tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81127697901112180452024-03-05T00:30:27.323-08:00She's Leaving HomeThe (Mis)Adventures and Musings of a Girl on the MoveRebecca Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402951278083275729noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-7171516024601450762011-09-03T11:33:00.045-07:002011-09-03T23:44:58.843-07:00Surf Goddesses<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">"This is the true story. Of 12 strangers. Who chose to live in a villa..."</span></span></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
<br /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ok, so it wasn't exactly MTV's The Real World. But same concept. You take 12 women from around the world. You place them in a relatively confined space for one week. You give them physical challenges. And you watch what happens. In the actual real world, y</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">ou would be hard-pressed to find 12 women who could spend a few hours together without having drama - let alone one week. </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
<br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Yet somehow the 12 of us who attended Surf Goddess Retreats in Seminyak, Bali </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">worked</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The owner of Surf Goddess Retreats, Chelsea, an Australian/Canadian, told us that she believes that the women who attend her retreats gravitate towards a certain week for a reason, and I believe it. We all agreed. The 12 of us were meant to spend that week together.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">When I arrived at the retreat on Monday afternoon from my five hour flight from Bangkok, the first two women I met were Jemma and Tania, co-workers in Sydney. My initial thought upon meeting them was fear that everyone would be in pairs or groups and that I would be the solo odd (wo)man out. But they were so immediately welcoming, asking me to join them for lunch while waiting on the others, that I realized it didn’t matter if I was the only one traveling alone. After lunch, many other women had arrived, and other than Sue and Helen, friends from Sydney, the rest were all solo.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
<br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">For the stats: Of the 12, seven were Australian and five were American. We ranged in age from 30 to 43. Two were married, and only four had ever been married. One had children. Almost all had traveled alone to different parts of the world before. To say that I felt like I was among my kind-of people was putting it mildly. </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I shared a two bedroom, two bathroom villa with Linda, a woman from Melbourne, Australia. Our villa was located within the compound of the Surf Goddess property but set back a few doors from the main building. As beautiful as our villa was - we even had a private pool - I preferred to be at the main villa in order to hang out with the whole group so that is where I spent most of my time during the week unless I was sleeping. </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOOcGRQoJ6DXFbKRocLUFboQqtjdQTnlzHzjHOn2ssgTFdLJ1xuMiVrL74pdzPUzhPcURbT9O52j3mKVcesw0GFQARUzXqz8r6AmZNHZYryeWrEt5hpJxlAZXCtv6E6qc9EMKroOpFLL4/s320/IMG_9970.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648205510733400546" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kyz2lBZB9zMOeAb5HdmUmZEgFzLT3-Kr0uXiKwId0wFTVs0Xby-k-BsknOJpNE-fomZF0UBWFW-uYcTc8BmyDIovg16Vo17XeLQ5au3WXgqoX1wMEO9ajvd9hCALD0V9lI9zhQo5HGM/s320/IMG_9920.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648205527724185458" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyLtIoCR_ucTWAPXDmlWuAyZnDojs_5Nu3Bg7pS2XXnLILShrxNnTMylfsUW6ZkEeG1aSBtLZHNgYjARK3uStJMAolFDJWgYnGdNJifEhFpGjAIDNiRgoSxB36HrBEm180bJBT0GFHz4/s320/IMG_0298.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648205513627083266" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The main villa consisted of the general sitting area, kitchen and dining room, pool, yoga area and spa treatment rooms. There were shared rooms for two as well as private rooms, and guests had an option of choosing ahead of time what they preferred. Since there were two groups of two women who knew each other, naturally they roomed together.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLb8hzBi-cZUhyCkUl_sxF92Zsd-JKg3eI3WOmyNbDkZ0kv94qlkmLz9xkldJ9J5u4slzfx1KpYDWMB9DlYTeo4lAg089K69IOanmgvwcIok9FIENjLt3JbGIG4Z89hXTwbOpuLGCHs0/s320/IMG_9959.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648205529351012114" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8aDK6sMMW647TqQjix02_XvX3YQZJnmtGMPeK6esWItKnZ7Eb0fPuHlIyNhGTY3LUKjVrvMQTHo1RUczcw5G6-iZwS5YgADDd9i735Jes1d8Vw3vW26rXqNSilpFOM7dDYoN4oBz9U5Q/s320/IMG_9955.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648224363408217298" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Je2AkKkUSFSQe5Z8CbWAiQRdt75kAMwKVSB4OxLq8bCR6l9PPcSGeOli6Zt7dSSslg7gVZ9F1VxtyvVVXlNyYKKNN_HIIZms6xQ3j97xRW8xP-NwJTx1Cd73V6S_Ib9FBeUZOCyICmE/s320/IMG_9961.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648205529965632274" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></span></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">After our yoga session that first afternoon, we had an orientation in which we introduced ourselves to each other and met the entire staff of the retreat - Chelsea; her sister, Jade, the retreat coordinator; Susan, the yoga instructor; and Melinda, who is in charge of the surf program. We learned what a typical day would look like - yoga (7-9 am); breakfast (9:30-10:30 am); surfing (11 am - 1 pm); free time for lunch, spa treatments, shopping, hanging out by the pool, more surfing, exploring Bali, napping, whatever we wanted (1:30 - 6:30 pm); and dinner (7 pm). The schedule would change here and there, but that was the gist of it. No activities were required, so anytime we wanted to sleep in or felt like we needed a break, we were free to take it. We also learned that the villa was equipped with 24-hour concierge and room service, so even when the cooking and housekeeping staff left for the night we could have food brought in or could make restaurant, activity or spa reservations. After orientation, we sat down to what was the first of our incredible Indonesian meals each night - amazing food, beautifully presented.</span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"></span></span></span></span></p><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRdEZOGMbE1Qpr3uhy1q80R-fQQBhW9Esc5zD8g4d3bQyrwPLH_KLo612lgFs-t5kV7yEIoQvsTQQsfD8M_wVoDouXLoewRlhtWp5OrHtPvKVe6xYbIeZY93o25TNvHcEAjabrge9jvA/s320/IMG_9964.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648305566646015970" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></p></span></span></span><p></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The next morning after yoga and breakfast, we were off for our first surf lesson. Each day we went to the Rip Curl Surf School at nearby Legian Beach. We used nine foot longboards - the longer and wider the board, the easier to learn to surf. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Legian Beach is typically an ideal place to learn how to surf - not only is the water warm so that wetsuits are not necessary, but the surf is supposed to be gentle. Supposed to be. (See below paragraph discussing the decidedly not gentle surf on Thursday.) Made (pronounced Ma-day) was our main instructor, and we had several other instructors who helped out as well. The first 30 minutes of our first lesson was on our boards on solid ground - going from laying down to a yoga cobra-like pose to standing up, over and over and over. Once Made was satisfied, we were told to go do the same thing except in the water. Ha! Surprisingly, it took some time, but I was able to stand up the first day out in the water. Considering I was only one of two of the 12 of us who had never even touched a surf board before (we were all beginners, but I was just </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">really</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> a beginner), I was happy.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwZ9yXluoT8RajbbmCR7OoswoLd-ZMF3f5uh0tbtUnCKjprT-uUPjqWb-rhT_lls_BvOvP2QAUn1ufrau16DumFfyG7sNDs8WRr7CuB4l17toKan_MK1iiVZO6GUSOoWvUvf52u-ZtWI/s320/IMG_9971.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648322958230697218" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"></span></span></span></span></p><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcxHp2Y7pmW8HMQmck8NEB9fzshYwaqlNcJX6MviX0xPDTqPS3NWTd9c0pqFtL74upSNRahaICVEb2PDF8TizsdQTL2qBbFAaISu4TydswmONYvFa_DQQN7qDU574njhAeWJ3hhjMdHk/s320/IMG_9948.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648226542493871810" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 298px; " /></span></span></span></span></span></div> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHZwdUkc9qDOHGI52EugIlu4lLuazhZpgbt_MOqT81nw86Cl9Z19wFXsfEU-zXoX0qj1g_yGg0HnCHgS6iRNzD0T_bRRc7ylDr_5IUPsBuLkZ2Ow9la1nBRnrEYPYkjtIyDnjVO8QrU4/s320/IMG_8853.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648322960985708274" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfT6YAv1u3SIzIKUVdHdqM7CM9cbpuLnyp8MlKCH-lOCDKmIu4n_gQzROpghGCcPvh3Fv4oyBvPzOut-qlJ_PoPoxeHlD0lbLb5X5V9HNy4RD-jAeRn84CCdwtTtL7um6SlgBYx64xlk/s1600/IMG_0187.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfT6YAv1u3SIzIKUVdHdqM7CM9cbpuLnyp8MlKCH-lOCDKmIu4n_gQzROpghGCcPvh3Fv4oyBvPzOut-qlJ_PoPoxeHlD0lbLb5X5V9HNy4RD-jAeRn84CCdwtTtL7um6SlgBYx64xlk/s320/IMG_0187.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648352832371016626" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieADihG1TUhv_Xp5521HhyphenhyphenG0eR5MJip7HlsNLam4_VV_WD0O0b7S9bxm5WLTFvkRP-nunBFcQdFdGz8aij0cNhgDXn_v4v8T-x_AOhEOm3Vf4lJJp_sjle8rtKYzA9MrF0MTz6NKXXYuw/s1600/IMG_0183.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieADihG1TUhv_Xp5521HhyphenhyphenG0eR5MJip7HlsNLam4_VV_WD0O0b7S9bxm5WLTFvkRP-nunBFcQdFdGz8aij0cNhgDXn_v4v8T-x_AOhEOm3Vf4lJJp_sjle8rtKYzA9MrF0MTz6NKXXYuw/s320/IMG_0183.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648352822952079586" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGS_f1up3CE6qT6Kz383ou3FuJ4BBZQPfH-28f0BsrCdrGptLE-OYJJBFarc9iCswf4H5abkvRPBWQHz8hbZ7oEf1eatydJjVYKNKpJ-mieXzM9D77YZo0Wz5qj7_pqXZq5JIUuzE8to/s1600/IMG_0216.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGS_f1up3CE6qT6Kz383ou3FuJ4BBZQPfH-28f0BsrCdrGptLE-OYJJBFarc9iCswf4H5abkvRPBWQHz8hbZ7oEf1eatydJjVYKNKpJ-mieXzM9D77YZo0Wz5qj7_pqXZq5JIUuzE8to/s320/IMG_0216.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648352820477266578" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Following our first day of surf lessons, we were treated to two hours of spa treatments at Pranha Spa, a Moroccan-styled spa, large enough to accommodate all 12 of us. We had chosen which two-hour spa package we wanted ahead of time, and I couldn’t remember what I had chosen. Which is why it came as a surprise when, after I had been exfoliated with a coffee scrub, I was smothered from head to toe in seaweed paste, tightly wrapped in saran wrap and cooked for 15 minutes in a sauna. I was a human sushi roll. After the massage therapist opened the door to the sauna and asked me if I’d enough time (uh, yeah), she removed the saran wrap and instructed me to shower the seaweed off. She then gave me an hour-long massage and after reuniting with the rest of the ladies, we were transported back to the villa for dinner and early bed after our long day.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSoyp9viRbZoALWsKnCGuG2nxFgqj5lXSj6LqDcgay5iOLwYudKmjlriMaXFlfxKWpC5OO0gtV8zb5xsBN2RUt-7iBB2-dk2w-Vogjg9-9BjN2brxqBhv8fpa9jpp0vmzeJ281ngQy0Oc/s320/IMG_9936.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648227433996719170" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></span></p><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIuMzZA_Y18RYgDFixODjP_-r316fS2gBsHeeW62fPoSwUVGif033Gvk4fJIkfCT_tKKhDVuulDzM7FJI6knMVPU2fTIZLXQot4ThAHJCPxIKjD-tt-6SsgV-wKgODNU_mhUMI5v7zxI/s320/IMG_9937.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648227434352927074" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRE9yDd-xZM2JIJkRLn8TF7zXmTDe3QQUNzHneF6Ni7wpeoxk7Ld3uHR1Kg_PlAOdBFW-RsKNJLivnebO9ZiH_7-n44L-zDB6mfJJQ4uldsgivcrCrYKJHuCSChdJnUaTLmAYf_Tm_Zs/s320/IMG_9939_2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648227441090350242" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 263px; " /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In addition to our two hours at the spa, we had five hours of in-villa spa treatments to use as we pleased throughout the week. I’m all about a spa treatment, especially when brought to me and all-inclusive, so to speak, but other than an hour and a half hair conditioning treatment/shoulder massage/foot massage, I let the rest of my time go. I just felt like my time was better spent with the other ladies - talking, laying by the pool, going to lunch, shopping. I was having so much fun that I didn't want to miss out on anything and besides, I can get a massage anytime at home.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">By Wednesday and Thursday, in particular, Bali was experiencing the largest ocean swells in four years. What did this mean for us? Not much. We were still getting in the water even though no one else was. Melinda put an upbeat and encouraging spin on the conditions, and by the time we got there we were ready for the challenge, albeit a little intimidated by the sound of the pounding surf before we could even see it. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The no swimming signs were posted, and once we were in, I could see why. I had never felt undertow to that degree, and with a surfboard attached to my ankle, it was even more intense. Imagine being tossed in a washing machine. That's the best way to describe the experience. I didn't stand up on the board on Thursday, but I didn't drown either, so all in all I would call it a successful day.</span></span></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
<br /></span></span></b></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">That night the schedule changed slightly to where breakfast and lunch were provided, but we were on our own for dinner. The 12 of us chose to dine at Metis, a nearby French restaurant that is considered one of the best restaurants on the island. Before entering the restaurant we asked the valet to take our picture. After several failed attempts, he finally successfully took the picture and seemed awfully proud of himself, though we had to laugh when we saw the picture - 75% night sky with the rest being our upper torsos. The restaurant offered an entire foie gras menu, so I was in heaven, and my meal consisted of three small plates - foie gras ravioli with black truffle sauce; grilled scallops with pan seared foie gras, braised lentils and shimeji mushrooms in a sherry sauce; and bone marrow (my favorite of the three). By this time I was stuffed and regretting that I had already placed an order for a chocolate souffle with a pistachio parfait, so once that appeared I took three bites and passed it on down the table. We didn’t exactly account for “island time” with splitting our bill 12 ways, but eventually we made it out of the restaurant and back to the villa following a slight taxi debacle.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw0N-N2Nc98JZMcU8dPnG2UCrbNR3F4PmN6uUdfTMZ6XwfuWhkDoFP_esWoOGNnSd6r-YxRR0Em8dhImPtxY89PI1Kf7P5viJOOMvJbaEW9lJWJyOQMlPhoIJnDhayfMqs24Ca01zHSrQ/s320/321250_10150359620888939_633103938_9683199_7836436_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648230756311327602" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGohZFkBgyMQ23FQTZVfjTllHhCTvsnU7AFavnJ1yCJxbOatjMctVaPLV22N_5bAcMkDVJl1h7HKEon92STHoDLD_m5pcvWvdxHeqAjnD5VqYn_dF9_bC6hgk-uuzlksy8Ty973bnNwM/s320/IMG_9989.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648239591208337218" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1r5BZZiJuqCM1Y-ziJxuTRLAFeeQStC0qJTE_wTx55bxPN1JAfnY5qhkXcESlKKJSQvTmVAv6b_-1D5zKFqHbqXtNNLNzlTE5bcyDMgvmYnB4gUvmgEAR_b_490m23utJwKQ5Lwi1HA/s320/IMG_9988.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648239595391502338" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92MuM4s7RUD4j6wUIZnlBC2ABZT9kmApM8d5Kmn2VRvrpO2dMnuqqafpyfueDkdUnG26l2hyrgHqaNKgmci2x-D2paarNyzwRcaf0eA1DEbHWSEm2o-a6wOYzl1VHznNYomUxfE2BYWM/s320/293278_10150359620708939_633103938_9683194_5588807_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648239584965221186" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUE_7xc9x-suxmtOKZKEa2kHil7jCiFKayfdFJa4q9Gy28_lhsjf86vquyq85zw0toNApIKs7aJPEyEEOEJW8WLKvep6bWSvL-HUz82b8Q8zspBlXtNhY6kkIHmuzeerbeSbj25ZmamY/s320/305164_10150359620638939_633103938_9683193_7331219_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648239930073357234" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The morning after Metis was "Bliss Day," a midway point during the week where we strayed from our normal yoga and surf activities to enjoy a day of either biking, whitewater rafting, Indonesian cooking classes, stand-up paddleboarding, an eco walking tour or additional spa treatments. Nine of the 12 of us chose biking. Our day began at 6 am when, after breakfast, we were driven to Mount Batur, Bali’s active volcano. Along the way, we made three stops - to view the terraced rice paddies, for brunch at a restaurant along a volcanic lake in the mountains and to drink Luwak coffee produced by the Asian Palm Civet. Make no mistake - the Asian Palm Civet is not Indonesia's version of Starbucks. No, the Asian Palm Civet is an animal. And by the term "produced" I mean that this animal eats the beans of coffee berries, which then pass through its digestive tract and the, uh, remains (which curiously keep their bean-like shape) become one of the most expensive coffees in the world. I was neither disgusted nor impressed. Tasted like coffee. </span></span></div> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNF4PLZuLHZgHvdad4VsRc6ZYVdHqb7ji60wgQ7NDKKwY5sObD5ihTmfoDBxRtiSG9LBHTmmxpsM9DD49TRQlQpPTPHh4dl-LOvf58flLuTFcfiMj4gcoGEZzKkxi39nYeXCqXoRUmkzw/s320/IMG_0008.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648271907294390866" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></span></span></p><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4LucQ09GbOS7apbM5bZ4qo53gED8bvjoNvtwG77IuOPmZ00D1VnYcDsNs4bXH_jUWpP2S_qGz9TOx5jzRrmqOeshMgfKCqI_f7j2ezM2BWhdTULKvu1gz25KRVfL6JWOGx66yvTSBb6Q/s320/IMG_0010.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648271907509768418" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size:16px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1L0L_ylNAYZL8Sc_KSKVUhDYfXQ4x5tE_8J4t8_oP0JbQI-y6mZoBnXeW0iDxoOXaP5Cc4aTgKTTySWjbrqVRoaAqov0LMbmgCKFOKtLbobmlDftSCnBSzKUVoQ1jA7UfnwKdA18w8W8/s1600/IMG_0014.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1L0L_ylNAYZL8Sc_KSKVUhDYfXQ4x5tE_8J4t8_oP0JbQI-y6mZoBnXeW0iDxoOXaP5Cc4aTgKTTySWjbrqVRoaAqov0LMbmgCKFOKtLbobmlDftSCnBSzKUVoQ1jA7UfnwKdA18w8W8/s320/IMG_0014.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648278432725344386" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSqhHY6fyaYqQlydZZ7qywPvmnE-V0WQvyWm9cEHvvsVk_g1M5IAna6ADHv8WbZLQpEjmDg3UsCpdc7u5RJC52iakbbTxw2B9NP2Df7XNRQ9x41WqyXHPC5-fIFahhgUwkcdtpfJDuIc/s320/IMG_0027.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648271911605723250" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Q-RuUvnE9EqLIUWyPjqhNTglzOTZ8QsDuhCaDFxbDBS8yikljNIxPYYBDCIbT7B2UYtgovl-bjyODdcBpBfbvdOPA94reX9OOVRq9agf84hsZBDPOv2WFzl-x1MNKNZ1X_aXoczspzI/s320/IMG_0043.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648278443431100834" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdYOe9YzKPdBQAdzFBHAcDFaz8z58uBDHZGi6OK-ayyyOXuD810-8dRkSPAGvzkXF9rE9Q4KOnoxbLNb8KOFPVCdH8mWnQLRT8eSQjoI1PcGyPuwOy75Rjq0qnNTvVDQbnRCSnygs08k/s320/IMG_0046.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648278449705296306" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></span></span></div> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We began the 26 km bike ride after the coffee stop (was that really such a good idea?). We generally rode single file with one guide at the front (one of his jobs being to “shoo chickens, dogs and children out of the way”) and one guide at the back in case we had any problems. Other than a couple of broken chains, all went smoothly. Well, smoothly other than the road. To say there were some potholes would be putting it lightly. But it was all part of the experience of seeing the “real” Bali outside of the tourist areas. We saw workers out in the rice paddies and children walking home from school. (We were told to “high five” them at our own risk - they apparently make a game out of knocking tourists off their bikes with a particularly hard swipe, though it’s all in good fun. Mostly they just shouted “hello!” “where are you from?” “what is your name?”) We rode through small villages and occasionally stopped for water breaks. At one point, we were guided through a family’s compound to observe how the Balinese live. We watched women weaving mats, roosters roaming around and children playing. Everything you would expect. But then we somehow had to make sense of a few oddities as well - Iron Maiden posters, Marlboro Lights boxes used as pseudo wall art and a "gym" that looked like something out of the Flintstones era. After our bike ride, we were taken to a restaurant for an Indonesian lunch overlooking rice paddies. </span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheX6xEtZo3coWE5nhHeTQ0zty766uwjfD5pXmpH6rPCHEKVsPUnJR0aF9xYGI-OSDqXT23Odak1stJEvG3mSTZsXf7STfHPEpfARmQIxzqqv0aAQ_gjO39jliLU4ISESt35r_515uyxrU/s320/IMG_0103.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648280522548277186" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"></span></span></span></span></p><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJpun3T8Yynb2D0a1U-nUzgYnEvSsD1GXY5vPls1WPPFnP-PZcAVirY87IFSE_nqf2NjTDmK-H477LAJG1iTpRSZTUhYHgCWy9-b6gcfamFNbVOuBxbJL8nfEsJzjHi6KQejTXfKZs3U/s1600/IMG_0050.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJpun3T8Yynb2D0a1U-nUzgYnEvSsD1GXY5vPls1WPPFnP-PZcAVirY87IFSE_nqf2NjTDmK-H477LAJG1iTpRSZTUhYHgCWy9-b6gcfamFNbVOuBxbJL8nfEsJzjHi6KQejTXfKZs3U/s320/IMG_0050.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648322965157506914" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></span></span></span></p><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:-webkit-xxx-large;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyrdAHsm9k0PRiRiLRSJQJfv4N2dXwFXj492xKNbYhzOtVxws244b9QdaCFLlDPFjhmPuSGAKGThu-mM1WFg0McnUnC3D9kA1Yougpf0qK1QEl5jIBAQ89eZoVdIT9_uguO5sydPB0Nc/s320/IMG_0072.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648326517506973538" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:-webkit-xxx-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvr8MXj81idosVwCR_KQW0EjgxaI72IfKNnAKxUCemkYf7E6pwCqojKMMQ0hn99LF8gGnYKKANLdhwahTOgLNCeNhTha6oiSNrv0jkYRnUeLe0gUTSiYlFjpMBQb0PMP0eKV54DW15qOk/s1600/IMG_0070.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvr8MXj81idosVwCR_KQW0EjgxaI72IfKNnAKxUCemkYf7E6pwCqojKMMQ0hn99LF8gGnYKKANLdhwahTOgLNCeNhTha6oiSNrv0jkYRnUeLe0gUTSiYlFjpMBQb0PMP0eKV54DW15qOk/s320/IMG_0070.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648326513901329618" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; 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font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:-webkit-xxx-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ELwWxWUYHeuMCw-jTaiH1IS9L4S7QdlZtio8dV3WHZJvJkMemxBgUjaPlIOoWj_bxXbDifHJvPSxtggSvrxI6zVagRKqpX3q33j7oVjecVFW-_WFH7JAT18XAIHOX8_WGgaxqFQeLgg/s1600/IMG_0059.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ELwWxWUYHeuMCw-jTaiH1IS9L4S7QdlZtio8dV3WHZJvJkMemxBgUjaPlIOoWj_bxXbDifHJvPSxtggSvrxI6zVagRKqpX3q33j7oVjecVFW-_WFH7JAT18XAIHOX8_WGgaxqFQeLgg/s320/IMG_0059.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648326505169486290" style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28oEu4gyuF3sfcuEb3JxRanvYr81qf4SEIaNsMbvIYevd3WOfSlsmBg3RJP1tQ-UKKLaswnH-7OVWBMNHrXeFKG26RL04nTYDVtgxgpeOAcs7zzGqIANFPm7Yhmz22uxCyywRSx-epDQ/s1600/IMG_0049.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28oEu4gyuF3sfcuEb3JxRanvYr81qf4SEIaNsMbvIYevd3WOfSlsmBg3RJP1tQ-UKKLaswnH-7OVWBMNHrXeFKG26RL04nTYDVtgxgpeOAcs7zzGqIANFPm7Yhmz22uxCyywRSx-epDQ/s320/IMG_0049.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648326505815710626" style="display: block; 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margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid46h0nwzeTg3raH2Q4V9eBvKGznjQFbhQRCSW0yfbxJpMzA5BskSi1v9_YLLDHDf9eJrVQiTV-kT-7b9_MqJIVjZXdhJ8xRVGReKcIBtxJYbXyU9zxDpT-jTBMOW8ZtyCarKRRF3Cae4/s1600/IMG_0092.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid46h0nwzeTg3raH2Q4V9eBvKGznjQFbhQRCSW0yfbxJpMzA5BskSi1v9_YLLDHDf9eJrVQiTV-kT-7b9_MqJIVjZXdhJ8xRVGReKcIBtxJYbXyU9zxDpT-jTBMOW8ZtyCarKRRF3Cae4/s320/IMG_0092.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648322974215603362" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxz_38L4ADbm_p0j-NYBHmYDtgnW3CPBYez80A2pwksspRh7sErL5lP7fyMTfWJcnlD-jyhjNRL6tTH86CVkGzqc07B_OP44726b16UPgasmbgiFMIsY5Gr1_mcreDeJOgB6gfM6f_3I/s1600/IMG_0084.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxz_38L4ADbm_p0j-NYBHmYDtgnW3CPBYez80A2pwksspRh7sErL5lP7fyMTfWJcnlD-jyhjNRL6tTH86CVkGzqc07B_OP44726b16UPgasmbgiFMIsY5Gr1_mcreDeJOgB6gfM6f_3I/s320/IMG_0084.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648322968764418530" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">After the bike ride we were on our own for dinner. Because the swells were so high, we decided to have the driver take us to Uluwatu, the southernmost point of Bali, to watch some big wave surfing. The drive took over two hours, but once we reached Uluwatu the view was worth it. We sat at a restaurant called Blue Point and watched the surfing until the sun set. </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"></span></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMD-jfp-in3_XAkTusCaVBOCBwW48r9jbavj3c16iH4UpZve3ev9XvQ0vzZH021wp1eGUEaDrn1JOAYO-YsPsTUete1SIkxcMyVUW3W-wd-uW8AYK5iRaw4U-1Iv5yTGzK_yrmWY3sbg/s320/IMG_0119.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648281679136618066" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 291px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmpCG9sm4JmuO2zO6MGaGuLdafCUzqKCVcoD9j8ZNizRqTHnh-36PcTedwtsGeMcYatrYWURmFBs3KcTp7yyW3-B-2gn0vxcWLRvS5M77Hw5c-Dibpecc4eY8KkwVFVderP0Al8US3tPc/s320/IMG_0108.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648281694230984194" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEP8G-sSQyCV6PqRXdM1jRAFRA-7_RDt1U-i7jOQRVmu5AHHljtVenAl5hATGN1yz0Zps9mAgTZU0yAwLMCR2y6ZOihN6lWaj8vKmFByfZHzli-hBzC3BPN_x11T9SEoXc61zpinETbwE/s1600/IMG_0136.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxWirP_OptK_5_La5Dr4mTJwN0bqXtY9hXzXAKCcFht61bdCMliWbXoyZ_BgggGgxSc0doJqZmq_7Ia22D8O5tcouSZSw5R2YzQSZUIXvAOhWtfM5qCCqKsPV9fzJF3zhkt91WnGXeTk/s320/301409_10150292417030606_556015605_7729040_5513649_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648289013076544946" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceEjugYGEM5uT56Y-l7S-v77W-PLrc8IB34QMLvjKa19POXzQovVvo_D3VHuQvwV17-Mo3362Nx6STC1EuM91vz94lroTJSfltTxOpnkXfQJbdQHu970bsHk7udXflAplDJ8s1aR80wA/s1600/IMG_0143.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size:-webkit-xxx-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEP8G-sSQyCV6PqRXdM1jRAFRA-7_RDt1U-i7jOQRVmu5AHHljtVenAl5hATGN1yz0Zps9mAgTZU0yAwLMCR2y6ZOihN6lWaj8vKmFByfZHzli-hBzC3BPN_x11T9SEoXc61zpinETbwE/s1600/IMG_0136.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEP8G-sSQyCV6PqRXdM1jRAFRA-7_RDt1U-i7jOQRVmu5AHHljtVenAl5hATGN1yz0Zps9mAgTZU0yAwLMCR2y6ZOihN6lWaj8vKmFByfZHzli-hBzC3BPN_x11T9SEoXc61zpinETbwE/s320/IMG_0136.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648281674993127362" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihobJ0fBgVT0KSjD3NciQuhLT3HJNauW1SRIsxYx_VKSyUeuRt-3GV-8Zylr0_MGQt4E3ZTeV-nWyzBmPIafa9oINMOhugiR074dbNb97bcdzCEgMznMyml_1iL_hMe0S9MgTXyWBP9O4/s1600/IMG_0128.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihobJ0fBgVT0KSjD3NciQuhLT3HJNauW1SRIsxYx_VKSyUeuRt-3GV-8Zylr0_MGQt4E3ZTeV-nWyzBmPIafa9oINMOhugiR074dbNb97bcdzCEgMznMyml_1iL_hMe0S9MgTXyWBP9O4/s320/IMG_0128.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648289022668976754" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4lw0pvaaGoMIAX71fWbrw7LPvfys9rPvSAmIpyFM6A5cHL8qr4K4EO7tAmATgH2q8GXcO8wdcLOcvDxELAIoFZyihgjisfsQda_oOVJPKDmWYW7pIXMjkadyizFlY_4Sy6GvQru_K5E/s1600/IMG_0141.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4lw0pvaaGoMIAX71fWbrw7LPvfys9rPvSAmIpyFM6A5cHL8qr4K4EO7tAmATgH2q8GXcO8wdcLOcvDxELAIoFZyihgjisfsQda_oOVJPKDmWYW7pIXMjkadyizFlY_4Sy6GvQru_K5E/s320/IMG_0141.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648281687113574210" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceEjugYGEM5uT56Y-l7S-v77W-PLrc8IB34QMLvjKa19POXzQovVvo_D3VHuQvwV17-Mo3362Nx6STC1EuM91vz94lroTJSfltTxOpnkXfQJbdQHu970bsHk7udXflAplDJ8s1aR80wA/s1600/IMG_0143.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceEjugYGEM5uT56Y-l7S-v77W-PLrc8IB34QMLvjKa19POXzQovVvo_D3VHuQvwV17-Mo3362Nx6STC1EuM91vz94lroTJSfltTxOpnkXfQJbdQHu970bsHk7udXflAplDJ8s1aR80wA/s320/IMG_0143.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648281681613651154" style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></span></span></span></span></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">After sunset, we went to Rock Bar at the Ayana Hotel in Jimbaran Bay. Rock Bar is so named because it is perched above the bay on a rocky outcrop at the base of cliffs such that a cable car has to transport guests along the cliffs to the bar. One cocktail and a few appetizers later, we were exhausted from our long day traversing the island and headed back to the villa.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6f57j1SZ8R_yE3Nuuu9jiGqbFpVy-zNZXf-11zpGOGQlmOPbecsRMgk969rJJwhk_fOWN8XFNZZBFcWo0v4DsaybQIf2W9U50366XD9mlfX8xHQnJRKDnQp3nx02So-zBJwWXPcHlus/s320/IMG_0164.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648290561014538770" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"></span></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiba9mieIunJPsYwHUGO9uonOR-4GkiM_3iD1nwL0JCqu9k-NeHa3vQjvVCSw-2hLr9qHjzRbFePAjVWkv7tzqvuom99i-v020X48P5iIyRY33GytdQ8aCpy72PO37jpVtJWbNTjgzWn2s/s320/295786_10150292417180606_556015605_7729044_6424231_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648290557445553410" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIyWgPFi5K_fw-Bg4imOcnKk80-8TL3nJJLKKkk8sx8xIWa4hg_ifMu2bcVIWiRyxowuqmGeYJiqsOCB2KI9S3wPXMO2MLe-C7EHQ0SoggQQdmmjf1WgRTWpccB_qYOGxcz9f7MyzYGY/s320/IMG_0157.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648290577142895746" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjjmCzHAmuB65HE-NQW05eV-wLxF2xDo26Ess5LQpO_D86xxgfwHdZ4Kxvf1q72WWLjfQ_SCCHyURaZWOO0fVO2MBBVcwEArn15Nv3nTzdyrTTlUgqWQzzuJ_gL0b-9AqaBez_KoiLgbE/s320/IMG_0154.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648290574125652898" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicb5-V_uLPJpHkBnTblUZMxfJ0PU7C0kLFjURGyUCPG28Zv_g05Rx_3yHRXRWgdboxiolUuHQrLZ-wbREp3PiuI795mF-aFi43yOuAfqOw39yK3_j5vs0eYJSkYi-iCBHlLaBxVgM9-Cg/s320/IMG_0160.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648328471444412530" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALv1fPj4yORkAj3Dnti1w0eTLG8EfwxMt0nd7lAtGAwpyN41RITfhvGWF8x9ro_yM4PsvJaTh8qpKIcrl-OGl6WpV98oObYizSe2isym3e7OLgiSDZJRkN_jbkVQ9q00DPZ7SoFvgA6g/s320/IMG_0158.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648328467389308754" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8f8LppQpRIi6qOsUI2I1fpRtKQCtcK2JtXHkcdYElkbOn3oEAPM22DFPMWRn0T_zP8iWN1qxetLj8Sg6n0OCaGrY9jAD5euKsWw_TdAVW8xY6GpT6XaYqljT8pGk_JWqGpcgocE6RN4Y/s320/IMG_0159.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648290562748076354" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'trebuchet ms';">
<br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Saturday night was our last dinner at the villa. We wanted to watch the sunset at Potato Head, a nearby bar on the beach that is known for its wall of shutters that come from all over the island. Those that could go (i.e. weren’t trying to finish up their last few hours of spa treatments), went. We sat on towels on the grass, drinking Kookaburras (think mojitos with vanilla foam on top - yummy), talking and watching the sun go down. The Australian band, Empire of the Sun, had played there the night before (two of the ladies had tried to get tickets but no luck) and the stage was still set up. They let us go up on the stage to watch the sunset, which was the perfect view overlooking the beach.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJki7Gec7ND9s5gjVykS5QJMXNteN81_tCytyweIbOCoTu4xIofb_NMx0cbfWebjAnXeOSs8lKDgWSjqmMqDp_jqOuiD0iw-5xgJLifur8km6TWOuiedaFzS4QXeUxXVQIvRGPVg_pV94/s320/IMG_0268.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648337182727424002" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"></span></span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW94xXYq3RcW2WEjVQ7RPQ2jTgk-5IilXyc3t581mC011XU5BC4HafTOuqtO1Yb5eVmw_wUh2nZeYl6lqzgkcLSOI5W1-UxQEb5onqqUOyg7LIyAYICDVAN4MdGPoR0NvzqF3k2ozXsOs/s1600/IMG_0237.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW94xXYq3RcW2WEjVQ7RPQ2jTgk-5IilXyc3t581mC011XU5BC4HafTOuqtO1Yb5eVmw_wUh2nZeYl6lqzgkcLSOI5W1-UxQEb5onqqUOyg7LIyAYICDVAN4MdGPoR0NvzqF3k2ozXsOs/s320/IMG_0237.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648333555636888898" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></span></div></span></span><p></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJr2gGkhdZc3-gKGEuNophJ87O3zEEF06unCnQnOIWpzdv3r7xwKVARS-XmDy7-fj7L4wEJUwcwmE5q80stqvbOaHlvmJkNu78vBW1VnFHrJIsExKWKsLMCxuc4Ri4VTRHhwoDNCQXJXQ/s320/IMG_0246_2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648302023097837874" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px; " /></span></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZqq-Zq-PnTibSgxk5SkcLqpaNkzCfoCLeZ1YuhHzsJLiwDqB74dk2JBvcPofjIfReI7TOooXns1Lb4qbaMgW4AuvfzJN5Bq20PgoXkm4mEPE-SSMZUqUy3UhRp0ZL9LEPCn12Zv6XSQ/s1600/IMG_0253.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZqq-Zq-PnTibSgxk5SkcLqpaNkzCfoCLeZ1YuhHzsJLiwDqB74dk2JBvcPofjIfReI7TOooXns1Lb4qbaMgW4AuvfzJN5Bq20PgoXkm4mEPE-SSMZUqUy3UhRp0ZL9LEPCn12Zv6XSQ/s320/IMG_0253.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648333580261105410" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8Ye8f8hdoy0Thh08ipPLM05AldUVyFXR6QlqqshUOKJHHSwQPazINM-XnyywOGXAHYArOKTgPdh-QhcaP4tQEfBsVeeioVr8VPDxv_qg6celJ0rKQncRcI1pa2BIO7HX8x5Y6uCLbgk/s1600/IMG_0249.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8Ye8f8hdoy0Thh08ipPLM05AldUVyFXR6QlqqshUOKJHHSwQPazINM-XnyywOGXAHYArOKTgPdh-QhcaP4tQEfBsVeeioVr8VPDxv_qg6celJ0rKQncRcI1pa2BIO7HX8x5Y6uCLbgk/s320/IMG_0249.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648333564789139602" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1VhmGr7CPNmcM__FvgUtiHw4mPz-XdubxQ5_oL59hXUVTCZ4NZysCcpj1pCeuYC5sMPZQk2iV4CO-WdJ3VpVUwjqErzsvJkWTzCkZebKEqO858RWb3uZEvzlEkPV9o114ED6a-uoBUE/s320/IMG_0265_2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648302028652352642" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 194px; " /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">When the sun set (and the bats came out), it was time to go back to the villa for dinner with all 12 of us, Chelsea, Jade, Melinda and Susan. Just as we began on our first night, we went around the table and told what we had gotten out of the retreat. Sometimes funny, sometimes emotional, it was clear from what each said that the week had changed us in some way.</span></span></div> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
<br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We all stayed up late talking by the pool before the next morning’s last yoga and surf sessions. Afterward, we returned to the villa where we ate a quick lunch before everyone had to leave. This is where it really did feel like The Real World. If you were ever a fan, you remember the last episode of each season - taxis arriving one by one to pick up the next housemate to leave, hugs goodbye and reflections upon your time together. I was the last to leave. Well, Christy and I were - both coincidentally headed to Ubud, Bali. </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
<br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As I read over what I have written in this blog post, I know that I have not done a proper job in capturing the week. I feel like it comes off sounding like copy in a travel brochure. It's one of the reasons I've put off writing this post for so long - because every time I try to write it, I can't get the right words out. I could tell you about all of the laughter or every inside joke (NQR) we had, but unless you are one of my fellow goddesses reading this, it would fall flat. I’m just going to stop trying and accept that this experience is one that can’t be captured in a blog. </span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
<br /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So if you can’t read it in my words, maybe you will notice the change in me. Someone recently told me that travel is half the journey of the trip and half the journey of what you bring back from that trip and apply to your life. Which means I've taken half the journey so far. The rest remains to be seen, but I think I'm off to a pretty good start.</span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
