I’m writing this in a Word document on the way to Prague, more accurately written as Praha, Czech Republic. I have failed in trying to finish my personal statement, over which I should begin to feel stress. No matter, what will happen will happen.
On to Salzburg.
When we first began planning our trip, we never thought of Salzburg, much less Austria. We talked about the south of France, Spain, maybe Croatia, and even Germany, but never Austria. Then for some reason, I remember seeing Salzburg on the map, and remembered that it was not only the home of Mozart, but also where The Sound of Music had taken place! After Google allowed us a few glimpses of the place, we decided that it could be a lovely place to visit.
We kept looking forward to it throughout our trip, especially after the sweltering heat and hoards of tourists in Italy. Those feelings of anticipation increased all the more after we got off that hellish train from Florence and then skyrocketed when we stepped into the Munich train station.
Beautiful station—clean, decent restaurants, more technologically advanced. Oh, such relief.
Side note: I don’t mean to put Italy down in any way, but it is not a really “nice” or relaxing place to visit – at least, the tourist-y cities, anyway. I’m so glad I went and had a great time, but I was very ready to be out of that country.
The OBB bound for Salzburg was also beautiful. It was clean, comfortable and smooth. Even the W.C. was a haven compared to the ones in Italy.
That is not even the beginning, though, only a prelude.
When we got off in Salzburg, we sighed with relief, Ahhh, we’re finally here! We asked for directions to the bus stop, and were immediately understood and pointed in the right direction. We initially got on the #3 bus going the other way, but the driver kindly told us that we needed to go across the street to the other bus stop. Once we were on the right bus going in the right direction, it was delightful seeing that the bus had a digitalized thing telling you what the next stop was and laid out the sequence of the ones following. Oh, SO easy! SO wonderful!
Our hotel gave us a great experience. Right off the bat the receptionist gave us suggestions of where to go and what to do during our time here. He also gave us a free hour of Internet, which had already stood at a cheap €1/hour. We got to store our luggage there hassle-free, and we got a pretty substantial breakfast included in our rate, which was only €176 for two nights. I can’t say much about the toilet design or the lack of air-conditioning, but we couldn’t have stayed in a better hotel in a better location. The Mozart Plaza was steps away, as were nice pubs and restaurants.
The Old Town of Salzburg – ADORABLE ADORABLE ADORABLE. All the stores had intricately designed signs hanging from the side of the buildings—even the McDonald’s looked pretty decent! The first night we had a walk around Mirabell Gardens, which was beautiful, peaceful and just what we needed after that horrid train ride.
**Oh, by the way. Our overnight train was a nightmare and we decided to never do it again. We groggily got to Salzburg and all we wanted was to get something to eat and then take a nap. You don’t save that much time on an overnight train because you just take extra time to take a nap to catch up on the rest you couldn’t have while facing three other passengers in a cramped, hot and uncomfortable 6-passenger compartment.
There was a really nice atmosphere around the entire town. It was tourist-y, of course, but there was more authenticity in the place. There was no fake national pride, I don’t think, which is surprising considering its history with the Third Reich. I think that was because they weren’t boisterous in the least bit. Americans and Irish are very “AMERICA! YEAH!” or “We are Irish, therefore HAHAHA we are fun drunkards!” Austrians have a reserved yet kind personality for some reason.
And yes, they all sound like Arnold. I love it. I apologize for being insensitive or ignorat or politically incorrect, but they really do! Though, to be fair to both, Arnold has mellowed out his accent a bit.
And yes, we took the Sound of Music Tour, something made for the Americans who went there to see the locations of the film. Interesting side note for the story: the first original film was in German, which included the real classic and folk music that the Von Trapp family sung. The success of it inspired the American film with Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrews.
Okay, that all sounds so dorkily touristy, but I loved it. There’s something so special about listening to the Sound of Music Instrumental Suite while driving through the lake and mountain districts outside of Salzburg, where Julie Andrews ran and sang “The hills are aliiiive, with the sound of muuuusic” and “Doe, a deer, a female deer…” Priceless!
Interesting thing for any future Salzburg visitors: they’ll totally market that Salzburg was Mozart’s birthplace and hometown, but they’ll never tell you that he really hated it. He thought it was too simple and ordinary and kept dreaming of going to other more glamourous cities where all the geniuses and intellectuals gathered to cultivate tastes and masterpieces. It’s okay, though. I only knew this from my Music and Ideas course last semester.
Anyway, we finally had wonderful food from a hotel restaurant, which was SUCH a relief from having horrible food in Italy. We actually went there twice to try different things because we liked it so much! The strawberry ice cream dessert was also scrumptious! Not only did they serve us actual Vanilla bean ice cream, the massive amount of strawberries that came with it were SO fresh. Best meal by far.
