11th October, Dublin to Galway
Today was an early start, with a shower that was scalding, and stopped flowing if you forgot to hit the button after 30 seconds. Eventually I got down to Paddy's Palace, where my tour left from. Seany, our driver, is mad. Actually crazy. But it give an authenticity to the tour I think would be sorely missed if he wasn't our driver.
There was fog throughout Dublin, and on the motorway as we left Dublin, heading towards Galway and Connemara. Connemara was incredible. The mountains and valleys, coast line and villages were just amazing to visit. (Unfortunately the photos turned out not so great... So you'll need to take my word for it)
Eventually, Kylemore Abbey came into view. Cue from Seany, we all said "aaawwwww" when we turned the corner to see the abbey in all it's glory. Kylemore Abbey was built by Mitchell Henry for his wife, Margaret. (Tradition has it that the couple visited Connemara while on their honeymoon and were enchanted by the beauty of the landscape. It was the couple’s wish someday to own a home there and it is said that during those visits, the Henry’s rented Kylemore Lodge, the original building on the site where they later built Kylemore Castle.)
After lunch (and waking Seany up from his doze under the sun), we made our way to Galway. It is a beautiful city, with cobble stone streets, to pubs with traditional music drifting out the doors. We went to dinner in one of these pubs, and listened to a live (American) Irish band playing some sweet tunes. It was here I was lectured to about my lack of desire to go to the rest of Europe, by a stuffy shirt Sydney boy who is a manager with Contiki Tours... God... What nonsense... I missed hearing some amazing music because of this twit.. Who, by the way, called me 'close-minded', 'odd', 'judgmental', and I have an attitude problem...
Yes I am still smarting from this... what a twit! So basically I sat through a tirade of abuse from an absolute idiot. So now, I think to myself, I just won't tell many people I don't have a great desire AT THE PRESENT MOMENT to go to the rest of Europe!!
It ended my night with a slight feeling of annoyance, with good reason.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
A City of Rebels
10th October, Isaac's Hostel, Dublin
Dublin!!
Woooow! I've spent all day wandering the streets of Dublin with a group of strangers in a walking tour of Dublin. Our guide, Richie, was a funny fellow, who was hung over from the pub crawl tour that his volunteer company takes tourists on, his night was last night! So during his talks, he'd all of a sudden disappear behind a 1L bottle of water. Despite this, his tour was wicked! Full of tales of deception, traitors, dark lakes, Gulliver's Travels and the stories behind a black door, and many more weird and wonderful things which all happened in Dublin over the many years it was built up.
Lunch found the majority of the group in a random pub which sells the biggest and tastiest Guinness and Lamb Stew - with a stack of vegies on the side! Just incredible! I befriended a group of American girls, and wandered with some of them through the afternoon. I met up with a couple of them just shortly ago, at O'Shea's pub down the road from my hostel. Live music and good food, and soon it was time for bed! An early start tomorrow, my 6 day tour of Ireland begins!
Dublin!!
Woooow! I've spent all day wandering the streets of Dublin with a group of strangers in a walking tour of Dublin. Our guide, Richie, was a funny fellow, who was hung over from the pub crawl tour that his volunteer company takes tourists on, his night was last night! So during his talks, he'd all of a sudden disappear behind a 1L bottle of water. Despite this, his tour was wicked! Full of tales of deception, traitors, dark lakes, Gulliver's Travels and the stories behind a black door, and many more weird and wonderful things which all happened in Dublin over the many years it was built up.
Lunch found the majority of the group in a random pub which sells the biggest and tastiest Guinness and Lamb Stew - with a stack of vegies on the side! Just incredible! I befriended a group of American girls, and wandered with some of them through the afternoon. I met up with a couple of them just shortly ago, at O'Shea's pub down the road from my hostel. Live music and good food, and soon it was time for bed! An early start tomorrow, my 6 day tour of Ireland begins!
Daylight Robbery!!!
9th October, Isaac's Hostel, Dublin
I packed my bag in a hurry this morning! I had a plane to catch...
Bus to the station, train to Bristol (yes Carlos te pirate, I went to Bristol, no I didn't take a photo *sorry* but I did go through Bristol!!!)
Eventually I go to Bristol International airport - had to wait until 1.50 pm until I could check into my flight. I was there at 11.50am... So... killed time, and eventually lined up. Got to the counter. £100 later!!!!! My bag was 5kg over the weight limit, 20kg as opposed to 15kg... and Ryanair make their money by charging £20 per kilo over... DAYLIGHT ROBBERY!!!
