old school golfer's outfits and I went as an Indian. What a day. Met up with Tom ans Joe who we'd met in Miami which was great and had an all round wicked afternoon. It's definitely a unique experience!
Monday night we were off to Spain so spent some time wandering around London and visited Hyde Park and had a Pimms on the side of the lake, saw Buckingham Palace and the changing of the guards, Trafalgar Square and went back to Westminster to have a drink up on the pretty beer garden looking over the London Eye and Big Ben. Considering how tired we were from The Church, we had such a lovely and productive day. The weather was being very kind! Lucy and Rit arrived around eight from Glastonbury, looking very tired. We had some noodles and watched a movie until it was time to get our taxi to the airport at 2am. Everyone was exhausted. Slept a few hours at the airport before checking in at 5:30am. Made it onto the plane, all very excited to get to Spain and Leon!
Thursday, 30 June 2011
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Irish Road Trip Part Two - The Ring of Kerry, Ennis, Aran Islands and Galway
We set off for The Ring of Kerry after the Blarney Castle. It was a sunny start, but as expected the thick grey clouds rolled in around mid morning, and then the rain. The first part of the drive as we drove along the curvy roads through the National Park was almost eerie. The forest was absolutely stunning, almost too green to be real and looked like the set of a supernatural or mythical movie. As the rain started to ease up we pulled into a small gravel park that looked over a beautiful Irish lake and some mountains. It was completely silent, the lake looked like glass and the mountains hid behind white misty clouds. It was an amazing view. Very chilly though!
We then continued along the coastal road that takes you around the whole peninsula...I don't think at any point the view wasn't breathtaking. We made another stop at one of the point of peninsula which looks down on a white beach with clear blue waters...it was a shame it was freezing! There was one local wandering down the beach with nothing on but shorts...such a brave soul...but then again, the Irish would probably find that weather warm compared to winter! We were wimps :) Took some great photos here before moving on again.
In terms of travelling around South Ireland, the Ring of Kerry is definitely a must for anyone. We were warned in Cork that we would be stuck behind buses all day but we weren't stuck in traffic once. It seems if you set off directly south from Killarney, the buses are all travelling the road in the other direction, and even then there weren't huge numbers of them. It's also definitely worth doing it yourself in a rental car because then you have the freedom to stop when you want for as long as you want.
After driving the Ring of Kerry we made our way up to Ennis via Shannon, crossing by ferry. Ferry took about twenty minutes, it was so windy when we got out to have a look that you literally could not walk forward! We made it to Ennis around three and more or less dumped our bags and headed off for a drive to the coast via The Burren, Doolin and the Cliffs of Moher. The Burren wasn't exacly impressive having been to Stone Henge, but the tomb is over 5000 years old so that in itself is quite impressive. Doolin was a tiny town, but were keen to having a look after again listening to Hamish and Andy's podcast about the place! They were definitely right about Irish stone fences...what's the deal there? :) The view of the Cliffs of Moher were also amazing, it's not everyday an Australian can look up to a mountain and see a a castle tower on the peak of a hill lit up with rays of sun breaking through the black rain clouds! The cliffs themselves were beautiful. The light was hitting them straight on which illuminated them perfectly.
We arrived back to the hostel in time for a quick dinner. Would also recommend this hostel, The Rowan Tree Hostel to anyone. The main thing was that the Rowan Tree Cafe next door had most meals available gluten free for Katrina, but it had a really cosy feeling, with big, clean rooms and bathrooms, but also a living room with a fireplace and also free international calls!
Had an early morning once again so we could spend a day at the Aran Islands before heading to Galway. We caught a 10am ferry from Doolin that took about forty minutes to reach the first and smallest island, which we were informed was the best one to visit. Once we arrived we rented bikes for ten euros and set off around the coolest little paths, all lined with the typical Irish waist high stone fences. Our first stop was definitely the most interesting and exciting - the shipwreck.
After walking around it and taking some photos, Sam found a way into the wreck and up onto the deck. I followed behind him, not wanting to miss exploring the ship from the inside! I'm glad I climped up onto the deck of the wreck. Honestly I don't know whether you were actually allowed or whether it was safe but it was really worth it to see the inside of the wreckage! After the shipwreck we rode further into the island and had a look at some old castle ruins from the 14thC on the highest point of the island. The views from up top of the town surrounded by the Atlantic were really lovely. It was a small town of 300 so it was just little white houses dotting green fields split up by the stone fences running in every direction. We spent the rest of our time on the island at the small pub in town, no matter how small the town, there is always a pub! Had an amazing lunch and some tea before it was time to hop back on the ferry and head back to the mainland. As we were heading back the sun came out so we stood up on the deck and took in some beautiful views of the green cliffs of the mainland as we docked. After this it was time to head to Galway!
We arrived around dinner time, and had a few things to organise re our trip, contacting family etc so I didn't end up seeing much of Galway. Katrina and I had ancestral routes here which I enquired into but the only place we were told we'd find anything was in the library which was already shut and there were records in the church but it burnt down in the 60's so all evidence was unfortunately destroyed. McGowans are bootmakers from Ireland. Bit sad we couldn't find anything, but at least we tried! We had a big bowling session down the road, the first game I lost terribly, and the second game I came second but we were all using our wrong arm. Shows how good at bowling I am! Early start in the morning to get the car back to Dublin by 10:30 and Katrina onto a bus to the airport.
The rental car worked out to be 60 euros each for five days including petrol. It was definitely a fantastic idea and the best way to see Ireland because you have the freedom to do whatever you want on your own time. I am definitely keen to do the same thing in another country, however will have to wait until I'm 25 or find someone who is to join us after Mat goes home! Litton Lane Hostel organised it for us but it is really easy to do over the internet with Budget Rentals etc. Back in Dublin now and we miss our car, Lionel, already!
We then continued along the coastal road that takes you around the whole peninsula...I don't think at any point the view wasn't breathtaking. We made another stop at one of the point of peninsula which looks down on a white beach with clear blue waters...it was a shame it was freezing! There was one local wandering down the beach with nothing on but shorts...such a brave soul...but then again, the Irish would probably find that weather warm compared to winter! We were wimps :) Took some great photos here before moving on again.