And the beer! We had the Goldenbrau and something similar to the Eidelweiss beer, which were both great. The first one, the most standard in Salzburg, I think, was REALLY good. I mean, REALLY good. We had it twice, and both times it was exactly what we wanted and needed, so light and refreshing with extra hops in it.
We also stuck in a longer run because the weather was so nice, and there was so much space. We could get lost if we wanted and still feel safe, and that’s what we did. Absolutely lovely.
On our last day we hurried on up to Fortress (I need to Google the name), which was a good, hot walk up and up and up. Beautiful! I know I keep saying this, but the view that we got was the most beautiful out of all the views we’ve gotten so far. I think the mountain ranges and the trees had a lot to do with it. Salzburg isn’t a bustling, big city, which adds a lot of nature to its view. You might be able to credit the delicious Austrian Steigl beer to the view, but that's all part of Salzburg's lovely package.
So we still ended on a great note, with a train over to Vienna for the night before we headed to Prague the next morning. I'm more impressed with Salzburg than with Vienna, though I don't doubt that Vienna probably has better classical music concerts than Salzburg does. I would love to go back one day to catch a few of them, should money and timing work out.
Ohhh, goodbye Salzburg. Just for now, though, I'm planning on coming back to you in the future. =)
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
The American Italy
We are now in
With our Eurail passes, we were able to reserve seats from
Before I get too ahead of myself with the night train, though, I have yet to blog about
But I’ll be honest. When we stepped out of the train station, I wasn’t all that impressed. Tiny streets lined by even tinier sidewalks, American accents drowning out all other sounds, and just grungy building after grungy building on our way to our B&B. Under my sweat and horrible journey from
Fortunately, our B&B was quite pleasant, with owners who kindly gave us a map and some suggestions about where to go. So we gave
In the city we walked through many piazzas and passed many cathedrals. The Duomo is quite stunning in it majesty, and the oldness of the city is very impressive, I’ll admit.
Then…THEN…we came out to the river, conveniently at sunset.
GORGEOUS!
I remember gasping as I saw the pink and purple tints of sunlight on the hills and bridges as we stepped into
I won’t detail every small thing we did – I’ll just mention other highlights.
On the second day there, we went out for an early run around the River Arno, which was not bad.
Michelangelo’s David sculpture was indeed something. The rest of the galleries in the Accademia weren’t very impressive, but you do get a wow-factor when you step into the hallway in which David is standing at the end. The detail of the body was so meticulous and the entire thing to the eye is magnificent. You really don’t think “OMG there’s a naked 9-foot man there!”; you can only stand there in awe of Michelangelo’s work.
On our last day we went to the Duomo dome to climb 463 steps to the top of the dome, rewarding ourselves with a lovely panoramic view of the city. It was also nice to get out of the sweltering heat, even though we were climbing endless steps, the stone walls do a nice interior cooldown.
Other than those things, it was not the easiest to enjoy
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Crossing Bridges
This is, to me, the most memorable thing about Venice - that and secret alleyways and surprise shops.
Venice, though always brimming with tourists, is definitely worth a visit. There's something amazing in the way that city keeps afloat. As Alan said, it seems as though one day of bad rain could flood much of the city, and I'm supposing that's true. The water of the canals lick the doors of Venetian buildings, churches and palaces, so closely that any more movement of water would sweep under the cracks. Yet there's something marvelously confident about the way the buildings remain there, still and tranquil in simple elegance.
Well, in a way. Perhaps I exaggerate. When you take more time along the canal, there is something pretentious about the way Venice is today. But it is breathtaking and delightfully unique. Everything is walkable, every alleyway has some surprise gelato store or pizzeria, and every little campo has some quaint church or clock tower. We've pretty much stumbled across the main tourist spots without knowing or intending to, which is pretty nice. Of course, we never know the name of the actual spot, but you can always tell. Europe knows how to sells its tourist attractions.
All the San Marco and Saint Mark's business is quite stunning. The architecture is beautiful, and the atmosphere is buzzing with excitement. In that way it's not always so bad to have so many tourists (mostly American) dawdling about around you. We were all in the same place, basically. No one was hugely annoyed at anyone for strolling and looking around at a leisurely pace since we were all doing it. In that way, it wasn't so bad that Venice is just a honeycomb of foreigners.
It's also nice, may I note, that we have finally received some sun without wind and scattered showers! We were frolicking around at night with skirt/shorts and t-shirts, reveling in the fact that we didn't need jackets! Amazing. Absolutely amazing.
And of course all the restaurants were a rip-off, but the supermarket is definitely the way to go when you really need that chilled drink. If you can't find one anywhere near you, don't give in and pay 2.20 euro for a 330mL drink. Find a grocery store that will sell it to you for 80 cent. It's so worth the wait.
