Groceries, Old Roads, & Destroyed Tires...

welcome home.

I picked up a few groceries in Ebensburg after visiting my sister and her boyfriend tonight. They've been watching the turtle since I left for my trip. He's looking good and I appreciate their fantastic babysitting services.

En route back to my house, I decided to take the familiar old farm road instead of spending more time on the highway. Generally, the path shaves about a minute off the over all drive time. It has a few more curves and isn't always in the best of shape, especially during winter weather, but I like the old road just the same.

Winding through the curves and bends, I came across a rather unpleasant situation. In the 2 months since I drove the old road, an enormous pot hole developed. Unaware of its existence and busily watching for deer and other suicidal critters through the rain, I drove right over it.

I thought, "That's going to leave a mark," as my passenger side wheel slammed into the broken pavement.

Of course it did. Minutes after my run in with the damaged road, the tell tale vibrations of a flat tire began. As I was relatively close to home (about a mile and a half), I chose to keep going. The tire got flatter and flatter as I went, but my speed was reduced and I made it.

Parking in the driveway, it was time to assess the damage caused by the pot hole. Of course, the tire was completely destroyed by a combination of trauma and abuse, but other than the shredded rubber, there wasn't any damage that I could see. A quick trip to the garage should have it taken care of in no time.

Reflections

The time has come for me to return to life in the US. As I sit in the airport, reflecting on my 6 week journey throughout Europe, I feel very blessed. With all the amazing experiences and fabulous people and pets I got to know along the way, I know this place will always have a warm home in my heart.

I never knew time could move so quickly. The tapestry of my life is fuller and a lot more colorful since going international once again. Each experience, the bitter as well as the sweet, combined to create an interesting and memorable adventure abroad. Looking back, there are only 2 things I would have changed if I could. I would have scheduled my return flight for a later date in order to spend more time in the beautiful and peaceful Ambialet. The other, well, my friends and family at the priory know what it is.

Jenn in Europe 2010 has come to an end, but the real journey has yet to begin. I wonder what my next adventure will be...


To my new friends and family in Ambialet,
Thank you all for inviting me into your lives so openly. My first European experience was truly amazing, and I have you to thank for that. We shared many laughs and shed a few tears, some checked out while others checked in. It's been quite a ride and I look forward to seeing you all when you come back stateside. I'll see you at the reunion, don't forget the "French soil"! Take care!
Love, Jenn





Special Shout-Out to Jay-Z: I love you too, buddy. Thanks for all the walks and good times! :) I'll miss you.

I can't believe I'll be leaving tomorrow...

that's all for today. It was another fantastic, beautiful day here in Ambialet. Dinner was spectacular once again. There is really nothing else to report.

I just can't believe this journey has reached its end. :(

Sad Day at the Priory

Brun got hit by a car today. She will most likely have to be put down. Jay-Z is having a very difficult time wondering where she is. It has been a sad day, indeed. :(

Mel Brooks Night in Ambialet

It was another magnificently lazy day in the peaceful village of Ambialet. Plus, dinner was fantastic. Bernard, you are amazing! Tonight's meal was pork with a side of green beans. Yum!

After dinner, it was time for the first ever "Mel Brooks Night" in Ambialet! Compliments of my dad, Mark Lynch, we spent the evening watching Space Balls in the common room. It was fabulous and a perfect end to a lovely day. :)

I'm thinking that we should definitely have a Mel Brooks party when everyone gets home. Who's with me?

glad to be back in ambialet

Paris, Dublin, Mont St Michel, Normandy, Nantes... all were amazing. Still, I am happy to be back "home" in Ambialet. It's just so peaceful here. I love it!

What A Night!

We woke up this morning and a few of the students and I decided to visit the church on top of Mont St Michel. The price for admission was rather steep... especially because I bought my ticket before learning that it was supposed to be 3.50 euro cheaper for youths. There's a useful tip for you: If you are between the ages of 18 and 25, make sure you have identification with your age on it and remember to tell the person at the ticket counter. As I was unaware of the youth discount, I ended up paying the whole 8.50 euro for my ticket. Too bad, I had my ID too. Live and learn, right?

Price aside, the view from the top was spectacular. I recommend stopping by if you're ever in the area. It's no Ambialet, but it's still pretty awesome and you'll get some exercise.

After leaving Mont St Michel, we (Mom, Dad, Lori, and myself... the other 2 vehicles abandoned us) visited Omaha Beach in Normandy. It was a surreal experience. For such a scenic location, Omaha Beach sure has a dark past. Then again, how many places on this planet don't have a dark past? Not many, I suspect.



After a few hours of driving and watching a beautiful sunset from the road, we reached Nantes. In true Lynch form, we got ridiculously lost in Nantes. Bad directions and terrible traffic combined for a rough trip to the hotel. At one point, after trying to help, I decided to just check out. The decision was for the best.

Ah, Hotel Trianon. Sounds pretty nice, huh? Don't let a fancy name fool you. The place is a flea pit. My room was disgusting and my towels smelled like aftershave. Still, the sheets were clean and I had the room to myself. After a few weeks of sharing a room with my parents in Paris, Dublin, and Mont St Michel, it was nice to have my own room... even if it was in a flea pit hotel.

After the terrible traffic and getting lost in Nantes, I was ready for a good hard drink. As fate would have it, there was a beautiful neon sign that read "BAR" directly beside the flea pit. To make a long, uncomfortable story short: Bar Le Moorea is NOT A BAR!!! It is a brothel and I never did get my drink. How could we have possibly known this place wasn't a bar?

A few quick quotes from the evening, John should appreciate these: "Oh look, they have a red light!" "cinq personnes s'il vous plaît." "Champagne 200." "Let's get the Hell out of here."

Useful tips from today:
Always have a map and proper directions. A working GPS is better.
Never get panicky when lost. Tempers will flare ad it is not worth the drama.You WILL find your way, eventually, even if you have a bad sense of direction.
Bar Le Moorea is NOT A BAR!!! If you are looking for a drink in Nantes, find another place!

Mont St Michel

Welcome to Mont St Michel, a spectacular tidal island that took 500 years to complete. With its rich history, the place is as interesting as it is beautiful.

I'll Miss You, Dublin

The cab driver with whom my dad and I played darts last night was fantastic. Displaying true Irish hospitality, he even gave us the "senior citizen" discount price for the ride. What a guy. :)

Alas, my luck has remained true to form and I was frisked yet again going through airport security. How many countries have I been/will I be frisked in this trip? Only time will tell. Who knew I looked like such a dangerous person? Ha.

The flight was pretty uneventful and we each had our own row. The added space was rather nice in the nearly empty flight to Paris.

Arriving at CDG, we picked up our bags and hired a taxi. For 70 euro, the 3 of us were transported directly to our hotel. Given the hour and factoring in the cost for travel, it was clearly the best deal available to us at the time. The Air France Bus would've cost around 72 euro and included a number of other stops.

