Internet is finally back up on the camp site! Yes it was crashed for a few days which is really annoying because the computer is my one source for communication back home.
Not much happened over here on my end. Today I had the the morning and afternoon off so I managed to get in a little shopping in.However it i s so expensive in Greece which does put a damper on things. I did find some cute dresses on sale, which means I will actually have pictures of myself looking like a girl and NOT in the famous green jacket of mine. Also due to the fact that we have been deprived from meat for two weeks now Justine and I headed out for lunch at a restaurant on the main strip. We tried the famous Greek dishes of tsatsiki (yogurt dip) and moussaka (not even sure what I ate, but it contained meat and was oh so good). What made the afternoon more sweet was getting a discount on the bill after Justine and I charmed the manager and got to save a few euros! Helps balance out the small shopping debt I have accumulated.
Tomorrow morning Mik (PA leader on camp) and myself are heading out to the south of the island to help put together the other camp in Matala. Yes there are male volunteers on camp but we have all learned that females just get the job done better. So off I go to no camp, no electricity, and three days of moving big boxes and building shelter. As bad as it sounds I am looking forward to seeing another part of the island and a little break from camp is always nice. Even though a month is not very long, when you live this close to everyone it gets cramped fast. So til then Goodbye! Blog to you all in three days to let you know how the building goes!!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Day 31
This morning I got waken up from a little German leader whispering by my tent "Sara, Sara, are you coming to morning survey?" Once I came to and realized what time it was, I had to quickly get ready and jump in the car so we could head to the beach. Unfortunately no eggs were found...BUT I did get to see my first turtle tracks and egg chamber which was neat. I didn't expect the prints to be so obvious in the sand, especially with all the obstruction of tourists on the beach. Survey was pretty cool however the whole getting up at 5 am thing will without a doubt get annoying very soon.
Justine (French student), Crazy girl and myself went into town before dinner to do a little shopping, and pick up some bread for dinner. While in town I looked for some places to get my hair cut when the sales lady in the shop called one of her friends to see if she was available to cut my hair, which she was. I then walked down the street to a near by church where I got picked up on a vespa by this Greek girl named Anna. We went around the corner to her house where I got my hair cut and styled for 10 euro! Anna was really cool and spoke decent English so we got to talk about her life in Greece, where I should travel and how crazy I was for working with the sea turtles and NOT getting paid. Most Greek people find it absolutely absurd that I would work without pay, and even more astonishing to them is that I pay to come. hah while I was getting my cut in probably one of the most random places I thought to myself... how do I get myself into these odd situations? The answer to that is who really cares! I got a nice cheap haircut, made a new Greek friend and got my first vespa ride.
The rest of tonight is devoted to celebrating Louis' birthday. Who is another French volunteer, I feel like I am in a mini France since the English are really out numbered by French students. We are now at 10 French students to 4 English! No but seriously, because as I type this blog I have 3 of them sitting in front of me going off en Francais. MERDE!
Justine (French student), Crazy girl and myself went into town before dinner to do a little shopping, and pick up some bread for dinner. While in town I looked for some places to get my hair cut when the sales lady in the shop called one of her friends to see if she was available to cut my hair, which she was. I then walked down the street to a near by church where I got picked up on a vespa by this Greek girl named Anna. We went around the corner to her house where I got my hair cut and styled for 10 euro! Anna was really cool and spoke decent English so we got to talk about her life in Greece, where I should travel and how crazy I was for working with the sea turtles and NOT getting paid. Most Greek people find it absolutely absurd that I would work without pay, and even more astonishing to them is that I pay to come. hah while I was getting my cut in probably one of the most random places I thought to myself... how do I get myself into these odd situations? The answer to that is who really cares! I got a nice cheap haircut, made a new Greek friend and got my first vespa ride.
The rest of tonight is devoted to celebrating Louis' birthday. Who is another French volunteer, I feel like I am in a mini France since the English are really out numbered by French students. We are now at 10 French students to 4 English! No but seriously, because as I type this blog I have 3 of them sitting in front of me going off en Francais. MERDE!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Day 30
Officially one month of no hesitation! Time has passed by me so fast, seems very surreal that I am 30 days in my travels and almost half way through my volunteer program. 60 more days to go.... hopefully more!
