September 15, 2011 - September 16, 2011
I spent my last day in Coventry picking up some last minute Doctor Who items for Amber and Jess which I'm glad I went and did. I finished packing which took forever, trying to find everything and fit it all in. Dinner with Celia and Owen before heading to the airport. Celia and I were pressed for time so we took a taxi to the rail station but made it to the airport with lots of time. I said my farewell to Celia and was left to wonder the airport for the night. I had some tea and a muffin and was able to get online but my computer was quickly loosing power so I had to hunting for a plugin where the wifi would still work. I finally found myself a corner and was able to watch the Doctor Who episode I had missed and the final episode of Torchwood. Thankfully I was in a hidden corner because I was crying through both episodes. Finally I was able to check in and had to pay 130 pounds extra for my extra weight and bag but I got it home. Earlier I had found a bag weighing station so I had spent some time adjusting my bags but I knew the fees were going to be steep.
The flight to Amsterdam wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. The best thing it had going for it was the fact that it was short. The bad thing was that I had to race to my gate on the opposite side of the airport but I didn't really have to worry since I had plenty of time and since there was a long queue I used the time to buy a few things with my left over euros from Ireland. I got through the second security screening changed into my pjs for the 10 hour flight home. I was super tired to the plane ride wasn't that fun. I tried to sleep as much as a could. I watched a couple of films and some tv but was super glad when the plane finally landed.
Now I had been sneaky and had misinformed my family about my arrival. They all thought I wasn't coming home until 11pm but I was arriving at 11:30am. Amber picked me up from the airport. I surprised my sister when I rang the doorbell at home, and thankfully she was actually home because I don't have keys anymore. When my mom came home I was in bed so I didn't get to see her initial reaction but my dad was surprised as well, both thankful they didn't have to go to the airport at night.
So I'm back in Portland now but it doesn't feel like home, I miss Cov. It just motivates me to go back. I'm definitely suffering from jet lag but trying to get over it so I can look for a job and get a PhD proposal together to send off in time to also apply for scholarships. I still need to take a few days of just doing nothing. I really haven't given myself just some time to relax after the dissertation and then the traveling so it'll be a while for the adjustment period.
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
London - Tower Bridge
September 14, 2011
I got up early to catch the bus to the airport and ended up scoring a cab ride for the same price of the bus which was sweet although I was a little worried that I might not make it to the airport but end up dead on the side of the road. But apparently I wasn't scared enough not to get in the cab, and I wasn't the only one so that made me feel a bit safer. I was fine with the flight and arrived back in London bumping into another American traveler and ended up helping her to get to the underground station and in the right direction. I felt pretty good about it being able to help someone with directions and it was nice to talk to someone. I went and saw the changing of the guard which was packed with tourist but I was able to muscle my way up to the front, this time I didn't care about the shorter people. I wanted good pictures and a good view so I used my height to my advantage. I'm glad I finally got to see the ceremony so I don't regret not going.
I then tried to go back to the Doctor Who Exhibition but it was closed so I decided to head to London and Tower bridges since I still hadn't seen them up close. It was nice to walk along the Thames one last time before going home. I also got to see the HMS Belfast.
Walking along Tower Bridge I ran into this Indian guy who was super impressed that I could speak Hindi. He was handing out information for the Tower Bridge exhibition and asked where I was from and trying to get an idea of how far Portland was from Vancouver, Canada which I have no idea. He though that was strange since I had made it to London. And I told him that yeah I've been to both the UK and India but not Canada or Mexico which got us onto the subject of why I went to India. It was nice chat but then I moved on to see the outside of the Tower of London. Did some shopping and headed back to Euston, once again with my feet crying at me. I ate for the last time at Ed's dinner, my new favorite restaurant (although not as good as the American dinner in Cardiff Bay) before heading back home.
Dublin
September 13, 2011
Today I stayed in Dublin, no more tours! I wasn't sure if I would have enough to occupy myself with but you soon find there's plenty of things to do and in fact a little too much to do. I toyed with the idea of getting on the site seeing bus to save my feet but it was 14 euros and I figured most of the places I wanted to go to were really close together and i was already going to be in that area of town because I was having breakfast there so I decided against the tour bus which I'm not sure if that was smart or not. It saved me money to spend more on sights and gifts but I took up sightseeing time by having to walk. Pros and cons.