Gladly, we only had to stay in the hotel for one night. Of course, it probably had some pretty nice guest rooms, but we never saw one of them. Humorously enough, our room was located in the attic, also referred to as the "6th floor". The elevator went to the 5th floor and a narrow stairway lead to our room, which wasn't bad for me. I liked the exercise.

The roughest thing about the room, and probably the most hillarious, was the bathroom. You see, the ceiling/roof had a rather sharp angle directly above the toilet. If one wasn't careful (or fully awake) when using the facility, a strong hit on the head was all but inevitable. To add to the thrilling sense of danger, the shower was curtainless. Ha, regardless of how carefully one would wash, water would spray all over the tile floor leaving a rather slick surface. Slippery floor + low/sharply angled roof ceiling= big headache time!

Really, I only wish I had taken a picture of the room and bathroom because they were so silly and poorly thought out. It was actually kind of entertaining. Painful? Yes. Funny? Absolutely.

Zoo, Draughts and Darts

We went to the zoo today. Along the way, we decided to stop for lunch and a cute little place nearby, called the Phoenix Park Tea Rooms. It was a deliciously simple lunch of soup and bread, washed down with a coke. On a chilly day such as this, the soup was very pleasant. Perhaps on my next trip, I will try the tea.


Dublin Zoo is pretty awesome and I had a great time seeing the animals and snapping pictures. The animals appeared content and well-fed, which is always a good thing. There were also some fun, interactive things with which to learn.

Check it out! I almost have chimpanzee hands!








We should probably stop eating at Bel Cibo. The food was mediocre at best (again) and the service was terrible. They acted as though they were doing you a favor by serving you at all. I can safely say I would not recommend that restaurant.


The Richmond was much more fun and entertaining tonight than usual (it usually has more of a laid-back/older crowd, reminiscent of "the club" back home: nice, but not exciting). While enjoying a spectacular pint and a half of Smithwick's, Dad and I were invited to partake in a game of darts. Now, my dart throwing skills are far less than spectacular and I warned our new friends. Still, they insisted we play a game or so. Of course, the first dart I threw bounced off the wall and landed on the floor in two separate pieces. (I told you I warned them, right?) Well, that was entirely unacceptable and they decided I had to try again. My next throw stuck, it stuck right by the bulls-eye and I got quite a few points for my team. I won't lie, though. After that one spectacular (for me) throw, I returned to my usual unskilled throwing, sticking a few darts in the wall. After the game of darts, I made a new friend (someone actually near my own age! at the Richmond!) named Ruadhan. Perhaps we will keep in touch after I leave.

Pint count: 14.5

Sports Baas, Rugby and Smelly Hippies

It was another day of exploring and shopping. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any nice charms to go with my bracelet. At least there was a pretty sweet pub to check out.

Had a pint of Smithwick's at the Woolshed Baa & Grill during a major rugby game. The place was packed, noisy and pretty awesome. People were really getting into the match and one of the walls had been converted into a projector screen. Since it was a 2 story bar, the screen was HUGE! Quite awesome and definitely a place to check out when I return. Haha, Baa & Grill, nice.

After my stop at the pub, I joined my family for a movie at the Dublin cinemas. We went to see RED. I'm pretty sure it was a pretty good movie. It's difficult to judge it fairly, though, because the smelly hippy that chose to sit right beside me sort of killed the mood. If you can afford to buy a ticket to the movie theater, shouldn't you be able to afford a bar of soap and some deodorant?

Pint Count: 13

Just another Irish proposal...

So, today was pretty awesome. We went to Howth, a quaint, beautiful little fishing village in Ireland. While there I had the opportunity to give a few sea lions a bit of lunch for just 2 euro! They really enjoyed the little pieces of fish and were adorable!

In related news, my own lunch was also rather good. We had stopped at Quay West after leaving the train station in Howth. I ordered the day's lunch special of a bowl of soup with a sandwich. The soup of the day was tomato basil and tasted a bit like pasta sauce. It was interesting and rather tasty. The day's sandwich had chicken salad, I ordered mine on white bread. Good food, acceptable service, and a good price... can't beat that!

After a bit of exploring and picture taking, I decided to head back to Dublin. On the way to Connoly Station, I met a nice couple from New Jersey. They are just traveling around, checking things out as they go. How neat! :)

Reaching Connoly Station, I exited the platform area and found my way to a restroom... too many cokes and coffees in Howth, I suspect. ;) It cost 20 cent euro to use the toilet and my bladder was quite thankful that I had the correct change as the entrance was coin operated. There's a helpful tip: make sure you carry around a few coins of different amounts just in case.

Leaving the station to go catch the LUAS, a young man of Asian descent asked for directions. As we were looking at a map at the time, I'm pretty sure I helped him out... reassuring him with my phrase: "It's not an adventure if you know where you are going."

I hopped on the LUAS and headed back to Smithfield. By the time I reached my stop, the train had become rather crowded. Along the way, a friendly old man got to chatting with me. We talked about the weather, politics, and how I was liking Dublin so far. All in all, it was a pleasant trip.

Once the train had reached the Smithfield stop, squeezing and weaving through the passengers toward the door had proven to be a bit more difficult than anticipated. I could have made it, had it not been for that one old woman. She was not a small woman and she was using a cane. Blast! If only she'd have been a fully able bodied person, I may have just plowed through and been back at the hotel in a couple of minutes.

Of course a quick return to the hotel was not meant to be and I couldn't bring myself to push an old woman out of the way. So, rather than buying yet another LUAS ticket, I got off at the next stop and walked a few blocks back to the hotel. It wasn't that far of a walk, just mildly irritating that the walk was even necessary in the cold Dublin weather.

After dinner, Dad and I headed over to The Cobblestone for a pint or so. The Cobblestone seems to have a bit of a younger crowd and since I was getting a bit bored with the older crowd at the other pub, we went there instead. Dad made a new friend and I got my second "proposal" since arriving in Ireland... this time from someone near my own age! Hahaha, Irish men have the strangest pick-up lines.

Pint count: 12 (it was a busy night)

Ireland: Where Umbrellas Go to Die

Haha, the title says it all. Weather in Dublin is nothing to joke about, though I do have to laugh. The wind and rain attacked my umbrella with such fury that the poor thing stood no chance of survival... just as I stood no chance of remaining warm and dry.

For the record, I take no comfort in the fact that I am not alone on this tragic day for umbrellas everywhere. The mutilated remains of countless victims could be seen strewn about the ground and shoved into garbage cans.

In the battle between umbrellas and the weather, the weather most certainly won this round.

Pint Count: 9

Irish Beer is Too Easy to Swallow!

