Day 32 - Europe 2010

Today was our trip to Cambridge!  We had a bit of a late start getting out and then the bus lines were a little off that day, probably because there happened to be a Relay for Life going on.  So we didn’t really arrive until around 1:00pm, unfortunately.  By that time we were all ready for lunch so Myriah led us to Jamie Oliver’s restaurant, also known as the Naked Chef.  We had to wait a bit to get seated but the food was pretty good and decently priced.  I had some pasta with prawns and Nick had a similar seafood dish.  I also ordered a salad which was very simple but good.

After our meal, we got some ice creams and drinks and headed over to the college.  I was shocked to find out that the Kings College Cathedral was closed, although I should have seen it coming considering it was Sunday and it’s a church.  We walked to another entrance and found out there were two services but we had missed both!  Agh!  There I was with the cathedral a few steps away and I couldn’t get in!  I was so bummed and so irritated!  I had really wanted to see it just because it has a very unique design with fan vaulting, something I guess only a art history geek like me would know.

Sadly, that ruined the rest of my Cambridge experience for me since it was the one thing I had really come to see.  We walked around a bit and saw the river there.  You could pay to get in a little boat and have someone take you down the river, called punting, but the weather was windy, our time was running short, and the price was too much.  We went back to the marketplace where I hoped to maybe buy something fun and unique but they were closing up shop, unfortunately, so I had to rush through whatever was still up and nothing was catching my eye.  I did at least see a cute Tinkerbell mug in the Disney store on our way out and Nick got that for me!  Yay for my fairy collection!

So I tried to get over my Cambridge disappointment and focus instead on our last evening at home with the Bakers.  I had had so much fun playing games that I wanted to be sure and do that again.  We played Rock Band and I sang most of the time.  It would have been more fun if I knew more classic rock songs but I’m just not cultured enough.  After a while, we moved on to playing Poker again, after a lovely serving of Jason’s homemade apple pie!  Such luxuries we have at the Bakers!  Anyway, I was very proud of the large stack of chips I accumulated during the game.  It’s exciting to get a good hand!  Unfortunately, it was getting late and I was so tired for some reason.  Perhaps just knowing that my relaxation days were over and I needed to get up bright and early and get back to my travel schedule was enough to start draining me.  So Myriah and I cut out early – Nick won again in the end – and we all went to bed.

We really enjoyed our stay with the Bakers.  I was impressed by their hospitality and I really enjoyed my conversations with Myriah.  I loved playing games with them especially and it made me sad we didn’t get together more when we were all in Albuquerque.  And I am downright going to miss cute baby Jordyn.  That little girl knows how to smile and I loved having that around all the time.  I even got her to laugh at me for a while.  Nick said, “I need to get me one of these,” and I couldn’t agree more!

So I was a sad to end our fun and relaxing visit with them.  I almost wish we had saved them for last because it would have been a great way to end it all.  Thanks for the visit, Baker Family!

PHOTOS:

On our way to Jamie Oliver's for a yummy lunch.

I didn't take any pictures of the restaurant or our food but they did have some high quality crappers I that pulled the camera out of my pocket.  Haha!

Well here is the outside of Kings College Cathedral at least but it's a no go on getting inside.  Boo!!

Here's a bit more of the college in Cambridge, spread out over a few blocks.

And here was a little round church we saw on our way to the river.

The band with Nick on drums, Jason on guitar, and Myriah singing.

Nick found the drums to be challenging but fun.  Look at him go!

Which pile of chips is mine?  Oh, the huge one, of course.  Mine was plenty small at other times, however, so my gloating was only momentary.

Day 31 - Europe 2010

In the morning and afternoon we all went to the base where Nick was able to get a haircut and we were able to buy a few goodies for ourselves to cover the next couple of days, apples and granola bars and such.  When we got back home, we all played a few games of Sequence and then moved on to Poker.  Nick and I didn’t really know how to play so Jason taught us.  I actually enjoyed it and Nick was a proud winner in the end.  If it was a real game with real money, however, then it would carry a lot more weight and be more stressful than anything.  So it was enjoyable to play just for fun.

In the evening, we all went back to the base where they were having Independence Day celebrations.  Today is actually the third of July but I guess they figured they would have a better turn out on Saturday than on Sunday.  And it was pretty ironic anyway to be celebrating Independence in England.  Ha ha, you guys lose!

