(Tuesday, May 12)
Today I finished my last piece of coursework of my college career.
(Wednesday, May 13)
This evening we had a party at Jess' place with a baseball theme. I taught the girls how to play a drinking game called baseball, which is a variant on beer pong that adds in elements of flip cup. I'm too lazy to describe it to you here, but if you want to know about it then I will tell you about it sometime. This game involves a lot more drinking than beer pong, so we all got pretty well drunk. After the party some of the people went on to the Carleton, but I wasn't feeling it so I just went back to my place and chilled for a bit before going to sleep.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Roses
(Friday, May 8)
Today I got up really early to catch a coach to York with the Fish for the Roses. The Roses is a sporting competition between Lancaster and York every year. If anyone has ever heard of the "War of the Roses", that is where this competition takes its name from. Anyways, the competition covers a huge range of sports and it lasts for several days, however all of the frisbee games are on the same day. We hopped on our coach around 6:30am and headed off to York. We got there around 10am and but our first indoor game wasn't for a while, so we just threw around to get warmed up and waste time.
The first indoor game, which was a mixed exhibition game, started around 11. It was a really close and hard fought game, and in the end Lancaster emerged the victors. The next game was the men's indoor. This game was so close all the way through and everyone watching was incredibly tense, and in similar fashion to the previous game Lancaster prevailed in the final seconds. With both indoor games finished there were about 2 hours of rest time until the outdoor game. Our team decided to walk to a nearby sandwich shop which was famous for its premade sandwiches. They were every bit as good as their reputation had built them up to be. Now that we had been fed we headed out to the fields to get ready for our last game of the day.
As we were warming up for the game it started to rain, but thankfully it only lasted for about 10 minutes. The game was pretty disappointing with Lancaster getting beaten fairly soundly. The final total for the day was Lancaster 2 - York 1, but the annoying thing about it was that the mixed indoor game wasn't worth any points, the men's indoor was worth 2 points, and the outdoor game was worth 4 points, so York beat us in overall points 4-2. I was also a bit annoyed cause I only played the outdoor game.
Also, Lancaster got destroyed in the overall Roses competition when all of the sports were completed. I hope to go back to Lancaster next May to see the next Roses competition, cause they will be the hosts next year.
Roses Photos
Today I got up really early to catch a coach to York with the Fish for the Roses. The Roses is a sporting competition between Lancaster and York every year. If anyone has ever heard of the "War of the Roses", that is where this competition takes its name from. Anyways, the competition covers a huge range of sports and it lasts for several days, however all of the frisbee games are on the same day. We hopped on our coach around 6:30am and headed off to York. We got there around 10am and but our first indoor game wasn't for a while, so we just threw around to get warmed up and waste time.
The first indoor game, which was a mixed exhibition game, started around 11. It was a really close and hard fought game, and in the end Lancaster emerged the victors. The next game was the men's indoor. This game was so close all the way through and everyone watching was incredibly tense, and in similar fashion to the previous game Lancaster prevailed in the final seconds. With both indoor games finished there were about 2 hours of rest time until the outdoor game. Our team decided to walk to a nearby sandwich shop which was famous for its premade sandwiches. They were every bit as good as their reputation had built them up to be. Now that we had been fed we headed out to the fields to get ready for our last game of the day.
As we were warming up for the game it started to rain, but thankfully it only lasted for about 10 minutes. The game was pretty disappointing with Lancaster getting beaten fairly soundly. The final total for the day was Lancaster 2 - York 1, but the annoying thing about it was that the mixed indoor game wasn't worth any points, the men's indoor was worth 2 points, and the outdoor game was worth 4 points, so York beat us in overall points 4-2. I was also a bit annoyed cause I only played the outdoor game.
Also, Lancaster got destroyed in the overall Roses competition when all of the sports were completed. I hope to go back to Lancaster next May to see the next Roses competition, cause they will be the hosts next year.
Roses Photos
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Ireland & Scotland Trip Part 3: Edinburgh
(Sunday, May 3)
I got up and headed straight for the airport to catch my flight to Edinburgh. When I arrived in Edinburgh I hopped right onto a bus for about an hour ride to my hostel in the city center. I got to my hostel, got checked in, and settled into my room. The hostel I was staying at did free dinner on Sunday night at 7pm and it was currently about 5pm so I went out to walk around and see a bit of the city. Along my walk I came across a tour group who asked me to take pictures of them with their cameras. I ended up shooting pictures with about 10 different cameras and we all had a laugh about it. When the time drew near to 7 I headed back to the hostel cause I was most certainly not gonna miss a free dinner.
Back at the hostel I grabbed my Wired magazine and sat down in a large comfy chair in the dining room area. There was another large chair next to mine and in that chair sat a beautiful redheaded girl. For about 20 minutes she sat reading her book silently while I read my magazine, both of us waiting for the announcement to eat. When the time came we got up and got in the line for food. I asked her about the book she was reading and from there our conversation continued. The dining room was full so we took our plates down to the TV room. After we had finished eating we decided to watch a movie. She chose "Shaun of the Dead", which I had only seen parts of. When the movie ended we decided to watch another, this time I chose "Supertroopers". After the movie we picked right back up with our conversation. We talked for probably an hour then we decided it was time to get some sleep. Before saying goodnight we finally introduced ourselves. Her name was Jenny.
(Monday, May 4)
I got up kinda early cause I wanted to make sure I got the most of the day. I ate a quick breakfast, got cleaned up, made dinner plans with Jenny, and set off to explore the city. My first destination was the Scott Monument which was just a few blocks from my hostel. I can't really remember who this Scott guy was, but his monument was pretty neat. I walked up the hundreds of windy stairs to the top so I could get a better view of the surroundings. Being at the top of the monument I experienced probably the most powerful winds I've ever felt, good thing my camera had a wrist strap. After the monument I worked my way over to Old Town and up to the castle. Edinburgh Castle is the coolest castle I've ever seen from the outside. Inside the walls it is a bit bland, but still worth visiting. I spent over 3 hours walking around the castle and touring the various exhibits. When I left the castle I headed to the Scotch Whisky Experience which was only about a block away. Those of you who know me know that I hate whiskey, but I figured I would give it one more chance.
While I was waiting to buy my ticket I heard a group behind me talking in what sounded like an American accent so I asked where they were from. They turned out to be Canadian, so I was pretty close. Their names were Jame, Shelby, Jessica and Alex (who was Swiss). The first part of the tour involves sitting in a little car on a rail, very much like a DisneyWorld ride. Jame, Shelby, and I shared a car for this part. At the end of that ride you go into a room where the different regions for Scotch whisky production are explained to you (notice that I'm spelling whisky without the 'e'. Whisky = Scotch, Whiskey = everything else). After this the tour takes you into a huge display room with the biggest collection of Scotch in the world. Here you get a chance to taste 1 whisky from a region of your choosing. After this you head into a bar area where if you bought the gold tour ticket, which we all did, you can taste 4 more whiskys. We all sat down around a table with our tasting sheets and our 4 little glasses of whisky. We spent probably an hour and a half there getting to know each other and sipping on whisky. I can safely say that I still hate whisky just as much. After we had finished our glasses we decided to go grab a quick dinner.
We ended up at a nice little restaurant a few blocks away. Jessica ordered haggis so I got a chance to try it and to my surprise it wasn't bad. My only complaint was a bit of an odd texture, but the flavor was pretty good. We ate and talked for about an hour then it was time for us to go our separate ways. It was a lot of fun getting to know them, especially because of how random it was meeting them.
Back at the hostel I met up with Jenny and we went in search of dinner. We ended up at a place called Bad Ass, which was a bar about 15 minutes walk from our place. The food was some of the best I'd had in the UK. After dinner we went back to the hostel and went back to the TV room where we found people watching Stardust so we sat down and watched with them. After the movie we headed back to our rooms cause we were planning on an early start the next morning.
(Tuesday, May 5)
We got up early and walked to Jenny's friend's hostel. When we got there I met her friend, Miranda, who is a Canadian and has been living in Edinburgh for 3 months. We all walked to Old Town where we booked our coach tour of the Highlands. The tour was scheduled to last 10 hours and take us to a variety of places in the Scottish Highlands. Even though the weather was pretty crappy, we had a great time on the tour. I wish I could remember all the places that the tour took us, but sadly I cannot. When we got back we headed back to our hostel and Miranda went back to hers. I took a little nap cause I was wiped out from the tour. A few hours later Jenny and I went over to Miranda's hostel for the evening. Miranda and Jenny made dinner which was awesome and then we played drinking games till we decided to leave.
(Wednesday, May 6)
I got up early so I could check out of my room. After checking out, Jenny and I went to meet up with Miranda for lunch. We went to a place called Dirty Dick's, which was right next to Bad Ass, perhaps there is some sort of anatomy theme around there. The food at this place was equally as good as Bad Ass, which makes Edinburgh easily the best food city in the UK from my experience. After dinner we said goodbye to Miranda and went for one last walk around the city. We walked through Prince Street gardens, then up through Old Town, past the Elephant Cafe where J.K. Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter and past the Greyfriar's Bobby, which is a statue of a little dog who sat on its master's grave every day for years after its master died. We eventually worked our way back to our hostel to pick up our luggage. Luggage in hand we headed out to Waverley Bridge where we said our goodbyes. I headed down to the train station to start my journey back to Lancaster and she boarded a bus to the airport.
Edinburgh Photos
Edingburgh Photos 2
I got up and headed straight for the airport to catch my flight to Edinburgh. When I arrived in Edinburgh I hopped right onto a bus for about an hour ride to my hostel in the city center. I got to my hostel, got checked in, and settled into my room. The hostel I was staying at did free dinner on Sunday night at 7pm and it was currently about 5pm so I went out to walk around and see a bit of the city. Along my walk I came across a tour group who asked me to take pictures of them with their cameras. I ended up shooting pictures with about 10 different cameras and we all had a laugh about it. When the time drew near to 7 I headed back to the hostel cause I was most certainly not gonna miss a free dinner.
Back at the hostel I grabbed my Wired magazine and sat down in a large comfy chair in the dining room area. There was another large chair next to mine and in that chair sat a beautiful redheaded girl. For about 20 minutes she sat reading her book silently while I read my magazine, both of us waiting for the announcement to eat. When the time came we got up and got in the line for food. I asked her about the book she was reading and from there our conversation continued. The dining room was full so we took our plates down to the TV room. After we had finished eating we decided to watch a movie. She chose "Shaun of the Dead", which I had only seen parts of. When the movie ended we decided to watch another, this time I chose "Supertroopers". After the movie we picked right back up with our conversation. We talked for probably an hour then we decided it was time to get some sleep. Before saying goodnight we finally introduced ourselves. Her name was Jenny.
(Monday, May 4)
I got up kinda early cause I wanted to make sure I got the most of the day. I ate a quick breakfast, got cleaned up, made dinner plans with Jenny, and set off to explore the city. My first destination was the Scott Monument which was just a few blocks from my hostel. I can't really remember who this Scott guy was, but his monument was pretty neat. I walked up the hundreds of windy stairs to the top so I could get a better view of the surroundings. Being at the top of the monument I experienced probably the most powerful winds I've ever felt, good thing my camera had a wrist strap. After the monument I worked my way over to Old Town and up to the castle. Edinburgh Castle is the coolest castle I've ever seen from the outside. Inside the walls it is a bit bland, but still worth visiting. I spent over 3 hours walking around the castle and touring the various exhibits. When I left the castle I headed to the Scotch Whisky Experience which was only about a block away. Those of you who know me know that I hate whiskey, but I figured I would give it one more chance.
While I was waiting to buy my ticket I heard a group behind me talking in what sounded like an American accent so I asked where they were from. They turned out to be Canadian, so I was pretty close. Their names were Jame, Shelby, Jessica and Alex (who was Swiss). The first part of the tour involves sitting in a little car on a rail, very much like a DisneyWorld ride. Jame, Shelby, and I shared a car for this part. At the end of that ride you go into a room where the different regions for Scotch whisky production are explained to you (notice that I'm spelling whisky without the 'e'. Whisky = Scotch, Whiskey = everything else). After this the tour takes you into a huge display room with the biggest collection of Scotch in the world. Here you get a chance to taste 1 whisky from a region of your choosing. After this you head into a bar area where if you bought the gold tour ticket, which we all did, you can taste 4 more whiskys. We all sat down around a table with our tasting sheets and our 4 little glasses of whisky. We spent probably an hour and a half there getting to know each other and sipping on whisky. I can safely say that I still hate whisky just as much. After we had finished our glasses we decided to go grab a quick dinner.
We ended up at a nice little restaurant a few blocks away. Jessica ordered haggis so I got a chance to try it and to my surprise it wasn't bad. My only complaint was a bit of an odd texture, but the flavor was pretty good. We ate and talked for about an hour then it was time for us to go our separate ways. It was a lot of fun getting to know them, especially because of how random it was meeting them.
Back at the hostel I met up with Jenny and we went in search of dinner. We ended up at a place called Bad Ass, which was a bar about 15 minutes walk from our place. The food was some of the best I'd had in the UK. After dinner we went back to the hostel and went back to the TV room where we found people watching Stardust so we sat down and watched with them. After the movie we headed back to our rooms cause we were planning on an early start the next morning.
(Tuesday, May 5)
We got up early and walked to Jenny's friend's hostel. When we got there I met her friend, Miranda, who is a Canadian and has been living in Edinburgh for 3 months. We all walked to Old Town where we booked our coach tour of the Highlands. The tour was scheduled to last 10 hours and take us to a variety of places in the Scottish Highlands. Even though the weather was pretty crappy, we had a great time on the tour. I wish I could remember all the places that the tour took us, but sadly I cannot. When we got back we headed back to our hostel and Miranda went back to hers. I took a little nap cause I was wiped out from the tour. A few hours later Jenny and I went over to Miranda's hostel for the evening. Miranda and Jenny made dinner which was awesome and then we played drinking games till we decided to leave.
(Wednesday, May 6)
I got up early so I could check out of my room. After checking out, Jenny and I went to meet up with Miranda for lunch. We went to a place called Dirty Dick's, which was right next to Bad Ass, perhaps there is some sort of anatomy theme around there. The food at this place was equally as good as Bad Ass, which makes Edinburgh easily the best food city in the UK from my experience. After dinner we said goodbye to Miranda and went for one last walk around the city. We walked through Prince Street gardens, then up through Old Town, past the Elephant Cafe where J.K. Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter and past the Greyfriar's Bobby, which is a statue of a little dog who sat on its master's grave every day for years after its master died. We eventually worked our way back to our hostel to pick up our luggage. Luggage in hand we headed out to Waverley Bridge where we said our goodbyes. I headed down to the train station to start my journey back to Lancaster and she boarded a bus to the airport.
Edinburgh Photos
Edingburgh Photos 2
Ireland & Scotland Trip Part 2: Dublin
(Friday, May 1)
My bus from Limerick arrived in Dublin around 5pm. I had forgotten to check where my hostel was before getting on the bus, but much to my surprise the bus actually had free Internet access and I had my laptop on me so that was easily sorted out. When I got to my hostel I checked in and worked on some homework for my online English class. About 2 hours later I got a message from Dennis that he and the group (Katie, Stacey, Oleg, and Marianna) had arrived at their hostel on the other side of the city. We made plans to meet up near my hostel an hour later, so I went back to my room and got cleaned up.
We met up at the O'Connell Monument near my hostel, which is pretty close to what you would say is the center of the city. From there we walked to the Temple Bar district which was only a few blocks away. We walked up and down the streets looking for a reasonably priced dinner, but this wasn't easy cause Temple Bar is probably one of the most expensive areas in the city. We ended up splitting up, with Katie, Stacey, and I going to a small cafe in the district and Oleg, Dennis, and Marianna going to Burger King which was back where we had started the walk.
After dinner we all regrouped at a pub in the district which was really nice. They had some live music playing and I had the best pint of Guiness I've ever had. We hung out here for a few expensive rounds then went in search of a club. We found one just down the block. It was 5 stories tall with a different theme on each floor. The cover was pretty steep so Oleg and Marianna decided to go back to the hostel for the night while the rest of us went in to dance. We stayed there for probably 3 hours or so and then headed out. Thankfully my hostel is right on the border of the Temple Bar district so it only took me about 10 minutes to walk back while Dennis, Katie, and Stacey had about a 40 minute walk ahead of them. I was feeling pretty hungry so I grabbed some Subway on my way. Back at the hostel I wolfed down the sub and did some finishing touches on my English paper before submitting it and going to bed.
(Saturday, May 2)
I got up fairly early so I could snatch some free continental breakfast in the kitchen at my hostel. The breakfast was pretty lame, but it was at least something. After breakfast I met up with the rest of the group and we walked along the Liffey River, which runs through the center of Dublin, to the Guiness Storehouse. We paid our entry fee and set off on the self-guided tour of all 7 floors. It was like an adult version of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Along the way their was a tasting area so we downed a few half pints while we were there and kept on going. At the top there was a restaurant and with your entry you get a free pint of Guiness so we stopped into the restaurant to redeem our coupons and get something to eat. They were serving some hot sandwiches and I had probably the best roast beef sandwich I've ever eaten in my life. After lunch we descended back to the lobby, bought some souvenirs, and headed out.
Katie and Stacey decided to go back to their hostel for a nap while the rest of us pressed on to see more of the city. The first stop on our walk was Dublin Castle. The name is quite deceptive as only a tiny part of it still looks like a normal castle. Most of it looks like some kind of Victorian palace or something like that. Next stop was Christ's Church. We didn't bother going in, we simply walked past it but it looked kinda neat. After that we walked to St. Patrick's Cathedral. The cathedral is fairly plain from the outside and we didn't want to pay to go inside, but the park outside of the cathedral was nice so we laid down in the grass for a quick siesta. Next up was St. Stephen's Green. This was certainly the best part of the afternoon. St. Stephen's Green is a beautiful park in the southern part of the city. Its filled with criss-crossing footpaths that take you along little ponds and past flower gardens. We walked around the park for a bit before coming to rest on a patch of grass near one of the ponds. We all laid down for a bit and I fell asleep for probably about 30 minutes. Our last stop on our tour of the city was Trinity College. Sadly by the time we got there it was starting to rain so we didn't walk around it as much as I would have liked. I'm sure its a nice campus to walk around and I will go there if I make it back to Dublin again. When we left Trinity College we headed back to my hostel which was fairly close by.