Then down at the gate, the blasted lady almost took my camera bag off of me, saying it wasn't cabin baggage approved - I have that bag because it it - something was jutting out in the bottom section, so it didn't fit properly into the measuring thing... moving things around and it fit just fine... NO ONE was going to take my camera and computer bag off of my dead body!
After all this, I got into the line and 45 minutes later I ended up in Dublin, Ireland. So far the Irish are lovely! The bus drivers took the mickey out of everyone who got on their bus, but gave me straight forward directions to get to my hostel.. around the road from the bus station. The hostel is hip as, and it's right next door to where I have to leave from on Monday morning for the tour I am booked into. So lucky!!
I packed my bag in a hurry this morning! I had a plane to catch...
Bus to the station, train to Bristol (yes Carlos te pirate, I went to Bristol, no I didn't take a photo *sorry* but I did go through Bristol!!!)
Eventually I go to Bristol International airport - had to wait until 1.50 pm until I could check into my flight. I was there at 11.50am... So... killed time, and eventually lined up. Got to the counter. £100 later!!!!! My bag was 5kg over the weight limit, 20kg as opposed to 15kg... and Ryanair make their money by charging £20 per kilo over... DAYLIGHT ROBBERY!!!
Then down at the gate, the blasted lady almost took my camera bag off of me, saying it wasn't cabin baggage approved - I have that bag because it it - something was jutting out in the bottom section, so it didn't fit properly into the measuring thing... moving things around and it fit just fine... NO ONE was going to take my camera and computer bag off of my dead body!
After all this, I got into the line and 45 minutes later I ended up in Dublin, Ireland. So far the Irish are lovely! The bus drivers took the mickey out of everyone who got on their bus, but gave me straight forward directions to get to my hostel.. around the road from the bus station. The hostel is hip as, and it's right next door to where I have to leave from on Monday morning for the tour I am booked into. So lucky!!
The Sound of Hippos Snoring...
8th October, Bath YHA
Ghnnnnzzzzzzz... BurrrTRrrrr..... GhnuuuurRRhhhhhhhzzzzz....
This is the sound I woke up to this morning. Hippos snoring. Either that or an elephant farting.
No. It's the sound of two women in my dorm snoring. Women ... Snoring ... Geeeeeezz! Only one thing for it... I laid in bed dreaming up stories of hippos and elephants snoring so loudly they woke up a lion who roared in their ears - but their snores were so loud that the roar didn't wake them! I kept this up for a while, and then finally got fed up so went down to have breakfast...
I went to town quite late today, and posted parcels (yet again) back to Australia. But then found more things for family - so my bag is no doubt going to be overweight when I get on that plane tomorrow - I'm catching a flight to IRELAND!! But hopefully it won't be too bad!
I kept walking around town, and found The Jane Austen Museum in Bath. The guide I had through the building was a little painful, but the things I learned about Miss Austen were quite fascinating. She wrote a book "The History of England written by a partial, prejudiced, & ignorant Historian", when she was quite young. It was quite a quirky, so I actually bought a copy! It was illustrated her sister Cassandra.
Had a headache, so I returned to the hostel for a break from city noise - but I went back to an older lady who wanted to chat and chat and chat about her life story. So my afternoon break before the talk I was going was no longer a nap time - but a ear to hear about someone's life story, the tragedies and triumphs of this woman on a sunny afternoon.
The talk on War and Media in the 20th Century was quite incredible. I learned loads upon what I already learned in University, and met a woman who actually knows Don McCullin! He had just had a big operation, and wasn't allowed to take photos until his doctor said he was better. So as this lady said, he was probably stuck between convalescing and dying of boredom for not being able to take photos! I was so glad to hear he is still taking photos, doing street work, as well as his landscapes still.
I walked back up Bathwick Hill to the hostel - DIED HALFWAY! It was a great walk, but hills and I are still not on the best of terms... I think its my knees... Plane tomorrow... let's hope it's lovely and easy!
Ghnnnnzzzzzzz... BurrrTRrrrr..... GhnuuuurRRhhhhhhhzzzzz....
This is the sound I woke up to this morning. Hippos snoring. Either that or an elephant farting.
No. It's the sound of two women in my dorm snoring. Women ... Snoring ... Geeeeeezz! Only one thing for it... I laid in bed dreaming up stories of hippos and elephants snoring so loudly they woke up a lion who roared in their ears - but their snores were so loud that the roar didn't wake them! I kept this up for a while, and then finally got fed up so went down to have breakfast...