<br /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I feel like myself again.</span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"></span></span></span></span></p><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtV_jbAsBDYvPlPTt09iefKmPm9ndKFq3X44nqf3RKeUZ81-LtG7CiQmDTW-TdGWRc_vetl3M1QXu2YE7Pf7N6t1qkOgG_hsCnRQudFQJj9dtUbFSG_FrDK-hzeUnZmbVoZ6LG-VRyd3c/s320/IMG_8929.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648301185165450274" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></span></p></span></span></span><p></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></span></p>Rebecca Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402951278083275729noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-77728604643004729492011-08-14T03:46:00.033-07:002011-08-15T13:53:16.404-07:00One Night in Bangkok (AKA: I Can't Think of A Catchier Title at the Moment)<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">It has been a random two days. I suppose that is to be expected. It is Bangkok, after all. Not that anything wild has happened - this isn't The Hangover 2, and Mike Tyson isn't going to make an appearance in this story. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I thought about letting this blog post be just a compilation of pictures, but the writer in me can't let that happen, so I'll give you a few words. Well, probably a lot of words.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Saturday morning I woke up early to head to Chatuchak Weekend Market. Chatuchak sits on 27 acres, houses 15,000 stalls and attracts an average of 200,000 visitors every weekend. To say the least, it gets crowded. I like markets. I've spent many hours combing through markets. But this was a market on steroids. Want to buy knock-off Ray Bans (or Jimmy Choo purses or Converse sneakers)? Got 'em. Carp? Yep. (No, not crap, though there's lots of it. </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Carp.</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> As in, fish.) Puppies? Them too. And some bunnies thrown in for good measure. There is even an entire stand dedicated to bluegrass and cowboy boots... in Bangkok. Way to make a girl feel at home.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XRAcfyOAIlCorxlxelA_RhXFWb3Di7sd9DstXPOZ4m3YC7yznEdrGDHex7acwR_e39uuGi21hyphenhyphenGj_dp5OFc1mSMshR3ypn5mE6NCKANhQQadMSuQ2GwouP2Fm8SOhL-bykv59jO7nbU/s320/IMG_2543.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640705791517439746" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSi2qICIuMMtYDOGHsVn8m0t8c70-aafytq_U4ZzleBNxRJbmJj0cD7hM26rH6iJ2Pq0WQGNITQ-6O13pUcmNqHhRoNTZpKkacxqH29zpBno_wHORUBngz42srLAO4FLvzKVOfl_I-uo/s320/IMG_9789.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640705796867255426" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">For the first hour, I could do nothing but aimlessly wander. When I wasn't on the outskirts near the road, it was dark deep inside the market, and near the food and raw meat and seafood stalls, smelly. So, often my main goal was to walk toward the light and fresh air. I do remember in my market daze watching a man bathing a kitten. He yelled at me when I took their picture, and I was off on my way again.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaheS6lKzPKNQIO20ocvwbmIzUAl0hzlM67vp0aCsJ4I_AMGL47qblVwYODJSZbo1szZTkc1R950LoaHaPOXFZ65d17Z80xxKZi3nHKIJPlyZTDunTMd1CIMTnLpohIJg73kQMp9wbOcc/s320/IMG_9781.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640674974638490226" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Once I began to think about shopping, I bought two bracelets - similar to leather cuffs that I had seen at Bliss in Knoxville for $20 each. They were priced for $5 each at Chatuchak, and I talked the guy down to $3 each. Score. I debated on a (decent) knock-off Tiffany bracelet for $10 (and probably could have talked her down to $7) and a (not-so-decent) knock-off Chloe wallet for $15, but I hate knock-offs. Even if the knock-offs are good and no one else knows, I know. Besides, often knock-offs are a result of sweat shops and child labor, and I won't support that.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">After Chatuchak, I explored different neighborhoods in Bangkok. My means of transportation was the Sky Train, which is exactly what it sounds like - an above-ground train. It was very clean, efficient and easy to navigate. There is an also an underground subway, but I never used it as everywhere I went was serviced by the Sky Train. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kEpRuDLyA2Zgyp4Y18Jj5CkQYeYAMTzo54xsIRFeCVF7P0IzAx6yP1tcXcaIrJqcd3q2j3YYk3RDv3qyTC9Sn08nXjvnNrS7T_xKp5rwgJtlT2Ba-ixDMfKoFxBE28XIexAIOMrYsA4/s1600/IMG_2545.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kEpRuDLyA2Zgyp4Y18Jj5CkQYeYAMTzo54xsIRFeCVF7P0IzAx6yP1tcXcaIrJqcd3q2j3YYk3RDv3qyTC9Sn08nXjvnNrS7T_xKp5rwgJtlT2Ba-ixDMfKoFxBE28XIexAIOMrYsA4/s320/IMG_2545.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640715215150909730" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-Qi8Jn3RD6BGKs_YxzBAXxWKUwewRNeSXMnVZeb2yXNsJ6hyu8KGpeh2SEDUrmoNh4smHq-SG-U1EAic2pHHdwsfBi4zeviAa1ISS88r2hpAsgz3CvL2Dy_7JP_kabLJa2uyMBUJ29I/s1600/IMG_9790.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">While I was out, I stumbled upon what looked to be a car commercial being shot. Just like American commercial shoots - lots of standing around, hurry up and wait.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-Qi8Jn3RD6BGKs_YxzBAXxWKUwewRNeSXMnVZeb2yXNsJ6hyu8KGpeh2SEDUrmoNh4smHq-SG-U1EAic2pHHdwsfBi4zeviAa1ISS88r2hpAsgz3CvL2Dy_7JP_kabLJa2uyMBUJ29I/s1600/IMG_9790.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-Qi8Jn3RD6BGKs_YxzBAXxWKUwewRNeSXMnVZeb2yXNsJ6hyu8KGpeh2SEDUrmoNh4smHq-SG-U1EAic2pHHdwsfBi4zeviAa1ISS88r2hpAsgz3CvL2Dy_7JP_kabLJa2uyMBUJ29I/s320/IMG_9790.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640715215708739682" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 253px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I then decided it was time to sample some street food. I quickly realized that many street vendors in Bangkok don't know much English, so I had to resort to sight alone, pointing and hoping for the best. I collected several things to eat and made a little picnic at Lumphini Park, Bangkok's largest park. In strange contrast to Seattle (and really, uh, </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">anywhere</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">), dogs aren't allowed in the park. The park was created in the 1920s by </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">King Rama VI, and there is a statue of him at the entrance with a shrine of sorts at the base. As I approached it, I saw odd little figurines lined up and incense burning. </span></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVP-u_nNWqkoYdg2z-iIptBdK0IaNqs3uHJKFUJ4RRoPHQu3-zeAc2TvZu7vhJDKTM1mQHdkqj2h_7zoy71IMvnSU4jW1hlUFDFQbxI7A-SiIdiWTcs7wkjECaOHZ8O7Y2bs1tvg7VXM/s1600/IMG_9797.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVP-u_nNWqkoYdg2z-iIptBdK0IaNqs3uHJKFUJ4RRoPHQu3-zeAc2TvZu7vhJDKTM1mQHdkqj2h_7zoy71IMvnSU4jW1hlUFDFQbxI7A-SiIdiWTcs7wkjECaOHZ8O7Y2bs1tvg7VXM/s320/IMG_9797.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640681863321570146" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijIoy36ifQ3igoKRiHANbsA492McLjku2eenNsasuVz9upB7Z0OQK3_U074nvWseXGEbK_bk1SyTYlRnheSYWZh_W56POfPl_xdpE54IpoWfGBMniGr1IevkK58-LNiEkf0tqyRndsGSY/s320/IMG_9791.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640725828972528194" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHebfTfH01i58jM6IWC-tD95AykmuX_2o3DMiM2DkvA1CCHQIdrAaRHSjlaZiwNg0VY3LAo7Xi-xsqhccFu0coS-ZfjGjSOovDs4792Btse85XB8k07ZEVC4azzy8ZGldcIH3uDlCudBI/s320/IMG_9795.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640725832628727042" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">So back to my street-food meal, like I said, I have no idea what I ate, but it was good, and 24 hours later I'm still alive, so all's well that ends well. Afterward, I finally gave into the siren's call (Starbucks) for the first time since leaving Seattle. Not surprisingly, it was one of my most expensive purchases in Bangkok. Apparently they know how to take my money universally, even in countries where everything is cheap. (Starbucks and I have a love-hate relationship.) </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmz7EdP6-5Li5xGYfho9XNSRQnDxmz5PX_P4-RPwvvPUL4MseBjSl-L4Hl8aKT_c5hStnMZ3xuW7dXCtb2RDRfhM98b05ZoLxZIa6k1AIGRRKV7tXyrJ_0SYeai2yYkKIvGhr8eyLkpxQ/s320/IMG_9807.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640716536526460818" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 208px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">On Sunday morning I woke up early to meet a group called Helping Hands. Helping Hands is an organization run by a woman named Poo. (Yes, really. Her name is Poo. Just wait. It gets better.) Helping Hands offers assistance to those in need by giving them the tools to start micro businesses. A large part of how Poo does this is by running her own cooking school. Poo </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">markets the cooking school as... get ready for it... Cooking with Poo. Another of her catchphrases is "I cooked with Poo and liked it." No matter, her marketing tools work. It's hard to get a place in this class, and I felt lucky to be included.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">There were seven of us in the group, and we started the day with a tour of one of the markets near Poo's neighborhood. She lives in Klong Toey, which she describes as having the dubious honor of being Bangkok's largest slum. There were no tourists in the market - this was clearly a local's only spot. She led us through the fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, rice and insects.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMPZJuOPmn9g26IuKR-tB960gX-9Bqg1l0FJ9m_LijaaYiaaNwG1xwGn4dm9PA7NcamHfign8QnKmiPO5utEIUiOuaManGcOolgGVFLpbiEbt6OZFX3hyphenhyphen9j2NrdIO2UxY307_Vgs55qQ/s320/IMG_9829.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640673328224715282" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_QkrSZHh5I0drZNoO19izZ1rYywEhfPqqRBctBHAskuiVMvWfTCX35w1Q31SfuoPVLaX_JMKKE1n0Bl6_fUQ1_KKAY6DGyOQubsrfFebfIDjttamkzSiGKdEK6Tf8nlT45tPUl1wTSU/s1600/IMG_9852.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLEAuFI936MEX9UBVmfzElswDBctB4VPEd1cdFo7ZLhjQbaSnx8AGRMFLtm99nmfRcpPIavkTWpnyRAUjDyBttGEG8yjPLtcBU1pQtbKsMYq2ZwJs6eoGHEzjfXcHydtCeq52_Cr6iexc/s320/IMG_9839.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640734398347182658" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A disclaimer: The kitten in the picture below is neither dead nor tranquilized and being sold to be killed. Just sleepy. The chickens in the picture below that, however? They are very much dead. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUJ6c9nWix59Gvi837Ymyz0K-glN4Zv5DCA_LBbbOSVlpUzvCNopSme4FLsXpOBNJ7rLNyCfUzPgOMnh0qNefCGuPbKCXLDQqLxMfndZrnJkPykDeDRil7RrSn6u6wnf41F7eoWTJFNw/s1600/IMG_9835.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUJ6c9nWix59Gvi837Ymyz0K-glN4Zv5DCA_LBbbOSVlpUzvCNopSme4FLsXpOBNJ7rLNyCfUzPgOMnh0qNefCGuPbKCXLDQqLxMfndZrnJkPykDeDRil7RrSn6u6wnf41F7eoWTJFNw/s320/IMG_9835.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640681160641970690" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7jSRGDnxQHploPcSPvp935CkqpQr3Q6nNU7YTb1n9jEmm1TCrcWSTAC28FcCVrfAK91QMDE9OtYIBYXYeWMfOLN6W4ZLBrh2h_JmSTwGuYACEB6M25mSdw4o96BVQGiI2Orn78BA1ZE/s1600/IMG_9820.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7jSRGDnxQHploPcSPvp935CkqpQr3Q6nNU7YTb1n9jEmm1TCrcWSTAC28FcCVrfAK91QMDE9OtYIBYXYeWMfOLN6W4ZLBrh2h_JmSTwGuYACEB6M25mSdw4o96BVQGiI2Orn78BA1ZE/s320/IMG_9820.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640680906180234002" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSPL90pEoJGh0lc_8eO2YbGCDX7UVSME4CE5qzhJLhdYeoQHrfoJIR51AD307mQMCWKVSfHgYnewFRo5OGhrj80Hdc8k0QDk17SWpeSmvJzUWqTbTxiNvSifKiVGiQn_UagWpNUtSy10/s1600/IMG_9854.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSPL90pEoJGh0lc_8eO2YbGCDX7UVSME4CE5qzhJLhdYeoQHrfoJIR51AD307mQMCWKVSfHgYnewFRo5OGhrj80Hdc8k0QDk17SWpeSmvJzUWqTbTxiNvSifKiVGiQn_UagWpNUtSy10/s320/IMG_9854.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640678194225939314" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 320px; text-align: center; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuWxm_vJd7g0PBJ_jkpAKbfse7Gk-TLOIU7SmKkmuCZiXV1gPcgpFxy1MZnzgbj-E7-FPCP8lVh_FgzLTZYXMhxGiWl-G_eVLn2y8exxDnaYB0QnEKh-IVyg00DbyySlPUuDGA2KzAeE/s1600/IMG_9868.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_QkrSZHh5I0drZNoO19izZ1rYywEhfPqqRBctBHAskuiVMvWfTCX35w1Q31SfuoPVLaX_JMKKE1n0Bl6_fUQ1_KKAY6DGyOQubsrfFebfIDjttamkzSiGKdEK6Tf8nlT45tPUl1wTSU/s1600/IMG_9852.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_QkrSZHh5I0drZNoO19izZ1rYywEhfPqqRBctBHAskuiVMvWfTCX35w1Q31SfuoPVLaX_JMKKE1n0Bl6_fUQ1_KKAY6DGyOQubsrfFebfIDjttamkzSiGKdEK6Tf8nlT45tPUl1wTSU/s320/IMG_9852.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640681632475652898" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqSGadMj7N3W8HLxw7ST24z4hRO9pqDDLe6tWuQTuUuT0D_OP8Dsn_bCfAd2IsTM-URY1fz73sfdrwR_NrjJ1FmuSy2CymjqK-CyLFCiTIRZYKq1hLE8mOWu3kojvTbFRk-iAENv6e_P0/s1600/IMG_9869.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqSGadMj7N3W8HLxw7ST24z4hRO9pqDDLe6tWuQTuUuT0D_OP8Dsn_bCfAd2IsTM-URY1fz73sfdrwR_NrjJ1FmuSy2CymjqK-CyLFCiTIRZYKq1hLE8mOWu3kojvTbFRk-iAENv6e_P0/s320/IMG_9869.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640678190548311714" style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuWxm_vJd7g0PBJ_jkpAKbfse7Gk-TLOIU7SmKkmuCZiXV1gPcgpFxy1MZnzgbj-E7-FPCP8lVh_FgzLTZYXMhxGiWl-G_eVLn2y8exxDnaYB0QnEKh-IVyg00DbyySlPUuDGA2KzAeE/s320/IMG_9868.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640678188112958562" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ntWznTWlq5cHpkbhmKHN3Un4M9T0JFMKAJfLNgZmWGEp07_VkiC-nhyphenhyphenoFDmInxtzGWdayCvnVGBoUdbCU5_lmofTLjYvITspAqtcAF0phrdyHe2LhOO9m5mhHH_3f_bMSxug8ANTMjs/s1600/IMG_9874.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ntWznTWlq5cHpkbhmKHN3Un4M9T0JFMKAJfLNgZmWGEp07_VkiC-nhyphenhyphenoFDmInxtzGWdayCvnVGBoUdbCU5_lmofTLjYvITspAqtcAF0phrdyHe2LhOO9m5mhHH_3f_bMSxug8ANTMjs/s320/IMG_9874.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640678184090118802" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">After the market tour, we headed back to Poo's house. Though with her business she has made enough money to move out of the area, she has chosen to continue to live there in order to help her fellow residents. As we walked through the streets toward her house, I couldn't help but think that this was the poorest area I had ever been in, and then I had the thought that this is nothing compared to so many parts of the world. Most of these people at least had shoes on their feet. Nevertheless, there was a creek running through the neighborhood with dirty, littered water, and most of the people lived in shacks that sat on stilts on top of the water with no indoor plumbing. Everyone had smiles on their faces as we passed them, though, and they beamed at Poo - you could tell she is their local celebrity.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Poo used to run the cooking school out of a small room in her house, but today was the debut of her new kitchen across the alley from her house where she had burners for all seven of us to cook. We cooked three dishes - Tom Yum Gai soup, Pad Thai with prawns and Larb Phet (minced duck with lemongrass). After sampling each of the dishes and eating the mango and sticky rice with coconut milk that Poo made for us, we distributed the rest of the meals in the neighborhood, met some of her neighbors and visited other neighbors who make jewelry and handmade goods in order to support their families.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5Obt0uxXGvEbgQiZxXKtMVKXR31EZr0I_s1HEby9QUcWeaothGkWLMA9tF3CafoeVN5zaaxjTotXFUbdFVKDZfUXE1agfVMGF5FElSRcapKs91b8WnaIcmlG9LKO9aaCdML6yeOkddc/s1600/IMG_9893.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5Obt0uxXGvEbgQiZxXKtMVKXR31EZr0I_s1HEby9QUcWeaothGkWLMA9tF3CafoeVN5zaaxjTotXFUbdFVKDZfUXE1agfVMGF5FElSRcapKs91b8WnaIcmlG9LKO9aaCdML6yeOkddc/s320/IMG_9893.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640678178803454450" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTiM4Xb_QrcAS0gc6ctzgubzRcCLTdVwJu_VmDZ10ha7_3smAPK81FsL3mpuN_1cDK5PGYa_dNI0reHZHii-nds42-KZ639VKeUjeRCtIrE6iPIicN0UFRYjbm0dUYFvRvhkuZBKH2rw0/s1600/IMG_9900.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7nO5lZN5BuxM90SPPxKAOb8nSusTt2YFvjV9gGV2YX8gLvJCHus-sf9Y4Nel-P-jcq_wk6mLqdXVuTqE8VwI7VwxcsCUwbkizUUnc-x9Vz7U0wuwfnkZi7fKUlTu1RB1mIV4vhHcqr8/s1600/IMG_9887_2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7nO5lZN5BuxM90SPPxKAOb8nSusTt2YFvjV9gGV2YX8gLvJCHus-sf9Y4Nel-P-jcq_wk6mLqdXVuTqE8VwI7VwxcsCUwbkizUUnc-x9Vz7U0wuwfnkZi7fKUlTu1RB1mIV4vhHcqr8/s320/IMG_9887_2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640675904271900626" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 309px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">After Helping Hands dropped me off, I went out to explore again. I had heard that MBK Center was a huge shopping mall popular among tourists and locals alike and that it was something I should see. So I saw it. I had a similar experience at MBK as I had had a Chatuchak the previous day, except this time it was a shopping mall on steroids instead of an outdoor market. Complete. Sensory. Overload. If there is something you can't buy, do or find at that mall, I don't know what it would be</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEaRbuMSguzLMM1JrEhUpDSAyirdJLOFADgfOc23crJysvIBrjGxq5_IQi7FSyOXlWtzMUW3tsh5H0ceY3Yi9iqgYyIfMVE32g_1ThIBccce2s_M_bnTA_KUwfRqvz3VZWdvt1wzUzcw/s320/IMG_9907.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640675912693025794" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Outside, I caught an impromptu Thai teenage hip hop performance. It wasn't exactly So You Think You Can Dance, and the only music (other than in their heads) was just from the passing cars, but they created quite an audience.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwLTRWwkFyw71mQ3lWbwuk-Ps2PGsrbaVq_bA9ToMd0PkSaMZnWaXQiSHQuo49xi3DLuceT-kqJnHaH37-Njw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I ended my day with a visit to the fish spa. The fish spa is where you put your feet in a bucket of water and little fish nibble the dead skin off. Sounds nasty but it's a novelty, and I can rarely resist a novelty. It tickled like crazy, and I'm not convinced that the fish did anything more than what a good pumice stone could do, but it was fun.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRnbNv1L_VGtKBEYS4EzfRUGWeakC9VWOyo7_Wj41iwmKt6jA0BwHT8MLXbcGiJZAZDpzZ_nDaqRj91yIfPjygOdPWRCl_sMoN3zgY2ByqsmcgjQ5L5djCbktp4iqCo5dp9WiXil1uKk/s320/IMG_9898.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640674978335764354" style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTiM4Xb_QrcAS0gc6ctzgubzRcCLTdVwJu_VmDZ10ha7_3smAPK81FsL3mpuN_1cDK5PGYa_dNI0reHZHii-nds42-KZ639VKeUjeRCtIrE6iPIicN0UFRYjbm0dUYFvRvhkuZBKH2rw0/s320/IMG_9900.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640675908022074946" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Off to Bali tomorrow!</span></span></div>Rebecca Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402951278083275729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-24286301891430436952011-08-12T08:16:00.020-07:002011-08-12T10:24:09.564-07:00They Say It's Your Birthday<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I arrived at my hotel in Bangkok shortly before 3 am on Friday morning after a 10 hour flight from Seattle to Tokyo, a four hour layover in Tokyo (that was only supposed to be two), a six hour flight from Tokyo to Bangkok and a 30 minute cab ride. Because I can’t sleep on planes, I was approaching 31 hours without sleep. Despite the late hour, several hotel staff greeted me and swiftly got me settled in my room. I just as swiftly crashed.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">After about six hours of sleep, I set off for what was originally supposed to be a very different day. I was drawn to visit Bangkok after reading </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Half the Sky, a book which sets forth major issues women around the world face, one of those being sex trafficking. Bangkok is one of the hubs for the sex trafficking industry, and many anti-sex trafficking organizations are based here. I contacted a few organizations about volunteer opportunities/touring their facilities/talking to them about how I can help and learn more about the cause. One organization in particular, NightLight International, responded and felt like a good fit, so we agreed that I would come in on Friday, August 12th.</span></span></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">About a week ago, NightLight informed me that August 12th was the Queen of Thailand's birthday, and their offices are closed. Because they are closed on the weekends as well, and I leave on Monday morning, it was not going to work out. I was really disappointed. Nevertheless, I will get the opportunity to spend half the day on Sunday with an organization called Helping Hands that provides residents in one of the poorest communities in Bangkok with the tools they need to start micro businesses (and I get to take cooking classes at the same time, which will be fun). And I'm going to takes some supplies to, and spend time at, an organization in Bali that provides maternal health services for impoverished women.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">So instead of spending the day at NightLight, I played tourist. The city was bustling with preparations for the Queen’s birthday. Other than the lifesize portraits of the Queen hanging everywhere, it looked just like any holiday celebration in the States, but I had to laugh - can you imagine the same attention being given to Obama’s birthday? Does anyone even know when Obama’s birthday </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">is</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">? Ok, so I realize this is completely different - presidency versus monarchy. I digress...</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I visited the Grand Palace first. The Grand Palace was built in 1782 and served as the home of the Thai King, The Royal Court and the administrative seat of government for 150 years. It includes a series of buildings, including Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), which contains a small buddha made of jade (not emerald, actually), greatly revered and dating back to the 14th century. </span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvPG32oGPDJ9BlyI5v8jP0VD5-m7diw9fNcLXygVKMQiSRun8P1iaEXqb62p3sA_5jSWpF5aqXivCH-qJDeUzDBkpTXC_ZY_9ulp9eu_9FWip7m-FwMQ68alA1NR16ZXI968yWARnQos/s320/IMG_9681.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640016518768501602" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQN7CeBV2UtdEcxZBzGpSMHInHj2JPFJs3GVUKoTf1D7iNqBwl3qJZRYcfxvSj-8lwq7c9R0Z7jidLQwnNxCQoelQ2fwe3Gh4tnc36Z3bVkR1AKXjPJ275W-o2WkXZuZ8SLSAyN42byw/s1600/IMG_9723.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQN7CeBV2UtdEcxZBzGpSMHInHj2JPFJs3GVUKoTf1D7iNqBwl3qJZRYcfxvSj-8lwq7c9R0Z7jidLQwnNxCQoelQ2fwe3Gh4tnc36Z3bVkR1AKXjPJ275W-o2WkXZuZ8SLSAyN42byw/s320/IMG_9723.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640014029070507266" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNudl1UGVWHXMygu9HbZkS91CJRg8SByzueXV7uYQ3xxZCLifMIfey0_svp0vZt9r8GASFUGA6bttZZAP6j3O-daLXyB97T-SFwHbIEXxA44kbJYWqfkyLJSKqjpikduv3bWtQMhCP0R4/s320/IMG_9730.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640016522429749218" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmeAVK_pRhyeXBlfV2zt2ZX3iWUkKJ_j4pAXU_MPGIf-OsyJVbezJlfyoYV-JZbB0GDDrXhrMnVSbDhzZ9QRL-Vhkx4JJbuz08yNv15vky-OjbQ8YtmLmIWrGZHMEkJsOw2uZsSPPCZw8/s1600/IMG_9729.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmeAVK_pRhyeXBlfV2zt2ZX3iWUkKJ_j4pAXU_MPGIf-OsyJVbezJlfyoYV-JZbB0GDDrXhrMnVSbDhzZ9QRL-Vhkx4JJbuz08yNv15vky-OjbQ8YtmLmIWrGZHMEkJsOw2uZsSPPCZw8/s320/IMG_9729.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640014032210423090" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQN7CeBV2UtdEcxZBzGpSMHInHj2JPFJs3GVUKoTf1D7iNqBwl3qJZRYcfxvSj-8lwq7c9R0Z7jidLQwnNxCQoelQ2fwe3Gh4tnc36Z3bVkR1AKXjPJ275W-o2WkXZuZ8SLSAyN42byw/s1600/IMG_9723.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPcYXNlc4AsLMeLjcufeyaoOCZdZ-t-2TusgShhePfEGzxgGWXraQkpe6bv0phESbQ1gdgXL5laf8vGTphii0AkIYqk6ilgzZqGQJptiub0tKtD7PKTnrcHGcfJA3S5WZ1zv7ovozCCfM/s320/IMG_9734.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640016538790453026" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Zt4LG8nfkGRx_fxsvoqDuCDefZx-p7dHehqfpJ1y5ykGJhFfHEaZfMSIaQ3M4-gBvxH4-No7jLpzEbXB295HGFHIoshBsyMoqLv11ulabSux61XQrAf-g9i8faLuwtqWRnXk8NNBcGw/s320/IMG_9708.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640016527480567442" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Afterward, I </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">walked through some of the outdoor markets, including the amulet markets, where I watched men studying amulets through magnifying glasses. The amulets have tiny images of buddha and each one is supposed to bring a specific kind of luck. I then visited Wat Pho, Temple of the Reclining Buddha. Most tourist attractions do not live up to the hype for me, but the Reclining Buddha did. It was impressive - the pictures do not do it justice. Before entering both the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and the Reclining Buddha, everyone had to remove their shoes. You are instructed not to point your feet toward the buddha. Also, many people were holding flowers which they would dip the petals in water and touch on their heads, kneel before the buddha and burn incense.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica">
<br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfko8YEFb1ZwtFrx5cI41BF8zCCofcQegcD2D3XX0LCKAtuu6YZYubwlx77E1qk4qQxByKSzKCcv9ECWJiR7U47wWzuNFZwv83bncpks6mC1-9RH1SVPFBJ4N2iaPpZ_1zYKitWtUl1cQ/s1600/IMG_9761.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfko8YEFb1ZwtFrx5cI41BF8zCCofcQegcD2D3XX0LCKAtuu6YZYubwlx77E1qk4qQxByKSzKCcv9ECWJiR7U47wWzuNFZwv83bncpks6mC1-9RH1SVPFBJ4N2iaPpZ_1zYKitWtUl1cQ/s320/IMG_9761.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640014041437771090" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmeAVK_pRhyeXBlfV2zt2ZX3iWUkKJ_j4pAXU_MPGIf-OsyJVbezJlfyoYV-JZbB0GDDrXhrMnVSbDhzZ9QRL-Vhkx4JJbuz08yNv15vky-OjbQ8YtmLmIWrGZHMEkJsOw2uZsSPPCZw8/s1600/IMG_9729.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVc1DJ3BixWSsTfC0T3YJjffWkc7YxO5201dGgif2-E3wFFGFZK8Ty3CZEp3rLrR5zcbXpT93DiDKey6TnNbJQ1Peg08u3wljrVJuXsAlUcQdY_Zle8tdQkrenWbUyMauhz5VioUHVcc/s320/IMG_9768.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640014046710485858" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLbJhA5HAForGyRLqt1uYzrPy2jKpkAQfLCybUVnhWYRx0N5FPmFjVr6U6zc4z6sC5jeaTxoobOYTnfyg2FF8fKxnA6Lx1UepcuaQjStLY5k7gR1v28axL2M4KAp065R9TGQ4TV9bGRY/s320/IMG_9751.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640014048572019970" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">After the Reclining Buddha, I grabbed a taxi back to the hotel. Taxis are cheap (everything is cheap in Bangkok), and you can either ask them to run the meter or haggle over the price. The guidebooks say to request the meter when traveling from the airport, which I did, but I haggled over the price when returning to the hotel. I couldn't come to an agreement with the first taxi driver, so I hopped out and found one who would accept my price. Bangkok traffic is notoriously bad, and today was no different. (I would have taken the subway if it went near the Grand Palace, but unfortunately it doesn't.) We traveled down an entire street full of shops selling buddhas - tiny buddhas to life-size buddhas to giant buddhas. Mopeds raced by. Tuk Tuks carrying tourists and spitting out exhaust chugged alongside the cars. From what I’ve seen so far, Bangkok isn’t what I would call a pretty city, but it’s </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">alive</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I had big plans for the afternoon, but my day ended abruptly at 3 pm when jet lag decided I was done. I thought a brief nap might cure the problem and had every intention of waking up at 5:30 to go to a local park to walk around and then go to dinner. Until I pressed snooze and 6:30 turned into 7:30... At which time I realized it was dark and pouring down rain. Oh well. I’ll be adjusted to the time and ready for a full day tomorrow. </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">As I sit here writing this, I hear thunder. I sat my laptop down and went over to the windows so I could open the blinds to watch the thunderstorm. Instead, I’m greeted by a beautiful fireworks display. Happy Birthday, Queen Sirikit.</span></span></span></p>Rebecca Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402951278083275729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-54501969588925035482011-08-04T22:19:00.006-07:002011-08-04T22:57:36.903-07:00The Pleasure of the Plan<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I've only just restarted this blog, and already I'm lagging behind. I feel like I have a really good excuse considering I'm leaving the country in six days. Travel preparations are consuming me. But as I check items off my to-do list, it seems as if the list only continues to grow. And those items aren't just your usual "buy mosquito repellant" and "pack fuzzy socks for plane," though those have certainly made an appearance on the list (and been nicely disposed of, I might add). No, the bulk of my to-do list is comprised of research. At first, it was the basics - flights and hotels. Then I dove into the logistics - how to get to said hotel on the first night after traveling for nearly 24 hours when I will be so tired I probably won't remember my own name. After that comes the fun stuff. Or at least to me.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">See, researching a trip is almost as pleasurable as the traveling for me. Ok, that's not true at all, but I do love it. I enjoy reading about a place I've never been and envisioning what it will look like, later comparing that image in my mind with its reality. I pour over restaurant reviews and menus online, going so far as to plan exactly what I will eat. I research museums, parks, shops, cooking classes, outdoor markets, even subway maps, plotting my routes from Point A to Point B. I plan potential daily itineraries (and alternative itineraries, taking into account things like weather issues). In other words, I tend to take all the fun out of the spontaneity that traveling can bring. Except when I don't. Because for all the planning I do, sometimes the best laid plans... </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">For instance, sometimes I turn down the wrong street and I stumble onto a market I didn't realize would be there and spend two hours wandering around. Or I walk past a bakery that has a croissant in the window that looks so delicious that it literally draws me inside where I lose track of time writing and people watching the locals. Or I get completely and utterly lost where I get to experience a part of a city I might never have seen otherwise. The point being that some of my favorite travel memories have happened completely spontaneously and had absolutely nothing to do with anything I planned or could have anticipated. I would go so far as to say that the parts of my trips where I've stuck strictly to the plan... eh, not so fun after all.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So will I keep planning over the next six days? Yes. I'm a planner. No apologies for being me. But will I be on the lookout on my trip for those unplanned, amazing moments I could seize at every turn? Absolutely. </span></span></div>Rebecca Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402951278083275729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-39991203572459982612011-07-13T10:22:00.019-07:002011-07-14T08:50:28.840-07:00I Wore a Sweater and Long Pants Today. Welcome to Summer, Seattle Style.<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">After living here for nearly two years, I can officially call myself a Seattleite. I know my way around the city without having to pull out the GPS. I've learned to avoid the death stare from the checkout girl at Whole Foods by never asking for a plastic bag (a serious environmental faux pas). And I'm more likely to be found in the de rigueur Seattle wardrobe of jeans and flip flops than a dress and heels. But the one thing I can't - and refuse to - do is adjust to this phenomenon called "weather."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Seattle's weather comes in the form of a delightful mixture of rain, clouds, 55 degree highs and an increased propensity to go off the emotional deep end a la Jack Nicholson in the Shining. (The Pacific Northwest is considered one of the "serial killer capitals of the world." A coincidence? I think not.) As I read my friends' Facebook status updates complaining about sun and 90 degrees in Tennessee, I find myself grumbling out loud at the computer screen. Four seasons and sunshine. What more could you people possibly want?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">When I first moved to Seattle, I was told that if I could survive a Seattle winter, that I would love it here come summer. I heard various versions of "summer is glorious," "summer makes the rest of the year worthwhile" and "every summer day is sunny and 80 degrees." Long-perpetuated myths to increase the population, perhaps? My first winter here, though, wasn't so bad. In fact, it was downright pleasant compared to Tennessee. Highs are in the 40s and low 50s, it doesn't snow and while it's dreary, that's winter for you. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">But then May hit. The weather didn't change except for temperatures rising to around 55 degrees. June - the same with the rare 60-something day. July 4th - the same except it was pouring down rain. When I complained, I heard another Seattle catch phrase - "summer doesn't begin until the 5th of July." Sure enough, July 5th was warmer, sunny even, but except for a couple of weeks of sun and warmth, summer 2010 was a bust. I was assured that it was a particularly bad summer, a fluke and to hang on - "next summer will definitely be better."</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Well, next summer is here, and if it has hit 80 degrees yet, I'm not aware of it. It's rained several times this week. It rained this morning, in fact. And if you noticed the title of this blog post, I have spent the week attired in various layers of winter clothes. I refuse to drag my boots back out, however, no matter how ridiculous I may look in open-toe shoes when for all intents and purposes it's still winter, no matter what the calendar may say.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Most people discuss the weather to make polite conversation. Not so in Seattle. Weather is THE topic of conversation, and they take it very seriously. I've heard people talking about the weather in the elevator, on the street, over dinner in restaurants and in nail salons. Seattleites love to commiserate with each other when it comes to the weather as if they are comrades of war. And if you've lived here long enough, I suppose that is exactly what it feels like.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Newcomers to Seattle learn to never leave the house without an umbrella, yet despite the rain, you probably won't need it. (The running joke is that the easiest way to spot a tourist in Seattle is to see whether they have an umbrella open.) It rarely rains hard enough to justify one, yet it rains just hard enough that after a long walk outside, you're drenched. Why would you take a long walk outside in the rain, you ask? Because if you didn't, you would never leave the house.</span></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Those rare days when sun is predicted, what that really means is that you wake up to clouds. It may even drizzle a little. Then more clouds. Still, more clouds. Around 4 pm, the sky begins to lighten. Hopes begin to rise. By 6 pm, the sun is out, only to begin setting a couple of hours later. Two weeks ago, I read that over 300 days had passed without the temperature climbing to 80 degrees. And for the entire month of June 2011, only one day met the meteorological criteria to be considered sunny.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Forgive the rant. I'm headed out now. Walgreens. My doctor called me earlier today with the diagnosis: Vitamin D deficiency.</span></div>Rebecca Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402951278083275729noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-8779077146687501782011-07-11T22:33:00.006-07:002011-07-11T23:23:33.409-07:00Two Years Later...<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It's hard to believe I haven't written a blog post since right after returning from Europe. I suppose I considered this blog to be "my Europe blog." But the blog title - She's Leaving Home - is really more appropriate for what happened shortly after returning from my trip. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">In November 2009, I left Tennessee, my family, my friends and drove nearly 3,000 miles to a city where I didn't have a job, where I knew only three people and where I am questioned almost daily about my funny accent (I have twice been asked if I am Australian - really?). The move and the circumstances surrounding it have been life-changing and have sent me down paths that I never anticipated. I wish I had blogged all along about the journey, but as they say, it's never too late. So here I am.