Long Over-due update

"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open." ~ Jawaharial Nehru

Travel continues to hold a special place in my heart. While I have not had the opportunity to travel the globe lately, I have gotten to explore a handful of places in the eastern part of my home country. Gettysburg, Orlando, Detroit, Washington DC (and surrounding areas) have provided plenty of opportunities for adventure.

My first trip to Gettysburg, PA did not disappoint. It is less than 3 hours away from my home, but I had never gone to the historic place until April of this year to visit a friend. It is absolutely a location I intend to revisit.

I rented my first car. It turned out to be very nice and I briefly considered purchasing one... until I met the Hyundai Veloster, of course. The rental car was definitely not bad.

The GPS, however, was far less than helpful. The dead-end you see here was the result of a "Turn Left" and go straight. Experiences such as this have lead me to the conclusion that one should probably have a backup set of directions.

The business trip to Detroit in June was actually pretty impressive. The whole office was sent up north to work at a 3-day hiring event in COBO hall. Our mission: to assist veterans and service members with creating or editing a workable federal resume, preparing them for interviews, etc.

Our first night in Detroit offered a pleasant surprise. Boyz II Men had a concert along the river right by our hotel. For a mere $5, I had the pleasure of hearing their beautiful voices live and in concert. :)

There was also an incredible restaurant that had some of the best sushi I've ever eaten. An interesting lobster bisque soup and delectable dessert display were fantastic as well. If you're ever in Detroit, stop in at Joe Muer Seafood and order the Detroit Roll. Good times for sure.

There was even a firework display in front of the hotel. Boats were lined up along the river between the USA and Canada and served as the setting for one of the most stunning displays of fireworkery that I have witnessed in a very long time.

Orlando with my sister was truly delightful. We spent 3 beautiful, sunny July days wandering through the offerings of Universal Studios. Staying at the Hard Rock hotel proved to be an excellent idea as we did not have to worry about driving, parking or getting lost. The hotel was a short walk, boat ride or bicycle-towed wagon ride from the main gates of Universal Studios and the Islands of Adventure and everything was on the same resort. We had purchased an excellent package that covered the room, breakfast at The Three Broomsticks in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and hopper passes for the three day stay. We didn't even need a car as there were fabulous restaurants within walking distance. We ended the week in a beautiful condo along the gulf of Mexico with the rest of our family.

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.

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

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)

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

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.

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. :)

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!

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?

"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.

Kangaroos are from France

We left Ambialet bright and early this morning and headed out for our long weekend in Barcelona, Spain. Along the way, we stopped at a few places. The first was the medieval city of Carcassonne. On the early morning drive to Carcassonne, I spotted a yellow sign with a black kangaroo symbol (think of the deer crossing signs we see in PA). John (the faculty and student assistant) told us that kangaroos originated in France and were introduced to Australia to help them populate. I plan to write a children's book about the subject. (Although, really, the sign was for a nearby zoo and John is HILARIOUS!)

Carcassonne was pretty cool. It's the largest medieval walled city in the world. The structure is pretty magnificent and the history behind the built in defenses is very interesting. The basilica within the walls is also rather fantastic. Our tour guide/students' professor, Eric, pointed out the carved faces lining the top of the church. There were a few that were a bit out of whack with the others, almost silly.

The explanation made perfect sense, though. When the church was built, much of the "new world" had yet to be explored. Stories of people with huge ears they used as shields against the cold, one legged men with a large foot used as shade, etc. were passed along as proven fact of the existence of such people. In an attempt to appear accepting of all people (at least those willing to convert), the church included portrayals of the mythical people on their walls. It is an interesting concept that makes perfect sense regarding the time.

We had a nice lunch at one of the restaurants in Carcassonne before going to the Abbey of Fontfroide. Now privately owned, we were granted permission to tour the facility. Although the buildings have been gutted and are showing the inevitable deterioration through time, the stained glass windows are breathtaking. They have such bright and rich colors. I was very surprised to see them in such a seemingly dark, old place.

My favorite set of stained glass windows are rather new additions to the facility considering its age. They were created with the fragments of windows from churches that were blown out during the war. Remarkable pieces of history that could have been lost forever... and beautiful to boot.