Yesterday morning I got to visit my first five-star hotel. A few volunteers and myself set up an information desk during breakfast to inform the guests of the sea turtles on the beach and to raise some funds for Archelon. It was one of the best shifts to date because after our info table we got to help ourselves to a free five-star breakfast! After eating vegetarian for the past 13 days I went straight for the bacon. Mhmmm good. Then we moved to another five-star hotel to participate in a beach clean with one of the local schools in Rethymno. It was great to see the kids, however they are quite crazy and out of control. We were again given some snacks after the clean where I literally got pushed out of the way by some 9 year old kid when I was trying to grab some food. By the time I got to the front of the table the good chocolate pastries were all gone. Damn kids, next time no mercy from me!
Tomorrow I start morning survey, which means we go out at 5:30 in the morning to look for the turtle tracks in the sand. Yes sounds crazy, but we have to get on the beach before all the people get on the beach and ruin the prints. Even more crazy, I am actually really excited for my first morning survey. Hopefully I get to see some turtle tracks for my own eyes.
Yesterday morning I got to visit my first five-star hotel. A few volunteers and myself set up an information desk during breakfast to inform the guests of the sea turtles on the beach and to raise some funds for Archelon. It was one of the best shifts to date because after our info table we got to help ourselves to a free five-star breakfast! After eating vegetarian for the past 13 days I went straight for the bacon. Mhmmm good. Then we moved to another five-star hotel to participate in a beach clean with one of the local schools in Rethymno. It was great to see the kids, however they are quite crazy and out of control. We were again given some snacks after the clean where I literally got pushed out of the way by some 9 year old kid when I was trying to grab some food. By the time I got to the front of the table the good chocolate pastries were all gone. Damn kids, next time no mercy from me!
Tomorrow I start morning survey, which means we go out at 5:30 in the morning to look for the turtle tracks in the sand. Yes sounds crazy, but we have to get on the beach before all the people get on the beach and ruin the prints. Even more crazy, I am actually really excited for my first morning survey. Hopefully I get to see some turtle tracks for my own eyes.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Day 28
First thing is first, Happy Birthday Mom! Hope you are having a great time in Ottawa, miss you tons!
So not much to update for today. I had my day off today so I got to hit the beach for most of the day which was great, it was warm and sunny all day. Unfortunatley I got a little cocky with the sun in the afternoon and despite all the warning I had from the leaders about sunscreen, I ignored and I got burnt! The good news is, in a few days I will be nice and tan. After the beach I walked into town for my daily visit to my icecream shop called Meli, where I ended my relaxing day off with a double scoop of pistashu and vanilla.
Our family at camp is extending as we are getting new arrivals from France. I have been informed that there is most likely going to be drama between the two groups of French students. As the new arrivals come from a more prestigous private school the current French students seem to have a pre conceived notion of their behaviour. We have already had a few negative comments from each side whispered to each of the other volunteers and as the summer grows on so should the soap opera.... at least we are all praying because it will be great entertainment.
Also a shout out to my Zia Nadia and family who is taking great care of my Benny The Jet! Thank-you very much, give him a long belly rub for me!
So not much to update for today. I had my day off today so I got to hit the beach for most of the day which was great, it was warm and sunny all day. Unfortunatley I got a little cocky with the sun in the afternoon and despite all the warning I had from the leaders about sunscreen, I ignored and I got burnt! The good news is, in a few days I will be nice and tan. After the beach I walked into town for my daily visit to my icecream shop called Meli, where I ended my relaxing day off with a double scoop of pistashu and vanilla.
Our family at camp is extending as we are getting new arrivals from France. I have been informed that there is most likely going to be drama between the two groups of French students. As the new arrivals come from a more prestigous private school the current French students seem to have a pre conceived notion of their behaviour. We have already had a few negative comments from each side whispered to each of the other volunteers and as the summer grows on so should the soap opera.... at least we are all praying because it will be great entertainment.
Also a shout out to my Zia Nadia and family who is taking great care of my Benny The Jet! Thank-you very much, give him a long belly rub for me!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Day 27
It seems the rain is following me EVERYWHERE I go! In fact today we found the plastic tarp to put over our shelter, and had to place it on during the rainstorm. Not only did the sun come out when we finished but two of the three male volunteers emerged from their dry warm tents! Which seems to be a continuing theme of the camp. The girls get dirty while the boys stay clean and pretty. Oh the French, who may I add have never had peanut butter and find it disgusting but find it completely normal to pour ketchup in their pasta... funny how different countries live. It provides a good laugh when we stumble upon one of these discoveries.
