Life in London has been a bit of a roller coaster ride of late. Over the course of the past month I've experienced some of my lowest moments since I've been away. But two amazing individuals managed to counteract the negatives and made June not only bearable but full of some of my fondest travel memories. Alice and Kara came to stay with us late in June. They are friends of Tess' from back home and were my shining beacon of light amidst the miserable, soul sucking gloom which had settled on 84 Graveney rd a week earlier (I may be exaggerating a little for dramatic effect BUT honestly at the time that's how it felt). Their fresh traveler enthusiasm injected a little life back into all of us.
The main reason I extended my trip by 3 months was so I could attend Arcade Fire's Hyde park gig on June 30th. I could barely contain my excitement in the lead up to the show. I find it hard to put into words how much I love this band. Some music I listen to, to help me sleep. Some to make me wanna dance. I have my happy music. My sad music. My background music. But Arcade is my always music. They're incredible. That's all. Period. I'm listening to them now... ANYWAY the show was worth the extra 3 months worth of cash spent on living expenses. From the very first note played to the final I was totally and completely captivated. Here is a shitty video which in no way translates the sheer awesomeness of my experience but it's all I got.
Other highlights of late include the Kings of Leon gig, Tranny Bingo in Vauxhall, a night of feasting at Jamie's Italian and, of course, MY BIRTHDAY! Or rather the Saturday before my birthday when celebrations took place with all of 84 Graveneys inhabitants, which at the time, was quite a large number of people. We drank at the house, then we drank at Tooting Tram and Social then we drank at the house some more. Apart from Lucy's little sister needing to be escorted home 5 minutes after arriving at the bar (17 yr olds just can't hold their liquor) and the neighbours threatening to call the police every 5 minutes it was a perfect evening.
On my actual birthday I went to Spain. So far it is the only bit of travel which I regret and would prefer not to remember. I'm trying not to let this recent bad experience taint my love of Barcelona which blossomed during my previous stay there. After all it's not Barcelona's fault I had a bad time. It was the miserable, soul sucking gloom which followed me from Graveney. I did have a couple of good days when I managed to get out on my own but overall it was a waste of time and money. As well as Barcelona we went to Bilbao for a music festival which WOULD have been brilliant had I gone with Tess or Lucy or Alice or no one or a mosquito. Alas I wasn't that lucky. I couldn't wait to get home. I got to the airport 5 hours early and just willed time to move faster so I could get back to my family in Tooting. Man oh man was it good to get home. From the second I landed at Stansted things just started to go right again. My flight was 20 minutes early which meant the underground was still running so I could get two trains rather than a million buses. I was bumped to the front of the queue at customs. And all the girls Smiling faces were there to greet me when I arrived home. The miserable soul sucking gloom had finally lifted. For good.
The past week since I've been back has been great! I'm trying to make the most of every moment I have left here. The fact that our time together is coming to an end seems to be at the forefront of everyone's minds. We're practically living in each others pockets. If one person goes into another room the rest follow. It's as if we feel we can create a little store of time together to use at a later date. Like squirrels collecting nuts for the winter. Do squirrels actually do that?? Anyway you get what I mean. The past 4 months of living in a place where everyone's a stranger, or at the very most an acquaintance, these girls have been my family. I can't wait to get home to see my actually blood relatives and friends but it's hard to imagine not seeing Tulla, Lucy and Tess everyday. I think I might be a bit of an emotional wreck when it comes to saying goodbye to them. Oh well. I will try not to think about that until the time comes.
2 weeks to go.
14 days.
The countdown begins.
xx
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Mythos, Gyros, Ios, Paros, Mykanos, Santorini...os???
My expectations for Greece were not particularly high. So I'm not sure if they were so extremely exceeded because the bar was set so low from the outset or because it actually is the magical place I will forever remember it as. Whatever the case I'm not going to go back there for a little while, just incase I ruin the perfectly, pretty picture The Greek Islands currently are in my mind.
(this was on a beach in Ios. Reading. Enjoying a brew. Heaven)
Things didn't start off all sunshine and rainbows though. Because before the Islands there was Athens. Oh Athens. Why wasn't I warned about you? If you looked up "smelly, intimidating, cultureless, armpit of a city" in the dictionary, there would be a photo of Athens. Or rather there wouldn't be because one of Athens' street dwelling inhabitants would have stolen it, sold it at a hugely inflated price to some ignorant tourist and taken their 'earnings' down to crack street or heroin alley for a massive Tuesday night. I probably shouldn't condemn an entire city based on only 2 days of analysis (in which I spent most of my time hiding in my hostel room) but hey, first impressions stick. So sorry Athens. Maybe one day I'll return and you can prove me wrong. I doubt it. But stranger things have happened.
(Santorini. It never ceases to amaze me that these buildings are still standing. It seems inevitable that one day the entire town will fall off into the ocean)
Ok so our first stop was Mykonos. Apparently It's the Homosexual capital of the islands and now that i think about it, I did notice a whole lot of impeccably groomed men. Mystery solved. We stayed at paradise beach resort. A pretty accurate description. For the one full day we were there I lay on the beach from 9am until 5.30pm. What a way to make a livin'? It was bliss. They have super comfortable cushioned banana lounges and umbrellas, which you have to pay for but it's totally worth it. I could have lived on that thing. In the evening we went into town for a wee tour of the city and dinner and drinks. Of course. The food in Greece is SOOOOO yummy delicious. My first night in Mykonos was also my first night with saganaki. I've had it in Melbourne but it's just not the same. The greeks really now how to fry their cheese. Genius.
(me. on a boat. in Paros)
I feel like I should talk about the people I met as well. Cause there were some good ones. So I'm going to digress just a little. The first person I met was Christie. We bonded immediately in the lobby of our Athens hostel over our mutual hatred of the city. You know those friends you have that just don't make any sense? The ones that if you were to break down each of your personalities into a set of data representing likes, dislikes, interests, beliefs etc etc you'd realise you aren't the least bit compatible? Yeh. Well I feel like that's Chris and I. I have a few friends like that at home. I'm always baffled by what keeps these friendships working but I've decided to just be grateful they do. Anyway she was great and kept me sane. She is from Melbourne as well so perhaps there will be a beautiful reunion in our future. Fingers crossed.