Back at my hostel we all relaxed on the couches in the lobby and checked our email on my laptop. We made plans to meet up with Katie and Stacey in an hour so while we waited I went back to my room and shower up. When I came back to the lobby Dennis, Oleg, and Marianna were all asleep on the couches. I shook them around a bit and reluctantly they got up. We left the hostel and met back up with Katie and Stacey. The first order of business for the evening was dinner. Since it was Dennis' birthday we let him decide and we ended up grabbing some lackluster Chinese food. After dinner we walked once more into the Temple Bar district in search of some drinks. The first place we came to was a bar on the bottom floor of a hotel. The place was pretty fancy and it was really busy so we decided to join in. We managed to find an open table and I headed to the bar for a round. It took me about 30 minutes to get a drink, which led to our decision to leave after that round. When we left there were some people in the street handing out flyers for a nearby strip club so we decided to go there so we could embarass the birthday boy. When we got to the door of the club they said that no ladies were allowed to come in so we nixed that idea and instead went looking for a pub. We ended up going to The Temple Bar, which was one of the coolest pubs I've ever been in. It was completely packed so there wasn't a whole lot of space to move around, but the atmosphere was great. We had a few drinks there before we called it a night. We walked out to the main street then said our goodbyes cause I was going to Edinburgh in the morning by myself.
Dublin Photos
My bus from Limerick arrived in Dublin around 5pm. I had forgotten to check where my hostel was before getting on the bus, but much to my surprise the bus actually had free Internet access and I had my laptop on me so that was easily sorted out. When I got to my hostel I checked in and worked on some homework for my online English class. About 2 hours later I got a message from Dennis that he and the group (Katie, Stacey, Oleg, and Marianna) had arrived at their hostel on the other side of the city. We made plans to meet up near my hostel an hour later, so I went back to my room and got cleaned up.
We met up at the O'Connell Monument near my hostel, which is pretty close to what you would say is the center of the city. From there we walked to the Temple Bar district which was only a few blocks away. We walked up and down the streets looking for a reasonably priced dinner, but this wasn't easy cause Temple Bar is probably one of the most expensive areas in the city. We ended up splitting up, with Katie, Stacey, and I going to a small cafe in the district and Oleg, Dennis, and Marianna going to Burger King which was back where we had started the walk.
After dinner we all regrouped at a pub in the district which was really nice. They had some live music playing and I had the best pint of Guiness I've ever had. We hung out here for a few expensive rounds then went in search of a club. We found one just down the block. It was 5 stories tall with a different theme on each floor. The cover was pretty steep so Oleg and Marianna decided to go back to the hostel for the night while the rest of us went in to dance. We stayed there for probably 3 hours or so and then headed out. Thankfully my hostel is right on the border of the Temple Bar district so it only took me about 10 minutes to walk back while Dennis, Katie, and Stacey had about a 40 minute walk ahead of them. I was feeling pretty hungry so I grabbed some Subway on my way. Back at the hostel I wolfed down the sub and did some finishing touches on my English paper before submitting it and going to bed.
(Saturday, May 2)
I got up fairly early so I could snatch some free continental breakfast in the kitchen at my hostel. The breakfast was pretty lame, but it was at least something. After breakfast I met up with the rest of the group and we walked along the Liffey River, which runs through the center of Dublin, to the Guiness Storehouse. We paid our entry fee and set off on the self-guided tour of all 7 floors. It was like an adult version of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Along the way their was a tasting area so we downed a few half pints while we were there and kept on going. At the top there was a restaurant and with your entry you get a free pint of Guiness so we stopped into the restaurant to redeem our coupons and get something to eat. They were serving some hot sandwiches and I had probably the best roast beef sandwich I've ever eaten in my life. After lunch we descended back to the lobby, bought some souvenirs, and headed out.
Katie and Stacey decided to go back to their hostel for a nap while the rest of us pressed on to see more of the city. The first stop on our walk was Dublin Castle. The name is quite deceptive as only a tiny part of it still looks like a normal castle. Most of it looks like some kind of Victorian palace or something like that. Next stop was Christ's Church. We didn't bother going in, we simply walked past it but it looked kinda neat. After that we walked to St. Patrick's Cathedral. The cathedral is fairly plain from the outside and we didn't want to pay to go inside, but the park outside of the cathedral was nice so we laid down in the grass for a quick siesta. Next up was St. Stephen's Green. This was certainly the best part of the afternoon. St. Stephen's Green is a beautiful park in the southern part of the city. Its filled with criss-crossing footpaths that take you along little ponds and past flower gardens. We walked around the park for a bit before coming to rest on a patch of grass near one of the ponds. We all laid down for a bit and I fell asleep for probably about 30 minutes. Our last stop on our tour of the city was Trinity College. Sadly by the time we got there it was starting to rain so we didn't walk around it as much as I would have liked. I'm sure its a nice campus to walk around and I will go there if I make it back to Dublin again. When we left Trinity College we headed back to my hostel which was fairly close by.
Back at my hostel we all relaxed on the couches in the lobby and checked our email on my laptop. We made plans to meet up with Katie and Stacey in an hour so while we waited I went back to my room and shower up. When I came back to the lobby Dennis, Oleg, and Marianna were all asleep on the couches. I shook them around a bit and reluctantly they got up. We left the hostel and met back up with Katie and Stacey. The first order of business for the evening was dinner. Since it was Dennis' birthday we let him decide and we ended up grabbing some lackluster Chinese food. After dinner we walked once more into the Temple Bar district in search of some drinks. The first place we came to was a bar on the bottom floor of a hotel. The place was pretty fancy and it was really busy so we decided to join in. We managed to find an open table and I headed to the bar for a round. It took me about 30 minutes to get a drink, which led to our decision to leave after that round. When we left there were some people in the street handing out flyers for a nearby strip club so we decided to go there so we could embarass the birthday boy. When we got to the door of the club they said that no ladies were allowed to come in so we nixed that idea and instead went looking for a pub. We ended up going to The Temple Bar, which was one of the coolest pubs I've ever been in. It was completely packed so there wasn't a whole lot of space to move around, but the atmosphere was great. We had a few drinks there before we called it a night. We walked out to the main street then said our goodbyes cause I was going to Edinburgh in the morning by myself.
Dublin Photos
Friday, May 29, 2009
Ireland & Scotland Trip Part 1: Limerick
(Wednesday, April 29th)
Today begins my trip to Ireland and Scotland. The trip begins with me catching a train to Manchester, then a flight to Dublin, and finally a 3 hour bus ride to Limerick. I am traveling alone for this leg of the journey, but my iPod keeps me company. The bus drops me off in Limerick outside the gates to University of Limerick (UL). A few minutes later a car drives up and out jumps Jenna, who is the one I'm here to visit. Jenna is an American studying abroad for the Spring here at UL. I met her during my visit to Naples over Easter break cause she was staying in the same hostel as me. After a quick hug we throw my stuff in the car and drive back to her flat.
Back at her flat I drop my stuff off in her room then make my way to the kitchen to meet the rest of her flatmates who are all local Irish students. It was really funny when I walked into the room cause of a few of them had their mouths and noses covered with their shirts because the swine flu was in England which is where I was coming from. We made the introductions then sat down to watch some football (soccer) with the group. One of her flatmates made dinner for all of us which was great.
After dinner we all just hung out in the kitchen and Jenna and I tried to work out some plans for the next day. We decided we would go with some of her friends to the Cliffs of Moher which was about 2 hours away by bus. After an hour or so we all decided to call it a night and retired to our rooms.
(Thursday, April 30)
Jenna and I got up early today to meet up with her friends and catch our bus to the Cliffs of Moher. As I mentioned before, the ride was about 2 hours long to get there. Along the way I got to know her friends better, which was fun. Two of them are Canadian so they attempted to name all 50 states and I attempted to name all the provinces and territories of Canada. I'd say it was fairly even between our knowledge of each other's countries. When we got to the cliffs we walked the paths along the cliff edge in both directions. The cliffs are absolutely beautiful and so is the Irish countryside. We brought some lunch so we had a little picnic in the sun. After lunch we toured the gift shop then caught our bus back to Limerick.
When we got back to Limerick we were hungry for a snack so we went to a little place and grabs some garlic cheese chips, basically steak fries with shredded cheese and garlic mayo. After the snack we caught a bus back to the flat. Almost as soon as we got back to the flat another one of her flatmates was finishing dinner so we had to eat again to avoid being rude. We both felt like blimps after that so we took a nap. When we got up we took turns grabbing a shower, then got dressed for the evening. Her flat was hosting a big flat party that night.
The party started around 8pm with only a few people there, but after about an hour the place was packed with their friends. I worked my way around getting to know as many people as I could. The party went on for about 2 hours then we decided to move en masse to a nearby bar/club called The Lodge. Only 1 person had a car to take people to The Lodge which was about a 20 minute walk away, so we hung back while he took a car load of people. After waiting about 15 minutes we decided the 5 of us would just walk there so we headed off through campus towards the main road. Along the way we came across a guy in a Avis van who was lost driving around campus. He asked us for directions and then offered us a ride. We all crammed into the van which meant Jenna and I were sitting on people's laps. I finished my beer as we drove and we talked with the guy. He dropped us off right in front of the club, making him one of the coolest random strangers I've ever met.
Similar to the party, when we got to the club it was pretty dead with our group being pretty much the only ones there. However, within an hour or so the place was packed. We all danced and drank the night away. When we left the club we caught a ride with Jenna's flatmate. Back at the flat we all reflected on a good night then went to bed.
(Friday, May 1)
The time had come for me to say goodbye to Jenna and leave Limerick. After a quick breakfast she walked me to the gates of the university and waited for the bus with me. We said our goodbyes and I got on my bus headed for Dublin. My time in Limerick was an absolute blast and I'm really happy I met her in Naples, otherwise I would have never had this opportunity.
Limerick Photos
Today begins my trip to Ireland and Scotland. The trip begins with me catching a train to Manchester, then a flight to Dublin, and finally a 3 hour bus ride to Limerick. I am traveling alone for this leg of the journey, but my iPod keeps me company. The bus drops me off in Limerick outside the gates to University of Limerick (UL). A few minutes later a car drives up and out jumps Jenna, who is the one I'm here to visit. Jenna is an American studying abroad for the Spring here at UL. I met her during my visit to Naples over Easter break cause she was staying in the same hostel as me. After a quick hug we throw my stuff in the car and drive back to her flat.
Back at her flat I drop my stuff off in her room then make my way to the kitchen to meet the rest of her flatmates who are all local Irish students. It was really funny when I walked into the room cause of a few of them had their mouths and noses covered with their shirts because the swine flu was in England which is where I was coming from. We made the introductions then sat down to watch some football (soccer) with the group. One of her flatmates made dinner for all of us which was great.
After dinner we all just hung out in the kitchen and Jenna and I tried to work out some plans for the next day. We decided we would go with some of her friends to the Cliffs of Moher which was about 2 hours away by bus. After an hour or so we all decided to call it a night and retired to our rooms.
(Thursday, April 30)
Jenna and I got up early today to meet up with her friends and catch our bus to the Cliffs of Moher. As I mentioned before, the ride was about 2 hours long to get there. Along the way I got to know her friends better, which was fun. Two of them are Canadian so they attempted to name all 50 states and I attempted to name all the provinces and territories of Canada. I'd say it was fairly even between our knowledge of each other's countries. When we got to the cliffs we walked the paths along the cliff edge in both directions. The cliffs are absolutely beautiful and so is the Irish countryside. We brought some lunch so we had a little picnic in the sun. After lunch we toured the gift shop then caught our bus back to Limerick.
When we got back to Limerick we were hungry for a snack so we went to a little place and grabs some garlic cheese chips, basically steak fries with shredded cheese and garlic mayo. After the snack we caught a bus back to the flat. Almost as soon as we got back to the flat another one of her flatmates was finishing dinner so we had to eat again to avoid being rude. We both felt like blimps after that so we took a nap. When we got up we took turns grabbing a shower, then got dressed for the evening. Her flat was hosting a big flat party that night.
The party started around 8pm with only a few people there, but after about an hour the place was packed with their friends. I worked my way around getting to know as many people as I could. The party went on for about 2 hours then we decided to move en masse to a nearby bar/club called The Lodge. Only 1 person had a car to take people to The Lodge which was about a 20 minute walk away, so we hung back while he took a car load of people. After waiting about 15 minutes we decided the 5 of us would just walk there so we headed off through campus towards the main road. Along the way we came across a guy in a Avis van who was lost driving around campus. He asked us for directions and then offered us a ride. We all crammed into the van which meant Jenna and I were sitting on people's laps. I finished my beer as we drove and we talked with the guy. He dropped us off right in front of the club, making him one of the coolest random strangers I've ever met.
Similar to the party, when we got to the club it was pretty dead with our group being pretty much the only ones there. However, within an hour or so the place was packed. We all danced and drank the night away. When we left the club we caught a ride with Jenna's flatmate. Back at the flat we all reflected on a good night then went to bed.
(Friday, May 1)
The time had come for me to say goodbye to Jenna and leave Limerick. After a quick breakfast she walked me to the gates of the university and waited for the bus with me. We said our goodbyes and I got on my bus headed for Dublin. My time in Limerick was an absolute blast and I'm really happy I met her in Naples, otherwise I would have never had this opportunity.
Limerick Photos
Friday, May 22, 2009
Summer Term Starts
Much to everyone's dismay it was time to start up school again. Everyone had returned from their travels loaded with stories and photos, so conversations where much more lively than they had been just before our break started.
(4/22) The day started off with me turning in my essay for my Human Resources Management course, which was the last essay of my college career. It felt so good to not have to think about that thing anymore. The rest of the day was spent wasting time in Trev playing pool and having a few pints. In the evening we all gathered at Neil's flat to celebrate his 21st birthday. We downed punch, vodka jello, and finger food while playing some karaoke game for a few hours. Around 10:30 we packed it up and headed to the underpass to catch our bus to the Carleton. The Carleton was the usual blur of dancing, drinking, and mingling with various groups of friends scattered amongst the crowd. All in all a really fun night.
Photos From Neil's Party
(4/24) I didn't have any plans to go out this evening, but while I was hanging out in Trev in the afternoon with Neil, Andy, and Rachel just having a pint and chatting, Neil talked me into joining up with the Lancaster Ski and Snowboard Club (LUSASC) for their social that night. After I finished my pint at Trev I went back to my flat, made some dinner, and got changed. I met up with the LUSASC people down in Pendle bar. We kicked things off with a boat race, which I am now a veteran at so I represented well. The theme of the social was something called a "Valley Rally" where the group is divided up into teams of 4 or so and there are several checkpoints around campus. Your team has to go to each checkpoint and complete challenges there for points and whichever team has the most points after everyone is done wins.
The challenge at our first checkpoint involved one member of our team drinking 2 shots of vodka from a plastic cup with no hands then eating a jam donut also with no hands. Our guy drank the vodka and immediately threw up then tore up the donut, it was hilarious. At the next checkpoint they had a ski rigged up with 2 beer bongs running down the length. Two people from our team had to bong a pint as fast as we could. I stepped up to the plate for this challenge and showed them how Americans do a beer bong. I ended up with the fastest time from all the teams, booya! For the third and final challenge we had to have a pint and a Reef. We had to run about 30 feet to a post and spin around in a circle 5 times then run back drink 1/4 of the pint, then go back and do it again. We did that 4 times until the pint was done, then we had to do the spinning one more time then do a Strawpedoe with our Reef to finish it off. We all felt pretty nauseous after that and one of our team members threw up into the pond outside the STATS building. With all the challenges complete we wandered back to Trev to await the rest of the teams. After the judges completed the scoring they announced the winners, which sadly wasn't us. We came in 2nd out of the 5 teams, but we were all pretty tipsy so I think that counts as a victory anyways.
With the Valley Ralley complete we headed off to Sugarhouse for the rest of the night. When we got there I ran into a few other groups of friends who had come out that night as well so I spent most of the night bouncing around from group to group. It was a really fun night with this random group of LUSASC people whom I'd never met.
(4/26) Tonight we celebrated Dennis' birthday, which isn't actually for another few weeks, but he was going to be leaving soon to go back to the Netherlands. The party kicked off around 9pm in Jess' flat. Steadily the crowd grew with more and more of the international group arriving. There ended up being a huge turnout, probably somewhere around 30-40 people. We all hung out and drank and played beer pong for hours. It was especially fun cause I hadn't seen a lot of those people in months. Some time around midnight the stupid college porters came and broke up the party cause we were being too loud. Several of us left the party, walked around a few buildings and waited for the porters to leave, then went back to Jess' flat. We decided to move the party to Dennis flat so that we would be less likely to get busted again. The group had thinned out to about 10-15 people, but we still had a great time. We enjoyed some birthday cake and chilled in Dennis' kitchen until about 2 or 3 in the morning then we wrapped it up.
(4/22) The day started off with me turning in my essay for my Human Resources Management course, which was the last essay of my college career. It felt so good to not have to think about that thing anymore. The rest of the day was spent wasting time in Trev playing pool and having a few pints. In the evening we all gathered at Neil's flat to celebrate his 21st birthday. We downed punch, vodka jello, and finger food while playing some karaoke game for a few hours. Around 10:30 we packed it up and headed to the underpass to catch our bus to the Carleton. The Carleton was the usual blur of dancing, drinking, and mingling with various groups of friends scattered amongst the crowd. All in all a really fun night.
Photos From Neil's Party
(4/24) I didn't have any plans to go out this evening, but while I was hanging out in Trev in the afternoon with Neil, Andy, and Rachel just having a pint and chatting, Neil talked me into joining up with the Lancaster Ski and Snowboard Club (LUSASC) for their social that night. After I finished my pint at Trev I went back to my flat, made some dinner, and got changed. I met up with the LUSASC people down in Pendle bar. We kicked things off with a boat race, which I am now a veteran at so I represented well. The theme of the social was something called a "Valley Rally" where the group is divided up into teams of 4 or so and there are several checkpoints around campus. Your team has to go to each checkpoint and complete challenges there for points and whichever team has the most points after everyone is done wins.