Oh, the joys of Ireland. Today, we went to the National Leprechaun Museum. The stories were fabulous and I am quite interested in reading up on Irish mythology. The museum, itself, left a bit to be desired, but the experience was still amazing. It is a cute little place with a lot of potential. It just opened in 2010, so there is plenty of room to grow.

After the museum, we went to the mall. I got some candy and pistachios. How can you not enjoy candy and pistachios?

When we got back to the hotel, Dad, the Gormans, and I decided to go out to the pubs. Our first stop was at The Cobblestone. It's a quaint little pub near our hotel. I had a Jameson on the rocks... it was about 3 shots in one glass with a couple of ice cubes. I still say you should never taint such a pure whiskey with mixers. It is just too good by itself.

The Gormans were a bit too tired to join us for the rest of our pub hopping, so they returned to the hotel. Dad and I went to his favorite pub, The Richmond. There, I partook in (2) 1/2 pints of Smithwicks Irish Ale. Amazingly, I have found a beer that is too easy to swallow! If you know me, you know that I am generally not a big fan of beers. However, this is Ireland and you have to try the beer! Smithwicks is a smooth tasting ale with mild undertones of coffee. It is even better than the Bulmers cider I've been chugging down!

After our drinks at The Richmond, we returned to the Cobblestone for another pint and some live music. The pub has musicians every night. Tonight's group consisted of about 30 people with violins, mandolins, and pipes. If you're in the mood for a good pint of beer and authentic Irish music, then the Cobblestone pub is the right place for you.

Pint count: 6
Whiskey count: 5

Just so you know, my first work of art has been put up for display in a museum. Here I am with my lovely piece titled "Jennifer, Age 25"... I am slowly becoming world famous. :)

Triple Distilled!

After the hustle and bustle of my days in Paris, I took this morning as a chance to sleep in. Dad returned "the boat" to the rental agency and picked up the Gormans. While everyone went to lunch, I opted to sleep in a little more and picked up a light snack before heading out.

The day's main event was a tour of the Jameson Distillery. Our tour guide, Andy, was quite knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. At the beginning of the tour, he asked for 8 volunteers... 4 females, 4 males. Ever the adventerous type, I raised my hand enthusiastically and was chosen. Andy handed me an empty green tube and said to hold on to it as there was a surprise at the end of the tour. Dad also received a green tube.

The tour was quite educational and very interesting. I learned a lot about different types of whiskey and what makes Jameson so unique. Using the finest barley in Ireland and pure spring water, the "whisketeers" create an incredibly smooth spirit with a distinctive flavor. You will have to take the tour in order to learn about the actual procedure.

After the tour, it was time for the 8 volunteers to partake in a whiskey tasting. Each seat had a placemat, labeled with 3 shot glasses of different types of whiskey: A famous black label scotch, the American Jack Daniels, and, of course, Jameson Irish Whiskey.

Each whiskey had its own unique processing and flavor attributes. The Jack Daniels, single-distilled, aged in a brand new oak barrel, has a very sweet, woody flavor. The black label scotch, double-distilled, has a smoky flavor provided by the drying method of its grain (open-kiln, peat smoke). Jameson has a fresh, smooth taste. The triple distillation process and aging in used barrels (for a greatly reduced flavor of woodiness and subtly added flavor of barrel's previous inhabitant) make Jameson Irish Whiskey my favorite whiskey by far.

Included in the price of admission is a free glass of Jameson. I had mine on the rocks and would not recommend it any other way. Why destroy the purity of such a smooth whiskey by adding soda or juice? It's such a waste! Save the mixers for Jack Daniels. ;)

After the tour, we stopped at Fresh to pick up a quick dinner. I had a chicken sandwich with sweet chili sauce, lettuce, onion, and tomato. It was delicious, quick, and inexpensive. The perfect combination for any meal on the go.

Dad, Billy and I went to The Richmond after dinner. I had another pint of Bulmers cider. Billy had the same. Dad stuck to his Fosters. It was a nice evening out in Dublin.

Pint Count: 4
Whiskey Count: 4 (Good whiskey count: 2)

By the way, were you wondering what the green tubes given to us volunteers were for? Well, I am now, officially, a "Qualified Irish Whiskey Taster". The tube was for my diploma. :)

Pints, Proposals, and All Sorts of People

We left our hotel in Paris early this morning. Luke, Dad's housemate in Paris, drove us to the airport with his friend (I'm not sure of his name). With a bit of force, all 3 suitcases fit in the back and Mom, Dad, and I crammed into the backseat. We found our way to the airport easily enough and made our way to the check-in counter.
Moving on to the security check point, I set off the damn metal detector again. What am I wearing that consistently sets off the machine? Agh! After a thorough frisking by one of the personnel, I headed over to my gate.

The flight, itself, was rather uneventful. Oddly, Aerlingus charges a fee for the in-flight snack. After spending so much on a flight, one would think that a small drink and bag of crackers or something would be included. Apparently not if you fly through Aerlingus. Adding to the craziness, the flight attendants move on to peddling Air Mall items. Quite odd, indeed.

Flying over Dublin, it was plain to see that Ireland is really a beautiful country. Along the way, Dad pointed out every golf course he could see. I decided to insist that there are no golf courses in Ireland... just fields with spots of sand scattered around them. Lol, in reality, there are a lot of courses.

We landed and made our way to retrieve our bags. Along the way, we were passed through the immigration area to have our passports stamped. The wait in line was pretty long, but once I got to the window, the interview was pretty short and I now have my second stamp this trip! Yay!

Since Mom & Dad were farther back in line, I made my way to the baggage claim and got everyones' things piled on a cart. Once they made their way to the area, we passed through customs rather easily and headed for the rental car agency.

The small car Dad had been hoping for turned out to be a rather massive boat on wheels. Couple the enormous vehicle size with fact that the Irish drive on the "wrong side" of the road, the journey by car was relatively daunting. The GPS from National was utterly useless, but we still managed to find the hotel.

The parking garage is under the hotel. Dad's maneuvering of the boat on wheels was hindered by rather small passageways in the garage. I got out and attempted to guide him through one of the turns. Eventually, he made it to the parking space and we checked in to our hotel.

The room is nice, has a few odd features. In order to keep the electricity on in the room, you have to leave your keycard in a thing on the wall. Somewhat irritating, but a decent idea for saving on energy costs.

Mom and I went to the little grocery store next door to pick up lunch while Dad took a nap. The lunch counter has a nice value meal arrangement that includes your choice of sandwiches and wraps, a bag of chips, and a 500ml bottle of Coke... all for just 4.99 euro. After the craziness of food and drink costs in Paris, 4.99 euro for all that was fantastic.

Returning to the room, we decided to walk around the block and see what was around. The Jameson Distillery is very close to our hotel. We are going back when the Gormans get here. I saw a sign for "hot whiskey" in the distillery. Very interested in checking it out. The description sounds pretty cool.