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My last post ended with the statement that the next time I took a trip there would be someone beside me. Apparently that wasn't meant to be - not for my next trip at least. But I'm not one to let the absence of a travel companion stop me from doing what I want. And what I want is to travel and see more of the world. So that's exactly what I'm getting ready to do. Details a comin'. Stay tuned.</span></div></span>Rebecca Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402951278083275729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-26242686518223874572009-07-25T19:25:00.001-07:002009-07-25T19:26:53.833-07:00Homeward Bound<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Times;"><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; font: normal normal normal 100%/normal Georgia, serif; text-align: left; "><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A few months before I left for Europe, I put the house on the market. I was hoping the house would sell either before I left or after I returned, but because I would be gone during the summer months, I knew there was a strong possibility it would sell while I was gone. And sure enough, I got an offer on the house. Actually, I got </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">two</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> offers on the house, with both parties wanting to close by July 31st. Virtually certain one of the two offers would go through to closing, I knew that I had to return to Knoxville. All of my things - furniture, clothes, boxes, everything I own - were at the house, and I had to come back to deal with it. <br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">With my stay in Amsterdam drawing to a close, it seemed like the appropriate time to end the trip. So 75 days after leaving for Europe, I returned to the States. I wondered when I left Europe if I would feel like I had fallen short of my goal, but I realized that my goal was an arbitrary one. Originally, I had planned a 90 day trip for no other reason than by law, I could stay in the European Union for 90 days without a visa. Because I had started my trip outside the EU, I was technically going to be traveling for roughly 100 days. But was my goal one of time or experience? Experience, of course. And experience I got. Even with just a short time to reflect on my trip, I am astounded at all that I was able to see and do in 75 days.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">It was what I learned in Europe, though, that I will take with me above anything I saw or did while I was there. I learned lessons that may seem basic or obvious, but I needed to experience them to learn them. I learned that if I get lost, I can eventually find my way. I learned that if I can't speak the language and no one understands me, I can gesture enough to where they eventually figure out what I want. I learned that I can get by on a lot less luggage than what I thought was necessary! I learned that for the most part, people are very nice and helpful. I learned that the best experiences are the simple ones - walking through the city or a park or sitting by the water writing, listening to music and watching the people around me - and have nothing to do with any tourist attraction. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">But I learned one lesson above all others...</span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">If I had to do this trip over again, would I? Absolutely. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Will</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> I do this trip over again? No. Not that way. Not by myself. I proved that I can travel by myself. But what I learned is that I don't want to travel by myself. There were countless times that I saw or did or ate or heard something, and I desperately wanted to turn to someone I love and share in that moment. Like when I stepped onto the Paris streets for the first time to be greeted by the Eiffel Tower's light show. I stood there, dumbfounded, and said out loud, "I can't believe I'm really here." But there was no one to hear me. So I sent a picture and an email to one person who I knew would instantly understand the enormity of what I was feeling, but it simply wasn't enough. I needed someone beside me. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Next time, there will be.</span></div></div></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-86584181601346534972009-07-11T08:43:00.000-07:002009-07-11T08:44:11.097-07:00No Agenda in Amsterdam<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; "><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; font: normal normal normal 100%/normal Georgia, serif; text-align: left; "><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I was in Amsterdam for approximately eight hours in May 2008 during a very long layover (that I purposefully scheduled so I could see a bit of the city) on my way home from Greece. I knew from that visit that when I came back I wanted to spend a lot of time there, so I rented an apartment for 12 days.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">My apartment was in a building that overlooks a canal on Brouwersgracht. It is in the Jordaan area, which is a residential area full of apartment buildings and quaint shops and restaurants. I realized yet again in Amsterdam how important the location of where I am staying is when I am making a judgment call on a city. There were parts of Amsterdam I walked through that I did not like - streets filled with tourists and tacky gift shops and McDonald's. If I had stayed in a hotel on one of those areas, I might not have liked Amsterdam nearly as much. But on my street there was not a tourist (other than me), a tacky gift shop or a McDonald's to be found. On the right of the cobblestone street were apartment buildings and on the left was the canal. At night, the people who lived on the ground floor of the apartment buildings, would open their doors, drag a table and chairs outside and eat along the sidewalk, greeting their neighbors as they passed by. </span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSWLcNo81-O5UEJb3HnhLFbg00cl5F7zP5U7rZ-xOUAS68nXm676lRwmRQK2QyTYZuuWGlRaOPeZw5bEgdOgnUsK1_hCwjBMqIEQE5nAtykAeg_SfyUN8JXkaQiESOCos-zVk-ISz4GNg/s1600-h/IMG_6590.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSWLcNo81-O5UEJb3HnhLFbg00cl5F7zP5U7rZ-xOUAS68nXm676lRwmRQK2QyTYZuuWGlRaOPeZw5bEgdOgnUsK1_hCwjBMqIEQE5nAtykAeg_SfyUN8JXkaQiESOCos-zVk-ISz4GNg/s320/IMG_6590.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357189333962075458" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZL8boJG8FsS42CPoa0w9NcHHNB7yDVI3vHqniImR3VObVrcPqaIvhxi8oSm_i6ITwWn62oI_ICxvHwzCh3fXMRLjtFEdaR3il-GpGnCNiKpzf_ZFlzSiA6ssb2hg2tZggI1Hw9mO3qiE/s1600-h/IMG_6586.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZL8boJG8FsS42CPoa0w9NcHHNB7yDVI3vHqniImR3VObVrcPqaIvhxi8oSm_i6ITwWn62oI_ICxvHwzCh3fXMRLjtFEdaR3il-GpGnCNiKpzf_ZFlzSiA6ssb2hg2tZggI1Hw9mO3qiE/s320/IMG_6586.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357190912795577986" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXXFGeWIiCcbxxx6DoYpdo75s8e9SGqysMfa4y0c9YLpatO-WAn0WsFAdjuzKC26B3izIsAOLW9MO4-Hdn-9DBxUIrIOjM6axkZdkDbLLjDCHO9WLyT0lIt-kJGhpTMet1Ah9wAieuaE/s1600-h/IMG_6668.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXXFGeWIiCcbxxx6DoYpdo75s8e9SGqysMfa4y0c9YLpatO-WAn0WsFAdjuzKC26B3izIsAOLW9MO4-Hdn-9DBxUIrIOjM6axkZdkDbLLjDCHO9WLyT0lIt-kJGhpTMet1Ah9wAieuaE/s320/IMG_6668.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357189353800032850" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0cLm0OP9-flTlx_AGRBrTFG8inlCc-fftEcHTeh42nz46h-Gn4QoMrQkngDP7FM-JioLJSFZyy3P_RuO19xQqsYgPzcJpxXqwzfYlElw_REXm6avVr44nSpFMO413QkuKCa-3P-c1p94/s1600-h/IMG_6685.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0cLm0OP9-flTlx_AGRBrTFG8inlCc-fftEcHTeh42nz46h-Gn4QoMrQkngDP7FM-JioLJSFZyy3P_RuO19xQqsYgPzcJpxXqwzfYlElw_REXm6avVr44nSpFMO413QkuKCa-3P-c1p94/s320/IMG_6685.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357189349858452834" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfUW7rJUIRA6buXPq0M0-WF4YRDzX0TqSi8jNDNXcqfv_f6lbqToMHOYtVKP6iCLZrDvk_tFC1ctHK0k42nDKSPlrfCuXKLV5xhiX318mt0H5DYUBC2AJ0dRTZ6OBtni2EBCx9RlEQyE/s1600-h/IMG_6577.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfUW7rJUIRA6buXPq0M0-WF4YRDzX0TqSi8jNDNXcqfv_f6lbqToMHOYtVKP6iCLZrDvk_tFC1ctHK0k42nDKSPlrfCuXKLV5xhiX318mt0H5DYUBC2AJ0dRTZ6OBtni2EBCx9RlEQyE/s320/IMG_6577.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357190910737441666" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Though Amsterdam has a good public transportation system, mainly consisting of trams, I never took advantage of it. The weather was perfect while I was there (mid 70s for a high and sunny), so I had no excuse not to walk everywhere. So I walked - sometimes knowing where I was going, sometimes not. I had no agenda in Amsterdam. There was nothing I wanted to tour (I had been to the Anne Frank House in May 2008), nothing in particular I wanted to see or do. It was exactly as I had written in one of the Paris blogs - I just wanted to get the feel for living in that city. Probably the best way for me to have gotten a feel for living in Amsterdam would have been to rent a bike. I have never seen so many bikes in my life. There are not car parking garages - there are bike parking garages. But the traffic in Amsterdam was crazy - the cars, the buses, the tram, the bikes, the pedestrians - and I knew if I tried it the ending would not be favorable for me, so I didn't.</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrtBXoe7JTV0OPXnVMNme2mbFqqY-Uffz9CrFt0MRvM5gQGoxxjtMPg2ryJG89VsdRNqn4D0hHkFkeAh19gRWFX1w0fO6ACRS2Z-nK5D-apokCsIWpjPEQlnrjlGFDY50lTkEgyiXIdbY/s1600-h/IMG_6687.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrtBXoe7JTV0OPXnVMNme2mbFqqY-Uffz9CrFt0MRvM5gQGoxxjtMPg2ryJG89VsdRNqn4D0hHkFkeAh19gRWFX1w0fO6ACRS2Z-nK5D-apokCsIWpjPEQlnrjlGFDY50lTkEgyiXIdbY/s320/IMG_6687.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357189342397811714" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The shopping in Amsterdam is the best I've found in Europe, which surprised me after being in cities like London and Paris. I spent time wandering through the De Negen Straatjes, or Nine Streets, area, which is just that - nine streets full of unique boutiques - mostly clothing (some new, some vintage), jewelry, books, gifts, wine. I also went to the Noordermarkt flea market, which was fun (though this is where London has the edge - Notting Hill's flea market was awesome and the best I've seen), and I bought a dress for 7.50 Euros (about $11). I window shopped on P.C. Hooftstraat, Amsterdam's designer boutique street (Chanel, Louis Vuitton, etc.), thus why I used the term "window shopped." A few streets over, though, I then stumbled upon a shoe store filled with last season's designer shoes marked between 50 and 75% off. Unfortunately the pair of Yves Saint Laurent heels I was on the lookout for (they had several YSL styles) were nowhere to be found, which is probably a good thing because they would have been well beyond my daily budget. I also visited the floating flower market, which is situated on one of the canals. While there were some tulips (they would have bloomed a couple of months ago), there were plenty of bulbs to be bought as well as Cannabis in a Can, as you can see pictured below. </span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipg4swzTBP7VNcD2lH-mvR_5_gZ_zkveGBJLVDkYXFMeinYx08XfzamhX5U8q4QnAIxLfx-lW9aI5nV2fD6b__05j7bzN79XUy79I_rg8qJcqdpCH2D2XwKaI7O_M9Oo572UMXt62CuaE/s1600-h/IMG_6605.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipg4swzTBP7VNcD2lH-mvR_5_gZ_zkveGBJLVDkYXFMeinYx08XfzamhX5U8q4QnAIxLfx-lW9aI5nV2fD6b__05j7bzN79XUy79I_rg8qJcqdpCH2D2XwKaI7O_M9Oo572UMXt62CuaE/s320/IMG_6605.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353620192836709906" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-S2-iMGcwSSRMybl6k3UkjVIkfcNEwy0sHZQGomkteuKiQAP_fNAMkewPWQNRyWmx6xCItwYCrnJXZkSI0irvqFTiiW6kfvBkiza03GeJ6y2Ik5ifmkTTMaWSEpRnbjUUxuth-c3J8U/s1600-h/IMG_6607.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-S2-iMGcwSSRMybl6k3UkjVIkfcNEwy0sHZQGomkteuKiQAP_fNAMkewPWQNRyWmx6xCItwYCrnJXZkSI0irvqFTiiW6kfvBkiza03GeJ6y2Ik5ifmkTTMaWSEpRnbjUUxuth-c3J8U/s320/IMG_6607.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353620203810525362" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a> </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbAyJef6_U6psaQhjjOiIGAU2cLgCaO-upSybJky-iByo92kD70J06SoV50_HyX75mgEnFAm1Ids4h_yNPFgVqWAR7rnmIZcCPcNa4uOOSPtto8s7-i-vCg-r1lCp36bej6xqmBg0EEd8/s1600-h/IMG_6655.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbAyJef6_U6psaQhjjOiIGAU2cLgCaO-upSybJky-iByo92kD70J06SoV50_HyX75mgEnFAm1Ids4h_yNPFgVqWAR7rnmIZcCPcNa4uOOSPtto8s7-i-vCg-r1lCp36bej6xqmBg0EEd8/s320/IMG_6655.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353624943551740818" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUVWSrK6bw9ejSOqgHe1twSb25e7CfHcmOw4xqaEjvzpRYHb9NzJyYazbIEcyWP-UV6zORdPBzSAtlSxkO907HT_iE8UQ5mIi3raSY-foli0uxsW4ofRaha6h4WjXHOlx1AUo97kgTrw/s1600-h/IMG_6652.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUVWSrK6bw9ejSOqgHe1twSb25e7CfHcmOw4xqaEjvzpRYHb9NzJyYazbIEcyWP-UV6zORdPBzSAtlSxkO907HT_iE8UQ5mIi3raSY-foli0uxsW4ofRaha6h4WjXHOlx1AUo97kgTrw/s320/IMG_6652.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353624956186881714" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHzOEvxA-BNfgIZ5NyhxVLVGBMBAwYdEkI80GFN36g8IcwsfZrf3w9qHvBcHG3bCvdiraRbgOqYHvntBO5CbEQHykR5kz3gENszTEN0Sgs2UhJ_bzDPvvyZVshWnVfHpzREmCRCYp6Hc/s1600-h/IMG_6659.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHzOEvxA-BNfgIZ5NyhxVLVGBMBAwYdEkI80GFN36g8IcwsfZrf3w9qHvBcHG3bCvdiraRbgOqYHvntBO5CbEQHykR5kz3gENszTEN0Sgs2UhJ_bzDPvvyZVshWnVfHpzREmCRCYp6Hc/s320/IMG_6659.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353624950410348306" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">My days were spent simply walking along the canals, stopping at a bench to rest and watch the boats move through the water, or sitting at an outdoor cafe beside the canal drinking tea and eating a croissant (I thought I had kicked that habit in Paris but no such luck) or wandering through one of Amsterdam's many parks like Vondelpark. It was quiet and peaceful and exactly what I had envisioned when I was planning the Amsterdam portion of my trip.</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRqpy5s54mGkexrc844rNrXZf31yYrUisuo8apbPPPPP9IcylABNWVrwIfR11_zuzvcJSx3HFNfzp1Ikkjhmh-U00uHK8IHRXcq0a8mcKbo-DbeAQYBBEhqBkyg_Nm1xXLRaYmvEFfG00/s1600-h/IMG_6613.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRqpy5s54mGkexrc844rNrXZf31yYrUisuo8apbPPPPP9IcylABNWVrwIfR11_zuzvcJSx3HFNfzp1Ikkjhmh-U00uHK8IHRXcq0a8mcKbo-DbeAQYBBEhqBkyg_Nm1xXLRaYmvEFfG00/s320/IMG_6613.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357190922269196610" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDK1BBQXOWrF2sV6t05lOwSAAGTPBGwFzv5n1OyCI7UG7udKcywOvfRe6Af_a_4LfNUr5NYfnnW5i7J4QYPW8ketp91q1ywwmvcMkBtyoedUQ7aK_kV1ImmvCL9-iI0wY-AD5L3kvRbvI/s1600-h/IMG_6639.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDK1BBQXOWrF2sV6t05lOwSAAGTPBGwFzv5n1OyCI7UG7udKcywOvfRe6Af_a_4LfNUr5NYfnnW5i7J4QYPW8ketp91q1ywwmvcMkBtyoedUQ7aK_kV1ImmvCL9-iI0wY-AD5L3kvRbvI/s320/IMG_6639.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357201441160533890" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUt1WHpCkPjFXsRzf7efyBpfW2SbkwxGb3kWqYBb16c1MQk05dMUU-bWU5sQzHtwsemLcfrf7iwIp2ZN98kAp5_SpgO4m2CHFPJa26-mw86lR7l_YBAxc02uLMRDyM1B0Ln_bTgKGMh4o/s1600-h/IMG_6638.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUt1WHpCkPjFXsRzf7efyBpfW2SbkwxGb3kWqYBb16c1MQk05dMUU-bWU5sQzHtwsemLcfrf7iwIp2ZN98kAp5_SpgO4m2CHFPJa26-mw86lR7l_YBAxc02uLMRDyM1B0Ln_bTgKGMh4o/s320/IMG_6638.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357201426530705602" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">On Thursday morning my dad arrived in Amsterdam, and I took the train from the city to the airport to pick him up. He had decided to join me in Amsterdam for four days before traveling by himself to London, north to his old Air Force base, then to Glasgow, over to Belfast (to visit the family I visited) and south to Dublin before heading home today. In Amsterdam, my dad stayed at the Hotel Pulitzer, where the movie Ocean's 12 was filmed. The hotel was in a great location, overlooking a canal and only about a 10 minute walk from my apartment. We spent the day on Thursday just walking around near the hotel so he could get a feel for the city. Like me, he couldn't get over the amount of bikes. </span> </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvI7y9MKe2L2OqD-OCF9uiEPPzqc8u1BR511TD3lDItPR7IDojF3VC7Z1JNBWnJAyMzROXlWFyvMo-5M1nkDA_CdFwUtvWYh-KBrOcFK761Bn3FY7lpZqUU05kvv0owdGCS1kpL3LFzgo/s1600-h/IMG_6680.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvI7y9MKe2L2OqD-OCF9uiEPPzqc8u1BR511TD3lDItPR7IDojF3VC7Z1JNBWnJAyMzROXlWFyvMo-5M1nkDA_CdFwUtvWYh-KBrOcFK761Bn3FY7lpZqUU05kvv0owdGCS1kpL3LFzgo/s320/IMG_6680.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357202111154616482" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">On Friday morning, Dad and I visited the Anne Frank House. We bought online tickets that allowed us to go to the front of the line, which turned out to be a great idea considering the length of the line when we arrived. The rooms where Anne Frank's family lived are bare - her father, Otto Frank, requesting that they not be furnished as they had been. Instead, many of the walls are filled with her words, and they are powerful. There are videos of the two women who helped to hide the Frank family, describing Anne, the family, their experience. That afternoon, we took a one-hour canal ride just to get a feel for the city, and the boat captain was a great tour guide. </span> </div><div><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Times;"><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; font: normal normal normal 100%/normal Georgia, serif; text-align: left; "><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIE1S6mfUSePsKqTZ5rwuYzW2BS2Djoba3aQgFn5JgO_OrygCVBlFxa-XTIeqqL2flkUp-ycbp44psgj5TtazA29_tsIjWYEaCVr5YhXnU2khygKz3-PwbTM2wxYIiqOrdi9qpI73gtcs/s1600-h/IMG_0722.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIE1S6mfUSePsKqTZ5rwuYzW2BS2Djoba3aQgFn5JgO_OrygCVBlFxa-XTIeqqL2flkUp-ycbp44psgj5TtazA29_tsIjWYEaCVr5YhXnU2khygKz3-PwbTM2wxYIiqOrdi9qpI73gtcs/s320/IMG_0722.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355887084744780498" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg524EYQ78z8-dYcZG9hCSCD9pufWl16FP_VejQRDIUwB7IdOTEYTmVM5NvmmxRLkPEHeQ2v-vGoPpmcftG_GJCRN11ysuIcgRFEB_F8cHkQ1TuP5sgN64gBzaDIsdxJ2ytFZVwQf1d6sc/s1600-h/IMG_0726.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg524EYQ78z8-dYcZG9hCSCD9pufWl16FP_VejQRDIUwB7IdOTEYTmVM5NvmmxRLkPEHeQ2v-vGoPpmcftG_GJCRN11ysuIcgRFEB_F8cHkQ1TuP5sgN64gBzaDIsdxJ2ytFZVwQf1d6sc/s320/IMG_0726.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357200153165312754" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheaxBO5G2iihAztZsWP7IaBlaSeRC8XUCJoooFuQ2WEF8137lLeKNR3aNoO0v19lYe38jmnDdtG0HSc1-XN_ftivMqzr7XRRUrl-i9VGjWHwnPHQbzua3xSylHWMU3Dx-cTNTG1K6Xwog/s1600-h/IMG_0725.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheaxBO5G2iihAztZsWP7IaBlaSeRC8XUCJoooFuQ2WEF8137lLeKNR3aNoO0v19lYe38jmnDdtG0HSc1-XN_ftivMqzr7XRRUrl-i9VGjWHwnPHQbzua3xSylHWMU3Dx-cTNTG1K6Xwog/s320/IMG_0725.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357200158744960018" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUgRGUFoWY5_WBbjvoCno9fWtfrzJ5Jdwha7O1qQ0CnHPg9URw0CsDLjUIm5ngSRLPOpJOROEnUprAqX_6L2F71HhvS6jO2OAOEci6GN0Gj6ES3Pa0aF3sYOFTxNpSYsnnK19WsFP7Mc/s1600-h/IMG_6711.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUgRGUFoWY5_WBbjvoCno9fWtfrzJ5Jdwha7O1qQ0CnHPg9URw0CsDLjUIm5ngSRLPOpJOROEnUprAqX_6L2F71HhvS6jO2OAOEci6GN0Gj6ES3Pa0aF3sYOFTxNpSYsnnK19WsFP7Mc/s320/IMG_6711.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357201419478103762" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWm6OIxceji5ih_l3cuNF1OGl-fsVTqnW0RLsLFnAyq83QTEHx0Hq_xHpEOSlqe-Gw4j35rupHXaW-DlKyjblKxXAEsyIbYg9l4WWroMwmrl2tXrAvilWLHjWRUeoiI5Mt-2-8GWcbdk/s1600-h/IMG_0737.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWm6OIxceji5ih_l3cuNF1OGl-fsVTqnW0RLsLFnAyq83QTEHx0Hq_xHpEOSlqe-Gw4j35rupHXaW-DlKyjblKxXAEsyIbYg9l4WWroMwmrl2tXrAvilWLHjWRUeoiI5Mt-2-8GWcbdk/s320/IMG_0737.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357200172691227442" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8UN6oVIxPYoMwgPMruQ02f1ijMx3KCUHa7sqn977VCnfoz_6WbIT1o7lM6y3tPWBnEsRSSwYZV-s6h7PXCZZVuRM4CaBmUQPkU__FEw5EmfAgWsjpW1s0iO0ZlnZV6XIYMYd1R42czjI/s1600-h/IMG_6715.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8UN6oVIxPYoMwgPMruQ02f1ijMx3KCUHa7sqn977VCnfoz_6WbIT1o7lM6y3tPWBnEsRSSwYZV-s6h7PXCZZVuRM4CaBmUQPkU__FEw5EmfAgWsjpW1s0iO0ZlnZV6XIYMYd1R42czjI/s320/IMG_6715.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357200165442328674" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">That night we had 7:30 dinner reservations at Marius, a small restaurant that had received a great review from the New York Times. The entire restaurant was run by a staff of three - the chef/owner, the sous chef and the server - which I found to be really impressive considering the quality of the service. </span> </div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyCrogYb8pbMIaPffwxB5c6lPSWCA-t2RMg459FMfcCo86y4NY8Znq3SNRYyOXUoxtHtK-J0hSKpcLcNkMKyJAE1zBHmwUO4Tm-Lq9gJ9_8LZiFnbhOk6rUhByxgWr3ApBgAoslays_g/s1600-h/IMG_6720.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyCrogYb8pbMIaPffwxB5c6lPSWCA-t2RMg459FMfcCo86y4NY8Znq3SNRYyOXUoxtHtK-J0hSKpcLcNkMKyJAE1zBHmwUO4Tm-Lq9gJ9_8LZiFnbhOk6rUhByxgWr3ApBgAoslays_g/s320/IMG_6720.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357204727628084882" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYE1x0WMqx35SfDc0fuA_UX7UsXYfJ6nRugAc98JmadTAbttIuolFReSKTH4N3YRga_7Y2Nhwxowy31PcYzVomEcmXdJq5_Di7sol4ITCYijuvZvO0zS7TiHomojJifLtq15cAUg5qYcQ/s1600-h/IMG_6727.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYE1x0WMqx35SfDc0fuA_UX7UsXYfJ6nRugAc98JmadTAbttIuolFReSKTH4N3YRga_7Y2Nhwxowy31PcYzVomEcmXdJq5_Di7sol4ITCYijuvZvO0zS7TiHomojJifLtq15cAUg5qYcQ/s320/IMG_6727.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355887071328420194" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlU1qTo4trvNj4zpJxVTuJqNS3tuNwiUPLWfh7tJ2yXzTT6Ip3_xXCBo4lRnyJtQuFov4PEIKmddih0v714-151uRbt934nCLRyeBSxZsDEmbQ3r5BNW0kz_9wT15TNxJvdBzgS1hXllc/s1600-h/IMG_6730.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlU1qTo4trvNj4zpJxVTuJqNS3tuNwiUPLWfh7tJ2yXzTT6Ip3_xXCBo4lRnyJtQuFov4PEIKmddih0v714-151uRbt934nCLRyeBSxZsDEmbQ3r5BNW0kz_9wT15TNxJvdBzgS1hXllc/s320/IMG_6730.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357203841023056610" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">On Saturday, my dad and I went to the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum. Both of us preferred the Van Gogh, so we spent much more time there than at the Rijksmuseum. We also walked through the back of Vondelpark before going back to the hotel. I had concert tickets to see Lenny Kravitz at an outdoor amphitheatre at Westerpark that night, and my dad was happy to have a quiet night in to rest before leaving for London the next day.</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAyuE7NccPFBJ4eOjHVk2oXFWui0n9_OnyaqC3nSemlKI-S0MIKAXneOp2vejhyJcROopLT9SEOJC3uYbZQNLAIUAaC_TaUQsbw-4THtUfQfRmZwhgrxbf3VdpIRkwaBn3Z0PvFqA30ao/s1600-h/IMG_6732.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAyuE7NccPFBJ4eOjHVk2oXFWui0n9_OnyaqC3nSemlKI-S0MIKAXneOp2vejhyJcROopLT9SEOJC3uYbZQNLAIUAaC_TaUQsbw-4THtUfQfRmZwhgrxbf3VdpIRkwaBn3Z0PvFqA30ao/s320/IMG_6732.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357204734658271714" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcx4A__Ya75rb-xgMK6p2ZMrOilEnL50_vhutIJ6T92cfgb1VflY4mlAUNmfQwZbS6bNWEzvI6bOnRp2rNrBZVo_GF_bnXWbF1tP62BovO-ZXeOKB-P53T3aqw8DvK7JJbWXVwzTEQqrs/s1600-h/IMG_0759.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcx4A__Ya75rb-xgMK6p2ZMrOilEnL50_vhutIJ6T92cfgb1VflY4mlAUNmfQwZbS6bNWEzvI6bOnRp2rNrBZVo_GF_bnXWbF1tP62BovO-ZXeOKB-P53T3aqw8DvK7JJbWXVwzTEQqrs/s320/IMG_0759.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357203854182459170" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBbAJqV6MTklXMrpcBadEMSvQ9ZO7gt3cwEIEr97J172iKbGCJxZobsD_Et34RvDIGbXNWHNZKIE4w6fV16a9a1QQCIbUJQA3izNlzySDSYJVmYJ0j23sx6ucdh96FBy0uThkDOeBlZI/s1600-h/IMG_0756.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBbAJqV6MTklXMrpcBadEMSvQ9ZO7gt3cwEIEr97J172iKbGCJxZobsD_Et34RvDIGbXNWHNZKIE4w6fV16a9a1QQCIbUJQA3izNlzySDSYJVmYJ0j23sx6ucdh96FBy0uThkDOeBlZI/s320/IMG_0756.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355887082455649314" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></span><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Lenny Kravitz concert started at 8 pm, so I arrived at Westerpark about 7 pm. It was packed, and I didn't hear any American voices. Some people were sitting down, some were standing, and I found a place among the standing part of the crowd. I have no idea what the opening act was, but they were good, and Lenny Kravitz took the stage at 9 pm. He is an amazing performer - very interactive with the crowd, played all the songs I wanted to hear except for one, and even gave a brief MJ tribute with the crowd singing along to "Billie Jean".</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigixqmAcsssRVtP0Oev_ULnYv-HEnYc5CXR8M_3vh3bnIxLMbheroQ_Bj2M4OKW_bbIS50c-N0lRVUmgq4OLey2OYpYWDx7ZQXXXLfFCUR2NkgOnqe9r6wz2C7ijvmNg-h_jnEh60xUEw/s1600-h/IMG_0793.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigixqmAcsssRVtP0Oev_ULnYv-HEnYc5CXR8M_3vh3bnIxLMbheroQ_Bj2M4OKW_bbIS50c-N0lRVUmgq4OLey2OYpYWDx7ZQXXXLfFCUR2NkgOnqe9r6wz2C7ijvmNg-h_jnEh60xUEw/s320/IMG_0793.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357208462246180850" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp7JPusrHaYwSU5wcxOZb_GwbPEeI0RHNOEpnp9c3XWoi1V5SSjeuAUFbPoIq2fWVFz2iamt137sGYuTVmYMhEFRSQewdYiiZqMbMzv1EKSeMamYkSpPxOutgkg7XZmTUaVQJHl1FQUgk/s1600-h/IMG_6768.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp7JPusrHaYwSU5wcxOZb_GwbPEeI0RHNOEpnp9c3XWoi1V5SSjeuAUFbPoIq2fWVFz2iamt137sGYuTVmYMhEFRSQewdYiiZqMbMzv1EKSeMamYkSpPxOutgkg7XZmTUaVQJHl1FQUgk/s320/IMG_6768.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357207924750909986" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwmvF4ysYzj1lUDul2fFnYZvYS8EPyAKE0pDa0SLpxj6CO4Mcl-N6gHh65znxIvcZG1jUj7_FUAphGgBxhmxY2CUhboBOTaK6WEPY9iOD9QaUiV7llxYbopo-zJQueVpJGYxipg2bw204/s1600-h/IMG_6756.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwmvF4ysYzj1lUDul2fFnYZvYS8EPyAKE0pDa0SLpxj6CO4Mcl-N6gHh65znxIvcZG1jUj7_FUAphGgBxhmxY2CUhboBOTaK6WEPY9iOD9QaUiV7llxYbopo-zJQueVpJGYxipg2bw204/s320/IMG_6756.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357207933094775122" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL8GosxdCa5_czMbC5TsYalnTOy0TVEClBbLcFAY74M0UHFgXiP-MvrC7tHT4D2ydyidn2ZKROPaSjLUTW7lerRwpuSXdUjWDaCBbyByxNgiVFBkyLELA_STQ4U54P2PCjQ_pEdZrIELY/s1600-h/IMG_0794.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL8GosxdCa5_czMbC5TsYalnTOy0TVEClBbLcFAY74M0UHFgXiP-MvrC7tHT4D2ydyidn2ZKROPaSjLUTW7lerRwpuSXdUjWDaCBbyByxNgiVFBkyLELA_STQ4U54P2PCjQ_pEdZrIELY/s320/IMG_0794.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357207939149872498" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik3jW616A4WYNoqPMHneXOs0DGjcMibALfyT9qN2S6NepA15Dl0fi5SbEQu7LOoouidNJFBTWUbYRc5VJ289-L1eh19E9sceVmJFTYBo4lI6xuuUynS2TTJORWt8amMsGVhQmo_SVsrOo/s1600-h/IMG_0796.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik3jW616A4WYNoqPMHneXOs0DGjcMibALfyT9qN2S6NepA15Dl0fi5SbEQu7LOoouidNJFBTWUbYRc5VJ289-L1eh19E9sceVmJFTYBo4lI6xuuUynS2TTJORWt8amMsGVhQmo_SVsrOo/s320/IMG_0796.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357207942051340578" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-77001139704537402632009-06-27T08:26:00.030-07:002009-06-27T12:17:32.216-07:00An American in Prague<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I've started becoming a bit homesick for all things American, even American things I don't particularly care for, like Wal-Mart. Little did I know that I would find enough America in a place like Prague to cure that part of my homesickness.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I stayed at the Andel's Hotel, which was nice, reasonably priced and centrally located to take the Metro and trams. I also later learned that it was located right by a large mall. A real American'esque mall (something I had yet to see in Europe), complete with Sephora and H&M and a food court and movie theatre. I'm a little ashamed to admit the rush of excitement I had upon learning this, but instead of denying myself, I jumped right in and headed over. There wasn't anything magical about it, but it was somehow comforting and familiar. Just in case you are wondering, I didn't buy anything while I was there.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-9d743yNR29eMV1X84Dv2bd6J9B8EozNNc9Voft936aIqB_fQcATu4hDlIqoa4XuIdEtdqK3nAF9B-3EJviN4o6UTGLtES8uDc1ea5g3M5cPv77wFovtKWchBFc7I5v1JZlm7RvuosA/s1600-h/IMG_6568.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-9d743yNR29eMV1X84Dv2bd6J9B8EozNNc9Voft936aIqB_fQcATu4hDlIqoa4XuIdEtdqK3nAF9B-3EJviN4o6UTGLtES8uDc1ea5g3M5cPv77wFovtKWchBFc7I5v1JZlm7RvuosA/s320/IMG_6568.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352088548247538242" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">At the mall was Tesco, their version of Wal-Mart. As I went down the aisles, which were marked overhead with what was on each one, just like at Wal-Mart, one thing I noticed was that many Czech words were English words with a "y" on the end, which I found funny. For example, chips are chipsy, crackers are crackery and liquor is likery (spelled different but phonetically the same).<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I also discovered that I could watch NBC News at the hotel. I mentioned in a previous blog that I hadn't been following the news or watching a lot of TV, but I did both in Prague. The news started at 6:30 Eastern, so 12:30 am in Prague, and I would stay up to watch. One night I caught a bit of Conan. I understand he officially took over Leno's spot since I've been gone, and I could tell a difference. I usually like Conan, but what I saw (part of his monologue) seemed different - awkward and almost forced. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Yes, I tore myself away from the mall long enough to see the major sites to see in Prague - Wenceslas Square, the Charles Bridge, the Mala Strana neighborhood, Old Town Square and the astronomical clock. I tried to go to Prague Castle one day, but as I was walking toward it from the Metro it started storming, so I had to go back. The storm didn't let up for several hours, and that was my last day there. Thankfully that was the only day it stormed, though it did rain everyday. It was also chilly, and I was wishing I had my Ireland clothes with me again that I had shipped back from London in my first wave of clothes shipments. The people in Prague were so nice, and everyone I met spoke English. I loved Prague - it was a beautiful city and is definitely in the top five places I've been so far in Europe. </span> <br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIEq71Hp72_SwWUnwWXfuKQ2UtYjUnE8CJl2BH8B28djyGpkmT5eU_TfUGElA_RUDvt6P-nmo1WMyUc8eVZ3_gjg8rTKeJHe19iT8CwRkcJc0Y63FkwexTfmPccF0bqlrFKQUnJOq8Hs/s1600-h/IMG_6452.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIEq71Hp72_SwWUnwWXfuKQ2UtYjUnE8CJl2BH8B28djyGpkmT5eU_TfUGElA_RUDvt6P-nmo1WMyUc8eVZ3_gjg8rTKeJHe19iT8CwRkcJc0Y63FkwexTfmPccF0bqlrFKQUnJOq8Hs/s320/IMG_6452.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352067209453617842" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijV8PUGlpvUx7hkFUiZbRT92wEWQTY646qA4K5dQJVT6qVtuTTh4Y2fEBkgUCF1lykfT_8BTzFvUAPjOTTvA2DTtA7hNU8R_vWtPK7eswrXbqjoRMWus02zT63Wxp2uZcTehwqKRnEKCg/s1600-h/IMG_6451.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijV8PUGlpvUx7hkFUiZbRT92wEWQTY646qA4K5dQJVT6qVtuTTh4Y2fEBkgUCF1lykfT_8BTzFvUAPjOTTvA2DTtA7hNU8R_vWtPK7eswrXbqjoRMWus02zT63Wxp2uZcTehwqKRnEKCg/s320/IMG_6451.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352067205459945730" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzXnDuUvi-DMnodlGcW7-5kBA3aj_6cgqbKw52lt8vSh_A0e3Ll8GYQvcSKTHoiMZC0DOM8Du2573MmoNEFfLKd2oj_CgRaUX_Et-19yZqnnq63S0VYmkl2QMODgfThSo1Tyd65HbHM8/s1600-h/IMG_6446.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzXnDuUvi-DMnodlGcW7-5kBA3aj_6cgqbKw52lt8vSh_A0e3Ll8GYQvcSKTHoiMZC0DOM8Du2573MmoNEFfLKd2oj_CgRaUX_Et-19yZqnnq63S0VYmkl2QMODgfThSo1Tyd65HbHM8/s320/IMG_6446.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352067202991060450" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXYVIlJGNFXQcSgjCb6FkmKeH5USO-jZILbnQY-51m39HwLnlmtvrUniRK-fxdzXlo9DbahmT1Kigq5pOwCGfPizIW0_jwIfVGvnL0EVVAbCcD9aYD6kqNQebAYI7KO8-Wpf-T4PzYfBc/s1600-h/IMG_6458.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXYVIlJGNFXQcSgjCb6FkmKeH5USO-jZILbnQY-51m39HwLnlmtvrUniRK-fxdzXlo9DbahmT1Kigq5pOwCGfPizIW0_jwIfVGvnL0EVVAbCcD9aYD6kqNQebAYI7KO8-Wpf-T4PzYfBc/s320/IMG_6458.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352068757126425650" style="cursor: pointer; 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width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLU69HlnZRjVpOFFzFIGZxvzHNVoM0Ug2w9eYg2DZXFeRZmLAZCArZacWdIvr4ygS37zpD95NJdM2QYYdOxoKdfoMapBa7bPoZiV7OgZ585wgTgTT_otkEG7nZsiOhdfQeK7Q_DRvhdRE/s1600-h/IMG_6500.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLU69HlnZRjVpOFFzFIGZxvzHNVoM0Ug2w9eYg2DZXFeRZmLAZCArZacWdIvr4ygS37zpD95NJdM2QYYdOxoKdfoMapBa7bPoZiV7OgZ585wgTgTT_otkEG7nZsiOhdfQeK7Q_DRvhdRE/s320/IMG_6500.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352073500040107202" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWuDbTNP2dTNGSOZEyrvmf2buy7rDRrGkoasxyOp_MYY4nJO4AU1Szq_bc3zZB4Bllf_ABWdneEMn-vDuVNDrw8Z46XNHgufFwV-8zq-W1awelFURSAhtaCA8OR98PLy9hh9KHWRG9Cc/s1600-h/IMG_6502.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWuDbTNP2dTNGSOZEyrvmf2buy7rDRrGkoasxyOp_MYY4nJO4AU1Szq_bc3zZB4Bllf_ABWdneEMn-vDuVNDrw8Z46XNHgufFwV-8zq-W1awelFURSAhtaCA8OR98PLy9hh9KHWRG9Cc/s320/IMG_6502.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352073502747473106" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdil44S1kEqBrIDoFg548Qjq1lAY8Hkm4b5zfMHujsA9IvkN0rjzEk8JwpOvX8efDXfgMF1JeLz5aUquiFY8k0RzaExfjO4UnERHv1wyt5sK0SXk1o-ISAlVUoalqZXUE_VywzKSaF9s/s1600-h/IMG_6503.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdil44S1kEqBrIDoFg548Qjq1lAY8Hkm4b5zfMHujsA9IvkN0rjzEk8JwpOvX8efDXfgMF1JeLz5aUquiFY8k0RzaExfjO4UnERHv1wyt5sK0SXk1o-ISAlVUoalqZXUE_VywzKSaF9s/s320/IMG_6503.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352073508077178322" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHWb4tenqCqZ7HTEsFfGaw9fojC_AN6uuXVFU2RYf0LBIhPU6YAh05o56aem39BcfRLR0_oHU8HxlmWDLPqDhVXL29Vu6F8nRQizzkfKQZnWIXX8cFQLGrMSdEyMK-zdEbv5Cxa_IwWRA/s1600-h/IMG_6509.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHWb4tenqCqZ7HTEsFfGaw9fojC_AN6uuXVFU2RYf0LBIhPU6YAh05o56aem39BcfRLR0_oHU8HxlmWDLPqDhVXL29Vu6F8nRQizzkfKQZnWIXX8cFQLGrMSdEyMK-zdEbv5Cxa_IwWRA/s320/IMG_6509.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352073516576076594" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A random fact about Prague: The escalators in the Metro are TALL. One of the tallest escalators in the world is said to be in Prague. They are also super fast, which is a little scary considering how tall they are and how far you would have to fall. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_lgayLqz3_nSb0JE49w8hJKQKtvTDYWCauR9pjJBeeQAWhZba6_BLZvnZqQ5_rBbfXUrbWeQiThD82NIRMUnVvl8KPoWzCAJ_w_r7EyoahwE4nj5l1SzaulV48rWqvTzKPuPjKLXu0M/s1600-h/IMG_6518.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_lgayLqz3_nSb0JE49w8hJKQKtvTDYWCauR9pjJBeeQAWhZba6_BLZvnZqQ5_rBbfXUrbWeQiThD82NIRMUnVvl8KPoWzCAJ_w_r7EyoahwE4nj5l1SzaulV48rWqvTzKPuPjKLXu0M/s320/IMG_6518.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352064993832305682" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I went to the Depeche Mode concert on Thursday, my last night in Prague. The concert was at Eden Stadium, the city's new soccer stadium. Everything on the ground was general admission, and the stands where I was sitting were almost all covered with an awning, which turned out to be great because it rained off and on all night. The rain didn't stop what seemed like half the crowd from going down to the general admission area - it was packed. Depeche Mode played for a little over two hours, nearly all the songs I wanted to hear and put on an awesome show. I included a short video excerpt below of "Enjoy the Silence" - enjoy! </span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8fEQoziQM7m1JBn0_4-8SOLPd5WG3JEphc9gb6fRr1EgJ6yzcQKLNV-NgbveLgWVXOwteZjUWRPEKyzHeqEr4bcoVIZvsXggXz5VjQUsjRhwRwAk3RWH2cCL78seB6OVQTRqtgtsr4A/s1600-h/IMG_6526.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8fEQoziQM7m1JBn0_4-8SOLPd5WG3JEphc9gb6fRr1EgJ6yzcQKLNV-NgbveLgWVXOwteZjUWRPEKyzHeqEr4bcoVIZvsXggXz5VjQUsjRhwRwAk3RWH2cCL78seB6OVQTRqtgtsr4A/s320/IMG_6526.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352058413081334418" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1WiaNqYJV_4Um5dhRNMFFdfK-gSVkTHRzw_pwit2WAvqydo82bS00Iygfdl1EVa6-S_OLcM-ziMDUkNhCJQU04WIbiyktmRHtjQZANnQx9yroFoQf7V15aaoJ2jQbZKOKf_vIejGSko/s1600-h/IMG_6529.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1WiaNqYJV_4Um5dhRNMFFdfK-gSVkTHRzw_pwit2WAvqydo82bS00Iygfdl1EVa6-S_OLcM-ziMDUkNhCJQU04WIbiyktmRHtjQZANnQx9yroFoQf7V15aaoJ2jQbZKOKf_vIejGSko/s320/IMG_6529.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352058419519716978" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXH2S7jeFvGJVjTdg3buYVVHY04wZPQiwDbjVaajjipsVU4h8RiPOfYhO7G8abcGbX0GjeO1h4d0UY2CJow2U510QAYsE3-VDcBCICz7bwUQF4yo0KsUZ0wCJIPuDifJlpKnmgh8e5Vmc/s1600-h/IMG_6552.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXH2S7jeFvGJVjTdg3buYVVHY04wZPQiwDbjVaajjipsVU4h8RiPOfYhO7G8abcGbX0GjeO1h4d0UY2CJow2U510QAYsE3-VDcBCICz7bwUQF4yo0KsUZ0wCJIPuDifJlpKnmgh8e5Vmc/s320/IMG_6552.