(antiParos boat cruise)
Next we arrived in Paros. I think possibly my favourite Island. It reminded me of a sleepy Victorian seaside town but better because instead of Victoria it was located in this breathtakingly beautiful, amazing, tropical place. WIN. Everyone I met here was really lovely as well. The people in Athens left me with quite a negative opinion of the Greeks but once I got to Paros all those negative feelings melted away and were replaced with warm fuzzy feelings of happiness, sunshine and cheap fruity cocktails with umbrellas in. We also partook in heaps of super fun ACTIVITIES in Paros. The first being the antiparos boat cruise. Which consisted pretty much of sailing, swimming, drinking and we stopped for a BBQ lunch prepared with love by Captain Antonios and his mum. I even ate Octopus. It tasted good but the texture wigged me out a little. It was chewy and the suckers were off putting. After that we got driven to a lovely little beach front restaurant bar for some dinner, traditional greek dancing and plate smashing. It was heaps of fun even though I couldn't quite get my head around the dancing. It was way more complex than the Greek Dancing I've been made to participate in at previous family functions. I thought I'd ace it but instead I just looked uncoordinated and drunk. And I wasn't even drunk. sigh. After that we went to a bar for some Shisha and more fruity cocktails and then to bed. Game, set, match.
I could have stayed in Paros for longer but it was time to set sail for Santorini. Up until Santorini I hadn't really seen the cliff faces covered in white buildings like I had expected to. Well. Santo made up for it. It was exactly what I had seen on all the post cards and pictured in my mind. It made me feel how I felt when I arrived in Venice. It's one of those moments where you have to pinch yourself because places like Venice and Santorini are so magical and unlike anything we have at home it's hard to believe they actually exist. These moments were daily when I first started traveling but unfortunately I've become quite jaded by all the amazing things I've seen. It was nice to know they were still possible.
(Chelsea.)
On the Second day in Santorini I went on a tour with Christie, Bec, Steve and our guide Amelia. All the others were too hungover. It was really nice to have such a small group. Intimate is the word I suppose. Bec and Steve were another 2 people I spent a lot of time with. They were a recently married couple from NSW. I've never met such a super friendly and enthusiastic pair. I wish I had their ability to not let the little stuff get them down. Seriously. They were so gosh damn positive it made me feel like a cynical old witch. Anyway I think they were a good influence on me. Even though I spent a solid amount of time bitching about people with Bec. Hey. We're only human.
Anyway the tour was of all the main things Santorini has to offer. First they took us to the highest point of the island where a little monastery was built way back in the day. The view was out of control. Unfortunately I had no camera to capture the amazingness. Idiot. Next we went to the black beach for a couple hours of rest and relaxation. It was really pretty but damn black sand obviously gets a whole lot hotter than regular sand so walking across is was like some kind of cruel and unusual punishment. After that it was to the red beach which was... (spoiler alert) red. All the rocks her were really sharp and spiky thanks to their volcano creator. What an ass. Amelia was telling us lots of interesting stuff throughout the day but the only thing I remember she told us at the red beach. And it was this: Apparently if you knock on a Greeks door in the night they won't answer until you knock a second time BECAUSE it is said that if a vampire comes to your door and knocks on your door in the middle of the night you answer straight away, he will come back in 2 nights and kill you. So they always wait for the second knock. True story. After that we went to a winery and sampled some wines and yummy cheeses and finished off the day with a sunset picnic at Ia. The rest of the group joined us for that portion of the trip. It was nice. We drank and ate and were merry. Up until this point we had stayed 2 nights at each location but I had planned to stay for 4 nights in Santorini so the next day the group would move on without me.
(this was where we stopped for lunch on our AntiParos boat tour. Pretty amazing huh?)
I was a little devo. I spent the extra 2 days I had in Santorini sunbaking by the pool at my villa and exploring town. The lady who owned Villa Manos (Poppy) was an absolute doll. She made me feel so at home. One evening I was sitting on the patio reading my book and she came out with a full plate of dinner and bread and wine and then followed that up with ice cream for dessert. Just because. And then when I was leaving she gave me a bottle of wine. She really was the perfect host. Her husband (who's name I never found out because she always just referred to him as 'my husband') was equally as accommodating. I kinda wish I had given them something to show my appreciation but I am poor. So... Sorry Poppy. I will direct all my fellow travelers to you. Promise.
(The Puppy that lived on the boat)
Final stop: Ios. Ios is the notorious party island but after leaving my group behind I didn't really feel like doing much partying. Unfortunately I was staying in a hostel which held 24hr drink-a-thons. After enduring one sleepless night I decided to hall-ass to somewhere a little more chilled out. I moved out of town down to the port town. Best decision ever. The port still had a wide range of shops and restaurants and the beaches were practically abandoned. Which the greased up, drunken, skanks and man-whores in the town would have despised but I loved it. On the second day I grabbed myself a banana lounge, a book and had the hotel staff bring me cold beers all day long. Devine. Actually the next day I did much the same thing. I really didn't see much of Ios. I tried to check out the town in the day but literally EVERY building in town was a bar or nightclub and was hence closed. Oh well. We have bars in Melbourne. I'll survive.
(our Busabout tour guide. Amelia)
So that was my time in Greece. I can't think of anything else funny or witty to say so I'll leave it at that. Catch you on the flippity flop.
(I ate that)
xxxx
xxx
xx
x
(this was on a beach in Ios. Reading. Enjoying a brew. Heaven)
Things didn't start off all sunshine and rainbows though. Because before the Islands there was Athens. Oh Athens. Why wasn't I warned about you? If you looked up "smelly, intimidating, cultureless, armpit of a city" in the dictionary, there would be a photo of Athens. Or rather there wouldn't be because one of Athens' street dwelling inhabitants would have stolen it, sold it at a hugely inflated price to some ignorant tourist and taken their 'earnings' down to crack street or heroin alley for a massive Tuesday night. I probably shouldn't condemn an entire city based on only 2 days of analysis (in which I spent most of my time hiding in my hostel room) but hey, first impressions stick. So sorry Athens. Maybe one day I'll return and you can prove me wrong. I doubt it. But stranger things have happened.
