On the first day, we made our way to the Vatican, took a tour of the Vatican Museum, and the Sistine Chapel. Words can't really describe the experience, the Vatican is an amazing place. Statues, paintings, and artifacts dating back before the time of Christ, the history was overwhelming. After walking past the tombs where the past pope's lay to rest, including the spot of the late Pope John Paul III, where many women still mourn his death, we ended up in St Peter's Basilica. Some of Michelangelo, Bernini, and Raphael's finest work lie within this Basilica. Again, the feeling of this place can not be put into words. Whether you are religious or not, St Peter's Basilica is a must see! We spent the entire day between the two.
We went on a walking tour of Rome, learning about and seeing all of the historical sites, ending up at the Colliseum. We spent the rest of the day with an Australian couple we met, wandering the Colliseum and Pallistine Hill. A feeling being amongst buildings and sites, that are thousands of years older than our own country. You witness old buildings all over Europe, but Roma's history dates back so far, that nothing else compares to this timeless experience. History buff or not, it's easy to get rapped up in the stories of the past.
To end it off, we spent a sleepless night in Rome's Da Vinci airport awaiting our flight to Budapest.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Venice
VENEZIA! Did somebody say something about romantic? I say expensive, crowded, and stinky canals...
Our first impression was at a restaurant where we tried to share a massive pizza. We're talkin' XXL pizza size from Pizza Pizza. It seemed as though we were being discriminated against because we were tourists, being served last, and given cracked water glasses, instead of wine glasses for the wine we ordered. When we finally got served, the waiter told us we BOTH had to order a pizza if we wanted to eat there, so we did a runner. Down the street we found a take away pizza the same size, for a few euros, and all was good.
This city though, is one of a kind, and one you have to see in person. If you get rid of all the tourists, and the shops made FOR the tourists, it is a pretty amazing place. While wandering, we heard an opera singer, and decided to follow her voice. We ended up at the end of a small canal, overlooking a few balconies, and listened for a few minutes while a woman was excerising her talent from her home. A true Italian experience.
Sick of the crowded city, we made our way to Murano, one of the islands around Venice. This place was beautiful. Very few tourists, and lots of locals to chat with. The sun was shining, and we spent the entire day wandering the small streets. We stopped in a glass blowing factory, and watched a ferrari style horse being made. Pretty amazing talent.
Our first impression was at a restaurant where we tried to share a massive pizza. We're talkin' XXL pizza size from Pizza Pizza. It seemed as though we were being discriminated against because we were tourists, being served last, and given cracked water glasses, instead of wine glasses for the wine we ordered. When we finally got served, the waiter told us we BOTH had to order a pizza if we wanted to eat there, so we did a runner. Down the street we found a take away pizza the same size, for a few euros, and all was good.
This city though, is one of a kind, and one you have to see in person. If you get rid of all the tourists, and the shops made FOR the tourists, it is a pretty amazing place. While wandering, we heard an opera singer, and decided to follow her voice. We ended up at the end of a small canal, overlooking a few balconies, and listened for a few minutes while a woman was excerising her talent from her home. A true Italian experience.
Sick of the crowded city, we made our way to Murano, one of the islands around Venice. This place was beautiful. Very few tourists, and lots of locals to chat with. The sun was shining, and we spent the entire day wandering the small streets. We stopped in a glass blowing factory, and watched a ferrari style horse being made. Pretty amazing talent.
Switzerland
What a picturesque country! We took a train that goes up the side of one of the Swiss Alps, making our way to a Chalet style Hostel. Our hostel was up and around cloud level, surrounded by snow capped mountains. The view was unreal! We were in a small Swiss village, so we really got to experience the Swiss life without the tourists. We spent four days hiking the mountains, and exploring the villages. Time in the hostel was spent playing scrabble or reading, overlooking the mountains. The air there was pure, and the tap water was better than evian! Of course, we participated in a few of the traditions. Tasting the chocolate, and making a traditional fondue dinner... Mmm, the Swiss know how to live.
The owner of the hostel hosted a wine tasting night, because the Swiss don't export their wine. We paid a few euros, learned everything we needed to know about Swiss wine, and were left with 15 bottles for 8 people to drink. Another afternoon/night was spent hanging out in the kitchen with other guests swapping stories, while we each made our own home made recipes.
This place felt like a home rather than a hostel. Have a look at the pictures, they say it all. Gryon, Switzerland, highly recommended for a Swiss experience.
The owner of the hostel hosted a wine tasting night, because the Swiss don't export their wine. We paid a few euros, learned everything we needed to know about Swiss wine, and were left with 15 bottles for 8 people to drink. Another afternoon/night was spent hanging out in the kitchen with other guests swapping stories, while we each made our own home made recipes.
This place felt like a home rather than a hostel. Have a look at the pictures, they say it all. Gryon, Switzerland, highly recommended for a Swiss experience.
Heading to Prague...
Bus trips always seem to have a story, dont they? We made a last minute decision to take another over night trip on a Eurolines bus. It must have been around 3 am and everyone on the bus was sleeping. There were legs sprawled across the aisle, making the trip to the toilet from our seat quite the task. In order not to wake anybody up, Niki decides to hit the ground in the firemans crawl. SUCCESS! Made it, and didnt wake a single soul! But for some reason, the door to the toilet was locked! The bus driver had no interest in answering questions as to where we could pee. Actually, he wouldnt even try to answer Niki's questions of the locked toilet. Scott tried the door one more time, and the bus driver started yelling "DEFUNKT! DEFUNKT!" After we managed not to wake up the bus, by crawling on the filthy ground, the bus driver ruined the effort, and all eyes were open and on us, standing in the middle of the bus. Eight hours on a bus with no toilet, imagine.