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352058423209851442" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktWIVXBCTIcASTI_DlU9lJW83VYl7tJ1lqKTvLRGpSumiB5HJ6kifYfUJSPlfxA-NwrycRpkToZhvrCKqZbggq8z2H4Nt2ms4EfhDf9UrB0EYnxcg2MQZJTAimFzqRfTAIGGxznlnNtU/s1600-h/IMG_6556.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktWIVXBCTIcASTI_DlU9lJW83VYl7tJ1lqKTvLRGpSumiB5HJ6kifYfUJSPlfxA-NwrycRpkToZhvrCKqZbggq8z2H4Nt2ms4EfhDf9UrB0EYnxcg2MQZJTAimFzqRfTAIGGxznlnNtU/s320/IMG_6556.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352058430929300738" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dygNQvYzJi21_7g1YDV5ykE2sJIimLID9N3KCRiZtQPKFr0FLn4HzC7b1_RPilYhowOOlMV4itiP0XjiIqjIw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Earlier in the day, Honey had emailed me that Farrah Fawcett had passed away. Considering I had heard about Ed McMahon the night before (NBC News), I emailed her back and said: "Bad things happen in threes. Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett. I bet there will be another big name celebrity in the next week or so." So sure enough, when I got back to the hotel that night I had an email from Honey that said: "#3 - Michael Jackson." I couldn't believe it and turned on NBC News and sure enough they were just reporting it. After NBC news ended, I flipped over to the BBC, and I couldn't believe how shoddy the reporting was. It was such a train wreck, though, that I couldn't stop watching for fear I might miss something highly entertaining such as one of these snippets:<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">BBC Anchor to President of Michael Jackson fan club: "He was known to be a very tall man and have a firm handshake." (Really, is this the best you've got?)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">President of Michael Jackson fan club: "No actually he was quite short. I'm 5'10", and when we met I noticed he was quite a bit shorter than me." (And while he didn't comment on it, who thinks MJ had a firm handshake? Not me!)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">* * *</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">BBC: "He liked to play with monkeys and climb trees." (Hmmm... maybe so, but he just passed away. Give the guy some dignity! Ok, yeah, never mind, it's Michael Jackson...)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">* * *</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">BBC: "What the Spice Girls were to the 90s, Michael Jackson was to the 80s." (Oh now, come on. That is just ludicrous.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Other than the reporting, I haven't heard too much about his death over here, though I did hear someone blaring "Wanna Be Starting Something" today and I saw a record shop window hanging a Michael Jackson display. Personally, I was a bit shaken up by his death, which sounds funny even for me to say considering that as a person I think he was creepy. But Thriller was the first album I really took an interest in when I was 8 years old. The first concert I ever saw was Michael Jackson in 1984 at Neyland Stadium. And of course any time I hear Billie Jean I have to get up and dance! </span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-49343796216263696562009-06-21T06:18:00.039-07:002009-06-21T14:47:41.684-07:00Angels & Demons<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Originally I only planned to stay in Rome three days. But when I did my Rome research the travel guides said to allot as many days as possible to see all there is to see. Also thinking that too much moving around on this trip might wear me out and it would be nice to have another home base for awhile, I upped my time from three days to 10. I should have stuck with the original plan.<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I love big cities. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Charming</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> big cities. In my opinion, Rome doesn't hold much charm. The people aren't particularly nice (where's a friendly Parisian when you need one?), the buildings aren't beautiful (impressive, yes; beautiful, no), the Tiber River is not a good (or clean) place to go sit by the water for the afternoon, there weren't any art museums I particularly wanted to see and I didn't stumble upon a really good park. Rome reminds me a lot of the way that I felt about Athens, Greece when I was there last May - probably the first big city I'd ever been to that I didn't really like and while I appreciated it for what it was, it just wasn't my thing.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">My saving grace while I have been in Rome was the book Angels & Demons. I was told to read it before I got to Rome, and I finished it while I was in Venice. (Very entertaining and a fast read by the way.) For those of you who haven't read the book or seen the movie (I'm waiting to see the movie until I get back to the States), it takes place in roughly a 24 hour period of time across Rome. There is a map in the front of the book that shows all the major landmarks that the main characters visit. I spent a few days going to the sites in the book, which are broken down as Earth, Air, Fire and Water.<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Earth is inside the Chigi Chapel of the Santa Maria del Popolo. Unfortunately the church was closed the day I visited, so I walked around the Piazza del Popolo.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgst7ic5SQbp-qqVxS4oy_FNCMsiPN8W-mqxAq2_zQemeTZ7leqaq747wBJB-3kARPZyL5EshCozbjIuRhfuS8LwW3IVMUIubR_eA810P7jhVmi5RjB__JRuwKmNKN0tdXuMaVbNIHfb9w/s1600-h/IMG_6394.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgst7ic5SQbp-qqVxS4oy_FNCMsiPN8W-mqxAq2_zQemeTZ7leqaq747wBJB-3kARPZyL5EshCozbjIuRhfuS8LwW3IVMUIubR_eA810P7jhVmi5RjB__JRuwKmNKN0tdXuMaVbNIHfb9w/s320/IMG_6394.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349896843651184882" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReEGeoSuOVw_hIlxCgsYD3RlZ0MQnGYc0NhfslIc0Mn7NVzWhSLP6HdXXY6aWvq964UOnIXv1Lo02kkwKzMEtcH14nYK7qQNXO5m5QoEryBiGXyYF_JikforRpOiXvK0tffp__irL0qM/s1600-h/IMG_6374.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReEGeoSuOVw_hIlxCgsYD3RlZ0MQnGYc0NhfslIc0Mn7NVzWhSLP6HdXXY6aWvq964UOnIXv1Lo02kkwKzMEtcH14nYK7qQNXO5m5QoEryBiGXyYF_JikforRpOiXvK0tffp__irL0qM/s320/IMG_6374.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349896852405370898" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsSXVYA7c9VLGrMkuuFsYspjA60jxfHbGUzRHZaYS3qIGfxXp0Gyr1ggAsuLzc582TC5YNyAQ83jkLJhILTeq2IxIKYFbOLaExT8FtB5WzU-jx3s2uUdA7JVEyW1fSpP1yrgrc7N72wE/s1600-h/IMG_6383.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsSXVYA7c9VLGrMkuuFsYspjA60jxfHbGUzRHZaYS3qIGfxXp0Gyr1ggAsuLzc582TC5YNyAQ83jkLJhILTeq2IxIKYFbOLaExT8FtB5WzU-jx3s2uUdA7JVEyW1fSpP1yrgrc7N72wE/s320/IMG_6383.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349896856468409490" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Air is at the base of the obelisk in Saint Peter's Square.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfXbUKVq_xCCROGYKmlRJrvAt4dMb96Rku-9zQNUA-LMe8GkVO_qtzJcKNHn2K4JgvuIUMhwcvo5GVShDVOQZnDbIOTqoKS7pwRcWpaOZwkxCDpEKBCtxP_eVEPj3h9Y6m29Gn8MUjKM/s1600-h/IMG_6345.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfXbUKVq_xCCROGYKmlRJrvAt4dMb96Rku-9zQNUA-LMe8GkVO_qtzJcKNHn2K4JgvuIUMhwcvo5GVShDVOQZnDbIOTqoKS7pwRcWpaOZwkxCDpEKBCtxP_eVEPj3h9Y6m29Gn8MUjKM/s320/IMG_6345.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349898757964005442" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNTNHNa_uu1iFzUbcDzsOy8pVnZlVKbYufQASvv37TcqxKZIPVKLtM9azMweIXFrWYyMvJhTBMUf_oGciX_8pK_M4eRsnvyCpJ3YBbqQo7hvutkZQbhABHMJWOLfWO-9zeJT_Fl3Tmg4/s1600-h/IMG_6346.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNTNHNa_uu1iFzUbcDzsOy8pVnZlVKbYufQASvv37TcqxKZIPVKLtM9azMweIXFrWYyMvJhTBMUf_oGciX_8pK_M4eRsnvyCpJ3YBbqQo7hvutkZQbhABHMJWOLfWO-9zeJT_Fl3Tmg4/s320/IMG_6346.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349898766242585298" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLkV2TGq_8QH5qD1ioWVB_PVEKNvSdbp7QvPOOIFmNRGwab3h7g5DRkG5LlnKsgKrceRg3FcPW6gZ6JyHuJVMAtv162ymq1gUPUFin4I60wdnRM9V08XW-lspIIO1L44a68LxT97bNuU/s1600-h/IMG_6349.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLkV2TGq_8QH5qD1ioWVB_PVEKNvSdbp7QvPOOIFmNRGwab3h7g5DRkG5LlnKsgKrceRg3FcPW6gZ6JyHuJVMAtv162ymq1gUPUFin4I60wdnRM9V08XW-lspIIO1L44a68LxT97bNuU/s320/IMG_6349.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349898770005358306" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Fire is Bernini's statue of Saint Teresa in Ecstasy inside the Santa Maria Della Vittoria.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZgNwp4IOZXVWW5I4OhKoT6S4_HpfsD8srO8e9yg6BS0FmfdC2CY4a17szTBiqrwJk6s3b-rF4jayeaO4mxa6gX6xGdl9Tz1yx4GRYYwmaEQjs12WKNbc33fcedmou05Z_Nww0nnyVag/s1600-h/IMG_6395.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZgNwp4IOZXVWW5I4OhKoT6S4_HpfsD8srO8e9yg6BS0FmfdC2CY4a17szTBiqrwJk6s3b-rF4jayeaO4mxa6gX6xGdl9Tz1yx4GRYYwmaEQjs12WKNbc33fcedmou05Z_Nww0nnyVag/s320/IMG_6395.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349894737103240914" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgjhszAl6Ux_xXLS-c2Gr5NVJpXVUPTJtBRL1qT2Yml-IUOWICpJj4ZLa1ZNypvTY1bMCBQiHl1pEk8dfXUQxAp-MR0_QhMXeXCauS0Iks-MsEhRMrlCNFJWCF1DrRIcPC64-cKHLu2g/s1600-h/IMG_6408.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgjhszAl6Ux_xXLS-c2Gr5NVJpXVUPTJtBRL1qT2Yml-IUOWICpJj4ZLa1ZNypvTY1bMCBQiHl1pEk8dfXUQxAp-MR0_QhMXeXCauS0Iks-MsEhRMrlCNFJWCF1DrRIcPC64-cKHLu2g/s320/IMG_6408.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349894744664559458" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTOvTrFqwNrb5VWSyF1FvPQCKirr657fQd-C-UQ37Zja4oJ42oCbSLegrwIMr781byVGZkskeV7ZmJi2iC05tJsGdsV6s-wrfyrB4sloGibSM1S6jARGYZVHQ8Y6b-N7737cFgFiRR4w/s1600-h/IMG_6405.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTOvTrFqwNrb5VWSyF1FvPQCKirr657fQd-C-UQ37Zja4oJ42oCbSLegrwIMr781byVGZkskeV7ZmJi2iC05tJsGdsV6s-wrfyrB4sloGibSM1S6jARGYZVHQ8Y6b-N7737cFgFiRR4w/s320/IMG_6405.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349894752465675282" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOvYowqChiiLZNDLs8ZQRD-fhsp7lbUflp-mv9Mz8PVl2TKEJRyNNxPeTLpyuRx_k3NX5Qq7btXjJOGKUhm-R79TXM-SdnI55NEFWtEvuL4b_8StAQ5iVX7CxxXj8-aRtyhdeOTcUha8/s1600-h/IMG_6412.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOvYowqChiiLZNDLs8ZQRD-fhsp7lbUflp-mv9Mz8PVl2TKEJRyNNxPeTLpyuRx_k3NX5Qq7btXjJOGKUhm-R79TXM-SdnI55NEFWtEvuL4b_8StAQ5iVX7CxxXj8-aRtyhdeOTcUha8/s320/IMG_6412.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349894757984212658" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Water is Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers on Piazza Navona.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCxZAAXd86-3wQphaDcAOm6xPlVJZ8ncA5cHhzpNe9UoRDF33m_OSVJ_duiU6GKBuww_6w4YHhRBviq9zF0Xid85WKEsY0bDpXPU3aBfNiwwlicLObajoTgcFM7Q5vi2CSMibT6oG01c/s1600-h/IMG_6308.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCxZAAXd86-3wQphaDcAOm6xPlVJZ8ncA5cHhzpNe9UoRDF33m_OSVJ_duiU6GKBuww_6w4YHhRBviq9zF0Xid85WKEsY0bDpXPU3aBfNiwwlicLObajoTgcFM7Q5vi2CSMibT6oG01c/s320/IMG_6308.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349891319797374514" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXb9rUoRjzpwf-oLL95Zq6NsKhSGYCk2greGrTxUpwp7sOH0xqhtGwunyIupAxr_Teby7v_ZPVoprRuty4jdZPa9Y6ro5ws7GMn014G7sKFl_cghICYSXV3MJGZ2Rsuog5qk58tuBRY9s/s1600-h/IMG_6311.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXb9rUoRjzpwf-oLL95Zq6NsKhSGYCk2greGrTxUpwp7sOH0xqhtGwunyIupAxr_Teby7v_ZPVoprRuty4jdZPa9Y6ro5ws7GMn014G7sKFl_cghICYSXV3MJGZ2Rsuog5qk58tuBRY9s/s320/IMG_6311.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349891325407545218" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcx1C2jXc1_CSYX8cJZTHeBBbM4GQSZNNjk3hSDFVoPF4EUxiVi27VZoAFTkRvuwklzpIYRxbPEjLE7ltHkQiiBOswGooTXrqIVzTbcNiKWX50Y30ff_XUO73B_ksgNr9PBlHDSGQb-RY/s1600-h/IMG_6325.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcx1C2jXc1_CSYX8cJZTHeBBbM4GQSZNNjk3hSDFVoPF4EUxiVi27VZoAFTkRvuwklzpIYRxbPEjLE7ltHkQiiBOswGooTXrqIVzTbcNiKWX50Y30ff_XUO73B_ksgNr9PBlHDSGQb-RY/s320/IMG_6325.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349891326960224530" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In addition to the Angels & Demons sites, I also saw the other must-see sites in Rome: the Pantheon and Piazza del Pantheon, the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine, the Forum, the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel (though I did go to Saint Peter's Square, I did not go in Saint Peter's Basilica - the line was so long and didn't appear to be moving, and it was out in the sun on one of the 90+ degree days), the Spanish Steps and Piazza de Spagna (and the designer boutiques nearby). </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRmGrRGxi_JTdegBWsoXSStloLv1t1E26QAAPaq4EukCEiRL8jGaZKsvDCCVXrwdr0lLkMYzvyfL5gcremmqWR3RM0UbII1RNXDiPj17w7wQX7_yz_pUT1Y7uMbCfjQzvCLy21a4dVYY/s1600-h/IMG_6269.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRmGrRGxi_JTdegBWsoXSStloLv1t1E26QAAPaq4EukCEiRL8jGaZKsvDCCVXrwdr0lLkMYzvyfL5gcremmqWR3RM0UbII1RNXDiPj17w7wQX7_yz_pUT1Y7uMbCfjQzvCLy21a4dVYY/s320/IMG_6269.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349876904916162786" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLZG1MJ4yT9qAZB1NiI1uDFnYJGkHJ-2kyEtXuP1Q7xyL7JXXXR3NO7eCdI3QfwZ9S4YN5NgNjlAM1fAjdEG9kacSqCYySmaqSXhdrYcv6tZHYL8qcZ7SOLaJTa4X0IJ-JGl1OuDOKLM/s1600-h/IMG_6253.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLZG1MJ4yT9qAZB1NiI1uDFnYJGkHJ-2kyEtXuP1Q7xyL7JXXXR3NO7eCdI3QfwZ9S4YN5NgNjlAM1fAjdEG9kacSqCYySmaqSXhdrYcv6tZHYL8qcZ7SOLaJTa4X0IJ-JGl1OuDOKLM/s320/IMG_6253.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349879396990446434" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirNSnvsciSez4FDlYvPjiR3yxysK10-2ynGJP56IPu9KahubMf-3McXZYGVIIUUI4UNn46DQQC1wUblmfIuBq7VMD-osPQ-_-pddk0lOdzE0pibKFVkKDD47CX4c5bBaIWQjQqw9h-xA8/s1600-h/IMG_6260.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirNSnvsciSez4FDlYvPjiR3yxysK10-2ynGJP56IPu9KahubMf-3McXZYGVIIUUI4UNn46DQQC1wUblmfIuBq7VMD-osPQ-_-pddk0lOdzE0pibKFVkKDD47CX4c5bBaIWQjQqw9h-xA8/s320/IMG_6260.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349876902372590770" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzznGe6bTm61UORylGjQZp6btOsBLaRStDAmlCWYnASiumALvAl5lkHF_pcFY_ZeKWUJRPoAf2FCSUJZdWpLwR_R-AFJuVDlxrmgOi4CqdcaKoY161eDBnltsaOytDgQS-dBVJYDlThw/s1600-h/IMG_6257.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzznGe6bTm61UORylGjQZp6btOsBLaRStDAmlCWYnASiumALvAl5lkHF_pcFY_ZeKWUJRPoAf2FCSUJZdWpLwR_R-AFJuVDlxrmgOi4CqdcaKoY161eDBnltsaOytDgQS-dBVJYDlThw/s320/IMG_6257.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349879401223274962" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhis50zb_EW96QSOvkEEXJufNwS3vLrOlhy_sOoj7fLgNk3bgz0PetIwe8s3JNrFfujsWUlchydBNXJASdzx0IA6x9cVwkeeAj1W1TmJ22VNaIcAiKExSZAsKG2U5eeUlVE16KjaQD3aVw/s1600-h/IMG_6262.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhis50zb_EW96QSOvkEEXJufNwS3vLrOlhy_sOoj7fLgNk3bgz0PetIwe8s3JNrFfujsWUlchydBNXJASdzx0IA6x9cVwkeeAj1W1TmJ22VNaIcAiKExSZAsKG2U5eeUlVE16KjaQD3aVw/s320/IMG_6262.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349878150520398050" style="cursor: pointer; 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width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I'm one of those strange people that doesn't love ice cream. Well, there is one exception... Anyway, ice cream, or gelato is huge in Italy. Gelaterias are everywhere. Forget 32 flavors. Some Italian gelaterias boast as many as 100. (Yesterday I saw a flavor called "English Soup" - this couldn't have been good.) It would be odd to walk down the street and not pass several people eating gelato. So despite my aforesaid thoughts on ice cream, I was intrigued and tried kiwi, mango and coconut, which I liked in that order. I also discovered icees (as you will know from my previous blog, I've been craving ice), specifically lemon icees, which I found to be better than any gelato I've had.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4hAMTMRM4dIdH4rHglb4NknB045gZ_T3PvlIuBBHc0bk_XsbyRbC1_BlUBpep7HENdKt59Igp71-QYSm0zTPhL14gxS4tXnK43vhFPOmKSu0HO_Tm-zF5LCngwLGXlwj9i95jnPjXNY/s1600-h/IMG_0745.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4hAMTMRM4dIdH4rHglb4NknB045gZ_T3PvlIuBBHc0bk_XsbyRbC1_BlUBpep7HENdKt59Igp71-QYSm0zTPhL14gxS4tXnK43vhFPOmKSu0HO_Tm-zF5LCngwLGXlwj9i95jnPjXNY/s320/IMG_0745.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349873815102346882" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I rented an apartment in an area of Rome called Trastevere, which is located south of Vatican City on the west bank of the Tiber river. It is a very nice area that is known to have maintained its original character, especially with its narrow, cobblestone streets (apparently much of the cobblestone streets elsewhere in Rome are being paved because the vibration from cars driving over them have been leading to cracks in the foundation of historic sites in the city). The apartment itself I am renting is huge - three times the size of the other places I've stayed - and very nicely decorated except... The guy that owns the place is obviously highly eccentric and narcissistic, and he has pictures of himself, by himself, hanging up all over the apartment. One in particular is hanging in the bathroom, and as you will see why below, it disturbs me every time I take a shower.<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvInN0N4nNMmqMjay1hRCJh3YjB_IZLMFBGJpHZgGs7wvad2ZnvYE2tg3lSLAav-5wCfN4EtLfdwcf2GssbekdAs8_tjG_ACnIPVxP8E_NlyvNjAl3fGk9zDtB7khfnQzCU0-G24nB-8/s1600-h/IMG_0746.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvInN0N4nNMmqMjay1hRCJh3YjB_IZLMFBGJpHZgGs7wvad2ZnvYE2tg3lSLAav-5wCfN4EtLfdwcf2GssbekdAs8_tjG_ACnIPVxP8E_NlyvNjAl3fGk9zDtB7khfnQzCU0-G24nB-8/s320/IMG_0746.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349873331665093794" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Maneuvering around Rome is harder than most cities I've visited. As opposed to, for example, Paris' Metro where there are 16 lines (so virtually a Metro stop anywhere you turn), in Rome there are only two lines - A and B. Apparently the reason there are so few lines is because as they have attempted to dig additional lines under the city they run into archaeological finds, which obviously slows down the process. In order for me to get to a Metro stop from my apartment, it was about a 30 minute process of walking plus a bus ride. Once to the Metro, though, most of the sites I wanted to see were easy to get to and just a brief walk from a Metro stop.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I knew there would be places on this trip that I loved and places I didn't particularly care for, and unfortunately I have to place Rome in the latter category. A large part of it is my disinterest in the history of the Roman Empire, and because I knew that going in, I should have ignored the travel guides and stuck with my gut to stay only three days. Regardless, I'm still glad I saw what I did but will be very happy to move on to Prague tomorrow!</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-15377779672808664732009-06-18T10:03:00.008-07:002009-06-19T13:55:47.301-07:00I Miss Ice and Other Random Thoughts<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I've been in Rome now for a week. I'm not really in the mood to blog about Rome at the moment, though. I'm over halfway through the trip, so here are a few things I've been thinking about:<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Living on $30 a day (after accommodation expenses obviously) is more difficult than it sounds.<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Despite using sunscreen every day, I am more tan than I have ever been in my life. This is not saying a lot as I'm still more pale than most of you are during the winter. Also, my hair is starting to turn red, but this is par for the course for me when I spend time in the sun.<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I can't wait to see my dad in Amsterdam in a little less than two weeks.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I have not driven a car in nearly two months, and I have only worn heels once during that time. Am I going to forget these very important skills?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Speaking of driving a car, I have toyed with the idea of renting a car to drive the Autobahn in Germany when I'm staying in Salzburg, which is right on the border. I can't remember which of you told me I couldn't drive the Autobahn without a special license, but I checked and all I need is my TN license and to fill out some paperwork.<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">One of the best things I have done on this trip is to ship clothes back home - not once but twice! (And yes, they made it.) I simply brought too much stuff. Surprise surprise! I also downgraded to a much smaller rolling bag and dumped my large bag in the hallway of an apartment building since I didn't know what else to do with it. So on travel days I'm a much happier girl for not having to pull all that weight around, but on the other hand...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I'm going to burn every single item of clothing I have with me on this trip the moment I get back. One pair of jeans, one pair of cargo pants, two skirts, six tank tops, one jacket. Those are pretty much my choices. Oh and a few dresses, most of which will never be worn because they aren't practical but apparently seemed to me like they would be when I packed them! You would laugh if you could only see all that I shipped home that I thought I would need. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Is $100 too much to pay to see Madonna in Milan? Maybe so, but it's Madonna! In Milan! Add her to the roster of shows I'll see this summer starting with Depeche Mode in Prague next week, which will be awesome, though I'm really hoping to catch them in the States too when I get back.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Other than Kelly keeping me posted about the Obama/fly/PETA controversy, I really have no idea what is going on in the world right now. I can't read headlines when I walk past a newsstand (at the moment in my life they are all in Italian), and I don't watch TV here. I'm typically a pretty avid news follower, but I think there may be something to the whole ignorance is bliss thing.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">World news aside, I do, however, keep up with people's Facebook statuses. And from everyone's statuses about the thunderstorms in Knoxville, it sounds like Armageddon at home.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I miss ice. They don't believe in ice in Europe, which I remember from my two previous visits. During those short trips of nearly two weeks each I started craving ice, so you can imagine how I'm feeling nearly two months in. One of my favorite things when I've had an apartment is to freeze a bottle of water almost to the point of being frozen and then drink it. You have no idea how good that is when ice is not otherwise an option.<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I miss going to the gym. Very strange, I know! Out of desperation I've taken to using a 2 Liter water bottle as a weight. I am seriously doubting its effectiveness, but it makes me feel like I'm doing something. I walk at least a couple of hours a day, but I still don't really feel like I'm getting a good workout. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">On the flipside, though, walking in the sun wears me out, and I take naps almost daily - a habit that will need to be broken once I get back and start working again!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">And speaking of working, I most decidedly do NOT miss work. Or rather, I don't miss law. I'll be excited to land some sort of a writing/editing gig. I just need to find it...</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I also miss, in no particular order: my family and friends, both of my book clubs, my Bunco gals, YPLC and my daily emails with Tiffany, sugar-free mojitos at Sapphire, going to Barnes & Noble to sit with books and magazines for a couple of hours, guac and chips and a Tequila Sundown at La Costa, TC, lunch with Honey at Trio and all the happenings on Market Square (though I don't miss the teenagers at Sundown). I'll have to get my fix of these things once I get back in August before I take off again. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I love all the emails and blog comments - keep them coming! </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-56131951984917661732009-06-15T10:22:00.033-07:002009-06-16T03:47:43.219-07:00Venice is for... Me<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">On Tuesday morning I left Paris for Venice. I had added Venice into my itinerary because it just seemed like something I needed to see. I didn't know what to anticipate, though, and beyond gondolas, I honestly wasn't expecting all that much. I had read that I only needed two days to see Venice but had built in three because with all the traveling, it's hard to pick up and go again after only two days. <br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Once I arrived in Venice, I took the bus from the airport to Piazzele Roma. This is as far as you can get with ground transport. From there, it's either a private water taxi ($$$) or a vaporetto, which is basically like a ferry bus with stops throughout the canal. I opted for the vaporetto, and it was very easy and cheap. It was also a great introduction to Venice, which was so picturesque and with the canals, obviously so different than where I had been so far. Four stops later I was at my vaporetto stop right in front of San Stae Church. From there I had instructions to get to the hotel, which was just one street and a private bridge away.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitp8NoYihC4gNVoTOV-JR1rQ7oUTe5AIpbewR1OQILT3wBqYMttOXJQoC9sx9DWK_AaEq0SXZvk0PEHdwQdE2vpFPkFeTW5pevGgnj0bOdEByVUUVigHPJXheuzxdHbmCeVrEbkv3rjO0/s1600-h/IMG_6113.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitp8NoYihC4gNVoTOV-JR1rQ7oUTe5AIpbewR1OQILT3wBqYMttOXJQoC9sx9DWK_AaEq0SXZvk0PEHdwQdE2vpFPkFeTW5pevGgnj0bOdEByVUUVigHPJXheuzxdHbmCeVrEbkv3rjO0/s320/IMG_6113.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347724844698190210" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczaBeKCFRJCluIJSjIMZAvBvhLoV22icHTHyDqzAt-ydWoVb8kCeqZfPPvutMW0Gig0kYJ900ofD7dJgHRUr_182ZcWo1sgAfF2dmcgCAsb8byGDkvHtLvVmv2dRgWJ5agLBBRhnclm8/s1600-h/IMG_6244.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczaBeKCFRJCluIJSjIMZAvBvhLoV22icHTHyDqzAt-ydWoVb8kCeqZfPPvutMW0Gig0kYJ900ofD7dJgHRUr_182ZcWo1sgAfF2dmcgCAsb8byGDkvHtLvVmv2dRgWJ5agLBBRhnclm8/s320/IMG_6244.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347724853376522914" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSkq92u7O60fR_tHTB3QrYw-G7v_C72i7I7hhqkDcqT2RuS_VBRh8IX0Mh21RQmUtSkoUdSGwSPt9IfyC1T2fBYws2jlmq-ZLQqbWQ3tfL1l2Roiv8X8Zi4bBfXoQdilKgTnf9RtRZ4fk/s1600-h/IMG_6127.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSkq92u7O60fR_tHTB3QrYw-G7v_C72i7I7hhqkDcqT2RuS_VBRh8IX0Mh21RQmUtSkoUdSGwSPt9IfyC1T2fBYws2jlmq-ZLQqbWQ3tfL1l2Roiv8X8Zi4bBfXoQdilKgTnf9RtRZ4fk/s320/IMG_6127.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347734518127749090" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The hotel, Al Ponte Mocenigo, was great. It was small - only 10 rooms - and included breakfast each morning in a really beautiful outdoor courtyard. I was surprised that nearly everyone staying there was American. Because they had to move my room after one night (and I offered to pay in cash), they gave me a greatly reduced rate well under my daily budget. Hotels in Venice during the summer are expensive, so I was lucky to find this place. Also, it was far removed from the touristy areas, which I found out later was a good thing, and near some really great restaurants, cafes and bakeries (now that I'm a bakery junkie and all, that is important to me - the madness has got to stop).<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcFAHyLcG_N5Bdn-VOD5FPeLZzeMzqQUryhFkgFwOBJeMU5YTO-RknvNlGEwvuY5o3XaUrZDfHpo6xwJDCGb_j_PSsvSXXTAspJK6DODIy3oychHHcsUghmjjUtrlc1QKxchkWBybQI5g/s1600-h/IMG_6123.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcFAHyLcG_N5Bdn-VOD5FPeLZzeMzqQUryhFkgFwOBJeMU5YTO-RknvNlGEwvuY5o3XaUrZDfHpo6xwJDCGb_j_PSsvSXXTAspJK6DODIy3oychHHcsUghmjjUtrlc1QKxchkWBybQI5g/s320/IMG_6123.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347727805119394642" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCElyaW2AMoheyNDJkVOwKupzzWH-xgsfRYhZO-t-nCzbp0P0QlIN5zE5T69HHce2CQwVJQC9QZjM1MaadoI5gJNTudTbmH1B4jLBagFVCAh9m7IgqbiUTVcPawEx-kZ1KDaVk04HCtJA/s1600-h/IMG_6130.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCElyaW2AMoheyNDJkVOwKupzzWH-xgsfRYhZO-t-nCzbp0P0QlIN5zE5T69HHce2CQwVJQC9QZjM1MaadoI5gJNTudTbmH1B4jLBagFVCAh9m7IgqbiUTVcPawEx-kZ1KDaVk04HCtJA/s320/IMG_6130.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347730934507282466" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbc3cY1PI5_hVSH_KS3y7gMDLLvRk26qbH5_pHnZcw2C4PK7zH_k4vb0KvgCIUQl2zRohny5XhciYAVA8Ym3UcNvAwHbBSWM77n9gHpf53o_hzp2XLjVs-tevnmPhr1WxhvgllvRzE5f4/s1600-h/IMG_6126.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbc3cY1PI5_hVSH_KS3y7gMDLLvRk26qbH5_pHnZcw2C4PK7zH_k4vb0KvgCIUQl2zRohny5XhciYAVA8Ym3UcNvAwHbBSWM77n9gHpf53o_hzp2XLjVs-tevnmPhr1WxhvgllvRzE5f4/s320/IMG_6126.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347727800018013074" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyh1Lj9bgfaS86o1ABkMiR1bVNejHwot0Bt22GLaNSTEzDSvFyX-4HylNEeu5KsvIItta5M5NX7RhWIDnko3vDmEGUppGBJttEg6llnx7D22BuVX16ElkZ1RfolSKHypTEHq5mo6xaKNE/s1600-h/IMG_6120.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyh1Lj9bgfaS86o1ABkMiR1bVNejHwot0Bt22GLaNSTEzDSvFyX-4HylNEeu5KsvIItta5M5NX7RhWIDnko3vDmEGUppGBJttEg6llnx7D22BuVX16ElkZ1RfolSKHypTEHq5mo6xaKNE/s320/IMG_6120.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347727813456881426" style="cursor: pointer; 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width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;">I spent the day on Wednesday wandering around and seeing the tourist sites - the Rialto Bridge, St. Mark’s Square including St. Mark’s Basilica, the Clocktower, Doge’s Palace and the Bridge of Sighs. I went in and out of shops where I could actually afford things and stared in the windows of all the big designers where I couldn’t - Gucci, Missoni, Chanel, Louis Vuitton. </span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMqXHTEoqiaAmMC2HUTcygouG8TelAw5M8iP3wKQND7mrgo-AaSevrwChUJbd-sBfQBDbjHVxympEZZLxZ7_KUfAttC2bY-p8LamVh56ubB2yruHb6QViVyJ_YxhfeK2zGKXU-7omD6q8/s1600-h/IMG_6139.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMqXHTEoqiaAmMC2HUTcygouG8TelAw5M8iP3wKQND7mrgo-AaSevrwChUJbd-sBfQBDbjHVxympEZZLxZ7_KUfAttC2bY-p8LamVh56ubB2yruHb6QViVyJ_YxhfeK2zGKXU-7omD6q8/s320/IMG_6139.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347735684959881394" style="cursor: pointer; 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width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSF3XKVCRICRHrngJEgeRKPgT0KghbPW1nqoLwV-UNSZxyfhGyp5UvKTI6krnp7EfH3iQhVjZNxuE4I3Ux4OVQrXdr5domoXGquwJ-3QY7uKjoyMg2zjfOwl3eBuUtj8T4vcErDt6M0U/s1600-h/IMG_6151.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSF3XKVCRICRHrngJEgeRKPgT0KghbPW1nqoLwV-UNSZxyfhGyp5UvKTI6krnp7EfH3iQhVjZNxuE4I3Ux4OVQrXdr5domoXGquwJ-3QY7uKjoyMg2zjfOwl3eBuUtj8T4vcErDt6M0U/s320/IMG_6151.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347737331346557458" style="cursor: pointer; 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width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyN6Ryd6S9gQ2v3dGNp6MGKM7GU4h6mcArOfPVSjPao59QJ0Zks2WlZ3YGeQ1ZTdUkGq_YEBn-8J_byFTU3k6w1-wxw7_oPly8MsbofwJoZU9uL8heMVEd4XNdZCpBqPZ2qY_T0K-_VlU/s1600-h/IMG_6218.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyN6Ryd6S9gQ2v3dGNp6MGKM7GU4h6mcArOfPVSjPao59QJ0Zks2WlZ3YGeQ1ZTdUkGq_YEBn-8J_byFTU3k6w1-wxw7_oPly8MsbofwJoZU9uL8heMVEd4XNdZCpBqPZ2qY_T0K-_VlU/s320/IMG_6218.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347733497692106786" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;">My splurge for the day was a 15 Euro bellini - yes, a cocktail that cost nearly $21. And it was tiny. But it was delicious and worth every penny, or Euro, uh, cents. I was at Harry’s Bar, which claims to have invented both the bellini and carpaccio. The bellini and carpaccio aside, I wanted to go there because it was a favorite place of Ernest Hemingway’s.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1EZDcLpXhhQt1_xw0az3dkd7-Q5IalqZSid4RBuoSPO0sjgb1KRn21g_NRLQ4hwiCthXEK0Lc9nthj0iFMWrKSZcSAmjT9bRfv0ya8QsUSyqa47lDTtafwjHuDRqJjXvI0Zhf54DCITc/s1600-h/IMG_0707.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1EZDcLpXhhQt1_xw0az3dkd7-Q5IalqZSid4RBuoSPO0sjgb1KRn21g_NRLQ4hwiCthXEK0Lc9nthj0iFMWrKSZcSAmjT9bRfv0ya8QsUSyqa47lDTtafwjHuDRqJjXvI0Zhf54DCITc/s320/IMG_0707.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347722840276509522" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYXpCp8gdOEGRqzXOT6B9J2tffO_Ot7mw6Hk1hAaNidOTmqkNPfir71UParTu4Cl-V-4aNP2kWiXzwqXU8XpBev6T8l4UBwYcDSXhCQlz6knnYBv2IavG6MfYA4L5fma-cojpjctA7PI/s1600-h/IMG_0706.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYXpCp8gdOEGRqzXOT6B9J2tffO_Ot7mw6Hk1hAaNidOTmqkNPfir71UParTu4Cl-V-4aNP2kWiXzwqXU8XpBev6T8l4UBwYcDSXhCQlz6knnYBv2IavG6MfYA4L5fma-cojpjctA7PI/s320/IMG_0706.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347687604034291762" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;">On Thursday I debated whether to take a gondola ride. Yes, it’s probably a tourist trap, but it looks like fun. Two things held me back - one, it wasn’t the kind of thing I ever envisioned doing alone (I’d rather wait to go back with someone some other time) and two, it cost 80 Euros. That’s $110 and beyond my budget, so a gondola ride was most definitely out. I had read about a traghetto, though, which is another means of public transportation and is a way to cross from one side of the Grand Canal to the other. A traghetto used to be a gondola, just stripped of its fancy chairs and trimmings. Also, instead of one gondolier maneuvering the boat there are two - one in the front and one in the back. The best part is it costs .50 Euro. That’s 70 cents. It seemed like a no brainer - I’d still get the feel for riding in a gondola and it was $109.30 cheaper. There are seven traghetto stops throughout Venice, so I just went to a traghetto stop, waited in line for the next traghetto, paid the money to the guy and got on board with several other people - mostly locals, it seemed, as opposed to tourists. Traditionally instead of sitting like on a gondola, you stand during the crossing, so I stood. The crossing was short, but it was fun being out in the middle of the Grand Canal.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpe0keVOfZamG2jZg94VF9JpKqfEZXBRmp4ZTzvnnxxfa4cymxec99EzKf0xh9WHqi9ciubesU4Z30OiGIL_qFCdLdZXSxlXH4DD4iQPNPA96djkD8p45mGJGohifScb0GyPkehGKQ9Y/s1600-h/IMG_6198.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpe0keVOfZamG2jZg94VF9JpKqfEZXBRmp4ZTzvnnxxfa4cymxec99EzKf0xh9WHqi9ciubesU4Z30OiGIL_qFCdLdZXSxlXH4DD4iQPNPA96djkD8p45mGJGohifScb0GyPkehGKQ9Y/s320/IMG_6198.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347690443001403890" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPiEk4jpGbe5L6UnIMyVopaZIz4FbP8dW5ZZTlaTKZWRSnDLMJvvIay11U5zVorOVX8WUFPESdTV4ZKQfcacWTwqqtWucBdHz7CS9ZpVfbbvNvH_6hxS6pblQHQ5F1rXVo5C-HLcsg3I/s1600-h/IMG_6202.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPiEk4jpGbe5L6UnIMyVopaZIz4FbP8dW5ZZTlaTKZWRSnDLMJvvIay11U5zVorOVX8WUFPESdTV4ZKQfcacWTwqqtWucBdHz7CS9ZpVfbbvNvH_6hxS6pblQHQ5F1rXVo5C-HLcsg3I/s320/IMG_6202.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347687597749659570" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7cx9VFR5ZVlYHu7yN4-DlpeWaEoRJEg5SlaIewOoLKyPYptxxzYZs_4GQjVTPQPwsZPDW7nKJ5WgEA6AiZbxvye_AEyke-sda-t1l6mbR6jSBa7AcK7oM5o_JCkRybi-uLeEmLC17CiA/s1600-h/IMG_6205.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7cx9VFR5ZVlYHu7yN4-DlpeWaEoRJEg5SlaIewOoLKyPYptxxzYZs_4GQjVTPQPwsZPDW7nKJ5WgEA6AiZbxvye_AEyke-sda-t1l6mbR6jSBa7AcK7oM5o_JCkRybi-uLeEmLC17CiA/s320/IMG_6205.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347690448277070098" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKDIpyuJ0f1684t_fmhyvKW8v1n5C9AlItmknB24CuuFLEb3iB7VnIK8IrSfwiBsYrRATG5OjjoBcm_g2pgUwYA9xJ-SGZaNvKlonOK8jbdTD22j4Dud2qrnNgqqR_6IcAMwAdgvn3DK8/s1600-h/IMG_6203.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKDIpyuJ0f1684t_fmhyvKW8v1n5C9AlItmknB24CuuFLEb3iB7VnIK8IrSfwiBsYrRATG5OjjoBcm_g2pgUwYA9xJ-SGZaNvKlonOK8jbdTD22j4Dud2qrnNgqqR_6IcAMwAdgvn3DK8/s320/IMG_6203.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347687587983937330" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;">After my traghetto ride I walked through Venice's fish market and fruit and vegetable markets. Beside the fish market was a restaurant called Pronto Pesce, and as I passed it I noticed a sign in the window that Anthony Bourdain had eaten there last year and recommended it on his show. I stopped in for a look. It was a tiny little restaurant with just a few bar stools to perch at a little ledge in the window. Some people opted to stand outside while they ate. All the food was behind a counter and was pretty much different varieties of tapas. Everything was in Italian but not being traditional Italian food that I was used to, I had no idea what I was seeing. The man working there was very helpful and tried to explain what each thing I pointed to was. I ended up with three tapas (each 2.50 Euro) and other than a brioche with swordfish, mascarpone and tomato, I have no idea what I ate despite his explanation, but it was very good.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBI5rxZuBh6_W6PgYL6TJwbHIee5pr24BrmlrtrD1RfMBf7XGhWThXkjcEHoE7bGmlonMQSXl0OpFxQrMLPLutVKYFuZiJW_R96zTEF9CKXCJYGkZM2f3d0nwlsdrNPi8nYHUYUdC0Xs/s1600-h/IMG_6192.