In terms of travelling around South Ireland, the Ring of Kerry is definitely a must for anyone. We were warned in Cork that we would be stuck behind buses all day but we weren't stuck in traffic once. It seems if you set off directly south from Killarney, the buses are all travelling the road in the other direction, and even then there weren't huge numbers of them. It's also definitely worth doing it yourself in a rental car because then you have the freedom to stop when you want for as long as you want.
After driving the Ring of Kerry we made our way up to Ennis via Shannon, crossing by ferry. Ferry took about twenty minutes, it was so windy when we got out to have a look that you literally could not walk forward! We made it to Ennis around three and more or less dumped our bags and headed off for a drive to the coast via The Burren, Doolin and the Cliffs of Moher. The Burren wasn't exacly impressive having been to Stone Henge, but the tomb is over 5000 years old so that in itself is quite impressive. Doolin was a tiny town, but were keen to having a look after again listening to Hamish and Andy's podcast about the place! They were definitely right about Irish stone fences...what's the deal there? :) The view of the Cliffs of Moher were also amazing, it's not everyday an Australian can look up to a mountain and see a a castle tower on the peak of a hill lit up with rays of sun breaking through the black rain clouds! The cliffs themselves were beautiful. The light was hitting them straight on which illuminated them perfectly.
We arrived back to the hostel in time for a quick dinner. Would also recommend this hostel, The Rowan Tree Hostel to anyone. The main thing was that the Rowan Tree Cafe next door had most meals available gluten free for Katrina, but it had a really cosy feeling, with big, clean rooms and bathrooms, but also a living room with a fireplace and also free international calls!
Had an early morning once again so we could spend a day at the Aran Islands before heading to Galway. We caught a 10am ferry from Doolin that took about forty minutes to reach the first and smallest island, which we were informed was the best one to visit. Once we arrived we rented bikes for ten euros and set off around the coolest little paths, all lined with the typical Irish waist high stone fences. Our first stop was definitely the most interesting and exciting - the shipwreck.
After walking around it and taking some photos, Sam found a way into the wreck and up onto the deck. I followed behind him, not wanting to miss exploring the ship from the inside! I'm glad I climped up onto the deck of the wreck. Honestly I don't know whether you were actually allowed or whether it was safe but it was really worth it to see the inside of the wreckage! After the shipwreck we rode further into the island and had a look at some old castle ruins from the 14thC on the highest point of the island. The views from up top of the town surrounded by the Atlantic were really lovely. It was a small town of 300 so it was just little white houses dotting green fields split up by the stone fences running in every direction. We spent the rest of our time on the island at the small pub in town, no matter how small the town, there is always a pub! Had an amazing lunch and some tea before it was time to hop back on the ferry and head back to the mainland. As we were heading back the sun came out so we stood up on the deck and took in some beautiful views of the green cliffs of the mainland as we docked. After this it was time to head to Galway!
We arrived around dinner time, and had a few things to organise re our trip, contacting family etc so I didn't end up seeing much of Galway. Katrina and I had ancestral routes here which I enquired into but the only place we were told we'd find anything was in the library which was already shut and there were records in the church but it burnt down in the 60's so all evidence was unfortunately destroyed. McGowans are bootmakers from Ireland. Bit sad we couldn't find anything, but at least we tried! We had a big bowling session down the road, the first game I lost terribly, and the second game I came second but we were all using our wrong arm. Shows how good at bowling I am! Early start in the morning to get the car back to Dublin by 10:30 and Katrina onto a bus to the airport.
The rental car worked out to be 60 euros each for five days including petrol. It was definitely a fantastic idea and the best way to see Ireland because you have the freedom to do whatever you want on your own time. I am definitely keen to do the same thing in another country, however will have to wait until I'm 25 or find someone who is to join us after Mat goes home! Litton Lane Hostel organised it for us but it is really easy to do over the internet with Budget Rentals etc. Back in Dublin now and we miss our car, Lionel, already!
Monday, 20 June 2011
Irish Road Trip Begins!
With Finn on the dashboard, our GPS fixed in place and the trunk of our rented Hyundai i30 packed tightly with all our bags we set of south out of Dublin towards Cork. Straight away we were so happy we'd made the decision to rent a GPS for the trip as we were confused by the roads and going the wrong way within five minutes! Unfortunately insurance is extremely expensive for anyone under the age of twenty five, so Mat was our sole driver, so Sam was the self assigned co-pilot and navigator, and Katrina and I were the support team in the back :) After we managed to make our way out of the city we were met with the rolling green hills and farms, seperated into neat squares by dark lines of bush with horses, cows and sheeps scattered across the landscape. It was quite windy and it was almost calming to watch the wind sweep through the grass on and on for miles. We had a quick stop for lunch in Cashel before heading on down to Cork. It's very strange being able to drive for three hours and almost cover the entire length of a country when in Australia three hours won't even get you out of NSW! It was nice to be able to get to a number of places so quickly, considering the short amount of time we had to do it all.
Arriving in Cork we checked in to Sheila's Hostel just on the outskirts of the city centre. We only had the late afternoon and night in Cork so wanted to make the most of our time there. The reception desk at the hostel suggested that we check out the Food Markets in town if anything, so we went for a wander down there. They were great to look around, in terms of the range of meats, fish, vegetables, fruits etc set up in a small market place packed with people - I thought the place was so colourful and vibrant. However considering how lucky we are in Australia in terms of what fresh produce etc is available for us it wasn't overly exciting. I'm glad we had a look though. We did pick up some dinner to cook when we got back to the hostel and I got some sweet chilli chicken kebabs with vegetables which were delicious!