Anyway, they had a mini-carnival set up there and Riley sure had fun going on all the inflatable slides and stuff.  I think they need those for adults because I kind of wanted to join him and I know Nick did too.  Nick went on a ride with Jason, one of those spinny types that I said “no thanks” to.  Sure enough, both of them got off the ride looking a little dazed and could only say, “That was crazy.”  Yep, glad I was only the photographer.

Nick and I did do the scrambler together.  I was laughing and enjoyed it until I noticed that the bars of the ride were digging into Nick’s leg and all the while I am putting more pressure on it by jamming into him from the force of the ride.  He kept saying it was fine, which was completely unconvincing since he had a huge grimace on his face.  Meanwhile I am trying to keep off of him to relieve some pressure but the force is too great and my efforts are in vain.  So I was happy when it was over.  I knew before going on that he looked too big for the ride but oh well.

Nick saved the day at the carnival, by the way.  We met one of the Bakers’ friends and she was talking with Myriah when she started unknowingly swatting at a huge bee buzzing around her head.  Every one of us saw the bee but Nick was the only one concerned enough to suddenly jump forward and start swatting at the poor woman’s head!!  We were all just laughing that he was so gallant and that the lady must have been rather perplexed at this random large man suddenly attacking her head.  It was good fun and luckily no one got stung.

We watched some fireworks after that, which were just so so.  I was just taking pictures the whole time and laughing at the kids behind me.  They kept saying, “WHAT THE???” when fireworks would go off and it cracked me up.  The best was when a kid, not sure if it was Riley, was saying, “That’s the biggest one I’ve seen in my LIFE!” and then when the next one went off, “That’s the biggest one I’ve seen in my LIFE!”  I guess they just kept getting bigger and bigger!!

We went home and it was pretty late by then so everyone went to bed.  It was a good fun day.  I really enjoyed playing games and we had a good time at the carnival, though it sure turned from warm to chilly really quick!  Brrr!

PHOTOS:

As we head to the Independence Day Carnival, Jordyn shows off her patriotism and her smile too.

Here is Riley on his way down the slide.  Looks fun!

Jason and Nick, not knowing the full extent of the craziness ahead of them.

Now they know.

Riley tried out the bungees but he was a little too light to do much jumping.  It looked liked fun.

See all those little black dots all over that carnival prize.  Those are called wheat bugs - I think - and they are everywhere and they are really annoying!  Nick was wacking them off my head all evening at the carnival.  Better than cockroaches I guess.

A look at the carnival at night.  It was very small with just a few games and rides.  No one was going into the House of Terror.  Sorry guys, not gonna pay for that.

Let the fireworks begin!

"That's the biggest one I've seen in my LIFE!" 

"WHAT THE???"  *head explodes*

Day 30 - Europe 2010

Today we went with the Bakers to a little nearby town called Ely.  Myriah really wanted us to go to a tea room and do the tea thing so we could experience some true English culture.  I never even drink tea so I didn’t know what to order!  I asked the waitress for suggestions and I was really happy with her recommendation.  I don’t remember the name of the tea but it had a sweet almond flavor and was so good I had about three cups!  Yum!  The food was great too.  I had some toast with mozzarella and we also some very yummy biscuits, or scones as they call them, with raspberry jam.  It was really a fun experience and neat to do something of the English culture.

We didn’t see too much of Ely but it’s a small town and the tea room was the main event.  We went back to the Baker home for a bit and Jason made some amazing pizza for us!  I was bummed I wasn’t more hungry otherwise I would have been able to eat more!  And how nice to not have to find a place to eat dinner!  Yay for a home-cooked meal!

In the evening, we went to the base to watch Toy Story 3, which I was very surprised they even had already since a lot of the American films don’t get to Europe until a few weeks after their release in the states.  Anyway, although the theater was small and a bit too hot, I did enjoy the movie.  It was very cute and I even got a little choked up at the end.  Amazing how a story about living toys can make you care enough to cry!

We came home and watched another movie before going to bed.  Again, it was a slow and relaxed day which was just fine for us weary travelers.  Just to have our own room with a decent bed and no full schedule to wake up to was very refreshing.

PHOTOS:

Myriah enters Ely with purpose!

Someday, Riley, you can be as big as me.

On to the Tea Room for a true English experience!

Jason attempts to stay manly while stirring his cute cup of tea with his cute little spoon.

