Monday, June 21 - With a heavy heart I packed up to get ready to head back to Canada. This meant my trip was finally done. 6 weeks earlier I had arrived at the RN and wishing I had never left Canada and now I was dreading going home. This post would be quite boring except with this excerpt - while drinking at the Happy in Belfast Kara dared me to go hit on this random guy. I accepted the dare, and successfully chatted up said boy. In the end it was playful fun and nothing happened. I remember talking to him but I don't remember much of our conversation. In the end I wish I had...
Turns out, some how this guy is on my flight out of Dublin back to Canada! Random coincidence. Worse, I didn't even recognize him the first half of he flight, but he did me. Oh well. Quite a funny story at any rate.
My Euro adventure ends here, sadly. I'm hoping it will be updated in the somewhat near future. I have plans in place (and the wheels are in motion) to move to the UK for a year starting spring 2011. I'm currently working on obtaining my UK Visa and securing employment. Wish me luck! Talk soon.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Day 40 - Back to Dublin
Sunday, June 20th - I woke up feeling quite horrible, thankfully we had a quick send-off with Chris's parents and then we were heading back to Belfast. With it being Sunday, the train ran on limited hours so Sandra and I had to make it back to Dublin by mid-afternoon or we wouldn't make it back for our flight home the following morning. Really, I was quite okay with missing it and staying in Europe forever. Sandra was eager to get home though. I said a tearful goodbye to Kara at the train station - it was hard, really had no idea when I will see her next. As of now UK Visa is in the works, may be sooner than I thought!
2 hours later we arrived back in Dublin and checked into the lodge we had stayed at before. Turned out we had luck-out the first time, our room wasn't as nearly as spacious as the last one, in-fact we had to share a queen bed. It still wasn't horrible, and it was still dirt cheap. We cleaned up and then headed to our last dinner out in Europe. We went back to the restaurant we went to earlier in the week since the food had been fantastic. We splurged and had ridiculously expensive meals with over-priced but delicious wine. After that we headed back to our lodge to get ready to fly home in the morning. Here we dropped heaps of stuff trying to lighten our luggage. This was the worst night of sleep of the entire trip for me, a car alarm started going off around 3am and never stopped. I ended up getting up at 4 to shower and get ready for our 6am departure.
2 hours later we arrived back in Dublin and checked into the lodge we had stayed at before. Turned out we had luck-out the first time, our room wasn't as nearly as spacious as the last one, in-fact we had to share a queen bed. It still wasn't horrible, and it was still dirt cheap. We cleaned up and then headed to our last dinner out in Europe. We went back to the restaurant we went to earlier in the week since the food had been fantastic. We splurged and had ridiculously expensive meals with over-priced but delicious wine. After that we headed back to our lodge to get ready to fly home in the morning. Here we dropped heaps of stuff trying to lighten our luggage. This was the worst night of sleep of the entire trip for me, a car alarm started going off around 3am and never stopped. I ended up getting up at 4 to shower and get ready for our 6am departure.
Last Dinner
Day 39 - Exploring Belfast
Saturday, June 19th - Despite going to bed early (at least by contiki standards) I slept quite late and woke up to the delicious smell of home cooked breakfast made by Chris's mom. Bacon, eggs, sausage, rustic bread - it was all delicious. Chris's parents were great, extremely welcoming and quite entertaining to talk to. It was a nice change of pace to sit down to a family breakfast, I don't remember the last time I've done this - certainly not on contiki nor anytime recently at home.
After breaky we took a day trip to see one of the main attractions of Northern Ireland - the Giant's Causeway. We drove through the country-side and arrived at the attraction. It was quite windy and cold compared to what I'm used to. Poor Kara is used to hot Ontario summers and she's been stuck in Ireland in the cold. We climbed down the path to the waterfront and it was an amazing site, the rock formations were all symmetrical columns that were formed from a volcanic eruption that happened ages ago. It was really neat to look at and climb around. Only problem was that Kara and Chris hadn't advised me to where we were going so I was only wearing thongs so I had a bit of a problem on the slippery rocks. I still managed okay, I had climbed waterfalls and trekked around Europe in these thongs, I could definitely handle a few rocks. After admiring the waterfront we make a quick trip to the organ (see picture below) and then headed up the hill back to the car. Poor Sandra wasn't doing very well, the chilly winds made her feel worse than she already did and she had a difficult time climbing up the hill, but she was a trooper. The fresh air did the opposite for me, I felt renewed for the first time in weeks and was well ahead of the crowd, eager to explore the next turn.
After leaving the Giant's Causeway we went to a tiny waterfront city that Kara and Chris swore had the best ice cream. We weren't disappointed - it was elaborate and delicious. I still prefer gelato to ice cream but this was a definite treat. We passed by some shops and decided to stop, Kara and Chris were looking for a tent and I as everyone knows I just enjoying shopping - they didn't find a tent but I found some really cheap hoodies - 6 pounds and fit me perfectly!