The actual volunteering part of the trip is going along well. The turtles are currently mating in the water now which means it will take about two weeks or so before the female comes on the beach to lay her eggs. So in the meantime we are getting the beach ready by marking all 11km of sand! Which gets extremely boring. Walking up the beach measuring different marks is not the most fun, especially when tourists are swimming and tanning in front of you. I just want one afternoon of sun to get my tan started and I will be a happy camper... literally.
So far the best part of this entire experience is hanging out with the other volunteers. Crazy girl provides hours of entertainment and with four students from France I am working on my French. We also got a new arrival from South Africa, who is neat to talk to. And no she doesn't have world cup tickets or else I would not be blogging I would be with her trying to become her new best friend. Too bad!
Well it is getting late and cold I better head off. I did my laundry today and I am only left with a pair of shorts and a t-shirt til my clothes dry so I can't wait to get into my sleeping bag! Oh and remember tomorrow is World Turtle Day, spread the word!
The actual volunteering part of the trip is going along well. The turtles are currently mating in the water now which means it will take about two weeks or so before the female comes on the beach to lay her eggs. So in the meantime we are getting the beach ready by marking all 11km of sand! Which gets extremely boring. Walking up the beach measuring different marks is not the most fun, especially when tourists are swimming and tanning in front of you. I just want one afternoon of sun to get my tan started and I will be a happy camper... literally.
So far the best part of this entire experience is hanging out with the other volunteers. Crazy girl provides hours of entertainment and with four students from France I am working on my French. We also got a new arrival from South Africa, who is neat to talk to. And no she doesn't have world cup tickets or else I would not be blogging I would be with her trying to become her new best friend. Too bad!
Well it is getting late and cold I better head off. I did my laundry today and I am only left with a pair of shorts and a t-shirt til my clothes dry so I can't wait to get into my sleeping bag! Oh and remember tomorrow is World Turtle Day, spread the word!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Day 23
I am currently sitting in the middle of the campsite, with cold wind on my back and surrounded completely by the black night. Why? To update this blog of mine, so no one gets worried (aka my parents) that I did not blog in a few days. So here comes my update of the past three days here at Camp Rethymno...
First of all we finished the bamboo kitchen, which by the way looks really amazing and feels very "campish". It took us two days, approximately 200 sticks of bamboo, and lots of plain old hard work to get the camp in order. Considering it is my home for the next four weeks it was well worth the work. Not only did we build camp but today we moved more into the heart of the city to build our kiosk. The kiosk is how we get some of our PA out to the locals and travelers that come to the island. We started at 10am and ended around 4pm, so just by that you know how my day went.
I am getting to know the other volunteer's better. The Canadian that is here is named Natalie aka Crazy Girl. The three boys from France nicknamed her that after about an hour of meeting her, and well honestly they are right. She is loads of fun, very nice and the nickname is right on the money. The great thing about traveling is not just the things you see but the people you meet along the way. Just like yesterday I went for a run and on the way back I got lost (so typical) so I asked a guy in a shop how to get to camp. Before giving me directions he shows me his medals of marathon's he has done in Amsterdam, Belgium and around Europe which was pretty neat. Such big character the Greek's seem to have.
Things are starting to settle in at camp, we are starting training and rotation tomorrow. Which means the leaders of the camp write down who is responsible for what for each day. Either kiosk duty, information sessions at hotels, morning/night survey on the beach, cleaning and cooking. I am on for a kiosk duty in the morning then I have the afternoon off where I am without a doubt hitting the beach for a tan. Then I am the first of the volunteer's to start off the cooking rotation for dinner. Yes, give the Italian the cooking first! Psht!
P.s. A Maltese dog walked by me today and all I could think about was my baby. Benny if you are reading this I miss you!!!
First of all we finished the bamboo kitchen, which by the way looks really amazing and feels very "campish". It took us two days, approximately 200 sticks of bamboo, and lots of plain old hard work to get the camp in order. Considering it is my home for the next four weeks it was well worth the work. Not only did we build camp but today we moved more into the heart of the city to build our kiosk. The kiosk is how we get some of our PA out to the locals and travelers that come to the island. We started at 10am and ended around 4pm, so just by that you know how my day went.
I am getting to know the other volunteer's better. The Canadian that is here is named Natalie aka Crazy Girl. The three boys from France nicknamed her that after about an hour of meeting her, and well honestly they are right. She is loads of fun, very nice and the nickname is right on the money. The great thing about traveling is not just the things you see but the people you meet along the way. Just like yesterday I went for a run and on the way back I got lost (so typical) so I asked a guy in a shop how to get to camp. Before giving me directions he shows me his medals of marathon's he has done in Amsterdam, Belgium and around Europe which was pretty neat. Such big character the Greek's seem to have.