I went to town quite late today, and posted parcels (yet again) back to Australia. But then found more things for family - so my bag is no doubt going to be overweight when I get on that plane tomorrow - I'm catching a flight to IRELAND!! But hopefully it won't be too bad!
I kept walking around town, and found The Jane Austen Museum in Bath. The guide I had through the building was a little painful, but the things I learned about Miss Austen were quite fascinating. She wrote a book "The History of England written by a partial, prejudiced, & ignorant Historian", when she was quite young. It was quite a quirky, so I actually bought a copy! It was illustrated her sister Cassandra.
Had a headache, so I returned to the hostel for a break from city noise - but I went back to an older lady who wanted to chat and chat and chat about her life story. So my afternoon break before the talk I was going was no longer a nap time - but a ear to hear about someone's life story, the tragedies and triumphs of this woman on a sunny afternoon.
The talk on War and Media in the 20th Century was quite incredible. I learned loads upon what I already learned in University, and met a woman who actually knows Don McCullin! He had just had a big operation, and wasn't allowed to take photos until his doctor said he was better. So as this lady said, he was probably stuck between convalescing and dying of boredom for not being able to take photos! I was so glad to hear he is still taking photos, doing street work, as well as his landscapes still.
I walked back up Bathwick Hill to the hostel - DIED HALFWAY! It was a great walk, but hills and I are still not on the best of terms... I think its my knees... Plane tomorrow... let's hope it's lovely and easy!
Pagan and Vixen, and a man called Shane
7th October, Bath YHA
My breakfast at Alabare house was yet again lovely. My last lovely brekky for a little while...
I left early to go to Bath on the train - I love trains...
(The city was first established as a spa resort with the Latin name, Aquae Sulis ("the waters of Sulis") by the Romans in AD 43 although verbal tradition suggests that Bath was known before then.[3] They built baths and a temple on the surrounding hills of Bath in the valley of the River Avon around hot springs, which are the only ones naturally occurring in the United Kingdom.[4] Edgar was crowned king of England at Bath Abbey in 973.[5] Much later, it became popular as a spa resort during the Georgian era, which led to a major expansion that left a heritage of exemplary Georgian architecture crafted from Bath Stone)
I arrived at the hostel too early to check in yet, so I stashed my bags in the hostel, and walked back down to the city center. There is money here. Lots of money. But when there is that much money, there is also the opposite - poverty. There is such a high number of homeless people walking the alleys and streets of Bath it is saddening to think.
My walk around Bath introduced me to one, his name was Shane, and he had two dogs (actually he has 5, but he only had two with him when I met him...). Vixen, a stubborn welsh collie, and Pagan, a bitza. Shane also played the tin whistle. Very quietly, but it's what caught my attention. The soft tune of a tin whistle.
I chatted with him briefly, and kept walking, but eventually found myself back near his coop. He was still playing the tin whistle, so I asked if I could sit with him. What came after, was two or so hours of talking, of listening, of being prayed over by born again Christians, and by feeding the dogs my sub that a stranger bought for me.... I'm not eating food from a stranger.. Especially not when he has just insinuated that not only are Shane and I an item because we are sitting together talking, but I am homeless because I am sitting with him!!! Me, homeless! I was surprised by that one!
But the two hours or so of talking was quite eye opening. There are homeless people who are homeless from drugs or alcohol abuse, from neglect, or just because of the system. Shane is the third type. But he is slowly making his way through life with his dogs, and watching the world slowly change. A day at a time.
After our long chat, and more petting of dogs in a long time, I headed to the baths. Honestly... they were very commercialised. I did enjoy walking around, they are very beautiful, but it's sad how commercial they have become. That and the fact that I wasn't allowed to take my tripod inside, effectively eliminating any chance of replicating the 'postcard' photos you see of the baths... gah!
Another thing I found on my walk around Bath, in the Victoria Art Gallery - Shaped By War, an exhibition of Don McCullin's work from the wars and sights he has covered over the years!! Wow. I studied McCullin at university! Seeing some of his work enlarged to that size, just amazing. There is a talk tomorrow night given by the curator of the exhibition about war and the media in the 20th century. I have a ticket!
My breakfast at Alabare house was yet again lovely. My last lovely brekky for a little while...
I left early to go to Bath on the train - I love trains...