Walking along, we found a cute little pub called The Richmond. I partook in (2) 1/2 pints of Bulmers Cider. It has a mild apple flavor and is a bit too easy to drink. Haha, this should be fun! Dad got a couple pints of Fosters. The bartender told us to come back in the evening for some music at around 10. Cool, we'll be back!

We had dinner at a relatively expensive pizzeria near the hotel. It was tasty. The soup was good and the pizzas were unique and delicious. I followed dinner with a short nap before returning to the pubs.

Mom chose to stay in the room for the night while Dad and I went pub hopping. We returned to The Richmond where I upgraded to a full pint of cider and Dad continued with a pint of Fosters. The "music" turned out to be a guy with a laptop and guitar singing karaoke songs. The average age in the pub was about 50 (that's if you factor my 25 years in to the mix). Pretty fantastic, really, if you enjoy the humor.

Leaving the pub, 2 clearly drunk individuals followed us out. They were highly talkative. One talked to Dad while the other proposed and detailed the marriage/honeymoon plans... 7 kids? Hahaha, I would advise against that. We shook hands in agreement that we would not, in fact, be getting married. Hahaha, only in Ireland, I suspect. Eventually the pair hailed a cab and left us alone.

Rather than returning to the hotel, Dad and I made our way to the Number 6 for another pint. Number 6 reminds me of a trendy bar one might find back home. It definitely doesn't have that cool Irish pub vibe, but it was still pretty nice. They were having a party for Halloween and the crowd was much closer to my own age, which was refreshing. I made a new friend from Sweden named Ace. He's a pretty cool kid and it was nice to have a conversation with a foreigner in English. lol.

Looking forward to my upcoming Irish adventures. :)

Jenn's Irish Pint Count: 3

Wow!

Pretty amazing to begin with, the Eiffel Tower is even more spectacular at night. Every hour, the huge tower gets lit up and sparkles like "a vampire in the sun." It is really quite beautiful. Who knew? :)

To the Louvre! ...and more Paris adventures

We met on the square outside the Louvre for an early morning tour today. The air was crisp and the sun was shining, another beautiful day in Paris.





After seeing the incredibly long line of tourists waiting to enter the museum (think "Eurotrip"), we decided to go to La Defense and work our way back. La Defense is a major business district in Paris named after the statue "La Defense de Paris" which commemorates the Parisian resistance during the Franco-Prussian War.









The artwork and architecture around the statue were pretty cool too. After snapping a few pictures and listening to Gerry's spiel about Paris, it was time for lunch. A few of the students and I went to the mall and picked up a pretty decent lunch at Pomme de Paine. I also picked up a pair of gloves at H&M... the crisp air is pretty chilly here in Paris!




We met with the group and headed back to the Louvre. After patiently listening to Gerry's introduction, I stayed with the group for another 10 to 15 minutes before venturing off to enjoy the museum on my own.

What a collection! I barely got through a portion of one wing before it was time to leave. There were just so many things to see! Funny story: I was so busy looking at the paintings and sculptures surrounding me that I almost missed the amazing ceilings above. Another visit or 2 are definitely in store while I'm here in Paris. Stay tuned for tales of those visits.









Later in the evening, 2 of the girls and I went to a bridge with a fantastic view of the Eiffel Tower. The location of the bridge vs the tower allowed for some fabulous "prop" pictures. Here I am holding the Eiffel Tower in my hands on a beautiful night.





I ended my evening with a tasty, albeit pricey (it is Paris, afterall), meal in a little restaurant near my hotel, La Chope Da Guerre. I had a Cuba Libre with the platte du jour (a spicy pasta dish with bread, today)and finished with a hot cup of strong coffee for around 30 euro with tip.

It was a pretty fantastic day and I'm looking forward to more Paris adventures over the next few days.

Useful tip of the day: Always remember to look up, you never know what you might miss!

Hamburgers & Parisians

As I look out the window of the plane, I am already missing the beautiful city of Hamburg. Mere minutes away and I want to go back. With so much left to explore, a return trip is inevitable... perhaps during the warm summer months next time.

The flight, a 1 hr 15 minute hop to Paris, is rather pleasant. Despite the short nature of the flight, Lufthansa airlines still provided a sandwich and 2 beverages at no extra charge. Granted, the 2 beverage thing was probably due to the relatively empty flight, but who cares? It was still nice. I had a cheese sandwich, apple juice, and coffee. The coffee wasn't the best I've tasted, by far, but it was caffeinated. Maybe I'll try the tea next time. :)

Landing in Paris, I retrieve my bag and make way to the metro station. The decision has been made... for my next trip through Europe, I will not be bringing a suit case! Haha, they are completely unneccessary and difficult to maneuver through large crowds. Next time, the pack I'd been planning to use will actually be used. Here's a useful tip for you: get a pack like the Terra 45 pack I picked up at Gander Mountain before I left home. I really wish I would have brought it instead of the suitcase. But no worries, we live and we learn. Perhaps you can learn from my mistake. :)

My first stop after picking up my bag is the newspaper booth. I purchase a map and make way for the metro station. Here's another tip: in Paris, you don't need to buy a map. Many hotels and tourist areas have free ones that contain a map of the city that includes the land marks, metro system, and bus routes. Don't waste the euros you could be spending on a great cup of coffee or tea for a crummy map at the newspaper booth. The free map is also smaller and easier to use.

The hotel is easy to find and I arrive in time to pick up a late dinner at the restaurant next door. Although it's a bit less relaxed than Hamburg, I think I'll like Paris just as much. So far, it's not bad and the metro system is so easy to figure out! Yay!

What a lovely day in Hamburg!

It was truly a magnificent day in Hamburg. The weather was lovely for this time of year and the company was spectacular. Armin led the way on a walking tour of his town. The place is stunning. It is a perfect balance between industrial, natural, and residential areas. Of course, I'm sure he only took me to the nice parts. There's got to be a ghetto somewhere, it is a city afterall! :)
We visited the city hall and parttook in a guided tour. The best word to describe Hamburg's city hall might be "incredible." With imense chandeliers, hand carved walls, and more, it is definitely not a place to be missed. I've never seen such a beautiful government building before. Amazing.

Hamburg via Frankfurt

When my flight from Toulouse to the connection in Frankfurt was delayed, thoughts of "Here we go again" flashed through my mind. If this flight through FRA had been anything like my first stopover in Frankfurt, there could have been a bit of an issue.

We finally boarded the flight to Frankfurt about a half hour or so after its scheduled departure. Landing in Frankfurt, I was delighted to find that I would not have to go through yet another screening before finding my next gate. If I had, there was absolutely no way I would have made it to my destination tonight.

As it was, I did have to run from one end of the airport to the other... through a series of tunnels and lifts... in pursuit of my old nemesis, A Gate.