I started out at St. Stephens's Green which is this park where I was hoping to find the statue of Oscar Wilde but I was unsuccessful. It was still a beautiful park and the only open that early in the morning. I then went to Trinity college and got a ticket for the Book of Kells and a short tour of the college before hand. But since I still had a while until the first tour I went off to see if I could find the statue which I had found out was in the area of Trinity college. I finally found it!
After the statue I tried to find Oscar Wilde's house but couldn't find it so I went to the National Gallery because it was free and actually found some art I really liked. Jack B. Yeats work I really liked and ended up getting some of his work on postcards. They even had a van Gogh painting but its wasn't like most of his work and I didn't like it as much but another one I can check off my list. I made it back to Trinity college just in time for the tour to start. It's a pretty college.
They have two maple trees from Oregon which I was excited about and they were filming a Bollywood film! I got to see Salman Khan which was a nice little added treat. The actual Book of Kells was beautiful but what was more impressive was the Old library! It smelled of old books and had ladders on the shelving. It was like my dream library! I bought a few things in the gift shop on my way out. Ate lunch and then went and watched filming for a while with all of Ireland's Indian community.
By the time I was done I was ready for dinner and stopped off at this fish and chip shop that the previous day's tour guide had recommended and it was well worth the recommendation. The best fish and chips I've had ever! I did a spot of shopping and then headed back to the hostel exhausted.
Connemara
September 12, 2011
I got up having had a little more sleep than yesterday but not much. I made my way down to the meeting point for me second tour day stopping off first to get breakfast and tea. Surprisingly the vans were already there arriving early after yesterday arriving late. Not so nice was the fact that my name was not on the list and the bus was fully booked. I booked on Friday night and two girls had booked the night before which made it really annoying and unfair. But there was room in another bus for Connemara so I went on that one instead. Connemara is an area of bog which is cut up, dried out and then sold for firewood. All along the way it was mostly just scenery we were looking at which was a little disappointing with the clouds. I was expecting more green but it was more brown. Still there were some sun breaks that made the green stand out.
We started out in Galway which I was excited about because that's where the film the Guard I recently watched was set. (Check out my review here) Furthermore its the home of the Claddagh ring so I purchased one for myself and I absolutely love it. I got a plain traditional silver one. I grabbed a quick lunch and headed back to the bus. Now the hurricane which had just hit the US was coming so it was super windy making it hard to walk. Next we went to this abbey which we could only see from a distance as it was more a stop for lunch.
Because of the weather our boat was cancelled. Everything seemed to be going wrong with me and this tour. Instead of he boat we spent a little extra time at places and then went to the beach which was amazingly beautiful. We even got blue skies and no rain. The second beach was really windy and kicked up the sand which was a little less than pleasant but it was still beautiful. The tour guide Ross was excited that the boat had been cancelled and was surprised that he had never been to the beach as it was so beautiful. We stopped off at Cong which is where they filmed The Quite Man. Earlier in the day we had seen a replica cottage which was neat and now I need to see the movie again.
The Giant's Causway and Belfast
September 11, 2011
Today I traveled to Northern Ireland and the Giant's Causeway. I found the meeting spot for the tour I was on with little trouble, found my driver and coach and sat up front for the journey ending up sitting next tot he driver's wife. We took the scenic route up along the coast and stopped at several stops along the way. Harbors and castles before our first real stop. Trouble started early on when people couldn't seem to make it back on the bus on time - annoying and frustrating - oh how I needed my adipose stress toy. It just meant less time at the actual sites.
The first was a rope bridge which I went across. It was a little scary. I went first and though that it wasn't a big deal but then the bridge started to sway as people got onto it. But I managed it, twice. There were amazing views and well worth it. It took forever to get back across. We had to wait for people coming over who kept stopping in the middle and taking pictures. Then when our side started to go and we tried that we got yelled at, quite unfair I feel. Either no pictures or allow pictures for everyone is my theory.