The challenge at our first checkpoint involved one member of our team drinking 2 shots of vodka from a plastic cup with no hands then eating a jam donut also with no hands. Our guy drank the vodka and immediately threw up then tore up the donut, it was hilarious. At the next checkpoint they had a ski rigged up with 2 beer bongs running down the length. Two people from our team had to bong a pint as fast as we could. I stepped up to the plate for this challenge and showed them how Americans do a beer bong. I ended up with the fastest time from all the teams, booya! For the third and final challenge we had to have a pint and a Reef. We had to run about 30 feet to a post and spin around in a circle 5 times then run back drink 1/4 of the pint, then go back and do it again. We did that 4 times until the pint was done, then we had to do the spinning one more time then do a Strawpedoe with our Reef to finish it off. We all felt pretty nauseous after that and one of our team members threw up into the pond outside the STATS building. With all the challenges complete we wandered back to Trev to await the rest of the teams. After the judges completed the scoring they announced the winners, which sadly wasn't us. We came in 2nd out of the 5 teams, but we were all pretty tipsy so I think that counts as a victory anyways.
With the Valley Ralley complete we headed off to Sugarhouse for the rest of the night. When we got there I ran into a few other groups of friends who had come out that night as well so I spent most of the night bouncing around from group to group. It was a really fun night with this random group of LUSASC people whom I'd never met.
(4/26) Tonight we celebrated Dennis' birthday, which isn't actually for another few weeks, but he was going to be leaving soon to go back to the Netherlands. The party kicked off around 9pm in Jess' flat. Steadily the crowd grew with more and more of the international group arriving. There ended up being a huge turnout, probably somewhere around 30-40 people. We all hung out and drank and played beer pong for hours. It was especially fun cause I hadn't seen a lot of those people in months. Some time around midnight the stupid college porters came and broke up the party cause we were being too loud. Several of us left the party, walked around a few buildings and waited for the porters to leave, then went back to Jess' flat. We decided to move the party to Dennis flat so that we would be less likely to get busted again. The group had thinned out to about 10-15 people, but we still had a great time. We enjoyed some birthday cake and chilled in Dennis' kitchen until about 2 or 3 in the morning then we wrapped it up.
Easter Break Part 7: Back in Lancaster
(4/9) I arrived in Lancaster around 11am and went straight to my flat. I unpacked all my stuff and then did a TON of laundry. While the laundry was going I hopped online and did some work for my online classes. That afternoon I met up with Amanda, Urmie, and Rosie and watched the Life Aquatic and ate Ben & Jerry's. In the evening I headed down to Grad Bar and met up with the usual suspects for a few pints of quality ale.
(4/10) My first full day back was spent basking in laziness. I did a little work in the morning, then spent most of the day watching movies such as Donnie Darko, Choke, and The Departed. That evening I went out with some friends to WalkAbout, then came back to my flat and Skyped with Amanda (Bennett) for the first time.
(4/11) The weather was particularly beautiful so Amanda, Rosie, and I went into town to walk around. When we arrived in town we decided to go do a tour of the castle. It was pretty interesting. After the castle tour we went to the one Mexican restaurant in town for lunch and then got some amazing hot chocolate at a tucked away coffee shop. That night I watched Choke again, but this time with Amanda and Rosie. Amanda was so hooked on the movie that she watched it 2 more times after I left.
(4/12) EASTER!!! Since all of us were thousands of miles from our families we decided to get together and enjoy the holiday together. Amanda, Rosie, Urmie, and I met up at Amanda's flat around 10am and whipped up a delicious brunch of omlettes, potatoes, and mimosas. The rest of the day I just napped and bummed around. In the evening all of us met up again plus Rosemary, and met up at Rosie's flat for dinner. We had sun-dried tomato pesto, salad, bruschetta, and finished it off with my signature bananas foster, yummmmmmmm! It was really nice to enjoy Easter with my new friends.
(4/10) My first full day back was spent basking in laziness. I did a little work in the morning, then spent most of the day watching movies such as Donnie Darko, Choke, and The Departed. That evening I went out with some friends to WalkAbout, then came back to my flat and Skyped with Amanda (Bennett) for the first time.
(4/11) The weather was particularly beautiful so Amanda, Rosie, and I went into town to walk around. When we arrived in town we decided to go do a tour of the castle. It was pretty interesting. After the castle tour we went to the one Mexican restaurant in town for lunch and then got some amazing hot chocolate at a tucked away coffee shop. That night I watched Choke again, but this time with Amanda and Rosie. Amanda was so hooked on the movie that she watched it 2 more times after I left.
(4/12) EASTER!!! Since all of us were thousands of miles from our families we decided to get together and enjoy the holiday together. Amanda, Rosie, Urmie, and I met up at Amanda's flat around 10am and whipped up a delicious brunch of omlettes, potatoes, and mimosas. The rest of the day I just napped and bummed around. In the evening all of us met up again plus Rosemary, and met up at Rosie's flat for dinner. We had sun-dried tomato pesto, salad, bruschetta, and finished it off with my signature bananas foster, yummmmmmmm! It was really nice to enjoy Easter with my new friends.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Easter Break Part 6: Naples
(4/5) I got up, checked out of my hostel, grabbed my free breakfast, and headed for the train station. I bought my ticket to Naples and ran to the train. When I got on and sat down I got a text message from Jessica, who just so happened to be on the same train. We hung out for most of the ride, which was about 2 hours. In Naples we walked towards our hostels, which were near only a few blocks away from each other. I arrived at my hostel and checked in, then hopped on the computer to check my email and Facebook. While I was surfing the web the owner of the hostel invited me to join him and his family for a homemade pasta lunch. I was so excited to eat a home-cooked Italian meal I can't even explain it. The family consisted of a husband, wife, and 2 daughters. The only one who spoke good English was the mother, so they just conversed in Italian the whole time and I smiled and quietly ate.
After lunch I walked to Piazza Plebiscito, which is a huge square with a church at one end and a palace at the other. I waited in the square for Jess and her mom to finish getting settled. When they got there we walked to the waterfront. On the way to the waterfront there was a little cart selling various food items, so I bought a slice of fresh coconut, which I thought was pretty odd for Italy. I ate my coconut as we wandered aimlessly along the water, taking in the city. When the sun was starting to set we headed back towards our hostels. As soon we arrived at my hostel Diego showed up. He had stayed in Rome for a few extra hours to go to Vatican City and see the Pope. After he got checked in we all got cleaned up and went for dinner. We ate at a small pizza place, which was delicious. After dinner we wanted to go out for a bit so we went to a jazz bar nearby. The music wasn't as good as I hoped for, but we still enjoyed conversation over drinks.
(4/6) After a quick breakfast Diego and I met up with Jess and her mom to catch a train to Herculaneum. Herculaneum is a town near Pompei that is full of ruins just like Pompei. When we got to the train station in Herculaneum we walked down some steps and caught a bus up to Mt. Vesuvius. The ride was pretty crazy, swerving right along the edge of steep dropoffs. The bus dropped us off a few hundred feet below the top, so from there we walked along a dirt path up the steep hillside. At the top we got to look into the giant crater left from when it erupted and destroyed Pompei. We hung out at the top for about an hour and ate a picnic lunch. After lunch we rode back down to the town and caught a train to Pompei.
In Pompei we went straight to the ruins, which were close to the station. The city was huge, with so many well preserved ruins. We spent around 3 hours there walking up and down the streets taking in the history. When we decided we had seen enough we caught the train back to Naples and returned to the hostels. Back in our hostel a group was forming for a night out on the town so we decided to link up with them. Our group for the night consisted of 6 girls and 2 guys from my hostel, me, Jess, Diego, and Jess' mom. The first stop of the night was a tiny little bar which is owned by the boyfriend of one of the people who works at my hostel. The guy gave us a free drink then it was off to the restaurant next door. Dinner was a blast and pretty tasty. This place was definitely a locals-only kind of place with a completely authentic feel. The atmosphere of waiters buzzing around and noisy conversation was almost better than the food. After dinner we went back to that bar had a few more free drinks, then headed back to the hostel to crash.
(4/7) After breakfast it was time to say goodbye to Diego, cause he was off to Greece. When he had left I met up with Jess and we walked to the docks to catch a boat to Capri. As soon as we arrived in Capri we hopped on a 2 hour boat tour around the island. The tour stopped at several caves and natural landmarks around the island, including the famous Blue Grotto at the end. Looking at the island as we motored around in the boat was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Capri is truly stunning, with huge cliffs that drop straight into the sapphire blue water. After the boat tour we grabbed some lunch, then walked up the zig-zagging streets to the city center, which is up on a hilltop. We browsed the shops as we walked along the tiny streets. As we crested the top of the hill we found a beautiful park, so we stopped for a break to enjoy the sun. After a little break we started the walk back towards the pier, grabbing a gelato along the way. When we got back to the pier we checked the timetables for ferries and decided to take one leaving an hour later. Since we had some time to kill we walked along the rocky beach, then laid down for a short nap until time to catch the ferry.
Back in Naples we went straight to our hostels to get cleaned up. The owner of Jess' hostel, Giovanni, was making dinner for everyone staying there so I was invited to come along. He made a huge portion of pasta and we all sat around and enjoyed. After everyone was done eating Giovanni broke out a guitar and harmonica and started jamming. He was surprisingly good and it was fun singing along with him. After dinner I said goodbye to Jess since my flight was leaving very early the next morning.
On my way back to my hostel I ran into the group that had gone to dinner with us the night before. They persuaded me to go out to the bars with them for a while. We went to the restaurant from the night before and they were just closing up. They remembered us though, so they let us come in and hang out after hours for a while. They gave us tons of free limoncello, which is like a sugary-vodka-lemon dessert drink. The owner threw on some salsa music and took turns dancing with each of the girls, which was hilarious. We we finally stepped out of the restaurant the girls talked the waiters into giving them rides on their Vespas. Finally, when everyone was back we followed one of the waiters, Francesco, to another bar nearby. We stayed long enough for 2 rounds then went back to the hostel. Back at the hostel we hung out for a while then crashed.
(4/8) I was hungover from the night before and slept through my alarm, thus causing me to miss my flight. When I realized I was definitely not gonna make it I sat down and ate some breakfast and tried to sort out a new plan. After an hour of searching online I decided to catch a train to Pisa, stay in a hostel for one night, and get the first flight out the next morning. I got all my stuff packed up and headed to the train station to go to Pisa. In Pisa I caught a bus to my hostel and dropped my stuff off. My hostel was only a block away from the Leaning Tower, so I went for a walk around the courtyard where the tower stands. After a quick walk I went to a restaurant next door to my hostel and wolfed down some pizza. I chased down my pizza with some gelato then went back to my hostel to await the owner's arrival. When he got there he helped me book a taxi for the morning. After that I went back to my room and talked with my roomie for a bit before passing out.
(4/9) I got up at 4:15am, grabbed my stuff and caught a taxi to the airport. I got checked in, grabbed something for breakfast, and got a flight from Pisa to Liverpool. In Liverpool I took a bus to the train station then caught a train back to Lancaster. It was sad to see the end of my travels, but at the same time it was relaxing to go back to Lancaster.
Naples Photos
Vesuvius and Pompei Photos
Capri Photos
Pisa Photos
After lunch I walked to Piazza Plebiscito, which is a huge square with a church at one end and a palace at the other. I waited in the square for Jess and her mom to finish getting settled. When they got there we walked to the waterfront. On the way to the waterfront there was a little cart selling various food items, so I bought a slice of fresh coconut, which I thought was pretty odd for Italy. I ate my coconut as we wandered aimlessly along the water, taking in the city. When the sun was starting to set we headed back towards our hostels. As soon we arrived at my hostel Diego showed up. He had stayed in Rome for a few extra hours to go to Vatican City and see the Pope. After he got checked in we all got cleaned up and went for dinner. We ate at a small pizza place, which was delicious. After dinner we wanted to go out for a bit so we went to a jazz bar nearby. The music wasn't as good as I hoped for, but we still enjoyed conversation over drinks.
(4/6) After a quick breakfast Diego and I met up with Jess and her mom to catch a train to Herculaneum. Herculaneum is a town near Pompei that is full of ruins just like Pompei. When we got to the train station in Herculaneum we walked down some steps and caught a bus up to Mt. Vesuvius. The ride was pretty crazy, swerving right along the edge of steep dropoffs. The bus dropped us off a few hundred feet below the top, so from there we walked along a dirt path up the steep hillside. At the top we got to look into the giant crater left from when it erupted and destroyed Pompei. We hung out at the top for about an hour and ate a picnic lunch. After lunch we rode back down to the town and caught a train to Pompei.
In Pompei we went straight to the ruins, which were close to the station. The city was huge, with so many well preserved ruins. We spent around 3 hours there walking up and down the streets taking in the history. When we decided we had seen enough we caught the train back to Naples and returned to the hostels. Back in our hostel a group was forming for a night out on the town so we decided to link up with them. Our group for the night consisted of 6 girls and 2 guys from my hostel, me, Jess, Diego, and Jess' mom. The first stop of the night was a tiny little bar which is owned by the boyfriend of one of the people who works at my hostel. The guy gave us a free drink then it was off to the restaurant next door. Dinner was a blast and pretty tasty. This place was definitely a locals-only kind of place with a completely authentic feel. The atmosphere of waiters buzzing around and noisy conversation was almost better than the food. After dinner we went back to that bar had a few more free drinks, then headed back to the hostel to crash.
(4/7) After breakfast it was time to say goodbye to Diego, cause he was off to Greece. When he had left I met up with Jess and we walked to the docks to catch a boat to Capri. As soon as we arrived in Capri we hopped on a 2 hour boat tour around the island. The tour stopped at several caves and natural landmarks around the island, including the famous Blue Grotto at the end. Looking at the island as we motored around in the boat was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Capri is truly stunning, with huge cliffs that drop straight into the sapphire blue water. After the boat tour we grabbed some lunch, then walked up the zig-zagging streets to the city center, which is up on a hilltop. We browsed the shops as we walked along the tiny streets. As we crested the top of the hill we found a beautiful park, so we stopped for a break to enjoy the sun. After a little break we started the walk back towards the pier, grabbing a gelato along the way. When we got back to the pier we checked the timetables for ferries and decided to take one leaving an hour later. Since we had some time to kill we walked along the rocky beach, then laid down for a short nap until time to catch the ferry.
Back in Naples we went straight to our hostels to get cleaned up. The owner of Jess' hostel, Giovanni, was making dinner for everyone staying there so I was invited to come along. He made a huge portion of pasta and we all sat around and enjoyed. After everyone was done eating Giovanni broke out a guitar and harmonica and started jamming. He was surprisingly good and it was fun singing along with him. After dinner I said goodbye to Jess since my flight was leaving very early the next morning.
On my way back to my hostel I ran into the group that had gone to dinner with us the night before. They persuaded me to go out to the bars with them for a while. We went to the restaurant from the night before and they were just closing up. They remembered us though, so they let us come in and hang out after hours for a while. They gave us tons of free limoncello, which is like a sugary-vodka-lemon dessert drink. The owner threw on some salsa music and took turns dancing with each of the girls, which was hilarious. We we finally stepped out of the restaurant the girls talked the waiters into giving them rides on their Vespas. Finally, when everyone was back we followed one of the waiters, Francesco, to another bar nearby. We stayed long enough for 2 rounds then went back to the hostel. Back at the hostel we hung out for a while then crashed.
(4/8) I was hungover from the night before and slept through my alarm, thus causing me to miss my flight. When I realized I was definitely not gonna make it I sat down and ate some breakfast and tried to sort out a new plan. After an hour of searching online I decided to catch a train to Pisa, stay in a hostel for one night, and get the first flight out the next morning. I got all my stuff packed up and headed to the train station to go to Pisa. In Pisa I caught a bus to my hostel and dropped my stuff off. My hostel was only a block away from the Leaning Tower, so I went for a walk around the courtyard where the tower stands. After a quick walk I went to a restaurant next door to my hostel and wolfed down some pizza. I chased down my pizza with some gelato then went back to my hostel to await the owner's arrival. When he got there he helped me book a taxi for the morning. After that I went back to my room and talked with my roomie for a bit before passing out.
(4/9) I got up at 4:15am, grabbed my stuff and caught a taxi to the airport. I got checked in, grabbed something for breakfast, and got a flight from Pisa to Liverpool. In Liverpool I took a bus to the train station then caught a train back to Lancaster. It was sad to see the end of my travels, but at the same time it was relaxing to go back to Lancaster.
Naples Photos
Vesuvius and Pompei Photos
Capri Photos
Pisa Photos
Friday, May 15, 2009
Easter Break Part 5: Rome
(4/2) My train arrived in Rome around 2pm and my first order of business was to find an Internet cafe. I grabbed my stuff, picked a direction, and started walking. Thankfully I found one only a block or 2 away from the station. I hopped on a computer and went in search of directions to my hostel. To my surprise it was only a few blocks away from where I was sitting so I paid for my time and hit the street. I quickly arrived at my hostel and checked in. After I dropped my stuff off I called up Dennis, who was with Stacey and Katie on the complete opposite side of the city. We made plans to meet up a while later so I went and did some grocery shopping to waste time. I brought my groceries back and put them away then headed out towards Piazza della Repubblica. On my walk I ran into Diego who had just arrived. He and I were staying at the same hostel so I gave him directions to our place and I continued on to the Piazza to meet up with the rest of the group and wait for Diego to get settled in.