(Santorini. It never ceases to amaze me that these buildings are still standing. It seems inevitable that one day the entire town will fall off into the ocean)
Ok so our first stop was Mykonos. Apparently It's the Homosexual capital of the islands and now that i think about it, I did notice a whole lot of impeccably groomed men. Mystery solved. We stayed at paradise beach resort. A pretty accurate description. For the one full day we were there I lay on the beach from 9am until 5.30pm. What a way to make a livin'? It was bliss. They have super comfortable cushioned banana lounges and umbrellas, which you have to pay for but it's totally worth it. I could have lived on that thing. In the evening we went into town for a wee tour of the city and dinner and drinks. Of course. The food in Greece is SOOOOO yummy delicious. My first night in Mykonos was also my first night with saganaki. I've had it in Melbourne but it's just not the same. The greeks really now how to fry their cheese. Genius.
(me. on a boat. in Paros)
I feel like I should talk about the people I met as well. Cause there were some good ones. So I'm going to digress just a little. The first person I met was Christie. We bonded immediately in the lobby of our Athens hostel over our mutual hatred of the city. You know those friends you have that just don't make any sense? The ones that if you were to break down each of your personalities into a set of data representing likes, dislikes, interests, beliefs etc etc you'd realise you aren't the least bit compatible? Yeh. Well I feel like that's Chris and I. I have a few friends like that at home. I'm always baffled by what keeps these friendships working but I've decided to just be grateful they do. Anyway she was great and kept me sane. She is from Melbourne as well so perhaps there will be a beautiful reunion in our future. Fingers crossed.
(antiParos boat cruise)
Next we arrived in Paros. I think possibly my favourite Island. It reminded me of a sleepy Victorian seaside town but better because instead of Victoria it was located in this breathtakingly beautiful, amazing, tropical place. WIN. Everyone I met here was really lovely as well. The people in Athens left me with quite a negative opinion of the Greeks but once I got to Paros all those negative feelings melted away and were replaced with warm fuzzy feelings of happiness, sunshine and cheap fruity cocktails with umbrellas in. We also partook in heaps of super fun ACTIVITIES in Paros. The first being the antiparos boat cruise. Which consisted pretty much of sailing, swimming, drinking and we stopped for a BBQ lunch prepared with love by Captain Antonios and his mum. I even ate Octopus. It tasted good but the texture wigged me out a little. It was chewy and the suckers were off putting. After that we got driven to a lovely little beach front restaurant bar for some dinner, traditional greek dancing and plate smashing. It was heaps of fun even though I couldn't quite get my head around the dancing. It was way more complex than the Greek Dancing I've been made to participate in at previous family functions. I thought I'd ace it but instead I just looked uncoordinated and drunk. And I wasn't even drunk. sigh. After that we went to a bar for some Shisha and more fruity cocktails and then to bed. Game, set, match.
I could have stayed in Paros for longer but it was time to set sail for Santorini. Up until Santorini I hadn't really seen the cliff faces covered in white buildings like I had expected to. Well. Santo made up for it. It was exactly what I had seen on all the post cards and pictured in my mind. It made me feel how I felt when I arrived in Venice. It's one of those moments where you have to pinch yourself because places like Venice and Santorini are so magical and unlike anything we have at home it's hard to believe they actually exist. These moments were daily when I first started traveling but unfortunately I've become quite jaded by all the amazing things I've seen. It was nice to know they were still possible.
(Chelsea.)
On the Second day in Santorini I went on a tour with Christie, Bec, Steve and our guide Amelia. All the others were too hungover. It was really nice to have such a small group. Intimate is the word I suppose. Bec and Steve were another 2 people I spent a lot of time with. They were a recently married couple from NSW. I've never met such a super friendly and enthusiastic pair. I wish I had their ability to not let the little stuff get them down. Seriously. They were so gosh damn positive it made me feel like a cynical old witch. Anyway I think they were a good influence on me. Even though I spent a solid amount of time bitching about people with Bec. Hey. We're only human.
Anyway the tour was of all the main things Santorini has to offer. First they took us to the highest point of the island where a little monastery was built way back in the day. The view was out of control. Unfortunately I had no camera to capture the amazingness. Idiot. Next we went to the black beach for a couple hours of rest and relaxation. It was really pretty but damn black sand obviously gets a whole lot hotter than regular sand so walking across is was like some kind of cruel and unusual punishment. After that it was to the red beach which was... (spoiler alert) red. All the rocks her were really sharp and spiky thanks to their volcano creator. What an ass. Amelia was telling us lots of interesting stuff throughout the day but the only thing I remember she told us at the red beach. And it was this: Apparently if you knock on a Greeks door in the night they won't answer until you knock a second time BECAUSE it is said that if a vampire comes to your door and knocks on your door in the middle of the night you answer straight away, he will come back in 2 nights and kill you. So they always wait for the second knock. True story. After that we went to a winery and sampled some wines and yummy cheeses and finished off the day with a sunset picnic at Ia. The rest of the group joined us for that portion of the trip. It was nice. We drank and ate and were merry. Up until this point we had stayed 2 nights at each location but I had planned to stay for 4 nights in Santorini so the next day the group would move on without me.
(this was where we stopped for lunch on our AntiParos boat tour. Pretty amazing huh?)
I was a little devo. I spent the extra 2 days I had in Santorini sunbaking by the pool at my villa and exploring town. The lady who owned Villa Manos (Poppy) was an absolute doll. She made me feel so at home. One evening I was sitting on the patio reading my book and she came out with a full plate of dinner and bread and wine and then followed that up with ice cream for dessert. Just because. And then when I was leaving she gave me a bottle of wine. She really was the perfect host. Her husband (who's name I never found out because she always just referred to him as 'my husband') was equally as accommodating. I kinda wish I had given them something to show my appreciation but I am poor. So... Sorry Poppy. I will direct all my fellow travelers to you. Promise.