All that said, though, I'm definitely looking forward to Florence and leaving Venice. One day was enough to stroll around and really enjoy Venice as a novelty town. I think even one more day would turn my experience sour because, really, it's so small and walkable. The map makes the place look ridiculously huge, but you'd be surprised that you could probably walk the entire thing in less than a day and then some. Have a small taste of it, is my suggestion. Don't spoil it with spending too much time here.
Other things happened, but sleep is more important. =)
Venice, though always brimming with tourists, is definitely worth a visit. There's something amazing in the way that city keeps afloat. As Alan said, it seems as though one day of bad rain could flood much of the city, and I'm supposing that's true. The water of the canals lick the doors of Venetian buildings, churches and palaces, so closely that any more movement of water would sweep under the cracks. Yet there's something marvelously confident about the way the buildings remain there, still and tranquil in simple elegance.
Well, in a way. Perhaps I exaggerate. When you take more time along the canal, there is something pretentious about the way Venice is today. But it is breathtaking and delightfully unique. Everything is walkable, every alleyway has some surprise gelato store or pizzeria, and every little campo has some quaint church or clock tower. We've pretty much stumbled across the main tourist spots without knowing or intending to, which is pretty nice. Of course, we never know the name of the actual spot, but you can always tell. Europe knows how to sells its tourist attractions.
All the San Marco and Saint Mark's business is quite stunning. The architecture is beautiful, and the atmosphere is buzzing with excitement. In that way it's not always so bad to have so many tourists (mostly American) dawdling about around you. We were all in the same place, basically. No one was hugely annoyed at anyone for strolling and looking around at a leisurely pace since we were all doing it. In that way, it wasn't so bad that Venice is just a honeycomb of foreigners.
It's also nice, may I note, that we have finally received some sun without wind and scattered showers! We were frolicking around at night with skirt/shorts and t-shirts, reveling in the fact that we didn't need jackets! Amazing. Absolutely amazing.
And of course all the restaurants were a rip-off, but the supermarket is definitely the way to go when you really need that chilled drink. If you can't find one anywhere near you, don't give in and pay 2.20 euro for a 330mL drink. Find a grocery store that will sell it to you for 80 cent. It's so worth the wait.
All that said, though, I'm definitely looking forward to Florence and leaving Venice. One day was enough to stroll around and really enjoy Venice as a novelty town. I think even one more day would turn my experience sour because, really, it's so small and walkable. The map makes the place look ridiculously huge, but you'd be surprised that you could probably walk the entire thing in less than a day and then some. Have a small taste of it, is my suggestion. Don't spoil it with spending too much time here.
Other things happened, but sleep is more important. =)
Monday, May 18, 2009
R.I.P.. Canon SD890IS
And in just one moment of absentmindedness, I lost it. In London.
I'm trying my best to..."move on." Strange, isn't it? It just felt like it was part of me, part of my abroad experience, and I lose it, at the end of the period during which I've been so careful to take care of it. It wasn't the most stellar of cameras, nor even the most stellar of point-and-shoots. But man, I loved that camera, and the more I think about it, the more it sucks that's it's...gone.
I won't dwell on it - I can't do anything about it now anyway. I've done everything I could to retrieve it but to no avail. Now I need to just make the best of the situation and move on, hoping that profuse apologies to my parents for all the money they forked over to get it for me will make up for what it cost them monetarily. Also, Alan still has his, and though it's not of the same quality, it will just have to do.
So...now with Italy, Salzburg and Prague to come, I have no camera. I will simply have to resort to writing about my experiences, my own angles in hopes of adequate compensation for what I lost today. It might be good, but right now, I'd rather be looking at my camera. In my hand.
That said, Les Miserables helped me through the day. The musical was amazing and definitely tops anything else on Broadway! To me, anyway. I think I would love the opera if I got the chance. There's something really fascinating about having the entire story sung rather than simply sprinkled with musical numbers. And, of course, there's something special about this old story. I don't think it's anything "new," per se, but it definitely digs deep into the subjects of justice, moral living, forgiveness, the meaning of redemption, salvation, God.
And there's definitely something in the line: "When you look at the face of someone you love you'll see the face of God."
I wholeheartedly stand behind that, in the way that I believe God reveals much about His character through our relationships with people. By what standards do we judge one's salvation? Who goes into Heaven? Jean Valjean, who ran away from the law all his life but helped and saved so many people? Fantine, who prostituted herself for money for her daughter - basically a selfish deed? Javert, who, hated though he was, wanted to be pure and just? Eponine, whose tragic, unrequited love sent her to death?
Who? Who walks through those pearly gates?
Well, to keep documenting my journey despite of having no camera to record along the way, I shall log in what we have done so far:
Saturday
1) Westminster
2) Big Ben
3) Buckingham Palace
4) St James's Park
5) Trafalgar Square
6) Piccadilly Circus
7) Wagamama
8) The Household Calvary
9) The Red Lion
Sunday
1) The British Museum
2) St Paul's Cathedral
3) Cafe Rouge
4) Halfway across the Millennium Bridge
5) Gym
6) Jaccuzzi
7) Synechdoche, New York
Monday
1) Hyde Park/Kensington Garden
2) Tower Bridge
3) Lost camera
4) Belgo for express lunch deal
5) Shopping around Covent Garden
6) Les Miserables!