There is a beautiful fountain in the center of Piazza della Repubblica and the sun was shining so I laid down and enjoyed the weather while I waited for everyone else to arrive. When everyone showed up we headed out to see the Trevi Fountains. The fountains were really impressive and the area was teeming with people. We grabbed a beer from a nearby shop and sat around the fountain enjoying a little siesta. The next stop on our walk was the Spanish Steps. The view from atop the steps was an great panorama of the city. As the sun was setting we walked through the city until we decided to stop for dinner. I had told the group about appertivo and so our target was any bar that was hosting appertivo for the evening. We found a nice one near the Tiber River. The food was pretty good and everyone was happy to sit down and enjoy some wine and snacks.
After dinner we headed to Campo dei Friori, which was one of the larger squares in the city. The square was alive with street performers and people enjoying drinks. We went into a bar at one of the corners of the square and to our pleasant surprise the bar had a beer pong table set up. Being the beer pong fan I am I was so excited to find this place. We played 2 games, with the teams of Dennis and I versus Katie and Stacey. As you can guess, Dennis and I schooled the ladies. The drinks were a bit expensive in this place so after our 2 games we headed out. We split up for the night to go back to our hostels, cause Diego and I were at one hostel and the other 3 were at a different one far away.
(4/3) Since there is so much to see in Rome we decided to divide up our 2 days. Today was designated as Ancient City day. Diego and I grabbed our free croissant and latte and then headed out to meet up with the rest of the group at the Colosseum. The people who run the hostel where I stayed let us in on a little tip for seeing the Ancient City. Their tip was to go to Palatine Hill first and buy a ticket for all 3 areas. Then go to the Forum and then the Colosseum last cause with the ticket already purchased you can skip the massive line. With this tip in mind our first stop was Palatine Hill. The hill is covered in ruins and vegetation. It was really nice walking through the gardens on the top. From Palatine Hill we walked down a path directly into the Forum. The Forum was huge, with tons of ruins all around. It really made me wish I could see that place at the height of the Roman empire. After the Forum it was on to the Colosseum. The Colosseum is truly massive and awe-inspiring. When we passed through the exit gate we found ourselves flanked by carts selling various types of food, so we deemed it lunch time. I bought a big slice of pizza and a bottle of water and we set up shop on a grassy hill nearby. The weather was absolutely perfect, which made it hard to not just sit and bask in the sun.
After lunch we went to Piazza Venezia which was just next to the Ancient City. In Piazza Venezia is the gigantic monument to Vittorio Emmanuelle II. We walked up to the top of the monument for some bird's eye views of the surrounding city. Upon a hill near the monument is a place called Compidolio. It is a small square with some cool buildings on 3 sides and a statue of Caesar in the middle. We hung out at the top of the steps for a little break from walking. When we were ready to keep going we headed for the Tiber River. There is a small island in the river called Isola Tiberina, so we decided to go explore it. There are a few buildings on the island, including a gelateria, so of course I had to stop and get a scoop. There wasn't much to see on the island really, but it was a leisurely stroll. After the island we worked our way along the south side of the river. We found a path leading up to a large hill near the river so we walked up. At the top we found a great park with a perfect panoramic view of the city. Further down the road from there was a famous door with a keyhole. The keyhole has a perfect line of sight to St. Peters Basilica in Vatican City. After looking through the keyhole we walked down the hill and back to our respective hostels. Back at the hostel I took a short nap, ate a snack, and got cleaned up.
Around 8pm Diego and I met up with the others at the base of the Spanish Steps. We had picked up a flyer the day before while we were at the Trevi Fountains. The flyer was advertising an organized bar crawl for 20 euros, which included several bars and loads of free drinks so we were sold. We hung around for a few minutes while the rest of the bar crawlers showed up. With everyone in attendance we headed to the first bar of the night. At the first bar we got unlimited beers for the first hour, so we were all downing our drinks as fast as we could and then going up for more. I ended up getting 5 down before time ran out. After that bar we went to 2 more where we got a free shot at each. Then it was on to the club to finish out the night. The club wasn't that great, but we had a good time regardless. Dennis, Katie, and Stacey each made some "friends" on the crawl and Diego and I had some good laughs about it. After the club it was time to find our way back to our hostel, which ended up being a 45 minute walk.
(4/4) The morning wasn't very friendly, as I was nursing a nice hangover and we had to get up early to meet up with the rest of the group in Vatican City. Joining our group today was a Swiss guy named Roland, whom we had met on the bar crawl the night before. The first item of the day was St. Peters Basilica. It was definitely the most impressive church I've ever seen. I guess that is to be expected though, since it is the seat of Catholicism. We spent quite a while walking around looking in the various apses and such. We decided not to pay the money to go up to the top and we also didn't get to see the catacombs underneath. After the museum we went to the Vatican museum. Like the basilica, the museum was amazing. The amount of artwork that that museum houses is staggering. I must say though, the Sistine Chapel wasn't as impressive as I was expecting it to be. All in all though I think it is my 2nd favorite musuem, with only the Louvre being better in my opinion. After the museum we walked to Castello St. Angelo, which is yet another impressive old structure. We didn't go inside, merely admired from the park which surrounds it. After the Castello it was lunch time.
With lunch taken care of we headed to the Pantheon. Sadly there was a mass going on when we got there so we couldn't go in, but at least we got to see it from the outside. It had begun to sprinkle so we split up and headed back to our hostels to get cleaned up for dinner. We met up again a few hours late at the Trevi Fountains. Even at night that place was loaded with people just hanging out. We found a restaurant nearby which was called "Thats Amore". Dinner was really good and we enjoyed a toast to our last meal together as only Diego and I would be continuing on together. After dinner we went to Campo dei Friori and sat around drinking the free bottles of wine that our hostel had given us for staying there. The weather was perfect and we all had a great time drinking and people watching.
(4/5) After 3 great days in Rome it was time to say goodbye. Next stop Naples!!
Rome Photos 1
Rome Photos 2
Rome Photos 3
There is a beautiful fountain in the center of Piazza della Repubblica and the sun was shining so I laid down and enjoyed the weather while I waited for everyone else to arrive. When everyone showed up we headed out to see the Trevi Fountains. The fountains were really impressive and the area was teeming with people. We grabbed a beer from a nearby shop and sat around the fountain enjoying a little siesta. The next stop on our walk was the Spanish Steps. The view from atop the steps was an great panorama of the city. As the sun was setting we walked through the city until we decided to stop for dinner. I had told the group about appertivo and so our target was any bar that was hosting appertivo for the evening. We found a nice one near the Tiber River. The food was pretty good and everyone was happy to sit down and enjoy some wine and snacks.
After dinner we headed to Campo dei Friori, which was one of the larger squares in the city. The square was alive with street performers and people enjoying drinks. We went into a bar at one of the corners of the square and to our pleasant surprise the bar had a beer pong table set up. Being the beer pong fan I am I was so excited to find this place. We played 2 games, with the teams of Dennis and I versus Katie and Stacey. As you can guess, Dennis and I schooled the ladies. The drinks were a bit expensive in this place so after our 2 games we headed out. We split up for the night to go back to our hostels, cause Diego and I were at one hostel and the other 3 were at a different one far away.
(4/3) Since there is so much to see in Rome we decided to divide up our 2 days. Today was designated as Ancient City day. Diego and I grabbed our free croissant and latte and then headed out to meet up with the rest of the group at the Colosseum. The people who run the hostel where I stayed let us in on a little tip for seeing the Ancient City. Their tip was to go to Palatine Hill first and buy a ticket for all 3 areas. Then go to the Forum and then the Colosseum last cause with the ticket already purchased you can skip the massive line. With this tip in mind our first stop was Palatine Hill. The hill is covered in ruins and vegetation. It was really nice walking through the gardens on the top. From Palatine Hill we walked down a path directly into the Forum. The Forum was huge, with tons of ruins all around. It really made me wish I could see that place at the height of the Roman empire. After the Forum it was on to the Colosseum. The Colosseum is truly massive and awe-inspiring. When we passed through the exit gate we found ourselves flanked by carts selling various types of food, so we deemed it lunch time. I bought a big slice of pizza and a bottle of water and we set up shop on a grassy hill nearby. The weather was absolutely perfect, which made it hard to not just sit and bask in the sun.
After lunch we went to Piazza Venezia which was just next to the Ancient City. In Piazza Venezia is the gigantic monument to Vittorio Emmanuelle II. We walked up to the top of the monument for some bird's eye views of the surrounding city. Upon a hill near the monument is a place called Compidolio. It is a small square with some cool buildings on 3 sides and a statue of Caesar in the middle. We hung out at the top of the steps for a little break from walking. When we were ready to keep going we headed for the Tiber River. There is a small island in the river called Isola Tiberina, so we decided to go explore it. There are a few buildings on the island, including a gelateria, so of course I had to stop and get a scoop. There wasn't much to see on the island really, but it was a leisurely stroll. After the island we worked our way along the south side of the river. We found a path leading up to a large hill near the river so we walked up. At the top we found a great park with a perfect panoramic view of the city. Further down the road from there was a famous door with a keyhole. The keyhole has a perfect line of sight to St. Peters Basilica in Vatican City. After looking through the keyhole we walked down the hill and back to our respective hostels. Back at the hostel I took a short nap, ate a snack, and got cleaned up.
Around 8pm Diego and I met up with the others at the base of the Spanish Steps. We had picked up a flyer the day before while we were at the Trevi Fountains. The flyer was advertising an organized bar crawl for 20 euros, which included several bars and loads of free drinks so we were sold. We hung around for a few minutes while the rest of the bar crawlers showed up. With everyone in attendance we headed to the first bar of the night. At the first bar we got unlimited beers for the first hour, so we were all downing our drinks as fast as we could and then going up for more. I ended up getting 5 down before time ran out. After that bar we went to 2 more where we got a free shot at each. Then it was on to the club to finish out the night. The club wasn't that great, but we had a good time regardless. Dennis, Katie, and Stacey each made some "friends" on the crawl and Diego and I had some good laughs about it. After the club it was time to find our way back to our hostel, which ended up being a 45 minute walk.
(4/4) The morning wasn't very friendly, as I was nursing a nice hangover and we had to get up early to meet up with the rest of the group in Vatican City. Joining our group today was a Swiss guy named Roland, whom we had met on the bar crawl the night before. The first item of the day was St. Peters Basilica. It was definitely the most impressive church I've ever seen. I guess that is to be expected though, since it is the seat of Catholicism. We spent quite a while walking around looking in the various apses and such. We decided not to pay the money to go up to the top and we also didn't get to see the catacombs underneath. After the museum we went to the Vatican museum. Like the basilica, the museum was amazing. The amount of artwork that that museum houses is staggering. I must say though, the Sistine Chapel wasn't as impressive as I was expecting it to be. All in all though I think it is my 2nd favorite musuem, with only the Louvre being better in my opinion. After the museum we walked to Castello St. Angelo, which is yet another impressive old structure. We didn't go inside, merely admired from the park which surrounds it. After the Castello it was lunch time.
With lunch taken care of we headed to the Pantheon. Sadly there was a mass going on when we got there so we couldn't go in, but at least we got to see it from the outside. It had begun to sprinkle so we split up and headed back to our hostels to get cleaned up for dinner. We met up again a few hours late at the Trevi Fountains. Even at night that place was loaded with people just hanging out. We found a restaurant nearby which was called "Thats Amore". Dinner was really good and we enjoyed a toast to our last meal together as only Diego and I would be continuing on together. After dinner we went to Campo dei Friori and sat around drinking the free bottles of wine that our hostel had given us for staying there. The weather was perfect and we all had a great time drinking and people watching.
(4/5) After 3 great days in Rome it was time to say goodbye. Next stop Naples!!
Rome Photos 1
Rome Photos 2
Rome Photos 3
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Easter Break Part 4: Venice
(3/29) Our train from Florence arrived in the early afternoon in Venice. On the train Lauren gave me an education in "The Party Dream", which has inspired further study since. After getting off the train we trekked through the rain to our hostel which was only a few blocks away. Thankful to be out of the rain, we checked into our hostel and dropped our stuff off. We decided that we wanted to see at least a little bit of Venice while it was still light out despite the poor weather. We walked along the eastern side of town towards Ponte Rialto, which is a large bridge with shops that stretches over the Grand Canal. We browsed the shops on the bridge and snapped a few photos, then worked our way back to our hostel. Back at the hostel we all napped for a few then got cleaned up.
For dinner I took Jade and Lauren to a place I enjoyed during my first visit to Venice. The food was as good as I remembered and the wine was tasty, which made up for the weather at least a little bit. After dinner we walked back towards our hostel and stopped at an Irish pub just around the corner. It was pretty crazy on the walk cause some of the streets were flooding so we walked on a raised platform that they had put up just in case. After the bar we called it a night.
(3/30) Since we didn't get to see much the day before we got up fairly early and headed out. Right after stepping out of our hostel I spotted my friend Darcy from Lancaster. He is a really tall Aussie so it wasn't too tricky cause his head bobbed well above most everyone elses. I chatted with him for a few minutes before we went our separate ways and we headed for breakfast. We kept it simple for breakfast with lattes and croissants all around. Our first destination for the day was Piazza San Marco, which is a massive square with a large basilica on one end. Upon arriving in the Piazza we walked around and snapped a few photos before queuing up to go in Basilica di San Marco. We walked around the inside of the Basilica and then ascended the steps up to the terrace for a better view of the surroundings. After touring the Basilica thoroughly we walked along the waterfront and stopped for lunch.
After lunch we walked around the Accademia, past the art institute, and to another waterfront. We walked along the water and found a random art show being held in a warehouse. It was free so we stopped in to check it out. The art was really good, very eclectic. The rest of the afternoon was spent working our way back to our hostel, stopping at numerous shops along the way.
Back at the hostel we hung out and snacked for a few hours. Around 7:30pm we walked out the door and back to the Piazza to meet up with a bunch of friends from Lancaster: Dennis, Kyle, Diego, Katie, Stacey, Jess, and Jess' mom. After introducing everyone we started the search for a restaurant. Dinner was quite interesting with such a big party. I think it was a bit too much for the girls, but they handled it well. After dinner I said goodbye to Lauren and Jade who were leaving very early in the morning. The rest of us went to a small jazz bar called Bacaro Jazz to get some drinks. Katie and Stacey ended up getting free t-shirts because they gave their bras to the bar's collection. We also met two girls, one who was part Russian part Canadian, and the other was Aussie. They hung out with us for the rest of the evening. We stayed at the bar until closing then headed back towards the hostel where the rest of the group was staying. On the way we stopped at an open-air bar and had a few more drinks. Kyle escorted the 2 ladies back to their hostel while the rest of us went back to crash.
(3/31) I woke up early at Jess' hostel and walked back to my hostel to check out. The city was just waking up as I strolled the narrow streets. Back at my hostel I packed my things up, checked out, and set out back across the city to Jess' hostel once again. When I got back to her hostel I booked a bed for 2 nights and then went back to sleep for another hour or so. When I woke up I staggered into the kitchen slowly regaining consciousness. We made sandwiches for lunch and talked about the plans for the day. After lunch we walked across Ponte Rialto and back to Piazza San Marco. Jess' mom, Kyle, and I hung out while Jess and Dennis went up in the bell tower for some good panoramas. About 30 minutes later they came down and we all walked to the water to catch a ferry to a nearby island called San Giorgio Maggiore.
The island was really small and the only thing we could really do on it was go inside a large church. We didn't stay on that island for too long before catching the ferry to another island called Giudecca. Katie and Stacey were staying on this island so when we got off the ferry we walked to their hostel for a short break. After we left their hostel we walked along the water and found a grocery store so we bought stuff for dinner. Groceries in hand we caught our ferry back to Piazza San Marco and walked back to our hostel for a nap. Kyle and I got up first, so I went with him to try and find a laundromat. We walked all over the city but the only place we found was already closed. Defeated from our quest we went back to the hostel and enjoyed some food and wine for the rest of the night.
(4/1) We got up fairly early and had breakfast. After breakfast we said goodbye to Kyle who was headed to Pisa. Katie, Stacey, and Diego also left that morning. In similar fashion to the day before we headed straight for Piazza San Marco to start the day. Along the way we found an Internet cafe so we stopped for a few so everyone could check their emails and such. With all of that business sorted, it was on to the waterfront to meet up with Dennis. Since we had seen most of the rest of the city we decided to walk along the water to the southeastern tip of the island. We spent the rest of the day wandering around the eastern area of town, which was really quiet and non-touristy. We ended up back near Piazza San Marco and stopped for a late lunch. After stuffing ourselves we went back to the hostel for a nap. The night consisted of snacking on whatever scraps we had and playing cards till we all passed out.
(4/2) Dennis left early that morning around 5am to head to Rome. I got up a few hours later, said goodbye, and rushed to the train station on the other side of the city. I ended up boarding my train with about 2 minutes to spare. Next stop Rome!!!
Venice Photos
For dinner I took Jade and Lauren to a place I enjoyed during my first visit to Venice. The food was as good as I remembered and the wine was tasty, which made up for the weather at least a little bit. After dinner we walked back towards our hostel and stopped at an Irish pub just around the corner. It was pretty crazy on the walk cause some of the streets were flooding so we walked on a raised platform that they had put up just in case. After the bar we called it a night.
(3/30) Since we didn't get to see much the day before we got up fairly early and headed out. Right after stepping out of our hostel I spotted my friend Darcy from Lancaster. He is a really tall Aussie so it wasn't too tricky cause his head bobbed well above most everyone elses. I chatted with him for a few minutes before we went our separate ways and we headed for breakfast. We kept it simple for breakfast with lattes and croissants all around. Our first destination for the day was Piazza San Marco, which is a massive square with a large basilica on one end. Upon arriving in the Piazza we walked around and snapped a few photos before queuing up to go in Basilica di San Marco. We walked around the inside of the Basilica and then ascended the steps up to the terrace for a better view of the surroundings. After touring the Basilica thoroughly we walked along the waterfront and stopped for lunch.
After lunch we walked around the Accademia, past the art institute, and to another waterfront. We walked along the water and found a random art show being held in a warehouse. It was free so we stopped in to check it out. The art was really good, very eclectic. The rest of the afternoon was spent working our way back to our hostel, stopping at numerous shops along the way.