Things are starting to settle in at camp, we are starting training and rotation tomorrow. Which means the leaders of the camp write down who is responsible for what for each day. Either kiosk duty, information sessions at hotels, morning/night survey on the beach, cleaning and cooking. I am on for a kiosk duty in the morning then I have the afternoon off where I am without a doubt hitting the beach for a tan. Then I am the first of the volunteer's to start off the cooking rotation for dinner. Yes, give the Italian the cooking first! Psht!
P.s. A Maltese dog walked by me today and all I could think about was my baby. Benny if you are reading this I miss you!!!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Day 20
Well everyone, I made it to Greece okay. The flights were not so great, I had two guys who had the worst BO and for over 3 hours I got to sit beside them! Then I had a 8 hour layover between flights, which meant breaking out my sleeping bag and finding a nice wall to sleep beside.
I arrived to an empty camp around noon on Friday morning, I was the first volunteer of the season at Camp Rethymno to arrive. So I got the first pickings of spots to put my tent but this also means the camp is not set up yet. We had to move all the tables in, build the shelter and today we built a roof out of bamboo. After Peru and this program I think I am ready for Survivor!
Camp thus far is great. Seems like a fun group of volunteers here, and I am really happy with the program and location I picked to accept. We will be setting up camp for the next few days and then will start to look at the beach and see what needs to be done to start off the sea turtle season!
Talk to you all in the next several days!
I arrived to an empty camp around noon on Friday morning, I was the first volunteer of the season at Camp Rethymno to arrive. So I got the first pickings of spots to put my tent but this also means the camp is not set up yet. We had to move all the tables in, build the shelter and today we built a roof out of bamboo. After Peru and this program I think I am ready for Survivor!
Camp thus far is great. Seems like a fun group of volunteers here, and I am really happy with the program and location I picked to accept. We will be setting up camp for the next few days and then will start to look at the beach and see what needs to be done to start off the sea turtle season!
Talk to you all in the next several days!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Day 17
Good news... no rain today!
It made visiting all the sights much easier. This morning we made it to Versailles! Ms. Carroll (European history teacher) would be very proud. Everything was just as lavish as I imagined it and the gardens were enormous, unfortunately we didn't have time to walk all the grounds. We got to see Hall of Mirrors, the Queen's chamber, Marie Antoinette's private estate and lots of old paintings and sculptures.
After lunch we made our way to the Louvre museum,where we toured around of all the famous paintings including of course the famous Mona Lisa! It was funny to see everyone pushing their way through the crowd to get a good shot of the painting. We decided early on we would go admire the painting but just buy a nice postcard of it. Besides you can't get a very good photograph of her especially since the painting is behind a thick piece of glass and roped off. After Mona Lisa (who is not the prettiest ladies I have seen, so when my Nonna calls me Mona Lisa I am going to take it as an insult from now on) we went by the arch de triomphe which is only famous to be because of Tour de France. I also managed to find myself my tent and sleeping bag for Greece which is great, and cheap! Which brings me to where I am now...the hostel.
We are just making some pasta and then heading out to see the Eiffel Tower and since its my last night I am meeting some friends for last night of drinks! So that was Paris! Amazing city with lots of history and definitely a place where I have to come again because there are so many things I did not get to see. Which is fine by me!
I better get going I am running a tad behind as it is!
It made visiting all the sights much easier. This morning we made it to Versailles! Ms. Carroll (European history teacher) would be very proud. Everything was just as lavish as I imagined it and the gardens were enormous, unfortunately we didn't have time to walk all the grounds. We got to see Hall of Mirrors, the Queen's chamber, Marie Antoinette's private estate and lots of old paintings and sculptures.
After lunch we made our way to the Louvre museum,where we toured around of all the famous paintings including of course the famous Mona Lisa! It was funny to see everyone pushing their way through the crowd to get a good shot of the painting. We decided early on we would go admire the painting but just buy a nice postcard of it. Besides you can't get a very good photograph of her especially since the painting is behind a thick piece of glass and roped off. After Mona Lisa (who is not the prettiest ladies I have seen, so when my Nonna calls me Mona Lisa I am going to take it as an insult from now on) we went by the arch de triomphe which is only famous to be because of Tour de France. I also managed to find myself my tent and sleeping bag for Greece which is great, and cheap! Which brings me to where I am now...the hostel.