Next was the main event, the Giant's Causeway. There was an argument about time to see the sight and eat dinner. If we came back at 4 instead of 3:30 it would mean no tour of Belfast. Thankfully the 3:30ers were more vocal - although we still didn't leave on time. The Giant's Causeway is a geological area with hexagon shaped columns stacked up. There's a legend surrounding it about the Giant Finn McCool. He was having an argument with a Scottish giant who said they would fight if there wasn't the water separating them. Finn then built the causeway so the giant could cross over and then went home and was scared because he was so tired he wasn't ready to fight the giant. So he and his wife devised a plan. Finn dressed up as a baby and laid down in the crib so when the Scottish giant came to the door the wife told him that Finn was gone but he was welcomed to wait. When the Scottish giant saw Finn as the baby he really freaked out thinking that if the baby was the big how big was the father going to be. So he went back to Scotland ripping up the stones along the way. There are other features as well. There's a camel which is said to have been Finn's mode of transportation and his forgotten slipper and his mother turned to stone up on a cliff.
We left the Giant's Causeway stopping at the inspiration of Cair Paravel the castle from C.S.Lewis' Narnia books and arrived in Belfast. Since it was Sunday almost everything was closed but I did find a cuppa and a muffin. I'm really glad that I had decided to take this tour instead of staying in Belfast and going from there. There were really only two things that I was interested in in Belfast. Stuff to do with the Titanic, which the visitor centre was closed but we did see the cranes and the very last thing we saw were these murals they have in Belfast about the trouble times in Ireland which I had no idea about but I'm glad we got to see. apparently they are located in not the nicest part of town and the buses usually don't go down there but two people had asked about it so we got to go. The tension in the bus as we drove past the murals was thick and the atmosphere changed immediately.
The most famous murals is of Bobby Sands who is the subject of the film Hunger that I watched in Charlotte's class. That really was the highlight of the tour. Bud the tour guide/driver was excellent and stopped many places - more than the other coached which made up for him being late at the start. I found him funny but no one was really paying attention to him. And there was a group of 10 Asians who didn't help by being loud and taking forever to get back to the bus.
Back in Dublin dinner wasn't that great, the fish and chips was not the best and on my walk home I spotted an Ed's dinner so I know where I'm going tomorrow!
Doctor Who Experience
September 10, 2011
The airport. So glad I don't work in one anymore but it does surprise me how many shops are in the airport and I do wonder how profitable they are. I've had a long day. Got off to a late start but I didn't need to be in London until 2 so I took the morning off, printed off all the tickers I needed for the weekend ahead and went to catch my train. Thankfully, unlike yesterday the train had no problem getting there on time. Yesterday a truck hita bridge so we were super late. I got back on the underground when I arrived and went and got lunch from M&S at Earl's Court where I saw a Tardis on the street. Back on the underground to the Doctor Who Experience which was fantastic. The only bad thing were the little kids (and yes I see the pattern of my dislike of kids while traveling). I think they should have an adult only day time slot that way I could actually fly the Tardis and not have to worry about blocking the view of the little kids. We start out by viewing a montage of the 1st series of Matt Smith as the Doctor with his voiceover. The montage ends on the crack in the wall which rotates on the screen to a vertical position and the screen separates on the crack and we step through it. I kinda knew something was going to happen because you can see the crack during the montage. Anyways, through the crack trying not to trample the young ones and dodging the horrible parents we step onto the USS Starship UK and are shown exhibits from different episodes from the Russell T. Davies era as well as the new series. An information node from the library episode explains everything to us. The tour is broken up by the Doctor transmitting from the pandorica again. He tells us to look for the Tardis. He uses his sonic screwdriver and the Tardis appears in the far wall with sounds and lights. Stepping through the Tardis doors I got to stand in the Tardis! As an adult however, I''m forced to stand in the back (ageists!) but its still a fun experience. Lights go on and off, smoke comes from the Tardis console and the floor shifts which the kids 'fly' the Tardis under the direction of the Doctor. Another door opens and were told to go through it where we are met by Daleks. "Exterminate. Exterminate/ Exterminate." One is on a platform and two come from behind the group on either side of the back wall. Once again we have to make room for the kids. The daleks are scanning us and you can see yourself in the screen as surveillance footage. Soon other Dalek ships arrive and they battle the daleks holding us captive giving us time to escape. Walking through the forest of the weeping angels into another screening room where we have successfully allowed the Doctor to be transported back to the Tardis but then all the baddies come back in the form of a 3D show which was amazing. I was shot by a cyberman, grabbed by weeping angels. The effects were really good. After that room the show ends and the exhibition begins.