As luck must have been smiling upon me, the FRA->HAM flight was running a few minutes late, itself. The small delay provided plenty of time to pick up a bottle of coke from a rather conveniently placed newsstand.

Landing in Hamburg, I was happy to find that my luggage landed with me. Who else feels a huge surge of relief upon seeing their bags come up on the belt? Armin picked me up and we went to his lovely apartment. Seriously, it's pretty bad ass :). As it was late, we enjoyed a glass of wine and chatted a bit before bed.

Let's go to the dentist!

I made it to the dentist today. It was an interesting experience. Luckily, John was there and he translated for me. The office was very clean with a modern look and high-tech machinery. The price was unbeatable at 21 euro. The dentist was nice and she performed a check-up and drilled/filled the chip all in under an hour. Quite efficient, I must say! Perhaps dentists in the US could learn a thing or 2 from the French.

On our way back from the dentist, we stopped at an area overlooking Ambialet. It was stunning. We could see both branches of the Tarn river and the priory in the middle. Incredible. :)

When we got back, lunch was ready. As I still couldn't feel part of my face from the dentist's novocaine, I ate carefully. We had the best hot dogs I've ever tasted, macaroni and cheese, and a rice dish. Delicious!

After lunch, the canine duo and I went for a short walk through the woods. We didn't encounter any new animals and the walk went smoothly. Jay-Z plowed ahead, as usual, and Bruen stayed by my side. I love those 2 crazy pups.

My trusty translating friend, John, and I at the overlook. Thanks for everything, John!

Another Leisurely Day with the Canine Duo

It was another beautiful day in Ambialet so I decided to go for a walk with the canine duo. The big, silly canine story for today involves myself, Brun, JayZ, a pair of hikers, and their dog.

Beginning our walk, there was a pair of people hiking with their dog just outside the priory. As usual, Jay-Z decided he wanted to play a bit too aggressively with the other dog. I held him by his collar as the other dog's owner held him. Meanwhile, Brun casually strolled over to the hikers' dog to sniff him a bit and say hello.

Of course, the hikers looked rather startled when Brun walked toward them. She didn't run or act aggressive at all, but of the 2 priory dogs, Brun has a slightly more intimidating build. I can only imagine the thoughts running through the hikers' heads as Brun walked toward them. Haha, priceless.

More priceless, yet, was the language barrier. As you know, my fluency in the French language is quite lacking. Since I wasn't ordering coffee or saying hello, few words remained to explain that Brun is really quite harmless. Piecing together the few words I do know to fit the situation, I came up with a combination that would hopefully get my point across.

Holding JayZ with one hand and pointing to Brun with the other, I said "Bonne fille, bonne fille," in an attempt to convey that Brun was harmless through my insanely limited vocabulary. Who knows if the pair of hikers really understood me at all. They just sort of looked at me and walked away, dragging their dog along beside them.

Haha, maybe I should work on learning a bit more French soon. Might make conversing with the locals and visitors a bit easier. Couldn't hurt.

Excitement over, the canine duo and I continued on our walk. What a lovely day. :)

Crazy Dogs

I went on a walk with Jay-Z and Bruen again today. At the bottom of the hill, there is a Y in the path. Normally, I go left past Nadine's coffee shop. Today, the dogs and I went right. I was curious as to what might be in that direction and Jay-Z led the way. Let's just say that staying left would've been a far better choice. Jay-Z got into a little scuffle with a grumpy neighborhood dog.

No one got hurt and the dogs stopped their little battle the moment I yelled at them. Bruen, of course, stayed back with me. She paid full attention to the other 2, ready to spring to action if her brother needed her to. Gladly, Jay-Z and neighborhood dog broke it up relatively quickly and we went on our way to the river while grumpy dog went back to his porch.

Interestingly enough, the owners of the grumpy dog didn't come out of their house or even look out the window to see what was going on. The dogs were barking and growling in their little fight and I yelled... surely somebody heard us? Oh well, no harm no foul. Just have to make a mental note: don't turn right at the bottom of the hill when with the dogs.

Otherwise, it was another beautiful day in Ambialet and the dogs and I had a nice time by the river.

Time sure flies...

It was another laid back, uneventful day in Ambialet today. I can't believe week 3 has already begun. I'm going to the dentist soon, have to get a chip in my tooth fixed and I'll be going th Germany this weekend. Better get on that... it doesn't hurt yet, but definitely needs to be fixed.

Dinner wasn't bad, we had chicken nuggets, french fries, and salad. John decided to make it a "French Dinner" to help the students get back into the language after their break. We weren't allowed to communicate using charades, gestures, English, Spanish, Russian... you get the idea. French only for this dinner... needless to say, a student or so was a bit unhappy with the dinner rules. Dinner was pretty quiet. ;)

Ferries, Flights, Language Barriers

We left quite early this morning in order to catch the ferry to the mainland. Of course, as we were in Italy, everything was in Italian and my parents weren't sure where we were going. Thus, another Lynch family saga began before the sun came up.

The online ferry itinerary said the first boat was scheduled to leave Lido at 4:50. We left extra early in order to make it. The dock was completely silent without a life in sight. Accompanied by nothing but the rain drops crashing against the windshield, we found ourselves to be in a difficult situation. Perhaps there is no ferry today? Could this be the wrong place? What's going on?!? We really need to catch our flight!

We drove over to the bus/vaporetto ticket booth, as it was the only populated business on the island, to ask for assistance. Through broken English and really bad Italian, we were able to communicate with the men. We learned that the ferry would leave at 5:00 and it was only 2 kilometers away. Ok, so the dock we found earlier was the right one... where are the people? How do we get a ticket?

We waited at the dock for a few minutes until deciding to go on another search for the ticket booth. Driving around the dark streets of Lido, we eventually found the proper signs and followed them to the booth. As it was quite early on a cold, weekend morning, there weren't many cars waiting to board the ferry. It left at 5:30.

The ride lasted about half an hour and we were not permitted to stay in the car. We went to sit in the lounge on the second floor. It was freezing and the coffee counter wasn't open yet, but the furniture was more comfortable than it was on the way over. So, half asleep, I relaxed in the chilly room on my way back to the mainland.

We returned to the car shortly before we docked and I fell asleep promptly after securing my seatbelt. As far as I know, we made it to the airport without getting lost. I'll never know. :)

It was a bit of a hike from the car park to the airport, but it wasn't bad. We were pretty early, so our flight hadn't been assigned a check-in desk. The gate was assigned, but we couldn't check in... weird. Eventually, after every flight listed on the screen had been assigned, our flight was assigned to desk 13. The girl behind the desk took a very long time to get everything in order, but she gave us a map of where we'd be landing and how to get around once there. It was a nice gesture and quite appreciated.

