Saturday 21 July 2007

So much has happened since I've had a chance to blog that I'm not too keen to narrate all of it in one fell swoop. I'm going to try a bulleted list of "Good News/Bad News" instead and see if it'll hopefully spark some more comments and readers (thanks to those of you who are reading).

Good News: The exchange rate between US and UK currencies is really easy and quick to determine...
Bad News: Just double the UK price; that's what I'm paying in US dollars. Ouch.

Good News: They're trying to be more environmentally sound over here by providing more hand-dryers in the bathrooms.
Bad News: It sometimes takes more than one flush to dispose of a "#2" (family record so far: 12 flushes).

Good News: Hotels on a bus-tour are usually four- or five-star.
Bad News: A hotel's "charm" is sometimes defined by its lack/inclusion of items. For example, my parents didn't have a phone in their room in Glasgow.

Good News: Bus tours keep a schedule that provides you with as many photo ops and snack/food/bathroom breaks as possible.
Bad News: I'm waking up on my vacation 45 minutes earlier than the time I get up for work.

Good News: Duty-free booze!
Bad News: I'll have to go through security again in Newark on the way home and I'm not sure if the two fifths of Malibu are going to get through.

I think I've run out of topics for this list. How 'bout a quick summary of what I've seen so far?

* Edinburgh: One of my favorite cities ever visited...even if it did include a schmaltzy 2-hour singing/dancing/piping entertainment show.
* The Lakes District in Northern England: Beautiful area with mountains, lakes (go figure), touristy lakeside shops (think ice cream stands and boats), and windy roads. We did a regulatory round of "fish and chips" for lunch while here. Kate Kelly, you'll be happy to know that we saw at least four kinds of birds in large flocks.
* Northern Wales: We stayed here overnight then hit Snowdonia National Park. If any of you are outdoorsy people who like camping/hiking/climbing, YOU NEED TO GO HERE! An REI in this location would do gangbusters (though I'm fundamentally against it as it will put the local places out of business). I can't wait to show you the scenery in my photos; it's just breathtaking.
* Dun Laoghire, Ireland: We crossed the Irish Sea today from Wales and docked here. Fittingly enough, Ireland is the first instance that we've had solid amounts of sun for more than 30 minutes (more on that later). I am so, so happy to be back in this country for my third go-around. There are a few things on the tour that I have yet to experience while here (specifically, the Rock of Cashel and the Beleek Pottery Factory).

Other things to share and items of note:

* This summer is the worst in UK history in terms of weather. Two days ago, some cities in southern England and southern Wales twice as much rain in a day as they usually get for the month of July. In terms of our tour, we've lucked out as we've only had rainy days. No flooding, closed highways, or closed railways. I feel really bad for those people having to travel through London and even worse for the people whose homes were flooded.
* Those of you with whom I work may notice that I'll be drinking tea for awhile before switching back to Starbucks. I can't get enough of the stuff.
* The food here is ridiculously good. Last night's dinner: Smoked mackerel on toast with cilantro salsa, rack of beef with potatoes, green vegetables, beets, fresh brown bread, and pear white chocolate mousse for dessert.
* I went a lil' overboard with the shopping here. I'm now carrying 8 pairs of shoes in my luggage. Whoops.

Anyway, the scoop for tomorrow: My family will be doing a half-day city tour of Dublin followed by an afternoon on their own. As I've already seen the hightlights covered in the tour, I'm venturing out alone tomorrow (admittedly, solo day travel is my favorite way to go). My initial plan was to go to Newgrange, a famous site of ancient Celtic ruins, as well as the Valley of the Boyne where the Catholics got their asses handed to them by William of Orange and the Protestants (most history books put it otherwise). However, the hotel concierge just informed me that Newgrange tomorrow is a bust because it's Sunday...and the buses just won't get me there. Crap. Looks like alternate plans will have to be made. They will indefinitely include closing out my night at the Guinness Storehouse which I haven't seen since '99 (a major renovation has taken place since then). I'll keep you posted on my plans.

The remainder of this week will include the ROck of Cashel, Killarney, the Ring of Kerry, Limerick, the Cliffs of Moher, Galway, Sligo, Knock, Beleek, Derry, the Giant's Causeway, and Belfast. I can't wait. :)

Signing off from the Motherland,
Tara