Well, I am back in London, at Greg's house once again for my last two nights before my plane home tomorrow. Hopefully I can do something to change the 5-hour layover in Cinncinatti tomorrow afternoon, but otherwise it seems to be smooth sailing from here.
I spent the past weekend in Provance, the southern region of France. On Friday, Josie and I parted ways in the Alps, her back to Zurich and I south through the northern part of Italy, stopping in Milan and riding in a hot and crowded train along the Mediteranian sea to Nice, France. Spent all day Saturday wandering markets in the old streets, climbing hills, then sitting on the beach and swimming, and sitting on the beach and swimming. And swimming. It's one thing I have definatly been waiting to do: swim in the Mediteranian. Not to mention I get to add the experiance of a European beach to my list of things seen in life. Very crowded, nearly nude and full of men walking back and forth, singing the drinks they were selling in French, Italian and English.
Came back to Paris for one last night, one last crepe, one last walk around the city in a tourist area where you can't make eye contact with anyone because they will ask you for money or hit on you. Flew to London yesturday and after watching Cricket in Clapham Common for a few hours, ate dinner with Greg and talked most of the night. It's 11:19 and Josie is still sleeping, so I'm not entirely sure today will go, or wwhat we will do in London. She has not seen anything yet, and I have seen all that I can think of. Though I suppose there are worse places in the world to not know what to do with yourself.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Swiss Alps, Ireland and France
As my mother tells me over and over again, there are many people unhappy with my lack of posting. Well, sadly in hostels internet costs a couple euro for every few minutes, so I really dont have time to fully update here. Even now, we are in the small Swiss town of Lenk where we are buying groceries before we head back to the challet for the next few days, and I only have a little bit.
All in all, I am doing very well. To quickly sum up the last few weeks, we took a tour though the southern part of Ireland and saw several ancient monestaries, Galway, the Cliffs of Moher (also known as the Cliffs of Insanity if you have seen The Princess Bride), Kissed the Blarney Stone, explored Dublin and saw the land my family comes from.
After roughly four hours of sleep in the Dublin airport, we flew to Paris and spent two and a half days there, just enough to see the highlights of the city. Spent one day on a walking tour of everything important and old, saw the Eiffle tower and Arc de Triomph by night, and spent a whole day at the Louvre. Not to mention wandered the Paris Opera House, making all my 15 year old dreams come true and finally seeing where my favorite story takes place.
Spent a day and a half in the town of Lyon, which is very ancient and full of red roofs and Roman antiques. Climbed a lot of stairs, saw a lot of chruches and practiced my French, which is surprisingly passable. Then we took the trains through Gèneve to Zurich, spent the night and met my friend Megan and her Swiss boyfriend Yves. Came to his families house in the Alps, just outside of the last town on the train line, Lenk. We will be here 4 nights, hiking and recharging all the batteries before I head to Nice France to swim in the mediteranian for a few days.
As of tomorrow I fly home in a week. I am definatly getting worn out, but have enough energy to see everything, climb a few mountains and sit on the beach.
Sorry again for the lack of posting, hopefully I will do so again with more details soon.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
More of the Farm Life
We've come into Moville with Jo to work in the Organic Farm shop they own for the last few mornings. Pricing food and putting produce on shelves and the like. Yesturday afternoon we replanned sapling Oak trees in the sun shine, then right as we went inside the rains started. Rained all evening long, making Josie's drying laundry very wet and (re)clean once again. Tomorrow I'll do mine before leaving. I have just about run out of underwear again: I packed just enough for 2 weeks, since every two weeks we arrive in a place to do laundry.
Everything is going very well. Things have slowed down and I'm pretty relaxed here on the farm, with very good food and lots of time to sit and think and read, and this is really good for me. Two more French girls are arriving this evening, and we have one more day of work to do, then we'll be off to Dublin! I have read three books already this summer - just finished A Thousand Spelndid Suns on Sunday night. Sat down and read the last 100 pages in one go. Now I have 2 left for the rest of the summer, should be enough.