We had a quiet night as Mat and Katrina weren't feeling very well due to various stomach bugs so we just spent some time at the hostel. Our room was fairly average, with ten bunks but not much room anywhere else for bags etc but we were quite tired so all slept alright! We had an interruption during the night when a drunk girl thought our room was her room and followed one of our room mates in after he went to the toilet. Eventually one of the Irish guys in our room persuaded her to leave after she started getting aggressive and we all managed to get back to sleep. We checked out around eight thirty and set off for Blarney Castle to kiss the stone!
I've been to Blarney Castle once before and it's such a beautiful place. It's about a twenty minute drive from Cork so we arrived quite early while there wasn't many people. The gardens are so green and lucious, and because there weren't many people the only noise was the creek whispering past and a slight rush of the wind through the trees. It's a gorgeous walk up to the castle, especially in the morning sun. Reaching the castle you can start crawling/walking/ducking into the different stone pathways and tunnels on the outside of the castle. It's quite eerie when you get deep inside, water dripping through and writings on the walls. Wandering up to the entrance there are great views of the castle from the ground where I took some photographs. You then get to wander through all the rooms of the castle such as where the kitchen, dining hall, bedrooms etc used to be. Obviously the main attraction of Blarney Castle is kissing the Blarney Stone. Legend has it that if you kiss the stone you gain eloquence. To kiss the stone you have to lie down on your back, hold onto the bars behind you and lean backwards and down over a gap in the castle wall so you can see the ground way below. It's safe though, there are bars no one could fit through should they fall and a man who sits there holding your legs and talking you through it. We heard on Hamish and Andy's podcast that he has been there for about six years, and sees about 500,000 people kiss the stone a year. What a funny job and what a lucky stone! We all had a go before taking so beautiful shots of the country surrounding the castle from the high levels. After we left the castle, we had a frolic in the grass before heading into the town to have some breakfast.
Next stop - Killarney! Peter, the lovely Irish man at the front desk in Dublin suggested we stay at a hostel called Sugan in the town centre. It was the coolest little place! Bright colours on the outside and a warm, cluttered but cosy feeling inside. There was one employee who met us at the door who was so relaxed. For example he explained; "Check out is at ten, but by ten I mean anytime between nine and eleven, if you get what I mean." We were lucky enough to get a ten bunk room all to ourselves as well so after having a wander around and a picnic in the Killarney Gardens which had beautiful views of the mountains we had a nap in the afternoon. We loved this little place, would recommend it to anyone!
We considered a night out but were due to drive The Ring of Kerry peninsula the next day so once again had an early one, we were just so busy during the day we had no energy for the nights! Plus early mornings meant we needed to feel fresh. Slept well ready for the big drive the next day. So far loving Ireland!
Arriving in Cork we checked in to Sheila's Hostel just on the outskirts of the city centre. We only had the late afternoon and night in Cork so wanted to make the most of our time there. The reception desk at the hostel suggested that we check out the Food Markets in town if anything, so we went for a wander down there. They were great to look around, in terms of the range of meats, fish, vegetables, fruits etc set up in a small market place packed with people - I thought the place was so colourful and vibrant. However considering how lucky we are in Australia in terms of what fresh produce etc is available for us it wasn't overly exciting. I'm glad we had a look though. We did pick up some dinner to cook when we got back to the hostel and I got some sweet chilli chicken kebabs with vegetables which were delicious!
We had a quiet night as Mat and Katrina weren't feeling very well due to various stomach bugs so we just spent some time at the hostel. Our room was fairly average, with ten bunks but not much room anywhere else for bags etc but we were quite tired so all slept alright! We had an interruption during the night when a drunk girl thought our room was her room and followed one of our room mates in after he went to the toilet. Eventually one of the Irish guys in our room persuaded her to leave after she started getting aggressive and we all managed to get back to sleep. We checked out around eight thirty and set off for Blarney Castle to kiss the stone!
I've been to Blarney Castle once before and it's such a beautiful place. It's about a twenty minute drive from Cork so we arrived quite early while there wasn't many people. The gardens are so green and lucious, and because there weren't many people the only noise was the creek whispering past and a slight rush of the wind through the trees. It's a gorgeous walk up to the castle, especially in the morning sun. Reaching the castle you can start crawling/walking/ducking into the different stone pathways and tunnels on the outside of the castle. It's quite eerie when you get deep inside, water dripping through and writings on the walls. Wandering up to the entrance there are great views of the castle from the ground where I took some photographs. You then get to wander through all the rooms of the castle such as where the kitchen, dining hall, bedrooms etc used to be. Obviously the main attraction of Blarney Castle is kissing the Blarney Stone. Legend has it that if you kiss the stone you gain eloquence. To kiss the stone you have to lie down on your back, hold onto the bars behind you and lean backwards and down over a gap in the castle wall so you can see the ground way below. It's safe though, there are bars no one could fit through should they fall and a man who sits there holding your legs and talking you through it. We heard on Hamish and Andy's podcast that he has been there for about six years, and sees about 500,000 people kiss the stone a year. What a funny job and what a lucky stone! We all had a go before taking so beautiful shots of the country surrounding the castle from the high levels. After we left the castle, we had a frolic in the grass before heading into the town to have some breakfast.
Next stop - Killarney! Peter, the lovely Irish man at the front desk in Dublin suggested we stay at a hostel called Sugan in the town centre. It was the coolest little place! Bright colours on the outside and a warm, cluttered but cosy feeling inside. There was one employee who met us at the door who was so relaxed. For example he explained; "Check out is at ten, but by ten I mean anytime between nine and eleven, if you get what I mean." We were lucky enough to get a ten bunk room all to ourselves as well so after having a wander around and a picnic in the Killarney Gardens which had beautiful views of the mountains we had a nap in the afternoon. We loved this little place, would recommend it to anyone!
We considered a night out but were due to drive The Ring of Kerry peninsula the next day so once again had an early one, we were just so busy during the day we had no energy for the nights! Plus early mornings meant we needed to feel fresh. Slept well ready for the big drive the next day. So far loving Ireland!