Border control; If you've been reading this blog, you know that we have had no luck with crossing borders. This time, lucky for us, we weren't the ones being searched. We just had to wait for the American that we met, who was being toyed with for being American (because there was no other reason for it), waiting for the make or break moment of either being dragged off the bus, or allowed to pass through. We sat at the border for two hours! Finally, the bus got the go ahead to pass through, and the American was allowed to move on. Unfortunately, the Mexican on the bus wasn't so lucky... We made it safe and sound to Prague, spent a few days there, but intend to return and explore more, so if you don't mind, we'll save our blog entry on Prague for after our next visit!
Border control; If you've been reading this blog, you know that we have had no luck with crossing borders. This time, lucky for us, we weren't the ones being searched. We just had to wait for the American that we met, who was being toyed with for being American (because there was no other reason for it), waiting for the make or break moment of either being dragged off the bus, or allowed to pass through. We sat at the border for two hours! Finally, the bus got the go ahead to pass through, and the American was allowed to move on. Unfortunately, the Mexican on the bus wasn't so lucky... We made it safe and sound to Prague, spent a few days there, but intend to return and explore more, so if you don't mind, we'll save our blog entry on Prague for after our next visit!
Friday, November 2, 2007
Berlin
We took a 10 hour overnight bus to Berlin, luckily this time, no customs!!!! It was a fairly straight forward trip, where we actually caught some zzz's. We were greeted at the bus stop bright and early by an old neighbor of the Feeney's. Barbara and Peter live right in the city of Berlin so it was convenient for wandering, and they were kind enough to put us up for a few nights.
The history in this city is never ending. There is so much to see and learn that 3 days is no where near enough to take it all in. We took a free walking tour of the city, that went into depth on a few of the important dates in berlins history. We thought we hated Hitler before coming here, but the hate has only grown. Its still unreal to think about what it must have been like to live here through all the troubles.
Besides taking in all the history, we shopped for new birks, tried some German Sausage, navigated the underground system with only a few wrong turns, and luckily made it back in time for a traditional German dinner with Barbara and Peter. MMMMM fantastic!!!
It was nice to sleep in a proper bed, and have home cooked meals, but the buzz of the backpacker lifestyle is calling us back.......Prague awaits us after another overnight bus!
The history in this city is never ending. There is so much to see and learn that 3 days is no where near enough to take it all in. We took a free walking tour of the city, that went into depth on a few of the important dates in berlins history. We thought we hated Hitler before coming here, but the hate has only grown. Its still unreal to think about what it must have been like to live here through all the troubles.
Besides taking in all the history, we shopped for new birks, tried some German Sausage, navigated the underground system with only a few wrong turns, and luckily made it back in time for a traditional German dinner with Barbara and Peter. MMMMM fantastic!!!
It was nice to sleep in a proper bed, and have home cooked meals, but the buzz of the backpacker lifestyle is calling us back.......Prague awaits us after another overnight bus!
Holland
Transport through Belgium and Holland were surprisingly fast and easy. We took a train from Antwerpen to a little town called Leiden in Holland. It is a beautiful city, with windmills on every corner over looking the canals. We spent the day roaming around the pedestrian streets, tasting the local sweets and food. You could easily spend a few days just wandering around this town, but unfortunately for us there were no beds available being a weekend, so we took a bus to our favorite little beach hostel in Noordwijk. We spent a few nights here back in May with Jilly Bean.
When we approached the hostel bar for a beer, there strolls in one of the people we met in Belgium, Annabelle from Austraila. We had recommended this hostel to her before, but hadn't planned on being there at the same time. Its a small world the backpackers live in.
After 3 days of relaxing bliss by the beach, we had to catch a train from Amsterdam to get to Germany. We decided to go early, lock up our bags, and wander the city. Once we were there we remembered the craziness of it. The streets are packed with locals and tourisits, going in and out of gift shops, and coffee shops. There is an endless energy in this city, and plenty of things to occupy your time. There is something for everyone here, beautiful canals, many museums, lots of art galleries, and of course great night life.
When we approached the hostel bar for a beer, there strolls in one of the people we met in Belgium, Annabelle from Austraila. We had recommended this hostel to her before, but hadn't planned on being there at the same time. Its a small world the backpackers live in.
After 3 days of relaxing bliss by the beach, we had to catch a train from Amsterdam to get to Germany. We decided to go early, lock up our bags, and wander the city. Once we were there we remembered the craziness of it. The streets are packed with locals and tourisits, going in and out of gift shops, and coffee shops. There is an endless energy in this city, and plenty of things to occupy your time. There is something for everyone here, beautiful canals, many museums, lots of art galleries, and of course great night life.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
BELGIUM
BRUGES
Beautiful medieval city, if you can get away from the tourists. It had a very peaceful feel to it. The Belgian people are very laid back, and friendly. We met a couple of people, and decided to spend the night tasting the Belgian beer. We tried about a dozen different kinds of beer, one that tasted like cherry, one like brandy, and numerous others! Who knew that Belgian beer went up to 12% alcohol!
Great night, rough morning. All of us spent the next day taking it easy, roaming the quiet streets, and observing the every day Bocci match that was being played in the town's sqaure.
Antwerpen
City with a ton of attitude, has that arrogance of that one city that every country has. It seems that every other Belgian city, hates Antwerpen, but the visitors love it.
This place has a cool vibe, with lots of grafitti, and great night life. There was only room in the hostel for one night, so off we went to Holland.
Beautiful medieval city, if you can get away from the tourists. It had a very peaceful feel to it. The Belgian people are very laid back, and friendly. We met a couple of people, and decided to spend the night tasting the Belgian beer. We tried about a dozen different kinds of beer, one that tasted like cherry, one like brandy, and numerous others! Who knew that Belgian beer went up to 12% alcohol!