By the way, I love how the Underground has an automated message for "Due to a person under the train, there are no trains going through Oxford Circus." Okay, not funny that someone was actually stuck under the train, but interesting how there's something for that particular situation. Makes me wonder what other bizarre messages were recorded.
Okay, so Venice tomorrow! I'm excited, yes! Very much glad for some sun soon!
I'm trying my best to..."move on." Strange, isn't it? It just felt like it was part of me, part of my abroad experience, and I lose it, at the end of the period during which I've been so careful to take care of it. It wasn't the most stellar of cameras, nor even the most stellar of point-and-shoots. But man, I loved that camera, and the more I think about it, the more it sucks that's it's...gone.
I won't dwell on it - I can't do anything about it now anyway. I've done everything I could to retrieve it but to no avail. Now I need to just make the best of the situation and move on, hoping that profuse apologies to my parents for all the money they forked over to get it for me will make up for what it cost them monetarily. Also, Alan still has his, and though it's not of the same quality, it will just have to do.
So...now with Italy, Salzburg and Prague to come, I have no camera. I will simply have to resort to writing about my experiences, my own angles in hopes of adequate compensation for what I lost today. It might be good, but right now, I'd rather be looking at my camera. In my hand.
That said, Les Miserables helped me through the day. The musical was amazing and definitely tops anything else on Broadway! To me, anyway. I think I would love the opera if I got the chance. There's something really fascinating about having the entire story sung rather than simply sprinkled with musical numbers. And, of course, there's something special about this old story. I don't think it's anything "new," per se, but it definitely digs deep into the subjects of justice, moral living, forgiveness, the meaning of redemption, salvation, God.
And there's definitely something in the line: "When you look at the face of someone you love you'll see the face of God."
I wholeheartedly stand behind that, in the way that I believe God reveals much about His character through our relationships with people. By what standards do we judge one's salvation? Who goes into Heaven? Jean Valjean, who ran away from the law all his life but helped and saved so many people? Fantine, who prostituted herself for money for her daughter - basically a selfish deed? Javert, who, hated though he was, wanted to be pure and just? Eponine, whose tragic, unrequited love sent her to death?
Who? Who walks through those pearly gates?
Well, to keep documenting my journey despite of having no camera to record along the way, I shall log in what we have done so far:
Saturday
1) Westminster
2) Big Ben
3) Buckingham Palace
4) St James's Park
5) Trafalgar Square
6) Piccadilly Circus
7) Wagamama
8) The Household Calvary
9) The Red Lion
Sunday
1) The British Museum
2) St Paul's Cathedral
3) Cafe Rouge
4) Halfway across the Millennium Bridge
5) Gym
6) Jaccuzzi
7) Synechdoche, New York
Monday
1) Hyde Park/Kensington Garden
2) Tower Bridge
3) Lost camera
4) Belgo for express lunch deal
5) Shopping around Covent Garden
6) Les Miserables!
By the way, I love how the Underground has an automated message for "Due to a person under the train, there are no trains going through Oxford Circus." Okay, not funny that someone was actually stuck under the train, but interesting how there's something for that particular situation. Makes me wonder what other bizarre messages were recorded.
Okay, so Venice tomorrow! I'm excited, yes! Very much glad for some sun soon!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Calm my restless soul
Perhaps I only needed a few days to recover from my first trip. I'm kind of itching to be off and doing something again.
If you were to ask me the most important lesson I learned during these months abroad, I would tell you it was that I definitely need people. As independent as I thought I was emotionally, I realize that I can only take this loneliness for so long.
In the end, everyone needs more than just one person. Don't listen to those romantic stories that say, "Just you and me, baby. All we need is each other." I'll save you the heartbreak and effort and tell you that's a lie. We need a community, fellowship, a circle of friends. You can marry the love of your life, but you can't depend on that one person to fill all the holes of your heart. We're more complicated than that. Much more complicated. And I won't even get into that God-shaped void.
Anyway, I miss Boston and the fellowship I had there. I may have taken advantage of it just being there for me all the time, and how I wish I could have seen everyone one last time! If I could give you all hugs, see you smile, hear you laugh, share your fears, tell you my fears - what I would give!
I'm writing about Balance in my personal statement, and even in just trying to get a solid start I've learned quite a bit. The most exciting experiences in life can haul the hardest lessons in tow, leaving you short of reaching that perfect moment/period in your life - that time to which you'll forever retreat to keep believing that life is good.