Myriah is happy to be here with in the tea room.  Jordyn, however, is trying to come to terms with the tea cup.

Meanwhile, Riley finds another use for the beaded doily and attempts to look penitent.  Nice try.

Day 29 - Europe 2010

We were SO TIRED this morning!  We arrived at the airport on time and it didn’t take too long to check in, fortunately.  I was starving – because cheapo salad and fries-robber didn’t give me my extra food the night before – so I was running around the airport looking for a muffin before our flight.  I found some good-looking muffins and was happy with my purchase, making it just in time to board.  The flight was short but we tried to sleep.  We were successful but only after a lot of adjusting.  Poor Nick and those long legs.

Then we arrived in England and Nick’s coworker from Albuquerque, Jason Baker who is now stationed about two hours from London, came to pick us up.  We gabbed the whole way to his house while I checked out the scenery, which reminded me a lot of Idaho.  There are just fields and fields and more fields in this area – he lives in Huntingdon – and he said that a lot of England is like that.

We got to his lovely home and were excited for a clean shower and a real bed for two!  We reunited with Jason’s wife, Myriah, and their son, Riley.  We also got to meet their new baby girl, Jordyn, who is cute as can be.  They had appointments to go to soon after we arrived so we crashed on the bed for a few hours while they did that.  And it was so nice to catch up on sleep in our own room!!!

We went with them to the base in the afternoon to eat lunch and shop around.  Myriah and I hung out and talked for a long while when we got home.  Everything was pretty relaxed.  We just watched TV and played video games in the evening and that was about it, which was just fine.

PHOTOS:

Nick was trying to find creative ways to get some sleep on the plane, much to my amusement.  That's his neck pillow in case you were lost.

Here is baby Jordyn just three months old and cute as can be!

Here is Riley, four years old, and his sister, Jordyn, in her swing.

Day 28 - Europe 2010

Today was the day I wanted to visit the Wicklow Mountains since we got robbed of that the week before with the whole car rental mess.  There are lots of bus tours going through there from Dublin everyday so we just picked the cheapest one and hopped on in the morning at around 9:30am.

Our bus driver was cracking me up.  He was an older gentleman who talked almost the entire way through the tour.  It was actually really informative because he told us a lot of different things about Ireland and their history and culture and economy, not just the regular tourist stuff.  After a while, I just kind of zoned in and out of his commentary but it was nice to have it there when I wanted to listen.  And he was so nice!  Even when people were driving crazy around him, he would just chuckle and say, “Oh people do drive fast here sometimes.”  I just wanted to take him home with me.  They need an adopt-an-Irish-grandparent program.

The Wicklow Mountains are just South of Dublin.  I can’t say it was more beautiful than Killarney.  It was just a different kind of beautiful.  Some of Braveheart was filmed here and we also stopped at a place where P.S. I Love You had been filmed, or as our tour guide said, “fil-ahmd.”  We also were shown some turf that the locals use as fuel for their fires.  They cut down into the ground and leave these peat-rich dirt piles out to dry and I guess it makes for decent fuel, which they have been doing for generations.  We also saw that the water in the streams and lakes was rust-colored which was interesting.  There was a big beautiful rust-colored lake owned by the Guinness family, the famous brewers of Ireland.  On one end of the lake was a stretch of imported sand, brought in to make the amber lake look like a glass of beer complete with foam on the top.

We made a few photo stops along the way.  Nick and I were able to explore a little bit of a river which was fun, and at one stop we skipped rocks for a bit.  We made a longer stop at a place called Glendalough, which has an old cemetery, chapel, and monastery from medieval times.  We were able to hike there and stop at lake for a bit.  It made me miss our most excellent day in Killarney where we rode bikes all around and found beautiful secluded spots to explore.  I wish we could have done the same in the Wicklow Mountains.

We did most of our stops in the morning and early afternoon so the last two or three hours of the tour were boring as we were just heading back.  Nick and I both got sleepy on the bus and were happy to be back, around 5:30pm, so we could move on to other things.

After some shopping, we went out to dinner and both had lamb stew.  It was good but I was annoyed at the menu.  It said “all meals include a salad and fries” so, naturally, I expected my stew to come with these as well.  But I only got the bowl of stew and I may not have paid the price if I’d have known it didn’t include the extras.  I wanted to complain to the guy but I knew it wouldn’t do anything.  “You need to put an asterisk by the stew if it doesn’t come with those things, buddy.”  On top of that, he “pressed the wrong button” and overcharged us for our drinks.  I’m glad I asked Nick how much he paid for everything or we wouldn’t have even known we got ripped off five bucks.