Great night, rough morning. All of us spent the next day taking it easy, roaming the quiet streets, and observing the every day Bocci match that was being played in the town's sqaure.
Antwerpen
City with a ton of attitude, has that arrogance of that one city that every country has. It seems that every other Belgian city, hates Antwerpen, but the visitors love it.
This place has a cool vibe, with lots of grafitti, and great night life. There was only room in the hostel for one night, so off we went to Holland.
Roadtrip Ireland
Let me tell you, the first hour of driving a car on the right side of the road, and right side of the car, is enough to drive someone to drink! After a driver change, we were off to Doolin.
DOOLIN
Doolin is known for its traditional pub culture. On any given night, there is an improvised irish music session, some Irish dancing, and lots of Guinness! We stayed at Allie River Hostel, which was situated on a riverside just off the country lane, which was kept cozy with a woodburning fireplace.
COUNTY KERRY
Beautiful county, with loads of hills, stone walls, ruins, and plenty of sheep! We spent a couple days driving around these winding roads, and would say that it's the most laid back, and peaceful county we were in.
BLARNEY and CORK
After getting caught up in beautiful Kerry, losing track of time, we had left ourselves two hours to get to the Blarney stone so we could kiss the thing to make momma Feeney happy... We were a little further than two hours away, so we had to move it. We got there ten minutes late, and were rather pleased to see they open one hour longer than we thought! We were in! The stone is a little overated, but the grounds of the castle were actually quite lovely to walk around. We decided to spend the night in Cork.
Cork is just another big city. Good pub culture, but we decided to hit up the farmers market the next morning, and take a day's drive to the North coast to see the famous Giant's Causeway.
GIANTS CAUSEWAY
Well, we bit off more than we can chew. By 9:00 p.m. we had been on the road for nearly 8 hours, and just couldn't tackle the remaining hour before some rest. As anticipated, Ireland was eating our budget. Seeing as were were now in the North, currency had changed to the Pound. So we decided to save some money, and spent the night in the car. Which in true Scott and Niki form, it brings in a story...
"Scott! Wake up! The cops are pulling in!" So now is when we could find out how much it costs to sleep in a car for the night. Waiting in anticipation to see what the cops are here for... Murder? Attack? Or maybe some drugs.
After a car search, and seeing a group of some late teen kids, it was obvious that it was a drug bust. Once finished with the kids, they made their way to our window. First thing the Irish cop asks after we exchange hello's, he asks "where in Canada are you from?"... We like this guy already. In Ireland, you are never asked where in Canada, its Where in America are you from? So he goes on to tell us that we are safe to sleep here, and will check in on us throughout the night, after cracking a joke of the drug bust that just went on.
We began driving as light was just forming the morning, and we made it to The Giant's Causeway by sunrise. It's a sight too beautiful to describe. Pictures or words will never do it any justice. It's a great natural formation from volcanic rock, millions of years old, that everyone must see.
DERRY
The only city in all of Europe, whose walled city has never been breached and still stands today. We spent the afternoon walking around the wall, taking in the history of the "troubles".
THE NORTHERN TIP
We drove up to the most Northern tip in Ireland to visit a hostel on the very north shore. When we arrived, we read a sign on their window saying they are closed for a week or so for unseen circumstances. After exploring the shoreline, we headed back down the Peninsula to find accomodation for the night. On route, we stop on a deserted road to watch in amazement, that along the mountain side, the sheep were running in circles on the cliffside. After a few giggles, we both scream and dropped silent. One little lamb took a bump from his brother, and he went off the edge of the cliff. No lie, it dropped at least 15 stories, and laned in front of us in the grass! Scott jumped out of the car and waved down a local farmer, and they went and realised the lamb was fine! Tough little sucker...
CONNEMARA
We stayed two nights in a very Bohemian, rustic old house. Warmed only by fireplaces. Surrounded by trees, you were only steps away from the National Park. This has been the best Hostel we have stayed in so far. We made the trek up the Diamond Hill at the National Park... This was a four hour hike, up to spectacular views atop the mountain of Connemara. We met a group of other backpackers at the summit, where we took a rest to swap stories.
SHANNON AIRPORT
We found a humble abode in the viewing gallery of the Shannon Airport. We caught a few zzz's before heading off to Europe.
DOOLIN
Doolin is known for its traditional pub culture. On any given night, there is an improvised irish music session, some Irish dancing, and lots of Guinness! We stayed at Allie River Hostel, which was situated on a riverside just off the country lane, which was kept cozy with a woodburning fireplace.
COUNTY KERRY
Beautiful county, with loads of hills, stone walls, ruins, and plenty of sheep! We spent a couple days driving around these winding roads, and would say that it's the most laid back, and peaceful county we were in.
BLARNEY and CORK
After getting caught up in beautiful Kerry, losing track of time, we had left ourselves two hours to get to the Blarney stone so we could kiss the thing to make momma Feeney happy... We were a little further than two hours away, so we had to move it. We got there ten minutes late, and were rather pleased to see they open one hour longer than we thought! We were in! The stone is a little overated, but the grounds of the castle were actually quite lovely to walk around. We decided to spend the night in Cork.
Cork is just another big city. Good pub culture, but we decided to hit up the farmers market the next morning, and take a day's drive to the North coast to see the famous Giant's Causeway.
GIANTS CAUSEWAY
Well, we bit off more than we can chew. By 9:00 p.m. we had been on the road for nearly 8 hours, and just couldn't tackle the remaining hour before some rest. As anticipated, Ireland was eating our budget. Seeing as were were now in the North, currency had changed to the Pound. So we decided to save some money, and spent the night in the car. Which in true Scott and Niki form, it brings in a story...
"Scott! Wake up! The cops are pulling in!" So now is when we could find out how much it costs to sleep in a car for the night. Waiting in anticipation to see what the cops are here for... Murder? Attack? Or maybe some drugs.