We finally arrived back at Chris's parents place and after a quick shower we settled in for a family BBQ. The food was amazing - sausages, hamburgers, steaks - our host family went all out. It was simply delicious. Again, I really enjoyed the family time, and since one of the most famous Irish past-times is drinkin', we all got quite liquored up. Highlights of the evening include me trying to make friends with a herd of sheep - I spent a good 15 minutes trying to convince them to be friendly. I fail, but there is a pretty funny video of this. The entire group of us (parent's included) decided to head to the only pub in town "The Happy", which was heaps of fun. Everyone knew each other and those who didn't were extremely welcoming. It was very small town and unlike anything I've ever experienced I enjoyed every minute of it. We spent a few hours here and by last call I literally had to be dragged from the bar, I was having too much fun to leave!
More Giant's Causeway
After breaky we took a day trip to see one of the main attractions of Northern Ireland - the Giant's Causeway. We drove through the country-side and arrived at the attraction. It was quite windy and cold compared to what I'm used to. Poor Kara is used to hot Ontario summers and she's been stuck in Ireland in the cold. We climbed down the path to the waterfront and it was an amazing site, the rock formations were all symmetrical columns that were formed from a volcanic eruption that happened ages ago. It was really neat to look at and climb around. Only problem was that Kara and Chris hadn't advised me to where we were going so I was only wearing thongs so I had a bit of a problem on the slippery rocks. I still managed okay, I had climbed waterfalls and trekked around Europe in these thongs, I could definitely handle a few rocks. After admiring the waterfront we make a quick trip to the organ (see picture below) and then headed up the hill back to the car. Poor Sandra wasn't doing very well, the chilly winds made her feel worse than she already did and she had a difficult time climbing up the hill, but she was a trooper. The fresh air did the opposite for me, I felt renewed for the first time in weeks and was well ahead of the crowd, eager to explore the next turn.
After leaving the Giant's Causeway we went to a tiny waterfront city that Kara and Chris swore had the best ice cream. We weren't disappointed - it was elaborate and delicious. I still prefer gelato to ice cream but this was a definite treat. We passed by some shops and decided to stop, Kara and Chris were looking for a tent and I as everyone knows I just enjoying shopping - they didn't find a tent but I found some really cheap hoodies - 6 pounds and fit me perfectly!
We finally arrived back at Chris's parents place and after a quick shower we settled in for a family BBQ. The food was amazing - sausages, hamburgers, steaks - our host family went all out. It was simply delicious. Again, I really enjoyed the family time, and since one of the most famous Irish past-times is drinkin', we all got quite liquored up. Highlights of the evening include me trying to make friends with a herd of sheep - I spent a good 15 minutes trying to convince them to be friendly. I fail, but there is a pretty funny video of this. The entire group of us (parent's included) decided to head to the only pub in town "The Happy", which was heaps of fun. Everyone knew each other and those who didn't were extremely welcoming. It was very small town and unlike anything I've ever experienced I enjoyed every minute of it. We spent a few hours here and by last call I literally had to be dragged from the bar, I was having too much fun to leave!
First Sight of the Giant's Causeway
Up the hillside
More Giant's Causeway
The Organ
Kara and I
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Day 38 - Chillin in Belfast
Friday, June 18th - Sandra, Kara and I booked spa appointments which I was in desperate need of. I did better traveling than I thought, I was less concerned with clean clothes and more concerned with having a good time. Staying at Kara's was a bit of a reminder of how normal people live - they wash their clothes! They shower often! They don't always look like dirtballs! So we went to the spa and I finally felt clean for the first time in about 4 weeks. I even got my hair highlighted, I was definitely a happy camper by the end of the day. I also enjoyed the glass of champagne that kept getting refilled while waiting for my hair to lighten.
The plan for the weekend was to go up north to Chris's parents place in the country. Before we headed up north we went to a burger place where I literally had the best burger i've ever had. In my entire life. We drove about 2 hours into the country side and arrived at Chris's parents house. It was awesome, a bit rustic but still updated - their kitchen was my dream kitchen. We had a quiet night of bored games and wine, not the usual contiki fun but still a good night.
The plan for the weekend was to go up north to Chris's parents place in the country. Before we headed up north we went to a burger place where I literally had the best burger i've ever had. In my entire life. We drove about 2 hours into the country side and arrived at Chris's parents house. It was awesome, a bit rustic but still updated - their kitchen was my dream kitchen. We had a quiet night of bored games and wine, not the usual contiki fun but still a good night.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Day 37 - Exploring a bit of Belfast
Thursday, June 17th - After a quick breakfast Sandra, Kara and I headed out to downtown Belfast to do some shopping. Belfast has some fabulous shopping and it was super cheap. I even found an "I love Paris" t-shirt for 3 pounds! Even more surprisingly I managed to spend a heap of money at the kitchsy tourist store; anyone who has traveled with me knows that I have a severe distaste for these shops. I find them overpriced and filled with useless items - until Belfast I didn't buy one souvenir the entire trip besides a few postcards. This was the best tourist store I've seen, Sandra and I spent easily over 150 pounds. I was keen on finding an Irish ring and I found a truly unique one there.