Everything is going very well. Things have slowed down and I'm pretty relaxed here on the farm, with very good food and lots of time to sit and think and read, and this is really good for me. Two more French girls are arriving this evening, and we have one more day of work to do, then we'll be off to Dublin! I have read three books already this summer - just finished A Thousand Spelndid Suns on Sunday night. Sat down and read the last 100 pages in one go. Now I have 2 left for the rest of the summer, should be enough.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Inishowen Farming
It's been a little more than a week since we arrived at the Fowler's farm, but they don't have a computer avalible at the house and when we go to town I never have time to really update. For the weekend Josie and I have come to Derry to get off the farm and be in the city, back at the great hostel I was at for 5 days a few weeks ago.
The farm is fantastic! It's about 5 miles out of a town called Moville on the Inishowen Pennisula, which is as farm north as you can get in Ireland. We are on the top of a HUGE hill from which you can see the Foyle and the ocean and Northern Ireland. The views are outstanding! The Fowler's have three cattle and a new calf, several pigs and some piglets, goats, billies, donkeys and many dogs and cats in the house, all with very distinct personalities. Jo and Geoff are a lovely couple, very welcoming with very good food and lots of stories. Theire son Lloyd is also living with them for the summer. They are from England orriginally and moved to County Donegal a few years ago to start this farm, as well as an organic shop in town.
We wake up at 9 in the morning, have a huge breakfast of porriage and coffee, then head out to the feilds. We have been doing a LOT of weeding, as well as picking wild blueberries (billberry's here, mind you), red currants and elderflowers for Jo to make organic wild jam to sell in the shop. Josie and I are working with a French girl named Amelie who is really awesome to hang out with, as well as practice my French skills before we head to Paris. We work about 5 hours every day, then get to relax, play with the dogs, walk, and read. I've been writing a lot. Lots of letters and lots of my novel, now that I've been to Derry and seen it I've figured a lot out that I was struggling with before. Jo makes great dinner, huge and hearty and we spend hours at the table talking. Then Josie, Amelie and I usually go and watch a movie, or play cards or talk until we go to bed. The sun stays up so late this far north, it's hard to sleep before 11:30 when it gets dark. Things have slowed down and settled into a pattern here, which is really good for me in the middle of this trip, settle myself and gather my self for the end of the journey.
My birthday was cold and wet. It's not been very warm here, actually, rather overcast and windy. After work, we took a taxi into town and went to a nearly empty pub for Baliey's flavored cheesecake and some drinks.
We came to Derry for the weekend, and planned out the rest of the summer, with reservations in hostels in Dublin, Paris, Lyon, Zurich, Milan, Nice and a plan ride back to London where we'll be for the last 2 days before I head home. We're also going on a bus tour of the southern part of the island next weekend, which should be great. Get to kiss the Blarney Stone!
In short, things are great. Josie have recovered from jet lag, and we will be back on the tourist road on Thrusday, jumping through adventures and cities until we're back home!
The farm is fantastic! It's about 5 miles out of a town called Moville on the Inishowen Pennisula, which is as farm north as you can get in Ireland. We are on the top of a HUGE hill from which you can see the Foyle and the ocean and Northern Ireland. The views are outstanding! The Fowler's have three cattle and a new calf, several pigs and some piglets, goats, billies, donkeys and many dogs and cats in the house, all with very distinct personalities. Jo and Geoff are a lovely couple, very welcoming with very good food and lots of stories. Theire son Lloyd is also living with them for the summer. They are from England orriginally and moved to County Donegal a few years ago to start this farm, as well as an organic shop in town.