There were clothes of all the Doctors and Companions. Gadgets, monsters and behind the scenes stuff. I resisted getting the photo of me trapped in the pandorica - maybe if it would have been with next to the 10th Doctor I would have been more interested and would have paid the 12 pounds. I operated a Dalek and heard my voice as one. It would have been much better if A) there were no children and B) I had went with someone else. I wish Marta had gone with me she would have loved it. It was all over but the shop where I purchased a pin (I've got with the pin idea for my new collection) and an adipose stress toy which is so fantastic.
Not only did I get to go onto the new Tardis but I also got to go on the old Tardis. The only bad part but in a way still a good part was they had a loop of David Tennant turning into Matt Smith which was really sad but a cool use of multimedia technology. Also the museum but was nice but had its drawbacks. Although I have bemoaned the excess of information given a museums I would have liked more information at this museum directed towards adults. Each exhibit just had info about the specific episode the object was in. easy to read for children but a little downputting for adults. Remarkable since, since Steven Moffat took over the show it has become much darker and less kid friendly. (But that's a whole other argument I could write about for ages.)
I took the tube back to Euston station had dinner at Nando's with free olives, Score! And then came to the airport via St. Pancras Station which is beautiful.The flight to Dublin was super short - I even looked out the window as I wasn't allowed to lower the blind. Caught the bus after much contemplation and then started my hostel search. I walked all over the place had finally given up and was headed to the taxi when I turned around and realised I was standing in front of the hostel! I got checked in but someone was sleeping in my bed so I was assigned another one (the lower one much to my annoyance) and I had a few fitful hours of sleep, woken up a couple of times during the night from the girl in the bed next to me having bad nightmares.
Friday, 9 September 2011
221B Baker Street
A day trip into London which was done by accident. I had already bought my train tickets when I realized that I couldn't get tickets for the Doctor Who Experience which is why I wanted to go. I'm finding that planning for traveling is not fun and makes the traveling even less fun, but alas I went to go visit some things that I hadn't got a chance to. I started off at the British Library.
I had wanted to go see their exhibit 'Out of This World' all about Science Fiction but I also took the time to see their special collections with all their treasures. Including a copy of The Canterbury Tales, Jane Austen's writing desk and two of the surviving copies of the Magna Carta. I have only one copy left to see. From the library I took the underground to the National gallery.
Taking the underground was an experience in and of itself. It's really far underground, hot but also really windy - at least when the trains go by. It's a great way to get around London - expensive but I must save my feet for the next few days! I walked through the National Gallery but I really have no appreciation for art. I got to see my van Gogh paintings again which was really nice and I got to see Leonardo da Vinci's Madonna on the rocks but besides it being famous I could care less. The building is huge and basically a big maze, which is why I suppose they get away with charging a pound for a map - although entry is free so its not that bad. Coming from a not art background I really wish they would but all the famous paintings in one room so I wouldn't have to go traipsing around trying to find the paintings that I should see. Although I saw more Monet and Manet and Renoir I don't like impressionist art except for van Gogh. My obsession with van Gogh did start with Doctor Who but since seeing a wide range of his paintings I actually quite like them. They're really bright and colourful which I like.
After the Gallery I headed to the Sherlock Homles museum. I have never read any of the stories but I do like BBC's Sherlock so I thought why not. It's a nice little house although way overpriced for a museum. There was one pamphlet to read, which I read and didn't give much information. The gift shop takes up the whole bottom floor - its amazing what is being sold actually. Fake cigarettes for a pound and pipes. Up in the museum its left as a Victorian residence. It all looks very nice, and you can have your picture taken with props.
It was a fun day and makes me want to read the Sherlock Holmes adventures so that's a plus I guess. I went into a couple of tourist shops but didn't find anything of interest so I headed back to the station for dinner before my train. I went to an American dinner for chilli fries and a milkshake. My stomach has been more open to dairy products as of late and the milkshake was so good.
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