Friday, 17 June 2011
Got lost in The Darkness
I can't BELIEVE i forgot to add in that we went to see The Darkness play in London while we were staying with Tom. 'Love Is Only A Feeling' was once my all time favourite song, and I still love it now. It was a massively impromptu decision the Saturday night before as Tom already had to tickets so Sam and I purchased two for thirty pounds, so on the Wednesday night we headed out to the O2 Empire Arena to see them play. We were interested to see how they would be considering their not so clean past and the fact that they'd split up for a while but the show was absolutely unreal. They played better than ever and got us all going wild. True to form they whipped out the rubber onesies and rocked out hard throughout the show.
Unfortunately being short sometimes has its cons, so I couldn't really see much of what was happening on stage as we were quite close to the front and surrounded by tall people, but I enjoyed it anyway. During 'Love Is Only A Feeling' they had these huge jets shooting out streamers all over the crowd. The light show was also fantastic and really captured the fast paced, outrageous musicians. Of course they played 'I Believe in a Thing called Love' as a finale in the encore which the crowd went wild to. I'm so glad I got to see them play, they are absolute rockstars and I would definitely see them again!
Show us the Leprechauns Dublin!
Our first proper introduction to Dublin was when we hopped on our Airbus 747 to the city and were met by a jolly little Irish bus driver, cracking the jokes and being very helpful in terms of telling us where to go. Classic. With ease we arrived in the city centre and found our hostel - the Litton Lane Hostel. I was so excited to arrive because we were meeting my little sister Katrina there, who I hadn't seen for about a year as she had been on exchange in Spain. It was so great to see her! After we dropped our things up in our room we set off on a wander through the city, with no set itinerary but just a want to explore. We wandered down the river to the port and then went back to a small pub that we passed along the way. Due to a four thirty start after such a large weekend at Parklife we were desperate for a coffee. The owner of the pub was there, another Irishman who had definitely had a whiskey or two but was friendly and helpful none the less. Although he didn't seem to know exactly where anything was, but did suggest that we check out the Guiness Factory across town.
After thanking the man we set off for the Temple area of the city, where the famous Temple Bar is situated among other lively, colourful pubs, restaurants and people. At The Temple Bar there was a man, David Brown, who was 43 hours into attempting to break the record the Guiness Book of World Records for the longest amount of time continuously playing a guitar. He was aiming for 100 hours. Throughout the two days we were in Dublin we kept going back to see how he was doing. He had all different people playing with him at different times. The place was packed with people who had come to see him attempt the record. The vibe was incredible. Everyone was cheering him on, all hours of the day and night. The last time we went to check on him he looked terrible! But was charging on at 73 hours. We hope he makes it!
We then continued on through the city to the Guiness Factory. It was interesting to Guiness' origins and the history behind the porter, but it wasn't the most exciting place I've ever been. Considering I'm not a massive fan of the taste we didn't end up having our free Guiness at the end but did get to see some great views over of the city from the Skybar up the top of the factory. Having walked quite far to get to it, Sam suggested a horse and carriage to take us back to Temple. Five euros each seemed like a pretty good deal so we enjoyed a ride back to the centre of the city. We went to check and see how the record was going and he was going strong, before grabbing some ingredients for dinner and heading back to the hostel to cook.
Mat wasn't feeling very well so had an early night, while Katrina, Sam and I had a few drinks and went out to explore the town. It seems Dublin is always busy at night. It was Tuesday and everywhere was packed. We hit a few pubs and enjoyed the atmosphere. It's a very lively and happy city at night. We had a lot of fun!
On day two we woke up late and went to visit the National Leprechaun Museum. W The tour was great. A young girl took us around telling us all about traditional Irish folklore, which is mainly based on fairies rather than leprechauns, leprechauns are actually a Hollywood commercial icon put on the Irish. Our favourite room was the giants room where a table, chairs, couch, reading light are all five times the size of normal furniture so you look like a tiny person sitting on them. Took a lot of photos! At the end you get to draw a picture which they frame so we had some good fun drawing leprechauns. Katrina drew us with Finn (our new token leprechaun who would continue on our Irish journey with us as our mascot), Mat drew an Australian leprechaun, Sam drew a leprechaun's face with a massive beard and I drew a cartoon one. After this we went to look at Dublin Castle. There isn't much to see but in the middle is a massive garden surrounded by ruins which was really nice so we spent the afternoon in the sun.
Had a quiet night in as we had an early morning start so had dinner back at the hostel. Our road trip around Ireland started in the morning! Sad to say goodbye to Dublin, but we'll see you again!
After thanking the man we set off for the Temple area of the city, where the famous Temple Bar is situated among other lively, colourful pubs, restaurants and people. At The Temple Bar there was a man, David Brown, who was 43 hours into attempting to break the record the Guiness Book of World Records for the longest amount of time continuously playing a guitar. He was aiming for 100 hours. Throughout the two days we were in Dublin we kept going back to see how he was doing. He had all different people playing with him at different times. The place was packed with people who had come to see him attempt the record. The vibe was incredible. Everyone was cheering him on, all hours of the day and night. The last time we went to check on him he looked terrible! But was charging on at 73 hours. We hope he makes it!
We then continued on through the city to the Guiness Factory. It was interesting to Guiness' origins and the history behind the porter, but it wasn't the most exciting place I've ever been. Considering I'm not a massive fan of the taste we didn't end up having our free Guiness at the end but did get to see some great views over of the city from the Skybar up the top of the factory. Having walked quite far to get to it, Sam suggested a horse and carriage to take us back to Temple. Five euros each seemed like a pretty good deal so we enjoyed a ride back to the centre of the city. We went to check and see how the record was going and he was going strong, before grabbing some ingredients for dinner and heading back to the hostel to cook.
Mat wasn't feeling very well so had an early night, while Katrina, Sam and I had a few drinks and went out to explore the town. It seems Dublin is always busy at night. It was Tuesday and everywhere was packed. We hit a few pubs and enjoyed the atmosphere. It's a very lively and happy city at night. We had a lot of fun!