After a car search, and seeing a group of some late teen kids, it was obvious that it was a drug bust. Once finished with the kids, they made their way to our window. First thing the Irish cop asks after we exchange hello's, he asks "where in Canada are you from?"... We like this guy already. In Ireland, you are never asked where in Canada, its Where in America are you from? So he goes on to tell us that we are safe to sleep here, and will check in on us throughout the night, after cracking a joke of the drug bust that just went on.
We began driving as light was just forming the morning, and we made it to The Giant's Causeway by sunrise. It's a sight too beautiful to describe. Pictures or words will never do it any justice. It's a great natural formation from volcanic rock, millions of years old, that everyone must see.
DERRY
The only city in all of Europe, whose walled city has never been breached and still stands today. We spent the afternoon walking around the wall, taking in the history of the "troubles".
THE NORTHERN TIP
We drove up to the most Northern tip in Ireland to visit a hostel on the very north shore. When we arrived, we read a sign on their window saying they are closed for a week or so for unseen circumstances. After exploring the shoreline, we headed back down the Peninsula to find accomodation for the night. On route, we stop on a deserted road to watch in amazement, that along the mountain side, the sheep were running in circles on the cliffside. After a few giggles, we both scream and dropped silent. One little lamb took a bump from his brother, and he went off the edge of the cliff. No lie, it dropped at least 15 stories, and laned in front of us in the grass! Scott jumped out of the car and waved down a local farmer, and they went and realised the lamb was fine! Tough little sucker...
CONNEMARA
We stayed two nights in a very Bohemian, rustic old house. Warmed only by fireplaces. Surrounded by trees, you were only steps away from the National Park. This has been the best Hostel we have stayed in so far. We made the trek up the Diamond Hill at the National Park... This was a four hour hike, up to spectacular views atop the mountain of Connemara. We met a group of other backpackers at the summit, where we took a rest to swap stories.
SHANNON AIRPORT
We found a humble abode in the viewing gallery of the Shannon Airport. We caught a few zzz's before heading off to Europe.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Living in Galway
After living in a hostel for four weeks, we decided it was time to find a place to live where there was not eight other people sharing our room. The first place we looked at was the size of an average sized living room at home... the whole apartment was that size! The kitchen, living room, and two bedrooms squished in that area! Because it was located in the city center, the price was high. The tennants were a little strange, so sharing such close quarters with them, scared us off to the next place. The next house we liked, and said we would return with a deposit later that night, but when the landlord tried to chase Niki down the street for whatever she had in her pocket... we decided we were not going to live there.... From there, we walked into the house that we are at now. The room is very spacious with a nice and comfy double bed. It is a two floor home, and we share it with two other girls. The two girls are very friendly, but one of them, Flick, will be leaving us in September to do some volunteer work in Equador. Flick is from Manchester, and Michelle is from Northern Ireland. Our landlady, Breda, is a bit crackers, but lets face it, we don't have to live with her... All in all, we have found a pretty comfortable place to live. We have settled into the working life of the Irish in Galway. Working no more than 40 hours a week, starting no earlier than 10am, enjoying the abiance of the street life, any morning, afternoon, or evening... and loving the Saturday morning market! And of course, the fresh Guiness! When it is not raining, we have found some great spots to just chill out and read a book along the river, only seconds away from the city center.
For the next little while, our posts will more than likely be spread out because we are working enough hours to save for the real trip! Our Adventures of Europe... But keep posted, we will write something here and there, and will be putting new pictures up as we get them!
For the next little while, our posts will more than likely be spread out because we are working enough hours to save for the real trip! Our Adventures of Europe... But keep posted, we will write something here and there, and will be putting new pictures up as we get them!
Working in Galway
After our trip with Jill, we had to replenish our funds... Niki was the first to find work by chumming it up with the Australian girl she handed her resume to. She landed a job at a designer boutique / Hat Shop. She started out working in the boutique, and managed to work her way over to the Hat Shop on a regular basis. The Hat Shop is an experience on its own, and a real taste of Irish culture. Irish women go to extremes for weddings, not only do they spend hundres of euros on their outfit, they also buy new jewellery, new handbags, and new shoes, for every single wedding that they attend! Their outfit isn't finished there... they have to wear something on their head to complete their look! The closer you are to the bride and groom, the more elaborate you must go. Women spend anywhere from 50 Euros, to 1,000 Euros on a headpiece! Apparently we get rid of the wedding hats in the fall though, and stock only casual hats... so needless to say, the job won't be as interesting come the fall.
The boutique isn't quite my kind of place. Overpriced clothing never goes over well with me, but it has provided access to salon openings, and fashion shows, where free champaigne was given out.
Scott has slowly gotten into a good place of work. Work experience in Ireland started by having an interview as the Assistant Pro at a golf course called Adare Manor. Unfortunately, I got the job only to be called back the next day saying that the course is already over budget and unfortunately will not be taking on ANY new workers for the remainder of the season... They held interviews for a job that was never available! So from there, I took a job working as a street fundraiser raising money for a childrens charity. The real drag about this job was, I could accept no money donations. I had to stop people from what they were doing, or where they were going, and try to get them to give me, a total stranger, their bank details for a five year contract! It turned out that most of the money this company made, went back to the company, and not to the charity! I could have nothing to do with this shady operation. I worked there for only four days, and in that span of time, I was hit by an old man with his cane, had a stink bomb thrown at me and it exploded on my shoe, and was called every name in the book.
From there, I got a job at a casino called Caesars Palace. When I went in for the interview, it turns out, the guy that ran the bingo was leaving at weeks end... so can you take a guess at what happened next? Yes... a bingo magnet! I now run a bingo session four nights a week. I also have been given hours upstairs in the snooker hall, and when it is quiet, I get to work on my snooker skills... and hours in the roulette room... I must say, it is a pretty relaxing job, considering when I am working the roulette table (they are electronic) I get to watch TV or read a book.