We are just making some pasta and then heading out to see the Eiffel Tower and since its my last night I am meeting some friends for last night of drinks! So that was Paris! Amazing city with lots of history and definitely a place where I have to come again because there are so many things I did not get to see. Which is fine by me!
I better get going I am running a tad behind as it is!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Day 16
Paris sous la pluie! Paris in the rain!
I arrived last night to Paris but booked a hostel in one of the ghetto parts of the city, and was warned to not go out at night alone. So I made the responsible choice and went to bed early. The annoying thing was my hostel was connected to the bar below us and I could hear all the loud music all night long. It wouldn't have been that bad expect I heard black eye peas just about every other song! So this morning I moved to the hostel with my Sherbrooke friends! Which is great, Claudia, Alain and Cynthia and very welcoming and easy to get along with.
Our first stop was the Opera house which was beautiful! Very glamorous building and one of my favourite buildings thus far on the trip. Next we visited a famous shopping mall named Lafayette which was packed with every famous and expensive designer possible. Very depressing to walk through, especially while I am in running shoes and a rain coat while the fashionistas of Paris give you dirty looks up and down wearing Prada heels and Gucci bags. Bitches!
After lunch we broke off and Claudia and myself headed over to see the Notre Dame church which was huge. With extremely high walls and colourful painted glass windows. After we moved over to the Bastille and the Pantheon and looked around in some camping stores to find my sleeping bag and tent for my volunteer program. I would have bought what I needed except I didn't feel like paying over 200 euros for a silly tent. Think of the clothes I could buy with that!! Okay so maybe not that much with the prices in Paris but still way over my backpackers budget.
Tomorrow is the big day, we are planning to see Versailles, (which is in my top 5 places to see in Europe), as well as the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower (I know I have been in Paris over 24 hours and STILL have not gone to the Eiffel Tower!) We are praying for no rain tomorrow, and at this point I would even take half a day of no rain to be honest. Either way I will be out enjoying Paris rain or shine! Bed for now, tomorrow is another 7am wake up!
I arrived last night to Paris but booked a hostel in one of the ghetto parts of the city, and was warned to not go out at night alone. So I made the responsible choice and went to bed early. The annoying thing was my hostel was connected to the bar below us and I could hear all the loud music all night long. It wouldn't have been that bad expect I heard black eye peas just about every other song! So this morning I moved to the hostel with my Sherbrooke friends! Which is great, Claudia, Alain and Cynthia and very welcoming and easy to get along with.
Our first stop was the Opera house which was beautiful! Very glamorous building and one of my favourite buildings thus far on the trip. Next we visited a famous shopping mall named Lafayette which was packed with every famous and expensive designer possible. Very depressing to walk through, especially while I am in running shoes and a rain coat while the fashionistas of Paris give you dirty looks up and down wearing Prada heels and Gucci bags. Bitches!
After lunch we broke off and Claudia and myself headed over to see the Notre Dame church which was huge. With extremely high walls and colourful painted glass windows. After we moved over to the Bastille and the Pantheon and looked around in some camping stores to find my sleeping bag and tent for my volunteer program. I would have bought what I needed except I didn't feel like paying over 200 euros for a silly tent. Think of the clothes I could buy with that!! Okay so maybe not that much with the prices in Paris but still way over my backpackers budget.
Tomorrow is the big day, we are planning to see Versailles, (which is in my top 5 places to see in Europe), as well as the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower (I know I have been in Paris over 24 hours and STILL have not gone to the Eiffel Tower!) We are praying for no rain tomorrow, and at this point I would even take half a day of no rain to be honest. Either way I will be out enjoying Paris rain or shine! Bed for now, tomorrow is another 7am wake up!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Day 13
Arrived in Brussels! It was a great train ride, I actually started talking to a group of three other backpackers from Sherbrooke, Quebec. They are super nice and the good news is one of the girls is heading to Paris from Monday to Thursday which is the same time as me. So if all goes well I will have a French speaking friend in France which makes life easier for a few days.
Brussels, is well, it's okay. It is not as pretty as I pictured it, it seems more grey and dim and not as happy as Bruges. I walked around the square and main streets with all the shops and big old buildings for a while and on my way home came across a weird demonstration. There was around 150 people with chalk on the ground writing their names on the main strip with a few camera crews around. Then a siren went off and everyone jumped up and walked away. Unfortunately I arrived just in time for the last bit and couldn't catch any video of it. I have heard that Brussels is a big spot for protests and demonstrations and in fact many of the locals didn't seem too impressed by it.