At least we were able to hear some Irish music again.  This was our last night in Ireland and I wasn’t about to miss that opportunity.  This time I checked to make sure there was a violinist and there was so we were good to go!  We enjoyed it and went back to the hostel with “I’ll Tell Me Ma” stuck in my head.

We spent the evening packing everything up because we had ANOTHER early morning flight the next day.  We went to bed around 11:30pm with only about 4.5 hours of sleep available.  I spent all that night waking up feeling like I needed to get ready and go.  I guess our Paris experience hasn’t worn off yet.

PHOTOS:

The driver had quite a lot to say on our way through Dublin.  It made me regret that we didn't get out and see more of the city.  I thought this building was charming with all the ivy.

And so begins our breathtaking tour through the Wicklow Mountains, with the ever-present expanse of green on every side.

One of our first stops allowed us a little exploration of a small stream with rust-colored water.  I wish I had had more time to explore it as I LOVE climbing and exploring river terrain.

Always in fairytale land in Ireland, Nick poses here while exploring the river.

OK this one is pretty easy but here is another Find Nick picture.  He actually kind of looks like a little fairy in this scene - don't tell him I called him a fairy - wearing a little yellow backpack.

And then there's the Sass Pants, soaking up the unbeatable scenery.

Taken from the bus, you can see here how the locals cut into the ground and dry it out in little mounds.  They actually use this for fuel.  I guess trees are rather sparse so it's a good substitute.

Down in this area is where a scene from Braveheart was shot.  I guess a lot more of it was filmed in England and Scotland.

This is where we stopped for a look at a scene from PS I Love You.  It was absolutely gorgeous there and I wanted to stay a while.  I would have loved to go off on my own and just take it all in.

I believe this bridge was on the PS I Love You movie but it's been too long for me to remember.  Anyone recognize it?

Another final shot from this stop before getting back on the bus.  I didn't want to leave, it was so gorgeous!  Those mountains are calling to me!

This is a look at the Guinness Lake with its imported sand, or beer fizz.  There was a herd of deer down on the grass there by the lake.

A closer look at this beautiful area by the lake...

...and the green mountains as a backdrop!  You can't get more green than that!

Here is our bus driver, John, who gave us a little tour of Glendalough.  He was so funny with his constant commentary and cute Irish accent.

This is what people see when they look up Glendalough, the famous tower used by the monks.  I guess it was frequently attacked by Vikings so this acted as a sanctuary, though probably not very effective.

Another glimpse at the tower.  Isn't the green overwhelming.  Like I said, it's like being in fairyland all the time.  I love it.

We went on a little walk to tour the lakes at Glendalough.  Here I am trying to blend in with everything.  Not working though.

One of the lakes at Glenalough.  I bet there is some good fishing there!

Our final stop was at a place called the Meeting of the Waters.  It was nothing too special but I did like the old bridge.  What a great day we had with incredible scenery!  Thank you Ireland for an excellent stay!

Day 27 - Europe 2010

We had just one thing to do today – the Cliffs of Moher - and the rest of our time was spent on the bus!  We got up at 5:15am and took a bus at 6:15am to Limerick and from there we went to the Cliffs of Moher, arriving at 11:20am.  We had about two hours to explore the place and I was pretty excited!  This is a very famous spot in Ireland because the cliffs are so impressive, with a 700 foot drop to the ocean below!  On top of the spectacular view of the cliffs, the whole place is bird heaven!  There are scores of birds that make their home on the cliff face and the rocks all around so it makes for quite a sight (and sound).

This was my last chance to see the PUFFIN!  We brought our binoculars and were searching the cliffs for them, especially this one huge rock jutting up from the ocean that was completely crowded with hundreds, if not thousands, birds.  But they didn’t zoom enough for us to get a clear look at them!  I knew they were on that rock though because you could tell them apart from all the gulls.  I could just see their darker backs and these little specs of red-orange on their faces.