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBI5rxZuBh6_W6PgYL6TJwbHIee5pr24BrmlrtrD1RfMBf7XGhWThXkjcEHoE7bGmlonMQSXl0OpFxQrMLPLutVKYFuZiJW_R96zTEF9CKXCJYGkZM2f3d0nwlsdrNPi8nYHUYUdC0Xs/s320/IMG_6192.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347722337513221554" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdC_MebLzSa8bx4FAE_EnNQAvDvzP2pG9Cu0ov4GjLBpzW9qo2szkjBTRTx20tkJtsSL_0Nj9cu-XByhRtSYLl7ks4hIDnaZnUCFZcgnr_V6TOrFScbkLeW_0PObTX70HTlHXs9fx_ZLc/s1600-h/IMG_6194.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdC_MebLzSa8bx4FAE_EnNQAvDvzP2pG9Cu0ov4GjLBpzW9qo2szkjBTRTx20tkJtsSL_0Nj9cu-XByhRtSYLl7ks4hIDnaZnUCFZcgnr_V6TOrFScbkLeW_0PObTX70HTlHXs9fx_ZLc/s320/IMG_6194.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347722340103666210" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkztCXvvfR2TUolcirCQnCO3_TdGDHcNjqKNUg9csYKZzYU7RKchobDDxGm9cldSK7vCjK1BCeMGICM2U61zzybo-X8GPR2-1CxCgJ9qDr4iT11Av-1IuAH3oy1dq_x455C_gPmPG2-4/s1600-h/IMG_6232.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkztCXvvfR2TUolcirCQnCO3_TdGDHcNjqKNUg9csYKZzYU7RKchobDDxGm9cldSK7vCjK1BCeMGICM2U61zzybo-X8GPR2-1CxCgJ9qDr4iT11Av-1IuAH3oy1dq_x455C_gPmPG2-4/s320/IMG_6232.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347693432291680306" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiGhiKCbJSYuAGnN2w12GasFrOCVaRszYuWlccl4J_h31dMjwi1xflNdVMRUV6PaL1k0b07OnwchYRkaz6NhH2AUFoc_oaVKihcExaQ_XdoliUcMTLrvZmhg1NACfjhoEJbjERfS6_pg4/s1600-h/IMG_0718.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiGhiKCbJSYuAGnN2w12GasFrOCVaRszYuWlccl4J_h31dMjwi1xflNdVMRUV6PaL1k0b07OnwchYRkaz6NhH2AUFoc_oaVKihcExaQ_XdoliUcMTLrvZmhg1NACfjhoEJbjERfS6_pg4/s320/IMG_0718.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347693428331476066" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;">The people in Venice were so nice. I don’t say that just because I had come from Paris and the stark contrast was apparent. (Parisians weren’t so bad - just a bit standoffish and aloof.) Even going into a small hardware store to buy yet another power adapter (long story but this is the fourth power adapter I've bought AND I brought one with me - I didn’t know Italy’s adapter was different than the rest of Europe), the shop owner joked with me about whether I was an Obama or a Bush American. He liked my Obama American answer.<br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;">The streets in Venice were like a maze - very narrow and winding through the town. The odd thing is that I found it easier to navigate there than almost anywhere I've been so far in Europe other than London. The streets were very well marked, the map the hotel gave me was easy to navigate and there were signs pointing the way to all the major tourist attractions, so I never felt lost. I went out one night because I wanted to see the city from the Rialto Bridge. The streets were not well lit at all, so I did worry about finding my way, but I didn’t have any problems and it was worth it being able to see the city at night.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3Eywd2CBuHJPxmydOYST4DWTZYQ41j7R7BGRWlGXkg4g9Qn-Xnv15_1s9aqCSxL9wYJh2wzKhG_LSuqt2mfXh1wQIWV0pPMXiqGpvWFDSFWPer1IS5soGW7C02A6GnGhDZFxz1hUz48/s1600-h/IMG_6176.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3Eywd2CBuHJPxmydOYST4DWTZYQ41j7R7BGRWlGXkg4g9Qn-Xnv15_1s9aqCSxL9wYJh2wzKhG_LSuqt2mfXh1wQIWV0pPMXiqGpvWFDSFWPer1IS5soGW7C02A6GnGhDZFxz1hUz48/s320/IMG_6176.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347729489230154722" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></a></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppz5B-viqJUKyW1FUTTSSX5h3dv0KP7-cpOGl5CRuD_saWOOMKfhbLX5vRdYa777FZ7uIcWhTkamzPALAmUQDO_oN4h5os7wWh1Ovg6cB3hlUBmhOoRcSX4zFlwwGAgSTQfptReOY0xA/s1600-h/IMG_6179.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppz5B-viqJUKyW1FUTTSSX5h3dv0KP7-cpOGl5CRuD_saWOOMKfhbLX5vRdYa777FZ7uIcWhTkamzPALAmUQDO_oN4h5os7wWh1Ovg6cB3hlUBmhOoRcSX4zFlwwGAgSTQfptReOY0xA/s320/IMG_6179.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347729500356513858" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;">All in all, Venice was one of my favorite spots so far on the trip. Its only flaw was on cruise ship day. St. Mark’s Square was teeming with pigeons and American tourists, neither of which were pleasant. And yes, I realize I am an American tourist as well, though when someone speaks to me in Italian and I nod my head and smile and seemingly have an entire conversation with them and they never realize that I have no idea what they said I hope that I’m blending in. :)</span></span></span></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-28634389849698947042009-06-14T05:05:00.024-07:002009-06-16T03:50:38.913-07:00I'll Probably Get Struck by Lightning for Saying This, But...<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Come on people, it's just the Mona Lisa. I really don't understand. Let me explain</span>. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Last Sunday, being the first Sunday of the month, was free museum day in Paris. I wanted to go to the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay and Pompidou Centre. Because the Louvre was open the earliest of the three and Pompidou Centre was open the latest, I intended to see the museums in that same order. Before I arrived at the Louvre, I envisioned that the line would take forever to get through, but it wasn't so bad - I was in line for no more than 10 minutes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8GEqlEZjbeYsykZ44hx-B77YX1XQwx-5dWjQeBtVYk4IsHlT5nmMs66yNtBQz-6thJ732B_GneJe-nVWldM8JlPTvq7-tCJTv-dh193siN8Cmka8r_zOUqv2UWc8a3ym5pOB-uHc2aD4/s1600-h/IMG_6049.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8GEqlEZjbeYsykZ44hx-B77YX1XQwx-5dWjQeBtVYk4IsHlT5nmMs66yNtBQz-6thJ732B_GneJe-nVWldM8JlPTvq7-tCJTv-dh193siN8Cmka8r_zOUqv2UWc8a3ym5pOB-uHc2aD4/s320/IMG_6049.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347158309974532994" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1v_FmpCSl8dFU73K0wbHJgIF9Z1ZhNrODHFDkXJ25C7ZmPW6aoEN4SSD1u5e7LsiUbZH6jVHgTTlUhQZXwICQ1_Ke_WU6naOwvYprzqsBKe6UdDg8kG2S6QiqE_EtzXQ0Ns3nSfm8Hw/s1600-h/IMG_6067.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1v_FmpCSl8dFU73K0wbHJgIF9Z1ZhNrODHFDkXJ25C7ZmPW6aoEN4SSD1u5e7LsiUbZH6jVHgTTlUhQZXwICQ1_Ke_WU6naOwvYprzqsBKe6UdDg8kG2S6QiqE_EtzXQ0Ns3nSfm8Hw/s320/IMG_6067.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347160944765864402" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Once inside, the Louvre was nothing like I remembered. I had been there when I was 17, and I recalled seeing the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the gift shop and that was pretty much the extent of my memory. The Louvre is massive, and I wandered around for awhile with no real agenda for what I wanted to see. I did go check out the Mona Lisa, and 17 years later, things were definitely different. When I was there before, no one was allowed to take photographs, though I do remember sneaking one, despite a guard bearing down on me. This time it was like the freaking paparazzi were swarming around Katie Holmes and Suri. I have never seen anything like it. Flashes were going off everywhere, hands were in the air waving cameras around, people were pushing to get closer, I heard a few Americans cussing trying to get through the crowd. I didn't attempt to get any closer than you'll see in the below pictures or I truly might not have made it out of there alive. I joke... but seriously, it was ridiculous and just reinforced to me that the Mona Lisa is not as cool as everyone thinks. Forgive me and my non-arty opinion.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizxb6YUrp6ygugE7_yiDi-vyHtwmVpJfIIKSyglLdxdpspAm6ir4v9Zmn3jmUsXyQvjbm6rJJjtI4Gx_43obvpquv7lroCef1tE-PIkQy-64ZqNiPN5TtOgpMgRZCnh7qozPQ1subedYE/s1600-h/IMG_6050.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizxb6YUrp6ygugE7_yiDi-vyHtwmVpJfIIKSyglLdxdpspAm6ir4v9Zmn3jmUsXyQvjbm6rJJjtI4Gx_43obvpquv7lroCef1tE-PIkQy-64ZqNiPN5TtOgpMgRZCnh7qozPQ1subedYE/s320/IMG_6050.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347162358147468050" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmebg7oRUFDbP1eklQN_3qJbdY9i3-4Opg6x6LRxpeHGXvxJs6tKMbe3MCYSI9Vxy9k3DSKnkZ9pnHS20wwA9R2y0sacZjkYvwTisAzg9FMNA0txZWWssG3HEBEqYb-2H2OAUgSLCBIo/s1600-h/IMG_6064.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmebg7oRUFDbP1eklQN_3qJbdY9i3-4Opg6x6LRxpeHGXvxJs6tKMbe3MCYSI9Vxy9k3DSKnkZ9pnHS20wwA9R2y0sacZjkYvwTisAzg9FMNA0txZWWssG3HEBEqYb-2H2OAUgSLCBIo/s320/IMG_6064.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347163895826172274" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLwWaOmv-jSKvEAlr14ZKdBcx_fWdFr_jjINBwS8pChtKEIV55BWp79F715jQwwX-F84IuEpSL829AZMfK8cU2pXZhCHx7mq-NzS99FFuwaTaX3ZulmdJjnOW8YPxQ5tKBVtQHbqkqmvg/s1600-h/IMG_6063.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLwWaOmv-jSKvEAlr14ZKdBcx_fWdFr_jjINBwS8pChtKEIV55BWp79F715jQwwX-F84IuEpSL829AZMfK8cU2pXZhCHx7mq-NzS99FFuwaTaX3ZulmdJjnOW8YPxQ5tKBVtQHbqkqmvg/s320/IMG_6063.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347163899621244914" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQoKD0mdtjq6Mc-BnMj_EWXV89OXNuX9oe2duOP3jDL-zqLoJMtGtRVjL9kYVkP5NzvOHdCGQCiYLl4uOrnZSlMi-Zr8FZ5K5ejTumMEY6qH1Wa4u8z3IjhfuVJXbrKzq5CDWcH5q9ETo/s1600-h/IMG_6056.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQoKD0mdtjq6Mc-BnMj_EWXV89OXNuX9oe2duOP3jDL-zqLoJMtGtRVjL9kYVkP5NzvOHdCGQCiYLl4uOrnZSlMi-Zr8FZ5K5ejTumMEY6qH1Wa4u8z3IjhfuVJXbrKzq5CDWcH5q9ETo/s320/IMG_6056.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347163902761856402" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Pretty soon after seeing (or attempting to see) the Mona Lisa, I decided I had had as much of the Louvre as I could take for one day. It was an unexpectedly beautiful day outside (rain had been forecasted), and I decided to take a break for lunch at an outside cafe. I hadn't eaten escargot yet in Paris, and as it seemed like something I should do I found a restaurant with snails on the menu. I really love escargot but had never been to a restaurant where I actually had to remove them from a shell, so that was interesting. I felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman ("Slippery little suckers!") but thankfully one did not go flying, and they were delicious.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnN55ZbRUo176lizAM5ZoertR5iJ6r5GdjLItfWjYWhqyC1j_M0cIWvta_YPi9m1XYqx1atOh9wq8x1Q4u8pMJTgym0FIvxmAaqK-r1A-LKFIBf5qf-Ium4dZtzwhu4z5Hyiyfn3SLlg/s1600-h/IMG_0679.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnN55ZbRUo176lizAM5ZoertR5iJ6r5GdjLItfWjYWhqyC1j_M0cIWvta_YPi9m1XYqx1atOh9wq8x1Q4u8pMJTgym0FIvxmAaqK-r1A-LKFIBf5qf-Ium4dZtzwhu4z5Hyiyfn3SLlg/s320/IMG_0679.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347172204539212242" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">My lunch break threw me off schedule, and I realized that I probably needed to make a choice whether to go to Musee d'Orsay. I wanted to see both the Kandinsky exhibit and the regular museum at Pompidou Centre, so I decided to skip Musee d'Orsay (I can almost hear Melissa saying "No!" as she reads this - her favorite museum in Paris if I remember correctly.). It was a good thing I did considering how much time I spent at Pompidou Centre. Like the Louvre, I had also been to Pompidou Centre when I was 17, or at least the outside of it (Did we go in? I can't remember) where the Stravinsky fountain with the mechanical pop-art'esque structures including the lips. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8t0pZKKMT3BhjAj1TF_zO8zv_6zWAzTKqfAQRJ_1WQmYNwAWrTROCUAy-_vYb_gvlR-rkQrU0cICeoOtWuSZvZuXt3J1oW1crmGJLnNuZqcOL7HqWJuQtpLJ3E-z8nFf9pR-h5IQXPjQ/s1600-h/IMG_6077.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8t0pZKKMT3BhjAj1TF_zO8zv_6zWAzTKqfAQRJ_1WQmYNwAWrTROCUAy-_vYb_gvlR-rkQrU0cICeoOtWuSZvZuXt3J1oW1crmGJLnNuZqcOL7HqWJuQtpLJ3E-z8nFf9pR-h5IQXPjQ/s320/IMG_6077.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347169691672583490" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQEsTNekuuXrgQM0ITUgq9ebtF3PXZU-mqKSGN-SQd6S8TfUuoBIusoi4TebDTeM48WUVmTO8cGqdG4UoEDRdUWfuSLECfnjK2FvcqEr7EtpMo2lzXjHeaU5a3BJ9ZxEq7FQLKFFcjywk/s1600-h/IMG_6079.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQEsTNekuuXrgQM0ITUgq9ebtF3PXZU-mqKSGN-SQd6S8TfUuoBIusoi4TebDTeM48WUVmTO8cGqdG4UoEDRdUWfuSLECfnjK2FvcqEr7EtpMo2lzXjHeaU5a3BJ9ZxEq7FQLKFFcjywk/s320/IMG_6079.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347169697560549458" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qrc9b8NdpJ8llTosl8_PYqDqYGRIkU4hvcLmyaDAUg2SrkpVvgzGkN00jHUCPVL_QxZ-zD9ZMKibFgaJ3pnA9h0BOutfJMlaipA_mz52s7nUHi8STNU203uv6cwV8hiYTUSE64GiNEI/s1600-h/IMG_6076.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qrc9b8NdpJ8llTosl8_PYqDqYGRIkU4hvcLmyaDAUg2SrkpVvgzGkN00jHUCPVL_QxZ-zD9ZMKibFgaJ3pnA9h0BOutfJMlaipA_mz52s7nUHi8STNU203uv6cwV8hiYTUSE64GiNEI/s320/IMG_6076.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347171059336248338" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0kP9eOct7Roie85CGpA5yeHXxUHPqx1ArNIxiHKBdvZYioaelxUHqhw1Jw7Faq3Z3PHq2lSFgm1gPJeg1UPiDVMTDR7zDHABAr8t5yHGtWGrihkBjG5olll1b5Qle42rHCBqCh8T_3k/s1600-h/IMG_6075.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0kP9eOct7Roie85CGpA5yeHXxUHPqx1ArNIxiHKBdvZYioaelxUHqhw1Jw7Faq3Z3PHq2lSFgm1gPJeg1UPiDVMTDR7zDHABAr8t5yHGtWGrihkBjG5olll1b5Qle42rHCBqCh8T_3k/s320/IMG_6075.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347171064507434258" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Once inside Pompidou Centre, I purchased a ticket for the Kandinsky exhibition (exhibitions are not part of free museum day) and headed to the top floor to see that first. The exhibition gave a very interesting look into his life and how that had affected his art. I loved seeing the progression of his work from his very early years as an artist through his death in 1944. The colors and vibrancy of his art are amazing. After seeing the exhibition, I headed down into the regular museum and was greeted with the poster pictured below. Pompidou Centre had dedicated an entire floor to their women artists, which I loved seeing. It made for a very interesting collection of work, not least of which was a dress made entirely of cured meat, as pictured below. Yes, meat. (I saw the before picture of the model wearing the raw meat version of the dress. I would not have wanted to be that model!) I then went upstairs one floor where the "regular" modern art is - Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, etc. Pompidou Centre is my favorite museum so far in Europe with the Tate Modern in London being a close second.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIiOf5X5LsRQUzySyZTkm6fVUc2mLU3R8diks7sURblk6H8q1yimdo6_lZPyC0G7etaywp7RgwMvIfQyhtnVdF6BHKDcAd4IVo9Z21fI0HIVdKgGH_YcnIFOrGyFIJ6Ql19lYkZES8ZU/s1600-h/IMG_6088.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIiOf5X5LsRQUzySyZTkm6fVUc2mLU3R8diks7sURblk6H8q1yimdo6_lZPyC0G7etaywp7RgwMvIfQyhtnVdF6BHKDcAd4IVo9Z21fI0HIVdKgGH_YcnIFOrGyFIJ6Ql19lYkZES8ZU/s320/IMG_6088.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347177348447093714" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xTCfLqYUxJwM8zLVXfeXzk8IU2DH1VOkCt_qZnDu1ZeZu_hk8Mioz5OLqK6ga0usFZaQZsanSz2tr06WGn_Qbz26jzZ-ecG-peIQ57YFgVFWFY4Fi_k3BCcnT2KVmXt5yIUeaVVy9bc/s1600-h/IMG_6086.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xTCfLqYUxJwM8zLVXfeXzk8IU2DH1VOkCt_qZnDu1ZeZu_hk8Mioz5OLqK6ga0usFZaQZsanSz2tr06WGn_Qbz26jzZ-ecG-peIQ57YFgVFWFY4Fi_k3BCcnT2KVmXt5yIUeaVVy9bc/s320/IMG_6086.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347177355903317922" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOz_e1HypjWZvxFaV6Y17CEouwB03lRXrND-cTprBhnFmxxKavpHHH-tXBUxYsDDrHnYubP9L6FX8Mpilp7Xjp4bIWkQBnoEAA-UV21CrLs373Kx5Q7uDB3dqOGLPWDzzWosd4Pu_5gps/s1600-h/IMG_6087.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOz_e1HypjWZvxFaV6Y17CEouwB03lRXrND-cTprBhnFmxxKavpHHH-tXBUxYsDDrHnYubP9L6FX8Mpilp7Xjp4bIWkQBnoEAA-UV21CrLs373Kx5Q7uDB3dqOGLPWDzzWosd4Pu_5gps/s320/IMG_6087.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347177361347482290" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I just read that President Obama, Michelle and the girls were also at Pompidou Centre the day I was. I had no idea. Everything felt pretty relaxed while I was there - no real signs of security - but of course I could have missed them that morning while I was at the Louvre.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">My last day in Paris, Monday, was the worst weather I've had on the trip yet - pouring rain. I still wanted to see the Arc de Triomphe so I grabbed the umbrella and set off for the metro. Later I went to Le Bon Marche department store as it had been touted as something to see, but it was definitely no Harrod's. I ended the day (and my time in Paris) in perfect Parisian style - going to a patisserie and sampling yet another croissant... and a pain du chocolat. My body is going to go into pastry-withdrawal.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFXe55rz1mW89txRbRX4RFXqnJ6xpXAPnjZj9Y52g0jMZI_VLfEvbGnBa0zW-j36AOuQxx8XECJn6wpkTVpbJAGsexPBBv1LOFZpgMaFz4QwZnq3KKO2Ejlgquj7tqaVOEVPapvW5WYE/s1600-h/IMG_6094.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFXe55rz1mW89txRbRX4RFXqnJ6xpXAPnjZj9Y52g0jMZI_VLfEvbGnBa0zW-j36AOuQxx8XECJn6wpkTVpbJAGsexPBBv1LOFZpgMaFz4QwZnq3KKO2Ejlgquj7tqaVOEVPapvW5WYE/s320/IMG_6094.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347175286529376674" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-53909131879777327982009-06-06T08:26:00.043-07:002009-06-16T03:55:34.762-07:00What's My Theme?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">On Tuesday I switched apartments in Paris. The first apartment I was in was not available for the entire 15 nights I'm here, which actually worked out well considering it gave me the opportunity to stay in two different districts. In Paris, the districts, or arrondissements, are each numbered. The first apartment I stayed in for eight nights was in the 6th arrondissement, and the second apartment that I will be in for seven nights is in the 7th, the same as the Eiffel Tower. I haven't necessarily preferred one arrondissement over the other, though the second apartment itself is much nicer than the first. The first apartment was closer to the metro. The second apartment is closer to better shopping and restaurants. The first apartment had the Pont Neuf and Pont des Arts bridges with their amazing views practically at its doorstep. But the second apartment has the Eiffel Tower! <br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmjd07B4tssQuRFIXJghyphenhyphenDWXbjwfsHyCuwUNnKmL-FbQ5GNd4ErJi7ba1lahByUdMNr4QMutZb3dcTMT0FVQJbDfo3Gcc3PKXBSSlg6q_EArCqDUI5JlQDut1CiPEZ1pcTt5Bm-y6bLc/s1600-h/IMG_6038.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmjd07B4tssQuRFIXJghyphenhyphenDWXbjwfsHyCuwUNnKmL-FbQ5GNd4ErJi7ba1lahByUdMNr4QMutZb3dcTMT0FVQJbDfo3Gcc3PKXBSSlg6q_EArCqDUI5JlQDut1CiPEZ1pcTt5Bm-y6bLc/s320/IMG_6038.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344346948755570770" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Switching apartments aside, I have a better reason for not having blogged in a week than simply moving around. I've been waiting for a theme to develop. As I have looked over my past couple of blogs, they have each had a theme or central event that stood out among the rest - the French Open, the bullfight. So as I asked myself what the theme for my time in Paris would be, it came to me. Except it's not so much a theme for Paris as it has become a theme on my trip in general. Before I left Knoxville several people asked me what I wanted to do on this trip. Are you wanting to see historical sites or view art or go to museums? Yes, yes and yes, though at the time I couldn't put my finger on exactly what I wanted to do while I was here. As I have progressed from city to city and done the pay-10-Euros-to-see-yet-another-historical-artistic-something-or-other, I've realized that that is not when I'm happiest. Don't get me wrong, I've seen some amazing things while I've been here, but it's the days when I don't necessarily have an agenda and allow myself to just be anyone else </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">living</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> in the city that are the best.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Of course I've been to see the big things in Paris like Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, Place de Trocadero, Jardin des Tuileries, Place de la Concorde, Sacre Coeur, Place des Vosges and Maison de Victor Hugo. The Arc de Triomphe is on my list before I leave. Tomorrow is free museum day in Paris (the first Sunday of the month), so I'm going to hit three museums in one day - the Louvre (which I know could take the entire day if I let it, but I've already been there before), Musee d'Orsay and Pompidou Centre where I am excited to see the Kandinsky exhibit. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnK7g_tm4vkRQC_vWQm5xpnkbx6qjnPrICpR4esA0QOK9FWvovMaTSAqSXexERMl23pVvJCbbRdxKFsCoUI60RBX9J8pd_dYXQIuIqc0DpszO4WMVe0zdgzn-VasX_RuCCIhwZInK04kQ/s1600-h/IMG_5883.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnK7g_tm4vkRQC_vWQm5xpnkbx6qjnPrICpR4esA0QOK9FWvovMaTSAqSXexERMl23pVvJCbbRdxKFsCoUI60RBX9J8pd_dYXQIuIqc0DpszO4WMVe0zdgzn-VasX_RuCCIhwZInK04kQ/s320/IMG_5883.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344344125906755394" style="cursor: pointer; 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width: 237px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPcAE0dO75GX-yYVVv8MdcWQZaaqMfXz6eAZ0gewOUjMgijZ95hrvRHARvMCQeJiqfoGU7JCQlds4ppMfHhyphenhyphenEwQuKTjyRsuVcsJwjb3JznN8xdLxZL85GcqgsC7NWEyNJWuFNEj3R8Kic/s1600-h/IMG_6012.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPcAE0dO75GX-yYVVv8MdcWQZaaqMfXz6eAZ0gewOUjMgijZ95hrvRHARvMCQeJiqfoGU7JCQlds4ppMfHhyphenhyphenEwQuKTjyRsuVcsJwjb3JznN8xdLxZL85GcqgsC7NWEyNJWuFNEj3R8Kic/s320/IMG_6012.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344318521477095426" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5JC51bWqL7epdvKavOaPgc2S8SL_tI80d0UENB_YByCJByRyteVeMys3n3F_DFfqc7fKMCf3_c9Nv5rkdOe6GBGUgakhpBgc6IXi68j6wIeUgMlPrGS_DeMy2382MnQbtkxMaAa28Ri8/s1600-h/IMG_5990.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5JC51bWqL7epdvKavOaPgc2S8SL_tI80d0UENB_YByCJByRyteVeMys3n3F_DFfqc7fKMCf3_c9Nv5rkdOe6GBGUgakhpBgc6IXi68j6wIeUgMlPrGS_DeMy2382MnQbtkxMaAa28Ri8/s320/IMG_5990.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344346948221616162" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPGDJnPaaqC7UzFxi3CWgxK3FwIZQEOueEPRbvl6P_m5mWo4Ptyi-k3OVVwAQNTiXw81m41ilOi2ll-vmoeelM55D4BtbY_tQEwT8VcwrVdDUt1gwP2SBlipV3OAcHnEA2AFV2NXTquQ/s1600-h/IMG_5992.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPGDJnPaaqC7UzFxi3CWgxK3FwIZQEOueEPRbvl6P_m5mWo4Ptyi-k3OVVwAQNTiXw81m41ilOi2ll-vmoeelM55D4BtbY_tQEwT8VcwrVdDUt1gwP2SBlipV3OAcHnEA2AFV2NXTquQ/s320/IMG_5992.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344348473982633730" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNiF0WmiLpMztV6QW3vBdhoUzL22oYrDPc4poiKWRDO90bLzMs_nJ0Pv_2qQO9cUnCaT-An15SV-j8ksP8MAYNNOjAq2YYdm2Pk1KGmJsAQ4MXOTDWACrumtao3XxpH02MHVgKOh4iFnM/s1600-h/IMG_5902.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNiF0WmiLpMztV6QW3vBdhoUzL22oYrDPc4poiKWRDO90bLzMs_nJ0Pv_2qQO9cUnCaT-An15SV-j8ksP8MAYNNOjAq2YYdm2Pk1KGmJsAQ4MXOTDWACrumtao3XxpH02MHVgKOh4iFnM/s320/IMG_5902.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344344481432650466" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCRj13HZYAOY7Ymt6Tc1mVpYhE3UCyj_Z9Njqebl4Fpy-owPb2MVXIVXPTT_p3aC8_GrJR9akE1G-ey4JY3JBAv1BS2OZVX2eM4tn-m3dse04HwqL0jXvT54ELkCYOBqSKWG47DUunEo8/s1600-h/IMG_5795.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCRj13HZYAOY7Ymt6Tc1mVpYhE3UCyj_Z9Njqebl4Fpy-owPb2MVXIVXPTT_p3aC8_GrJR9akE1G-ey4JY3JBAv1BS2OZVX2eM4tn-m3dse04HwqL0jXvT54ELkCYOBqSKWG47DUunEo8/s320/IMG_5795.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344346038038918978" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_RHF_pQQSH0wrjB_3e7D6cjKUvweFWtZVsDPFNOY4xazXjGEvr-h36ORwnQLrOeMz7f7cCHlctAHM_UO43BAryeRll6g4rcEWNeUQr74I-GLpAc1gfrTAgoLvD7baQPCATEu5OxmuoPM/s1600-h/IMG_5968.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_RHF_pQQSH0wrjB_3e7D6cjKUvweFWtZVsDPFNOY4xazXjGEvr-h36ORwnQLrOeMz7f7cCHlctAHM_UO43BAryeRll6g4rcEWNeUQr74I-GLpAc1gfrTAgoLvD7baQPCATEu5OxmuoPM/s320/IMG_5968.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344346037699614914" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">My favorite tourist attraction in Paris has been Pere Lachaise cemetery where Jim Morrison, Frederic Chopin and Oscar Wilde are buried. Each have a tribute to them of some sort at their gravesite. Morrison's is graffitied with messages and fans have left behind flowers, letters, beers and packs of cigarettes; Chopin's has flowers and Wilde's is covered in lipstick kisses. More than seeing the most famous graves in the cemetery, though, I just loved walking around looking at the tombs and gravesites, which are each unique works of art in themselves.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXJMEn5iXxZctWh1cA2hZ6aJDf4CLd5n5QVnvHTTFINr1wPBsnSqjAg3jZKOxsLmd5FxDXTLf7p3OCiKHeN5MLqI_hR7gp44eho8cmt4RuFSZXShuZo4MgY48leLbLXVYfGF5W60zQe4/s1600-h/IMG_5824.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXJMEn5iXxZctWh1cA2hZ6aJDf4CLd5n5QVnvHTTFINr1wPBsnSqjAg3jZKOxsLmd5FxDXTLf7p3OCiKHeN5MLqI_hR7gp44eho8cmt4RuFSZXShuZo4MgY48leLbLXVYfGF5W60zQe4/s320/IMG_5824.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344330853930340706" style="cursor: pointer; 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width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">But like I said above, for me, my time here is not best spent being a tourist. So the major tourist attractions aside, what have I been doing with my time over the past week?<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">-browsed the flower, fruit and vegetable, cheese and charcuterie markets along Rue Cler<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">-sampled croissants from different patisseries to decide which one is my favorite (Jean Millet on Rue Saint Dauphine)<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">-stood in line to buy mini macarons from what is said to be the best macaron shop in Paris, Laduree (I'm a believer)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">-inhaled the delicious fragrance coming from inside a restaurant where every menu item includes truffles</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">-lusted outside the windows of the designer boutiques along the Rue du Fauborg Saint-Honore</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">-ate breakfast outside at a cafe while watching Paris go by from behind my sunglasses</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">-marveled at David LaChapelle's insane genuis at an exhibition at the Monnaie de Paris<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">-sat on the edge of a sidewalk and ate a crepe while listening to a bluegrass band (bluegrass or not, I definitely wasn't in east Tennessee!)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">-watched the Eiffel Tower at night from the Pont des Arts bridge (where Big and Carrie kissed at the end of the last SATC episode for those who keep track of such things)<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbb3B5WkMDij-6LBryA00YBN-YFEL7p3Vw29IPCGkmS0w1r6p3NQk2-RM-9V0bpCkrcWVQi7IqxYvk9xhWxB_-5njQchtsgLKLl-5cvMMjxlaygku5LJF9Bpfq5omRGxeFfFFGGdWc84/s1600-h/IMG_5976.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbb3B5WkMDij-6LBryA00YBN-YFEL7p3Vw29IPCGkmS0w1r6p3NQk2-RM-9V0bpCkrcWVQi7IqxYvk9xhWxB_-5njQchtsgLKLl-5cvMMjxlaygku5LJF9Bpfq5omRGxeFfFFGGdWc84/s320/IMG_5976.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344316023771474738" style="cursor: pointer; 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width: 320px; height: 250px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwguUTy_wVajv7hqmvX0BB64_7A4hcJIE4GJA_ZO6MZtU6XCDd39gA9HFp8g56kcp9iT-0Lo7spEuFGZ5sqqLFNAlq-vxaSEP0556Ou1cSIQhzbLHjwZR-5Lj9PKiVT-78vrYFg4jn4M/s1600-h/IMG_0591.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwguUTy_wVajv7hqmvX0BB64_7A4hcJIE4GJA_ZO6MZtU6XCDd39gA9HFp8g56kcp9iT-0Lo7spEuFGZ5sqqLFNAlq-vxaSEP0556Ou1cSIQhzbLHjwZR-5Lj9PKiVT-78vrYFg4jn4M/s320/IMG_0591.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344321531865876962" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gHFk-4yVLoL9ATmamLJLdsfIVepXRXX6HiKLY6g0hZmLCiQ64E1m4Alv0ePP7Hny49JAK7VjvgI1ax7KN8yI5k-kcnRxVLOD0pph5bSc6p4DM9c9KyfGQGisY2y_3NvFFpKX8vt87oU/s1600-h/IMG_5927.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gHFk-4yVLoL9ATmamLJLdsfIVepXRXX6HiKLY6g0hZmLCiQ64E1m4Alv0ePP7Hny49JAK7VjvgI1ax7KN8yI5k-kcnRxVLOD0pph5bSc6p4DM9c9KyfGQGisY2y_3NvFFpKX8vt87oU/s320/IMG_5927.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344335729538989538" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERIhyphenhyphenZXUux6_jssoSSkZ1mwcKIkSj7ViOFU9xDgCRFbzT5kn4OjyIjjgT8WPDOte2MmT192ALvo07_I3z6mGkep59oLWDSV5dPj8z6qA34S5GkysDKs5Ut-IE2V6Slilh5USdx50Ctb4/s1600-h/IMG_5933.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERIhyphenhyphenZXUux6_jssoSSkZ1mwcKIkSj7ViOFU9xDgCRFbzT5kn4OjyIjjgT8WPDOte2MmT192ALvo07_I3z6mGkep59oLWDSV5dPj8z6qA34S5GkysDKs5Ut-IE2V6Slilh5USdx50Ctb4/s320/IMG_5933.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344335733564527298" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">My happiest moment in Paris, though, has been my simplest one. Last Saturday afternoon. 75 degrees and sunny. Eating a cup of mango sorbet. Sitting by the Seine with a book. Perfection... almost.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc4v6QEjoq_rjHqqy3OgbAbDG9qlcTVqPgeGSjXVCnRer5XpZk9nsc6hezl4fAAsyJtRexROS4jUYTNP5bVADx3d8OqLUX69PNWHpL2d3iekeAG5sAgp4OF6GrKwmwpvbzd_A1QNsJ9EI/s1600-h/IMG_5789.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc4v6QEjoq_rjHqqy3OgbAbDG9qlcTVqPgeGSjXVCnRer5XpZk9nsc6hezl4fAAsyJtRexROS4jUYTNP5bVADx3d8OqLUX69PNWHpL2d3iekeAG5sAgp4OF6GrKwmwpvbzd_A1QNsJ9EI/s320/IMG_5789.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344292681522805250" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCnxeXUvyNQnln7NjO64Fzqh_LE2-G5BpB4OpgiTeWi978umAe0Iwy9zxdzq6kXyJsvKd7FW_FhiyHOZg2NrixoTYDJz6I40TO2QFRgUXK66XBIupvYHgik13sj2dnUFcLmmqyxHFp6Ms/s1600-h/IMG_5806.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCnxeXUvyNQnln7NjO64Fzqh_LE2-G5BpB4OpgiTeWi978umAe0Iwy9zxdzq6kXyJsvKd7FW_FhiyHOZg2NrixoTYDJz6I40TO2QFRgUXK66XBIupvYHgik13sj2dnUFcLmmqyxHFp6Ms/s320/IMG_5806.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344292682210422930" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9YaJRnJdTNaLyBCNutTurN-4WqUPVCLTStMrpCDMTCzzHD7HRYFtf7cMqBvBc6Xhx9mSoOMULt0stJDo5mpGhgJ2JEr7amUeaM_IbjdpyTUfazUMd6LLu1CMZhCEBXxNFO8_Yrxu8uE/s1600-h/IMG_5810.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9YaJRnJdTNaLyBCNutTurN-4WqUPVCLTStMrpCDMTCzzHD7HRYFtf7cMqBvBc6Xhx9mSoOMULt0stJDo5mpGhgJ2JEr7amUeaM_IbjdpyTUfazUMd6LLu1CMZhCEBXxNFO8_Yrxu8uE/s320/IMG_5810.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344292682847082594" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></a><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-53517910267550714802009-05-29T12:34:00.016-07:002009-05-29T14:22:00.393-07:00Game, Set, Match<div>Just as I was adjusting to greeting everyone with an Hola! it was time to switch gears. Bonjour! I arrived in Paris on Monday night. I caught a late afternoon flight out of Madrid and since the rental agency had mailed me my Paris apartment keys in advance, it was up to me to figure out exactly where I was going. It was fairly easy - bus from the airport to Opera metro station to Pont Neuf metro station. As I walked out of the metro station at Pont Neuf, the below two images greeted me. I stood there in shock, mumbled something under my breath to the effect of "I can't believe this" and looked at quintessential Paris - the Seine River and in the distance, the Eiffel Tower (complete with light show). </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAEm2QGm602QqPJxcO94EcyUxckygoa7Nxf-C-s8Epazk4EIhZgpxhev3lbbjdOZzmoOq6ZG28bidMSnX6tPme8M9i0Q882XOlSRwvoGvAwYna5zYnF-IBuuseb2DcYCvo_kK4ELONxA/s1600-h/IMG_0564.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAEm2QGm602QqPJxcO94EcyUxckygoa7Nxf-C-s8Epazk4EIhZgpxhev3lbbjdOZzmoOq6ZG28bidMSnX6tPme8M9i0Q882XOlSRwvoGvAwYna5zYnF-IBuuseb2DcYCvo_kK4ELONxA/s320/IMG_0564.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341333165323720002" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59P8C1LrGs8ojJluaf6TpfhT_ct6erpH1HFxUekntvTIme0pw0GogvvoHPgUZasED2-Q0GjpDfMnU62yFmZQpBmjmACuhJ-vjGTQ51tO8NR5lTHoUcUsmELm5rgDNREPHEsk71ZH14ls/s1600-h/IMG_0566.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59P8C1LrGs8ojJluaf6TpfhT_ct6erpH1HFxUekntvTIme0pw0GogvvoHPgUZasED2-Q0GjpDfMnU62yFmZQpBmjmACuhJ-vjGTQ51tO8NR5lTHoUcUsmELm5rgDNREPHEsk71ZH14ls/s320/IMG_0566.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341333169946858018" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>According to my map, the Pont Neuf station was only a couple of blocks from my apartment. I crossed the bridge at Pont Neuf as shown in the above picture, and I was on my street. Once I found the apartment building, the rental agency had given me precise instructions on the code to get in the door, where light switches were in the main building (since it was dark when I arrived), which halls to walk down to go toward my apartment, etc. It was a little tricky, and I wouldn't have found it without their instructions, especially in the dark. What I didn't know in advance, however, was that I had to climb three circular staircases carrying 40 lbs of luggage (and another good 20 lbs on my back). Uh, yeah, I'm seeking out a post office in the next day or two to YET AGAIN mail stuff back to the States.</div><div><br /></div><div>The weather the past few days hasn't been great, so I've mostly been getting acclimated to the neighborhood and walking around when it wasn't raining. It took me almost an entire day to find a grocery store, but I eventually did where all the products were in French (naturally), and I had to rely on pictures to figure out what I was getting. Buy the milk with the picture of the cow on it - not the goat! Other than the grocery store, my inability to speak French doesn't seem to be too much of a problem. I figure that if I just keep throwing out some well timed merci's and s'il vous plait's it will be fine. So far, so good! </div><div><br /></div><div>I woke up to a beautiful day today - sunny and low 70s. The French Open is currently taking place in Paris, and I've been wanting to see one of the Grand Slam tournaments for a long time. I checked the Roland Garros website this morning to find out who was playing today - Nadal vs. Hewitt. Perfect! Tickets have been officially sold out for some time (unless you want a grounds ticket - entitling you only to be inside Roland Garros stadium but no access to watch matches other than on the small courts), but my brother directed me to a reputable online site for tickets. To watch the Nadal match today, it would cost $395 for an upper level ticket and $595 for a lower level ticket. Yeah... that wasn't exactly in the travel budget. So assuming like any other good sporting match there would be scalpers around the stadium, I set out that way. Sure enough, there were scalpers everywhere. I was willing to pay 100 Euros for a ticket - I wasn't happy about that, but I was willing. As I walked from the metro station outside the stadium to the stadium gates I talked to several scalpers, and they weren't budging off 200 Euros a ticket. I just couldn't pay that, so I turned to walk back to the metro station. </div><div><br /></div><div>As I was walking away, an older lady stopped me and asked me in broken English how many tickets I needed. I told her one. She gestured at me with a ticket and said (what I later learned to mean), "One coke and a sandwich." I shook my head and said, "I don't understand. How much would you like for the ticket?" She repeated, "One coke and a sandwich." This time I understood. I asked if she was sure and she said something to the effect of her husband had not been able to make it, that he was sick and to follow her. So I did. We got into the stadium, headed for our gate and next thing I knew I was sitting in a lower level (with shade) seat for free! Well, free minus one coke and a sandwich.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv0XztetQdrf_An3PCI75sfFUl2tqazyaJfcnLJCALlG0TU7N2noEHbF-xoMdvR95ukEf3bo6hHIJYNYrfTmcs5S0zNWxt6TX9IGNnKrGwcuCrFWzU52nL4d6Fi_ommre8eElWbLqj9Uo/s1600-h/IMG_5719.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv0XztetQdrf_An3PCI75sfFUl2tqazyaJfcnLJCALlG0TU7N2noEHbF-xoMdvR95ukEf3bo6hHIJYNYrfTmcs5S0zNWxt6TX9IGNnKrGwcuCrFWzU52nL4d6Fi_ommre8eElWbLqj9Uo/s320/IMG_5719.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341345184188436178" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1g5pzFOBuwKzaTbHxt_UQnUCvXGUEbnhyphenhyphen_VXJRYjjJwKVizWpyjuxOXmwQTfkC8x2qH1zfbDThN3o28lNJ1HkIgM6EyLMPKbGn5s01tCLU2AsOy4sWjtE8mZoKcSGBmQfsgzyFPTMkvE/s1600-h/IMG_5726.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1g5pzFOBuwKzaTbHxt_UQnUCvXGUEbnhyphenhyphen_VXJRYjjJwKVizWpyjuxOXmwQTfkC8x2qH1zfbDThN3o28lNJ1HkIgM6EyLMPKbGn5s01tCLU2AsOy4sWjtE8mZoKcSGBmQfsgzyFPTMkvE/s320/IMG_5726.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341345189361608530" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcfW_Ll-FYIbWcqNm8ffrt6eenQ8NBTN414g35qzUacD8nQRYsSSBKfCV75Y20yJTV_6dPSVxpkNukIpC5QeiEn8TDwPBJ_ArDfl4ll7edy4goeoESf_WwroUVx4fGY1ErOIwxGp32Zo/s1600-h/IMG_5745.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcfW_Ll-FYIbWcqNm8ffrt6eenQ8NBTN414g35qzUacD8nQRYsSSBKfCV75Y20yJTV_6dPSVxpkNukIpC5QeiEn8TDwPBJ_ArDfl4ll7edy4goeoESf_WwroUVx4fGY1ErOIwxGp32Zo/s320/IMG_5745.