We wake up at 9 in the morning, have a huge breakfast of porriage and coffee, then head out to the feilds. We have been doing a LOT of weeding, as well as picking wild blueberries (billberry's here, mind you), red currants and elderflowers for Jo to make organic wild jam to sell in the shop. Josie and I are working with a French girl named Amelie who is really awesome to hang out with, as well as practice my French skills before we head to Paris. We work about 5 hours every day, then get to relax, play with the dogs, walk, and read. I've been writing a lot. Lots of letters and lots of my novel, now that I've been to Derry and seen it I've figured a lot out that I was struggling with before. Jo makes great dinner, huge and hearty and we spend hours at the table talking. Then Josie, Amelie and I usually go and watch a movie, or play cards or talk until we go to bed. The sun stays up so late this far north, it's hard to sleep before 11:30 when it gets dark. Things have slowed down and settled into a pattern here, which is really good for me in the middle of this trip, settle myself and gather my self for the end of the journey.
My birthday was cold and wet. It's not been very warm here, actually, rather overcast and windy. After work, we took a taxi into town and went to a nearly empty pub for Baliey's flavored cheesecake and some drinks.
We came to Derry for the weekend, and planned out the rest of the summer, with reservations in hostels in Dublin, Paris, Lyon, Zurich, Milan, Nice and a plan ride back to London where we'll be for the last 2 days before I head home. We're also going on a bus tour of the southern part of the island next weekend, which should be great. Get to kiss the Blarney Stone!
In short, things are great. Josie have recovered from jet lag, and we will be back on the tourist road on Thrusday, jumping through adventures and cities until we're back home!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Derry and the Irish Sea Shore
I've spent the last few days learning a lot of mistakes I made in my novel, a lot of assumptions that are either totally untrue or that I could have expanded further. Derry has been great. As opposed to Belfast which is a city with 300,000 Derry only has 100,000, and 16th century walls that encase the city center nicely. They are a great place to stroll and get a birds-eye view of everything here. The river Foyle cuts right through the center of town, with City Center and the Catholic Bogside on one shore, and the mostly Prodestant area on the other.
The weather has grown slightly sour, but nothing I can't handle. It's been cloudy and muggy for the last few days, so no more Irish sunburns for the time being. The people in this hostel, the Derry Independent Hostel, are GREAT. The owner is a fantastic and laid-back woman from New Zeland and the other people that work for her are pretty cool. There has been a group of about 5 or 6 of us who are all staying in Derry for more than a night or two, and we've kind of banded together and begun hanging out and going out to pubs and stuff at night. This group includes two students from Grenell in Iowa who are my age and doing research here for a month with one of their professors. They are Anthropology majors and are studying with the Tower Museum as they prepare an exibit on the Ulster Plantations, which is 400 years old this year, and really the start of the political unrest that is still happening on the island.
It was with them and their professor Doug that I went to a Catholic commemorative march. Every year the people walk through the Bogside and Craggin areas of town - once 'free' from British rule, with no outsiders entering the community without getting killed by the IRA (See the 'Now Entering Free Derry' sign for remaining proof) - with flags and flutes and pictures of all those who were killed in Derry and they go to the cemetary in commemoration of those who gave their lives for the cause. This year was particularily important because it is the 40th anniversary this summer of the Battle of the Bogside, which was the 3 day riot that finally pushed the British to deploy military troops into Northern Ireland. So we watched, and participated in the march with the people, which lead to the cemetary where the local Sinn Fein leaders gave speeches. It was pretty intense, the marches were really powerful and very dignified. Probably more than 200 people were there.
I've also seen the Free Derry Museum, gone on a few walking tours of the murals, and talked to the local people who's job it is to talk about the political nature of the 70's. One of them gave me the political walking tour, and I later found out he's good friends with the owner of the Hostel I'm at, so he's around all the time and we've been chatting.
Took the train to Castlerock today, a tiny town right on the ocean, with a huge beach and huge balck cliffs just a bit away. Across the water you can see county Donegal, and probably the city that I'll be living near while on the farm. It was not a super sunny day, but it was beautiful nonetheless. I read on the beach and wandered with my feet in the cool crisp waters, along the cliffs and back to the town where I got coffee and wrote for a couple of hours. The town was so silent and empty it was eerie, but I also kind of liked this, after the city it felt good to be in a place with less movement and noise for the afternoon. Took the train back to Derry and went to the pub across the road with the owner and some of the people I've been enjoying and enjoyed a half pint of cider while exchaning stories.