On day two we woke up late and went to visit the National Leprechaun Museum. W The tour was great. A young girl took us around telling us all about traditional Irish folklore, which is mainly based on fairies rather than leprechauns, leprechauns are actually a Hollywood commercial icon put on the Irish. Our favourite room was the giants room where a table, chairs, couch, reading light are all five times the size of normal furniture so you look like a tiny person sitting on them. Took a lot of photos! At the end you get to draw a picture which they frame so we had some good fun drawing leprechauns. Katrina drew us with Finn (our new token leprechaun who would continue on our Irish journey with us as our mascot), Mat drew an Australian leprechaun, Sam drew a leprechaun's face with a massive beard and I drew a cartoon one. After this we went to look at Dublin Castle. There isn't much to see but in the middle is a massive garden surrounded by ruins which was really nice so we spent the afternoon in the sun.
Had a quiet night in as we had an early morning start so had dinner back at the hostel. Our road trip around Ireland started in the morning! Sad to say goodbye to Dublin, but we'll see you again!
Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Mudlife in Manchester - Raindrops keep falling on my head!
After staying down in Wimbledon for a night to spend some time with my mum's cousin Elspeth (Kirsty's sister) we caught the train from London Euston Station up to Manchester, which took just over two hours on the Virgin Trains. Arriving in Manchester we caught the bus down to Owens Park to stay with some of the Manchester University's finest members - Taryn's (a good friend from Canberra) friends who she lived with when she was on exchange in Manchester for six months last year. We arrived at the apartment and dropped off our things, then after a quick dinner at The Font we headed back into town to stock up on Primark clothes in preparation for Parklife, a two day festival in the Manchester weather.
After grabbing some shoes for two pounds and a jumper for three pounds we picked up some cider and had drinks with everyone back at the flat. It is never a great idea to go out before a festival, but somehow it always seems to happen. Perhaps it is because everyone is too excited to sit still. The locals took us to a place called Baa Bars where they have a thirty two shot challenge, which of course everyone got stuck into. I decided to stick to beers, however they were warm...so wasn't the best decision but I did feel ok in the morning :)
After a night out here, a stop at the chicken shop on the way home, a quick run to the ATM to beat the crowds in the morning, we headed back to the flat. I think most people stayed up and kicked on...I however, called it a night.
The next day was, to our delight, sunny! Once again we prepared ourselves and then had pre-drinks in the flat. Heading out there was great because it was held at Platt Fields Park which is literally across the road from Owens Park. The first thing I noticed about English festivals which is different to ours back home is that artist's sets which would probably be more predominantly dance music back home, were heavily based on dub step. I do like this genre of music but it's pretty intense! Beardyman was definitely our favourite on day one, I don't know who wouldn't be blown away by what he can do. He's so good you keep forgetting it's him making all the sounds. We spent a lot of time chilling out in the sun listening to the music on the main stage. Was a more relaxed day than the second, but I had a really good time.
Day Two - Rain. Mud. More Rain. A LOT more Mud. It constantly poured from the moment we woke up so we didn't head into the festival until around four thirty. The mud was absolutely ridiculous, Mat slipped over before we'd even made it inside. We all bought ponchos so the crowd was just a sea of plastic covered in brown mud. But instead of letting it bother us, we embraced it and became little dancing mud gremlins enjoying a standard rainy day in Manchester going crazy to the likes of Mark Ronson and Chase and Status - two of the highlights for me. The only thing I thought could have been better was the sound. They just weren't loud enough unless you were standing close to the speakers. Apart from this it was an amazing weekend...the mud and the rain somehow actually made it a more memorable weekend.
Our friend Mel from Manchester who we met in Miami very kindly picked us up on Monday morning and let us stay with her as she lives close to the airport and we had an early flight on Tuesday. Mat was really sick, we think tonsillitis, so he had an early one and Sam, Mel and I stayed up and watched a movie. Up at four thirty on Monday we were exhausted, and had a shock when we got to the airport and our seventeen pound flights had an extra forty pounds added on at check in for our bags....grrr RyanAir! But made it onto the flight ok and fell straight asleep and slept until we landed. Hello Ireland! Arrived in Dublin....but that's the next chapter :)
After grabbing some shoes for two pounds and a jumper for three pounds we picked up some cider and had drinks with everyone back at the flat. It is never a great idea to go out before a festival, but somehow it always seems to happen. Perhaps it is because everyone is too excited to sit still. The locals took us to a place called Baa Bars where they have a thirty two shot challenge, which of course everyone got stuck into. I decided to stick to beers, however they were warm...so wasn't the best decision but I did feel ok in the morning :)
After a night out here, a stop at the chicken shop on the way home, a quick run to the ATM to beat the crowds in the morning, we headed back to the flat. I think most people stayed up and kicked on...I however, called it a night.
The next day was, to our delight, sunny! Once again we prepared ourselves and then had pre-drinks in the flat. Heading out there was great because it was held at Platt Fields Park which is literally across the road from Owens Park. The first thing I noticed about English festivals which is different to ours back home is that artist's sets which would probably be more predominantly dance music back home, were heavily based on dub step. I do like this genre of music but it's pretty intense! Beardyman was definitely our favourite on day one, I don't know who wouldn't be blown away by what he can do. He's so good you keep forgetting it's him making all the sounds. We spent a lot of time chilling out in the sun listening to the music on the main stage. Was a more relaxed day than the second, but I had a really good time.
Day Two - Rain. Mud. More Rain. A LOT more Mud. It constantly poured from the moment we woke up so we didn't head into the festival until around four thirty. The mud was absolutely ridiculous, Mat slipped over before we'd even made it inside. We all bought ponchos so the crowd was just a sea of plastic covered in brown mud. But instead of letting it bother us, we embraced it and became little dancing mud gremlins enjoying a standard rainy day in Manchester going crazy to the likes of Mark Ronson and Chase and Status - two of the highlights for me. The only thing I thought could have been better was the sound. They just weren't loud enough unless you were standing close to the speakers. Apart from this it was an amazing weekend...the mud and the rain somehow actually made it a more memorable weekend.