As much as I love being abroad, living in a different culture, traveling to cool places, and spending time with my boyfriend, I crave the groups of friends I had/have in the states. It's been such a long time since I've been in physical contact with a close friend. I've forgotten how it is to have my own social life.
The closest thing I had so far has been one night out with Alan and his friend, James, and that was such a relief. As much as I enjoy talking to older aunts/uncles/parents/brother and sister-in-law, I have to admit it was really nice to hang out with someone my own age.
But I held it out, and tomorrow Alan and I are off to see London, Venice, Florence, Munich possibly, Salzburg and Prague! No, we haven't gotten any packing even done yet, but we've been tired and busy this week. I want to get a run out, but has been pretty awful for that. It'll be a nice change from sitting around the house for me, and not having to work for Alan. Unfortunately, London seems to be pouring down rain. Mmm...yum. So much for all the plans to just lie around in the parks. =(
After those 13 days, I'm back in Ballymoney for four more days preparing to return to America! It's a bit surreal to think about that, but it's also surreal to think about my life since January, even since July. Heck, you can even go as far back as August 2005, when I and my three 70-lb suitcases checked into John Wayne Airport to leave for Boston.
Cheers to life, unpredictability, surprises, and uncertainty. And, of course, some much-needed optimism about the scary future.
If you were to ask me the most important lesson I learned during these months abroad, I would tell you it was that I definitely need people. As independent as I thought I was emotionally, I realize that I can only take this loneliness for so long.
In the end, everyone needs more than just one person. Don't listen to those romantic stories that say, "Just you and me, baby. All we need is each other." I'll save you the heartbreak and effort and tell you that's a lie. We need a community, fellowship, a circle of friends. You can marry the love of your life, but you can't depend on that one person to fill all the holes of your heart. We're more complicated than that. Much more complicated. And I won't even get into that God-shaped void.
Anyway, I miss Boston and the fellowship I had there. I may have taken advantage of it just being there for me all the time, and how I wish I could have seen everyone one last time! If I could give you all hugs, see you smile, hear you laugh, share your fears, tell you my fears - what I would give!
I'm writing about Balance in my personal statement, and even in just trying to get a solid start I've learned quite a bit. The most exciting experiences in life can haul the hardest lessons in tow, leaving you short of reaching that perfect moment/period in your life - that time to which you'll forever retreat to keep believing that life is good.
As much as I love being abroad, living in a different culture, traveling to cool places, and spending time with my boyfriend, I crave the groups of friends I had/have in the states. It's been such a long time since I've been in physical contact with a close friend. I've forgotten how it is to have my own social life.
The closest thing I had so far has been one night out with Alan and his friend, James, and that was such a relief. As much as I enjoy talking to older aunts/uncles/parents/brother and sister-in-law, I have to admit it was really nice to hang out with someone my own age.
But I held it out, and tomorrow Alan and I are off to see London, Venice, Florence, Munich possibly, Salzburg and Prague! No, we haven't gotten any packing even done yet, but we've been tired and busy this week. I want to get a run out, but has been pretty awful for that. It'll be a nice change from sitting around the house for me, and not having to work for Alan. Unfortunately, London seems to be pouring down rain. Mmm...yum. So much for all the plans to just lie around in the parks. =(
After those 13 days, I'm back in Ballymoney for four more days preparing to return to America! It's a bit surreal to think about that, but it's also surreal to think about my life since January, even since July. Heck, you can even go as far back as August 2005, when I and my three 70-lb suitcases checked into John Wayne Airport to leave for Boston.
Cheers to life, unpredictability, surprises, and uncertainty. And, of course, some much-needed optimism about the scary future.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Why do I still have things to do?
Though I have not done any traveling since I've been back in Ballymoney, I will continue to update, which will mostly be because I just don't want to do any work anymore.
Too bad for me, though, as I have two graduate school applications I absolutely must fill out and submit this week. I don't even know if it's worth it because I don't even know if I can afford to go in 2010. Still, I'd like to think that perhaps I can just defer for a semester if I am accepted.
And I am saying that as though I know I would be accepted, which is false. I have no idea of my chances of getting into these programs at all. I'll just have to ensure that I write an awesome personal statement.
It's really a shame when you put your pictures up on the computer and notice how much worse they look on a bigger screen than on your little 2.5" LCD camera one. They're no good to show anyone, and you can't simply go to that place again and take a good one. No retrys. What a harsh world.
Ah well. What can you do when you're always on a bus passing by the most scenic lochs and mountains and coasts? Not much, except try that high shutter speed and hope that there's not a lot of noise in the resulting pictures.
I resumed running the day after I came back from my trip with my parents. I think I'll take my first break today, since I'm afraid of hurting my leg constantly running on uneven pavement. Alan and I are trying to get a good routine going this week so that we can be pumped up for some running around Europe.
That's exciting, eh? I never thought that I'd be able to be up for doing that, running a little course in different countries. It's a cool thought, to be able to list out all the places in which I've done a little run.
