Paris Je T'aime

Paris...what other word can I use to describe my trip there than amazing. You think you will know what a trip to Paris will be like...romantic, pretty and exciting. And yes, my trip was all of those things. But it was so much more than I could have ever expected. The cafe culture, the purple sky above the Seine river dotted with architectural wonders like the Eiffel tower and Notre Dame, the beautiful French people, the unlimited bakeries filled with baguettes, croissants and delectable delights, and so much more only begin to describe the joy of Paris. I could have been doing nothing but sitting in a park there, and would have still fallen in love with everything there.

Katie and I saw all the sites, and it was really useful that she had been to Paris before as well as spoke a bit of French. We saw the Arc de Triomphe, made it to the top of the Eiffel Tower, went to the Louvre to see the Mona and much more, went to Montmartre and saw the art fair, got portraits drawn and saw the beautiful Sacre Coeur. We also went to the red light district and saw the Moulin Rouge, which was good fun.

I think I might just move to Paris. Everything there is beautiful...even our budget hotel was filled with French beauty. I really can't describe to you how wonderful it was...and if you have never been to Paris you will never fully understand until you go. Go to Paris. Live in Paris. Be Parisian...its what I plan on doing.

Also, I met the President of Ireland this week. It was wonderful. She is such a nice and intelligent lady, and we even had small talk about the weather similarities in Seattle and Dublin.

I will be going to Barcelona this weekend, and then its the final countdown of my days in Dublin. Its so bitter sweet, because I miss everyone back home...but love my time abroad. Stay tuned for Barcelona!

Here are pictures from France:

Alghero, Italia

Italy...what else can I say. It is truly as amazing as everyone makes it out to be. And not only did I venture off to Italy this past weekend...I went to the southern Italian island of Sardinia, to a city called Alghero. This place was so beautiful...and the 75-degree sun-shining weather was a nice break from chilly Dublin.

Katie and I went to Alghero together, not knowing what to expect. Our plane landed, and we walked out of the tiny airport to a warm evening breeze. Amongst all of the palm trees and Italians in black leather jackets lighting up their cigs, we found a taxi to take us to our Bed and Breakfast. Everything was going perfectly...I mean for the fact that the man who was driving us drove like a weathered Italian...until the taxi came to a sudden stop to allow a woman to cross the street and we get hit by the car behind us. Yes, that's right folks, I got into a car accident in Italy before I even unpacked my bags. It probably sounds more serious than it is though...Katie and I spent the entire rest of the taxi ride trying not to laugh.

We arrived at our Bed and Breakfast, which is on the top floor of older Italian villa-looking building (the sixth floor, since none of the building there were more than around six floors). The owner was so friendly and spoke great English, which was nice, because virtually NOBODY in Alghero spoke English (and my Italian was limited to Ciao). We got to our room...which turned out to be the penthouse honeymoon suite! In our suite was a beautifully decorated bedroom with a king sized bed, a fridge stocked full of Italian breakfast foods and cookies, a hallway with a dining table, a lovely bathroom and a private balcony which looked over the entire city all the way to the ocean. Katie and I were shocked, and just jumped up and down a few times on the bed.

The rest of our four day trip to Alghero consisted of eating amazing Sardinian food, which specializes in Seafood, lying on the white sandy beaches, drinking wine, cappuccino and limoncello at small Italian cafes and renting bicycles to ride along the coast. It was amazing, and the pictures will speak for themselves.

Next weekend, I am going to Paris! So, here are the pictures from Italy...again, thank you Mom and Dad for making this all possible.

Northern Ireland

I knew little about the conflicts in Ireland until I arrived in Dublin. Yes, I had heard about the IRA and even wikipedia'd some information, but I never knew the magnitude of the conflicts which so recently took place in Northern Ireland. Taking a trip to Belfast and Derry really opened my eyes to so many events and so much history I would have been ignorant to otherwise.

In Belfast, the feel of the place was so uncomfortable. There were murals everywhere which sent messages of two sides of a past conflict; a conflict which still divided Belfast physically with a wall in the middle of the city dividing the Loyalist and Republican parts of the city.

Derry was amazing. Not only did I learn so much about the civil rights movements there as well as the tragic Bloody Sunday, but we got to have a question and answer session with the sister of a victim of Bloody Sunday who was murdered by British Paratroopers. Seeing video and hearing audio from Bloody Sunday really made the whole experience come alive for me, and moved me in a way. Not so long ago were people suffering, and still people were divided.

I did love the town of Derry though. It was one of those small comfortable places that you just automatically feel at home in. If I could recommend any town in Ireland to visit, it would be Derry.

We also did some sight seeing, which you will see pictures below.

I am also happy to say that Obama has won the presidency! This event has meaning of such magnitude I can barely wrap my mind around it. Who would have thought that my generation could have the strength to make real change. It was my first presidential election as well, and getting to see results I favor is wonderful.

This weekend I am going to Alghero, which is on the Island of Sardinia in Italy. I'm so excited, so stay tuned for a great blog entry!

Here are pictures from the weekend in Northern Ireland, including Halloween!

Above: One of the 8 Geological Wonders of the World in Ireland: "Giant's Causeway"

Below: Me after crossing the rope bridge

Above: In Northern Ireland, and just past the ocean is the border of Scotland!

Below: There were so many people dressed up as Joker!

Above: My halloween costume: grrrrr.

Below: Don, placing his hand next to the bullet holes that were left in a wall in Derry...similar to those used on Bloody Sunday by paratroopers.

Above and Below: A monastery and a church, both in Northern Ireland.

Above: A cool painting of the Beatles in Belfast.

Below: In Derry, the Irish flag.

Above: Me crossing the Rope Bridge in Derry

Below: Me and friends at Giant's Causeway

Above: Me on the middle of the rope bridge!

Limerick!

Limerick, also known as "Stab City", is located in the West of Ireland. It is known as "Stab City" because of an ongoing feud between two families, where legend has it, they used to stab each other. Though the city is known for being violent, I found nothing of the sort. The people were friendly, though their accents were difficult to understand! One taxi driver gave us a tour of the city, recommended us a wonderful underground restaurant and got us into an exclusive night club. Limerick was tons of fun!

We also visited two castles: King John's Castle and Bunratty Castle. Both were magnificent, but my favorite by far was Bunratty Castle. Bunratty Castle is surrounded by a recreation of an old medieval village, which was filled with little shops and farm animals! The view from the top of the castle was one of the most spectacular and beautiful things I have ever seen. And we also had a medieval dinner in Bunratty Castle, which was quite fun.

The pictures really speak for themselves, so here they are:

Above: Me poking my head out at Bunratty Castle
Below: View from top of Bunratty Castle

Top: View from top of Bunratty Castle
Below: Me locked up in the chamber at Bunratty Castle

Above: Cannons at Bunratty Castle
Below: River in Limerick, as seen from King John's Castle

Above: Me at top of King John's Castle
Below: King John's Castle

Above: Limerick City
Below: King John's Castle