At first it was hard to get used to the 40 hour work week or less, and seeing each other more on a regular basis, but after a few days, we wouldn't have it any other way!
The boutique isn't quite my kind of place. Overpriced clothing never goes over well with me, but it has provided access to salon openings, and fashion shows, where free champaigne was given out.
Scott has slowly gotten into a good place of work. Work experience in Ireland started by having an interview as the Assistant Pro at a golf course called Adare Manor. Unfortunately, I got the job only to be called back the next day saying that the course is already over budget and unfortunately will not be taking on ANY new workers for the remainder of the season... They held interviews for a job that was never available! So from there, I took a job working as a street fundraiser raising money for a childrens charity. The real drag about this job was, I could accept no money donations. I had to stop people from what they were doing, or where they were going, and try to get them to give me, a total stranger, their bank details for a five year contract! It turned out that most of the money this company made, went back to the company, and not to the charity! I could have nothing to do with this shady operation. I worked there for only four days, and in that span of time, I was hit by an old man with his cane, had a stink bomb thrown at me and it exploded on my shoe, and was called every name in the book.
From there, I got a job at a casino called Caesars Palace. When I went in for the interview, it turns out, the guy that ran the bingo was leaving at weeks end... so can you take a guess at what happened next? Yes... a bingo magnet! I now run a bingo session four nights a week. I also have been given hours upstairs in the snooker hall, and when it is quiet, I get to work on my snooker skills... and hours in the roulette room... I must say, it is a pretty relaxing job, considering when I am working the roulette table (they are electronic) I get to watch TV or read a book.
At first it was hard to get used to the 40 hour work week or less, and seeing each other more on a regular basis, but after a few days, we wouldn't have it any other way!
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Want to See Some Pictures?
Some of you may already know this, but in case you dont, this is for you!
See the bottom right of this page, it is a little thing to click on with what looks like small clips of pictures? It is the link to our "flickr" page, and this is what displays the pictures of ours. Click on that link and take a browse!
See the bottom right of this page, it is a little thing to click on with what looks like small clips of pictures? It is the link to our "flickr" page, and this is what displays the pictures of ours. Click on that link and take a browse!
Another Feeney!!!!
Some crazy drunk Irish man, stops Scott in the hall at 4 PM to ask "How's Jack Osborned Today??".... Later that evening, while having dinner with our roomates, the same fella and his mate join us in the kitchen, drinking their cheap wine (not needing anymore may I add). Thats when one Irish mate yells to the other " Feeney, what's the craic??"... I froze, he wasn't talking to me!!! So I jumped on that, saying "what did you just say??" Yeah, his name is Sean Feeney... He turns to his friend after totally investigating my passport to say " Jack Osbourne's my cousin!"
We ended up spending the evening with them, and it really was like being with family, they treated us like best mates... Irish Feeney was threatening anyone that looked at me with a funny eye yelling "you got a problem with my cousin?" .... They were still going strong at 3 am, and it was around then that Niki and myself turned in for the night. They called and left a message on our cell at 8:55 am the next morning, asking us to join them for one or two alcoholic beverages, maybe three! we opted for breakfast instead... But they will now be friends for life.
We ended up spending the evening with them, and it really was like being with family, they treated us like best mates... Irish Feeney was threatening anyone that looked at me with a funny eye yelling "you got a problem with my cousin?" .... They were still going strong at 3 am, and it was around then that Niki and myself turned in for the night. They called and left a message on our cell at 8:55 am the next morning, asking us to join them for one or two alcoholic beverages, maybe three! we opted for breakfast instead... But they will now be friends for life.
Galway via Dublin
We lost one of our mates.... it was a sad flight as we had an empty seat beside us :( Jill took the flight from London to Canada, as we boarded a flight to Dublin, Ireland.
As the immigration officer told us to enjoy our guinness, we had good insight as to how our Irish trip was going to be. We had to listen to the immigration officer though.... We didn't want to get sent home... So we took a quick stop into a pub for our first pint of Guinness. Mmmm ... It truly does taste better here!
Dublin was basically an administrative stop on our way to Galway, which we had heard was beautiful, so Galway was going to be our destination of choice to settle down and find work. After a few days of paper work, we loaded the bus for the country side drive to Galway. The minute we stepped foot off the bus, we knew this was home. The streets were filled with ambiance. And the job hunt began...
We got here on a long weekend, and so we really got a clear view of how the Irish like to spend their time.... In the pub.... literally, all day. They started at 8 am, and went strong all through the day, and they partied until 6am, just to wake up and do it all again. No exaggeration, this really happened...
Throughout the day, and throughout the night, Galway's streets are lively. As you walk, you pass some talented buskers, someplaying the fiddle, one a flute, a tapdancer, a master of puppets, and many guitarists. Our latest (and favourite) sight was a group of 5 people playing steel drums outside a bunch of pubs on the street... We were on our way out for the night with some friends we met from the hostel. Because there was so much ambiance on the street, and the weather was beautiful, we opted for a stop at the convenience store instead of a pub for some brewskies, so we could enjoy what the streets of Galway had to offer. The night ended by joining a group of random Irish locals for some brews and plenty of laughs by the river. Needless to say, this is one of the coolest places we have ever been.
As the immigration officer told us to enjoy our guinness, we had good insight as to how our Irish trip was going to be. We had to listen to the immigration officer though.... We didn't want to get sent home... So we took a quick stop into a pub for our first pint of Guinness. Mmmm ... It truly does taste better here!
Dublin was basically an administrative stop on our way to Galway, which we had heard was beautiful, so Galway was going to be our destination of choice to settle down and find work. After a few days of paper work, we loaded the bus for the country side drive to Galway. The minute we stepped foot off the bus, we knew this was home. The streets were filled with ambiance. And the job hunt began...