The good thing about Brussels is how many waffle kiosks they have. I grabbed one for a snack today and it was the best 1,70 Euro I have ever spent! Fresh, hot and right off the grill, dare I say it? Yes it does come close to beating the strawberry shortcake from La Felicita back home.
Tomorrow is Sunday which means most stores are closed in Belgium so I will have to make due with markets for the day, which is fine by me. I will be going over my French tonight so I can bargain and get the best deals. See mom, I have learned from all the garage sales we have been to in the past!
Brussels, is well, it's okay. It is not as pretty as I pictured it, it seems more grey and dim and not as happy as Bruges. I walked around the square and main streets with all the shops and big old buildings for a while and on my way home came across a weird demonstration. There was around 150 people with chalk on the ground writing their names on the main strip with a few camera crews around. Then a siren went off and everyone jumped up and walked away. Unfortunately I arrived just in time for the last bit and couldn't catch any video of it. I have heard that Brussels is a big spot for protests and demonstrations and in fact many of the locals didn't seem too impressed by it.
The good thing about Brussels is how many waffle kiosks they have. I grabbed one for a snack today and it was the best 1,70 Euro I have ever spent! Fresh, hot and right off the grill, dare I say it? Yes it does come close to beating the strawberry shortcake from La Felicita back home.
Tomorrow is Sunday which means most stores are closed in Belgium so I will have to make due with markets for the day, which is fine by me. I will be going over my French tonight so I can bargain and get the best deals. See mom, I have learned from all the garage sales we have been to in the past!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Day 12
Chocolate shop, chocolate shop and chocolate shop. That basically sums up downtown Bruges. Yes, I have learned in Belgium everyone seriously loves chocolate. I went to visit the chocolate museum today where you get to see a demonstration of how chocolate is made and get to see a life size chocolate of Barack Obama.
Not including breakfast which I will explain later the rest of the day in Bruges was great. I went to the Church Of Our Lady to visit Michelangelo's 'Madonna with child' which is one of his few works outside of Italy. Then moving on to the Panorama which is a 366 step climb (an absolute joke after the CN tower climb) to get to the top of the 83-metre tower.Which is where you get to see a great view of the downtown square. Bruges is absolutely beautiful and with all the rivers that flow through the town it is no wonder why it's considered the Venice of the North. Just a fun town to walk around for a day!
Now to my breakfast story. Almost all hostels provide a breakfast, which is just juice, bread and some cereal. Since I am on my tight budget I go every morning and eat as much bread as possible. Today was no different, I got up and walked over to the kitchen area. This hostel hosted a big group of school kids last night around the grade 7-8 age so the place was packed with 'tweens'. I got in line and grabbed my food and as I usually do found a table off to the side and sat by myself and planned my day. With in two minutes a little boy walks up to my table and sits on the end, and after him another one and another one. All of a sudden I am surrounded at a table of little dutch boys during breakfast. I look around and there must of been at least 7 other tables open, but yet they still came to sit with me. So there I was for 30min in the middle of a dutch conversation of school boys. Seriously one of the most awkward meals of my life!
Well that is Bruges seen all in one day. Tomorrow I move to Brussels!
Not including breakfast which I will explain later the rest of the day in Bruges was great. I went to the Church Of Our Lady to visit Michelangelo's 'Madonna with child' which is one of his few works outside of Italy. Then moving on to the Panorama which is a 366 step climb (an absolute joke after the CN tower climb) to get to the top of the 83-metre tower.Which is where you get to see a great view of the downtown square. Bruges is absolutely beautiful and with all the rivers that flow through the town it is no wonder why it's considered the Venice of the North. Just a fun town to walk around for a day!
Now to my breakfast story. Almost all hostels provide a breakfast, which is just juice, bread and some cereal. Since I am on my tight budget I go every morning and eat as much bread as possible. Today was no different, I got up and walked over to the kitchen area. This hostel hosted a big group of school kids last night around the grade 7-8 age so the place was packed with 'tweens'. I got in line and grabbed my food and as I usually do found a table off to the side and sat by myself and planned my day. With in two minutes a little boy walks up to my table and sits on the end, and after him another one and another one. All of a sudden I am surrounded at a table of little dutch boys during breakfast. I look around and there must of been at least 7 other tables open, but yet they still came to sit with me. So there I was for 30min in the middle of a dutch conversation of school boys. Seriously one of the most awkward meals of my life!