The list so far:
1. On Victoria Blvd., Riverside, Cali.
2. On Boylston St. and a loop from Mass. Ave. to Cambridge and through BU and Kenmore Square, Boston, Mass.
3. A park in Hacienda Heights, Cali.
4. Cerritos Park East, Cerritos, Cali.
5. Ballymun Road, Griffith Ave., Swords Rd., Collins Ave., and Albert's College Park, Dublin, Ire.
6. The Thames, London, England, UK
7. Along Loch Ness, Drumnadrochit, Loch Ness, Inverness, Scotland, UK
8. The Trim Trail and along Kiltraughts Rd., Ballymoney, Northern Ireland, UK
9. LA Fitness gym in Glasgow, Scotland, UK (well, did rowing and cycling more like, and this doesn't REALLY count, but I still did something I suppose)
Apologies for the horrible organization of the list. I'm just too lazy to make it any clearer, really.
So, here's to more to add on the list in less than a week!
Too bad for me, though, as I have two graduate school applications I absolutely must fill out and submit this week. I don't even know if it's worth it because I don't even know if I can afford to go in 2010. Still, I'd like to think that perhaps I can just defer for a semester if I am accepted.
And I am saying that as though I know I would be accepted, which is false. I have no idea of my chances of getting into these programs at all. I'll just have to ensure that I write an awesome personal statement.
It's really a shame when you put your pictures up on the computer and notice how much worse they look on a bigger screen than on your little 2.5" LCD camera one. They're no good to show anyone, and you can't simply go to that place again and take a good one. No retrys. What a harsh world.
Ah well. What can you do when you're always on a bus passing by the most scenic lochs and mountains and coasts? Not much, except try that high shutter speed and hope that there's not a lot of noise in the resulting pictures.
I resumed running the day after I came back from my trip with my parents. I think I'll take my first break today, since I'm afraid of hurting my leg constantly running on uneven pavement. Alan and I are trying to get a good routine going this week so that we can be pumped up for some running around Europe.
That's exciting, eh? I never thought that I'd be able to be up for doing that, running a little course in different countries. It's a cool thought, to be able to list out all the places in which I've done a little run.
The list so far:
1. On Victoria Blvd., Riverside, Cali.
2. On Boylston St. and a loop from Mass. Ave. to Cambridge and through BU and Kenmore Square, Boston, Mass.
3. A park in Hacienda Heights, Cali.
4. Cerritos Park East, Cerritos, Cali.
5. Ballymun Road, Griffith Ave., Swords Rd., Collins Ave., and Albert's College Park, Dublin, Ire.
6. The Thames, London, England, UK
7. Along Loch Ness, Drumnadrochit, Loch Ness, Inverness, Scotland, UK
8. The Trim Trail and along Kiltraughts Rd., Ballymoney, Northern Ireland, UK
9. LA Fitness gym in Glasgow, Scotland, UK (well, did rowing and cycling more like, and this doesn't REALLY count, but I still did something I suppose)
Apologies for the horrible organization of the list. I'm just too lazy to make it any clearer, really.
So, here's to more to add on the list in less than a week!
Friday, May 8, 2009
I am old and stingy.
How about this last week and a half of not blogging? I have proven quite the failure at travel blogging, so I am mentally scratching that off my list of career possibilities...as if it ever were on it.
Anyway, so now I have to summarize everything that has happened since I left Northern Ireland with my parents! Bullet points? Nice cop out, and I think I'm going to take it!
Actually, also separating sections would make my life easier.
FRANCE
- Orleans to visit my mom's former supervisor, Andree
- Versailles
- The usual tourist-y places: Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Invalides, Champs-Elysees, Arc of Trumph, Montmartre, Sacre-Coeur
- Visiting Andree's sorta-love interest's (Andree is almost 70, Jean is 85 - how cute is that?!) daughter, Chantel, who is a professional singer and music professor living in Montmartre.
France is...expensive, especially if included in your traveling party is someone who is particularly picky about food. It was ridiculously difficult to find a decently-priced restaurant the entire time in Paris, which meant that we had to either brace ourselves for the bill and just pay for it or pay the bill and try to forget that you did.
And yes, we did end up at McDonald's a few times. Hey, it's relatively cheap and fast. They do their job well, excepting the notion of serving good and healthy food.
The Louvre was closed on May Day! I was so so so dumb to think that of all places that wouldn't be closed on a FRIDAY was the Louvre, perhaps one of the most popular tourist attrations in the world. Everything else was also closed, which brought the tourists outside in droves. The Louvre courtyard was brimming with people, the street of Champs-Elysees was a powerful stream of humans going all directions simultaneously, every restaurant was about to burst open with all the people.
And although it was pretty awesome to hear all sorts of languages mixing together in one place, I was so ready to go to an English-speaking country again by that day. I'm not hating on foreign languages, mind you. It's the obvious frustration in both parties that makes communication difficult and discouraging.