Going through airport security, a very polite security agent asked if he could inspect my purse. He was not rude or pushy like the TSA people at home tend to be. I said, "Of course, I have nothing to hide." He looked through the bag, found nothing out of the ordinary, and tried to close it. Well, of course, the zipper decided to act up and he was a bit embarrassed, but I just smiled and said not to worry. The zipper gets stuck when opened fully.

Our gate was pretty easy to find and I took a short nap before the flight, using my backpack as a pillow. When it was time to board the plane, we hopped on a shuttle and waited about 10 minutes or so for everyone to get on. The shuttle went about 30 yards, stopped, and we were at our plane. It would have been so much faster if we could have just walked over to our tiny plane. Oh well, that's airport security for you.

The flight was pleasant. At one point, the puffy white clouds we were flying over were broken up by the peaks of a mountain range. That mountain was huge, climbing higher than the clouds. Interesting, beautiful, and slightly terrifying... nothing should be that big! :)

As we were en route to Paris for our connection to Toulosue, I was curious to see if the demonstrations and strikes had made their way into CDG. Gladly, it wasn't and we were able to pass through relatively smoothly. Hindered only by the ridiculous practice of having to exit the secure area to pass through carry-on security yet again to reach our connecting flight, everything went smoothly. I doubt I will ever fully understand the reasoning behind leaving a secure area only to pass through screening again before a connecting flight.

There's a bit of advice for all you happy travelers out there, if you'll be flying internationally and have connecting flights, make sure you leave plenty of time to go through security again.

We arrived back in Ambialet and it was another beautiful evening at the priory. :)

How is this thing still afloat?

We had lunch at a charming little tourist trap in Venice, today. Of course, in true Venetian fashion, the price was over the top. A plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce and a few mushrooms should never cost so much... but this is Venice and they will bleed you dry. On the plus side, the lunch was filling and very tasty. The staff were also very attentive and courteous.

After lunch, I explored on my own for a few hours. There is something great about exploring a new place on my own. While I do enjoy occasional sight seeing with others, the freedom of exploring on my own is fantastic as well.

As I explored, I rediscovered the cute little pen shop I'd seen on my first day in Venice. It only took an hour and 15 minutes to find it! I purchased a very nice set, complete with a bottle of ink and 5 or 6 pen tips, and a pen with a tip shaped like the Eiffel Tower. It should be quite fun to give the pens a try when I get home. I just love using dipping pens, they're just so classic.

Passing through Saint Marco's square, I encountered some of the fattest pigeons I've ever seen. Seriously, those pigeons are obese! If you factor in the incredibly high number of tourists that feed them every day, their weight is kind of sad. How can they still walk or stand? How can they possibly fly? It's crazy! They can fly and they fly right at you! Silly, silly birds.


I caught the vaporetto and journeyed over to a lovely park. On my way, I noticed an interesting figure in the water. It looks like a fallen statue, but I think it was always meant to be there. It is beautiful.

The park is in the midst of a lovely garden with lots of trees. The statues are quite worn, but they add a touch of elegance and beauty to an otherwise average park. I sat on a bench and filled out postcards as I relaxed. If you are ever in the mood to get away from the crowds of San Marco's Square, head over to the park. It provides an escape from the hoards of people without leaving you completely secluded. Quite nice.

After leaving the park, I wandered around the crowded alleys of Venice and road an incredibly cramped Vaporetta to the vending area at Rialto. my aversion toward large groups of people grew exponentially. It will be a pleasant change of pace to return to Ambialet, where the canines seem to out number the humans. Venice is lovely and I hope to return one day, but Ambialet can not be beat in its rustic charm and peaceful atmosphere.

There are no words...

or pictures in the world that can do justice to the beauty of Venice, Italy. It is a breath-taking sort of place.

I explored the city with Mom and Dad, stopping for lunch in a little pizzeria/restaurant down a series of alleyways. A quick tip before going on: there are no inexpensive places in which to eat in the tourist trap known as Venice. I am also pretty sure that there are no little restaurants off the beaten path. Be warned and take extra euros!

Apparently "normal serving size" means HUGE in Italy. 2 pizzas would have been more than enough for the 3 of us. However, Mom & Dad each ordered their own calzones while I ordered a pizza (as per the waiter's advice... he must work on commission). As the waiter placed our plates on the table, a rather large group of Asian tourists pointed at us and laughed, gesturing that we were going to be really fat if we ate it all.

They may have found it hysterical, but in reality, they ended up eating much more than we did. The amount was simply hidden by the numerous plates of smaller portions each tourist had. They had many plates of small portions, we each had one plate of a big portion.

Anyway, the food was very good. The price was pretty high, an apparent normality in Venice... they even charge 1,50 euro to use the toilet.

Venice may be a tourist trap, but it sure is a pretty one!

Watch out, Italy! Here I come

I'm enroute to Italy today, with my parents. We will be visiting the lovely Venice as the students explore London for their long weekend break. I plan to do a bit of exploring on my own while in Venice. I enjoyed exploring Barcelona by myself, it always provides for a more interesting adventure.

The flights, themselves, were pretty uneventful. I enjoyed not being frisked going through the security check in Toulouse. I just had to have my bag looked through. Apparently my haphazard way of packing my electronics' cords looks rather alarming when going through an x-ray machine. Ha ha. Oh well. Take that into consideration when packing for your next vacation by airplane.

Our flights were on time and we had no delays in getting to Venice. Both suitcases made their way to Baggage Claim in a timely fashion and we went to pick up our rental car from Hertz. The car is an adorable little model from Fiat called the Panda. It is small, but spacious enough for everyone and the bags to have a comfortable fit.

In true Lynch fashion, we got lost on our way to the ferry. Then again once we reached the island to look for our hotel. When I called the hotel, the woman at the desk was less than helpful in telling us how to find our way. I told her where we were and she merely said things like "No, not there." No helpful words like, "Oh, you're almost at the golf course? Ok, turn around, follow this road, turn here... etc." were provided. Then, as I hadn't charged my phone before leaving, it died halfway through the conversation anyway. Ha. What luck!

Everything turned out alright in the end. We made it to our hotel and I can safely say it is a rather nice place. The lobby is spacious and clean. There are beautiful plants, including orchids, around the main desk and entrance. Our room is pretty nice and the shower's water pressure is fantastic!

I am disappointed that I will not have a usable internet connection this evening, we arrived pretty late and the front desk didn't provide us with the access code. Not to worry, though, tomorrow is another day.

Ambialet- Through the Eyes of a Dog

...or 2... sometimes 3. Hahaha. It was a beautiful day here, in Ambialet. While everyone was off on another school field trip, I stayed behind. After a quick brunch of yoghurt and bread with nutella & jam (delicious!), I decided to go for a walk.

Well, Jay-Z and Bruen (pictured above), the wonderful pair of dogs at the Priory, thought that was a fantastic idea and joined in as I walked through the gate. Now, I'm not going to mislead you and claim that I took the dogs for a walk. In reality, the canine duo took me for a walk. As such, I got to see the rural area of Ambialet through canine eyes.