We got here on a long weekend, and so we really got a clear view of how the Irish like to spend their time.... In the pub.... literally, all day. They started at 8 am, and went strong all through the day, and they partied until 6am, just to wake up and do it all again. No exaggeration, this really happened...
Throughout the day, and throughout the night, Galway's streets are lively. As you walk, you pass some talented buskers, someplaying the fiddle, one a flute, a tapdancer, a master of puppets, and many guitarists. Our latest (and favourite) sight was a group of 5 people playing steel drums outside a bunch of pubs on the street... We were on our way out for the night with some friends we met from the hostel. Because there was so much ambiance on the street, and the weather was beautiful, we opted for a stop at the convenience store instead of a pub for some brewskies, so we could enjoy what the streets of Galway had to offer. The night ended by joining a group of random Irish locals for some brews and plenty of laughs by the river. Needless to say, this is one of the coolest places we have ever been.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Pitstop : London
No big suprise to anyone, it was raining when we arrived. Since it was expected, we strapped on our rain gear, and set off to explore the city. We bought a "tube" pass so we could hop on and off at all the stops, without getting TOO wet... We quickly saw Trafalgar Square, Picidilly Circus, Buckingham Palace, and we went to see a play. Chicago. Turns out London offers last minute tickets for dirt cheap, and since this had always been Jill's dream, we had to go! Sorry to say guys, but we only spent one night in London, but from what we did see, in our opinion, it is over rated. Then again, it could be the rain and the lack of time. We will re visit later this year.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
There's a Reason Why Bus Travel is the Cheapest!
We want to pass off a little piece of advice to other fellow travellers.....never book a bus ticket to a destination before you have accomodation. Sounds obvious, but when the trip is cheap you might get excited and just book....which unfortunately is what we did. We booked a bus ticket to take us from Belgium to London. Turned out though, that it was not only a long weekend there, but also they were holding a big Jazz fest. It is impossible to find a room during an event like that at the last minute. So our only choice was to travel somewhere different. We start with an email to Euro lines.....who then tell us we have to contact the Belgium office directly. We go to a shop and buy a phone card, of course with instructions in Dutch. We tried to make the call to Eurosline from the nearest payphone but the credit was gone in seconds. .....we used the wrong international number. We buy another phone card, and try once more with the correct number to the same avail. 10 Euros gone out the window with no result and still a useless bus ticket! Time goes by and we eventually learn from the locals at the hostel that pay phones are not worth anyone's money, the only affordable why to make a phone call in Europe is a mobile, which of course we didn't have. At this point it looks like we are taking a trip into Belgium just to catch a bus.
So we move on to the next city, hoping someone there might be able to help us, keeping an open mind, and trying to stay relaxed while at the beach. Lucky for us the lady in Rotterdam Eurolines just phoned the company for us (something the staff in Amsterdam Euro lines were not willing to do for us). With in five minutes our bus was changed, and with only a 25% loss b/c it took us 5 days to get in touch with the company.....meaning a change penalty:(
With that taken care of we load our stuff onto our bus in Rotterdam, to realize not one of could sit together, the bus stopped in Amsterdam first and the bus was almost full. Both of us ended up sitting beside two big guys, that thought it was totally okay to take up 2 seats, and even with obvious hints at the crowded space, didn't budge. It took Scott throwing his own leg over the beast of a man for him to keep to his own side.
Now on to the real story.......our bus driver. He gave us dirty looks and refused to load our bags until last. Turns out later that he assumed we may have drugs (i guess since we look like dirty backpackers?). This man refered to himself as Indiana Jones.....heres why.
We are on the bus for about 20 mins when all of a sudden, somewhere in a small town, our bus came to a complete hault.....jolting everyone forward. Unsure of whats happened we all look outside the bus to see Indiana Jones himself chasing after 3 teenagers into a park. Not minutes later 3 men from the bus run out to help. Still not sure what has happened, we are stuck in the middle of the street in tim buck two, with no idea where the bus driver was or what exactly his mission was. Yes, its true.....our bus was egged. The driver and his helpers came back with only one of the kids......the poor sucker, and had called the cops. He was arrested and we were on our way, of course losing out on our only break on an 8hour overnight ride.
Because our bus started in amsterdam our bus was stopped at customs in 3 different locations. All 3 times we were required to unload all of our belongings and Scott was searched everytime, causing us to miss our first ferry to the UK. Too bad it was the quiet guy in the back of the bus that was arrested in France for carrying a bag of drugs. Indiana Jones isn't so good with his intuition!
At 730am (1.5 hours late) we finally arrived in rainy cold London.
So we move on to the next city, hoping someone there might be able to help us, keeping an open mind, and trying to stay relaxed while at the beach. Lucky for us the lady in Rotterdam Eurolines just phoned the company for us (something the staff in Amsterdam Euro lines were not willing to do for us). With in five minutes our bus was changed, and with only a 25% loss b/c it took us 5 days to get in touch with the company.....meaning a change penalty:(
With that taken care of we load our stuff onto our bus in Rotterdam, to realize not one of could sit together, the bus stopped in Amsterdam first and the bus was almost full. Both of us ended up sitting beside two big guys, that thought it was totally okay to take up 2 seats, and even with obvious hints at the crowded space, didn't budge. It took Scott throwing his own leg over the beast of a man for him to keep to his own side.
Now on to the real story.......our bus driver. He gave us dirty looks and refused to load our bags until last. Turns out later that he assumed we may have drugs (i guess since we look like dirty backpackers?). This man refered to himself as Indiana Jones.....heres why.
