Rome again Rome again

Yippy, just got into rainy Rome. Once in Italy we stayed two nites in Lecce and then headed over the the supremely beautiful Amalfi Coast, where we stayed the next two nites. And where I reminiced of the days of yore. Here in Rome were staying in the same hostel I stayed in last time i was here, however, they are booked up for the holiday weekend so we need to find somewhere else for the next two nites. So I best be internet searching for hostels. tootles.

Amazing, just amazing.

The last week Emily and I have been living in postcards. We have seen places I thought were just TV sets, but no, they exsist and we were there. Climbing the walls, walking the streets, eating the food and drinking the beer in these unbelivilby beautiful places.

After Dubrovnik we headed south to to Kotor were we hiked the walls that were built in 1166. After a cold, restless nite, dreaming of zombies coming down from the mountains, we headed down to Bar for a nite, where we lounged in the ruins of the 10th century Stari Bar (old city).

Last nite we jumped aboard our 9 hour ferry ride across the Adriatic to Bari, Italy. Yet another restless nite filled with dreams of the boat running into a whale, into another boat, and somehow sinking from a hole that just appeared out of no where. Emily finally dragged me out of our cabin half an hour after we docked. Still in a daze, after agruing with the taxi driver, we managed to grab a taxi to the train station with several other travelers, for minimal price. We napped for our two our journey to Lecce, the Florence of the South. Here we have set up camp in my idea of the perfect apartment. I may just move here so I can live in it perminitly. So far we have managed to walk around the city at nite, which is so beautiful because all of the old baroque buildings are lit up. Absolutly amazing.

We are here for two nites, then we head to Mantra and stay the nite in some swanky cave hotel. We will continue our way north to the Amalfi coast and then spend our final nites in Roma!

I will leave you with an image of what I will be dreaming about from now on...

Mi jesu idiomi

Rough translation: We are idiots. Here we are in the most beautiful place in the world, huddling in our apartment. Why you ask? Because instead of believing the weather forecast and bringing coats, gloves and scarfs, we brought swimsuits, skirts and tanktops. Now we are freezing. but its okay cause its our own fault. Today we are shopping for warm clothes. Two more days here and then were off to Montenegro! Were trying to follow the warm weather south!

burrrrrr!

Dubrovnik!

Day 4 in croatia, this is our second day in Dubrovnik and it is more beautiful that i ever imagined. One of those places that words/pictures can't describe. Emily and I flew into Pula (northern croatia) on tuesday evening, found our incredibly cute private apartment with the friendliest owners and most amazing view. The next day we spent walking around Pula, which has a colosseum similar to the one in Rome. However, as the sun began to fall, we quickly learned that we didn't pack the right clothes for the weather. It's true that during the day it is sunny and beautiful (we even went sunbathing!) but once the sun goes down croatia quickly turns into an in credibly cold country. We're layering all out cloths and are working through it.

Thursday we hoped on a 14 hour over-nite bus ride to Dubrovnik. we couldn't believe our eyes when we got here. so beautiful. The first day we walked all around the old city and atop the city walls. Today we ventured into the new town and on to the famous copacabana beach. we're just in town now heading for some dinner, seafood for me!

Here's a photo from the internet, i'll post my photos when i'm back home in Dublin.

Off to Croatia/Montenegro/Italy

We just got back from traveling around West Ireland, every corner we turned we felt like we had entered a new postcard. Absolutely amazing scenery. I haven't had much time to post photo's but will when i get the chance. Christina left this morning to fly back home so it's just me and Em again, just like the good ole days. We take off tomorrow for Croatia, don't really have any plans except that we need to be in Rome in 18 days. Wow it's gonna be so great to be traveling again!

I'll post pictures as soon as I have a moment, hopefully before I leave tomorrow.

Adventures with Emily and Christina Chapter 1

Hooray! Em and Christina arrived in last friday morning at 5am in the morning. They arrived baring gifts; milk duds, twinkies, cupcakes and of course the most important reeses cups. After a few hours of chatting, the girls hit the hay and I hit the sidewalk to walk to work. After a very giddy 7.5 hours at work I skipped off early to meet the girls and help them get their barings of the city, aka, show them the pubs. We walked through temple bar and down a few of the main streets. We then stopped in to the Porterhouse for their first pint. Then then we met up with Aishling for another and then off to the IFI for dinner. After a quick stop in at the Turks Head we headed across town to meet up with Susan and Owen at a friends birthday party. As anticipated, jetlag began to set in, instead of trying to keep the girls from falling asleep in their guinness, we headed home.

Up and at em early the next morning we really set out to see the city. We started off by cruising around Christchurch, Saint Patricks, Dublin Castle, Chester Beatty Library, temple bar, Stephen's Green, ending up at Trinity College for the highlight—the Book of Kells. Which was absolutely amazing. Then off to the Northside with a quick stop at home. As the sun was heading down, we headed to Glasnevin Cemetery. After an hour walk through some of the most beautiful gravestones we headed across the street for a pint of the best guinness in town at the Gravediggers pub. Dinner time! Home for some spagetti, and then off to meet up with Martina for a "quiet pint" at the Lord Edward. We finished out "quiet pint" with a taxi ride home at 3am.

Next afternoon, up and at em' again. I told the girls that we wouldn't be doing much walking since our heads and bodies were still aching from the nite before. With blue skies above our heads we caught the DART down to Dalkey with the goal of catching a boat out to Dalkey Island, but when we got there the harbor was closed. We met a nice local man who pointed us in the direction of a few unmentionable famous people's houses, so we figured, what the hell, let's take a look. At this point our day of "not walking much" turned into a five hour walk to another village down the East Dublin coastline. The view was amazing. Halfway through our walk, i realized we were halfway to Susan's house so we might as well keep on walking since we already had plans to visit her that evening. We caught up with susan in Kiliney at the Obelisk on Kiliney hill. After the day's long walk we headed with susan to get some dinner in Dun Laoghaire at Cafe Mao. Then back to the DART and home to fall into bed.

This morning the girls were up at 4am to catch their flight to Edinburgh, and me back to work. I can't wait for them to get back on friday and we'll do it all over again!

Friends unite!