Tomorrow will be my last day in Derry then I head to Belfast on Wednesday morning to meet Josie. Though I am meeting people along the way, it will be so nice to have a companion who already knows me and who I can just relax with.
The weather has grown slightly sour, but nothing I can't handle. It's been cloudy and muggy for the last few days, so no more Irish sunburns for the time being. The people in this hostel, the Derry Independent Hostel, are GREAT. The owner is a fantastic and laid-back woman from New Zeland and the other people that work for her are pretty cool. There has been a group of about 5 or 6 of us who are all staying in Derry for more than a night or two, and we've kind of banded together and begun hanging out and going out to pubs and stuff at night. This group includes two students from Grenell in Iowa who are my age and doing research here for a month with one of their professors. They are Anthropology majors and are studying with the Tower Museum as they prepare an exibit on the Ulster Plantations, which is 400 years old this year, and really the start of the political unrest that is still happening on the island.
It was with them and their professor Doug that I went to a Catholic commemorative march. Every year the people walk through the Bogside and Craggin areas of town - once 'free' from British rule, with no outsiders entering the community without getting killed by the IRA (See the 'Now Entering Free Derry' sign for remaining proof) - with flags and flutes and pictures of all those who were killed in Derry and they go to the cemetary in commemoration of those who gave their lives for the cause. This year was particularily important because it is the 40th anniversary this summer of the Battle of the Bogside, which was the 3 day riot that finally pushed the British to deploy military troops into Northern Ireland. So we watched, and participated in the march with the people, which lead to the cemetary where the local Sinn Fein leaders gave speeches. It was pretty intense, the marches were really powerful and very dignified. Probably more than 200 people were there.
I've also seen the Free Derry Museum, gone on a few walking tours of the murals, and talked to the local people who's job it is to talk about the political nature of the 70's. One of them gave me the political walking tour, and I later found out he's good friends with the owner of the Hostel I'm at, so he's around all the time and we've been chatting.
Took the train to Castlerock today, a tiny town right on the ocean, with a huge beach and huge balck cliffs just a bit away. Across the water you can see county Donegal, and probably the city that I'll be living near while on the farm. It was not a super sunny day, but it was beautiful nonetheless. I read on the beach and wandered with my feet in the cool crisp waters, along the cliffs and back to the town where I got coffee and wrote for a couple of hours. The town was so silent and empty it was eerie, but I also kind of liked this, after the city it felt good to be in a place with less movement and noise for the afternoon. Took the train back to Derry and went to the pub across the road with the owner and some of the people I've been enjoying and enjoyed a half pint of cider while exchaning stories.
Tomorrow will be my last day in Derry then I head to Belfast on Wednesday morning to meet Josie. Though I am meeting people along the way, it will be so nice to have a companion who already knows me and who I can just relax with.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Belfast to Derry
I have really had a great couple of days. I had the priviledge to spend the evening with a Public Acheivement group called WIMPS (Where Is My Public Servent?) which is a group of young people in Belfast who talk to politicians and create a bi-weekly news cast that gets posted online. I got to chat with the youth - both Catholic and Prodestant - about their experiances with PA and how they got involved and such, as well as graze on life stories, though I was no in the position to press for details.
Afterwards, the leaders took me out for some pints and we talked about the meeting, what I saw and what I want to do back in America. Ben, the main leader and I stayed a bit longer and had a good talk over the walk home. It's looking like I have some people that I can meet up with in Derry, so we will see what happens in the next few days. Otherwise, on the way here we passed some beautiful little towns on the ocean with beaches, and if nothing else, I'll just go there for the day!
Yesturday I was on a tour bus along the coast and country side. It was so good to get out of the city and see everything here: it is unbelievably beautiful. Actually, its just like all the pictures, which is rather surprising. I'm so glad to be here. Went to the Giants Causeway and some other ruined castles and things along the north coast, all the way to Derry where I got a tour of the city walls and the Bogside murals. FINALLY. This is definatly the city where my novel takes place. I am back today, in my hostel and all set up, and I think I will be quite a bit happier here than in Belfast.