We are on the bus for about 20 mins when all of a sudden, somewhere in a small town, our bus came to a complete hault.....jolting everyone forward. Unsure of whats happened we all look outside the bus to see Indiana Jones himself chasing after 3 teenagers into a park. Not minutes later 3 men from the bus run out to help. Still not sure what has happened, we are stuck in the middle of the street in tim buck two, with no idea where the bus driver was or what exactly his mission was. Yes, its true.....our bus was egged. The driver and his helpers came back with only one of the kids......the poor sucker, and had called the cops. He was arrested and we were on our way, of course losing out on our only break on an 8hour overnight ride.
Because our bus started in amsterdam our bus was stopped at customs in 3 different locations. All 3 times we were required to unload all of our belongings and Scott was searched everytime, causing us to miss our first ferry to the UK. Too bad it was the quiet guy in the back of the bus that was arrested in France for carrying a bag of drugs. Indiana Jones isn't so good with his intuition!
At 730am (1.5 hours late) we finally arrived in rainy cold London.
Holland Part 3: Rotterdam
Back to the big city life. We didn't realize, but it turns out that Rotterdam is the 2nd largest city in Holland. After a thiry minute hike with our packs, we arrived at our hostel which is more like a hotel, a little on the boring side. We embarked on our tour of the city, and apparently took a turn into the ghetto. Being late at night, we quickly ducked into a place to get some food, and then retraced our steps and decided to explore the city in daylight.
And so the chaos begins... We throw our backpacks on, and embark on our hike to our next hostel that had been pre-booked a week prior. After a 40 minute walk through the streets of Rotterdam with 50 pounds on our back, we finally see it... The Clipper. A little dinky boat that was supposed to be our hostel. Once getting past their dog, we go inside to meet a sketchy Dutch couple... think South Shwa. He looked suprised when the 3 of us walked in, put his paper work down in front of us, and then proceeded to explain that he read our reservations wrong. Instead of booking 3 of us in for one night, he had booked ONE of us in for three nights! Without telling us what was going on, he was one the phone, speaking Dutch, to who knows where, apparently trying to find us accomodations. Being Saturday night, during a festival, of course everywhere was booked (why we had booked a week ahead). He gave us back our deposit, well some of it, and then said we could go to a campsite somewhere in the middle of nowhere. We said we were unsure of this place, and asked for more information on the location and safety and that is when he flipped his lid! All of a sudden, this man who had just put US onto the streets, was pissed at us, yelling at us, saying how his country was safe, no crime or gangs had even been "invented" yet, and then he stormed off saying he won't help us anymore!!
So off we go again, packs on our backs, and not a clue as to where we are heading... we found an info center, which proved very helpful. After many phone calls, we found a room in a hotel. So needless to say, our first impression of Rotterdam was not so good...
Once we had a chance to explore the city, it turned out it was beautiful. The city was wiped out during World War II so all building were modern architecture. We made our way to our dinner reservations at a restaurant called Look, where in Dutch it means Garlic. As soon as you walk through the door, you realize you won't be having much conversation after a visit to this delicacy. Every item on their menu, including the dessert, was made from garlic. mmm mm good! Definitely worth the splurge.
On our last day in Rotterdam, we had a chance to visit their world music festival. It was held in their sea side park. We spent a beautiful afternoon wondering through the stalls, garden pathways, and stopped at each of their 5 stages, to listen to their multicultural music.
Turns out Rotterdam's not so bad after all...
And so the chaos begins... We throw our backpacks on, and embark on our hike to our next hostel that had been pre-booked a week prior. After a 40 minute walk through the streets of Rotterdam with 50 pounds on our back, we finally see it... The Clipper. A little dinky boat that was supposed to be our hostel. Once getting past their dog, we go inside to meet a sketchy Dutch couple... think South Shwa. He looked suprised when the 3 of us walked in, put his paper work down in front of us, and then proceeded to explain that he read our reservations wrong. Instead of booking 3 of us in for one night, he had booked ONE of us in for three nights! Without telling us what was going on, he was one the phone, speaking Dutch, to who knows where, apparently trying to find us accomodations. Being Saturday night, during a festival, of course everywhere was booked (why we had booked a week ahead). He gave us back our deposit, well some of it, and then said we could go to a campsite somewhere in the middle of nowhere. We said we were unsure of this place, and asked for more information on the location and safety and that is when he flipped his lid! All of a sudden, this man who had just put US onto the streets, was pissed at us, yelling at us, saying how his country was safe, no crime or gangs had even been "invented" yet, and then he stormed off saying he won't help us anymore!!
So off we go again, packs on our backs, and not a clue as to where we are heading... we found an info center, which proved very helpful. After many phone calls, we found a room in a hotel. So needless to say, our first impression of Rotterdam was not so good...
Once we had a chance to explore the city, it turned out it was beautiful. The city was wiped out during World War II so all building were modern architecture. We made our way to our dinner reservations at a restaurant called Look, where in Dutch it means Garlic. As soon as you walk through the door, you realize you won't be having much conversation after a visit to this delicacy. Every item on their menu, including the dessert, was made from garlic. mmm mm good! Definitely worth the splurge.
On our last day in Rotterdam, we had a chance to visit their world music festival. It was held in their sea side park. We spent a beautiful afternoon wondering through the stalls, garden pathways, and stopped at each of their 5 stages, to listen to their multicultural music.
Turns out Rotterdam's not so bad after all...
Holland Part 2: Noordwijk
We needed to get out of Amsterdam. As interesting as it was, it was hectic, dirty, and full of weird folk. Other travellers recommended a Noordwijk beach hostel as a perfect alternative to the busy life of Amsterdam.
We sat on the side of a street in Amsterdam with a group of california surfers, waiting for a shuttle to arrive. Along came a white van and hopped the curb to stop and ask if we were heading to the beach. Off we went having no idea what to expect seeing as this is not a place on the map. The driver made the 45 minute trek in 20 minutes flat... and there we were in a little piece of heaven.