We spent most of the day shopping, I bought a fabulous pair of shoes - they are spectacular and nothing like the stuff I can find at home. After shopping I treated Kara to her first pedicure ever(!), I was in desperate need of one - trekking around Europe for a month in thongs kills your feet. After our girly day out we headed out for dinner at a great steakhouse - it was delicious. There was a bit of a misunderstanding by the end of the meal and Kara and Colly got into a fight over the bill. This lead to quite a big blow between Chris, Kara and Colly. I stayed out of it and grabbed Kara's laptop and caught up with some people back home on facebook. Eventually Kara and I ended up hanging out on her balcony and drinking up a storm, it was heaps of fun - just like the old days in uni.
We spent most of the day shopping, I bought a fabulous pair of shoes - they are spectacular and nothing like the stuff I can find at home. After shopping I treated Kara to her first pedicure ever(!), I was in desperate need of one - trekking around Europe for a month in thongs kills your feet. After our girly day out we headed out for dinner at a great steakhouse - it was delicious. There was a bit of a misunderstanding by the end of the meal and Kara and Colly got into a fight over the bill. This lead to quite a big blow between Chris, Kara and Colly. I stayed out of it and grabbed Kara's laptop and caught up with some people back home on facebook. Eventually Kara and I ended up hanging out on her balcony and drinking up a storm, it was heaps of fun - just like the old days in uni.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Day 36 - Finally Belfast
Wednesday, June 16th - Finally got a hold of Kara and we made plans to meet up in Belfast. After another Irish breakfast we caught the train 2 hours north. We met up with Kara around 1pm and we had quite the reunion - I hadn't seen her in almost a year, I was beyond excited! It was such a great reunion moment! We dropped off our luggage and then headed to a pub to grab a pint, catch up and watch some world cup.
After our meal we headed back to her flat and I met Kara's boyfriend Chris and their roommate Colly. They were both good blokes. Kara made us dinner and then we were off to to watch her play rugby. Her team lost but it was a great game - I definitely enjoyed watching all the male rugby players! Afterward the game we headed back home and headed to bed quite early, the last 5 weeks were starting to catch up with me.
After our meal we headed back to her flat and I met Kara's boyfriend Chris and their roommate Colly. They were both good blokes. Kara made us dinner and then we were off to to watch her play rugby. Her team lost but it was a great game - I definitely enjoyed watching all the male rugby players! Afterward the game we headed back home and headed to bed quite early, the last 5 weeks were starting to catch up with me.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Day 35 - Off to Ireland
Tuesday, June 15th - I was in a foul mood on the way to the airport, I was exhausted from lack of sleep and upset that contiki was officially over - I was going to miss all my new friends. Sandra and I got to Heaththrow and sailed through our check-in and waited to board the airplane. The flight to Ireland was short, under an hour but I slept most of the way. We touched down in Dublin and had to figure out our next move. Sandra and I hadn't arranged for any accommodations nor did we have any actual plans once we got into Dublin. We were in Ireland to visit Kara who was living in Belfast, 2 hours north of Dublin. Problem was that we were not very organized and we didn't even have her address at the time so we decided that it would be best to just book a hotel and catch up on sleep and go from there. We ended up at the tourist desk and they were nice enough to book a hotel for us in the city for us, so we hopped on the airline bus shuttle and headed to our hotel. The hotel itself was super cute and cheap - only 45 Euros for the night for the 2 of us. I was very impressed! The only problem was that we couldn't check-in until 2pm and it was only 9am. We stashed our luggage at the hotel and set out to explore.
I had been up for over 24 hours now and Sandra was still sick so we weren't in the mood for sight-seeing. We grabbed a traditional Irish breakfast at a pub where I had my first taste of black pudding. It wasn't too bad. We walked around a little bit but then decided to go wait out our remaining time in an internet cafe, we literally spent 4 hours here. I finally caught up on all the emails I owed and many hours of TV. I was so tired at one point that I actually contemplated crawling under the desk and taking a nap. Finally it was 2pm and Sandra and I were able to check into our hotel, after being awake for 36 hours straight I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow.
We slept about 4 hours but woke up starving so we got cleaned up and went looking for some dinner. We found a cute Italian restaurant that served us some amazing food, delicious! We were still pretty beat so after dinner we just headed back to the hotel and headed to bed.
I had been up for over 24 hours now and Sandra was still sick so we weren't in the mood for sight-seeing. We grabbed a traditional Irish breakfast at a pub where I had my first taste of black pudding. It wasn't too bad. We walked around a little bit but then decided to go wait out our remaining time in an internet cafe, we literally spent 4 hours here. I finally caught up on all the emails I owed and many hours of TV. I was so tired at one point that I actually contemplated crawling under the desk and taking a nap. Finally it was 2pm and Sandra and I were able to check into our hotel, after being awake for 36 hours straight I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow.
We slept about 4 hours but woke up starving so we got cleaned up and went looking for some dinner. We found a cute Italian restaurant that served us some amazing food, delicious! We were still pretty beat so after dinner we just headed back to the hotel and headed to bed.
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