(The Puppy that lived on the boat)
Final stop: Ios. Ios is the notorious party island but after leaving my group behind I didn't really feel like doing much partying. Unfortunately I was staying in a hostel which held 24hr drink-a-thons. After enduring one sleepless night I decided to hall-ass to somewhere a little more chilled out. I moved out of town down to the port town. Best decision ever. The port still had a wide range of shops and restaurants and the beaches were practically abandoned. Which the greased up, drunken, skanks and man-whores in the town would have despised but I loved it. On the second day I grabbed myself a banana lounge, a book and had the hotel staff bring me cold beers all day long. Devine. Actually the next day I did much the same thing. I really didn't see much of Ios. I tried to check out the town in the day but literally EVERY building in town was a bar or nightclub and was hence closed. Oh well. We have bars in Melbourne. I'll survive.
(our Busabout tour guide. Amelia)
So that was my time in Greece. I can't think of anything else funny or witty to say so I'll leave it at that. Catch you on the flippity flop.
(I ate that)
xxxx
xxx
xx
x
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Dépaysement
Today I became obsessed with words that don't exist in the english language. Why? Why not. They're great. I think the english Language would definitely benefit from adopting a couple/all of these. GHHEEEEGGLLEEE!!
L'esprit de escalier: (french) the feeling you get after leaving a conversation. when you think of all the things you should have said. Translated it means "the spirit of the staircase".
Waldeinsamkeit: (german) The feeling of being alone in the woods
Meraki: (greek) Doing something with soul, creativity or love.
Forelsket: (Norwegian) The euphoria you experience when you are falling in love
Gheegle: (filipino) The urge to pinch or squeeze something that is unbearably cute
Pochemuchka: (Russian) A person you asks a lot of questions
Pena ajena: (mexican spanish) The embarrassment you feel watching someone Else's humiliation
Cualacino: (Italian) The mark left on a table by a cold glass
ilunga: (Tshiluba, congo) A person who is ready to forgive any abuse for the first time, to tolerate it a second time, but never a third time.
Saudade: (portugese, Galician) One of the most beautiful of all words, translatable or not, this word refers to the feeling of longing for something or someone that you love and which is lost.
Sgriobn: (Gaelic) the itchiness that overcomes the upper lip just before taking a sip of whisky.
Toska: (Russian) At its deepest and most painful, it is a sensation of great spiritual anguish, often without any specific cause. At less morbid levels it is a dull ache of the soul, a longing with nothing to long for, a sick pining, a vague restlessness, mental throes, yearning.
Mamihlapinatapei: (indigenous language of Tierra del Fuego) the wordless, yet meaningful look shared by two people who both desire to initiate something but are both reluctant to start
Jayus: (Indonesian) A joke so poorly told and so UNfunny that one cannot help but laugh
Tartle: (scottish) The act of hestitating while introducing someone because you’ve forgotten their name.
Schadenfreude: (German) the feeling of pleasure derived by seeing another’s misfortune.
Torschlusspanik: (German) Translated literally, this word means “gate-closing panic,” but its contextual meaning refers to the fear of diminishing opportunities as one ages.
Wabi-Sabi: (japanese) a way of living that focuses on finding beauty within the imperfections of life and accepting peacefully the natural cycle of growth and decay.
Dépaysement: (french) The feeling that comes from not being in one’s home country.
L'appel du vide: (french) “The call of the void” is this French expression’s literal translation, but more significantly it’s used to describe the instinctive urge to jump from high places.
Ya'aburnee: (Arabic) Both morbid and beautiful at once, this incantatory word means “You bury me,” a declaration of one’s hope that they’ll die before another person because of how difficult it would be to live without them.
Age-otori: (Japanese) To look worse after a haircut.
Arigata-meiwaku: (Japanese) An act someone does for you that you didn’t want to have them do and tried to avoid having them do, but they went ahead anyway, determined to do you a favour, and then things went wrong and caused you a lot of trouble, yet in the end social conventions required you to express gratitude.
Sgiomlaireachd: (Scottish Gaelic) When people interrupt you at meal time.
L'esprit de escalier: (french) the feeling you get after leaving a conversation. when you think of all the things you should have said. Translated it means "the spirit of the staircase".
Waldeinsamkeit: (german) The feeling of being alone in the woods
Meraki: (greek) Doing something with soul, creativity or love.
Forelsket: (Norwegian) The euphoria you experience when you are falling in love
Gheegle: (filipino) The urge to pinch or squeeze something that is unbearably cute
Pochemuchka: (Russian) A person you asks a lot of questions
Pena ajena: (mexican spanish) The embarrassment you feel watching someone Else's humiliation
Cualacino: (Italian) The mark left on a table by a cold glass
ilunga: (Tshiluba, congo) A person who is ready to forgive any abuse for the first time, to tolerate it a second time, but never a third time.
Saudade: (portugese, Galician) One of the most beautiful of all words, translatable or not, this word refers to the feeling of longing for something or someone that you love and which is lost.
Sgriobn: (Gaelic) the itchiness that overcomes the upper lip just before taking a sip of whisky.
Toska: (Russian) At its deepest and most painful, it is a sensation of great spiritual anguish, often without any specific cause. At less morbid levels it is a dull ache of the soul, a longing with nothing to long for, a sick pining, a vague restlessness, mental throes, yearning.
Mamihlapinatapei: (indigenous language of Tierra del Fuego) the wordless, yet meaningful look shared by two people who both desire to initiate something but are both reluctant to start
Jayus: (Indonesian) A joke so poorly told and so UNfunny that one cannot help but laugh
Tartle: (scottish) The act of hestitating while introducing someone because you’ve forgotten their name.
Schadenfreude: (German) the feeling of pleasure derived by seeing another’s misfortune.
Torschlusspanik: (German) Translated literally, this word means “gate-closing panic,” but its contextual meaning refers to the fear of diminishing opportunities as one ages.
Wabi-Sabi: (japanese) a way of living that focuses on finding beauty within the imperfections of life and accepting peacefully the natural cycle of growth and decay.
Dépaysement: (french) The feeling that comes from not being in one’s home country.