Back at the hostel we hung out and snacked for a few hours. Around 7:30pm we walked out the door and back to the Piazza to meet up with a bunch of friends from Lancaster: Dennis, Kyle, Diego, Katie, Stacey, Jess, and Jess' mom. After introducing everyone we started the search for a restaurant. Dinner was quite interesting with such a big party. I think it was a bit too much for the girls, but they handled it well. After dinner I said goodbye to Lauren and Jade who were leaving very early in the morning. The rest of us went to a small jazz bar called Bacaro Jazz to get some drinks. Katie and Stacey ended up getting free t-shirts because they gave their bras to the bar's collection. We also met two girls, one who was part Russian part Canadian, and the other was Aussie. They hung out with us for the rest of the evening. We stayed at the bar until closing then headed back towards the hostel where the rest of the group was staying. On the way we stopped at an open-air bar and had a few more drinks. Kyle escorted the 2 ladies back to their hostel while the rest of us went back to crash.
(3/31) I woke up early at Jess' hostel and walked back to my hostel to check out. The city was just waking up as I strolled the narrow streets. Back at my hostel I packed my things up, checked out, and set out back across the city to Jess' hostel once again. When I got back to her hostel I booked a bed for 2 nights and then went back to sleep for another hour or so. When I woke up I staggered into the kitchen slowly regaining consciousness. We made sandwiches for lunch and talked about the plans for the day. After lunch we walked across Ponte Rialto and back to Piazza San Marco. Jess' mom, Kyle, and I hung out while Jess and Dennis went up in the bell tower for some good panoramas. About 30 minutes later they came down and we all walked to the water to catch a ferry to a nearby island called San Giorgio Maggiore.
The island was really small and the only thing we could really do on it was go inside a large church. We didn't stay on that island for too long before catching the ferry to another island called Giudecca. Katie and Stacey were staying on this island so when we got off the ferry we walked to their hostel for a short break. After we left their hostel we walked along the water and found a grocery store so we bought stuff for dinner. Groceries in hand we caught our ferry back to Piazza San Marco and walked back to our hostel for a nap. Kyle and I got up first, so I went with him to try and find a laundromat. We walked all over the city but the only place we found was already closed. Defeated from our quest we went back to the hostel and enjoyed some food and wine for the rest of the night.
(4/1) We got up fairly early and had breakfast. After breakfast we said goodbye to Kyle who was headed to Pisa. Katie, Stacey, and Diego also left that morning. In similar fashion to the day before we headed straight for Piazza San Marco to start the day. Along the way we found an Internet cafe so we stopped for a few so everyone could check their emails and such. With all of that business sorted, it was on to the waterfront to meet up with Dennis. Since we had seen most of the rest of the city we decided to walk along the water to the southeastern tip of the island. We spent the rest of the day wandering around the eastern area of town, which was really quiet and non-touristy. We ended up back near Piazza San Marco and stopped for a late lunch. After stuffing ourselves we went back to the hostel for a nap. The night consisted of snacking on whatever scraps we had and playing cards till we all passed out.
(4/2) Dennis left early that morning around 5am to head to Rome. I got up a few hours later, said goodbye, and rushed to the train station on the other side of the city. I ended up boarding my train with about 2 minutes to spare. Next stop Rome!!!
Venice Photos
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Easter Break Part 3: Florence
(3/27) We arrived in Florence in the early afternoon. With luggage in tow we walked the few blocks from the train station to our hostel which was right next to the Duomo (cathedral). We got checked in and dropped our stuff off, then set out in search of lunch. We ended up grabbing a pizza at a small restaurant a few blocks away. After lunch we walked through the city to Piazza della Signoria, which is where Palazzo Vecchio is located. It cost money to tour the Palazzo so we just walked around as much of it that we could for free then headed out. From there we walked to the Arno River and then across Ponte Vecchio which is a large bridge with shops on it. Once across we walked down to the next bridge over the river so we could get a view of Ponte Vecchio from afar. After snapping a few photos we walked to Palazzo Pitti, which by that time of day was closed so we couldn't go in or tour the Boboli Gardens. Instead we sat in front of the Palazzo and watched the sunset as did a lot of other people. When the sun had set we walked back to our hostel to clean up and then we went for dinner at a restaurant near the Duomo that Lauren said she remembered from her last visit to Florence. The food was pretty good and after a day of walking around it hit the spot. After dinner we went back to the hostel and I did some online homework. While I was doing homework I decided I should do some laundry. It ended up being the longest load of laundry in my entire life. From starting the wash to the end of drying it was about 4 hours. I finally went to bed around 2am when the laundry had finished.
(3/28) We got up and enjoyed the free breakfast of croissants, cereal, and juice. The first stop of the day was the Duomo since it was so close. We had to wait in line for about 15 minutes to get in and once in we climbed over 400 steps (not all at once) to get to the top of the dome. The panoramic view from the top was beautiful and worth the walk. After the Duomo we went to a nearby flea market and browsed the wares, most of which were leather. We left the flea market empty-handed and moved on to the Uffizi Gallery, which holds tons of Renaissance works such as "Birth of Venus" by Botticelli. We waited in line for 2 hours to get into the gallery, which left all of us a bit on edge the rest of the day. The art collection was impressive, but I didn't find it to be worth the wait. After the gallery we walked to Santa Croce, which is another large church. By this time we'd done a lot of paid touring so we decided to forego the few euros it would cost to go inside and just sat in the square outside the church for a few minutes. After a short rest we trekked across town to another flea market that is home to a lucky copper statue of a pig. We each took a turn rubbing the pig's nose for good luck and then went back to our hostel cause it had begun to drizzle lightly.
We took naps and then took showers and got cleaned up to go out. I asked the girl working the reception desk at our hostel for a dinner suggestion and she directed us to a place called Kitch for what is known as "appertivo". Appertivo is basically a buffet of appetizers at a bar. The way it works is you pay a flat fee, which gets you your first drink and all you can eat appetizers, then any drinks you get after that are normal price. This place had a pretty good variety of stuff to eat and we all got filled up for just 8 euros each, which isn't too bad considering we got a drink with it as well. We headed out after we'd had our fill of snacks and went to a bar called Mayday. We didn't realize how early it was so we were the only people in there for the first hour, and after that another few parties showed up. It was a cool bar with various types of artwork displayed on the walls and ceiling. After a few drinks we packed it up and went back to the hostel where I proceeded to do another load of laundry which took until 6am to finish. Thankfully I slept while the clothes were washing and drying.
(3/29) Breakfast was the same as the day before, but this time I made sure to grab some extra croissants to take with me for the train ride. After breakfast we packed up our stuff, checked out of the hostel, and walked to the train station. We said our final goodbyes to Florence and hopped on our train. Next stop Venice!!
Florence Photos
(3/28) We got up and enjoyed the free breakfast of croissants, cereal, and juice. The first stop of the day was the Duomo since it was so close. We had to wait in line for about 15 minutes to get in and once in we climbed over 400 steps (not all at once) to get to the top of the dome. The panoramic view from the top was beautiful and worth the walk. After the Duomo we went to a nearby flea market and browsed the wares, most of which were leather. We left the flea market empty-handed and moved on to the Uffizi Gallery, which holds tons of Renaissance works such as "Birth of Venus" by Botticelli. We waited in line for 2 hours to get into the gallery, which left all of us a bit on edge the rest of the day. The art collection was impressive, but I didn't find it to be worth the wait. After the gallery we walked to Santa Croce, which is another large church. By this time we'd done a lot of paid touring so we decided to forego the few euros it would cost to go inside and just sat in the square outside the church for a few minutes. After a short rest we trekked across town to another flea market that is home to a lucky copper statue of a pig. We each took a turn rubbing the pig's nose for good luck and then went back to our hostel cause it had begun to drizzle lightly.
We took naps and then took showers and got cleaned up to go out. I asked the girl working the reception desk at our hostel for a dinner suggestion and she directed us to a place called Kitch for what is known as "appertivo". Appertivo is basically a buffet of appetizers at a bar. The way it works is you pay a flat fee, which gets you your first drink and all you can eat appetizers, then any drinks you get after that are normal price. This place had a pretty good variety of stuff to eat and we all got filled up for just 8 euros each, which isn't too bad considering we got a drink with it as well. We headed out after we'd had our fill of snacks and went to a bar called Mayday. We didn't realize how early it was so we were the only people in there for the first hour, and after that another few parties showed up. It was a cool bar with various types of artwork displayed on the walls and ceiling. After a few drinks we packed it up and went back to the hostel where I proceeded to do another load of laundry which took until 6am to finish. Thankfully I slept while the clothes were washing and drying.
(3/29) Breakfast was the same as the day before, but this time I made sure to grab some extra croissants to take with me for the train ride. After breakfast we packed up our stuff, checked out of the hostel, and walked to the train station. We said our final goodbyes to Florence and hopped on our train. Next stop Venice!!
Florence Photos
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Easter Break Part 2: Cinque Terre
(3/25) I woke up in my sleeper-car bed about 2 hours before we reached Milan, so I went to the dining car to relax for a bit and get a glass of juice. The girls showed up about 30 minutes later so we chatted until the train arrived. In Milan we first went to buy tickets to La Spezia, which is the main train station for the Cinque Terre region, then we went to get something to eat. We were hoping to find some normal breakfast food, but we ended up just getting some McDonald's. After food we still had about 1 hour to kill so we just went out and sat in the sun outside the train station until time to leave. We took the train from Milan to Monterosso, which is the northernmost of the five towns. From there we were going to catch another train for the short 10 minute ride to Vernazza where we were staying, but we just missed the next train leaving that direction so we hung out in Monterosso for an hour and ate some pizza. Once the next train arrived we hopped on for the quick ride to Vernazza. In Vernazza we got off the train and went to a shop near the train station per the instructions of the owners of our villa. The people at the shop called the villa owner, Michelle, and she came down to show us to our room. We walked up a hill behind the town to our room which was tucked away on the hillside. We dropped our luggage off and took a quick walk through town and up to the castello on the hill near the bay. The view was absolutely stunning as the sun was just setting over the hills. We headed back to our room to shower up and get changed then we went to a restaurant in the city square as recommended by Michelle. The pesto at this restaurant was so ridiculously good. After dinner we went back to the room and crashed.
(3/26) This day will forever be known as "Il Giorno di Cinque Gelato" (The Day of Five Gelatos). We woke up around 10am and grabbed some croissants and lattes in the square in Vernazza. Fueled up we hit the trail for the hike from Vernazza to Monterosso. This stretch is the hardest of all the hikes in Cinque Terre, but it was certainly worth it. The views from the hillside were beautiful, with Vernazza fading behind us, Monterosso growing in front of us, and the Mediterranean sprawled out beside us. After about 1.5 hours we arrived in Monterosso. We walked along the waterfront road from one side of the town to the other through the tunnel. When we emerged on the other side we found a small gelato shop and got our first cone of the day. My choice was fragola (strawberry) and it was one of the best gelatos I've ever had in my life. We walked around the town and along the beach to the Gigante statue and then went to the train station to catch a train to Rio Maggiore, which is the southernmost town of the five.
When we arrived in Rio Maggiore we walked through the tunnel to the other side of the city and grabbed some pizza at a small takeaway. We sat down to enjoy our pizza in the sun before walking down to the bay. We took in the sights for a little while before grabbing our 2nd gelato of the day, for which I chose nocciola (hazelnut). With gelato in hand we set off to the Path of Love which connects Rio Maggiore to the next town of Manarola. It was an easy, paved walk along the oceanside and the main highlight of the walk is a tunnel that is painted to depict famous scenes of love.
We didn't stay in Manarola too long, but long enough to get gelato number 3, for which I chose frutti de bosco (mixed berry). We took a short break and then hit the trail again en route to Corniglia.
The end of the hike to Corniglia was pretty brutal with 385 steps leading you into town which was up on a hill. Corniglia was quite a bit different from the other towns because it had more terraced farming and it was located high up on a hill instead of down along the water. As you can guess now that we were in Corniglia it was time for gelato number 4, this time it was limone (lemon). Sadly, the trail between Corniglia and Vernazza was closed so we walked back down the steps to the train station and caught a train back to Vernazza.
Back in Vernazza I went straight to the gelato store to get my fifth and final gelato, banana (banana). I should mention that this whole thing with five gelatos arose out a challenge that Lauren thought up. It was quite funny because she is a bit lactose-intollerant so she was suffering by gelato 3 whilst I was crusing all the way through. Jade and I had a few laughs at her expense. Anyways, with all of my gelatos complete I headed up to the room to get cleaned up. After a shower and getting changed I went out onto the terrace to watch the sunset with a glass of wine. It was really a beautiful sight and a relaxing end to a strenuous day. After sundown we descended into town to a fancy little restaurant near the shop from the first day. The food was alright, not as good as the first night though. After dinner I walked with Lauren to the square so she could get her fifth gelato of the day. With the challenge completed we went back to the room and passed out.
(3/27) Sadly it was time for us to leave beautiful Vernazza. We packed our stuff up and headed down to the shop in town so we could check out. The rain had started to come down so after checking out we hid under the canopy at the train station and waited for our train to La Spezia. Next stop Florence!!!
Cinque Terre Photos 1
Cinque Terre Photos 2
(3/26) This day will forever be known as "Il Giorno di Cinque Gelato" (The Day of Five Gelatos). We woke up around 10am and grabbed some croissants and lattes in the square in Vernazza. Fueled up we hit the trail for the hike from Vernazza to Monterosso. This stretch is the hardest of all the hikes in Cinque Terre, but it was certainly worth it. The views from the hillside were beautiful, with Vernazza fading behind us, Monterosso growing in front of us, and the Mediterranean sprawled out beside us. After about 1.5 hours we arrived in Monterosso. We walked along the waterfront road from one side of the town to the other through the tunnel. When we emerged on the other side we found a small gelato shop and got our first cone of the day. My choice was fragola (strawberry) and it was one of the best gelatos I've ever had in my life. We walked around the town and along the beach to the Gigante statue and then went to the train station to catch a train to Rio Maggiore, which is the southernmost town of the five.
When we arrived in Rio Maggiore we walked through the tunnel to the other side of the city and grabbed some pizza at a small takeaway. We sat down to enjoy our pizza in the sun before walking down to the bay. We took in the sights for a little while before grabbing our 2nd gelato of the day, for which I chose nocciola (hazelnut). With gelato in hand we set off to the Path of Love which connects Rio Maggiore to the next town of Manarola. It was an easy, paved walk along the oceanside and the main highlight of the walk is a tunnel that is painted to depict famous scenes of love.
We didn't stay in Manarola too long, but long enough to get gelato number 3, for which I chose frutti de bosco (mixed berry). We took a short break and then hit the trail again en route to Corniglia.
The end of the hike to Corniglia was pretty brutal with 385 steps leading you into town which was up on a hill. Corniglia was quite a bit different from the other towns because it had more terraced farming and it was located high up on a hill instead of down along the water. As you can guess now that we were in Corniglia it was time for gelato number 4, this time it was limone (lemon). Sadly, the trail between Corniglia and Vernazza was closed so we walked back down the steps to the train station and caught a train back to Vernazza.
Back in Vernazza I went straight to the gelato store to get my fifth and final gelato, banana (banana). I should mention that this whole thing with five gelatos arose out a challenge that Lauren thought up. It was quite funny because she is a bit lactose-intollerant so she was suffering by gelato 3 whilst I was crusing all the way through. Jade and I had a few laughs at her expense. Anyways, with all of my gelatos complete I headed up to the room to get cleaned up. After a shower and getting changed I went out onto the terrace to watch the sunset with a glass of wine. It was really a beautiful sight and a relaxing end to a strenuous day. After sundown we descended into town to a fancy little restaurant near the shop from the first day. The food was alright, not as good as the first night though. After dinner I walked with Lauren to the square so she could get her fifth gelato of the day. With the challenge completed we went back to the room and passed out.
(3/27) Sadly it was time for us to leave beautiful Vernazza. We packed our stuff up and headed down to the shop in town so we could check out. The rain had started to come down so after checking out we hid under the canopy at the train station and waited for our train to La Spezia. Next stop Florence!!!
Cinque Terre Photos 1
Cinque Terre Photos 2
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Easter Break Part 1: Barcelona
(3/20) After many weeks of anticipation, the time for Easter Break had finally arrived. I got up and finished packing and headed off to the train station. I had to take 2 trains to get to Liverpool, first from Lancaster to Preston, then Preston to Liverpool. My train to Preston was late departing which caused me to miss my connecting train to go to Liverpool, so I sat in the Preston train station for an hour waiting for the next train. Once I got to Liverpool I only had about 45 minutes before I absolutely had to be at the airport to check in, so I grabbed a taxi cause it was the fastest way to get there. Check-in went smoothly and the flight was fine cause I had an exit row. After arriving in Barcelona I caught a bus from the airport to Plaza Catalunya, which is the city center. From there I walked down Las Ramblas and met up with Lauren and Jade outside the flat we rented. With the exception of Rachel Kubacki, they were the first friends or family I'd physically seen in almost 4 months. After a catching up for a few minutes we went up to our flat so I could drop my stuff off and relax for a few minutes. Then we walked down Las Ramblas a few blocks and got tapas for dinner at a place called "American Soda". Full from dinner we decided we would keep it a quiet night and just head back to the flat to crash.
(3/21) With a decent night's sleep under my belt it was time to start enjoying Barcelona. I wolfed down a bowl of Cheerios for breakfast and we set off for a day of sightseeing. First stop was Plaza Reial, which was just a few blocks down off of Las Ramblas. There was a nice fountain and the sun was shining so we hung out in the plaza for a bit before moving on. We proceeded down Las Ramblas towards the waterfront. Along the way were numerous little tents with people selling various crafts. At the end of Las Ramblas, just before the water, is a monument to Christopher Columbus which was pretty neat. We walked along the waterfront towards Barceloneta, passing more tents along the way. Barceloneta is where the beach is located, so we sat down for a bit and enjoyed the sun. After our brief siesta we walked along the boardwalk towards the site where the 1992 Olympics were held. We walked around a few of the buildings and then decided it was lunch time so we found a nearby cafe and enjoyed some pizza.
