Lots to report...

If you're wondering about the cryptic/weird nature of my last post, I only made it because I felt bad for not having made any in a while and I had just seen that and thought it kind of funny. Nothing more or less.

Anyway, have had some adventures in the past twoish weeks. First weekend in February had me trucking off to Galway, Ireland to visit Braelyn (The Girlfriend, for those unfamiliar with the cast of my life). She's studying at the National University of Ireland at Galway, playing Rugby and drinking lots of Guinness, and as she had seen my home away from home, it was only fair that I visited hers.

The first thing I noticed about Ireland after coming through the clouds was how GREEN the place was - everything just looked incredibly lushed and like it was striving its hardest to live up to the country's "official" color.

So I arrived and we spent some time walking around the city. This picture off to the right is the tremendously old Presbyterian cathedral (an interesting sight in Ireland) right in downtown, about 5 minutes from the harbor/Galway Bay. It was lowtide and we walked out into the bay a bit and took a series of unflattering shots of us looking cutesy.

I've become something of a pub fiend over here in the British Isles, and I just had to see some of Galway's (apparently) famous nightlife. First pub had a decent, straightforward rock band, second traditional Irish music and, finally, Brae and her friends somehow talked me into going to a dance club (note: dancing ain't quite my specialty).Note the look she is giving my dancing attempt.

Anyway, the night out was fun and we spent the next one laying low and watching Rugby. Then, suddenly, it was time to say tearful goodbyes and for me to head back to MY island until our two year anniversary in April, where we're trying to figure out an Eastern European city to visit (ideas welcome).

Following weekend I had signed up with a few friends for a day trip to Oxford, hoping to pick up some smarts via osmosis.

While that didn't quite work, we did wander around the university for a while and drink at a pub formerly patronized by JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis, which was kind of a trip. Oh, and saw some Harry Potter-related sites, which is always a goal in the back of my head over here in his neck of the woods.

Also wandered up to London once again two days ago. My old football buddy RJ is studying up there for the semester and a my friend Kate - a fellow history lover - hadn't visited the British Museum yet, so we simply had to take her.
The place is still awe inspiring.

So we met up with RJ, had some pints, checked out other museums (National Portrait Gallery is way cool) and wrapped up another fantastic day in London with a meal in China town. I will truly miss that city when I head back home.

So that's the update for now. Keep checking www.vermontcynic.com for my bi-weekly column (I think there's one up there now - B-Side, Life and Style section, you'll recognize the title).

Keep readin'!

What You've All Been Waiting For

This isn't study abroad related, but IS an answer to a question I'm sure you've all been asking yourselves for years now: What does David Lee Roth sound like in the shower?

Well my friends, this is the closest we have ever come to an answer:

http://blogfiles.wfmu.org/DG/runnin_with%20the_devil.mp3

enjoy.

Back again

Been awhile guys. When we left off, I was hoping I would somehow make it back from a trip across Scotland in one piece. Well, it was easy to survive considering I didn't end up going. At the last second I realized that I simply don't have the money for such a trip and ended up staying home. Ah well, I got lots of reading done.

After a little over a week or solitude in my flat, I was paid a visit by my parents - my mom's first trip to England in something like thirty years and my dad's first ever. I almost didn't have a chance to print off my bus ticket to London to meet them, considering everything was closed on 12/23, but some kind folks at a pub I frequent let me use their printer as a last resort and I met up with the folks on the morning of Christmas Eve.We all celebrated seeing each other for the first time in months at a pub - the first of many over the course of what would be a long and excellent visit.

Spent the day checking into the hotel, napping (they had just taken a seven hour flight and I had to be up at 5 to catch my bus) and wandering around London, taking in the sights. We had dinner in another pub then headed over to Westminster which was about as dead as you'll ever see it, being Christmas Eve, and everything was closed or closing. Still pretty though, as you can see.

Christmas Day broke rainy and the area around Victoria Station was equally dead. We slept in, exchanged gifts (some hiking gear from my parents, a Keith Jarrett CD from my friend Charlie, a leather desk note pad thing from Florence to my parents from me and a sapphire necklace to mom from dad) and basically relaxed all day. Not much was open, but I remembered the Christmas lights being gorgeous on Old Bond Street from my last visit earlier in the month so I had the three of us walk over that way to check out the displays in the ridiculously overpriced stores and the decorations.

Obviously everything was boarded up for the holidays, but we found a bar where we could warm up and hang out and ended up sitting around there and laughing until they closed, then came back and went to bed. All in all a memorable and relaxing Christmas Day.

We had three more days in London and things slowly began opening again, most importantly the Tube, so I had a chance to do all the touristy stuff that is too expensive for me to do on my frequent visits to the city.
The London Eye in particular was a highlight. We also checked out the Tower of London (mom wanted to see the Crown Jewels) and capped the whole trip off by seeing Wicked - check it out if you haven't, it was spectacular. Even my dad enjoyed it!

So that was London. One of my favorite cities in the world and now it's one of my parents favorites as well, so mission accomplished. We left via Heathrow on the 29th for The Netherlands and made it to Den Helder that night for a day and two nights of relaxation. We were picked up at the train station by the father of a family friend whose summer house we were staying in - a rather boisterous and eccentric old man who took to us...mom especially...immediately. More laughs and drinks with them before we bedded down for the night.

We didn't do much on the 30th - we barely even ate, which is an extreme rarity for us. Around sunset we walked about a mile over the nearby dyke to checkout sunset over the North Sea which was worth the walk.

We didn't get into Amsterdam the next day until late in the afternoon and made it to the Anne Frank house JUST as it was closing up for the next few days so no culture for us. Instead we bought some champagne and cheese, headed back to the hotel and got started on NYE a little early. The scene in Amsterdam was unreal - it sounded like I imagine a warzone would soundlike, just people yelling and screaming over the constant din of the popping firecrackers, smoke and light everywhere and huge crowds. The whole experience was at once overwhelming and chaotic while not once becoming worrisome or too much. Just plain fun. Delicious pastries at every corner too, which (quite literally) made the experience even sweeter. Amusingly enough, after a few Heinekens we ended up missing the official fireworks display in Dam Square, but we still had our fair taste of pyrotechnics, including a display directly at my mom's feet which sent her scuttling for safety in a hurry.
So that was New Year's Eve in Amsterdam. The next day we took in the sights, at some Thai food and took a boat cruise to see the city via its many canals. Day after we parted ways and I met my girlfriend at Heathrow for a four day visit which was excellent, being the first time we had seen each other since early September. All in all, it was an amazing two weeks and a nice break from being completely alone in my flat. Everyone is back now and I start classes back up next week, thank goodness - all this idle time is driving me nuts. Next on the agenda: Ireland to visit the girl. Before that, hopefully I'll be taking a trip up to London to visit a high school friend who is studying there - I also have friends studying in Dublin and Copenhagen from HS, so I should get a decent amount of traveling done this term, if I stumble across some money somehow. Until next time, I leave you with a parting shot:


(sunset over Amsterdam's canals on 1/1/08)