On the train a man talked to me the whole time, he was older and just sat down across from me and started chatting. It didn't take me long to realize I wasnt going to understand a word that came out of his mouth and that repeating 'What?' was not going to help either. So I just let him talk, laughed when he laughed and smiled a lot. I did understand him asking if I was married and that he was off to tell his son John right when he got home that he met a pretty girl for him on the train. By the end of the trip I was exhausted from trying to be polite and just wanted to head to the hostel, but he was really concered about my bag and me carrying it and wanted to hire me a taxi. Finally I just said 'Look, thanks, but I've hiked in the Rocky Mountains with a bag this big. I'm fine being lost in Derry for a few minutes.'
So I made it to the hostel alright. Seems like a good place. Josie will be here on Wednesday and I'll be glad to see her: traveling alone and not having another person who knows you well is rough. There are lots of great people around, but you have to meet each of them fresh and new and its taxing. I also realized I'm ready to be in the country for a long time and have some real work to be doing. The farm will be a good place to reach. For now I have some exploring to do. Heard they play traditional music every night at a pub down the road. Sounds good to me!
Afterwards, the leaders took me out for some pints and we talked about the meeting, what I saw and what I want to do back in America. Ben, the main leader and I stayed a bit longer and had a good talk over the walk home. It's looking like I have some people that I can meet up with in Derry, so we will see what happens in the next few days. Otherwise, on the way here we passed some beautiful little towns on the ocean with beaches, and if nothing else, I'll just go there for the day!
Yesturday I was on a tour bus along the coast and country side. It was so good to get out of the city and see everything here: it is unbelievably beautiful. Actually, its just like all the pictures, which is rather surprising. I'm so glad to be here. Went to the Giants Causeway and some other ruined castles and things along the north coast, all the way to Derry where I got a tour of the city walls and the Bogside murals. FINALLY. This is definatly the city where my novel takes place. I am back today, in my hostel and all set up, and I think I will be quite a bit happier here than in Belfast.
On the train a man talked to me the whole time, he was older and just sat down across from me and started chatting. It didn't take me long to realize I wasnt going to understand a word that came out of his mouth and that repeating 'What?' was not going to help either. So I just let him talk, laughed when he laughed and smiled a lot. I did understand him asking if I was married and that he was off to tell his son John right when he got home that he met a pretty girl for him on the train. By the end of the trip I was exhausted from trying to be polite and just wanted to head to the hostel, but he was really concered about my bag and me carrying it and wanted to hire me a taxi. Finally I just said 'Look, thanks, but I've hiked in the Rocky Mountains with a bag this big. I'm fine being lost in Derry for a few minutes.'
So I made it to the hostel alright. Seems like a good place. Josie will be here on Wednesday and I'll be glad to see her: traveling alone and not having another person who knows you well is rough. There are lots of great people around, but you have to meet each of them fresh and new and its taxing. I also realized I'm ready to be in the country for a long time and have some real work to be doing. The farm will be a good place to reach. For now I have some exploring to do. Heard they play traditional music every night at a pub down the road. Sounds good to me!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Belfast
It is the morning of my third day in Belfast now. Drinking some coffee and getting ready to head out into another warm sunny day.
I think I like Belfast more than London actually. It feels more real here, like an actual city, not just a place that is bulit to impress and be the imperial center of the western world. London was white all around. Belfast is brick and feels more like a place where people live.
On my first day here I was a block away from the road I needed to take to get to the hostel, but deicded to try going the oposite way. I ended up very lost on Queens University campus and student housing area. It was hot, muggy and I was carrying about 40 lbs of luggage on my back and shoulders. An hour later I found Fitzwilliam St: a block away from where I got off the bus.