L'appel du vide: (french) “The call of the void” is this French expression’s literal translation, but more significantly it’s used to describe the instinctive urge to jump from high places.
Ya'aburnee: (Arabic) Both morbid and beautiful at once, this incantatory word means “You bury me,” a declaration of one’s hope that they’ll die before another person because of how difficult it would be to live without them.
Age-otori: (Japanese) To look worse after a haircut.
Arigata-meiwaku: (Japanese) An act someone does for you that you didn’t want to have them do and tried to avoid having them do, but they went ahead anyway, determined to do you a favour, and then things went wrong and caused you a lot of trouble, yet in the end social conventions required you to express gratitude.
Sgiomlaireachd: (Scottish Gaelic) When people interrupt you at meal time.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Highlander
At about this time last week Tulla and I booked a wee Last minute trip to Scotland. Best decision EVER. It was a glorious 3 days. So glorious I'm already planning my return. We went on a tour with a company called Haggis. They took us from Edinburgh up through the highlands to the Isle of Skye and back. We managed to jam a whole lot into the time we had but I imagine we barely scratched the surface. Oh well, this is where we actually went.
Our trip started on Sunday evening. Although the tour didn't start until Monday we still needed to get to Edinburgh somehow. After careful consideration we opted for the overnight bus option because it was only 20 pounds and it meant we wouldn't have to pay for an extra nights accommodation. Great idea right? HA. Idiots. After our 12 hour journey and one solid hour of sleep we arrived in Edinburgh. Then it was straight to the Haggis office to sign in and hop back on another bus. It became apparent immediately that our guides were going to be super funny and entertaining. Unfortunately it seemed the rest of our group was going to be painfully irritating. There were a couple of kiwis and Americans who were ok but the hoard of obnoxious Queenslanders were almost unbearable. I swear sometimes I am downright ashamed to be Australian. Only in the company of bogans though. ANYWAY our first stop was the Wallace Memorial. Wallace = Mel Gibson in Braveheart. In case you're ignorant like me. To be honest I can't remember a whole lot about him. So much information was thrown at me over the 3 days that once I reached a certain point any new info pushed out something I had previously learned. One thing that I do recall is that when he was executed they castrated him and then shoved the... ahhhh... well... WHAT they removed down his throat. Way harsh. After that we went on a wee hike through Glencoe, saw some castles (the ones were Highlander and Monty Python were filmed) and a F%@!LOAD of Lochs. We also went to a whiskey distillery which sounds like fun... but wasn't. The guy who did the tour clearly hated life and us. Apparently that was just his dry sense of humour. Sure. It's a shame because some of what he was saying was actually quite interesting. Like did you know that when they put whiskey into barrels to age it they purposely put it into a barrel which has been use to make some other kind of alcohol previously so it can impart its flavour into the whiskey. True story. It's just unfortunate that his look of "i want to kill you" was so unnerving. It was still a great day though. A great EXHAUSTING day. By the time we finally got to be we had been awake for a whopping 36 hours. I blame this entirely on the guides. Their number one rule was "no sleeping on the bus"... Stupid rule. If they caught you they'd scream into the microphone or blast some 'rage against the machine'. Evil. So needless to say when we arrived at our hostel and had a choice between boozing and participating in the pub quiz or sleeping... we slept. oh boy did we sleep. Not for long though...
Our mornings started 7.00am. Hideous. Our second day was spent in Skye. Lots of wide open spaces and tales of Faeries and Giants. They were mystical explanations of how the land was formed. Kinda like the Scottish equivalent to Dream Time stories I guess. There were the Lonely sisters who turned into mountains, the grieving man whose tears formed a river and the elderly couple who were turned to stone forming a pretty incredible rock formation. Elfin the Elf king was generally responsible. He was a cheeky bastard. Note to self: Don't make deals with Elfin. He is smarter than you and WILL turn you into a rock.
On the Final day we went to Loch Ness to find Nessy. Finally. They made us do a Loch ness Haka to encourage the beast to show itself. In reality they probably just wanted us to make fools of ourselves. A bunch of tourists standing on the bank of the Loch screaming and pounding their chests. Genius. It was kinda hard though. I didn't quite get the choreography down before we had to move on. Perhaps that's why she didn't show up. Whoops. On the way back to Edinburgh we listened to old Scottish tunes and Chris and Andy's incessant bad jokes. They played one song (Caledonia by Dougie Maclean) man... It really choked me up. And I'm not even Scottish. It was just the beautiful landscape and knowing that we would soon be returning to the hustle and bustle of London town which made it so easy to get caught up in the moment. Three days really just wasn't enough. I will miss the way they say "wee". And the way Chris said "bing bing" after all of his announcements over the speaker. Classic.
We got back to Edinburgh around 6pm and then got our bus home at 10pm. I arrived in London 6.40am the following morning. Looking like shite and hating life. But it was all worth it.
So. That's the tale of my 5 days in Scotland and 35ish hours on a bus.
No public transport for a week.
xx
Our trip started on Sunday evening. Although the tour didn't start until Monday we still needed to get to Edinburgh somehow. After careful consideration we opted for the overnight bus option because it was only 20 pounds and it meant we wouldn't have to pay for an extra nights accommodation. Great idea right? HA. Idiots. After our 12 hour journey and one solid hour of sleep we arrived in Edinburgh. Then it was straight to the Haggis office to sign in and hop back on another bus. It became apparent immediately that our guides were going to be super funny and entertaining. Unfortunately it seemed the rest of our group was going to be painfully irritating. There were a couple of kiwis and Americans who were ok but the hoard of obnoxious Queenslanders were almost unbearable. I swear sometimes I am downright ashamed to be Australian. Only in the company of bogans though. ANYWAY our first stop was the Wallace Memorial. Wallace = Mel Gibson in Braveheart. In case you're ignorant like me. To be honest I can't remember a whole lot about him. So much information was thrown at me over the 3 days that once I reached a certain point any new info pushed out something I had previously learned. One thing that I do recall is that when he was executed they castrated him and then shoved the... ahhhh... well... WHAT they removed down his throat. Way harsh. After that we went on a wee hike through Glencoe, saw some castles (the ones were Highlander and Monty Python were filmed) and a F%@!LOAD of Lochs. We also went to a whiskey distillery which sounds like fun... but wasn't. The guy who did the tour clearly hated life and us. Apparently that was just his dry sense of humour. Sure. It's a shame because some of what he was saying was actually quite interesting. Like did you know that when they put whiskey into barrels to age it they purposely put it into a barrel which has been use to make some other kind of alcohol previously so it can impart its flavour into the whiskey. True story. It's just unfortunate that his look of "i want to kill you" was so unnerving. It was still a great day though. A great EXHAUSTING day. By the time we finally got to be we had been awake for a whopping 36 hours. I blame this entirely on the guides. Their number one rule was "no sleeping on the bus"... Stupid rule. If they caught you they'd scream into the microphone or blast some 'rage against the machine'. Evil. So needless to say when we arrived at our hostel and had a choice between boozing and participating in the pub quiz or sleeping... we slept. oh boy did we sleep. Not for long though...