With our hunger sated we pressed on. Next on our tour was Parc Cuitadella. The park was nice and it had a really cool fountain, although the building attached to the fountain was undergoing renovation, which was a bit annoying. We moved through the park and emerged on the other side near the train station so we decided to stop in a check on getting our tickets for the overnight train to Milan, which we would be taking in 3 days. With that sorted out we once again hit the road. We worked our way back towards our flat and passed the gothic cathedral along the way, which was undergoing renovation as well.
Back at the flat we snacked on some bread and cheese that the girls had purchased at La Boqueria. After enjoying the snack we all decided to take naps, cause things don't get going in Barcelona until really late. We all awoke from our naps around 9PM and began contemplating our plans for dinner. We decided to just start walking down one of the side streets near our flat and after about 30 minutes we ended up deciding on a place called "DosTrece" (Spanish for "213"). The place had a bit of a funky hispanic feel and it was very neatly decorated. We talked with the owner for a bit and found out that he was originally from LA, hence the 213 which is the area code there. The food there was pretty good, albeit a bit random, and the music was good as well. After dinner we asked the owner for a recommendation about where to go for the rest of the evening and he suggested a placed called "Jamboree", which was in Plaza Reial. When we got to "Jamboree" we mentioned that Gabriel, the owner of DosTrece, had sent us and we were able to skip the line, but once inside we got confused and ended up leaving. It was still fairly early so we decided we would just walk around and look for somewhere else to hang out. We ended up at a place called Bar Tequila, which was a rock and metal bar. It was ridiculously smoky and the drinks were a bit pricey so we only stayed for one round. After that we called it a night and walked back up Las Ramblas to our flat. We discovered that at night Las Ramblas is swarming with hookers and one of them tried to pick me up, but I immediately denied her and kept on walking. It was a funny experience for all of us.
(3/22) Today began in similar fashion to yesterday. After a light breakfast we were out the door. There was a falafel place near our flat called Maoz, which I had heard good things about so I couldn't resist and I got one for the walk. Our first stop of the day was Plaza Reial because there was a flea market going on. The flea market ended up being pretty lame with most of the items being collector's coins and stamps. After a quick browse we walked up Las Ramblas, through Plaza Catalunya, and on up through the city towards the Gaudi apartment. We paid and took the tour of the Gaudi apartment which was pretty neat. They had most of the living spaces preserved with old artifacts from when Gaudi actually lived there. The tour begins in the living areas and then works its way up to the roof which has odd-looking statues and chimneys and a nice view of the city. We hung out on the roof for quite a while cause the sun was bright and shining. After leaving the Gaudi apartment we went across town to the most spectacular of Gaudi's creations, the still unfinished La Sagrada Familia. La Sagrada Familia is a giant church which Gaudi designed during his life and work on it has yet to be completed well after his death. The current architects have estimated a completion date somewhere in 2026. It was truly a breathtaking sight. With the weather still holding out we decided it would be nice to go and relax on the beach once more so away we went. We relaxed on the beach for about an hour and then returned to our flat for our usual late afternoon nap.
We regained consciousness around 9:30PM and decided that dinner for the night was going to involve paella. We found a restaurant on Las Ramblas near our flat and grabbed a table. The food was alright, but I have yet to be very impressed by paella. I find it to be a bit too plain. Anyways, after dinner we went to an absinthe bar called "Casa Almirall", which we had found on our walk to DosTrece the night before. We settled in at the bar and all ordered a glass of absinthe. The taste was a lot stronger than I remembered, which made it difficult to even sip on. I went back up to the bar and ordered a Coke, then slammed my glass of absinthe and chased it with the Coke. With one glass down I sat back and relaxed hoping that absinthe's fabled effects would start to play out, but after 15 minutes I felt nothing but slightly nauseous. I decided to go ahead and order another one. In similar fashion I downed it in one go and chased it with my beloved Coke. The girls had a good laugh as I grimaced from the awful lingering taste. I again sat back and waited for absinthe to work its magic. I was yet again disappointed as I felt nothing but even more nauseous. I decided I couldn't stomach another one so after the girls finally finished their glasses we packed up and went back to the flat to get some sleep.
(3/23) First stop today was La Boqueria, which is a huge covered market off of Las Ramblas and less than a block away from our flat. It is truly an awesome place with food of all sorts and freshness that is hard to beat. We picked up some food to make sandwiches with and went back to the flat to make a quick lunch. After lunch we went to Plaza Catalunya and caught a bus up to Parc Guell, which is yet another beautiful Gaudi creation. We walked all around the park, which is like a whole garden city, then laid down on the grass for a 30 minute nap. After Parc Guell we caught the bus back to the city center and walked to the gothic cathedral so we could tour the inside this time. The cathedral was pretty neat and the courtyard beside it was even better. After the cathedral it was time for the daily nap at the flat.
Upon waking it was time to sort out dinner plans. We decided to go in search of this place called "FoodBall", which Lauren remembered from her last visit several years ago. We later found out that it had been closed down a while ago and so we were left without a plan and we also had very little time before we were going to see a flamenco show. We decided to just walk to the flamenco show and figure something out afterwards. The show was at a place called "Tarantos" and it was just off of Plaza Reial. The show was pretty cool, especially the kid that came out at the end and threw some moves down. I also randomly ran into my friend Alexa from Lancaster while we were there. After the flamenco show we went to a Chinese restaurant nearby and filled up before heading to a club called Apolo for NASTY MONDAY.
Lauren knew one of the guys who was DJing that night, Soren, so we were supposed to get free entry, but due to the language barrier and the bouncers being dicks we ended up having to pay. Once inside we grabbed drinks and went up to the front to say hi to Soren. Lauren talked to him for a few minutes and he let us into the VIP area on the right side of the stage. In the VIP we got free alcohol until it ran out and it was nice cause the rest of the floor was shoulder-to-shoulder. After setting us up in the VIP Soren headed back on stage to finish his set. After Soren was done a band came on to play. The lead singer/lead guitarist played completely naked which was funny. Their music sucked, but then again that could be because they were singing in Spanish so I couldn't even understand the lyrics. After the band's set was over Soren and his buddy went back on to DJ the rest of the evening and we moved out of the VIP and onto the dance floor. The floor was super crowded so most of the time was spent being shoved around, but we made the most of it. I ended up losing the back of my phone which was really annoying cause my battery kept coming loose. We danced for about an hour then decided we'd had enough and headed back to our flat to crash.
(3/24) We had to check out of our flat at noon, so the morning was spent packing things up and eating a light breakfast. Luggage in hand we went back to La Boqueria to pick up some snacks for later. We caught the subway to Estacion de Franca which is where were going to be catching our train to Milan later. We were under the impression that there were lockers at the station where we could store our stuff, but we were wrong. With all our luggage in tow we wandered around in search of nearby hostels that might let us put our stuff up for a few hours. Luckily, we ended up finding one across the street from the station after trying 2 other ones. Now that we weren't bogged down with luggage we wanted to go see a few last things of the city before we left. We decided to split up and Jade went to the zoo, while Lauren and I just started wandering. Lauren and I ended up going to H&M for some shopping and I got myself a new shirt. We met back up near the zoo 2.5 hours later and walked up the dirt path in Parc Ciutadella towards the Arc de Triomf. We hung out in the sun and watched some skateboarders to waste time. With about 1.5 hours till our train departed we headed back to get our luggage, got a bite to eat, and then boarded our overnight train to Milan. I ended up sharing a car with 3 Japanese guys with limited English-speaking ability, but we were able to get a conversation going and they were fun to hang out with. Anyways, next stop Cinque Terre.
Barcelona Photos 1
Barcelona Photos 2
Barcelona Photos 3
(3/21) With a decent night's sleep under my belt it was time to start enjoying Barcelona. I wolfed down a bowl of Cheerios for breakfast and we set off for a day of sightseeing. First stop was Plaza Reial, which was just a few blocks down off of Las Ramblas. There was a nice fountain and the sun was shining so we hung out in the plaza for a bit before moving on. We proceeded down Las Ramblas towards the waterfront. Along the way were numerous little tents with people selling various crafts. At the end of Las Ramblas, just before the water, is a monument to Christopher Columbus which was pretty neat. We walked along the waterfront towards Barceloneta, passing more tents along the way. Barceloneta is where the beach is located, so we sat down for a bit and enjoyed the sun. After our brief siesta we walked along the boardwalk towards the site where the 1992 Olympics were held. We walked around a few of the buildings and then decided it was lunch time so we found a nearby cafe and enjoyed some pizza.
With our hunger sated we pressed on. Next on our tour was Parc Cuitadella. The park was nice and it had a really cool fountain, although the building attached to the fountain was undergoing renovation, which was a bit annoying. We moved through the park and emerged on the other side near the train station so we decided to stop in a check on getting our tickets for the overnight train to Milan, which we would be taking in 3 days. With that sorted out we once again hit the road. We worked our way back towards our flat and passed the gothic cathedral along the way, which was undergoing renovation as well.
Back at the flat we snacked on some bread and cheese that the girls had purchased at La Boqueria. After enjoying the snack we all decided to take naps, cause things don't get going in Barcelona until really late. We all awoke from our naps around 9PM and began contemplating our plans for dinner. We decided to just start walking down one of the side streets near our flat and after about 30 minutes we ended up deciding on a place called "DosTrece" (Spanish for "213"). The place had a bit of a funky hispanic feel and it was very neatly decorated. We talked with the owner for a bit and found out that he was originally from LA, hence the 213 which is the area code there. The food there was pretty good, albeit a bit random, and the music was good as well. After dinner we asked the owner for a recommendation about where to go for the rest of the evening and he suggested a placed called "Jamboree", which was in Plaza Reial. When we got to "Jamboree" we mentioned that Gabriel, the owner of DosTrece, had sent us and we were able to skip the line, but once inside we got confused and ended up leaving. It was still fairly early so we decided we would just walk around and look for somewhere else to hang out. We ended up at a place called Bar Tequila, which was a rock and metal bar. It was ridiculously smoky and the drinks were a bit pricey so we only stayed for one round. After that we called it a night and walked back up Las Ramblas to our flat. We discovered that at night Las Ramblas is swarming with hookers and one of them tried to pick me up, but I immediately denied her and kept on walking. It was a funny experience for all of us.
(3/22) Today began in similar fashion to yesterday. After a light breakfast we were out the door. There was a falafel place near our flat called Maoz, which I had heard good things about so I couldn't resist and I got one for the walk. Our first stop of the day was Plaza Reial because there was a flea market going on. The flea market ended up being pretty lame with most of the items being collector's coins and stamps. After a quick browse we walked up Las Ramblas, through Plaza Catalunya, and on up through the city towards the Gaudi apartment. We paid and took the tour of the Gaudi apartment which was pretty neat. They had most of the living spaces preserved with old artifacts from when Gaudi actually lived there. The tour begins in the living areas and then works its way up to the roof which has odd-looking statues and chimneys and a nice view of the city. We hung out on the roof for quite a while cause the sun was bright and shining. After leaving the Gaudi apartment we went across town to the most spectacular of Gaudi's creations, the still unfinished La Sagrada Familia. La Sagrada Familia is a giant church which Gaudi designed during his life and work on it has yet to be completed well after his death. The current architects have estimated a completion date somewhere in 2026. It was truly a breathtaking sight. With the weather still holding out we decided it would be nice to go and relax on the beach once more so away we went. We relaxed on the beach for about an hour and then returned to our flat for our usual late afternoon nap.
We regained consciousness around 9:30PM and decided that dinner for the night was going to involve paella. We found a restaurant on Las Ramblas near our flat and grabbed a table. The food was alright, but I have yet to be very impressed by paella. I find it to be a bit too plain. Anyways, after dinner we went to an absinthe bar called "Casa Almirall", which we had found on our walk to DosTrece the night before. We settled in at the bar and all ordered a glass of absinthe. The taste was a lot stronger than I remembered, which made it difficult to even sip on. I went back up to the bar and ordered a Coke, then slammed my glass of absinthe and chased it with the Coke. With one glass down I sat back and relaxed hoping that absinthe's fabled effects would start to play out, but after 15 minutes I felt nothing but slightly nauseous. I decided to go ahead and order another one. In similar fashion I downed it in one go and chased it with my beloved Coke. The girls had a good laugh as I grimaced from the awful lingering taste. I again sat back and waited for absinthe to work its magic. I was yet again disappointed as I felt nothing but even more nauseous. I decided I couldn't stomach another one so after the girls finally finished their glasses we packed up and went back to the flat to get some sleep.
(3/23) First stop today was La Boqueria, which is a huge covered market off of Las Ramblas and less than a block away from our flat. It is truly an awesome place with food of all sorts and freshness that is hard to beat. We picked up some food to make sandwiches with and went back to the flat to make a quick lunch. After lunch we went to Plaza Catalunya and caught a bus up to Parc Guell, which is yet another beautiful Gaudi creation. We walked all around the park, which is like a whole garden city, then laid down on the grass for a 30 minute nap. After Parc Guell we caught the bus back to the city center and walked to the gothic cathedral so we could tour the inside this time. The cathedral was pretty neat and the courtyard beside it was even better. After the cathedral it was time for the daily nap at the flat.
Upon waking it was time to sort out dinner plans. We decided to go in search of this place called "FoodBall", which Lauren remembered from her last visit several years ago. We later found out that it had been closed down a while ago and so we were left without a plan and we also had very little time before we were going to see a flamenco show. We decided to just walk to the flamenco show and figure something out afterwards. The show was at a place called "Tarantos" and it was just off of Plaza Reial. The show was pretty cool, especially the kid that came out at the end and threw some moves down. I also randomly ran into my friend Alexa from Lancaster while we were there. After the flamenco show we went to a Chinese restaurant nearby and filled up before heading to a club called Apolo for NASTY MONDAY.
Lauren knew one of the guys who was DJing that night, Soren, so we were supposed to get free entry, but due to the language barrier and the bouncers being dicks we ended up having to pay. Once inside we grabbed drinks and went up to the front to say hi to Soren. Lauren talked to him for a few minutes and he let us into the VIP area on the right side of the stage. In the VIP we got free alcohol until it ran out and it was nice cause the rest of the floor was shoulder-to-shoulder. After setting us up in the VIP Soren headed back on stage to finish his set. After Soren was done a band came on to play. The lead singer/lead guitarist played completely naked which was funny. Their music sucked, but then again that could be because they were singing in Spanish so I couldn't even understand the lyrics. After the band's set was over Soren and his buddy went back on to DJ the rest of the evening and we moved out of the VIP and onto the dance floor. The floor was super crowded so most of the time was spent being shoved around, but we made the most of it. I ended up losing the back of my phone which was really annoying cause my battery kept coming loose. We danced for about an hour then decided we'd had enough and headed back to our flat to crash.
(3/24) We had to check out of our flat at noon, so the morning was spent packing things up and eating a light breakfast. Luggage in hand we went back to La Boqueria to pick up some snacks for later. We caught the subway to Estacion de Franca which is where were going to be catching our train to Milan later. We were under the impression that there were lockers at the station where we could store our stuff, but we were wrong. With all our luggage in tow we wandered around in search of nearby hostels that might let us put our stuff up for a few hours. Luckily, we ended up finding one across the street from the station after trying 2 other ones. Now that we weren't bogged down with luggage we wanted to go see a few last things of the city before we left. We decided to split up and Jade went to the zoo, while Lauren and I just started wandering. Lauren and I ended up going to H&M for some shopping and I got myself a new shirt. We met back up near the zoo 2.5 hours later and walked up the dirt path in Parc Ciutadella towards the Arc de Triomf. We hung out in the sun and watched some skateboarders to waste time. With about 1.5 hours till our train departed we headed back to get our luggage, got a bite to eat, and then boarded our overnight train to Milan. I ended up sharing a car with 3 Japanese guys with limited English-speaking ability, but we were able to get a conversation going and they were fun to hang out with. Anyways, next stop Cinque Terre.
Barcelona Photos 1
Barcelona Photos 2
Barcelona Photos 3
Friday, March 20, 2009
Sunshine and Pool
(3/19) The nice weather finally arrived. I spent my whole day hanging out with friends in the grassy courtyard near my flat, it was fantastic. It reminded me so much of home when everyone sits around the engineering fountain on warm sunny days. You could see that everyone's mood had lifted significantly from earlier in the week.
Sunshine Pics
After the sun had faded it was time to take the party inside for my last pool match as a member of the Furness pool team. This time we were playing against Grizedale. The match started about 15 minutes late cause we were waiting for their team to show up. We started by losing our first 3 games, some of them close and some not so close. I played fourth and ended up winning by default. The game was pretty close all the way through even though I was playing pretty shitty. I had one ball left and he ended up pocketing both the 8-ball and the white ball in one shot. This ¨win¨ brought my final total for the term to 5-2. We lost the next game bringing the team totals to 1-4. We went on to rally the next 4 games to win the match. It was pretty intense and defintely a great way to finish off a season as a team.
Sunshine Pics
After the sun had faded it was time to take the party inside for my last pool match as a member of the Furness pool team. This time we were playing against Grizedale. The match started about 15 minutes late cause we were waiting for their team to show up. We started by losing our first 3 games, some of them close and some not so close. I played fourth and ended up winning by default. The game was pretty close all the way through even though I was playing pretty shitty. I had one ball left and he ended up pocketing both the 8-ball and the white ball in one shot. This ¨win¨ brought my final total for the term to 5-2. We lost the next game bringing the team totals to 1-4. We went on to rally the next 4 games to win the match. It was pretty intense and defintely a great way to finish off a season as a team.
Another Trip to the Carleton
(3/18) I went and watched the Furness women's pool team play their last match of the year against Grizedale which they won 6-3. After that I went back to Trev for a drink and then back to my flat. I sat and debated for almost half an hour about whether or not I wanted to go to the Carleton. I knew it was gonna be a big crowd cause everyone has been locked away in their rooms finishing up essays and reviewing for exams that they were ready to break loose. With about 10 minutes before the last bus of the night left I got suited up and jogged down to the underpass. To my surprise Urmie and her group were on this bus as well so I hung out with them. When we got to the Carleton it was packed, almost as much as my first trip. We went right to work drinking with shots all around. After the shots I grabbed a WKD (vodka cooler drink) and headed off to see if there were any familiar faces in the crowd. I found Amanda's flatmates, Maja, and my friend Rachel in my travels before I rejoined Urmie and her group. The evening continued a cycle of about 20 minutes dancing then drinking, rinse, and repeat. Urmie was hilarious cause she was REALLY wasted and kept falling down. Around 3 we headed off and crashed.