(The city was first established as a spa resort with the Latin name, Aquae Sulis ("the waters of Sulis") by the Romans in AD 43 although verbal tradition suggests that Bath was known before then.[3] They built baths and a temple on the surrounding hills of Bath in the valley of the River Avon around hot springs, which are the only ones naturally occurring in the United Kingdom.[4] Edgar was crowned king of England at Bath Abbey in 973.[5] Much later, it became popular as a spa resort during the Georgian era, which led to a major expansion that left a heritage of exemplary Georgian architecture crafted from Bath Stone)
I arrived at the hostel too early to check in yet, so I stashed my bags in the hostel, and walked back down to the city center. There is money here. Lots of money. But when there is that much money, there is also the opposite - poverty. There is such a high number of homeless people walking the alleys and streets of Bath it is saddening to think.
My walk around Bath introduced me to one, his name was Shane, and he had two dogs (actually he has 5, but he only had two with him when I met him...). Vixen, a stubborn welsh collie, and Pagan, a bitza. Shane also played the tin whistle. Very quietly, but it's what caught my attention. The soft tune of a tin whistle.
I chatted with him briefly, and kept walking, but eventually found myself back near his coop. He was still playing the tin whistle, so I asked if I could sit with him. What came after, was two or so hours of talking, of listening, of being prayed over by born again Christians, and by feeding the dogs my sub that a stranger bought for me.... I'm not eating food from a stranger.. Especially not when he has just insinuated that not only are Shane and I an item because we are sitting together talking, but I am homeless because I am sitting with him!!! Me, homeless! I was surprised by that one!
But the two hours or so of talking was quite eye opening. There are homeless people who are homeless from drugs or alcohol abuse, from neglect, or just because of the system. Shane is the third type. But he is slowly making his way through life with his dogs, and watching the world slowly change. A day at a time.
After our long chat, and more petting of dogs in a long time, I headed to the baths. Honestly... they were very commercialised. I did enjoy walking around, they are very beautiful, but it's sad how commercial they have become. That and the fact that I wasn't allowed to take my tripod inside, effectively eliminating any chance of replicating the 'postcard' photos you see of the baths... gah!
Another thing I found on my walk around Bath, in the Victoria Art Gallery - Shaped By War, an exhibition of Don McCullin's work from the wars and sights he has covered over the years!! Wow. I studied McCullin at university! Seeing some of his work enlarged to that size, just amazing. There is a talk tomorrow night given by the curator of the exhibition about war and the media in the 20th century. I have a ticket!
Avebury??
6th September, Alabare House, Salisbury
So I slept in today. Had a lazy morning until breakfast at 8am (lovely full english brekky - hence staying at this place) and after breakfast made my way down to the bus station. Thinking it was a lovely day and I should be able to spend some time at Avebury until I had to be back in Salisbury for my tattoo appointment.
Nope...
The bus times and routes had changed, a few weeks or a month or so prior... So instead I went to Swindon, thinking I'd be able to get to Uffington, to get up to see the Uffington White Horse...
Nope....
I spent an hour in Swindon (after a two hour bus ride) and got straight back on the bus back to Salisbury. There was no way I would of made it to Uffington or Avebury to get back in time for my appointment, and there was NO WAY IN ANY LIFETIME I was sticking around in Swindon... One of the very few places I've felt genuinely uneasy in. As my tattoo artist later on said "Swindon is a small town that's been force fed growth hormones" and you know what, it's the best description I've ever heard of a place!
Mal, the tattoo artist, also told me to visit St Mary's Cathedral at night. He told me it is a cliched shot, but the building is lit at night and is beautiful to see.
So I froze my butt off, my finger tips almost fell off - but it was worth every minute!
So I slept in today. Had a lazy morning until breakfast at 8am (lovely full english brekky - hence staying at this place) and after breakfast made my way down to the bus station. Thinking it was a lovely day and I should be able to spend some time at Avebury until I had to be back in Salisbury for my tattoo appointment.
Nope...
The bus times and routes had changed, a few weeks or a month or so prior... So instead I went to Swindon, thinking I'd be able to get to Uffington, to get up to see the Uffington White Horse...
Nope....
I spent an hour in Swindon (after a two hour bus ride) and got straight back on the bus back to Salisbury. There was no way I would of made it to Uffington or Avebury to get back in time for my appointment, and there was NO WAY IN ANY LIFETIME I was sticking around in Swindon... One of the very few places I've felt genuinely uneasy in. As my tattoo artist later on said "Swindon is a small town that's been force fed growth hormones" and you know what, it's the best description I've ever heard of a place!