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341345196623978626" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The first match I saw was Gonzalez vs. Ouanna. Ouanna is French, so of course he was the crowd favorite, but Gonzalez won. Then it was time for Nadal vs. Hewitt. It was amazing to see a player like Nadal, but it really wasn't much of a match considering he beat Hewitt pretty quickly. After that was over, the stadium really cleared out. The next match was Sharapova vs. Shvedova, and I stayed for a few minutes to watch Sharapova play.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfwX-rjDXhPoGJ7PMTA-mQXMTFXNYwni1RX3jYD0iBhkbFesZyhjAwmEaG0Q5u7PzTcnhyN9XQ72pDyDIVg78eLYLFXBqQ3zX7HDqsjToSz_WuEUzoS-4TIs45OLzxHxcuoM62l-uqeAs/s1600-h/IMG_5763.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfwX-rjDXhPoGJ7PMTA-mQXMTFXNYwni1RX3jYD0iBhkbFesZyhjAwmEaG0Q5u7PzTcnhyN9XQ72pDyDIVg78eLYLFXBqQ3zX7HDqsjToSz_WuEUzoS-4TIs45OLzxHxcuoM62l-uqeAs/s320/IMG_5763.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341345210251337330" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKQ_8F1OlD7d0Ouz894VYuzhGVMcatOwhueUcyoa8iP1FKPcp7lOfof4pwtJRyZceRXkqvCYnSPru8g9eDF7VufPfVnlaAu8SOiG6YBxqiaBeD2WKXMv06clHViQKR6aY9e3V9QPaz5I/s1600-h/IMG_5757.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKQ_8F1OlD7d0Ouz894VYuzhGVMcatOwhueUcyoa8iP1FKPcp7lOfof4pwtJRyZceRXkqvCYnSPru8g9eDF7VufPfVnlaAu8SOiG6YBxqiaBeD2WKXMv06clHViQKR6aY9e3V9QPaz5I/s320/IMG_5757.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341345202263644370" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8g6SehNrNA9gxjL1YDhe-xjsLtssWYeholEcCpBnfRz34hdNBUZ-sYhDt919O9drEONK7GcPkModvEdfnCB4HyGoimmTDhbPWk_JT-I13YpLCPLPFzn1WUyfst7iTalA2YVya4ivGaAw/s1600-h/IMG_5761.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8g6SehNrNA9gxjL1YDhe-xjsLtssWYeholEcCpBnfRz34hdNBUZ-sYhDt919O9drEONK7GcPkModvEdfnCB4HyGoimmTDhbPWk_JT-I13YpLCPLPFzn1WUyfst7iTalA2YVya4ivGaAw/s320/IMG_5761.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341355140009957538" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5d6YTnSTG9pokY0nwGywVX6vPZePdpX6Q2HCHL7msSpZRQJ6WKYQOd3fTIfl9Fy6QVQP4PN_RDp_0S_msHW8VJtNR2nOitHg0U3lY91oWTgGOjGAJICon34zhXuHQ0_7MVS2qvLHGNb4/s1600-h/IMG_5743.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5d6YTnSTG9pokY0nwGywVX6vPZePdpX6Q2HCHL7msSpZRQJ6WKYQOd3fTIfl9Fy6QVQP4PN_RDp_0S_msHW8VJtNR2nOitHg0U3lY91oWTgGOjGAJICon34zhXuHQ0_7MVS2qvLHGNb4/s320/IMG_5743.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341354469644033442" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVeGLJqVpEvgNeIxGqYko8Mdw1_ZhYxRtQBfssptqYRweMByJQhRAwjjp7u3AQUOeYVLxmCb4-blODY_JbKuvaXcMtsmmbE38K2pGKJb5ndobqdiAfEnxpd6J8F8z8JqeF5bL2taTEkG0/s1600-h/IMG_5759.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVeGLJqVpEvgNeIxGqYko8Mdw1_ZhYxRtQBfssptqYRweMByJQhRAwjjp7u3AQUOeYVLxmCb4-blODY_JbKuvaXcMtsmmbE38K2pGKJb5ndobqdiAfEnxpd6J8F8z8JqeF5bL2taTEkG0/s320/IMG_5759.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341355629007598274" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Z3qCDxQjjPvGyCJ4Jw_fIR4RhaKFo-ZxrC9idaD-pDwG7l2qTaL15q6nCl14fLTZhWwYfDg5VuBa3i4wwCmJ9uElK9Se_tM6HUwTSAFG2jzRCe_JWiMV_AdtE6UZiVoXKb9-Eey8XfU/s1600-h/IMG_5758.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Z3qCDxQjjPvGyCJ4Jw_fIR4RhaKFo-ZxrC9idaD-pDwG7l2qTaL15q6nCl14fLTZhWwYfDg5VuBa3i4wwCmJ9uElK9Se_tM6HUwTSAFG2jzRCe_JWiMV_AdtE6UZiVoXKb9-Eey8XfU/s320/IMG_5758.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341354776543204130" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_AoDqBNScJO6Fafiqdf8DZyDZ-1ICHX8SarTOTkEjDMVytwXwcvnKAGajLNnS5d05IIR7elxIIEz2IpU1pxMkBZEgai0son2AN0v13UODzs8My8QDsL6ntt7IEtX7GAFHHi36mHfiVY/s1600-h/IMG_5777.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_AoDqBNScJO6Fafiqdf8DZyDZ-1ICHX8SarTOTkEjDMVytwXwcvnKAGajLNnS5d05IIR7elxIIEz2IpU1pxMkBZEgai0son2AN0v13UODzs8My8QDsL6ntt7IEtX7GAFHHi36mHfiVY/s320/IMG_5777.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341356328436606546" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jUVLLzY8_7vWz_XF5JcUq_IpQLz7rybUlUDzPjaqon5Vyn6oOhyxHxVK9dYdhdmLtQDC5y_VXt09-qcaMxBEg2KSnG0NMzWNcC7jalchZiMdijJucyi4dYRNv4XfTbhuJHGdzWHhbYo/s1600-h/IMG_5776.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jUVLLzY8_7vWz_XF5JcUq_IpQLz7rybUlUDzPjaqon5Vyn6oOhyxHxVK9dYdhdmLtQDC5y_VXt09-qcaMxBEg2KSnG0NMzWNcC7jalchZiMdijJucyi4dYRNv4XfTbhuJHGdzWHhbYo/s320/IMG_5776.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341357204506019682" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdeZ5NulnvEwJc42AFDEUirQ4CxwWBTLFepGH-CGRLNeiLXO0Z_459VEoWts8MQ_6cpayE2lf6qcz96AE1V3pICUHm0rGMk5qbhN_Y6IT6T5r6rJDEXKYq2oPa_XAJmFC-AeBPZO2GYY/s1600-h/IMG_5779.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdeZ5NulnvEwJc42AFDEUirQ4CxwWBTLFepGH-CGRLNeiLXO0Z_459VEoWts8MQ_6cpayE2lf6qcz96AE1V3pICUHm0rGMk5qbhN_Y6IT6T5r6rJDEXKYq2oPa_XAJmFC-AeBPZO2GYY/s320/IMG_5779.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341357209687490498" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WxzusgjNmVDsTxEP_AgzFWQWT1Ftsht969XlEciCMpESBBKSBnpDnsB2F9W3yTxXVCSniEVMp-qfLa8YlFS5vM-FcgTOKCiP6yM9h6sGRBYzuovZHkA-bNoqvZll0XbKf_aUJHdvg1I/s1600-h/IMG_5782.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WxzusgjNmVDsTxEP_AgzFWQWT1Ftsht969XlEciCMpESBBKSBnpDnsB2F9W3yTxXVCSniEVMp-qfLa8YlFS5vM-FcgTOKCiP6yM9h6sGRBYzuovZHkA-bNoqvZll0XbKf_aUJHdvg1I/s320/IMG_5782.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341357215902798482" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div>As I was on the way back to the apartment, I turned to walk down my street, Rue Dauphine, and saw one of the coolest things ever - a woman wearing a charcoal gray pencil skirt, black dress shirt, black leather belt, black heels and... a pink helmut while riding a white Vespa. Only in Paris. Tres chic!<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSIGclJkfcF1TK0GRAGoFdjV7POVUWf6OpFwGMngKlSXg9BNvdKiQ9Xs-hUdzFwz7SuPhGJqJjRljuR9ANXXgmDwRjGlqhDf1M4fCF3xQSDhzxcQedqxFqj2N1msXhrUvLUq6DgvWCaA/s1600-h/IMG_5783.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSIGclJkfcF1TK0GRAGoFdjV7POVUWf6OpFwGMngKlSXg9BNvdKiQ9Xs-hUdzFwz7SuPhGJqJjRljuR9ANXXgmDwRjGlqhDf1M4fCF3xQSDhzxcQedqxFqj2N1msXhrUvLUq6DgvWCaA/s320/IMG_5783.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341333160424534690" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-28127595914652885292009-05-24T13:24:00.011-07:002009-05-24T18:04:59.158-07:00Ole!When I got to Madrid yesterday, I could tell right away it was going to be a very different experience than Barcelona. A better experience. Not that Barcelona was bad. Everything just felt like a bit of a struggle there, which at the time I chalked up to it being a culture shock having just come from London as well as being in a non-English speaking country. But not only that, I just didn't find Barcelona an appealing city. It was fine, but that's all it was - fine. When I expressed this same sentiment to someone the other day, I was reminded that fine definitely doesn't sound like a positive!<div><br /></div><div>So back to Madrid...</div><div><br /></div><div>I landed in the early afternoon and took the metro into the city. As I was sitting on the metro, a couple sitting across from me struck up a conversation. They were Americans from Texas, and I was thrilled to talk to them. I have heard very few American voices in the past three weeks, and it had gotten to the point where as I would hear an American in a crowd I wanted to run up to them and say, "You're an American? I'm an American!" But since that would be a bit psychotic, I hadn't done that... yet.</div><div><br /></div><div>The hotel is awesome. It's in the perfect location on Plaza de Santa Ana - right in the middle of several great wine and tapas bars and within easy walking or metro distance to anywhere I have wanted to go. For dinner last night I went to a wine and tapas bar, Vinoteca Barbechera. I had read excellent reviews of it online and then when I discovered it was right across the plaza from my hotel I decided I had to go there. It was packed and there wasn't a seat to be found, so I squeezed in at the bar where I stood to eat and drink. The tapas were not your run of the mill fried calamari like I ran across at every tapas bar in Barcelona. I had one of goat cheese with caramelized onions and the other (and the hands down winner) was foie gras with a candied apple. I had two glasses of wine as well. My whole bill was only 12 Euros. Perfect! </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-c6qnX48VJxWyvuY-PnLRuCvrbAfmF89A6GaazL_-rxEzTxZvk3yU5BkAwdH5M63PgfGwcjNtMbjsqmD3AGQG6u4tnFi-SKKnjrjwuosspS_-PH3hk5z3W7VhII_Drz6P-KGQwfClNo/s1600-h/IMG_5695.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-c6qnX48VJxWyvuY-PnLRuCvrbAfmF89A6GaazL_-rxEzTxZvk3yU5BkAwdH5M63PgfGwcjNtMbjsqmD3AGQG6u4tnFi-SKKnjrjwuosspS_-PH3hk5z3W7VhII_Drz6P-KGQwfClNo/s320/IMG_5695.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339556780948003106" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittiZwcO0-3dx3zkvkFRpYO5wgitxu3k1jjPX2aA5FfAXyDfg2_ZyOjVuVaJElWUfekYKhO3ugLCgS5kN6ESa7R2rYUJWSJ_RueUhltTK9-r5Fx2nNMHeSmL6Z2l0V3NVKSL92seJWKqo/s1600-h/IMG_5694.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittiZwcO0-3dx3zkvkFRpYO5wgitxu3k1jjPX2aA5FfAXyDfg2_ZyOjVuVaJElWUfekYKhO3ugLCgS5kN6ESa7R2rYUJWSJ_RueUhltTK9-r5Fx2nNMHeSmL6Z2l0V3NVKSL92seJWKqo/s320/IMG_5694.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339556779801672050" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 301px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The hotel has a great rooftop bar, Penthouse Bar, which is a Rande Gerber bar. For those who aren't familiar, he's the guy married to Cindy Crawford, and he has bars and restaurants all over the world, including Whiskey Bar in New York. I'm on their mailing list and a few weeks ago received an email for a free bottle of champagne on my birthday, which was yesterday. Perfect, except I had no one to share it with, but since it was my birthday, I made a reservation anyway for a table in the bar. I got there about 12:30 am, and it was packed. Even though I had a reservation, they only had a seat for me next to three other people. When I sat down I ordered my bottle of champagne and asked for four glasses so I could share. No way was I making it through an entire bottle by myself, and I thought this might be a way to make friends fast. Sure enough, once they each had a glass, we started chatting. It was two girls and one of the girls' father, all from Germany. One of the girls, Julie (pronounced like Julia), was a student doing a semester in Spain. The other girl, Karina, had just finished a semester in Spain and had returned to Germany but was visiting Julie for the weekend. Julie's father (I didn't catch his name) was also visiting her for the weekend from Germany. Of course they all spoke fluent English (and Spanish), so we didn't have any problems communicating. Once they found out it was my birthday Julie and Karina asked me to go out with them and one of their friends, Isabella, who was born in Brazil but grew up in London and was visiting for the weekend as well. </div><div><br /></div><div>About 2 am we met Isabella in Plaza Puerta del Sol and took a taxi to Club Kapitol, a huge club in Madrid that has seven floors, three of which have a DJ and dancing. The entry fee was 20 Euros (it came with a drink, but that is a serious entry fee!), and the girls insisted on paying for me because it was my birthday. We started out by going to the bar to get our drinks and then going to the main floor, which consisted of pop/techno music and dancers on stage. The club was very much like a club I've been to in Miami. The music was really good, and at one point, a man was drumming along with the music up on a suspended platform above the crowd, which everyone really got into. About 4 am or so, I ended up catching a taxi back to my hotel and leaving the girls at the club. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia9QbNm_zKurnKW_eHv4RT3PeAUN5gjBUdUIsN9QJBZQjtDRF6-lguc6lJ97dge5oYpOeeyZJiO1ogK3LgKGb1FLplO1WQWHbvRJMyj4U3KsC-U5ylciRprBwzYSv73j-wpgzLuTnBjQ0/s1600-h/IMG_5489.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia9QbNm_zKurnKW_eHv4RT3PeAUN5gjBUdUIsN9QJBZQjtDRF6-lguc6lJ97dge5oYpOeeyZJiO1ogK3LgKGb1FLplO1WQWHbvRJMyj4U3KsC-U5ylciRprBwzYSv73j-wpgzLuTnBjQ0/s320/IMG_5489.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339552810140664818" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwnRtorteCl3b2DvBOx6AlBw4GK-TFsRuwsqcDy0AA15qlmuYHVmz5ndbeVIAXCIsga42j7tzZje_leTOHlWTSAnqLdA0MVzVl9a4xM_qce0rHQFWrEKMC2i8eCY70DLOGVvle-3_3Pc/s1600-h/IMG_5490.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwnRtorteCl3b2DvBOx6AlBw4GK-TFsRuwsqcDy0AA15qlmuYHVmz5ndbeVIAXCIsga42j7tzZje_leTOHlWTSAnqLdA0MVzVl9a4xM_qce0rHQFWrEKMC2i8eCY70DLOGVvle-3_3Pc/s320/IMG_5490.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339552816695968962" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-jWFz2mQ1QhIpFzQsIf7_rjwS4xJeECWsFVSv8n_yS39BTM1k7Ke9gLQPHgTXpTcZfVLRY6e_w_cSsYhl6rFKfCU6gqxqL7zSTK_Y-_Dy9ll0ngFUpViw78Ku0WLKKYHXfLzTeMPbtQ/s1600-h/IMG_5497.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-jWFz2mQ1QhIpFzQsIf7_rjwS4xJeECWsFVSv8n_yS39BTM1k7Ke9gLQPHgTXpTcZfVLRY6e_w_cSsYhl6rFKfCU6gqxqL7zSTK_Y-_Dy9ll0ngFUpViw78Ku0WLKKYHXfLzTeMPbtQ/s320/IMG_5497.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339552813825468290" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>One of the things I really wanted to do in Spain was see a bullfight. I found out that the San Isidro Festival, marking the beginning of bullfighting season would be taking place while I was in Madrid. This morning I took the metro to the Las Ventas bullfighting stadium to buy a ticket. As I approached the stadium, I saw a crowd of people and realized I had stumbled upon an anti-bullfighting protest. But this wasn't your normal protest. This was a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">topless</span> protest. Men and women dressed in only black bikini bottoms and shorts were sprawled out on top of a huge white tarp holding signs that read "Tauromaquia Abolicion," or "Bullfight Abolition." Obviously this didn't deter me - I bought a ticket for 7.70 Euros - but it did make for an interesting start to my morning.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjND7XVjAdpRlXg1gYQJt00pHVr6pp1vqp0btu3ogi_ROhsB0OEWtpmJ0revCpR6vYPiEWuo4I4VpkLZlMb7gqeobHj3Z7AKDMsr-oLfVQkXO2p6baHvDSid17G91S40qqAXZMbekAslj4/s1600-h/IMG_5506.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjND7XVjAdpRlXg1gYQJt00pHVr6pp1vqp0btu3ogi_ROhsB0OEWtpmJ0revCpR6vYPiEWuo4I4VpkLZlMb7gqeobHj3Z7AKDMsr-oLfVQkXO2p6baHvDSid17G91S40qqAXZMbekAslj4/s320/IMG_5506.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339549868972590002" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2TCZS8wPzdoJSTnNr3Mfy9faF8VhvMK90rmtr4O8YHVKT-At9IeSogtX2kVTSyIZwEi7UIjxuaGHvKUo4_PfXIJh4MhNWS7iQcwbt7AcIWvq6cCkbDx5Z_XrQiHVLn3gV9AIevOkr74/s1600-h/IMG_5519.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2TCZS8wPzdoJSTnNr3Mfy9faF8VhvMK90rmtr4O8YHVKT-At9IeSogtX2kVTSyIZwEi7UIjxuaGHvKUo4_PfXIJh4MhNWS7iQcwbt7AcIWvq6cCkbDx5Z_XrQiHVLn3gV9AIevOkr74/s320/IMG_5519.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339549873546099138" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>After leaving the stadium, I took the metro to Retiro Park, which was supposed to be one of Madrid's most beautiful parks. From the parks I've seen so far in Europe, I would qualify it as one of Europe's most beautiful parks. It was a great day to be at the park - sunny and warm - and the park was crowded. There was an orchestra playing, and I stayed for awhile and enjoyed the music. Later I took the metro to the subway stop near my hotel and in Plaza Puerta del Sol saw yet another protest. This one was protesting L'oreal and other cosmetics companies, and people wore giant lipsticks on top of their heads. The Europeans are nothing if not creative in their protests. I then walked to Plaza Mayor and walked around and checked out the different street performers, followed by El Rastro Market, which is similar to the market I went to in Notting Hill last weekend, though not nearly as large and extensive. This market consisted mostly of clothes and jewelry. I bought a cuff made out of hammered metal for 15 Euros (happy birthday to me!). After going back to the hotel for a bit, I went to the Museo del Prado, which is one of the major art museums here in Madrid and has free entry on Sunday late afternoons.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLan6fIaTcRqGkEmqDoN6gof3WPY0bFQSiS9I4Oi-3TOkl4NYbrV_n6Ttd4kXOoLZBgjdvvlbbqprpXaaxlFfBG4Qt5FQINGnjy_IN6WPY5dScEysGmgCVXHYkkUBSujUpQ5iYlyGfxw/s1600-h/IMG_5532.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLan6fIaTcRqGkEmqDoN6gof3WPY0bFQSiS9I4Oi-3TOkl4NYbrV_n6Ttd4kXOoLZBgjdvvlbbqprpXaaxlFfBG4Qt5FQINGnjy_IN6WPY5dScEysGmgCVXHYkkUBSujUpQ5iYlyGfxw/s320/IMG_5532.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339549880346238050" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgUmj4monVZpeexx19-EwMM_-Dlh1Qnoq15Jz7ofFnHuSdpPkGiDlqay2VUNKXEpOLJHlDUd8x6s07lhuRxtHFAde9I29OvvuBvJ_CtEq4QJvJD_t3lV8kP7Vv-AnhOmW-rz9Rgn47lc/s1600-h/IMG_5541.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgUmj4monVZpeexx19-EwMM_-Dlh1Qnoq15Jz7ofFnHuSdpPkGiDlqay2VUNKXEpOLJHlDUd8x6s07lhuRxtHFAde9I29OvvuBvJ_CtEq4QJvJD_t3lV8kP7Vv-AnhOmW-rz9Rgn47lc/s320/IMG_5541.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339549883477360786" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3Du60pT4Ih1y6gds86CAnyvbNXN_mw8XE5big2Vi5fylubr_HgaK1DEnsb3bQiTI2Vdj6zh04yJWJc1nbTaeBhYW_mFLnsczb4hR6_eJm28XCHNSQzotR0gK1achJWMTwIbI6BrHZDU/s1600-h/IMG_5554.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3Du60pT4Ih1y6gds86CAnyvbNXN_mw8XE5big2Vi5fylubr_HgaK1DEnsb3bQiTI2Vdj6zh04yJWJc1nbTaeBhYW_mFLnsczb4hR6_eJm28XCHNSQzotR0gK1achJWMTwIbI6BrHZDU/s320/IMG_5554.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339549888488867826" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-84wbL_8UaMAGHxJWy0s72tfDqyn0EVkq44NqHQxTodzpxO2pIi0w-bV1tCqwKnSrFq-1n09itAAyuW2t66A0SQwQ2e4XENKYZn8kHaxwbV7SWL4xMzED-51jd2bXJDaxT6ZwS7xASk/s1600-h/IMG_5562.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-84wbL_8UaMAGHxJWy0s72tfDqyn0EVkq44NqHQxTodzpxO2pIi0w-bV1tCqwKnSrFq-1n09itAAyuW2t66A0SQwQ2e4XENKYZn8kHaxwbV7SWL4xMzED-51jd2bXJDaxT6ZwS7xASk/s320/IMG_5562.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339552822255721538" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-O0AahRQKBDm8K-dRNgjCm7E_0KncwdFYSPD9y6q5vEPgRJqnN_zwELQvhCNjsp1LSrNTTgZAjRuJoLcyKNlso1k70_AU-fKMjFlY8w6FgSAY-t-dRBhWWfzSE9SFrAS_1uz68DyKQuM/s1600-h/IMG_5560.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-O0AahRQKBDm8K-dRNgjCm7E_0KncwdFYSPD9y6q5vEPgRJqnN_zwELQvhCNjsp1LSrNTTgZAjRuJoLcyKNlso1k70_AU-fKMjFlY8w6FgSAY-t-dRBhWWfzSE9SFrAS_1uz68DyKQuM/s320/IMG_5560.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339556793297868402" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZBv2U1h1YXQv8pEw3-2LzL2CwvX4_lyiQusZa3sJ_Sn9TsV58hzEI99fOMX-BzX2XIT3fTzyvPx7FbVaH5nyXEvT0-rQB1S3KONKQYK7Hv6rIrsTYzy3zGMV-lTRJOainIZCN0vVfL4/s1600-h/IMG_5566.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZBv2U1h1YXQv8pEw3-2LzL2CwvX4_lyiQusZa3sJ_Sn9TsV58hzEI99fOMX-BzX2XIT3fTzyvPx7FbVaH5nyXEvT0-rQB1S3KONKQYK7Hv6rIrsTYzy3zGMV-lTRJOainIZCN0vVfL4/s320/IMG_5566.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339556785915495042" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6dnGkg_Qi7-xFsMg7qRLOeaxlzVuuVdCMaqV1Z_i8qECgSDyg8GqTa-JPOUocywSM9kSGBs3XY2tJYoXHONjtqhEPJteY6Wl-sl8MbIHwZc1nRjOd_xGv6HZ8-e6ERScSIM8X19Motqg/s1600-h/IMG_5577.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6dnGkg_Qi7-xFsMg7qRLOeaxlzVuuVdCMaqV1Z_i8qECgSDyg8GqTa-JPOUocywSM9kSGBs3XY2tJYoXHONjtqhEPJteY6Wl-sl8MbIHwZc1nRjOd_xGv6HZ8-e6ERScSIM8X19Motqg/s320/IMG_5577.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339556799870860562" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLz22u05vnbFnTPSBEyTwUZtjG8SyMaTpksOuGxAem00RcqTWEcJWSCl_gOJS1Av7KFtne451NB2L2NSt8TCFuamjjhuT13jTrkwzofC62MwVUq7zIItPmWQ7jIQ7z8rv2yL2ICyzOyE/s1600-h/IMG_5590.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLz22u05vnbFnTPSBEyTwUZtjG8SyMaTpksOuGxAem00RcqTWEcJWSCl_gOJS1Av7KFtne451NB2L2NSt8TCFuamjjhuT13jTrkwzofC62MwVUq7zIItPmWQ7jIQ7z8rv2yL2ICyzOyE/s320/IMG_5590.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339552806946604562" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>A word of warning: If you have any qualms about the senseless killing of animals I would advise that you don't read the next paragraph or look at the pictures that follow.</div><div><br /></div><div>The bullfight was at 7 pm, so I made my way back to Las Ventas stadium. As I walked up to the stadium, I was laughing at how it didn't feel all that dissimilar from going to a UT football game. I found my seat, which I had assumed would be terrible considering the inexpensive ticket but wasn't bad at all, and I was in the shade for most of the bullfight. I sat through five bullfights (I have no idea how many there are as five was enough for me), and each one followed basically the same pattern: There was a main matador and then three or four other matadors out in the ring. Each had a bright pink cape. A trumpet would sound, signifying the bullfight was to start and out came the bull. Sometimes the bull had to be agitated a bit to get him started; other times he came out mad and was ready to go. Each of the matadors would take turns using the cape to get the bull to charge and as it seemed the bull was getting too close for comfort to one matador, another matador would get near the bull and distract him with his cape. Then the trumpet would sound again, and out would come two guys on horses with lances. The horses were each blindfolded and covered with some kind-of protection against the bull's charge, which happened every bullfight. When that happened the guy on the horse would stab the bull with the lance. In fact at one point, a horse was knocked over to the ground, and I thought the bull had killed him, but they got the bull away from the horse, pulled the horse up and he was fine. The trumpet would then sound and the guys on horses would leave. The other matadors then try to implant what looks like colored sticks into the bull's back, and once they did that, they would stick there and the bull would run around bleeding with the sticks attached to him. (I know I'm not explaining this well at all, by the way...) Again, the trumpet would sound and then it was time for the matador to come out with the red cape and a sword. At this point the matador was just agitating the bull, but later when the final trumpet sounded, the matador would then begin stabbing the bull in his back with the sword. As it became apparent the bull was dying (he would get what can only be described a lethargic and refusing to charge despite the matadors' attempts to agitate the bull with their capes), the main matador would kill the bull with one final stab to his back. The bull would go down and then horses came out and dragged the bull away. The whole process was one of the craziest things I've ever seen.</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhnLCsaIhSqiQQYEJv6Srm2pCFYXnM9GrioEF3bHaxEN0MyxrTrlYbo31LEOCANrXCj8cZThuzXQ6NACDTM4ihM5V9CmMTMr4djKIFYPmG6HGmrjHqGyrgYmHg6lOoKcE20mokNAMNrc/s1600-h/IMG_5592.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhnLCsaIhSqiQQYEJv6Srm2pCFYXnM9GrioEF3bHaxEN0MyxrTrlYbo31LEOCANrXCj8cZThuzXQ6NACDTM4ihM5V9CmMTMr4djKIFYPmG6HGmrjHqGyrgYmHg6lOoKcE20mokNAMNrc/s320/IMG_5592.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339545402551337586" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTpmd_bAxy0LMeuHsXjGJxN00L05OUN94hnLFNyR7S85k_1X4WmNvxEWxJ3sSVUAu8zpTxRHUjbBD9sV-zJx3Ve2BEeZHoXTJSycXHPUXCEJr3Yls8Q1AkuRbPo2SfYl5fw8g-oglhsY/s1600-h/IMG_5604.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTpmd_bAxy0LMeuHsXjGJxN00L05OUN94hnLFNyR7S85k_1X4WmNvxEWxJ3sSVUAu8zpTxRHUjbBD9sV-zJx3Ve2BEeZHoXTJSycXHPUXCEJr3Yls8Q1AkuRbPo2SfYl5fw8g-oglhsY/s320/IMG_5604.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339545408152750066" style="cursor: pointer; 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width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-72647071027728232712009-05-22T12:10:00.012-07:002009-05-22T13:40:00.775-07:00Hola Barcelona!<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I got to Barcelona early evening on Wednesday. I had a couple of moments of panic on the plane when I remembered that I would not be in an English-speaking country again until mid-August, but I assured myself that my Spanish would come flying back to me (don’t ask me what I’m going to do in France or Amsterdam or Prague or Salzburg...).</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I successfully maneuvered my way through the airport, onto the train and onto the metro to get to the stop closest to the hotel. A few misturns walking, and I finally found my way. Thank you iPhone Google maps! It’s strange to be back in a hotel after being in an apartment for over a week. Of course, I’ll be in an apartment in Paris starting on Monday night, so I’ll have all the comforts of home again soon.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">That night I walked to a nearby restaurant and figured it would be the perfect opportunity to try out my Spanish. “Hola. Uno, por favor.” Ok, that successfully got my point across - I need a table for one. Doing good so far... I got nervous when it came time to order, though, and switched back to English. Would “Quiero...” be appropriate to say “I want...” or does that sound a tad bitchy? Should it be “Me gusta...” No, that means “I like,” not “I would like...” Anyway, they understood my English, and I was well fed, so that’s all that matters.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The hotel has a great rooftop pool area, which I have taken advantage of the past two late afternoons. (The weather here is great - sunny and high 70s). The hotel is in a good location - close to the metro. Being near the metro is key as everything to see in Barcelona seems very spread out, which I found out the next day as I set out to walk to the area of Barcelona called La Rambla. </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">La Rambla is nuts. It is a street that is basically filled with tourists, but it’s supposed to be one of those must-sees, so I saw it. An entire block of La Rambla had every live animal for sale you could imagine - birds, roosters, chicks, turtles, mice, ferrets, chipmunks. There are a lot of street performers. The vampires in the pictures below would jump out of their coffins and shout “Hola!” when someone would come up to them to give them money. I don’t know why I found that so funny. “Hola”? Shouldn’t it be at least “Boo”! or something? One guy was playing this game with the crowd where he would hide a ball under one of three boxes, shuffle the boxes around and then stop and ask "Which one?". Someone in the crowd would then come forward and bet 50 Euros that they knew which box it was under. If they won, they got 50 Euros in return. The guy made a killing. I stood there and watched through at least 10 games and in my head got every single one right, but everyone in the crowd was missing it. Too bad I didn’t play - guess I could have made around 500 Euros! </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:23px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_YgrQdCWbXR0LGS0R9hkKuctkk8jx9AHwbbwc5BUFocS5mC9KUEkH1QU1pTxHX74Jy_hny7m3fPPhsgl6W38EE3y_jEHXV0WbylcGSMfmMiqUbAYA6CkTDHg4OZjnZ-gStI5R2EKo6o/s1600-h/IMG_5376.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_YgrQdCWbXR0LGS0R9hkKuctkk8jx9AHwbbwc5BUFocS5mC9KUEkH1QU1pTxHX74Jy_hny7m3fPPhsgl6W38EE3y_jEHXV0WbylcGSMfmMiqUbAYA6CkTDHg4OZjnZ-gStI5R2EKo6o/s320/IMG_5376.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338730418297268130" style="cursor: pointer; 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margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:23px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCc918yno_E9M1efreLRkxqWMmgVTqOu2puhF_BXt0F5mnM3o3tczqdJZRy82dtTE7GMpLnjdaTsd55kgwtwd1iWoTx5DEq8GbIb_lIjWop9Z7dfQ4fqou7kPNTQGQSBbuZbIAzOprkw/s1600-h/IMG_5391.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCc918yno_E9M1efreLRkxqWMmgVTqOu2puhF_BXt0F5mnM3o3tczqdJZRy82dtTE7GMpLnjdaTsd55kgwtwd1iWoTx5DEq8GbIb_lIjWop9Z7dfQ4fqou7kPNTQGQSBbuZbIAzOprkw/s320/IMG_5391.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338740768868487906" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">After La Rambla, I walked to the El Raval and Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter) areas. On the way to these areas, I noted that Barcelona was a lot like what I imagined a Spanish city to look like - buildings with balconies overlooking very narrow streets. People had the balconies open and you could hear them talking or hear music coming from above. The Barri Gotic area is the center of the old city of Barcelona, and many of the buildings date back to medieval times. After walking through these areas, I took the subway to one of Barcelona's beaches, Icaria Beach. Though on the Mediterranean, it's not what you would expect a Mediterranean beach to look like - I figure that will come in the South of France.</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:23px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNFPP0IEnONpigA-Tv6PqwOOVBZ8qg2jCC5gYbkZr_FFPt8Gid20GShIE59CEYR4_-WeHSyWLmLSu6j9HjuLi5IYHTbQBo2UahOoQkrt9R1K27WYSNb5YwJ17XmfQ86_yXwVymwiTKQlE/s1600-h/IMG_5406.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNFPP0IEnONpigA-Tv6PqwOOVBZ8qg2jCC5gYbkZr_FFPt8Gid20GShIE59CEYR4_-WeHSyWLmLSu6j9HjuLi5IYHTbQBo2UahOoQkrt9R1K27WYSNb5YwJ17XmfQ86_yXwVymwiTKQlE/s320/IMG_5406.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338745874594352290" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:23px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoj7aDMqkBLgRuEQJlKCcLHZ16c767A_taVFDUcZYQSe2qelTbvMyjsDOxabB4hQLziysSTg8QyZIMJcrjtKsmV8Xpzbgg9Zesau-U9Mf8OiG0VVVt1Gj-owqnrEFZhm2WLoj_CHbUzOw/s1600-h/IMG_5428.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoj7aDMqkBLgRuEQJlKCcLHZ16c767A_taVFDUcZYQSe2qelTbvMyjsDOxabB4hQLziysSTg8QyZIMJcrjtKsmV8Xpzbgg9Zesau-U9Mf8OiG0VVVt1Gj-owqnrEFZhm2WLoj_CHbUzOw/s320/IMG_5428.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338745889874671650" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4oHM5zQltaqPOIM-bokw74dd4PBgd5K9iOjlHxUGFWxJOmi42qUVqoXA8LDSlLBPemEr5Ih3ptRw2cVSjpyxO4Bl9XD4jLaDghlsOgsHCrqdoIl16WZnOIb60nN47aDXo2P5fPSwwdHg/s1600-h/IMG_5417.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4oHM5zQltaqPOIM-bokw74dd4PBgd5K9iOjlHxUGFWxJOmi42qUVqoXA8LDSlLBPemEr5Ih3ptRw2cVSjpyxO4Bl9XD4jLaDghlsOgsHCrqdoIl16WZnOIb60nN47aDXo2P5fPSwwdHg/s320/IMG_5417.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338745884312187602" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOMUeweoqsTI7bqEdPmm24qrfSlpWUZ_FWHNmL6E3nthylqhk7PKaU_kLSR_RrEdo9Z51Y-hDT7bTohSYiUr6rEmLSKJwAnswXm3g4cY_FASmAKwVqq4-XxH7ZIX4lr4tit3Nhys3ZS0/s1600-h/IMG_5425.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOMUeweoqsTI7bqEdPmm24qrfSlpWUZ_FWHNmL6E3nthylqhk7PKaU_kLSR_RrEdo9Z51Y-hDT7bTohSYiUr6rEmLSKJwAnswXm3g4cY_FASmAKwVqq4-XxH7ZIX4lr4tit3Nhys3ZS0/s320/IMG_5425.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338745879455753730" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:23px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nGH1eYFwiDH_GP27VhlgnGDrapbR8NPbgvCKFaZIQJTrnfvMBNlM6bxTg05vXc1p_cVGC86KkizYhsJAQUo6OjW-vRWyXPkbcvFtbUSe93jsMFJ7ZQ5DNhV8IC5ACbQJBP7UVQSP0K8/s1600-h/IMG_5430.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nGH1eYFwiDH_GP27VhlgnGDrapbR8NPbgvCKFaZIQJTrnfvMBNlM6bxTg05vXc1p_cVGC86KkizYhsJAQUo6OjW-vRWyXPkbcvFtbUSe93jsMFJ7ZQ5DNhV8IC5ACbQJBP7UVQSP0K8/s320/IMG_5430.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338746711766585570" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj84KMsEo1J918mM2v7sfLVE_3r-2i5tfXzf8bxqS2vT00YZ1Setvs3iJ0TXwZeM5914FJKfoX-D3Po2jKoa1uZpZcG-yQPWZS3jUUnGdUxAXuJzjhLP93NPSIGuUpmtSJO5HZ01tkMtGs/s1600-h/IMG_5435.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj84KMsEo1J918mM2v7sfLVE_3r-2i5tfXzf8bxqS2vT00YZ1Setvs3iJ0TXwZeM5914FJKfoX-D3Po2jKoa1uZpZcG-yQPWZS3jUUnGdUxAXuJzjhLP93NPSIGuUpmtSJO5HZ01tkMtGs/s320/IMG_5435.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338746710349370178" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">I spent Friday seeing La Sagrada Familia and the Picasso Museum. La Sagrada Familia is an unfinished church designed by Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudi. It has been under construction since 1882 - not 1982! - and is expected to be finished in 2026. It is massive and the pictures cannot begin to represent what it is. The Picasso Museum was impressive with 3,800 pieces, which were effective in telling the story of Picasso's progression from his childhood art through all of the periods in his work. </p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:23px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9zHLnK_DQFxBCXGRon9sgBwbWQv1EhUc-VsLEuyt9t1676Aldwj4QSKnHG6QkuJyiKV-IzeCqkoPMbIAi43JT0gPwtnsnAznG62PKwWidf2QhMcd3vaz2T3Du6aNBYd512oq-00tBH0/s1600-h/IMG_5462.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9zHLnK_DQFxBCXGRon9sgBwbWQv1EhUc-VsLEuyt9t1676Aldwj4QSKnHG6QkuJyiKV-IzeCqkoPMbIAi43JT0gPwtnsnAznG62PKwWidf2QhMcd3vaz2T3Du6aNBYd512oq-00tBH0/s320/IMG_5462.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338749555804702498" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:23px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrz3ryvDHqFuOZr9XYfYZdl4Da1A7dvX9DW23vXUyYWJxRGu23jq6MQpNZfU8DCc83-vS_KAgH1odAW2Em7fQv3j5DalSweCQoHp3Q80NPaDdhSrl6_NMTTxSt4JW8PEZ7YodWmERRRqM/s1600-h/IMG_5455.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrz3ryvDHqFuOZr9XYfYZdl4Da1A7dvX9DW23vXUyYWJxRGu23jq6MQpNZfU8DCc83-vS_KAgH1odAW2Em7fQv3j5DalSweCQoHp3Q80NPaDdhSrl6_NMTTxSt4JW8PEZ7YodWmERRRqM/s320/IMG_5455.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338749564187982834" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:23px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj184hrQI3NUT_QM_Q7wnnQWNv2CKEXUPtXLpoZyp-af-IDoEI0VZoN-PI7ZcXydE1jfI1ECMjI6qLeaw6JI6OB1JwrV1S7kyFe6GbSNHpDdXvudhbVoaw8Iakt-amkdKjV02Nci9hhmGQ/s1600-h/IMG_5438.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj184hrQI3NUT_QM_Q7wnnQWNv2CKEXUPtXLpoZyp-af-IDoEI0VZoN-PI7ZcXydE1jfI1ECMjI6qLeaw6JI6OB1JwrV1S7kyFe6GbSNHpDdXvudhbVoaw8Iakt-amkdKjV02Nci9hhmGQ/s320/IMG_5438.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338749570033967378" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:23px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyygaN30svx2eYJxxfWPmmC4HCoa2nAMnYazPjr2Z_XOFMs5PZ0GLiNeNf0wz_3Pm1eabfxNc1v8ZmfZDMASrjVmqknFenA9kiGEomIcVvt5kWAlkiJe8Xk82cU9fjN-PuB5-_zCVZmpM/s1600-h/IMG_5442.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyygaN30svx2eYJxxfWPmmC4HCoa2nAMnYazPjr2Z_XOFMs5PZ0GLiNeNf0wz_3Pm1eabfxNc1v8ZmfZDMASrjVmqknFenA9kiGEomIcVvt5kWAlkiJe8Xk82cU9fjN-PuB5-_zCVZmpM/s320/IMG_5442.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338749578009858786" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:23px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6B9fVnYvI8A2bt30joz3Zn6djW05yKisfH0bgvbBBnMW9NMyphtLEFgtBkAFtDx_y3rGI_xqnryWE1C2iPVIx4s7E1vlEJw5Y-WCiNp2Z4AUloOl_JoZ-vptFVOrzPSi_iFgQAk9UMU/s1600-h/IMG_5447.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6B9fVnYvI8A2bt30joz3Zn6djW05yKisfH0bgvbBBnMW9NMyphtLEFgtBkAFtDx_y3rGI_xqnryWE1C2iPVIx4s7E1vlEJw5Y-WCiNp2Z4AUloOl_JoZ-vptFVOrzPSi_iFgQAk9UMU/s320/IMG_5447.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338749567514801250" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 23px; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLeha8zOCl-lDzz6uM7LE18Tjc5mscx49i-E1mQ4o920v7J9Bh45gjVrI_2JNdLo2fchgyNxZRBsxyAKxHPHGb1sH-Sw9dZmgFBj5ct72dMLhdayRzAxkaQJlRsGP7LufglIyCU9o_ow/s1600-h/IMG_5468.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLeha8zOCl-lDzz6uM7LE18Tjc5mscx49i-E1mQ4o920v7J9Bh45gjVrI_2JNdLo2fchgyNxZRBsxyAKxHPHGb1sH-Sw9dZmgFBj5ct72dMLhdayRzAxkaQJlRsGP7LufglIyCU9o_ow/s320/IMG_5468.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338750715117301426" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Barcelona went by fast. Tomorrow, Madrid!</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-38567560795411736192009-05-22T10:46:00.009-07:002009-05-22T11:24:29.904-07:00Goodbye London...<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">My last few days in London I concentrated on getting in the last of all the things I wanted to see as well as buying a few gifts here and there. I went to Westminster Abbey, which I’m not sure why I didn’t do that the other day when I was over by Big Ben and Parliament (I guess Prince Charles and Camilla distracted me). While I was there I saw the huge ferris wheel nearby. Honestly, I really don’t get the fascination with this thing - it’s just a ferris wheel! </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgc6ItFWf222xj9ZhE_aPgZJnjImkXl7gU7YhMYKj9G_Ojc71Nifuns3SpkBK5fw_EW1GeRbvsq9WCa4hEhK3PNZCAf_dqXPyt9Zz2Tcc5UhoT9gcmX4ZQhtCF800WSdJ5TrcpPKofRuI/s1600-h/IMG_5267.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgc6ItFWf222xj9ZhE_aPgZJnjImkXl7gU7YhMYKj9G_Ojc71Nifuns3SpkBK5fw_EW1GeRbvsq9WCa4hEhK3PNZCAf_dqXPyt9Zz2Tcc5UhoT9gcmX4ZQhtCF800WSdJ5TrcpPKofRuI/s320/IMG_5267.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338708376609155202" style="cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJjN-TtlwkC8rVXWQ2drWin2zHwlseeo4JrjDc8KMunv4bIdTFmvjn0dRLQii83WzMvQkmV7hEd6W24hSx1drf-iodiT8CqYtsu2eaxr2cXN1dnnJXGGhrWCttl07SFZPnVeHDv5DXhw/s1600-h/IMG_5276.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJjN-TtlwkC8rVXWQ2drWin2zHwlseeo4JrjDc8KMunv4bIdTFmvjn0dRLQii83WzMvQkmV7hEd6W24hSx1drf-iodiT8CqYtsu2eaxr2cXN1dnnJXGGhrWCttl07SFZPnVeHDv5DXhw/s320/IMG_5276.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338708378815063074" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRmiiXvtHX9oI-j8Dj1S3SPl_bLdfJD-JpW_NorXthtN-nfTYN2i95in-YwF4I5K2cw1FSU5f5vKAk4cHDUGABx5ic_McDp5A3wlqVWhF7gF-ZMPWRZkowgTgT_b2eMRjheydA9Ip_Mc/s1600-h/IMG_5281.