Jay-Z powered forward and lead the way as Bruen and I walked down Heartbreak Hill. We made our way through town and crossed a bridge over the Tarn. On the other side of the bridge, we came across another dog. Apparently he knows the pair from the Priory, so he joined us on our walk. For lack of a better name, we will call him "Crazy Mystery Dog" (CMD).

At one point, Jay-Z and CMD went off on their own. Bruen and I went to the river and I sat on a bench while she swam and chased after the ducks, which was pretty entertaining. Eventually, CMD found us and decided it was time to play. Jay-Z returned, then went off again.

I stopped at Nadine's for a cup or 2 of coffee. Since Bruen wouldn't leave my side, I had to sit out on the patio. No worries, Bruen is a pretty awesome dog and the weather was nice. With no sign of Jay-Z, I decided he'd find his way back and headed back up the hill to the Priory. Guess who was there! Yep, somehow Jay-Z beat us back home. Haha, gotta love those crazy dogs.

It was a great day and I now know where every duck and cat lives in Ambialet. Oh, and CMD? Yeah, I learned later tonight that CMD used to live at the Priory before he got kicked out for poor behavior. He has a new home now and technically isn't supposed to hang out with Jay-Z. Woops.

Churches, Lunch, and Manifestations in Albi

I went on a field trip to the town of Albi with John and my mom today. John drove and it is clear to see that he is getting the hang of driving a standard vehicle. :) Well done, John!

Upon reaching Albi, our first stop was at Le Boeuf Saumon for lunch. I ordered the salmon lasagna plate. It included bread, salmon lasagna (of course), a salad, cheese, and fruit. I'm not going to mince words and simply come out with it, the lasagna was pretty awful. It tasted way too fishy... yes, I know salmon is a fish, but this was ridiculous! The lasagna was amazingly fishier than any fish I've ever encountered. No worries, though, the rest of the plate was good and filling on its own. I could recommend visiting the restaurant as Mom and John's meals were reportedly very good. Just don't order the salmon lasagna.

After lunch, Mom and I ventured over to St. Cecilia's Church. Had I not already seen so many European churches already, this one might not have been so infuriating. The hand carved detailing and frescos throughout the building were beautiful and quite a sight to behold. Still, the feeling that it was somehow wrong began to nag.

Of all the elaborate and immense churches I've encountered in Europe, this one simply struck a nerve. I've come to the conclusion that my fury does not rest in St. Cecilia's alone. It rests in the observation of how garishly the Catholic Church flaunts its wealth.

Granted, occassionally there is an individual or small group within the church that provides an exception to this observation. However, the church as an institution does little more than strike fury within me. How many people could have been helped throughout the years had the institution focused on them rather than flaunting its wealth through magnificent artistry and the size of its buidlings?

After leaving the church, I had the opportunity to witness my first French protest. When we arrived in Albi, the plaza was all but empty. A handful of people were wandering around, visiting shops and restaurants. After little more than an hour, it had filled with people carrying signs and flags.

The French government is raising or has raised the retirement age from 60 to 62. The people are not happy about it and are not afraid to show their disapproval. Would you be?

Relaxation & Psychoanalysis in Ambialet

After the excitement and mild chaos in Spain, it was nice to take a day and simply relax in Ambialet. I took a lovely hike down "Heart Break Hill" and purchased some postcards from Nadine's cafe.

Sitting on a bench along the Tarn River, I wrote a few messages and enjoyed the view before returning to my walk. I walked along the dam and through the countryside, snapping pictures and enjoying the landscape.

When I returned to my room, I started uploading pictures to Facebook. It took such a long time that I fell asleep and woke to the chime of the dinner bell. The meal consisted of ribs, salad, and ratatouille.

Those who remained at the table after eating for post-dinner conversation were treated to psychoanalysis performed by Dad. The analyses were quite entertaining and everyone seemed to have a good time.

Overall, it was a nice, uneventful day.

Monsoons, Fire Codes, and Getting Lost

We left the apartment in Barcelona early this morning as it slowly began to rain. En route to our "home away from home" in Ambialet, we met with the group at the Dali museum in Spain. With little more than a "follow the signs" to direct us, the journey to the museum proved to be rather difficult.

After a series of wrong turns down one way streets and stopping for directions, we finally found the Dali museum. Mom & Lori got out while Dad and I went off in search fo a place to park. As the weather continued to decline into monsoon-like conditions, we grew increasingly aware of the hopelessness of ever finding a spot.

Miraculously, there was one open parking space in the entire city and we found it! Granted, parking a car with a stick shift, on a slope, in monsoon-like conditions is a daunting task, but Dad did a superb job. We had finally found a parking space 9 blocks from the museum... lucky us.

Amazingly, the moment we exited the vehicle, the monsoon got even worse! Before today, I honestly did not believe that such an amount of water could possibly fall from the sky. Even with my trusty umbrella, I got completely soaked.

So much water had already fallen from the sky that a small, but angry, river had formed in the middle of the street. As I waded through the rushing liquid, my flip-flop was taken ferociously down the hill. "Oh no!" I cried, "My shoe!"

In all his heroic glory, Dad dove into the rushing stream to rescue my fallen shoe. All hope for an inch of dryness on his clothes lost in one fateful leap... but my shoe was saved.

The 2 soaked Lynches finally reached the meeting place at a small restaurant just outside the Dali museum. My meal was rather tasty and its warmth was quite welcoming after my harsh journey through the rivers and monsoon.

After lunch, still completely soaked from head to toe, I visited the much anticipated museum (I find Dali's work to be incredibly interesting). How many people can say they went to an awesome museum after wading through a river in a Spanish monsoon? Well, at least 2 by my count...

Ah, the Dali museum. Quite possibly home to one of the most interesting collections of art I have ever encountered. Sadly, I never got the opportunity to fully enjoy the experience this time around.

Apparently, there are no fire codes in this portion of Spain. If there were, the enforcers of the code would have made a hefty sum from the fines collected. There were so many people crammed into the small museum that, had a fire broken out, hundreds would have perished... not me of course, I was carrying enough water in my clothing that I could have doused the flames myself, but still WAY TOO MANY PEOPLE!

Luckily for the mass quantity of dry people in the museum, there was no fire... just a complete lack of room for one to stop and admire anything. The pushing, shoving, and an increasingly evident desire to punch someone in the face quickly grew old so I opted to leave the area.

After a very quick stop at the gift shop to pick up a book about the museum I almost saw, I waited for the rest of the group in a slightly less crowded hallway near the exit.

As we made our way out, the monsoon had finally trickled into a simple downpour. Dad retrieved the car (I'm still amazed that he found it) and we made our way back to the Priory through the storm.

I hope to return to the Dali museum one day. Preferrably on a day with better weather and fewer people. Even with the weather and over-crowded museum, I can't complain. It was an interesting experience.