Well that is Bruges seen all in one day. Tomorrow I move to Brussels!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Day 11
Sorry for the delay. It gets hard to find some time to get on the computer sometimes. Yesterday I got to go on the Stonehenge Tour. Other travels I spoke to said it was boring or that it was just a bunch of rocks for I was not even going to go. I ended up finding a cheap tour and decided last minute to go. So glad I did! Stonehenge for me was very interesting and well worth the time and money to go see.
After stonehenge all my friends at the hostel, (yes I do have some friends)went downstairs and played some drinking games and hung out most of the day. It was a few of everyones last night, including mine. It's really nice talking to fellow backpackers about where they have been and knowing that there are others in the same position as me. However I am usually the youngest of the bunch!
Today I woke up early to pack my bags and head back to the airport to fly out of the UK. I arrived in Brussels, Belgium today around 2pm. I then got a train out to Bruges which I have been told is a very nice town that I must see. A girl from Australia named Tash gave me her train card last night which gives me about 6 more train rides free! Which will save me tons of money so I can travel lots more around Belgium now. I am all signed in my hostel and am looking forward to my full day in the city tomorrow.
Well so far so good, everyone in Belgium has been very nice. Especially when I got a little lost from the airport!! Well since I am on about 3 hours of sleep I think it is bedtime for moi. Night!
After stonehenge all my friends at the hostel, (yes I do have some friends)went downstairs and played some drinking games and hung out most of the day. It was a few of everyones last night, including mine. It's really nice talking to fellow backpackers about where they have been and knowing that there are others in the same position as me. However I am usually the youngest of the bunch!
Today I woke up early to pack my bags and head back to the airport to fly out of the UK. I arrived in Brussels, Belgium today around 2pm. I then got a train out to Bruges which I have been told is a very nice town that I must see. A girl from Australia named Tash gave me her train card last night which gives me about 6 more train rides free! Which will save me tons of money so I can travel lots more around Belgium now. I am all signed in my hostel and am looking forward to my full day in the city tomorrow.
Well so far so good, everyone in Belgium has been very nice. Especially when I got a little lost from the airport!! Well since I am on about 3 hours of sleep I think it is bedtime for moi. Night!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Day 9
Well another busy and fun day in London. This morning at 7:30 Peter (from Austria) and myself got up and went for a run through Hyde Park, which is such a beautiful part of London. It was a perfect day to do it because this was the first day without rain the entire time I have been here. However watching all the other dogs on their morning walks, and running around on the grass was depressing. (Benny I miss you SO much!)
Later that morning I headed to Buckingham Palace. I arrived around 10:30 and people were already lined up around the gates to wait for the changing of the guard at 11:30. So I grabbed a spot on the side before it was too late and waited around for a long, cold, windy hour. The ceremony was neat, but way too long! It took around 40min, but all in all it was interesting to watch, and I got some great shots with my zoom lens. Most dramatic shift change I have ever seen!
The rest of my day was spent shopping around in a few of the stores. And to Zia Nadia, I did not find any neat shops to get some antiques or anything cool. I hope to do some more hunting tomorrow! I did book my trip to Stonehenge for tomorrow in the afternoon, so I have something big to look forward to!
I am off to do laundry, dirty clothes in one hand, bar of soap in the other...I am set!
Later that morning I headed to Buckingham Palace. I arrived around 10:30 and people were already lined up around the gates to wait for the changing of the guard at 11:30. So I grabbed a spot on the side before it was too late and waited around for a long, cold, windy hour. The ceremony was neat, but way too long! It took around 40min, but all in all it was interesting to watch, and I got some great shots with my zoom lens. Most dramatic shift change I have ever seen!
The rest of my day was spent shopping around in a few of the stores. And to Zia Nadia, I did not find any neat shops to get some antiques or anything cool. I hope to do some more hunting tomorrow! I did book my trip to Stonehenge for tomorrow in the afternoon, so I have something big to look forward to!
I am off to do laundry, dirty clothes in one hand, bar of soap in the other...I am set!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Day 8
Tower of London, Tower Bridge, London Eye, Parliament building, and Big Ben all in 7 hours. Dam I work good alone! Yes I got to visit all these sights in one day full of rain, sun, and hail. The London Eye was so much fun and had amazing views of the city. A tad on the pricey side (17 pounds), but what isn't in London?