Yestuday I went to the city center and wandered around the trouist part of Belfast. Read a book in sun on the grounds in front of the city center. Met Paul Smyth for lunch and we chatted about Public Acheivement in Northern Ireland and the situation today. In the evening I went on one of the Black Cab tours that takes you into both the Catholic and Prodestant gehttos and along the 'Peace Wall'. This is a 40ft wall that spans between all the Catholic and Prodestant areas with huge automatic gates that close at 11:30 every night, or whenever there is a fight. There are some 84 walls in Belfast to sperate the Catholics from the Prodestants, and though they have stopped killing each other, this hast just served to make them kill themselves more often.
It was very intense and good to see the places that I have been reading and writing about for so long. The Shankill road (prodestant) still has British flags drapped over the streets and on every door front. We saw an area of development with a totally empty place right in the middle.This was where some Prodestants lived who didnt agree with the Ulster Freedom Fighters and they got chased out of the area, then their houses were bombed so that they couldn't return. In the Catholic area, there is a highrise buliding that the British government put a military watch tower on top of because the Catholic families below make it impossible for the IRA to bomb. However, two soldiers were shot in the building, and a Catholic widdow cradled one while he was dieing, and got her knees blown off by the IRA. Besides all of this Belfast is the safest city in Europe for tourists, and our guide explained that as long as you don't go into these areas after nightfall - when people will start asking questions about your ancestry - you are totally fine. I'm really looking forward to going to Derry on Friday to see that city, which I have been researching even more.
This evening I'm going to see one of the PA groups here working on one of their projects, which should be really cool. Meet some youth and see what they care about. Tomorrow I'm taking a tour bus from the hostel up to Giants Causeway and Derry for the day, then heading to Derry for real on Friday. Josie joins me here next Wednesday, when we will head to the Fowlers' Farm once she has begun to recover from being jet-lagged.
I think I like Belfast more than London actually. It feels more real here, like an actual city, not just a place that is bulit to impress and be the imperial center of the western world. London was white all around. Belfast is brick and feels more like a place where people live.
On my first day here I was a block away from the road I needed to take to get to the hostel, but deicded to try going the oposite way. I ended up very lost on Queens University campus and student housing area. It was hot, muggy and I was carrying about 40 lbs of luggage on my back and shoulders. An hour later I found Fitzwilliam St: a block away from where I got off the bus.
Yestuday I went to the city center and wandered around the trouist part of Belfast. Read a book in sun on the grounds in front of the city center. Met Paul Smyth for lunch and we chatted about Public Acheivement in Northern Ireland and the situation today. In the evening I went on one of the Black Cab tours that takes you into both the Catholic and Prodestant gehttos and along the 'Peace Wall'. This is a 40ft wall that spans between all the Catholic and Prodestant areas with huge automatic gates that close at 11:30 every night, or whenever there is a fight. There are some 84 walls in Belfast to sperate the Catholics from the Prodestants, and though they have stopped killing each other, this hast just served to make them kill themselves more often.
It was very intense and good to see the places that I have been reading and writing about for so long. The Shankill road (prodestant) still has British flags drapped over the streets and on every door front. We saw an area of development with a totally empty place right in the middle.This was where some Prodestants lived who didnt agree with the Ulster Freedom Fighters and they got chased out of the area, then their houses were bombed so that they couldn't return. In the Catholic area, there is a highrise buliding that the British government put a military watch tower on top of because the Catholic families below make it impossible for the IRA to bomb. However, two soldiers were shot in the building, and a Catholic widdow cradled one while he was dieing, and got her knees blown off by the IRA. Besides all of this Belfast is the safest city in Europe for tourists, and our guide explained that as long as you don't go into these areas after nightfall - when people will start asking questions about your ancestry - you are totally fine. I'm really looking forward to going to Derry on Friday to see that city, which I have been researching even more.
This evening I'm going to see one of the PA groups here working on one of their projects, which should be really cool. Meet some youth and see what they care about. Tomorrow I'm taking a tour bus from the hostel up to Giants Causeway and Derry for the day, then heading to Derry for real on Friday. Josie joins me here next Wednesday, when we will head to the Fowlers' Farm once she has begun to recover from being jet-lagged.
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