Carleton Pics
Carleton Pics
Thursday, March 19, 2009
St. Paddy's Day
(3/17) St. Patrick's Day made me think of home and my favorite Irish pub Nine Irish Brothers :( I decided to keep things pretty relaxed so I went down to Trev and hung out with the usuals and listened to some folk music. We played a few games of pool and concocted green drinks of our own since there wasn't any green beer on tap. I ended up getting pretty wasted, so I think I did St. Paddy's Day justice.
St. Paddy's Day Pics
St. Paddy's Day Pics
Monday, March 16, 2009
Week 9
(3/9) A night out with Urmie and her flat. Furness had a promotion going on for Revolutions, so we bought cheap tickets to that and off we went. There was a pretty good showing at Revs, and I saw a lot of familiar faces that I didn't know were going to be there. I drank pretty heavily at Revs, but the price was right so I couldn't say no. After Revs we decided to go to Elements. I ran into some more familiars at Elements, which made it even better. The turnout wasn't huge, but we had a good time. After Elements we taxied back to campus and grabbed some Sultan's before turning it in.
(3/10) A friend of mine named Ole (pronounced Ooh-la, its Norwegian) plays in a local group named Wagtale and they were having a show at a pub in town called Yorkshire House, so Liam, Kirky, Cheese, Joss, and I all went to see them. The show was really good. At Yorkshire House I ran into Alexa, who is another international student whom I haven't seen since probably Week 2. It was going to be her birthday at midnight, so I invited her to come along with me to Cuba after the show.
Cuba was having the foam party which they had canceled the week before. I was really excited since I had never been to a foam party before. The club was packed to the brim with people ready to get crazy. The foam hadn't come on yet, so we grabbed some drinks and wandered around a bit to see if we knew anyone else in the crowd. As we walked around I ran into Anett from the frisbee team. We ended up hanging out with her and her friends the rest of the night. About 15 minutes after finding Anett it was time for the foam. They turned on the cannon and the party officially started. People were packed like sardines, dancing and trying to get closer to the cannon so they could get properly foamed. I was a bit poorly dressed as most of the people were in beachwear and I was in jeans and a t-shirt, but it didn't really matter. I was a bit concerned from time to time for Alexa's safety cause the crowd was a bit rowdy and she is really short, but she survived just fine. Midnight passed and we celebrated Alexa's birthday amidst a sea of foam and music. The foam party was so much fun, I can't wait to go to another one. Around 2pm we headed out, completely soaked from head to toe. We grabbed some takeaway and waited for the free bus back to campus. I wish I would have taken some pictures, but I was too worried that my camera would get wet so I left it at my flat.
(3/11) A bunch of the international students were having a party with the theme of "Anything But Clothes", which meant people dressing in trash bags, sheets, cardboard boxes, etc. I decided not to go cause I wasn't sure if I wanted to party for a 3rd consecutive night. Instead I went down to Trev to relax for a bit. While I was there I ran into Amanda and her flat who said that they were going out to the Carleton. After debating for a while I decided I would go along. When I went back to my flat to change I saw the flat on the first floor of my building pre-partying for the Carleton as well. After I got changed I went down and hung out with them to pregame. Around 10:45 we headed out to catch the bus to Morecambe.
When we got to the Carleton things were pretty dead. We had caught one of the early buses, so we just grabbed some drinks and awaited the rest of the crowd. About 30 minutes later another busload of people arrived, including all the international students who were in their homemade attire. I mingled with them for a bit and then rejoined my party on the dance floor. I bounced around between groups most of the night, namely Amanda's group, the international students, and my group. The end to the evening was less than satisfactory, but overall it was alright. My first trip to the Carleton was much better.
Carleton Pics
(3/12) The Furness pool team played our 2nd to last match of the year. This time we played against Graduate College on their home turf. The last time Furness played Grad we lost 0-9, but this time we turned the tables. We ended up winning the match 7-2 and I won my match bringing my record to 4-2 for the term. After the match I went and hung out with Amanda for a bit. We decided to go back down to Grad cause they were having a dark ale festival. It is a bit of a hike from Furness, but it was worth it. The beers were all local dark brews, which is right up my alley. We only had time to get 2 pints since we got there kinda late and they were closing up, but it was fun. Afterwards we walked back to Furness with Karl and had a fun chat. Then it was time to crash.
(3/13) The return of Friday Fury. For those of you who don't remember Friday Fury from my old blog post, the idea is that the bars on campus give out some sort of trinket when you buy a drink and if you get a certain number you get free entry into Sugarhouse for the night. This time the trinket was playing cards. The theme for the night was Geeks, so I headed into town in the afternoon to try and pick up some geek clothes. To my disappointment I had forgotten that everything closes down at 5:30pm, so I came back empty handed. When I got back to campus I grabbed a bite to eat, took a shower, and put on some normal clothes. I headed down to Trev to await the start of Friday Fury, which kicked off at 8:30pm. As soon as 8:30 rolled around we all ordered a shot so we could get our Furness card and then we headed straight up the spine to County bar. At County we decided to hang out for a bit so we got pints and played some pool. After County we went to Bowland and got another shot. Next up was Fylde. Fylde is one of the 2 central bars along with Trev, so it was jam packed and it took almost 15 minutes to get a shot. With 4 cards in hand we were guaranteed free entry to Sugarhouse for the evening, but we decided we wanted to go ahead and get the full deck cause it was still really early. Our next stop was Pendle as we worked our way south along the spine. Since Grizedale College doesn't have a bar atm, Pendle was hosting them as well so I got 2 shots here so I could get both cards. Next up was Lonsdale for yet another shot. The last stop on our bar tour was Cartmel. I got another shot and we relaxed for a bit cause Zoe and Joe are friends with the manager. With our 8-card deck complete we headed back to Trev to regroup before leaving for Sugarhouse. We played a few games of pool and then Liam and I got antsy so we went on ahead to catch a bus into town. When we got to Sugarhouse the line was huge and they were doing one-out-one-in, which meant from where we were it would have been about 45 minutes to get in. Liam and me and the group we met up with in line decided to go to Hustle instead. I was pretty shitty about leaving Sugarhouse cause I really wanted to go, but the line was ridiculous. At Hustle I got a few drinks on special and downed them then danced for a bit. After about an hour Liam and I decided to give Sugarhouse another try. When we got back the line was tiny and the rest of our group that we had left back at Trev was just in front of us. Within 5 minutes we were in the club and reunited with our group, so it worked out well. The rest of the night went in typical Sugarhouse fashion: drinks, dancing, and mingling with the various groups who were out. Around 2am I grabbed a taxi with Bryn, Martha, and Rachel. Back at campus we hit up Sultan's for some fries and then we went our seperate ways to close out the evening.
(3/14) I did some grocery shopping during the day and visited the farmer's market. In the evening Kyle, Jessica, and I went to see the movie Milk at a local cinema called The Dukes. I snuck in a pint of Ben and Jerry's which made the movie even that much more enjoyable. The movie was fantastic. It wasn't quite as good as Slumdog Millionaire in my opinion, but it was very close. Sean Penn definitely deserved to win the Oscar for best actor. After the movie we went back to campus and grabbed some food at Pizzetta. After that we just hung out for the rest of the evening.
(3/15) Bryn, Martha, Rachel, Neil, Andy, and I teamed up for the last Trev pub quiz of the term. We put up a good showing, but ended up in a tie for 5th place. During the quiz they decided it would be a good idea to write on my face, but sadly I have no pictures to show the result. It is sad that there won't be anymore Sunday night pub quizzes for over a month, but when they return we shall be ready.
(3/10) A friend of mine named Ole (pronounced Ooh-la, its Norwegian) plays in a local group named Wagtale and they were having a show at a pub in town called Yorkshire House, so Liam, Kirky, Cheese, Joss, and I all went to see them. The show was really good. At Yorkshire House I ran into Alexa, who is another international student whom I haven't seen since probably Week 2. It was going to be her birthday at midnight, so I invited her to come along with me to Cuba after the show.
Cuba was having the foam party which they had canceled the week before. I was really excited since I had never been to a foam party before. The club was packed to the brim with people ready to get crazy. The foam hadn't come on yet, so we grabbed some drinks and wandered around a bit to see if we knew anyone else in the crowd. As we walked around I ran into Anett from the frisbee team. We ended up hanging out with her and her friends the rest of the night. About 15 minutes after finding Anett it was time for the foam. They turned on the cannon and the party officially started. People were packed like sardines, dancing and trying to get closer to the cannon so they could get properly foamed. I was a bit poorly dressed as most of the people were in beachwear and I was in jeans and a t-shirt, but it didn't really matter. I was a bit concerned from time to time for Alexa's safety cause the crowd was a bit rowdy and she is really short, but she survived just fine. Midnight passed and we celebrated Alexa's birthday amidst a sea of foam and music. The foam party was so much fun, I can't wait to go to another one. Around 2pm we headed out, completely soaked from head to toe. We grabbed some takeaway and waited for the free bus back to campus. I wish I would have taken some pictures, but I was too worried that my camera would get wet so I left it at my flat.
(3/11) A bunch of the international students were having a party with the theme of "Anything But Clothes", which meant people dressing in trash bags, sheets, cardboard boxes, etc. I decided not to go cause I wasn't sure if I wanted to party for a 3rd consecutive night. Instead I went down to Trev to relax for a bit. While I was there I ran into Amanda and her flat who said that they were going out to the Carleton. After debating for a while I decided I would go along. When I went back to my flat to change I saw the flat on the first floor of my building pre-partying for the Carleton as well. After I got changed I went down and hung out with them to pregame. Around 10:45 we headed out to catch the bus to Morecambe.
When we got to the Carleton things were pretty dead. We had caught one of the early buses, so we just grabbed some drinks and awaited the rest of the crowd. About 30 minutes later another busload of people arrived, including all the international students who were in their homemade attire. I mingled with them for a bit and then rejoined my party on the dance floor. I bounced around between groups most of the night, namely Amanda's group, the international students, and my group. The end to the evening was less than satisfactory, but overall it was alright. My first trip to the Carleton was much better.
Carleton Pics
(3/12) The Furness pool team played our 2nd to last match of the year. This time we played against Graduate College on their home turf. The last time Furness played Grad we lost 0-9, but this time we turned the tables. We ended up winning the match 7-2 and I won my match bringing my record to 4-2 for the term. After the match I went and hung out with Amanda for a bit. We decided to go back down to Grad cause they were having a dark ale festival. It is a bit of a hike from Furness, but it was worth it. The beers were all local dark brews, which is right up my alley. We only had time to get 2 pints since we got there kinda late and they were closing up, but it was fun. Afterwards we walked back to Furness with Karl and had a fun chat. Then it was time to crash.
(3/13) The return of Friday Fury. For those of you who don't remember Friday Fury from my old blog post, the idea is that the bars on campus give out some sort of trinket when you buy a drink and if you get a certain number you get free entry into Sugarhouse for the night. This time the trinket was playing cards. The theme for the night was Geeks, so I headed into town in the afternoon to try and pick up some geek clothes. To my disappointment I had forgotten that everything closes down at 5:30pm, so I came back empty handed. When I got back to campus I grabbed a bite to eat, took a shower, and put on some normal clothes. I headed down to Trev to await the start of Friday Fury, which kicked off at 8:30pm. As soon as 8:30 rolled around we all ordered a shot so we could get our Furness card and then we headed straight up the spine to County bar. At County we decided to hang out for a bit so we got pints and played some pool. After County we went to Bowland and got another shot. Next up was Fylde. Fylde is one of the 2 central bars along with Trev, so it was jam packed and it took almost 15 minutes to get a shot. With 4 cards in hand we were guaranteed free entry to Sugarhouse for the evening, but we decided we wanted to go ahead and get the full deck cause it was still really early. Our next stop was Pendle as we worked our way south along the spine. Since Grizedale College doesn't have a bar atm, Pendle was hosting them as well so I got 2 shots here so I could get both cards. Next up was Lonsdale for yet another shot. The last stop on our bar tour was Cartmel. I got another shot and we relaxed for a bit cause Zoe and Joe are friends with the manager. With our 8-card deck complete we headed back to Trev to regroup before leaving for Sugarhouse. We played a few games of pool and then Liam and I got antsy so we went on ahead to catch a bus into town. When we got to Sugarhouse the line was huge and they were doing one-out-one-in, which meant from where we were it would have been about 45 minutes to get in. Liam and me and the group we met up with in line decided to go to Hustle instead. I was pretty shitty about leaving Sugarhouse cause I really wanted to go, but the line was ridiculous. At Hustle I got a few drinks on special and downed them then danced for a bit. After about an hour Liam and I decided to give Sugarhouse another try. When we got back the line was tiny and the rest of our group that we had left back at Trev was just in front of us. Within 5 minutes we were in the club and reunited with our group, so it worked out well. The rest of the night went in typical Sugarhouse fashion: drinks, dancing, and mingling with the various groups who were out. Around 2am I grabbed a taxi with Bryn, Martha, and Rachel. Back at campus we hit up Sultan's for some fries and then we went our seperate ways to close out the evening.
(3/14) I did some grocery shopping during the day and visited the farmer's market. In the evening Kyle, Jessica, and I went to see the movie Milk at a local cinema called The Dukes. I snuck in a pint of Ben and Jerry's which made the movie even that much more enjoyable. The movie was fantastic. It wasn't quite as good as Slumdog Millionaire in my opinion, but it was very close. Sean Penn definitely deserved to win the Oscar for best actor. After the movie we went back to campus and grabbed some food at Pizzetta. After that we just hung out for the rest of the evening.
(3/15) Bryn, Martha, Rachel, Neil, Andy, and I teamed up for the last Trev pub quiz of the term. We put up a good showing, but ended up in a tie for 5th place. During the quiz they decided it would be a good idea to write on my face, but sadly I have no pictures to show the result. It is sad that there won't be anymore Sunday night pub quizzes for over a month, but when they return we shall be ready.
Patriot's Cup
(3/7) Today was the first annual Patriot's Cup sporting competition between Furness and Cartmel. The day began with football (soccer) matches between both A teams and B teams. Both of our teams got rocked. Then it was on to a game known as Rounders, which is similar to baseball. For an explanation of Rounders see this or this. I played Rounders for the first time and our team ended up winning. It was a lot of fun and apparently I have a knack for it because I'm tall and can catch well bare-handed. I have been recruited to join the club in the summer term when I come back from Easter break travelling. Anyways, after Rounders it was on to fun football, which is for people who don't play for the teams. I played in this as well, which made my leg injury flare up and hurt quite a bit. We ended up losing this in penalty kicks, but it was fun. Next up was table tennis, which I also played. I won my first game and lost my next 2 which I think left me in 3rd place overall. After table tennis it was on to basketball. Myself and Pete, who is the captain of the university team, led our team to victory, which tasted oh so sweet. After basketball my leg was officially spent so I sat down and watched the rest of the sports. They played volleyball and dodgeball to finish out the first half of the day. After those were done there was a break for 2 hours so people could get something to eat and get cleaned up. I limped back to my room and took a shower and made a sandwich.
Around 5pm we reconveined in Trev to start the bar sports portion of the competition. First up was team pool. For the team pool we had to nominate 5 guys and 4 girls to play. Sadly I did not get a chance to play in the team pool because those spots were taken by the A team members. We ended up losing the team pool 5-4. While team pool was going on there was a Guitar Hero competition taking place as well. I'm not sure how we ended up in that. After that was people's darts, which was meant for anyone not on the team. I think we won that. There was also a pub quiz going on. Halfway through the pub quiz, and with all the other events completed, we moved down to Cartmel bar to finish out the competition.
At Cartmel it was time for people's pool. I thought I was going to get to play in that, but we had too many people wanting to play so I volunteered to sit out. While people's pool was going on there was also team darts and the rest of the pub quiz taking place. We won people's pool and I'm not sure how we did in the other 2 events. When all was said and done we ended up losing, which was pretty heartbreaking. I was just glad to have participated in the first one ever and it was fun hanging out with a bunch of friends all day. The day was not over though. With the competition completed it was time to catch some free buses to Sugarhouse.
Sugarhouse was good as usual. We all got pretty hammered and danced the night away. Around 2:30am it was off to the taxis and then Pizzetta for a snack before bed. Even though my leg hurt like a biatch it was definitely a fun day to remember, spent with a lot of friends.
Around 5pm we reconveined in Trev to start the bar sports portion of the competition. First up was team pool. For the team pool we had to nominate 5 guys and 4 girls to play. Sadly I did not get a chance to play in the team pool because those spots were taken by the A team members. We ended up losing the team pool 5-4. While team pool was going on there was a Guitar Hero competition taking place as well. I'm not sure how we ended up in that. After that was people's darts, which was meant for anyone not on the team. I think we won that. There was also a pub quiz going on. Halfway through the pub quiz, and with all the other events completed, we moved down to Cartmel bar to finish out the competition.
At Cartmel it was time for people's pool. I thought I was going to get to play in that, but we had too many people wanting to play so I volunteered to sit out. While people's pool was going on there was also team darts and the rest of the pub quiz taking place. We won people's pool and I'm not sure how we did in the other 2 events. When all was said and done we ended up losing, which was pretty heartbreaking. I was just glad to have participated in the first one ever and it was fun hanging out with a bunch of friends all day. The day was not over though. With the competition completed it was time to catch some free buses to Sugarhouse.
Sugarhouse was good as usual. We all got pretty hammered and danced the night away. Around 2:30am it was off to the taxis and then Pizzetta for a snack before bed. Even though my leg hurt like a biatch it was definitely a fun day to remember, spent with a lot of friends.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Who Watches The Watchmen?