Another first for me today as well. I asked a lady who was standing on the street if she would take a picture of me in front of Big Ben. She looked at me with a grin on her face, rolled her eyes, and answered in her uptight English accent..."Well, no I don't want to" and walked away. haha, never got that answer before! I know locals get annoyed with the big crowds of tourists, which is understandable. However when you are standing on a street, where the London Eye, Parliament, and Big Ben are it is sort of a given that there WILL be tourists.
I am doing great at the Hostel, meeting some cool and interesting people. The street my hostel is on is situated in a very suburban area which reminds me of Oakvile. The street is filled with expensive cars (spotted an Aston Martin ) and Lulu Lemon Mothers. Makes me feel right at home! I have just about mastered the tube station here. Which is a immense feat for me. Really this is a big deal that I can navigate my way through London's subway system successfully.
Another first for me today as well. I asked a lady who was standing on the street if she would take a picture of me in front of Big Ben. She looked at me with a grin on her face, rolled her eyes, and answered in her uptight English accent..."Well, no I don't want to" and walked away. haha, never got that answer before! I know locals get annoyed with the big crowds of tourists, which is understandable. However when you are standing on a street, where the London Eye, Parliament, and Big Ben are it is sort of a given that there WILL be tourists.
I am doing great at the Hostel, meeting some cool and interesting people. The street my hostel is on is situated in a very suburban area which reminds me of Oakvile. The street is filled with expensive cars (spotted an Aston Martin ) and Lulu Lemon Mothers. Makes me feel right at home! I have just about mastered the tube station here. Which is a immense feat for me. Really this is a big deal that I can navigate my way through London's subway system successfully.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Day 7
I have arrived in London!
Just walking through the streets to my hostel got me so excited to see this big city. It is my first major city on my trip and I am praying I will have enough time to see everything. The hostel is beautiful and just a block away from Hyde Park. One of my roommates is from Italy named... Luca! You don't hear that name back in Oakville very often. In fact I find it kind of odd calling the name Luca without adding a 'you are so gay' to the end of it.
It rained non stop today, which made it hard to visit any of the parks, markets or any other outside activities. However I did manage to visit Wimbledon Stadium. First it takes you through a museum of old clothing, rackets, and medals and also shows you the history and traditions behind Wimbledon. Then you can walk to a window from which you can see center court from a 360 degree angle! This tour was amazing and seeing the court and knowing all the great players that have played on the court was simply, epic.
Oh, and today I experienced for my first time on the trip being robbed! Nothing big or expensive of course, because we all know I would be going room to room right now with a baseball bat if it was my camera. It was just my Europe guide book and a banana (who steals fruit?). But still!!! Anyways I will be hitting up a book store and fruit market tomorrow to replace my stolen items. Sigh.
For now, a nice hot shower to warm up from a day of walking in the rain.
Just walking through the streets to my hostel got me so excited to see this big city. It is my first major city on my trip and I am praying I will have enough time to see everything. The hostel is beautiful and just a block away from Hyde Park. One of my roommates is from Italy named... Luca! You don't hear that name back in Oakville very often. In fact I find it kind of odd calling the name Luca without adding a 'you are so gay' to the end of it.
It rained non stop today, which made it hard to visit any of the parks, markets or any other outside activities. However I did manage to visit Wimbledon Stadium. First it takes you through a museum of old clothing, rackets, and medals and also shows you the history and traditions behind Wimbledon. Then you can walk to a window from which you can see center court from a 360 degree angle! This tour was amazing and seeing the court and knowing all the great players that have played on the court was simply, epic.
Oh, and today I experienced for my first time on the trip being robbed! Nothing big or expensive of course, because we all know I would be going room to room right now with a baseball bat if it was my camera. It was just my Europe guide book and a banana (who steals fruit?). But still!!! Anyways I will be hitting up a book store and fruit market tomorrow to replace my stolen items. Sigh.
For now, a nice hot shower to warm up from a day of walking in the rain.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Day 6
Well these are my last hours in Dublin. I am just grabbing some food and then heading out to catch a bus to the airport to get on to my flight for LONDON! Dublin was great. It rained most of the day yesterday so as my brother would say I got the 'authentic' Irish experience! Leaving without a new found boyfriend but you can't always win them all. And I know I have a cute little guy named Benny waiting for me at home anyways.
No more updates... for now. Today I will be seeing mostly airport. I am praying I get through boarder control effortlessly this time!!
Goodbye Dublin, Helllo London!
No more updates... for now. Today I will be seeing mostly airport. I am praying I get through boarder control effortlessly this time!!
Goodbye Dublin, Helllo London!
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