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRmiiXvtHX9oI-j8Dj1S3SPl_bLdfJD-JpW_NorXthtN-nfTYN2i95in-YwF4I5K2cw1FSU5f5vKAk4cHDUGABx5ic_McDp5A3wlqVWhF7gF-ZMPWRZkowgTgT_b2eMRjheydA9Ip_Mc/s320/IMG_5281.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338708390955028338" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINyVKN7FRJau7sO5EEwSXAVijtskMKURADXQB1BsMGWzGCSSs4QwJrcfwU-KObcWgiG8hJtzuXvU2HLMX3hBrx-gtdNOfceBTCAyf15KWJRmL9ejOkNR6_Vc-sXqeDDN-y56Whh7p2bo/s1600-h/IMG_5253.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINyVKN7FRJau7sO5EEwSXAVijtskMKURADXQB1BsMGWzGCSSs4QwJrcfwU-KObcWgiG8hJtzuXvU2HLMX3hBrx-gtdNOfceBTCAyf15KWJRmL9ejOkNR6_Vc-sXqeDDN-y56Whh7p2bo/s320/IMG_5253.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338708393036052242" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Both days when I was over in the area outside Parliament, there was a huge protest of UK Tamils calling for a cease fire in Sri Lanka. It was estimated there were about 500 protesting, and as I walked around, I saw that many of them were acting out the violence in Sri Lanka - they would wave fake wooden machine guns and act like they were beating other members in the crowd. Many of them wore bandages with what was to look like blood on it around their heads and bodies. I found it all really interesting to watch, and I couldn’t help but take some pictures. Speaking of, look closely at the very first one and see if anyone/anything looks out of place. Granted, I don't know much about what is going on in Sri Lanka, but it's like this guy stumbled into the wrong protest. "One of these things is not like the other..." </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6exjEuyP1FMXuPOi5Er-SMeS3Pv0BnVRG7-qeUaF8Vk81rCJSLSw2J7qPNh_FpCESyPBlDVy41h5ryipJGJOz4qT6B64ThR9a6GPCCcd5vGOPzZQpzpdUzLNbEHsJeLWW6-WUAu9O_Y4/s1600-h/IMG_5262.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6exjEuyP1FMXuPOi5Er-SMeS3Pv0BnVRG7-qeUaF8Vk81rCJSLSw2J7qPNh_FpCESyPBlDVy41h5ryipJGJOz4qT6B64ThR9a6GPCCcd5vGOPzZQpzpdUzLNbEHsJeLWW6-WUAu9O_Y4/s320/IMG_5262.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338710214246013378" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9lEX5OI9JRfIuYfzvJ3AHMtqCJk8uWK3zyEs2rScLmrMkv5UkHUiCvvyXWb7g8FAGyl56WspflsUiNW6-NU1v_UyQ9Q1jUQIopMI_oFxDvtmBQMUDtSqfumDUsvUHJTbcEutUllozsk/s1600-h/IMG_5287.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9lEX5OI9JRfIuYfzvJ3AHMtqCJk8uWK3zyEs2rScLmrMkv5UkHUiCvvyXWb7g8FAGyl56WspflsUiNW6-NU1v_UyQ9Q1jUQIopMI_oFxDvtmBQMUDtSqfumDUsvUHJTbcEutUllozsk/s320/IMG_5287.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338710215470769954" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgAN5lFXaAIf-2890m4FPqigOnHn7k5LRi5_KMgwbYV13PriDupPK8qZ9bt6n6lCBWdP1nxFG1bl0KH0dYQf1fOut5DWQDGCoxKmfaVS4kIDLn6l2yAX10H9ymUrPLYRLVdrXY8jJLWE/s1600-h/IMG_5282.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgAN5lFXaAIf-2890m4FPqigOnHn7k5LRi5_KMgwbYV13PriDupPK8qZ9bt6n6lCBWdP1nxFG1bl0KH0dYQf1fOut5DWQDGCoxKmfaVS4kIDLn6l2yAX10H9ymUrPLYRLVdrXY8jJLWE/s320/IMG_5282.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338710217189037602" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I also went to Buckingham Palace and watched the changing of the guard, which I had seen when I was 17 but didn’t have much recollection. I had a pretty good spot in front of the gates. The band played movie theme songs. I found this so odd. Indiana Jones. Star Wars. When they played Copacabana, though, I completely cracked up.</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Gwb6yIsZWMun72CsPzZ6fM4JH0NPEpIRbRtlt2UF_D3waXyDeuxLo1ak0r8UnHKw8hf0QzQp2sJbrUj38bgYOSskWkX6_CV9UyNl1jr3I_QyPxKmEWYSmW_yLb2wlffcv-7dR5Ll_3Y/s1600-h/IMG_5322.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Gwb6yIsZWMun72CsPzZ6fM4JH0NPEpIRbRtlt2UF_D3waXyDeuxLo1ak0r8UnHKw8hf0QzQp2sJbrUj38bgYOSskWkX6_CV9UyNl1jr3I_QyPxKmEWYSmW_yLb2wlffcv-7dR5Ll_3Y/s320/IMG_5322.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338713149495722290" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSj-cMNLWbEm9Ox5VR7naZmIjXP38VkHwJQ4HLTJnNFe7_tD1f1x1b56ziYOX5kX4H19aFlRb-ooJ6GCtFsLF5vEgNe7fbswoE1FMmfdgp0hr3djy3ECRmZrGjAGGijT8gcizDv-gkEkE/s1600-h/IMG_5296.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSj-cMNLWbEm9Ox5VR7naZmIjXP38VkHwJQ4HLTJnNFe7_tD1f1x1b56ziYOX5kX4H19aFlRb-ooJ6GCtFsLF5vEgNe7fbswoE1FMmfdgp0hr3djy3ECRmZrGjAGGijT8gcizDv-gkEkE/s320/IMG_5296.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338713140188656578" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcolPyIzOP8njw-Z4szqy19VefcQ5VUNHpczng6yEZ9HyGcpCFimKxTalBiwTbKP9XfjBGwpafSBghfirykz1w7ku3cP8vTYv1_FxGSuKVtDBNkOF_Y_tIPH95_JecNz661gu7Vc60Unc/s1600-h/IMG_5308.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcolPyIzOP8njw-Z4szqy19VefcQ5VUNHpczng6yEZ9HyGcpCFimKxTalBiwTbKP9XfjBGwpafSBghfirykz1w7ku3cP8vTYv1_FxGSuKVtDBNkOF_Y_tIPH95_JecNz661gu7Vc60Unc/s320/IMG_5308.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338713145259933106" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;"></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZEDZ7HzT77DHUqUtZv1EqMaAEzm0XD9CKPIFK6qskzUjDps-QC7dgFfkdYHXUhKOLYjSz1T8k89IK_BX5M6PD_oH3OTq3qqL2klz9iWzKKNbyHAIZHL80wVitIy340s_fwLooalfE0pU/s1600-h/IMG_5320.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZEDZ7HzT77DHUqUtZv1EqMaAEzm0XD9CKPIFK6qskzUjDps-QC7dgFfkdYHXUhKOLYjSz1T8k89IK_BX5M6PD_oH3OTq3qqL2klz9iWzKKNbyHAIZHL80wVitIy340s_fwLooalfE0pU/s320/IMG_5320.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338713150561751410" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span> </span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Later I walked around Green Park (I don’t know if Alyson C. or Kenny are reading this blog, but if so, do you remember going to Green Park on our “free day” - after going to the Hard Rock Cafe... it was so 1992!) right beside Buckingham Palace. I went to Piccadilly Circus, which is kind-of a miniature Times Square, as well as back to Harrod’s and took pictures of the Food Halls. My pictures don’t do them justice. </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsG91aj4Q6ZzU4zbQKrJEPUqBsG0FxaFCqFi7i_a0iHGRZSVwO0tyYhOlx3OQnou8sHB1Kkp7OGnjtMdFRC-r7v2F81K-fovc9_HEZqgSSIwxuBL7rLDTNZ3xpD7XoI8FWO9R5A9ga5o0/s1600-h/IMG_5369.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsG91aj4Q6ZzU4zbQKrJEPUqBsG0FxaFCqFi7i_a0iHGRZSVwO0tyYhOlx3OQnou8sHB1Kkp7OGnjtMdFRC-r7v2F81K-fovc9_HEZqgSSIwxuBL7rLDTNZ3xpD7XoI8FWO9R5A9ga5o0/s320/IMG_5369.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338714373137340386" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9bY05JlE27N_l7hISgZE_QkHqTed3ZA17AUP0c4DM53U6hFunrsEwTMQEivwosINu5Wlipd15IXzdeBULtrpVwX36s55F-3TKKBOxDgWxbsC1s8mojSpyOcL2Y7IPUjNRHWbR586hLg/s1600-h/IMG_5366.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9bY05JlE27N_l7hISgZE_QkHqTed3ZA17AUP0c4DM53U6hFunrsEwTMQEivwosINu5Wlipd15IXzdeBULtrpVwX36s55F-3TKKBOxDgWxbsC1s8mojSpyOcL2Y7IPUjNRHWbR586hLg/s320/IMG_5366.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338714365961073730" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQT8Ur4ONFW3uYt7D69jlI_gVORCAZM49xn9Ys81UOQlMzrLwUe5KGs_-68UYOWQIU99ZFTRG9Zzhcb7PBx6kWNZ2zUKQAv7rcDQpa9796Vr5PPzPRfBY6kCWx1bf-YzunSA3DIPtsHM/s1600-h/IMG_5363.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQT8Ur4ONFW3uYt7D69jlI_gVORCAZM49xn9Ys81UOQlMzrLwUe5KGs_-68UYOWQIU99ZFTRG9Zzhcb7PBx6kWNZ2zUKQAv7rcDQpa9796Vr5PPzPRfBY6kCWx1bf-YzunSA3DIPtsHM/s320/IMG_5363.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338714361637703218" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Wednesday afternoon I left London to fly to Barcelona. I loved London. It’s definitely among my favorite cities, though I did remember how much I loved it from when I was here before. It will be very interesting for me to note my impressions of all the different cities I visit and how they compare to each other, especially considering that I’m primarily visiting big cities on this trip, with the exception of my last month in Europe - Lake Como, Turin, Monaco and Cannes. In case anyone is keeping score at home, London is in the lead - over Belfast, Dublin and Cork.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-79243093909947464522009-05-17T09:05:00.020-07:002009-05-17T12:53:08.820-07:00Modern Art, A Market and A Musical<div>The Tate Modern was on my agenda for Friday. It was the third and final museum I planned to visit in London, and pretty certain it would be my favorite, I decided to save the best for last. I definitely made the right choice. I loved the Tate Modern. The museum consisted of modern and contemporary art and installations from 1900 forward - Magritte, Kandinsky, Picasso, Matisse, Rothko, Pollock, Warhol, etc. </div><div><br /></div><div>I spent Saturday morning and early afternoon at the Portobello Market in Notting Hill. The market stretches along Portobello Road for about two miles and is divided into several distinct sections: antiques, fruits and vegetables (and cheese and baked goods and flowers and on and on), arts and crafts and fashion (both new and vintage). The stalls sit in the road in front of all the shops along Portobello Road which were also open. It was crowded - think Knoxville's Rossini Festival on crack. I didn't buy anything other than food, though I was tempted by a pair of vintage red cowboy boots and a bouquet of peonies, neither of which I had any real use for, so I passed on both.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCaHMbZ7UxIj3z3fyHzRh59ueC_RSPxRBhG2ucweQSD1NV31rjOakErvuk-y4r-CaICXp35U-guWEs0Zw1nXUyEc5hlBoNhTERxYdqNubSk4OjhSyq-xdtVviIG8y0Ftqi8hGkbkiNI4/s1600-h/IMG_5205.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCaHMbZ7UxIj3z3fyHzRh59ueC_RSPxRBhG2ucweQSD1NV31rjOakErvuk-y4r-CaICXp35U-guWEs0Zw1nXUyEc5hlBoNhTERxYdqNubSk4OjhSyq-xdtVviIG8y0Ftqi8hGkbkiNI4/s320/IMG_5205.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336866792885683522" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJcPKz0T0C4Xsxp0ZZ9gQji92DyXNnb7wFW9qTSI5KwTyhAc5SciR0pTPEQXynAyTtsMHBRX9ScKVr_hEj-m2GBhgQSkckT4JEL286783rPt5OZRlExttAjbyMGT7kGQf9tIzsFCboak/s1600-h/IMG_5206.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJcPKz0T0C4Xsxp0ZZ9gQji92DyXNnb7wFW9qTSI5KwTyhAc5SciR0pTPEQXynAyTtsMHBRX9ScKVr_hEj-m2GBhgQSkckT4JEL286783rPt5OZRlExttAjbyMGT7kGQf9tIzsFCboak/s320/IMG_5206.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336866785880783026" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmdTTIpcawQpZPXMiJRIbrd9CSw8r1sJ_yH3QTTIZd9v1W-KzXmnEJs1m1G1KMNDp1LWaOpiXOSs-y03yCKrgbcbWRlRYXFfcN66RELbpbarhvDAaf_9T7JwiISh_b6YeSmLhA9ThlKk/s1600-h/IMG_5208.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmdTTIpcawQpZPXMiJRIbrd9CSw8r1sJ_yH3QTTIZd9v1W-KzXmnEJs1m1G1KMNDp1LWaOpiXOSs-y03yCKrgbcbWRlRYXFfcN66RELbpbarhvDAaf_9T7JwiISh_b6YeSmLhA9ThlKk/s320/IMG_5208.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336866796142160130" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELdm0PtTcr56ar7tn0NRGQCIzExCGOrftullfp6-e5-Jq-UemLRohmdyiHlG2oaCXJB4z3ao1MgodCJ3VfgOBVLQBjP7suXOHzWadPJ0knRwbBdcQN6jZ6b4sjO2nRqdj4jA9RaKlpks/s1600-h/IMG_5215.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELdm0PtTcr56ar7tn0NRGQCIzExCGOrftullfp6-e5-Jq-UemLRohmdyiHlG2oaCXJB4z3ao1MgodCJ3VfgOBVLQBjP7suXOHzWadPJ0knRwbBdcQN6jZ6b4sjO2nRqdj4jA9RaKlpks/s320/IMG_5215.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336866799659828866" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDiywZ69b9DctghcuOfjazRt66KclpTXK6_ZkI15G0472dUAxCWcJyhzcvIVUN3uI_MWclgyjjSzoT_6wJBg3A9kzKG-i_NrIabN4QM2i1oYP4m87qc5f39HVHsnvTIav9OB3Pu5o0hN0/s1600-h/IMG_5213.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDiywZ69b9DctghcuOfjazRt66KclpTXK6_ZkI15G0472dUAxCWcJyhzcvIVUN3uI_MWclgyjjSzoT_6wJBg3A9kzKG-i_NrIabN4QM2i1oYP4m87qc5f39HVHsnvTIav9OB3Pu5o0hN0/s320/IMG_5213.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336866788077581522" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Towards the end of the Market, I veered off Portobello Road and went in a shop called Jane Bourvis. At first it looked like a tiny shabby chic gift store - I was lured in by a pink ballet tutu in the window - but then I saw the vintage dresses in the back of the store. Wow. They were actually corsets and skirts, and when I saw the corset and tulle skirt below the first thing I thought of was that it looked similar to the dress Carrie Bradshaw wore in the last episode of Sex and the City - where Big surprises her in Paris. Sure enough, when I went to the Jane Bourvis website I saw that they had supplied that dress. Yeah, I'm that good! Obviously the dresses come with a hefty price tag - for this one, 495 for the corset and 495 for the skirt. In Pounds. Which means in USD, roughly $1,500. Yikes. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcYuHenYbji4w_G5CtTVHQMom5E7huQ9zxXncyG3U5MSXUoI39sbpFvhNIcnBGpOnD9pyYtUo-RIh3x4DxNMCv2mtWMkuFjsLNN7pWLCgDS8Nt1yuu-JiR4m6pAcFI8uxWO5tG-gxzQs/s1600-h/IMG_0507.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcYuHenYbji4w_G5CtTVHQMom5E7huQ9zxXncyG3U5MSXUoI39sbpFvhNIcnBGpOnD9pyYtUo-RIh3x4DxNMCv2mtWMkuFjsLNN7pWLCgDS8Nt1yuu-JiR4m6pAcFI8uxWO5tG-gxzQs/s320/IMG_0507.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336868043701967122" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a> <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>On Saturday night I took the tube to Leicester Square where the theatres are concentrated. I had bought a cheap ticket to Phantom of the Opera, which I hadn't seen since I was a teenager. Phantom is shown at Her Majesty's Theatre. My cheap ticket equaled upper balcony, second to last row, but as long as I sat on the edge of my seat and leaned forward, I could see everything. Ha! No matter, I could definitely hear, and the music was great, of course. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM5VrjbOk42TA_3nCD2rFl233TQiCWRYVmcY8KJaUdHIXDhNQK8bnquflnB81H4RwUd7RPrKv3oQ9jwZmM9ajxZTnC4AEkH3Nb05e6qkgUa5K3ZcowZYrqUvYEnPbByE3N685N6cGj0PY/s1600-h/IMG_5245.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM5VrjbOk42TA_3nCD2rFl233TQiCWRYVmcY8KJaUdHIXDhNQK8bnquflnB81H4RwUd7RPrKv3oQ9jwZmM9ajxZTnC4AEkH3Nb05e6qkgUa5K3ZcowZYrqUvYEnPbByE3N685N6cGj0PY/s320/IMG_5245.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336868051299526274" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>About 10 pm, as I walked through Leicester Square on my way back to the tube, all I could think was how happy I am to be staying in the Knightsbridge area. Not that I would have chosen Leicester Square anyway, but there are several hotels in that area and I couldn't imagine that being my home base for London. Think McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut and Burger King crossed with tourists and drunk teenagers. In fact, I saw a drunk teenager passed out on the ground while a tourist was took her picture and the teenagers yelled at the tourist for doing so. Yeah, I was ready to get out of Leicester Square. </div><div><br /></div><div>A London observation: The Brits love their tea, but they don't understand iced tea. Even at Starbucks they couldn't understand that I wanted ice - "Are you sure you want ice in your tea?" "How many ice cubes do you want?" I'm all for hot tea, but sometimes I just want it iced. So I've discovered that if I order hot tea and then a cup of ice, that works out pretty well. The only problem is that the hot tea melts the ice quickly so I have to drink quick or I end up with lukewarm tea. </div><div><br /></div><div>Another London observation: I keep looking the wrong way when I go to cross a one-way street. For those tourists like me that apparently can't figure it out, the road has large white lettering that reads "Look right" or "Look left." There is even an arrow pointing the direction to look in case you still can't figure it out. I'm convinced it is only a matter of time before I end up like Natalie Portman in Closer, minus the unfortunate stripper bit.</div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-89257608820766497432009-05-14T14:39:00.008-07:002009-05-14T15:23:45.150-07:00A Royal Encounter<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">What happened on Tuesday deserves an entire blog all to itself! I saw Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles!</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">It was yet another beautiful day, and I started out by taking the tube to Trafalgar Square, which was loaded down with student tour groups. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_4GWqrdpW11d9Ta5W4uCde7DuMTbAyBjHN0YwnuaWszszX3MOLDk47SRuxveI5Bude178oNMa6LOmgOFFdn8EUgUe0hllUmw6pTaCVgO4ydLn3FxGQ5gnMsu0IaUFOJriMuQSigIvt0/s1600-h/IMG_5114.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_4GWqrdpW11d9Ta5W4uCde7DuMTbAyBjHN0YwnuaWszszX3MOLDk47SRuxveI5Bude178oNMa6LOmgOFFdn8EUgUe0hllUmw6pTaCVgO4ydLn3FxGQ5gnMsu0IaUFOJriMuQSigIvt0/s320/IMG_5114.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335798695763054994" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI2F02gJrsXgx852Qov7SBjfoC5SxZJ90qZYUtR3IVrLO5WvEkK02a0NzXnMDIkJvePC9J_ZD6enP-PKHQQZdFWu5OY7JDr6co5iFvFYtb_X7RLiYogFlUP5DZESt6rk3QXzMfqiyUZxg/s1600-h/IMG_5105.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI2F02gJrsXgx852Qov7SBjfoC5SxZJ90qZYUtR3IVrLO5WvEkK02a0NzXnMDIkJvePC9J_ZD6enP-PKHQQZdFWu5OY7JDr6co5iFvFYtb_X7RLiYogFlUP5DZESt6rk3QXzMfqiyUZxg/s320/IMG_5105.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335798699642461618" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; ">The National Gallery overlooks the Square, so that was to be my next stop but instead I started walking with no idea where I was going. (It was fate, I tell you!) I saw Big Ben in the distance, so I headed that way. Once I got closer I noticed a large group of people gathered outside the Parliament building. I assumed they were just tourists taking pictures, so I joined them. <br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNPgFDX-QlT-n3G7W1yO2nQDmrB_iEpuYRbl2TOsno_JGjx6AO2p-4N1I8gVe76zuwi4Y18SEK6qaGriTl-VH_pQicwzcoLB2ewfI9IDNg4WXAr9v2pBGFpxZrExAb3j23cpDD8ZU1ho/s1600-h/IMG_5115.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNPgFDX-QlT-n3G7W1yO2nQDmrB_iEpuYRbl2TOsno_JGjx6AO2p-4N1I8gVe76zuwi4Y18SEK6qaGriTl-VH_pQicwzcoLB2ewfI9IDNg4WXAr9v2pBGFpxZrExAb3j23cpDD8ZU1ho/s320/IMG_5115.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335800082405640434" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOkd2oXFm2rEk516q873p7EuE3SLzySKFH7mLazi1p1RF0Br_TR5k5kAuwred8WzGs7njQ4Yh5N_NobYueEo9-0PsoLjqRnHkZGzhEbMUSyTJiobwz3fkVzgYzotOjs7XfAgBp8bBZA8/s1600-h/IMG_5123.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOkd2oXFm2rEk516q873p7EuE3SLzySKFH7mLazi1p1RF0Br_TR5k5kAuwred8WzGs7njQ4Yh5N_NobYueEo9-0PsoLjqRnHkZGzhEbMUSyTJiobwz3fkVzgYzotOjs7XfAgBp8bBZA8/s320/IMG_5123.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335800082803091074" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVP0HwLqAjMbQHSsWTwch2P_QiKvSOZw6mDb07FyMwRL74ZZMDLNCdZwjfxyfkho56PJTZK9LrWDQUbXGL9LBaBrsU4nTKNCz8Gtl5CjEUug4JjfInKtvtQ7YZWLh6AWEQOLKdk6fir94/s1600-h/IMG_5135.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVP0HwLqAjMbQHSsWTwch2P_QiKvSOZw6mDb07FyMwRL74ZZMDLNCdZwjfxyfkho56PJTZK9LrWDQUbXGL9LBaBrsU4nTKNCz8Gtl5CjEUug4JjfInKtvtQ7YZWLh6AWEQOLKdk6fir94/s320/IMG_5135.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335800086857320466" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Next thing I knew a group walked out of Parliament, and some people in the crowd with very professional looking cameras started taking pictures. As soon as I saw a lady in a hat, I just knew it was Camilla. It’s hard to see Prince Charles in the pictures, but in the first two, he’s to Camilla’s left, and in the third picture, he’s to Camilla’s right. Then in the fourth picture, that’s Prince Charles in the backseat, and Camilla is getting in the car.</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPw42VK2FGph1zQXytcmj_JWM4V-WM2reT9PRfqAXJzvPvt_fygndxcV9Owj1FfDgGp2f-QlK9Dm5aJ9-I8ITFs9poMoDNZZyQCs3hyIokR2fLak4bWP535uV1WAeVSn0VeOAbfckWm7Y/s1600-h/IMG_5137.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPw42VK2FGph1zQXytcmj_JWM4V-WM2reT9PRfqAXJzvPvt_fygndxcV9Owj1FfDgGp2f-QlK9Dm5aJ9-I8ITFs9poMoDNZZyQCs3hyIokR2fLak4bWP535uV1WAeVSn0VeOAbfckWm7Y/s320/IMG_5137.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335801545999846338" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO89Tv9gE4l0bhqxLDHrM1MM45nwdxyqTmD89iG2Uaeuzf0irLd1a6wTpyO19uji5BqfOik4qsP8r72jldSGe1GUXxYbY3U9bMAwxi6bbUigrTZjWhsleQmw-ZI54veXlKX02IH7oXDTg/s1600-h/IMG_5138.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO89Tv9gE4l0bhqxLDHrM1MM45nwdxyqTmD89iG2Uaeuzf0irLd1a6wTpyO19uji5BqfOik4qsP8r72jldSGe1GUXxYbY3U9bMAwxi6bbUigrTZjWhsleQmw-ZI54veXlKX02IH7oXDTg/s320/IMG_5138.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335801541427634194" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99MU0HT5e0hkNayjnraoppCRcgCwdiqzQDAvNIJA8WONVcMiP5McGlqAo8IIbR0LIt7_p65tu0duOUru2ZI_X2Ztum0r-_1XID3yXQix0_sha9JYwiav9BKXLtmDwITVQg9xp3OZSpNA/s1600-h/IMG_5139.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99MU0HT5e0hkNayjnraoppCRcgCwdiqzQDAvNIJA8WONVcMiP5McGlqAo8IIbR0LIt7_p65tu0duOUru2ZI_X2Ztum0r-_1XID3yXQix0_sha9JYwiav9BKXLtmDwITVQg9xp3OZSpNA/s320/IMG_5139.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335801544292291506" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFjdFeOEgdhwGVra2DpwXm1AjFbLyXPJdiBj5zikbPHE1w8YPQrQhLLtODLmYnFRPCyjArknepY1XX1F5kLDWMqxzJIQr5nS76uhLwt-hIwEeEt82zBcAtdbiEXuNVMJWF0Ftsp1fAE8I/s1600-h/IMG_5140.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFjdFeOEgdhwGVra2DpwXm1AjFbLyXPJdiBj5zikbPHE1w8YPQrQhLLtODLmYnFRPCyjArknepY1XX1F5kLDWMqxzJIQr5nS76uhLwt-hIwEeEt82zBcAtdbiEXuNVMJWF0Ftsp1fAE8I/s320/IMG_5140.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335801536538617698" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">After coming down from my royal high - this was WAY better than running into P. Diddy on Rodeo Drive! - I walked back to the National Gallery that houses paintings dating from 1250 forward, including a large Impressionist wing. Like the Victoria and Albert, the National Gallery is free admission. </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:48px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPwJGla8f0UDJc8zQSWR2JF0B439MJfD6eoHICDHiJxhdodigQOHzZeX2a50YtHV3-b49eUme7FJQwVPK1hkw7XDrn_dZEWPMRNy0z-7_82HwfrEhGMsFs6C35YZ8818noV0g9qbp0rM/s1600-h/IMG_5107.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPwJGla8f0UDJc8zQSWR2JF0B439MJfD6eoHICDHiJxhdodigQOHzZeX2a50YtHV3-b49eUme7FJQwVPK1hkw7XDrn_dZEWPMRNy0z-7_82HwfrEhGMsFs6C35YZ8818noV0g9qbp0rM/s320/IMG_5107.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335798702034456898" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Something I found interesting was that in 1939, the National Gallery closed to begin evacuating paintings to Wales with the last of the paintings being transported the day before war was declared. The National Gallery was struck by bombs on several occasions during World War II. At one point, bombing on Wales where the paintings were being stored became a threat, and there was talk of transporting them to Canada, but Churchill rejected that idea saying that not one painting was to leave the U.K. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The next day, Wednesday, I decided to take a Beatles walking tour. Though the Beatles grew up and spent their early years as a band in Liverpool, once they had their first hit in 1963, they moved to London. The guy giving the tour was a bit crazy, but we saw all the sites - Paul McCartney’s current office building, the art gallery where John Lennon and Yoko Ono first met, the studio where the Beatles recorded Hey Jude, the building where the Beatles played the rooftop concert - their last live performance before they split up, Abbey Road studio and of course, the famous crosswalk from the Abbey Road album cover. As you will see from the picture, I pulled a Paul McCartney and went barefoot across the road. </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7LBkdAEIog6NEscMALqfloVICrlMeXmpuyfQTsEW9fjMaRfSPqx_7ftPkYvcfQ0H859Df1vuwkqO2rjO9JYDM_kQYtphH3T02I-dHOI8vIm2AuqNehmXnIgLIfUseT3boHh3oTeF0yY/s1600-h/IMG_5181.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7LBkdAEIog6NEscMALqfloVICrlMeXmpuyfQTsEW9fjMaRfSPqx_7ftPkYvcfQ0H859Df1vuwkqO2rjO9JYDM_kQYtphH3T02I-dHOI8vIm2AuqNehmXnIgLIfUseT3boHh3oTeF0yY/s320/IMG_5181.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335803351091575602" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:23px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggh67opv4CyPrYG-o8pR6sUBvWV1aqMqF-XjxU_G77T0RuLX4R_W9cg-RzDkCI3ZnVOO713vqeMhLHKFynSExEmFIbEBpEmN6ZALwSFxvC6XFjqBm7NAYVcs_RN0-Lc-JlG_Jm1OnQulE/s1600-h/IMG_5190.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggh67opv4CyPrYG-o8pR6sUBvWV1aqMqF-XjxU_G77T0RuLX4R_W9cg-RzDkCI3ZnVOO713vqeMhLHKFynSExEmFIbEBpEmN6ZALwSFxvC6XFjqBm7NAYVcs_RN0-Lc-JlG_Jm1OnQulE/s320/IMG_5190.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335804191141488978" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">Today, Thursday, was a shopping day except I didn't buy anything! I went back to Harrod's and explored departments that I'd not been in yet. (As big as Harrod's is, I would have to go back everyday I'm here to see all the departments.) I then took the tube to the Bond Street station. I started out shopping on Oxford Street, and I went to Topshop. Topshop is a British department store - kind-of like a British H&M. I had high hopes for Topshop, considering all the press and excitement that surrounded the first Topshop opening in the States a few weeks ago in New York. Sad to say, I was disappointed. Topshop is very British - as in very British fashion - as in 80s - as in neon colors. I'll take H&M any day. After Topshop, I went in Selfridge's, an upscale London department store but not near the caliber of Harrod's. Think more like a Neiman Marcus. I did find a pair of shoes I'm considering (unlike Harrod's, Selfridge's does have some affordable things), but I'm not sure - the heel is a bit chunkier than what I typically do. For those of you who are interested in such things, a picture of the shoe is below - the brown pair. The heel is MUCH higher (I would estimate 4") than it appears in the picture. Opinions are welcome! Then I walked down Bond Street, which consists of the most exclusive stores: Louis Vuitton, Yves St. Laurent, Jimmy Choo, Cartier, Harry Winston, Tiffany, Chanel, etc. It was fun to look in the windows, but I didn't go inside. </p><p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 23px; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuHmiRBhNdFEcqboq2DD9ziL5QqR9GOUi5j_tqj4VvxlZEqfgq5w6JU-mIEtOgRpBQ5Bvf9xWD18DwVn2xdLUIHsiK9h10tDeQQ5-KAC6Z1fEk0fkGjjiP8-Pv-JcoYdRlEIQjKSGTdlg/s1600-h/IMG_0502.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuHmiRBhNdFEcqboq2DD9ziL5QqR9GOUi5j_tqj4VvxlZEqfgq5w6JU-mIEtOgRpBQ5Bvf9xWD18DwVn2xdLUIHsiK9h10tDeQQ5-KAC6Z1fEk0fkGjjiP8-Pv-JcoYdRlEIQjKSGTdlg/s320/IMG_0502.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335808391280074194" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">Wow, I'm actually caught up on my blog! Until tomorrow...</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-17440574638273969722009-05-13T00:37:00.012-07:002009-05-13T04:25:17.315-07:00Forecast: Warm and Sunny, or Am I Really in London?When I arrived in London on Saturday and walked from the tube station to the flat, one of my first impressions was how warm it was - sunny too. Um, did I get on the wrong plane? Isn't London supposed to be rainy and cloudy and yes, foggy? Assuming I had just arrived in London on a really great day, I knew that I'd be lucky if I had any more days like that during my time here.<div><br /></div><div>When I woke up on Sunday morning, the weather was much the same, warmer even. Having done a bit of research the night before (the flat is full of guidebooks) on exactly what I want to see in London, I knew that one can't-miss activity for me was Speaker's Corner. Speaker's Corner is an area in the northeast corner of Hyde Park where on Sunday mornings people gather to speak or listen to (or heckle) speakers. The topics of the speeches are widely varied, and the only rules are that the speakers can't use profanity and can't be obscene. If anyone the movie Religulous, you would have seen Bill Maher in Speaker's Corner facetiously speaking on the merits of Scientology. Speaker's Corner goes back to the mid-1800s, and Marx, Lenin and George Orwell were participants. So I set off from the flat in search of Speaker's Corner. Hyde Park is about a five minute walk, though it takes much longer to get to Speaker's Corner. Along the way I saw the Calvary Memorial Parade that was marching to a ceremony being held in Hyde Park.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryu8RnMozFBwIAAYo_p4sx1VWhSm7H4mN6ZR-zUPUxp8rvngcHLOQ0tkdeqa27vPTkXbso4R1GzoqQaw6kUwqiaUk4PrxSd-4Y0CxNxV_PhhCQH12e_svTPpnWNQEuhkrmKVkCoL6AoY/s1600-h/IMG_5013.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryu8RnMozFBwIAAYo_p4sx1VWhSm7H4mN6ZR-zUPUxp8rvngcHLOQ0tkdeqa27vPTkXbso4R1GzoqQaw6kUwqiaUk4PrxSd-4Y0CxNxV_PhhCQH12e_svTPpnWNQEuhkrmKVkCoL6AoY/s320/IMG_5013.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335214941702504418" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 206px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I finally found my way to Speaker's Corner. It is a large area where several different speakers can be positioned so that all can be heard and crowds can gather in front of them. As a new speakers would arrive to Speaker's Corner, he (or she, though it was mostly men) would start out being quite loud to attract a crowd, and I would watch the crowd in front of one speaker begin to dwindle to go listen to what another had to say. I listened to one man speak on the merits of socialism and against capitalism. The most entertaining speaker of the day, and the one who drew the biggest crowd, was a German guy (being heckled by a guy from Spain) who had argued that one of the biggest things wrong with our society was that women shouldn't be in positions of power, that they are too bossy, that families are forced to eat McDonald's and Burger King and that as a result, women should be back in the kitchen. He was pretty funny about it, and all the women in the crowd, including myself, were laughing.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw0kZUYg26vbmNu5RojWhaMS7R5I92Hezhiq_PBrMJME-PQUPl2o8chtazDR6MROYdMx4yR9UYhnlxskqPq-PfK8YWexJWuWKsz0wffapuUenwT9ypkNAU66PrCylQqVkrYqCL_sSjhyA/s1600-h/IMG_5021.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw0kZUYg26vbmNu5RojWhaMS7R5I92Hezhiq_PBrMJME-PQUPl2o8chtazDR6MROYdMx4yR9UYhnlxskqPq-PfK8YWexJWuWKsz0wffapuUenwT9ypkNAU66PrCylQqVkrYqCL_sSjhyA/s320/IMG_5021.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335221451280527170" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyHDXcayxOeBevAmTqeFI8VDSxaXAR6qK1kHNijLwIWuDXFRZa9v1tdHrJYmpEDt5ae1mdQuT0E_O2nQhI6kIwn9DRS5gk-2S-3fZbuNoczPkT9z2Ri6DP29T6YfYvhCTMoWB6tQeErM/s1600-h/IMG_5023.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyHDXcayxOeBevAmTqeFI8VDSxaXAR6qK1kHNijLwIWuDXFRZa9v1tdHrJYmpEDt5ae1mdQuT0E_O2nQhI6kIwn9DRS5gk-2S-3fZbuNoczPkT9z2Ri6DP29T6YfYvhCTMoWB6tQeErM/s320/IMG_5023.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335221460459899378" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6HKZIG-05cjRLw1m2Gtml2rAOPNWK_XzcTVcdfJsn3Dzkr5dE6t59WzyQL_UwuJ0B53VQCOInanBziu33ik2vIyopL8fbwmT2OAasOKf1Ppj7iDFsv5OEtN5a6_vuOoMHamj0ekPR6E/s1600-h/IMG_5028.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6HKZIG-05cjRLw1m2Gtml2rAOPNWK_XzcTVcdfJsn3Dzkr5dE6t59WzyQL_UwuJ0B53VQCOInanBziu33ik2vIyopL8fbwmT2OAasOKf1Ppj7iDFsv5OEtN5a6_vuOoMHamj0ekPR6E/s320/IMG_5028.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335221468835414418" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7ZVzWGqlHztCIf413S4qZrOt5UImnyw0mzOxnmWKfM9JC29ERCL2DgI8tL8nC5GlB4aY4kHLpRHshKHoP9DMXUZ1D11PN3t_9na_s5uJeGKd8WcfvXxU_gf0CuR5ThLGqvrBb8ur9Eo/s1600-h/IMG_5031.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7ZVzWGqlHztCIf413S4qZrOt5UImnyw0mzOxnmWKfM9JC29ERCL2DgI8tL8nC5GlB4aY4kHLpRHshKHoP9DMXUZ1D11PN3t_9na_s5uJeGKd8WcfvXxU_gf0CuR5ThLGqvrBb8ur9Eo/s320/IMG_5031.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335221472642252578" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After about an hour or so, I set off to explore Hyde Park. It's massive, and there was so much to see. I stopped here and there to sit but for the most part I walked for three or four hours. The park was full of people enjoying the day - playing soccer, or rather, football, lounging in the grass, playing in the fountains, sitting at the outdoor cafes in the park. I saw the Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Fountain and then I crossed over into Kensington Gardens and saw the Peter Pan statue and then walked around the outside of Kensington Palace where Prince Charles and Princess Di lived with William and Harry. While you can tour parts of the Palace, you can't tour those quarters, so I opted against taking a tour.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPf5VIv6Rx_1Adt64RQyJEzqbUS09DkxZjcdzfMGs85W-46AHZoE-XlkOm3aWtGVgy2FBSzm4BKcTU-1C9Xe2RmHbfz2e-X5OoecY1eW0dG1AisXdrByVGN4uKIfe2BkTMlDVkS8eLdGE/s1600-h/IMG_5037.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPf5VIv6Rx_1Adt64RQyJEzqbUS09DkxZjcdzfMGs85W-46AHZoE-XlkOm3aWtGVgy2FBSzm4BKcTU-1C9Xe2RmHbfz2e-X5OoecY1eW0dG1AisXdrByVGN4uKIfe2BkTMlDVkS8eLdGE/s320/IMG_5037.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335225140432202242" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz81-uJzfWpAqAqKohwrR_IPhThdgXe_clOe7Jvi6eiAWfNNutYHQHguY7UkCopb8PsV_GIXrGjwQJ3VCpKcvupLUm3RRTmk7VyNNYfTHhbHEoyOnFpn3xWdhyveba3WyKRGlOdQBZRlA/s1600-h/IMG_5055.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz81-uJzfWpAqAqKohwrR_IPhThdgXe_clOe7Jvi6eiAWfNNutYHQHguY7UkCopb8PsV_GIXrGjwQJ3VCpKcvupLUm3RRTmk7VyNNYfTHhbHEoyOnFpn3xWdhyveba3WyKRGlOdQBZRlA/s320/IMG_5055.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335225142749051794" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3eYN1Y0JZNTAEPhPR-b6yYT5L1czU3KGnRQhijd1qDuHKzlJRj10NtxInE1a7SNXnJaxibj5YPFlFWGiQDwja_2xU7wbSHnmKzwnheWcFQPJlBPps4CkPCoyCaVQrl0v56Ng6RYG3hks/s1600-h/IMG_5057.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3eYN1Y0JZNTAEPhPR-b6yYT5L1czU3KGnRQhijd1qDuHKzlJRj10NtxInE1a7SNXnJaxibj5YPFlFWGiQDwja_2xU7wbSHnmKzwnheWcFQPJlBPps4CkPCoyCaVQrl0v56Ng6RYG3hks/s320/IMG_5057.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335225148848355346" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1cWSLgQoLS13l7BOwCaYoCRyIx_Kp7ufc2oUas9yMR9Ng6x8XBfUiQJ8NV9iitRPKI77Az5T7v84z3aHPbR1e1X0fIaOIWQ7-dUcNO4SeSeTc2HFpZiBUaIVKnlrBQlF3TQl4B5y8S64/s1600-h/IMG_5067.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1cWSLgQoLS13l7BOwCaYoCRyIx_Kp7ufc2oUas9yMR9Ng6x8XBfUiQJ8NV9iitRPKI77Az5T7v84z3aHPbR1e1X0fIaOIWQ7-dUcNO4SeSeTc2HFpZiBUaIVKnlrBQlF3TQl4B5y8S64/s320/IMG_5067.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335225152382035554" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_wkdjy_IDf5JfuKKjWfnLzPoFx4QPgg_HWHJSu-idGCZP5y45xcIKdsk0yAB9dh_GmhyphenhyphenytTXDZywsfwtIPXA5gRpLnSrIUsVzFkZKfop9m0K4vpgqisB0ZgPHKUaXbXPoM0HQyHaHb0/s1600-h/IMG_5068.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_wkdjy_IDf5JfuKKjWfnLzPoFx4QPgg_HWHJSu-idGCZP5y45xcIKdsk0yAB9dh_GmhyphenhyphenytTXDZywsfwtIPXA5gRpLnSrIUsVzFkZKfop9m0K4vpgqisB0ZgPHKUaXbXPoM0HQyHaHb0/s320/IMG_5068.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335225156352671490" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">On Tuesday I spent a good part of the afternoon at the Victoria and Albert Museum, which is close to the flat. Nearly all the museums have free admission here, which I was psyched about. The Victoria and Albert is described as the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9YpwpaxrC859Z1-ecQO6_l0TEzZjrDkjNHS4r5IGEHjx0mhtabwRPi9l8jSJHfwu0tP8It065ZeFVcdjt4MlZe6J2mxDI2ZSBPVVEVeHeFJPNkm4oOMhyphenhyphenKNcKZsYviV-9_baYxbobqQ/s1600-h/IMG_5077.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9YpwpaxrC859Z1-ecQO6_l0TEzZjrDkjNHS4r5IGEHjx0mhtabwRPi9l8jSJHfwu0tP8It065ZeFVcdjt4MlZe6J2mxDI2ZSBPVVEVeHeFJPNkm4oOMhyphenhyphenKNcKZsYviV-9_baYxbobqQ/s320/IMG_5077.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335229177607813714" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIM1PYuqF0xlEqI7o2DRS0aibu6fiV1cNUGegdiiaRyclB79YXYt1-cftpIZ6Z_e_CuN8-C1LrMqmZ0NM6J5WNftoD0kymtwR2RVYohlSFIGBusYAzzKJMb8nX-vLDFCRMqZz1OopIzkQ/s1600-h/IMG_5078.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIM1PYuqF0xlEqI7o2DRS0aibu6fiV1cNUGegdiiaRyclB79YXYt1-cftpIZ6Z_e_CuN8-C1LrMqmZ0NM6J5WNftoD0kymtwR2RVYohlSFIGBusYAzzKJMb8nX-vLDFCRMqZz1OopIzkQ/s320/IMG_5078.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335229181585219154" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Victoria and Albert has 145 galleries from ceramics to textiles to medieval objects to paintings and drawings. You could spend days there. I concentrated my time in photography, fashion, theatre and performance, jewelry and sculpture. My favorite was the fashion exhibit (surprise surprise) with the photography being a close second. The fashion exhibit spanned the last four centuries and included both men's and women's fashions, including modern designers like Yves Saint Laurent, Vivienne Westwood, Christian Lacroix and even Chloe. For those of you who saw my Martinis & Movies: "Studio 54" Gala dress this year, check out the dress on display as designed by Halston in 1976. How authentic was I?!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkV-9zbPHwPOlnxF_-2BRPzb-l0Ollp__E-p9YTPZHpSGK60gLOARjjY2Xm-E6r9L3JE2TZ5FDuFkd8w34zyK9VxWuGbWPeYL5Pu9gf8sGoMftillzNrer0QW53Vdc0P2748b25F61IU/s1600-h/IMG_0469.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkV-9zbPHwPOlnxF_-2BRPzb-l0Ollp__E-p9YTPZHpSGK60gLOARjjY2Xm-E6r9L3JE2TZ5FDuFkd8w34zyK9VxWuGbWPeYL5Pu9gf8sGoMftillzNrer0QW53Vdc0P2748b25F61IU/s320/IMG_0469.