(3/6) Opening day for Watchmen!!! I'd been waiting for this day ever since I saw the first preview for the movie at least 4 months ago. I went to frisbee practice from 10am-noon and then got showered up and waited around till time to see the movie. I went with a bunch of people from the frisbee team, which worked out well cause they saved me a seat as I was running a bit late. The fact that it was opening combined with the nature of the movie made for an interesting crowd. There were a number of people in full costume dressed as characters from the movie. The previews before the movie last 30 solid minutes, which was a bit ridiculous, but I must say that this is going to be a fantastic year for movies methinks.
Anyways, the movie was great in my opinion. The common criticisms that I heard from my fellow moviegoers was that it was too long and that the soundtrack didn't really fit. I didn't really mind either of these. For those of you who don't know anything about the movie, you can find a synopsis here.
After the movie our group went to Charles and Mike's flat. I hung out there and had a few drinks as we all discussed the movie and other random things. It was nice to hang out with the frisbee team outside of practice, cause I hadn't had many chances. It was getting on towards midnight, so I headed out to meet up with some friends at Cuba for Diego's birthday. Cuba was pretty packed, but I managed to weave my way through and find my friends. We partied until closing then caught a taxi back to campus.
Anyways, the movie was great in my opinion. The common criticisms that I heard from my fellow moviegoers was that it was too long and that the soundtrack didn't really fit. I didn't really mind either of these. For those of you who don't know anything about the movie, you can find a synopsis here.
After the movie our group went to Charles and Mike's flat. I hung out there and had a few drinks as we all discussed the movie and other random things. It was nice to hang out with the frisbee team outside of practice, cause I hadn't had many chances. It was getting on towards midnight, so I headed out to meet up with some friends at Cuba for Diego's birthday. Cuba was pretty packed, but I managed to weave my way through and find my friends. We partied until closing then caught a taxi back to campus.
Shootin Some Stick
(3/5) This was a typical Thursday where I went to class and counted down the minutes until time to play pool. At 6pm the time had finally arrived and I headed down to Trev for practice. We rotated around playing a few practice games until 7 when our match with Fylde began. I played the 3rd game against their team captain. It started out rough with him running out most of his balls and me missing a few shots. I finally made a rally and got down to 2 balls left, but he was able to snooker me, which means that he put the cue ball in such a position as I didn't have a straight line to hit any of my balls so I had to play a bank shot, which I missed. He pocketed the 8-ball on the next shot, knocking my record down to 3-2. I was pretty salty about the loss cause I know I could have beaten him if I would have taken a little more time when playing my bank shots. Anyways, after I stepped outside to simmer for a few I came back in and watched the rest of the match. We ended up losing the match 7-2, but most of the games were pretty close.
After the match we rallied the troops and hit the bars. As usual we went to WalkAbout first for some boat races, then we went to Friary. At Friary we ran into Zoe and Joe and Jack, and also Jessica, Diego, Dennis, and some other internationals. I bounced around between the 3 groups throughout our time there. After that the pool team, Zoe, and Joe all headed to Elements, and the internationals headed to Toast. I went to Elements first for a while and then met up with Jessica and her group at Toast. We finished out the night at Toast then caught a taxi back to campus. When we got back to their townhouse there was a huge spread of food in the kitchen from the birthday party they had earlier. They had been celebrating the birthday of one of her flatmates. This girls mom had filled up 2 tables with all sorts of snack foods and sweets. I was so excited to see the food I can't even explain. We gorged ourselves on snacks and then passed out.
After the match we rallied the troops and hit the bars. As usual we went to WalkAbout first for some boat races, then we went to Friary. At Friary we ran into Zoe and Joe and Jack, and also Jessica, Diego, Dennis, and some other internationals. I bounced around between the 3 groups throughout our time there. After that the pool team, Zoe, and Joe all headed to Elements, and the internationals headed to Toast. I went to Elements first for a while and then met up with Jessica and her group at Toast. We finished out the night at Toast then caught a taxi back to campus. When we got back to their townhouse there was a huge spread of food in the kitchen from the birthday party they had earlier. They had been celebrating the birthday of one of her flatmates. This girls mom had filled up 2 tables with all sorts of snack foods and sweets. I was so excited to see the food I can't even explain. We gorged ourselves on snacks and then passed out.
Fusion
(3/3) I was gonna have a chill night in, but when I was sitting in my flat chatting online I got invited to party with some friends in the flat on the bottom floor. It was the first time I'd ever really hung out with them since I met them on the 15 hour bar crawl. I went down to the flat and we all had a few drinks to pregame before going out. When we were a bit tipsy it was time to catch the bus to Cuba.
Cuba was supposed to be having a foam party that night, but it got canceled much to our disappointment. Regardless of that we still had a great time drinking and dancing. We stayed till about 2:30am and then grabbed a free bus back to campus. When we got back to campus we hung out in their flat for a little while longer and then called it a night. It was a great impromptu night out.
Cuba was supposed to be having a foam party that night, but it got canceled much to our disappointment. Regardless of that we still had a great time drinking and dancing. We stayed till about 2:30am and then grabbed a free bus back to campus. When we got back to campus we hung out in their flat for a little while longer and then called it a night. It was a great impromptu night out.
Decorating
(3/2) I finally got around to decorating my flat. I hung up that awesome fabric map that everyone wrote on during my Going Away Party. It is a fond reminder of all the amazing friends I have and how great it will be to see them again when I return in the summer. I also printed out another Rasterbation, which helped to fill up the large empty wall next to my bed. Finally my flat doesn't feel so bland and uninviting :)
Tragedy
Saturday, February 28th 2009, a date which will live in infamy. I lost my beloved hat, and with it a piece of my soul. I am now a mere shadow of my former self :(
Monday, March 9, 2009
WiFi Disco
(2/27) The evening started with dinner at a tapas bar called 1725, which is also the oldest bar in Lancaster (founded in 1725, who would have guessed). The group consisted of Urmie, Jessica, Dennis, Me, and a bunch of other international students. I was a little unsure of the choice of restaurant cause I'd only been to a tapas place once and I wasn't a huge fan, but I figured it was worth another try. The food turned out to be really good and the company was good as well. Some of the other people in the group were going crazy taking pictures of all sorts of random things, which was good for a laugh.
After dinner it was off to Toast where they were doing something called a WiFi Disco. The idea of a WiFi Disco is that there are 2 DJs in the club, each playing different music on a different channel. Everyone is given a pair of headphones and can switch between the 2 channels at will. It was the most unique clubbing experience I've ever had. Our group was about 12 people so throughout the night it was like playing a game, cause I would watch the other people and try to guess if they were on the same channel as me. We would constantly make hand gestures to each other saying to go to a particular channel. Also, occasionally I would take my headphones off and the club would be so quiet it was bizarre. We were all a bit unsure at first, but it turned out to be a great evening.
Here are some pictures.
After dinner it was off to Toast where they were doing something called a WiFi Disco. The idea of a WiFi Disco is that there are 2 DJs in the club, each playing different music on a different channel. Everyone is given a pair of headphones and can switch between the 2 channels at will. It was the most unique clubbing experience I've ever had. Our group was about 12 people so throughout the night it was like playing a game, cause I would watch the other people and try to guess if they were on the same channel as me. We would constantly make hand gestures to each other saying to go to a particular channel. Also, occasionally I would take my headphones off and the club would be so quiet it was bizarre. We were all a bit unsure at first, but it turned out to be a great evening.
Here are some pictures.
Movie Night
(2/26) Sadly there was no pool match this night. It was our team's week off :( Instead I decided to go with Jessica and Kyle to the cinema on campus and see Body of Lies. The cinema on campus is a lecture theatre that has been outfitted with better sound and video equipment. It only cost 2 pounds to get in, which is about $3. The chairs weren't very comfortable, but the picture and sound quality were good so it was worth it. We got there a bit early and between the time we sat down and when the movie started about 10 other international students showed up. They were carrying backpacks full of beer, which made me kick myself for not thinking of that. Anyways, the movie was pretty good and I'd recommend it to those who like the sort of CIA, espionage, conspiracy type movies.
Sports Social
(2/25) The day was pretty basic, but the evening was a blast. Furness was having a sports social with the theme of animals. I didn't have enough time to come up with a costume, but I still went. The turnout was a lot smaller than I expected, but they did have to move it up a day and there wasn't a huge amount of notice. Anyways, it was a lot of fun.
We all met up in Trev around 8pm to have a few rounds and shoot some pool before heading to town. Around 10pm it was off to the buses and into town. Our first stop was WalkAbout. We started the boat races without hesitation. By the time we moved on we had done 3 boat races and had probably 3 rounds in between. Next stop was Hustle. At Hustle it was all about the shots cause they were on sale. We also played some pool while we were there. After Hustle we made a quick stop in Weatherspoons, which was pretty lame so we only stayed for one drink. After Weatherspoons it was off Sugarhouse. We were hoping to get in free cause Rachel works there, but that didn't work out. We went ahead and paid anyways and went in to party. At Sugarhouse we ran into some familiar faces, namely Urmie, Amanda, and Amanda's flatmates. We closed out the night at Sugarhouse with dancing and numerous rounds. It was a really fun night, full of goofy moments.
Sports Social Pics
We all met up in Trev around 8pm to have a few rounds and shoot some pool before heading to town. Around 10pm it was off to the buses and into town. Our first stop was WalkAbout. We started the boat races without hesitation. By the time we moved on we had done 3 boat races and had probably 3 rounds in between. Next stop was Hustle. At Hustle it was all about the shots cause they were on sale. We also played some pool while we were there. After Hustle we made a quick stop in Weatherspoons, which was pretty lame so we only stayed for one drink. After Weatherspoons it was off Sugarhouse. We were hoping to get in free cause Rachel works there, but that didn't work out. We went ahead and paid anyways and went in to party. At Sugarhouse we ran into some familiar faces, namely Urmie, Amanda, and Amanda's flatmates. We closed out the night at Sugarhouse with dancing and numerous rounds. It was a really fun night, full of goofy moments.
Sports Social Pics
Bologna
(2/21) Around 9:30 in the evening Rachel and I arrived at the train station in Bologna. From there it was about a 15 minute walk to her place. Along the way we ran into some people from her program who were headed the same way so we talked with them as we walked. When we got to Rachel's place we dropped off our stuff and I grabbed a shower. Now that I was all fresh and clean it was time to think about dinner. We went to a delicious pizza place just down the road from her flat. We had a big pizza and some tortellini as well as a liter of wine for the 2 of us. The meal was great and the wine was a nice pregame for the evening ahead. After dinner we went back to her place before going out. When we got to her door she realized she had forgotten her keys in the flat, which automatically locks behind you when you leave. Luckily one of her flatmates Leo was working at a bar nearby so we went and got his keys so we could get inside. After we stopped off at her place we went back to the bar where Leo was working and gave him back his keys. We decided to stay there for a bit and have a drink cause the music was good. About an hour later we left for another bar. When we got there it was pretty packed but we worked our way up to the bar. Rachel knew the entire staff so we ended up drinking for free the whole night. I think in total we had 6 free drinks each. Near the end of the night I was just standing there and some guy started talking to me in Italian. I told him I didn't speak Italian and his eyes kinda lit up cause he could instantly tell I was American by my accent. He started talking about Obama and I said that I was a supporter. Within 10 minutes he ended up buying me 2 shots. This brought my free drink total up to 8 for the evening. Shortly after this the bar closed and Rachel and I walked back to her flat to crash for the night. I tried to sleep in the hammock in her living room, but the swaying made me nauseous so I flopped down on a couch.
(2/22) At about 9am one of Rachel's flatmates woke me up saying something in Italian. I don't think she spoke much English, but I got the idea that she wanted me to go into Rachel's room to sleep some more. I was a bit woozy from a mixture of tired and slightly hungover so I didn't try to question it. Rachel was already awake when I got to her room so she let me have her bed to sleep some more. I woke up around 12:30 and was surprised to find that I no longer felt hungover. I got up, got dressed, and we were off. We stopped at a cafe on our way for a quick bite and then it was time to see some sights. First up was Piazza Maggiore, which is the main square in the city. There was a cool fountain and some neat architecture around the square, including a giant church at one end which I'm told has some interesting history. We weren't able to go inside and see the church cause it closes for a few hours in the middle of the day which was exactly when we were there. We continued on walking up and down streets and after about 1:30 we stopped for tea at a place which is owned by one of Rachel's friends. It felt so surreal sitting outside in the sun enjoying some tea on a little Italian street. After tea we went and caught a bus to the edge of the city where we began our ascent to San Luca. The walk to San Luca is covered by 666 porticos, which makes it the longest unbroken chain of porticos in the world. The walk took about 30 minutes up a fairly steep incline, but it was well worth it. As we went we could see the city getting smaller in the distance. Also, there were some of the coolest villas I can imagine positioned along the hills.
When we reached the top the sight was breathtaking. In one direction were rolling hills of the Italian countryside, on the other was the outskirts of the city which looked small from our perch atop the hill. San Luca is a beautiful church made out of what looked like a red stucco. Inside are ornate carvings and beautiful paintings, which seem in sharp contrast to the outside. In front of the church is a courtyard where people come to relax and take in the fresh air. We sat in the courtyard for about 45 minutes just enjoying the scenery. It was then time to make our descent back to the city. Back in the city we caught a bus back to Piazza Maggiore where our day had began.
We walked around and saw some other neat little churches and squares hidden throughout the city. We also stopped to get some pizza for a snack, which was quite tasty. After a few hours of touring around we headed back to Rachel's place to get ready for the evening. Our plans were to meet up with her friend Lauren, who had arrived back from Venice earlier in the day. Lauren wasn't gonna be ready for a while and Rachel needed to do some homework so I took a nice 1:30 nap. After the nap I got changed and we headed out for appertivi, which is where bars have an all you can eat spread of appetizers. We snacked a had a glass of wine while we waited for Lauren to meet up with us. When Lauren got there we headed off in search of dinner. Dinner was really good, I had a traditional Bolognese dish which was Tortellini in broth. After dinner we hit up a really good gelato place and went back to Rachel's flat for a few minutes to get some Ibuprofen. While we were there we chatted with some of her flatmates. They seemed like cool people, but they only really spoke in Italian so I didn't get to know them all that well. After leaving the flat we went to a bar called Irish Pub. We were all kinda wiped out so we only stayed for a drink and then Rachel and I went back to her flat to crash.
(2/23) We got up around 8:30 and I threw all of my stuff back into my suitcase. I ate a croissant for breakfast then it was out the door. We went back to Piazza Maggiore, said our goodbyes, and I hopped in cab to the airport. It was sad to see my Italy adventure come to an end, but there will be another once Easter holiday rolls around. I had a great time hanging out with Rachel and her friends and hopefully I'll see them again before we all end our semester abroad.
Here are some pics from Bologna.
(2/22) At about 9am one of Rachel's flatmates woke me up saying something in Italian. I don't think she spoke much English, but I got the idea that she wanted me to go into Rachel's room to sleep some more. I was a bit woozy from a mixture of tired and slightly hungover so I didn't try to question it. Rachel was already awake when I got to her room so she let me have her bed to sleep some more. I woke up around 12:30 and was surprised to find that I no longer felt hungover. I got up, got dressed, and we were off. We stopped at a cafe on our way for a quick bite and then it was time to see some sights. First up was Piazza Maggiore, which is the main square in the city. There was a cool fountain and some neat architecture around the square, including a giant church at one end which I'm told has some interesting history. We weren't able to go inside and see the church cause it closes for a few hours in the middle of the day which was exactly when we were there. We continued on walking up and down streets and after about 1:30 we stopped for tea at a place which is owned by one of Rachel's friends. It felt so surreal sitting outside in the sun enjoying some tea on a little Italian street. After tea we went and caught a bus to the edge of the city where we began our ascent to San Luca. The walk to San Luca is covered by 666 porticos, which makes it the longest unbroken chain of porticos in the world. The walk took about 30 minutes up a fairly steep incline, but it was well worth it. As we went we could see the city getting smaller in the distance. Also, there were some of the coolest villas I can imagine positioned along the hills.
When we reached the top the sight was breathtaking. In one direction were rolling hills of the Italian countryside, on the other was the outskirts of the city which looked small from our perch atop the hill. San Luca is a beautiful church made out of what looked like a red stucco. Inside are ornate carvings and beautiful paintings, which seem in sharp contrast to the outside. In front of the church is a courtyard where people come to relax and take in the fresh air. We sat in the courtyard for about 45 minutes just enjoying the scenery. It was then time to make our descent back to the city. Back in the city we caught a bus back to Piazza Maggiore where our day had began.
We walked around and saw some other neat little churches and squares hidden throughout the city. We also stopped to get some pizza for a snack, which was quite tasty. After a few hours of touring around we headed back to Rachel's place to get ready for the evening. Our plans were to meet up with her friend Lauren, who had arrived back from Venice earlier in the day. Lauren wasn't gonna be ready for a while and Rachel needed to do some homework so I took a nice 1:30 nap. After the nap I got changed and we headed out for appertivi, which is where bars have an all you can eat spread of appetizers. We snacked a had a glass of wine while we waited for Lauren to meet up with us. When Lauren got there we headed off in search of dinner. Dinner was really good, I had a traditional Bolognese dish which was Tortellini in broth. After dinner we hit up a really good gelato place and went back to Rachel's flat for a few minutes to get some Ibuprofen. While we were there we chatted with some of her flatmates. They seemed like cool people, but they only really spoke in Italian so I didn't get to know them all that well. After leaving the flat we went to a bar called Irish Pub. We were all kinda wiped out so we only stayed for a drink and then Rachel and I went back to her flat to crash.
(2/23) We got up around 8:30 and I threw all of my stuff back into my suitcase. I ate a croissant for breakfast then it was out the door. We went back to Piazza Maggiore, said our goodbyes, and I hopped in cab to the airport. It was sad to see my Italy adventure come to an end, but there will be another once Easter holiday rolls around. I had a great time hanging out with Rachel and her friends and hopefully I'll see them again before we all end our semester abroad.
Here are some pics from Bologna.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)