Our friend Mel from Manchester who we met in Miami very kindly picked us up on Monday morning and let us stay with her as she lives close to the airport and we had an early flight on Tuesday. Mat was really sick, we think tonsillitis, so he had an early one and Sam, Mel and I stayed up and watched a movie. Up at four thirty on Monday we were exhausted, and had a shock when we got to the airport and our seventeen pound flights had an extra forty pounds added on at check in for our bags....grrr RyanAir! But made it onto the flight ok and fell straight asleep and slept until we landed. Hello Ireland! Arrived in Dublin....but that's the next chapter :)
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
One Ticket to Londontown
I love London, I think it might be one of my favourite cities in the world. I love the history (huge fan of Royal history therefore love the castles etc), I love the lay-out of the city, the buildings that hold so many memories, the hustle of the underground, the people, the fashion, the smell (weird?)...and the list goes on. The city just has this unique personality that I can't remember ever seeing in a city anywhere else that I've been. New York to me is classy as i mentioned, but I think London can be described as chic.
Arriving in London we stayed for one night in Kensal Green....interesting hostel, the rooms were very basic and as one traveller who is definitely not a princess when it comes to hostel rooms and facilities, I did wake up worried that I might have gotten knits or bed bugs due to the state of the beds, pillows and blankets etc. But I am alright!
We then moved onto Christopher's Inn at Belushi's Bar in Shepherd's Bush which was recommended to us by Casey. This place had a great social vibe, the staff were really friendly, the rooms basic but seemed clean which is all we really need! We didn't spend much time in the morning there as we were off to The Church in Clapham Junction for an eventful and action-packed day with the hundreds of cross-dressing Aussies, Saffas, Kiwis, Irish, Scottish and of course English party lovers. This place is like nothing else, however not for the faint-hearted. We had a crazy time. After The Church everyone kicks on to the Shepherd's Bush Walkabout to continue the party as The Church only goes from 12-4pm. Everyone is always in great spirits and it is mainly just a great bunch of patriotic backpackers, whatever their nationality, enjoying each other's company and just celebrating being young and loving life on the road...so to speak. A great day ended sadly for me as my camera, which I had become very attached to and taken some amazing photos with was stolen out of my bag. The camera was replaceable, I always knew that, but the photos were priceless and I was pretty devestated about it. I filed a police report at Hammersmith and now just have to wait until I'm home to reclaim the value. Sigh...these things do happen to travellers....it's the gamble you take. Looking on the brightside while bumps in the road like this do occur, the good memories always outweigh the bad...and that's the way I try to look at it now.
We are now staying out in North Acton with some family friend's of Mat's until we leave for Manchester on Friday. Done a lot of sightseeing including the Tower of London which I did with my Dad back in 2006 and absolutely loved so was happy to go back again, and the London Dungeons. This place is so much fun, I think I screamed about eight or nine times. Such a sook :) But it was lots of fun and it's definitely a great day out in London doing the Tower and the Dungeons. Took us about 5-6 to do the whole thing without rushing so would recommend this day of sightseeing to anyone. There's so much to do here, I'm glad we'll be back and forth throughout our travels so that we don't miss anything. This is definitely a city I could never get tired of, and could definitely live here if the opportunity arose. Five stars for Londontown, looking forward to each moment that lies ahead here.
Arriving in London we stayed for one night in Kensal Green....interesting hostel, the rooms were very basic and as one traveller who is definitely not a princess when it comes to hostel rooms and facilities, I did wake up worried that I might have gotten knits or bed bugs due to the state of the beds, pillows and blankets etc. But I am alright!
We then moved onto Christopher's Inn at Belushi's Bar in Shepherd's Bush which was recommended to us by Casey. This place had a great social vibe, the staff were really friendly, the rooms basic but seemed clean which is all we really need! We didn't spend much time in the morning there as we were off to The Church in Clapham Junction for an eventful and action-packed day with the hundreds of cross-dressing Aussies, Saffas, Kiwis, Irish, Scottish and of course English party lovers. This place is like nothing else, however not for the faint-hearted. We had a crazy time. After The Church everyone kicks on to the Shepherd's Bush Walkabout to continue the party as The Church only goes from 12-4pm. Everyone is always in great spirits and it is mainly just a great bunch of patriotic backpackers, whatever their nationality, enjoying each other's company and just celebrating being young and loving life on the road...so to speak. A great day ended sadly for me as my camera, which I had become very attached to and taken some amazing photos with was stolen out of my bag. The camera was replaceable, I always knew that, but the photos were priceless and I was pretty devestated about it. I filed a police report at Hammersmith and now just have to wait until I'm home to reclaim the value. Sigh...these things do happen to travellers....it's the gamble you take. Looking on the brightside while bumps in the road like this do occur, the good memories always outweigh the bad...and that's the way I try to look at it now.
We are now staying out in North Acton with some family friend's of Mat's until we leave for Manchester on Friday. Done a lot of sightseeing including the Tower of London which I did with my Dad back in 2006 and absolutely loved so was happy to go back again, and the London Dungeons. This place is so much fun, I think I screamed about eight or nine times. Such a sook :) But it was lots of fun and it's definitely a great day out in London doing the Tower and the Dungeons. Took us about 5-6 to do the whole thing without rushing so would recommend this day of sightseeing to anyone. There's so much to do here, I'm glad we'll be back and forth throughout our travels so that we don't miss anything. This is definitely a city I could never get tired of, and could definitely live here if the opportunity arose. Five stars for Londontown, looking forward to each moment that lies ahead here.
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
Back to the Motherland at last
Hellooooo England! Luckily the volcano didn't interrupt flights into Heathrow this time and we made it safe and sound meeting my mum's cousin Kirsty at the airport. After picking up Sam from another terminal we drove out to Binsted in Hampshire to stay with Kirsty and her husband Tim in their beautiful house that actually used to be an old kiln. Binsted is such a stunning, stereotypically English town, with wide open green fields, tiny roads, a pub that I only just fit in (the boys were bent at the waist to avoid hitting their heads on the roof!) and houses that made Sam and Mat's first experience of England picturesque, and made me so happy to be back once again.