This place was straight out of a movie, kinda like the movie 'The Beach', only not as difficult to get to. Full of laid back travellers, much like ourselves looking to wind down and meet other likeminded backpackers.
The hostel was small, which made getting to know everyone that much easier. It was like a small family even though people were coming and going every day. The beach was 30 seconds away full of local dutch families and only a handful of backpackers. The weather was scorching and tan lines appeared after just an hour! What a change from Scotland :)
Unfrotunately, we had booked our next destination before we had arrived to this awesome place, so our time was now done in our little piece of paradise, a place we will definitely re-visit in the future.
We sat on the side of a street in Amsterdam with a group of california surfers, waiting for a shuttle to arrive. Along came a white van and hopped the curb to stop and ask if we were heading to the beach. Off we went having no idea what to expect seeing as this is not a place on the map. The driver made the 45 minute trek in 20 minutes flat... and there we were in a little piece of heaven.
This place was straight out of a movie, kinda like the movie 'The Beach', only not as difficult to get to. Full of laid back travellers, much like ourselves looking to wind down and meet other likeminded backpackers.
The hostel was small, which made getting to know everyone that much easier. It was like a small family even though people were coming and going every day. The beach was 30 seconds away full of local dutch families and only a handful of backpackers. The weather was scorching and tan lines appeared after just an hour! What a change from Scotland :)
Unfrotunately, we had booked our next destination before we had arrived to this awesome place, so our time was now done in our little piece of paradise, a place we will definitely re-visit in the future.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Holland part 1- Amsterdam
We are now in a town that is really different from what we are used to. We landed here yesterday, and after trying to get ourselves on the right bus while listening to Dutch instructions, we may our way to the city to start taking in this beautiful city and all its great sites. The roads are made of cobblestone, and are filled with people on bicycles. Although the streets change names at every main intersection which resulted in us becoming lost about 10 times, we did finally make it to the infamous red light district.
We went to the Anne Franke house and it was quite amazing, there is just an overwhelming feeling of suffering in there that you can't shake. The house is still standing and you walk through almost all of it. You can stand in annes room where she wrote her diary, and see the hidden staircase where their helpers got into the hidden part of the house......it was really quite breathtaking.
Walking down the street we realized that their coffee shops have a much different aroma coming from them then the ones in Canada:) People were just chillin out smoking what they pleased, while just hanging out with friends and listening to some tunes. There are 270+ coffee shops in this city alone, we had no idea it would be the prevalent, but it sure is, they really are all over. Our hostel even consistantly smells of MJ from the time we woke up until way past the time we passed out.
The canals here are beautiful, and if we can ever figure them out, we will be able to meander the streets without any trouble. it seems as though if you know the canal system you can find you way around the city no problem. We have a sneeking suspision though that we will never figure it out!
Today we are going to make our way to the Hemp Museum and Sex Museum. More to come from Holland, where prostitutes are legal, Pot is legal and the internet is FREE!
We went to the Anne Franke house and it was quite amazing, there is just an overwhelming feeling of suffering in there that you can't shake. The house is still standing and you walk through almost all of it. You can stand in annes room where she wrote her diary, and see the hidden staircase where their helpers got into the hidden part of the house......it was really quite breathtaking.
Walking down the street we realized that their coffee shops have a much different aroma coming from them then the ones in Canada:) People were just chillin out smoking what they pleased, while just hanging out with friends and listening to some tunes. There are 270+ coffee shops in this city alone, we had no idea it would be the prevalent, but it sure is, they really are all over. Our hostel even consistantly smells of MJ from the time we woke up until way past the time we passed out.
The canals here are beautiful, and if we can ever figure them out, we will be able to meander the streets without any trouble. it seems as though if you know the canal system you can find you way around the city no problem. We have a sneeking suspision though that we will never figure it out!
Today we are going to make our way to the Hemp Museum and Sex Museum. More to come from Holland, where prostitutes are legal, Pot is legal and the internet is FREE!
Edinburgh was awesome
Well, everyone in Edinburgh was great company. the city was beautiful, and unfortunately we have now left the beautiful country of Scotland. We went to museums, attended a mass at the Cathedral and saw an African tribe called the Warriors perform some rituals. We went to the writers museum and saw Shirlock Holmes house. We met some locals and slipped into a pub that was located in the underground city. to say the least, this was the sweetest looking pub we have seen.
Well, although there is so much more we could talk about, we have only 10 minutes of free internet time here so we have t now get off the net.
Cheers!
keep posted for our next trip..... AMSTERDAM!!
Well, although there is so much more we could talk about, we have only 10 minutes of free internet time here so we have t now get off the net.
Cheers!
keep posted for our next trip..... AMSTERDAM!!
Friday, May 18, 2007
First Stop: Scotland
We have landed in possibly the most beautiful city ever, Edinburgh... We went to the underground city on Mary King's Close and it is amazing the conditions of living that the people lived in back in the 1700's. Plague ridden, small enclosed houses, two sometimes three families living in a den with the ceiling 5 feet off the ground. creepy, but worth the visit.
We have experienced our first pubcrawl! To be able to afford some brews we ate toast and beans for a meal, funny enough, it's a common trade around here. We met some amazing people from around the globe.
There is still so much to see, so we are off to explore some more!
We have experienced our first pubcrawl! To be able to afford some brews we ate toast and beans for a meal, funny enough, it's a common trade around here. We met some amazing people from around the globe.
There is still so much to see, so we are off to explore some more!
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Partying with friends in canada!!
Well, this is the end of Canada for 2007 for us! but man, saturday was a night to remember. Old friends along with new ones too, all got together and we were sent off in style. Sunday was a right off though... lets start the adventure of a lifetime... keep posted
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