Mal, the tattoo artist, also told me to visit St Mary's Cathedral at night. He told me it is a cliched shot, but the building is lit at night and is beautiful to see.
So I froze my butt off, my finger tips almost fell off - but it was worth every minute!
Stonehenge, markets and a new addition!
5th October, Alabare House, Salisbury
Today held magic. I started with looking out the window of the b'n'b I am staying at, at a horrible, low, gray sky thinking "oh damn, I'm going to get soaked!" But I didn't!
Instead, there was a market in Salisbury, which just gave the whole town another feel to it! When I arrived last night, it was not as busy! My first port of call - a tattoo parlour. Yes, I have booked in to get another tattoo, something which will remind me of strength and resilience.After that, I got directions from a vender, as well as fingerless gloves, my awesome blue hat, and and and and and AN AVIATOR HAT!!! Granted it's not a real leather one, but it is so cool! I know when I am Scotland it is going to come in handy! I also know I am going to look like an absolute dork wearing it, but hey - fashion isn't my forte!
I managed to weave my way through the market place to the bus stop, where a tour bus to Stonehenge leaves from. £11 or so later, I got a return ticket to Stonehenge! The bus ride was actually quite interesting, the driver played a recording which gave us information of how the stones got to the site, how old it was, and talked about the surrounding area, and how it's just as important as Stonehenge.
The site of Stonehenge was soo busy! And very close to the road. I didn't expect that, not at all! It was tricky to take photos because there were so many people walking around the site. But I worked my magic, and hopefully managed to get some usable photos. It was a moody day, with low clouds which actually had shape to them!!! Which is always nice.
I missed the bus I wanted to catch back, so had another half hour to wait for the next one. I watched the birds flying overhead, got pooped on by the same birds (shakes fist), and got cold, as the breeze picked up. Eventually time past and there was a line of people for the bus. Again, we had a recording of information about the surrounding area. By the roads are grave sites, giant burial mounds with group burials, going back thousands of years. Pretty amazing when you think about it really.
My afternoon was spent walking through the town, and at St Mary's Cathedral. I wasn't tall enough to take a particular photo, and had to set my tripod up quite high. A priest found it amusing, and asked me if I wanted to stand on a chair. I couldn't bring myself to do it... It was a cathedral. But after a couple of hours, I made my way back to Alabare House (ironic - it's a house of prayer) and now to bed, to dream of visiting Avebury and my tattoo in the afternoon...
Today held magic. I started with looking out the window of the b'n'b I am staying at, at a horrible, low, gray sky thinking "oh damn, I'm going to get soaked!" But I didn't!
Instead, there was a market in Salisbury, which just gave the whole town another feel to it! When I arrived last night, it was not as busy! My first port of call - a tattoo parlour. Yes, I have booked in to get another tattoo, something which will remind me of strength and resilience.After that, I got directions from a vender, as well as fingerless gloves, my awesome blue hat, and and and and and AN AVIATOR HAT!!! Granted it's not a real leather one, but it is so cool! I know when I am Scotland it is going to come in handy! I also know I am going to look like an absolute dork wearing it, but hey - fashion isn't my forte!
I managed to weave my way through the market place to the bus stop, where a tour bus to Stonehenge leaves from. £11 or so later, I got a return ticket to Stonehenge! The bus ride was actually quite interesting, the driver played a recording which gave us information of how the stones got to the site, how old it was, and talked about the surrounding area, and how it's just as important as Stonehenge.
The site of Stonehenge was soo busy! And very close to the road. I didn't expect that, not at all! It was tricky to take photos because there were so many people walking around the site. But I worked my magic, and hopefully managed to get some usable photos. It was a moody day, with low clouds which actually had shape to them!!! Which is always nice.
I missed the bus I wanted to catch back, so had another half hour to wait for the next one. I watched the birds flying overhead, got pooped on by the same birds (shakes fist), and got cold, as the breeze picked up. Eventually time past and there was a line of people for the bus. Again, we had a recording of information about the surrounding area. By the roads are grave sites, giant burial mounds with group burials, going back thousands of years. Pretty amazing when you think about it really.
My afternoon was spent walking through the town, and at St Mary's Cathedral. I wasn't tall enough to take a particular photo, and had to set my tripod up quite high. A priest found it amusing, and asked me if I wanted to stand on a chair. I couldn't bring myself to do it... It was a cathedral. But after a couple of hours, I made my way back to Alabare House (ironic - it's a house of prayer) and now to bed, to dream of visiting Avebury and my tattoo in the afternoon...
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