Our mornings started 7.00am. Hideous. Our second day was spent in Skye. Lots of wide open spaces and tales of Faeries and Giants. They were mystical explanations of how the land was formed. Kinda like the Scottish equivalent to Dream Time stories I guess. There were the Lonely sisters who turned into mountains, the grieving man whose tears formed a river and the elderly couple who were turned to stone forming a pretty incredible rock formation. Elfin the Elf king was generally responsible. He was a cheeky bastard. Note to self: Don't make deals with Elfin. He is smarter than you and WILL turn you into a rock.
On the Final day we went to Loch Ness to find Nessy. Finally. They made us do a Loch ness Haka to encourage the beast to show itself. In reality they probably just wanted us to make fools of ourselves. A bunch of tourists standing on the bank of the Loch screaming and pounding their chests. Genius. It was kinda hard though. I didn't quite get the choreography down before we had to move on. Perhaps that's why she didn't show up. Whoops. On the way back to Edinburgh we listened to old Scottish tunes and Chris and Andy's incessant bad jokes. They played one song (Caledonia by Dougie Maclean) man... It really choked me up. And I'm not even Scottish. It was just the beautiful landscape and knowing that we would soon be returning to the hustle and bustle of London town which made it so easy to get caught up in the moment. Three days really just wasn't enough. I will miss the way they say "wee". And the way Chris said "bing bing" after all of his announcements over the speaker. Classic.
We got back to Edinburgh around 6pm and then got our bus home at 10pm. I arrived in London 6.40am the following morning. Looking like shite and hating life. But it was all worth it.
So. That's the tale of my 5 days in Scotland and 35ish hours on a bus.
No public transport for a week.
xx
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tooting Broadway
On Monday I moved into my temporary residence at 44 Himley rd in Tooting Broadway. I'm loving it. I didn't realise how much I had missed having my own room until I got this one. The first day I was here I pretty much JUST slept. I had 3 months of interrupted sleep to catch up on. And now that I have I feel energized and ready to take on London all over again. When I was sleeping on Tess' couch I was starting to feel really... "blah". It was hard adjusting from the fast paced life of a European Jet-setter to being (essentially) a lonely housewife. I felt like time NOT spent at a museum, or gallery, or church, or some famous historic landmark, or drunk and partying was time wasted. It was hard to get used to. But now that I'm settled in my own space I feel like I'm able to function at a normal speed again. I'm quite happy to just read and knit or wonder around town. I set myself little projects so I at least feel like I've accomplished something at the end of each day. After what i had to endure last year at my soul-crushing job I feel I've earned the right to dawdle through the next 3 months of my life, doing nothing much in particular. Who knows, maybe I'll write a book or something.
Yesterday I went to the Museum of Natural History. All the exhibits were aimed at very young children so I think I even managed to learn something. The Dinosaurs were my favourite. I liked that whenever the information stated a 'fact' it would say, for example "dinosaurs PROBABLY had skin which helped them to camouflage" or "this dinosaur PROBABLY blew air through this hollow cavity to create a warning sound " etc etc. I don't think paleontologists know anything for sure. It would be fun to be a paleontologist. You could just make up whatever you wanted and no one would know for sure. You could be like "triceratops spoke with a south african accent. What's that? you think I'm wrong? prove it." I think this is a career path I should look into. The human body section was soooooo dated. I was clearly constructed in the 80s and has definitely not been touched since. If fact the whole museum was in desperate need of a spruce up. All the exhibits were covered in a think layer of dust except for the areas wiped clean by the prying fingers of disobedient children. The giant whale which hung from the ceiling appeared especially neglected. If the exhibits ACTUALLY came to life like they did in that movie (night at the museum) I think they'd be appalled at their condition. Someone should do something about that.
Tomorrow I think I'll go to Leicester square and then maybe to the national portrait gallery. It's supposed to be pretty fab. Oh and in other recent news, Erin has offered me her room when she moves back home in may. SO. I'm taking it and will stay until the lease is up at the end of July. Well that's the plan for now. Things will quite possible change another 8 times before I actually get home. Stay tuned.
I'm off to make dinner. Chicken and salad. Then shower. Then lots and lots of grey's anatomy. My love for the show has been rekindled and I'm desperately trying to catch up to the episodes which are airing here at the moment.
Au Revoir xx
Yesterday I went to the Museum of Natural History. All the exhibits were aimed at very young children so I think I even managed to learn something. The Dinosaurs were my favourite. I liked that whenever the information stated a 'fact' it would say, for example "dinosaurs PROBABLY had skin which helped them to camouflage" or "this dinosaur PROBABLY blew air through this hollow cavity to create a warning sound " etc etc. I don't think paleontologists know anything for sure. It would be fun to be a paleontologist. You could just make up whatever you wanted and no one would know for sure. You could be like "triceratops spoke with a south african accent. What's that? you think I'm wrong? prove it." I think this is a career path I should look into. The human body section was soooooo dated. I was clearly constructed in the 80s and has definitely not been touched since. If fact the whole museum was in desperate need of a spruce up. All the exhibits were covered in a think layer of dust except for the areas wiped clean by the prying fingers of disobedient children. The giant whale which hung from the ceiling appeared especially neglected. If the exhibits ACTUALLY came to life like they did in that movie (night at the museum) I think they'd be appalled at their condition. Someone should do something about that.