Museums, Beaches, and (In)appropriately Named Drinks in Barcelona

I toured with the group today. Our first stop was at the surprisingly uninspiring Picasso museum. I'm not sure what it was about his work, but I found myself completely lacking any sense of awe in its presence.

At our next stop, we crashed a wedding in the Sta Maria del Mar church. It was a strange occurrence. A small area near the altar was roped off, but the church remained open for us tourists to ogle and snap pictures. I suppose that sort of thing is common in Barcelona.

We had lunch at Bubo. It is a casual little restaurant with outdoor seating across from the main entrance of the church. I ordered the 4 cheese pizza. It was pretty bad... but that's what you get for ordering an Italian dish in Spain. Haha, so I can't complain. The rolls were very good, though. Especially dipped in EVOO and balsamic vinegar. I'll have to make rolls with EVOO/balsamic dressing at home.

The final stop for the group was the Miro Museum. Finally, a museum that impresses. Miro's work is a fantastic use of bold, (mostly) primary colors and sharp lines. I found his pieces to be quite awesome. You should definitely check it out if you ever happen to be in Barcelona.

After the final museum of the day, the group split up and we went our separate ways. I decided to join a couple of the students for a trip to the beach. As it was kind of chilly and I didn't have my bathing suit, I chose to sit in the sand with our things as the 2 boys went wave riding in the Mediterranean. Hopefully they enjoyed themselves, I thought it was pretty fun... and Ed's "sand art" was pretty amazing. :) Before we left, I walked into the water, about calf high, to have my picture taken in the Mediterranean Sea. By the way, the water was quite cold!

Once we were finished with our outing to the beach, we returned to the boys' hostel and I waited until they were ready to go to dinner. We ate at a nice little pub down a side street near the cathedral. I shared a seafood paella with Shane and the other 2 had pizzas. I ordered a beer with my dinner and can honestly say it wasn't bad. Especially considering that I tend to dislike the majority of beers with which I come into contact.

Following dinner, we stopped at another bar, had a shot called "ABC" (Absinthe, Bacardi, and a citrus liquor that started with a C). It wasn't bad, definitely wasn't fantastic... and we saw no "green fairies" this time around, but it was fun to try. Afterwards, the boys dropped me off at the apartment. I waited for the return of my family and Lori with a few drinks in the plaza nearby as the boys returned to their hostel to parttake in far cheaper drinks than those available along the streets of Barcelona.

By far, the tastiest, most interesting drink I have had thus far in my travels abroad was enjoyed at an interesting little place called Santamonica. The drink was (in)appropriately named "Porn Star Boost". Inappropriate for obvious reasons, appropriate for the garnish they used... a garnish I didn't realize would be involved until the waiter reached my table. Haha, it sure was hillarious."Porn Star Boost"... see what I mean?

"I don't talk to strangers..."

True to my travelling form, I went exploring on my own today. I couldn't really tell you exactly where I went for most of the day, but I enjoyed the freedom of being on my own and came across some interesting things.

I wandered through the streets and alleys of Barcelona, stopping in at a few shops, picked up a shirt and sunglasses. By lunch time, I got a bit tired of wandering around aimlessly, so I stopped at a nice little tapas place. They were out of one of my choices and gave me the wrong thing for another choice. However, the food I did get was pretty good. A lovely lunch complete with crab salad on a toasted bagguette, skewered barbecue flavored pork, and skewer of shrimp, mushrooms, and bacon. I finished the meal with a cup of coffee and looked at my map.

Making my way around the city, I decided to treat myself to a bus tour. I purchased a ticket from a rather strangely grafitti'd booth and hopped on the bus for the green line. It was a nice way to get off the street and see a large part of Barcelona. I would definitely recommend taking a bus tour of the city on the first day. It allows for a brief overview of everything there is to see and lets you know where everything is.

The bus had started at a park filled with statues, once the ride had come full circle, I decided to check them out. It was a lovely experience until a rather creepy man started talking to me by the fountain. Strangely, at the exact moment he started talking to me, the vast collection of tourists swarming the park suddenly vanished. Leaving little time for mistakes, I executed my escape perfectly. I simply asked him if he had the time. He told me the time, I said I had run to meet my group for dinner (or else I'd be late, of course), and left.

Of course, I didn't have to meet anyone for another hour and a half, so I made my way to the open market with all the delicious fruit. There, I came across a few of the students, so I just hung out with them until it was time to go to dinner.

We all ate dinner at a trendy restaurant near our apartment called Tasty. I ordered the seafood spaghetti dish and it was delicious! There was the perfect amount of garlic and everything was cooked perfectly. I guess it's time to add mussels to my list of tasty things to eat!








After dinner, a few of the students and I wandered around and came across a cute little sports bar by the water. The bar is called Nit Borbo. I ordered a Bellini and watched the futbol game. It was a good time.

Vamanos a Barcelona!

We had another early departure from the hotel in Narbon this morning, leaving shortly after 8:00. Along the way, we drove past an impressive part of the Pyrenees Mountains. They are huge!

We passed over the France/Spain border hassle free and made our way to Barcelona. Arriving at the garage, we got our bags and headed to the streets to find our apartment. It was a bit difficult to find the street, but eventually we met the landlord's assistant and went to the flat.

The apartment is rather simple, nothing fancy. Definitely fancier than the 8 person room in which the students and John spent their nights, though. I almost feel guilty... almost.

After getting relatively settled in, I went with Lori to Parc Guell. We took the metro and walked up a pretty large hill to make it to the park. It is definitely worth the walk, though. The view is fantastic and the artwork, by Gaudi, is spectacular. It is a tiled masterpiece.


The view from the large balcony (?) area spans most of Barcelona. The two buildings in the front are also part of Gaudi's Parc Guell. I think they look like gingerbread houses and find them to be spectacular. Actually, just about everything in Barcelona has been spectacular so far.




This evening, we at at a place I would consider to be quite the tourist trap. Crazy prices, questionable quality of food. Granted, the paella wasn't bad tasting and I was introduced to mussels (which I am surprised to say are rather tasty!), but overall, the food was not worth it. Of course, the lovely man with the red roses went around handing one to each of us at the table. Dad paid him and he moved on to his next group of suckers. I'm pretty sure that as soon as we had the flowers in our hands, we lost hope of the locals taking us seriously.

Still, the flowers were pretty and it was nice of my dad to get one for all of us (although he didn't have much of a choice since the guy pushed them at us). So, thanks for the roses, Dad!


On our way back to the apartment, I came across a fabulous little market. Browsing through the fruit section, I came across these delicious little gems. They are incredibly sweet and fantastic! Hopefully I can find them back home some time. Otherwise, I'll have to make Barcelona an anual trip! Definitely give them a try if you ever come across them and let me know what you think!