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335228081365885170" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Around dusk that night I took the tube to Tower Hill to walk across Tower Bridge and along the Thames River.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42oFQR8F2BMvHsOACb0YAc9ULp3K0b1f4HCiEruWQPVnJ7WkXNzsde8eTofYUnzfrtvtYJTm9OcFdpKg9_TWNBKQJGxQ-cdVduXW-BH1_wKIkW7q3t6VsSDtYZTQ1vY3cSx1Vnc2WLzU/s1600-h/IMG_5091.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42oFQR8F2BMvHsOACb0YAc9ULp3K0b1f4HCiEruWQPVnJ7WkXNzsde8eTofYUnzfrtvtYJTm9OcFdpKg9_TWNBKQJGxQ-cdVduXW-BH1_wKIkW7q3t6VsSDtYZTQ1vY3cSx1Vnc2WLzU/s320/IMG_5091.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335229877246392578" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyIkf37A_5dfQcEztC54lbEcdpyqtSE8VZG-H1SknZRf8afKkYcMmh8N4fnDkaWuhaE2KHI_2rUKltnUDELgKYih0GL17MgZ9KmQYbT0VxWlBAajGzdVyJ7ilneQscL0uNsda6zl3IjM/s1600-h/IMG_5099.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyIkf37A_5dfQcEztC54lbEcdpyqtSE8VZG-H1SknZRf8afKkYcMmh8N4fnDkaWuhaE2KHI_2rUKltnUDELgKYih0GL17MgZ9KmQYbT0VxWlBAajGzdVyJ7ilneQscL0uNsda6zl3IjM/s320/IMG_5099.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335230323024402034" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OtIUnaf1dohKG4aCgPD49bfmMKsFaQq26rUv7K0Vnd_wLL49IVtM59aYkahsYyEGKxDMhcg5aLPBc5WWskelXyE374wTFoLZuxwCsqcDvKCVksVuTBRczUSEpKCPavS5lPDq126EHrY/s1600-h/IMG_5101.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OtIUnaf1dohKG4aCgPD49bfmMKsFaQq26rUv7K0Vnd_wLL49IVtM59aYkahsYyEGKxDMhcg5aLPBc5WWskelXyE374wTFoLZuxwCsqcDvKCVksVuTBRczUSEpKCPavS5lPDq126EHrY/s320/IMG_5101.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335230329539164034" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-75085356002087800142009-05-11T01:45:00.006-07:002009-05-11T02:32:50.658-07:00Getting Settled in LondonI arrived in London on Saturday in the early afternoon and took the subway, I mean, the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">tube</span>, from Heathrow to Knightsbridge station, which is apparently a five minute walk to my apartment, I mean, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">flat</span>. I didn't know that, though, so I hailed a cab (is there another word for cab in Brit speak?), told the cab driver where I was going and he told me not to waste my money and how to walk there. Nice!<div><br /></div><div>A lady from the rental agency met me outside the flat and showed me around. I'm in a studio and everything I could possibly need is here, though the washer and dryer is actually the same machine, so that's taken some getting used to, but I think I have it figured out. Since I'm in London for 12 days I wanted an apartment so I could eat some meals in, do laundry and just generally feel like I'm at home... except in London - brilliant! (Sorry, more Brit speak. I can't help myself.)</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6fvxqVhaUtZM1uhKFYNxFd1xFo9Ui1kVg_C9Ckn6n1vj1SAAHzNnxWflrW-uJyzMV_jRMBvj93GPEqc7Ye91RQAeYDRBHJUlCMil1EIq5Sf69H5iWnlW7gJ1unJvhyJvSj2CIWA_HJM/s1600-h/IMG_0456.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6fvxqVhaUtZM1uhKFYNxFd1xFo9Ui1kVg_C9Ckn6n1vj1SAAHzNnxWflrW-uJyzMV_jRMBvj93GPEqc7Ye91RQAeYDRBHJUlCMil1EIq5Sf69H5iWnlW7gJ1unJvhyJvSj2CIWA_HJM/s320/IMG_0456.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334493740049426562" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The street I'm on is just one block behind Brompton Road, which is full of shops and cafes. I'm only a couple of blocks from some of the major museums - the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British History Museum - and I'm a short walk to Hyde Park. </div><div><br /></div><div>As I came off the subway on Sunday I realized I was right in front of Harrod's. After I unpacked and went out for groceries, I went for a walk. It's warm (mid 60s) and sunny here in London - a sharp contrast from the weather in Ireland. As I walked I found myself in front of Harrod's. Even though it was after 6pm and most shops here close at 6, Harrod's was open until 8, so I decided to take a look inside.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxmZql1Vd6KYRq_gVEVv9UhaRByIKPQG8KfPFaOpZQIPraaTcixYY-TuN10K6S8rqyHHtm-NbDK_tjLRZY2w58vsyVnvMaNSVI0oAZ91scVKI8SzN8Ce_3T794_90Rr7e8NTsRiL-364/s1600-h/IMG_4987.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxmZql1Vd6KYRq_gVEVv9UhaRByIKPQG8KfPFaOpZQIPraaTcixYY-TuN10K6S8rqyHHtm-NbDK_tjLRZY2w58vsyVnvMaNSVI0oAZ91scVKI8SzN8Ce_3T794_90Rr7e8NTsRiL-364/s320/IMG_4987.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334494680054737842" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>As I walked in the door, a lady handed me a guide to the store. Is this really necessary? Yes, absolutely. Harrod's puts every department store I've ever been in to shame. Take Saks, Bergdorf Goodman, Barney's and Neiman Marcus in NYC, and you still don't have a Harrod's. Sure, you've got your regular departments - men's and women's clothes, shoes, bags, cosmetics, fragrances - but it's oh so much more. Need bulletproof clothing? Sports, fifth floor. Need a customized petrol-driven, off-road vehicle for kids? Toy Enquiries, fourth floor. Need your tennis racquet restrung? Wigmore, fifth floor. Need a customized Monopoly set? Adult Games, lower ground floor. I could go on and on. In addition to the shops, there is the food. I counted 28 bars and restaurants in the Harrod's guide. 28! There is a creperie, a champagne bar, a Lebanese restaurant, a kosher deli, a gelato, a sushi bar, a dim sum bar and even a Krispy Kreme. Hmmm... maybe I should write copy for Harrod's.</div><div><br /></div><div>After I got over the initial shock of Harrod's, I browsed around. I ended up in the shoe department. Is anyone out there laughing? This should not come as a surprise. As I moved through the department, I was on the lookout for the Christian Louboutin section. It was nowhere to be found. I couldn't believe it! Harrod's makes bulletproof vests yet doesn't carry the holy grail of women's shoes? So I left the shoe department a tad disappointed in Harrod's until I rounded a corner. And there in a curtained-off room, all by themselves, displayed in their grandeur as they should be... Christian Louboutin.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbLawPFKtx2AOgaPScCCeSBe3cqAxF964WYJcf5GM7KeY7dpBKzZmdvIlZ2CFMQ2d9BDIxDZIGy7Fjhl0cbc8E8l0cUOAN6BcCa6C_I65_xPNVnR0Eb9XB9ectivifImndfGpq01rQWM/s1600-h/IMG_0458.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbLawPFKtx2AOgaPScCCeSBe3cqAxF964WYJcf5GM7KeY7dpBKzZmdvIlZ2CFMQ2d9BDIxDZIGy7Fjhl0cbc8E8l0cUOAN6BcCa6C_I65_xPNVnR0Eb9XB9ectivifImndfGpq01rQWM/s320/IMG_0458.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334493744909326354" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 271px; " /></a> </div><div><br /></div><div>No, I didn't buy any! I haven't bought anything actually, but I've had requests to post anything I DO buy (or consider buying).</div><div><br /></div><div>More to come on <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">London</span>. Geez, maybe I should have entitled this blog simply, Harrod's.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-15833305219514194352009-05-10T08:54:00.023-07:002009-05-10T12:51:08.949-07:00Ireland with Friends<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I started Monday morning by taking the train from Belfast to Dublin, which is roughly a two hour trip. I will be flying from one destination to the other for most of the trip, but I am taking the train here and there when it is cheaper than flying and the distances are short. I was surprised to find how cheap the European low cost air carriers are - many times as low as 30 Euros a flight and almost always cheaper and faster than the train. Because of my budget, this was necessary. But after having the experience of taking the train from Belfast to Dublin and being able to sit back and really see the countryside that way, I know that the next time I’m in Europe I’ll be taking more trains.</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsS_T-aP-QFaUqtBGJuZi1IX04GE78WNBiMZQBIyyK45BBjN9BJOhXvSyt316g9TGv1X0UjN9cpg0lzMK5LgF2EuerDob9ePq_T5E_cgEDa2_gsNJUM1WRIpUxZZsYIlqA2C8oZb0A-c/s1600-h/IMG_0411.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsS_T-aP-QFaUqtBGJuZi1IX04GE78WNBiMZQBIyyK45BBjN9BJOhXvSyt316g9TGv1X0UjN9cpg0lzMK5LgF2EuerDob9ePq_T5E_cgEDa2_gsNJUM1WRIpUxZZsYIlqA2C8oZb0A-c/s320/IMG_0411.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334228416383223858" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Once I arrived in Dublin, I met Chris Underwood, his sister Michelle and her boyfriend Lee outside the train station. They had all arrived the day before. Michelle has lived near Newcastle, England for six years now, and she was our guide to everything British, including British words and phrases, British fashion and British music (Justin Timberlake is awesome; Britney Spears is a joke - hmmm... maybe things aren't so different over here after all).</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIAZH9Ul0KbdvZrFBXvxPV0kb3I78ekO7VLRwzCgKJm0CR0X3QDtJbrYb3nVoT1u_fyl8fHX8ewJ3_NVbhr2E5-nWPmOXF1ka24flQ0_uWLaDey77IRxVEHj5wD-dj7zKscriu_59fBDg/s1600-h/IMG_4847.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIAZH9Ul0KbdvZrFBXvxPV0kb3I78ekO7VLRwzCgKJm0CR0X3QDtJbrYb3nVoT1u_fyl8fHX8ewJ3_NVbhr2E5-nWPmOXF1ka24flQ0_uWLaDey77IRxVEHj5wD-dj7zKscriu_59fBDg/s320/IMG_4847.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334255436832039650" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span> </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">After I got settled at the Westin Dublin we walked the block or so from the hotel to Trinity College and took a tour led by one of the students of the university grounds. During part of the tour, the guide told a story about how women came to be admitted. One of the Provosts, George Salmon, opposed the admission of women and said that they would be admitted "over his dead body." He died two weeks later and women were admitted the following semester, in 1904. The tour ended at the old library building where we saw the Book of Kells and the Long Room. </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfR5FH1LPpMM5ap-UgKn0BSlhlUKzWBhAfZxE825S3lNLNiWQT64trF2my8511_dAWX-j9Rrrg1XuZHBjR9iTkLmd7yc3jlYJgbajFL8tvXOyLr45RbMT-3gc0v1KU9pde5RuDuW0j3pI/s1600-h/IMG_4820.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfR5FH1LPpMM5ap-UgKn0BSlhlUKzWBhAfZxE825S3lNLNiWQT64trF2my8511_dAWX-j9Rrrg1XuZHBjR9iTkLmd7yc3jlYJgbajFL8tvXOyLr45RbMT-3gc0v1KU9pde5RuDuW0j3pI/s320/IMG_4820.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334251824589807778" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzWM4eGURZDzvlbhHfvYyoLiza5CZ5ja_vDxjw2pcjen43BqJwkhuTpxHNXt_6PW4seiWnCt-CwV40GkhyphenhyphenG4Sf61IPDdAzAVolbWKHpBFT1KkRXS3pSc1nNoxSkexFtz-78WpUyV9NtM/s1600-h/IMG_4828.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzWM4eGURZDzvlbhHfvYyoLiza5CZ5ja_vDxjw2pcjen43BqJwkhuTpxHNXt_6PW4seiWnCt-CwV40GkhyphenhyphenG4Sf61IPDdAzAVolbWKHpBFT1KkRXS3pSc1nNoxSkexFtz-78WpUyV9NtM/s320/IMG_4828.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334251827610027554" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDwkh2rOmnp4iGyQrKhlkCpUZJEeqf0QXzWOLO382mdNHA5-Ya1qF2logyWA2t9_dKNILrZNGBeHPNIPNPJ_wjKa8ngNU2hj_Y3JdjoFNWWw42p1vTVYrIKIjzPZCF2iXkzDALTzgx90M/s1600-h/IMG_0417.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDwkh2rOmnp4iGyQrKhlkCpUZJEeqf0QXzWOLO382mdNHA5-Ya1qF2logyWA2t9_dKNILrZNGBeHPNIPNPJ_wjKa8ngNU2hj_Y3JdjoFNWWw42p1vTVYrIKIjzPZCF2iXkzDALTzgx90M/s320/IMG_0417.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334253267394284546" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span>. </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">After going to a couple of pubs and dinner, we had an early night. The next day, Tuesday, I was sick, so that turned out to be a wasted day for me other than going out for breakfast, walking around a bit and then ending up at walk-in medical clinic. As an aside, I was actually surprised how easy it was as a foreigner to get medical treatment. Michelle found me a clinic near the hotel, I paid 50 Euros at the front desk, saw a doctor, self diagnosed my illness to him, he wrote me a prescription and I was out of there - all within five minutes. Maybe it was a touch shady, but I was better by Wednesday so it apparently worked! <br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">As another aside, Roy and Marion (back to Belfast for a minute) were appalled at the state of health care in the United States. They didn't really know anything about it until I explained what an employee in the U.S. might have (or at least, what I had with the firm) - employer pays for health insurance but employee is still responsible for doctor visit/prescription co-pays - and I gave them an idea of what those co-pays might run. They couldn't get over it. "$40 for a doctor's visit? $50 for a prescription? And that's WITH insurance?" They also were shocked to find out how little vacation time we get. At Marion's last job she received seven weeks vacation time. Can you imagine?</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Meanwhile, back in Dublin... </p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">On Wednesday morning, Chris, Michelle and I caught a plane for Cork. (Lee had to go back to England for work.) We rented a car and stayed at the Imperial Hotel in Cork, which was well situated for shopping and restaurants. We spent the rest of the day walking around Cork and looking around. We visited a market - each stall has cheese, or meat, or fish, or bread, or fruits and vegetables, or chocolate... yes, we each had a piece of chocolate. Chris and Michelle had been out late the night before, so we had an early night to get ready for the next day - exploring Blarney Castle.</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Blarney Castle is located in Blarney, which is only 8 km from Cork. The castle is roughly 600 years old, and at the top of the tower of the castle is the Blarney Stone - legend has it that if you kiss it you gain the gift of eloquence. We made our way up into Blarney Castle to the tower and all three of us kissed the stone. Beforehand I assumed that kissing the stone just involved walking up to it and kissing it. Sounds logical. But you actually have to lie on your back, grab onto two bars, let a strange man hold you to keep you from falling off the top of the tower and lean back until you are able to kiss the stone upside down. Apparently Winston Churchill did this. Really? I just can't imagine him in this position. He was certainly eloquent, though. See pictures below and make your own judgment call. After kissing the stone, we made our way out of the castle and decided to take a 45 minute hike around a lake and woods on the grounds. Then we walked through the Rock Close, which is described as a mystical place with features like a dolmen, wishing steps, a witches stone (that had little offerings sitting on top of it - a lot of nickels and trinkets), a fairy glade.</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekVmKznb1vMlK8kQxFnP6NN3E-YWNzBCF7x97Caxby5lqEyz6kOAXRGTm6gI9u2ro4EvQeRRDP_pocpYKk9IiSH1hVZQQoQzc3WqdIctS6UXSYaRsHyPLIxUGuLe_Eu-20yhaxlojPB8/s1600-h/IMG_4859.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekVmKznb1vMlK8kQxFnP6NN3E-YWNzBCF7x97Caxby5lqEyz6kOAXRGTm6gI9u2ro4EvQeRRDP_pocpYKk9IiSH1hVZQQoQzc3WqdIctS6UXSYaRsHyPLIxUGuLe_Eu-20yhaxlojPB8/s320/IMG_4859.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334263656164854930" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORmxmM2lEF1McigbzDwV4s8JrZyU8gTajz5BzqKCoAOXKnhCnDEOSeAoixbkd4mkO7_QjG3QXO1bQUWdJv-mubwrYATBzCZZx7VqnDj4U-mAS7JNXUOgID7iv7G-Vs_cyTO_ELyNTB3g/s1600-h/IMG_4868.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORmxmM2lEF1McigbzDwV4s8JrZyU8gTajz5BzqKCoAOXKnhCnDEOSeAoixbkd4mkO7_QjG3QXO1bQUWdJv-mubwrYATBzCZZx7VqnDj4U-mAS7JNXUOgID7iv7G-Vs_cyTO_ELyNTB3g/s320/IMG_4868.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334263657968140290" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBDEcMxa1ABmHpeLCyGH3y_gBsJd7KtSaciysmacty6gsK8JiGqZH-uFFCIClL7HlkEYM52n7YZEC8LsvfLJ2okeDHg0nOQ3IRRA-lJvK4uP3gulf8pt7VULF2CDWOzlBKguxA2YHXo0/s1600-h/IMG_4909.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBDEcMxa1ABmHpeLCyGH3y_gBsJd7KtSaciysmacty6gsK8JiGqZH-uFFCIClL7HlkEYM52n7YZEC8LsvfLJ2okeDHg0nOQ3IRRA-lJvK4uP3gulf8pt7VULF2CDWOzlBKguxA2YHXo0/s320/IMG_4909.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334264550495803570" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8n1KEpXBrx41OZMXj1IThCeFxL8kc6zdfxtG_6Ehxvkkbal0v49e80ESYZZ0LxXTPzLJ9-OeBjGKa6fbo74Iv1A7ZBQ42H_svB18BRKIkYbM3osCci5i8J8vqGl0zPcyQTGMV7QEsJgk/s1600-h/IMG_4915.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8n1KEpXBrx41OZMXj1IThCeFxL8kc6zdfxtG_6Ehxvkkbal0v49e80ESYZZ0LxXTPzLJ9-OeBjGKa6fbo74Iv1A7ZBQ42H_svB18BRKIkYbM3osCci5i8J8vqGl0zPcyQTGMV7QEsJgk/s320/IMG_4915.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334265431989665426" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span><br /></div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg44_9fyZ-5VjG9DuKOpe0MVpesXnNdaK74LsDsqNSso9smszlBwUQM92UYscMGVPvxrN3sgsgBj5KoC6B1fyJWvrIcn7qrxv0q2AS4AMjXqoDFN5Pp6SFx4Tu0qbl8XAUyPAy7tUVrfcI/s1600-h/IMG_4913.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg44_9fyZ-5VjG9DuKOpe0MVpesXnNdaK74LsDsqNSso9smszlBwUQM92UYscMGVPvxrN3sgsgBj5KoC6B1fyJWvrIcn7qrxv0q2AS4AMjXqoDFN5Pp6SFx4Tu0qbl8XAUyPAy7tUVrfcI/s320/IMG_4913.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334265427491092482" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></div></span><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">After we left Blarney castle, we drove to Blair's Inn, which is a nearby pub. It was the quintessential Irish countryside pub (or at least what I imagined). We sat by the fireplace and ate lunch, and the barkeeper was so nice and suggested places in Cork to get cheap pints of beer. After we finished, we drove back to Cork where we ate dinner at Fenn's Quay - great restaurant. We stayed there until they closed, and then went back to the hotel since we had a long day of sightseeing outside Cork the next day.</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"> </p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrDvaG-d4JokBskaDO6oBJvBq_J7yONMapasrjCs1dnI7wrAKgMYTHIPkWzXUMusmKPgXG7rhyphenhyphenEvay58_vgloMqEk77O5-k7lkcIptQ_xnGH1pNaD405CQd1Q6TVjuifCQ-zLJjY0Cxo/s1600-h/IMG_0439.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrDvaG-d4JokBskaDO6oBJvBq_J7yONMapasrjCs1dnI7wrAKgMYTHIPkWzXUMusmKPgXG7rhyphenhyphenEvay58_vgloMqEk77O5-k7lkcIptQ_xnGH1pNaD405CQd1Q6TVjuifCQ-zLJjY0Cxo/s320/IMG_0439.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334266247231684898" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span> </p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Our last day, Friday, we left the hotel early and drove to the town of Clonakilty. We walked around, went in a couple of shops and once it started raining, took refuge in a pub for lunch. After lunch, we drove to the Dromberg Stone Circle. Chris has been to Stonehenge, and he said that the Dromberg Stone Circle is basically a smaller version. I’m not sure that I want to spend a day away from London to go to Stonehenge just because it’s Stonehenge. </p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2S_1wU0JJFNy13VFZIwJbLwpA6jiE0h-xMNyQb7CnSRQLXslj4AwfIkJyuYLghSPl2bMneK7h4bQ_mTrq70vqtoa55EM5Q_FXMbbuRmKLp4RKkVi9ZPxSTm5T9jDBKWV32A0iXf5sSB8/s1600-h/IMG_4958.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2S_1wU0JJFNy13VFZIwJbLwpA6jiE0h-xMNyQb7CnSRQLXslj4AwfIkJyuYLghSPl2bMneK7h4bQ_mTrq70vqtoa55EM5Q_FXMbbuRmKLp4RKkVi9ZPxSTm5T9jDBKWV32A0iXf5sSB8/s320/IMG_4958.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334269206073047170" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">After we left the Dromberg Stone Circle, we drove to Kinsale, a small coastal town. Gorgeous. I could have spent several days there instead of several hours. It sits on a harbor full of sailboats and the town is full of cute shops, cafes and bakeries. </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAX3Rbm2C1xyDPpBEQ1h8Wb1WqeYXCovpNC-PMarU3jknvWwxQtO6BRHrCGUnQiE-kSk0Kvte2jsD7YsELUC2PDMLg2tV-3WLXCu6yY9tr_tqeeJpFoqLOKntpvcOK42YEHeYjSeljI8/s1600-h/IMG_4965.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAX3Rbm2C1xyDPpBEQ1h8Wb1WqeYXCovpNC-PMarU3jknvWwxQtO6BRHrCGUnQiE-kSk0Kvte2jsD7YsELUC2PDMLg2tV-3WLXCu6yY9tr_tqeeJpFoqLOKntpvcOK42YEHeYjSeljI8/s320/IMG_4965.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334269211479272594" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFws2IP5JZ2SX7ipBcXbH2-VYhal-d2wcVdpSg_BD3I_cBmeafjV_iis2AcZsRyZXSldY_da6n4_eh-kJ7Ek1pjfpZV9mwudAAEgcXfun4eF4M83cTqp4oidzxvOqJQ6ZvkGC8IMJgBjc/s1600-h/IMG_4970.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFws2IP5JZ2SX7ipBcXbH2-VYhal-d2wcVdpSg_BD3I_cBmeafjV_iis2AcZsRyZXSldY_da6n4_eh-kJ7Ek1pjfpZV9mwudAAEgcXfun4eF4M83cTqp4oidzxvOqJQ6ZvkGC8IMJgBjc/s320/IMG_4970.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334270126439376146" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Michelle and Chris decided to drive to Columbus Fort near Kinsale while I stayed in town and walked around. We agreed to meet at a restaurant about 1/3 mile outside of Kinsale, and they pointed out which road to walk down to find the restaurant. After an hour of walking around Kinsale I started walking down the road they told me to walk down. Or so I thought. Turns out there were two roads side by side, and I picked the wrong one. Nearly a mile later, no restaurant and actually not much of anything really, I texted Chris and he said to stay put, that they would come pick me up. Except they couldn't find me because they didn't know I had taken the wrong road. Oops. A misadventure, perhaps? Forty-five minutes later we found each other and went to dinner. </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The next morning, we left early for the airport, so they could each head home, and I could continue my journey. London bound! </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-35500263533840666962009-05-05T12:54:00.009-07:002009-05-05T13:53:08.132-07:00History Lesson<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I spent my time in Belfast in the best possible way - a daily personal tour by a local and relative of mine (I couldn’t begin to explain how he is related to me - he’s a Garland, so it’s on my dad’s side), Roy and his wife, Marion. Roy is an author and a weekly columnist for The Irish News. Not only is Roy well educated in the politics of, and trouble between, Ireland and Northern Ireland but he has done extensive research on Garland family history.</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">We spent part of our time driving around the notoriously troubled areas of Belfast - the Shankill Road (where Roy grew up) and the Falls Road. To possibly oversimplify things, the Shankill Road is predominantly Protestant, unionist or loyalist whereas the Falls Road is predominantly Catholic, nationalist. The two are separated by barriers called peace lines. There are murals painted on many of these buildings in these areas, generally depicting political messages, though Roy told me that lately, some of the murals have been repainted to have a more positive message than in the past.</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTL-zQ2fbZITfgfCW1TYutofn1UaUIX3rmVAxOiEA9wbPka0aejDM-5qLgEOGeXQXgyjjCol4gMFhikox8h_2km-LcqoYFAQ2TxFQ0PaCW33oJLapV8EdUd0CTdd4Wnj8BdM-jn2waTAw/s1600-h/IMG_4697.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTL-zQ2fbZITfgfCW1TYutofn1UaUIX3rmVAxOiEA9wbPka0aejDM-5qLgEOGeXQXgyjjCol4gMFhikox8h_2km-LcqoYFAQ2TxFQ0PaCW33oJLapV8EdUd0CTdd4Wnj8BdM-jn2waTAw/s320/IMG_4697.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332434659142681314" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3Go-2K2ogJXLlrd96xnFirTtRlRvXtqZf6b8hs67p_9CpgL0B-l7aEsUkzhC5MAgoUExp0Q3XR_Zco1b7E0Hjz3w5wcokikXUXK1nPX5TjoyvkuFmR2_ZqCq26YeG4MqocAfT35Pmpk/s1600-h/IMG_4696.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3Go-2K2ogJXLlrd96xnFirTtRlRvXtqZf6b8hs67p_9CpgL0B-l7aEsUkzhC5MAgoUExp0Q3XR_Zco1b7E0Hjz3w5wcokikXUXK1nPX5TjoyvkuFmR2_ZqCq26YeG4MqocAfT35Pmpk/s320/IMG_4696.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332434667751207410" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Roy and Marion also drove me into County Louth, Ireland where the Gernon/Garland family predominantly lived. The area is called Castlebellingham, or in Irish, Baile an Ghearlanaigh, or Garlandstown. </p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88tUyOLbVvTKtcteYsPcSuweNXaREwPgvGg7krIw3lWkbHDxRA-Vf-clsfJZV3mlmLE4HCbZSOtvu9-kbshpeS_z1pWp16jOI-DSOD11mtZIFCMZDix_HLA0Jran3D2eTh2mSFVAmVI8/s1600-h/IMG_4730.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88tUyOLbVvTKtcteYsPcSuweNXaREwPgvGg7krIw3lWkbHDxRA-Vf-clsfJZV3mlmLE4HCbZSOtvu9-kbshpeS_z1pWp16jOI-DSOD11mtZIFCMZDix_HLA0Jran3D2eTh2mSFVAmVI8/s320/IMG_4730.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332434671102284802" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px">In Castlebellingham - or Garlandstown, rather (let’s go with that - sounds much better, I think!), we first went to the Bellingham Castle Hotel in the place where a Garland castle used to sit before it was burned hundreds of years ago. We walked around the grounds, and it was absolutely beautiful. There were horses there, and one bit me - or rather, my coat - but that's a whole other story.</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWu5d0xvg3Xx-V9LqbnQvnP6tIxEd5ytQ4pcRjDK8tTMD1S9Vvof8VwurnjYUJvnJl8r9AFhj2omuLj8ihwnCr9XrgdJWNhpRFRMZDjAwwTJmpSnMFHvtdS-ccHbQmRKVrUGGJd-3uUeA/s1600-h/IMG_4732.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWu5d0xvg3Xx-V9LqbnQvnP6tIxEd5ytQ4pcRjDK8tTMD1S9Vvof8VwurnjYUJvnJl8r9AFhj2omuLj8ihwnCr9XrgdJWNhpRFRMZDjAwwTJmpSnMFHvtdS-ccHbQmRKVrUGGJd-3uUeA/s320/IMG_4732.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332439033419604338" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px">After we had tea at the hotel and talked to the bartender who knew quite a bit of the area's history, we visited Dromiskin Church, Round Tower and graveyard where the heiress to one of the two Garland castles we would visit was buried.</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXQR4h9Qv_x7lyOCeGp9_dro9byNSN4ZxHYBvKr_mWDuxYW47tqW3HIea9LbIq9db7GwX1bRSNW6hYFIuGLOXbKe_J1Ahj2c_cP5Mzrnq1LjI6Aao0gxL2rQMqukzXuE6zX-kuWfdejw/s1600-h/IMG_4741.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXQR4h9Qv_x7lyOCeGp9_dro9byNSN4ZxHYBvKr_mWDuxYW47tqW3HIea9LbIq9db7GwX1bRSNW6hYFIuGLOXbKe_J1Ahj2c_cP5Mzrnq1LjI6Aao0gxL2rQMqukzXuE6zX-kuWfdejw/s320/IMG_4741.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332439051529431490" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYIjVu7Rj4fpugDpZDiq1DYMLih9vwFssmJgsjzZ8KS93f5_8uFbkHPu79Zyh5Us5cY_OaS3Z9XlzSNAdWtg0qL1qy7x_XC3TCOmY72LiWk6VWVviwPi01bMrgrnVz20aNOMukLwAuiI/s1600-h/IMG_4750.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYIjVu7Rj4fpugDpZDiq1DYMLih9vwFssmJgsjzZ8KS93f5_8uFbkHPu79Zyh5Us5cY_OaS3Z9XlzSNAdWtg0qL1qy7x_XC3TCOmY72LiWk6VWVviwPi01bMrgrnVz20aNOMukLwAuiI/s320/IMG_4750.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332439055066628194" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px">The first Garland castle we visited was the Garland castle of Milltown, which sits on land owned by a man named Paul Matthews. Paul was kind enough to let us go in the castle, despite its dilapidated condition. We were only able to go up to the second floor, as the steps were too unsafe to climb any higher. </p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimCcPfSk_hgWBqRlg8HhcmdKRc8yc2iVoRHR-WT-PRIZtyBVU-9s-2EN171S_pXkUXPuMGZ58qDKx071_Qe9DAiYxm2RWEZORLA5WcM92tpUkIYNJKnJhNslxb3zf4U1L7r5b9-8XJOss/s1600-h/IMG_4755.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimCcPfSk_hgWBqRlg8HhcmdKRc8yc2iVoRHR-WT-PRIZtyBVU-9s-2EN171S_pXkUXPuMGZ58qDKx071_Qe9DAiYxm2RWEZORLA5WcM92tpUkIYNJKnJhNslxb3zf4U1L7r5b9-8XJOss/s320/IMG_4755.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332439994634895682" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_Cv-eBlCA_WEiyrVnzpDkG02Al_ZXrD-ztLrwkG9m_88zGnbvcaK4p_5DXcBHabIMCYvkcBUeXffDiofEv-FzhV42k2nqYg9wdZoalCmiTemPE2R7CyyscQe6RPI5jKsds4AMGIPAao/s1600-h/IMG_4762.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_Cv-eBlCA_WEiyrVnzpDkG02Al_ZXrD-ztLrwkG9m_88zGnbvcaK4p_5DXcBHabIMCYvkcBUeXffDiofEv-FzhV42k2nqYg9wdZoalCmiTemPE2R7CyyscQe6RPI5jKsds4AMGIPAao/s320/IMG_4762.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332440623497551682" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLcBDnhiCzSSsSeADe6bo1zEmGHlmRsr29jW3FU3M0y407pmvUU9Um6OYNoYoUkhY186SuvzSl8AWBvE6-ns01WlzgAzixopd7XJ_OlG5aZI4cLtVcrzJlwlKXNhLKodu6gou9E483yPE/s1600-h/IMG_4775.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLcBDnhiCzSSsSeADe6bo1zEmGHlmRsr29jW3FU3M0y407pmvUU9Um6OYNoYoUkhY186SuvzSl8AWBvE6-ns01WlzgAzixopd7XJ_OlG5aZI4cLtVcrzJlwlKXNhLKodu6gou9E483yPE/s320/IMG_4775.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332440626718615250" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxs6O4xX0EsAo_lZLOwGsPsde2icsJFZ8qddqXIdih4phCHs4Y2RG6GbYILFlBrke_4iQwNidfkYE9xqJW7RZzAk_Vvn7wos0-l0tkkS9fL_BQmeQi97TitwABWrz7pHppA1OfW08vm3s/s1600-h/IMG_4778.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxs6O4xX0EsAo_lZLOwGsPsde2icsJFZ8qddqXIdih4phCHs4Y2RG6GbYILFlBrke_4iQwNidfkYE9xqJW7RZzAk_Vvn7wos0-l0tkkS9fL_BQmeQi97TitwABWrz7pHppA1OfW08vm3s/s320/IMG_4778.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332440637488310722" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px">The second Garland castle we visited was the Garland castle of Killincoole. It appeared to be in better condition on the outside than the Milltown castle, but the owners of the land upon which this castle sits were not home, so we were unable to go inside. From what Roy said, though, it is dilapidated as well.</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7xHZxRNDnMYRjvNw8mAK_PmpElU5cej1lPWA4_4okYt-4Nmu_sHe0D6Bn9rcV4GlCeO1bCaeahBorPCT64NXZybAtFaGw-GSkG_MtP5kXHbML8g1pqdVcvm58qSBF1nYEvBq8oGchhk/s1600-h/IMG_4793.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7xHZxRNDnMYRjvNw8mAK_PmpElU5cej1lPWA4_4okYt-4Nmu_sHe0D6Bn9rcV4GlCeO1bCaeahBorPCT64NXZybAtFaGw-GSkG_MtP5kXHbML8g1pqdVcvm58qSBF1nYEvBq8oGchhk/s320/IMG_4793.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332441474330171234" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px">After visiting the castles, we drove to the Killincoole Church and graveyard, which was founded by Garlands. The church was originally a Catholic church and then became a Protestant church but is no longer used. Two Garlands - Nicholas and Patrick - were buried in the graveyard in 1878, and there is a baptismal font with ancient ogham script (it looks like long etched lines) sitting in the graveyard that was given to the church by Garlands.</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMWT0-BCQEP3oBll4O9Uz3mV_LR1YLUhYFeRsdGIEvUBJ8ouKwBSOnoijk6lrIdy1ii_Sj7w-D1Q_xFa6FE0pyE_BM6st4dEnD6PqeycrldLqSEuEdhK4ccGqv4CuL0RNMXVWlFak3JY/s1600-h/IMG_4812.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMWT0-BCQEP3oBll4O9Uz3mV_LR1YLUhYFeRsdGIEvUBJ8ouKwBSOnoijk6lrIdy1ii_Sj7w-D1Q_xFa6FE0pyE_BM6st4dEnD6PqeycrldLqSEuEdhK4ccGqv4CuL0RNMXVWlFak3JY/s320/IMG_4812.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332443713956885826" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawV8D5_uBzqU4ZHxxHgChuGGonUAr5e86TuuwJ1RjrD_udR-10BudLj5cHXlCSaoQu9HWvzXY3LrQN94GlHgfc6yYTNYqyHwMCIwT6-5qsn3w5r-NUiuzxWAb8pfOx5N2iX_Y0woiI-0/s1600-h/IMG_4813.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawV8D5_uBzqU4ZHxxHgChuGGonUAr5e86TuuwJ1RjrD_udR-10BudLj5cHXlCSaoQu9HWvzXY3LrQN94GlHgfc6yYTNYqyHwMCIwT6-5qsn3w5r-NUiuzxWAb8pfOx5N2iX_Y0woiI-0/s320/IMG_4813.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332443718327269026" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUR5INBlGJOkl_hH8VHyS4fofv7k6zZG5NOM7qCqTw0cyzfKl4cEoqcJr2D02Q_z3qU-jzuWN8ipCqPWEF271pq4Q6ziHwptZv8aZkUq56ROlRa_3ErEo5rhLdYQq2_eWnTgYe38fScCs/s1600-h/IMG_4815.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUR5INBlGJOkl_hH8VHyS4fofv7k6zZG5NOM7qCqTw0cyzfKl4cEoqcJr2D02Q_z3qU-jzuWN8ipCqPWEF271pq4Q6ziHwptZv8aZkUq56ROlRa_3ErEo5rhLdYQq2_eWnTgYe38fScCs/s320/IMG_4815.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332443722981066146" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjjLFcpZjxmRx1vZWT7VUy8PzUi6m4m9uAYnOz8xRCUqAkm8QSuNb0iMjGJoFygwv2zeGVKmWbGq-Hj4jSxiW-jpX2be_qRbib7gDjBuiFpyL61PaweIr0snEdfgNi9uYhe5JU6QnJw8/s1600-h/IMG_4816.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjjLFcpZjxmRx1vZWT7VUy8PzUi6m4m9uAYnOz8xRCUqAkm8QSuNb0iMjGJoFygwv2zeGVKmWbGq-Hj4jSxiW-jpX2be_qRbib7gDjBuiFpyL61PaweIr0snEdfgNi9uYhe5JU6QnJw8/s320/IMG_4816.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332443726455042674" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; ">Beyond the Ireland and Northern Ireland history and the Garland family history, we also visited Carlingford, a medieval town in Ireland, as well as Carrickfergus Castle, which is outside of Belfast. And actually for just a bit more Garland family history, Ralph Gernon (the surname predecessor to Garland and used interchangeably for hundreds of years) traveled to Carrickfergus Castle with King John in 1210, as King John's knight and marshal.</p><p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; ">Anyone ready for a test?</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112769790111218045.post-34006622817651000812009-05-03T02:40:00.017-07:002009-05-04T00:32:50.386-07:00First Stop: Belfast<div style="text-align: justify;">I'm here! Ok, so I've been here in Belfast for awhile, and I'm just now blogging. Falling down on the job, I suppose.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This will (hopefully) be the dumbest thing I will ever say in this blog, but Ireland is so... green. Yes, I assumed that Ireland was not called the Emerald Isle for nothing, but as I looked out the window from the plane onto the landscape below, I only had one intelligent (or not so intelligent) thought "Wow. Green."</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeu35tV6Z4wmlDhjHhK9KbYCK_AXVINogti1HoOChboOMncE-hZWyKSVxc9faoEpoxMmZ6ifF5x72ow4Yai3xulEtt8-tBou60ANBqmBM3JM8911bnEQS9rYSovYt5REC5DD-XfdAMKs/s320/IMG_0405.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331861965850755954" /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm staying at the Europa Hotel, which has the distinction of being the most bombed hotel in Europe, as it was bombed 33 times by the IRA between 1972 and 1994. In 1995 and 1998, President Clinton stayed at the Europa as a symbolic showing of sorts, signifying a change.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNvT6mLwe11_pG0XJLPBWWNYKAYxj3fTo51qYSdFs5ZDgC_3fytHLKwCbUcFQkCA3-Rza6jqEhajcyFx96C6LUl8IhIp8uJSS2ols8WWYW2jnOonamjryxNZVWx9RyKeQd4K-mjrAkwY/s1600-h/IMG_4721.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNvT6mLwe11_pG0XJLPBWWNYKAYxj3fTo51qYSdFs5ZDgC_3fytHLKwCbUcFQkCA3-Rza6jqEhajcyFx96C6LUl8IhIp8uJSS2ols8WWYW2jnOonamjryxNZVWx9RyKeQd4K-mjrAkwY/s320/IMG_4721.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331864188713481346" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Its history aside, the Europa has been great - centrally located in Belfast within easy walking distance to many of the sights like Belfast's City Hall and situated next door to the Grand Opera House. The Europa is also just around the block from the bus and train station (I took the bus from the airport and am taking a train tomorrow to Dublin), so it's very convenient.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQINuUxWohNiG5WzQE-Mre9iTrU-HRxduShJiDWB-AxjIHZLLcA4ZJvz8ouzCd9cGuMLq9JT1V6hWQtQCBws_mRTt1uEkLcnrhMYz-pOp24oyXG4C_eS8W_MZbo_GMEtXkXXca-h5GNxI/s1600-h/IMG_4717.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQINuUxWohNiG5WzQE-Mre9iTrU-HRxduShJiDWB-AxjIHZLLcA4ZJvz8ouzCd9cGuMLq9JT1V6hWQtQCBws_mRTt1uEkLcnrhMYz-pOp24oyXG4C_eS8W_MZbo_GMEtXkXXca-h5GNxI/s320/IMG_4717.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331865814663051282" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZm1TQrrIDU2T1yjFQhA-IcjmrlGhTMEW89m2qVGr4gISv153taIJZch1ZRdx14VM4DhTdmMRLQdRgo38A8rEOIpxjyPo6m4gD74BcFLCWDPootDZMd2dFTs1rEmksId8JPpGGqVJgLI/s1600-h/IMG_4720.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZm1TQrrIDU2T1yjFQhA-IcjmrlGhTMEW89m2qVGr4gISv153taIJZch1ZRdx14VM4DhTdmMRLQdRgo38A8rEOIpxjyPo6m4gD74BcFLCWDPootDZMd2dFTs1rEmksId8JPpGGqVJgLI/s320/IMG_4720.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331865812446964018" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My real purpose in coming to Belfast has been to spend time with relatives. Roy Garland and his wife, Marion, have been showing me around Belfast and the surrounding countryside of both Northern Ireland and Ireland. Not only have they been educating me on the history of Northern Ireland and Ireland, but they have also been informing me about Garland family history. And even beyond all of that, it has been fascinating to spend so much time with two locals - getting their take on everything from the culture to what they think about President Obama. (FYI - they seem to like him but said many people here are cautious in making a judgment call.)</div><div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I had a couple of friends ask me to blog about what I'm wearing on the trip. Nothing exciting as of yet, though that will change - especially once I do a little shopping next week in London. It's chilly here (highs in the mid 50s, low in the 40s), so I'm in jeans, boots, jackets. One of the things I've noticed is the way that teenagers dress. 80s fashion seem to be really in here - the clothes and the hair alike. I've been so tempted to take pictures of a few of them a la The Satorialist, but I'm not that brave yet.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">More to come on Belfast... </div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0