Tomorrow I think I'll go to Leicester square and then maybe to the national portrait gallery. It's supposed to be pretty fab. Oh and in other recent news, Erin has offered me her room when she moves back home in may. SO. I'm taking it and will stay until the lease is up at the end of July. Well that's the plan for now. Things will quite possible change another 8 times before I actually get home. Stay tuned.
I'm off to make dinner. Chicken and salad. Then shower. Then lots and lots of grey's anatomy. My love for the show has been rekindled and I'm desperately trying to catch up to the episodes which are airing here at the moment.
Au Revoir xx
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Classic Donna
I survived St. Patricks day. Just.
Lucy and I arrived in Cork late last saturday. I knew I liked Ireland from the second we landed. Irish people are SO Irish it's ridiculous. Ridiculously ADORABLE. They say things like "tis grand" and "to be sure" and "I'm just tuggin' your socks"... I loved it. But I digress. Once we checked in at the hostel we went out to dinner and then to a traditional Irish pub down the road. We thought we'd just ordered a beer but soon realised we'd ordered a guinness. Well the Cork version of guinness: Murphey's draught... and oh be-jesus it was like drinking a beer/a loaf of bread. But After the first few sips it's surprisingly enjoyable and we felt like total locals drinking it which was a bonus. The next day we got up early to go see the sites but apparently Cork doesn't open on Sundays. The only things open were pubs. Typical. So we did what any self respecting tourists would do and and went on a Cork pub crawl starting at 11am. We didn't see much but we sure did soak up the culture.
The next day we were much more productive. We got the bus down to Kinsale which is a small town on the coast about 45minutes south of Cork. We walked along the coast about hour to Charles Fort (a fort built in the 1600s or something. A big deal apparently) It was beautiful. Everything was so lush and green and the ruins of the fort looked incredible. We spent almost 2 hours there just exploring. It was one of the most amazing things I've seen so far. We headed back into town to meet up with Lucy (no.2) and Tess who had driven down from Dublin to meet us. We grabbed some lunch and then drove back to cork where we then ate (again) and drank (some more). Next on the agenda was Blarney Castle. Which, in true Irish form, was also like a mystical, magical, fairy land. We went to the top to kiss the stone which wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be. There's nothing even on the rock. It's just... a rock. And I had to kiss it. gah. Oh well. After that we drove to Cove. Another seaside town. We got a beer at a pub right on the water and then went back to Cork for more drinking and Irish festivities.
The next morning we got up bright and early to drive up to Dublin. I drove. I was nervous. But it was in the middle of nowhere so there wasn't really much to crash into. We drove via Tipperary, cause Lucy's family is from there but other then that it was onward to Dublin to get ready for Paddy's day. WEOW!
By the time we got around to booking our accommodation for Dublin all the hostels were booked out so we had to resort to booking a swanky hotel. Best thing we ever did. It was so nice. Room service. Cable television. Fresh towels. ah. heaven. It was a splendid two days. When we first arrived we went to the Guinness factory. We only got there an hour before closing though so we pretty much sprinted past all the exhibits to the top floor where you claim your complementary pint of Guinness. Worth it. The next day was Paddy's day which was pretty much what we expected. Guinness Guinness Guinness Whiskey Whiskey Guinness Whiskey. We started drinking at 12pm and got home at 3am. It was EXHAUSTING. The more Irish people drink the friendlier they get but also the less coherent their speech gets. It was certainly a struggle but if ever we didn't understand anyone we just sang and hugged and everything was good. I think I heard that song (that p.s. I love you song) "her hair was black and her eyes were blue" about 50 times. Not even exaggerating. Or complaining. Great song.
So I've been back in London for about 4 Days. Just chilling out. I went to Hyde park yesterday. It was beautiful. I just sat there for 3 hours or so reading my book and observing the squirrels. I. Love. Squirrels. They'd come right up to me to say hello, but as soon as they realised I didn't have any food they'd piss off again. On saturday there's a big rowing race on between cambridge and oxford. Apparently it's a HUGE deal so we're going to pack a picnic and some drinks and head down to the river to observe. How English am I?? Answer: Pretty English.
Other than that not a whole lot has been going on. I thought I had secured a flat but the girls currently renting it gave me the wrong information so that's not happening anymore. Instead I've decided to just travel until end of June/July and then come home. Places I want to go include: Scotland, Turkey, Greece, Switzerland... mmmm yep. Although one of the girls I'm staying with at moment is thinking of going home in April so If she does I'll take her place here. I have a feeling she won't decide til the last second though... which is annoying... but oh well. Spontaneous Jac will deal with it.
I think thats all.
starving
xx
Lucy and I arrived in Cork late last saturday. I knew I liked Ireland from the second we landed. Irish people are SO Irish it's ridiculous. Ridiculously ADORABLE. They say things like "tis grand" and "to be sure" and "I'm just tuggin' your socks"... I loved it. But I digress. Once we checked in at the hostel we went out to dinner and then to a traditional Irish pub down the road. We thought we'd just ordered a beer but soon realised we'd ordered a guinness. Well the Cork version of guinness: Murphey's draught... and oh be-jesus it was like drinking a beer/a loaf of bread. But After the first few sips it's surprisingly enjoyable and we felt like total locals drinking it which was a bonus. The next day we got up early to go see the sites but apparently Cork doesn't open on Sundays. The only things open were pubs. Typical. So we did what any self respecting tourists would do and and went on a Cork pub crawl starting at 11am. We didn't see much but we sure did soak up the culture.