But I don't actually feel compelled to go learn another language (and have it stick) despite these experiences. Oh well. That's just me.
SCOTLAND - Highlands Experience
GAH! Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful!
- Fort William
- Isle of Skye
- Urqhuart Castle
- Loch Ness
- Other such and such lochs without monsters
- Millions of streams and waterfalls
- Beautiful scenery after beautiful scenery.
And I ran along Loch Ness!
I saw a dead deer - broken neck trying to get to the young trees.
I stopped caring whether I got wet!
I have too many pictures to filter through for posting!
I'll stop this madness now and just talk about Fairy Glen. I FOUND NEVERLAND. I did. I totally did. I now know where to go if I ever want to visit Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. It really is called Fairy Glen, friends. I thought I wouldn't be one of those who bought into those stories, but seriously, it's Neverland, hands down.
I love the mountains of Scotland. My dad said they weren't as majestic as Yosemite, but there's something different about the Highlands that appeals to me. There's a mystical, thriving oldness that makes them come alive with stories of fairies and enchantment. As we passed by all of them in bus, the [very few] fantasy novels I'd read in the past raced through the glens and pranced down the hills. And I don't care if LOTR was shot in New Zealand. This was the road to Mordor.
SCOTLAND - Edinburgh
- Edinburgh Castle
- John Knox House
- Holyrood Park
- Arthur's Seat
- St. Anthony's Chapel
I loved the streets, can I be mundane and just say that? So pretty and medieval. I definitely got the royal procession shown in "Sleeping Beauty" stuck in my head as I walked up the winding inclined road to the castle. "Hail to the King! / Hail to the Queen! / Hail to the Princess Aurora!"
Okay. Arthur's Seat is a 30-40-minute hike up to the tallest hill in Holyrood Park, for future reference. It is not a good idea to venture up in wind AND rain, as the entire top part of it, where Arthur's Seat is located is rock. Rock that gets very slippery when wet. And wind that threatens to blow you down the slippery rocks is not that great. We didn't make it right next to the stone of Excalibur as that would have been extremely dangerous, but we made it! And the view of Edinburgh was gorgeous! Stops at St. Anthony's Chapel and the swan pond on the way down were nice bonuses, might I add.
Scotland - Glasgow
- University of Glasgow
- Kelvingrove Museum
- Shopping!
Just a regular day trip to Glasgow.
The back story to this is that I made a huge mistake and thought my parents were leaving for America on May 6th, so I had booked all the flights and hotels around that.
Wrong-o!
They left yesterday, May 7th. So I ended up canceling our flights back to Dublin (aka just missing the flight and paying for it) and the reservation at Clarion Hotel on May 6th. I then had to re-book flights from Edinburgh to Ireland (DUB and BFS) for May 7th. Also had to find another place for accommodation for three nights instead of two in Edinburgh.
But that was all figured out, and we lost a bit of money, but oh well. We had a great time in Glasgow, and I'm glad they got to see it!
Back in Edinburgh, it was way too windy, so I just hopped onto the bus to get to the airport really early! As in...I was #6 to check in. Haha. I mean, I would have loved to explore more of Edinburgh, albeit with my suitcase and heavy purse, but the wind came from all directions, sweeping my hair this way and that, and blowing random things in my eyes, so I gave up.
It's really windy here in Northern Ireland as well. Phooey. Had looked forward to a good run in Edinburgh, but this sickness doesn't recommend it. Yes, I have a cough. No, I don't have the swine flu. It's really just a common cold stemming from stupid bacteria that made its way into my system.
This is boring - my apologies. But I needed to do this for my own records and the sake of reflection! I'm looking foward to having a break from traveling. I know a week and a half isn't all that long, but I'm old, I suppose. Another two-week trip awaits next Saturday, so I think I do indeed need some rest.
Though, what awaits me are forms and applications. I need to get all the financial aid (essential for getting my diploma apparently) and the graduate school application finished in this next week so that I can be stress-free during my travels.
Baaaah. Time and life never stop, do they?
Anyway, so now I have to summarize everything that has happened since I left Northern Ireland with my parents! Bullet points? Nice cop out, and I think I'm going to take it!
Actually, also separating sections would make my life easier.
FRANCE
- Orleans to visit my mom's former supervisor, Andree
- Versailles
- The usual tourist-y places: Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Invalides, Champs-Elysees, Arc of Trumph, Montmartre, Sacre-Coeur
- Visiting Andree's sorta-love interest's (Andree is almost 70, Jean is 85 - how cute is that?!) daughter, Chantel, who is a professional singer and music professor living in Montmartre.
France is...expensive, especially if included in your traveling party is someone who is particularly picky about food. It was ridiculously difficult to find a decently-priced restaurant the entire time in Paris, which meant that we had to either brace ourselves for the bill and just pay for it or pay the bill and try to forget that you did.