Our next stop was Winchester where we went and saw King Arthur's table for himself and his knights. It was propped up on the wall in an old castle chapel. I was suprised at it's size and the fact that it was so elaborately decorated. We explored the town a little, wandering down the crooked cobblestone streets amongst the old buildings in the rain. England at it's finest. The following day we visited Winsor Castle which is an absolutely magnificent place. Wandering through the State Apartments was breath-taking. Each room was exquisitely decorated and sparkled with gold plating and chandeliers, bright coloured paintings on the walls and the ceilings, detailed carpets and carefully arranged furniture. Each room seemed more grand than the previous.
Heading to London the next day I can definitely say that it was the perfect introduction to England for the boys before heading to the city. Arriving in London however was just as exciting. We were staying in Notting Hill so we could spend a night out with one of Mat's friends, Casey, who is from Australia but has been working over in London for a few years. We started at the Garden Bar, Ladbroke Grove which had a great beer garden and couch area where we had a couple of drinks whilst meeting Casey's friends. From here we moved onto Mahiki's, which is apparently one of the top clubs in London, which we were oblivious to. Some friend's of Casey's who played rugby in London were able to get us into VIP where we shared these huge treasure chests which contained a number of different delicious liqueurs topped with a bottle of Moet and fruit. As they were brought out there was smoke and flames coming from in and about 50 straws. These things cost four hundred pounds each! Talk about a first night out in London! Sam and I couldn't get a cab home so ended up getting a man on a bicycle pulling a seat who drove us home. It took about an hour and a half and Sam even got out and peddled for a while because the man got so tired but it was definitely worth the memory :)
The next day Sam and I travelled down to Shortlands, Kent to stay with my Godmother, Jackie, her daughter Lucy and boyfriend Colin. I love this house, I always feel at home here despite being so far from Sydney. It was nice to relax with family for a few days and visit Bromley again where I worked in the Walkabout for a few months in 2006. Sadly it's not there anymore! But it was good to visit the town again. At one point while Lucy and I were shopping Sam and Mat witnessed an egging by some boys down onto a largely populated area just outside the shopping centre. Some people at Starbucks got his and I believe one woman yelled a number of profanities at the top of her lungs. They told us when we met up with them and all Lucy had to say was, "Well, welcome to Bromley." Innit.
Loving it here, back to London again now. Going to be very busy over the next week with all the things we have planned while in London. It's definitely good to be back!
Our next stop was Winchester where we went and saw King Arthur's table for himself and his knights. It was propped up on the wall in an old castle chapel. I was suprised at it's size and the fact that it was so elaborately decorated. We explored the town a little, wandering down the crooked cobblestone streets amongst the old buildings in the rain. England at it's finest. The following day we visited Winsor Castle which is an absolutely magnificent place. Wandering through the State Apartments was breath-taking. Each room was exquisitely decorated and sparkled with gold plating and chandeliers, bright coloured paintings on the walls and the ceilings, detailed carpets and carefully arranged furniture. Each room seemed more grand than the previous.
Heading to London the next day I can definitely say that it was the perfect introduction to England for the boys before heading to the city. Arriving in London however was just as exciting. We were staying in Notting Hill so we could spend a night out with one of Mat's friends, Casey, who is from Australia but has been working over in London for a few years. We started at the Garden Bar, Ladbroke Grove which had a great beer garden and couch area where we had a couple of drinks whilst meeting Casey's friends. From here we moved onto Mahiki's, which is apparently one of the top clubs in London, which we were oblivious to. Some friend's of Casey's who played rugby in London were able to get us into VIP where we shared these huge treasure chests which contained a number of different delicious liqueurs topped with a bottle of Moet and fruit. As they were brought out there was smoke and flames coming from in and about 50 straws. These things cost four hundred pounds each! Talk about a first night out in London! Sam and I couldn't get a cab home so ended up getting a man on a bicycle pulling a seat who drove us home. It took about an hour and a half and Sam even got out and peddled for a while because the man got so tired but it was definitely worth the memory :)
The next day Sam and I travelled down to Shortlands, Kent to stay with my Godmother, Jackie, her daughter Lucy and boyfriend Colin. I love this house, I always feel at home here despite being so far from Sydney. It was nice to relax with family for a few days and visit Bromley again where I worked in the Walkabout for a few months in 2006. Sadly it's not there anymore! But it was good to visit the town again. At one point while Lucy and I were shopping Sam and Mat witnessed an egging by some boys down onto a largely populated area just outside the shopping centre. Some people at Starbucks got his and I believe one woman yelled a number of profanities at the top of her lungs. They told us when we met up with them and all Lucy had to say was, "Well, welcome to Bromley." Innit.
Loving it here, back to London again now. Going to be very busy over the next week with all the things we have planned while in London. It's definitely good to be back!
Monday, 6 June 2011
New York New York
What an amazing city. Loved it from the moment we arrived. There's just something so grand about New York, standing in Times Square feels like you're in the very centre of the universe. There's just so much happening all around you it's overwhelming, in a good way. We arrived there during the day but it was nothing compared to seeing it at night. The lights were so bright it could have been day time. I had Kanye West's 'All of the Lights' stuck in my head for about three days after.
We went to the top of the Rockefeller Centre to view the city, it was absolutely breathtaking. New York seems to have a gray smokey screen covering it, which makes it seem so mysterious but just blends with the enormous skyscrapers that dominate the city landscape. Central Park was a beautiful image in the middle of all these aged buildings.
We did all of the touristy stuff of course. Ground Zero was an extremely sad place, everyone was silenced in the museum, there was nothing that you could say really. It's just a construction site at the moment, what a terrible thing for New Yorkers to experience. I felt myself tearing up a few times.
Caught the Statton Island ferry across from Manhattan and back to see the Statue of Liberty. The ferry is free, and Mat was especially glad we didn't pay to go up close as he was shocked at how small it is. I definitely think it seems like it would be bigger, Hollywood movies definitely portray it that way, but it was still good to see it. Wall Street was so busy, as I expected it to me, there's not that much to see except for the bronze bull statue. People were crowded around it taking photos, especially from the back end which was quite funny.