We went searching for a well-placed set of binoculars but they all looked at cliffs far away and weren’t much better than the ones we had.  They need some facing that crowded rock!  So I was standing there wondering how I might see these puffins when I heard two guys beside me, looking into their mega-binoculars on tripods, commenting on the “puffin party” below.  Aw man, I want to see the puffin party!!!  So I said, “You see puffin downs there?" and the guy adjusted his binoculars to find a pair of puffins on the cliffs and told me to take a look.  And I saw them!  They are so stinkin’ cute!!!  I just love their big silly red beaks and their big orange feet and their cute black and white bodies.  I think my new favorite bird is the puffin!

So I was pleased that I finally got to see puffins, even if they were so far away.  Mission accomplished!

Our next mission was to explore the cliffs!  They have rock walls along part of the cliffs to keep you safe but then it ends and they have a sign telling you not to come further and that the land beyond is private property.  But I had already read that no one enforces that and plenty of other people there were hopping the wall.  So, we ignored the sign and walked along the open path that runs all along the cliffs.  And it was gorgeous!  You came upon new vistas as you walked further so it was fun to stop for photos.  And we enjoyed seeing all the birds on the face of the cliff, though I spotted no more puffins.

I was worried about Nick and his fear of heights but I was pretty nervous myself sometimes.  That path got close to the edge at times and we very carefully and quickly walked past those areas.  I did take a chance to very carefully bend down and look over the edge for just a few seconds.  I felt the wind come up from the sea below, bringing smells of fish and birds.  Nick said it would be a glorious death to fall from the cliffs.  “How many people can say they have died on the Cliffs of Moher?”  He answered his own question with, “Zero.”  Haha!

So that was it - just a short but very impressive stop at one of the top sites in Ireland.  From there we had to take another bus back to Limerick and then another on to Dublin where we will be staying the next two nights until our final destination: England.

I did have one very bizarre and kind of scary thing happen on the bus.  I have had allergies pretty bad on this whole trip.  It’s kind of gotten less brutal as time has gone on.  Germany was terrible, for example, Italy was really rough, France was milder, and Ireland hasn’t been too bad.  I’ll have sneezing attacks, sometimes sneezing ten or twelve times in a row, and then in the evening my eyes will itch like crazy.

Well, on the bus from the cliffs I was suddenly having a serious allergy attack.  My eyes were so scratchy and burning, like I had something inside my tear ducts and no amount of rubbing could make it stop.  So I rubbed and rubbed and finally took a quick nap with my hands putting pressure on my eyes, the only way I could make the itching stop.  When I woke up, I felt like I had something in my eye and rubbed a bit more but it wasn’t going away.  Finally I asked Nick for my mirror and my eyes were so messed up!

Seriously though, if you get sick hearing about weird and creepy stuff happening to the body, then do not read this next paragraph.  I mean that 100%.  It looked like some sort of membrane from under my eye ball had crawled up to cover almost my entire eye except the iris and pupil.  I mean it was scary and gross and this was in both eyes.  But then I figured out that it wasn’t something from under my eye but was my actual eye that had puffed up with liquid.  I mean, it was bulging beyond my lids, people, it was sick and wrong.  Wow, I was really scared about my eyes but I figured it was kind of like having a blister and it would eventually go away.  So I spent a good deal of my six hour bus ride to Dublin with my eyes closed, except that I got tired of sleeping and ended up catching up with my writing and doing some reading.

I am VERY happy to report that by the time we reached Dublin my eyes had returned to normal, except for slight amounts of puffiness and redness.  I will need to be careful with them over the next few days and make sure not to rub the daylights out of them.



We went back to our first hostel we stayed at and I spent the evening blogging and laughing about all the fun adventures we've had.  Tomorrow is our last full day in Ireland and I am a bit sad about it.  It's been a beautiful stay.

PHOTOS:

The Cliffs of Moher!  If you open it up, you can maybe spot the people walking along the cliff over there.  Squint a little - they're there.

Do you like my crazy hair?  And look, a new shirt!  We have not been able to do laundry - nothing available, no time, and too expensive - so we have been buying more clothes instead.  Anyway, enough about my shirt.  I've got nothing but lots of cliffs shots.

This is the big rock where all those birds were hanging out.  You have to open it up in order to see the community there!

Here I am being such a rebel and walking right past that sign.  No guilt.

I love this shot of the cliffs.  Now we're looking at where the stone wall keeps you safe, where our first pictures were taken.  Also you can see the big stone in the water to the left.

And we continued along the cliff trail here.  We wished we had more time to walk along the whole of it.

And our last view looking back over the cliffs we have walked along.  Awesome!