And yes, we did end up at McDonald's a few times. Hey, it's relatively cheap and fast. They do their job well, excepting the notion of serving good and healthy food.
The Louvre was closed on May Day! I was so so so dumb to think that of all places that wouldn't be closed on a FRIDAY was the Louvre, perhaps one of the most popular tourist attrations in the world. Everything else was also closed, which brought the tourists outside in droves. The Louvre courtyard was brimming with people, the street of Champs-Elysees was a powerful stream of humans going all directions simultaneously, every restaurant was about to burst open with all the people.
And although it was pretty awesome to hear all sorts of languages mixing together in one place, I was so ready to go to an English-speaking country again by that day. I'm not hating on foreign languages, mind you. It's the obvious frustration in both parties that makes communication difficult and discouraging.
But I don't actually feel compelled to go learn another language (and have it stick) despite these experiences. Oh well. That's just me.
SCOTLAND - Highlands Experience
GAH! Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful!
- Fort William
- Isle of Skye
- Urqhuart Castle
- Loch Ness
- Other such and such lochs without monsters
- Millions of streams and waterfalls
- Beautiful scenery after beautiful scenery.
And I ran along Loch Ness!
I saw a dead deer - broken neck trying to get to the young trees.
I stopped caring whether I got wet!
I have too many pictures to filter through for posting!
I'll stop this madness now and just talk about Fairy Glen. I FOUND NEVERLAND. I did. I totally did. I now know where to go if I ever want to visit Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. It really is called Fairy Glen, friends. I thought I wouldn't be one of those who bought into those stories, but seriously, it's Neverland, hands down.
I love the mountains of Scotland. My dad said they weren't as majestic as Yosemite, but there's something different about the Highlands that appeals to me. There's a mystical, thriving oldness that makes them come alive with stories of fairies and enchantment. As we passed by all of them in bus, the [very few] fantasy novels I'd read in the past raced through the glens and pranced down the hills. And I don't care if LOTR was shot in New Zealand. This was the road to Mordor.
SCOTLAND - Edinburgh
- Edinburgh Castle
- John Knox House
- Holyrood Park
- Arthur's Seat
- St. Anthony's Chapel
I loved the streets, can I be mundane and just say that? So pretty and medieval. I definitely got the royal procession shown in "Sleeping Beauty" stuck in my head as I walked up the winding inclined road to the castle. "Hail to the King! / Hail to the Queen! / Hail to the Princess Aurora!"
Okay. Arthur's Seat is a 30-40-minute hike up to the tallest hill in Holyrood Park, for future reference. It is not a good idea to venture up in wind AND rain, as the entire top part of it, where Arthur's Seat is located is rock. Rock that gets very slippery when wet. And wind that threatens to blow you down the slippery rocks is not that great. We didn't make it right next to the stone of Excalibur as that would have been extremely dangerous, but we made it! And the view of Edinburgh was gorgeous! Stops at St. Anthony's Chapel and the swan pond on the way down were nice bonuses, might I add.
Scotland - Glasgow
- University of Glasgow
- Kelvingrove Museum
- Shopping!
Just a regular day trip to Glasgow.
The back story to this is that I made a huge mistake and thought my parents were leaving for America on May 6th, so I had booked all the flights and hotels around that.
Wrong-o!
They left yesterday, May 7th. So I ended up canceling our flights back to Dublin (aka just missing the flight and paying for it) and the reservation at Clarion Hotel on May 6th. I then had to re-book flights from Edinburgh to Ireland (DUB and BFS) for May 7th. Also had to find another place for accommodation for three nights instead of two in Edinburgh.
But that was all figured out, and we lost a bit of money, but oh well. We had a great time in Glasgow, and I'm glad they got to see it!
Back in Edinburgh, it was way too windy, so I just hopped onto the bus to get to the airport really early! As in...I was #6 to check in. Haha. I mean, I would have loved to explore more of Edinburgh, albeit with my suitcase and heavy purse, but the wind came from all directions, sweeping my hair this way and that, and blowing random things in my eyes, so I gave up.
It's really windy here in Northern Ireland as well. Phooey. Had looked forward to a good run in Edinburgh, but this sickness doesn't recommend it. Yes, I have a cough. No, I don't have the swine flu. It's really just a common cold stemming from stupid bacteria that made its way into my system.
This is boring - my apologies. But I needed to do this for my own records and the sake of reflection! I'm looking foward to having a break from traveling. I know a week and a half isn't all that long, but I'm old, I suppose. Another two-week trip awaits next Saturday, so I think I do indeed need some rest.
Though, what awaits me are forms and applications. I need to get all the financial aid (essential for getting my diploma apparently) and the graduate school application finished in this next week so that I can be stress-free during my travels.
Baaaah. Time and life never stop, do they?
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