The next day we were much more productive. We got the bus down to Kinsale which is a small town on the coast about 45minutes south of Cork. We walked along the coast about hour to Charles Fort (a fort built in the 1600s or something. A big deal apparently) It was beautiful. Everything was so lush and green and the ruins of the fort looked incredible. We spent almost 2 hours there just exploring. It was one of the most amazing things I've seen so far. We headed back into town to meet up with Lucy (no.2) and Tess who had driven down from Dublin to meet us. We grabbed some lunch and then drove back to cork where we then ate (again) and drank (some more). Next on the agenda was Blarney Castle. Which, in true Irish form, was also like a mystical, magical, fairy land. We went to the top to kiss the stone which wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be. There's nothing even on the rock. It's just... a rock. And I had to kiss it. gah. Oh well. After that we drove to Cove. Another seaside town. We got a beer at a pub right on the water and then went back to Cork for more drinking and Irish festivities.
The next morning we got up bright and early to drive up to Dublin. I drove. I was nervous. But it was in the middle of nowhere so there wasn't really much to crash into. We drove via Tipperary, cause Lucy's family is from there but other then that it was onward to Dublin to get ready for Paddy's day. WEOW!
By the time we got around to booking our accommodation for Dublin all the hostels were booked out so we had to resort to booking a swanky hotel. Best thing we ever did. It was so nice. Room service. Cable television. Fresh towels. ah. heaven. It was a splendid two days. When we first arrived we went to the Guinness factory. We only got there an hour before closing though so we pretty much sprinted past all the exhibits to the top floor where you claim your complementary pint of Guinness. Worth it. The next day was Paddy's day which was pretty much what we expected. Guinness Guinness Guinness Whiskey Whiskey Guinness Whiskey. We started drinking at 12pm and got home at 3am. It was EXHAUSTING. The more Irish people drink the friendlier they get but also the less coherent their speech gets. It was certainly a struggle but if ever we didn't understand anyone we just sang and hugged and everything was good. I think I heard that song (that p.s. I love you song) "her hair was black and her eyes were blue" about 50 times. Not even exaggerating. Or complaining. Great song.
So I've been back in London for about 4 Days. Just chilling out. I went to Hyde park yesterday. It was beautiful. I just sat there for 3 hours or so reading my book and observing the squirrels. I. Love. Squirrels. They'd come right up to me to say hello, but as soon as they realised I didn't have any food they'd piss off again. On saturday there's a big rowing race on between cambridge and oxford. Apparently it's a HUGE deal so we're going to pack a picnic and some drinks and head down to the river to observe. How English am I?? Answer: Pretty English.
Other than that not a whole lot has been going on. I thought I had secured a flat but the girls currently renting it gave me the wrong information so that's not happening anymore. Instead I've decided to just travel until end of June/July and then come home. Places I want to go include: Scotland, Turkey, Greece, Switzerland... mmmm yep. Although one of the girls I'm staying with at moment is thinking of going home in April so If she does I'll take her place here. I have a feeling she won't decide til the last second though... which is annoying... but oh well. Spontaneous Jac will deal with it.
I think thats all.
starving
xx
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Mind the gap
So.
In total we ended up staying in Barcelona for 8 nights. We Just got REALLY lazy and decided we should cut out Avignon and Lyon and go straight from Barca to Paris. best. decision. ever. It was so nice to be settled in one place for longer than 3 nights. and everyone at the hostel was so friendly. It was one big happy family. Duda (the manager I guess) also gave us beds for super cheap because we had "good vibrations" so it seemed stupid to leave. When we did eventually pack up and go it was really sad! Everyone was gathered in reception to see us off. It was nice.
We got a sleeper train to Paris. We had heard horror stories from friends about train pirates and crazy abusive German ladies who throw bread rolls at you BUT our trip was really pleasant. It was just like a plane but way better. The seats were bigger and cushier and they reclined all the way back. Yum. Tulla met us in Paris which was nice. Sarah and I were always eager for new people to talk to. We did the typical tourist stuff. Eiffle tower. Arc. The Champs Elysees. The Louvre. blah blah blah. It was all cool I guess but I just didn't dig Paris. It was kinda a dull place. A dull place full of amazing things but still... dull. At least the food was good. Duck and crepes and cheese. OH MY! Yeah I pretty much just ate my way around Paris. It was grand. And oh so delicious. Soooooo many pastries. oh mylanta they were scrumptious. Made the trip totally worth it.
Now I'm back in Jolly old England. Staying with Tess and Lucy. I've found a place of my own but I can't move in until May so it seems I may be here a while. On Saturday we go to Ireland for st Pats. Terror. It's going to be full on. Today I went to Spitalfields Market and bought a green jacket just for the occasion. It seemed necessary.
Now I'm watching the real housewives of orange county.
Must devote my full attention to it.
Adios Amigos.
xxxxx
xxx
x
In total we ended up staying in Barcelona for 8 nights. We Just got REALLY lazy and decided we should cut out Avignon and Lyon and go straight from Barca to Paris. best. decision. ever. It was so nice to be settled in one place for longer than 3 nights. and everyone at the hostel was so friendly. It was one big happy family. Duda (the manager I guess) also gave us beds for super cheap because we had "good vibrations" so it seemed stupid to leave. When we did eventually pack up and go it was really sad! Everyone was gathered in reception to see us off. It was nice.
We got a sleeper train to Paris. We had heard horror stories from friends about train pirates and crazy abusive German ladies who throw bread rolls at you BUT our trip was really pleasant. It was just like a plane but way better. The seats were bigger and cushier and they reclined all the way back. Yum. Tulla met us in Paris which was nice. Sarah and I were always eager for new people to talk to. We did the typical tourist stuff. Eiffle tower. Arc. The Champs Elysees. The Louvre. blah blah blah. It was all cool I guess but I just didn't dig Paris. It was kinda a dull place. A dull place full of amazing things but still... dull. At least the food was good. Duck and crepes and cheese. OH MY! Yeah I pretty much just ate my way around Paris. It was grand. And oh so delicious. Soooooo many pastries. oh mylanta they were scrumptious. Made the trip totally worth it.
Now I'm back in Jolly old England. Staying with Tess and Lucy. I've found a place of my own but I can't move in until May so it seems I may be here a while. On Saturday we go to Ireland for st Pats. Terror. It's going to be full on. Today I went to Spitalfields Market and bought a green jacket just for the occasion. It seemed necessary.
Now I'm watching the real housewives of orange county.
Must devote my full attention to it.
Adios Amigos.
xxxxx
xxx
x
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