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!

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)

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!

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!

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.

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!