We went and saw Memphis on Broadway and I thought it was absolutely fantastic. The music was so emotional and powerful, but at the same time it was funky and just made me want to dance in my seat. The characters were all played so well, they were a very talented cast. The star female's voice was so incredible it gave me goosebumps! I'm so glad we saw it. Would recommend it to anyone.
The Amsterdam Tavern up the road from our hostel on Amsterdam between 103rd and 104th became our local, I met a girl at the bar who went there regularly to write stories based on what she heard around her. I thought that was such a cool idea, I'd love to give that a go. Great food, and fun staff...we were sad to leave it behind.
A definitely highlight of our stay in New York was seeing the Yankees win at the last minute against the Bluejays at the Yankee stadium. Baseball has a great atmosphere, and we had really good seats. I loved every minute of it, and couldn't help but celebrate continuously when they won, it's crazy how quickly you get into sport here. We followed the Chicago Bulls while we were here in their play offs with Miami heat. It's a shame they got knocked out, but it's definitely a game I've realised I enjoy watching. Going to try and keep up to date with the finals! Think I'll go for Dallas now that the Bulls are out :)
All in all New York was a treat, and definitely my favourite place out of all the places we visited. It's such a classy, happening city. I'm definitely going back that's for sure. However in the meantime, hellooooo London!
We went to the top of the Rockefeller Centre to view the city, it was absolutely breathtaking. New York seems to have a gray smokey screen covering it, which makes it seem so mysterious but just blends with the enormous skyscrapers that dominate the city landscape. Central Park was a beautiful image in the middle of all these aged buildings.
We did all of the touristy stuff of course. Ground Zero was an extremely sad place, everyone was silenced in the museum, there was nothing that you could say really. It's just a construction site at the moment, what a terrible thing for New Yorkers to experience. I felt myself tearing up a few times.
Caught the Statton Island ferry across from Manhattan and back to see the Statue of Liberty. The ferry is free, and Mat was especially glad we didn't pay to go up close as he was shocked at how small it is. I definitely think it seems like it would be bigger, Hollywood movies definitely portray it that way, but it was still good to see it. Wall Street was so busy, as I expected it to me, there's not that much to see except for the bronze bull statue. People were crowded around it taking photos, especially from the back end which was quite funny.
We went and saw Memphis on Broadway and I thought it was absolutely fantastic. The music was so emotional and powerful, but at the same time it was funky and just made me want to dance in my seat. The characters were all played so well, they were a very talented cast. The star female's voice was so incredible it gave me goosebumps! I'm so glad we saw it. Would recommend it to anyone.
The Amsterdam Tavern up the road from our hostel on Amsterdam between 103rd and 104th became our local, I met a girl at the bar who went there regularly to write stories based on what she heard around her. I thought that was such a cool idea, I'd love to give that a go. Great food, and fun staff...we were sad to leave it behind.
A definitely highlight of our stay in New York was seeing the Yankees win at the last minute against the Bluejays at the Yankee stadium. Baseball has a great atmosphere, and we had really good seats. I loved every minute of it, and couldn't help but celebrate continuously when they won, it's crazy how quickly you get into sport here. We followed the Chicago Bulls while we were here in their play offs with Miami heat. It's a shame they got knocked out, but it's definitely a game I've realised I enjoy watching. Going to try and keep up to date with the finals! Think I'll go for Dallas now that the Bulls are out :)
All in all New York was a treat, and definitely my favourite place out of all the places we visited. It's such a classy, happening city. I'm definitely going back that's for sure. However in the meantime, hellooooo London!
Welcome to Miami
Party in the city where the heat is on...and the heat was on indeed! After a rather negative introduction to this coastal playground due to my discovering my bag had been torn open and therefore ruined in transit, we arrived on South Beach at our hostel....which looked very closed much to our horror. However to our relief there was just some major constructions going on out the front and once we got inside we were met with a colourful and lively display of lights, half naked bodies and thumping music (which never stopped...and i mean never). There were some loud half cut Australians in the lobby making a lot of noise, which at first we were a bit wary about...but before we had even had a chance to explore the place we were already tucking into beers with these same guys and about seven or eight more of our own in the downstairs common area.
Unlike LA and Vegas, we did manage to do all the touristy things we could or wanted to do, including the Everglades and boat and city tour, but it's really just a place to beach. It had a sort of cartoony, unreal feeling about it - the girls on the beach in gold, shiny bikini's, inch-thick make-up, salon perfected hair and hoop earrings that a tiger could jump through, men selling anything and everything - they be hustlin'! Nothing was black and white in terms of deals, prices - what you see is definitely not what you get. Scamming just seemed to be the norm.
I thought the beach was beautiful and the water was delicious, but it was definitely the great group of Australians that we met there and spent time with that leaves me with the fondest memories of the place. Good group...a shout out to Plumsy...a fitting nickname...he sure showed those Germans a sizeable difference. Tom and Joe...the party shall continue at the The Church in London! And Maddy...seriously stop following us around the world! See ya in Dublin :)
Unlike LA and Vegas, we did manage to do all the touristy things we could or wanted to do, including the Everglades and boat and city tour, but it's really just a place to beach. It had a sort of cartoony, unreal feeling about it - the girls on the beach in gold, shiny bikini's, inch-thick make-up, salon perfected hair and hoop earrings that a tiger could jump through, men selling anything and everything - they be hustlin'! Nothing was black and white in terms of deals, prices - what you see is definitely not what you get. Scamming just seemed to be the norm.
I thought the beach was beautiful and the water was delicious, but it was definitely the great group of Australians that we met there and spent time with that leaves me with the fondest memories of the place. Good group...a shout out to Plumsy...a fitting nickname...he sure showed those Germans a sizeable difference. Tom and Joe...the party shall continue at the The Church in London! And Maddy...seriously stop following us around the world! See ya in Dublin :)
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