Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

A Swede in Stockholm

“What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are.”
From The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis


As the plane landed in Stockholm,  the weather couldn't have been more different than what I'd left in Amsterdam.  The sun almost blinded me and the blue sky went on as far as I could see. I could only see the trip sailing smoothly.  I couldn't have been more wrong.

Picture of the Day

Aerial view of a beautiful city

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Friday, September 20, 2013

A New Favorite: Amsterdam

“How happy is the little stone
That rambles in the road alone,
And doesn't care about careers,
And exigencies never fears;
Whose coat of elemental brown
A passing universe put on;
And independent as the sun,
Associates or glows alone,
Fulfilling absolute decree
In casual simplicity.”
― Emily Dickinson



So, I like traveling alone.  Not just a little bit,  but a lot a bit.  I think it feeds two needs: 1) My need to be alone - being an introvert,  by nature I struggle being with people 2) My need to do what I want,  when I want - I'm like a two year old this way. So when I decided to go on a trip at the end of my year in the UK, going on my own was a dream come true. Where to go, and how long to travel were much harder choices to make.  I,  of course,  started with an elaborate plan that spanned four countries,  two weeks and transportation included air, rail, and water.  However,  the price tag was a little steep, so I scaled it back to two cities and nine days.

Picture of the Day

Clouds rolling in (or out?) over the canal 

Thursday, September 19, 2013

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Ironically the only windmill in Amsterdam was a restaurant!

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

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One of the most recognizable bridges in Amsterdam

Friday, September 6, 2013

A Beach Holiday

'"What do you like doing best in the world, Pooh?'
'Well,' said Pooh, 'what I like best-' and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called. And then he thought that being with Christopher Robin was a very good thing to do, and having Piglet near was a very friendly thing to have; and so, when he had thought it all out, he said, 'What I like best in the whole world is Me and Piglet going to see You, and You saying "What about a little something?" and Me saying, "Well, I shouldn't mind a little something, should you, Piglet," and it being a hummy sort of day outside, and birds singing.'
'I like that too,' said Christopher Robin, 'but what I like doing best is Nothing.'
'How do you do Nothing,' asked Pooh after he had wondered for a long time.
'Well, it's when people call out at you just as you're going off to do it, "What are you going to do, Christopher Robin?" and you say, "Oh, Nothing," and then you go and do it. It means just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering.'
'Oh!' said Pooh."
From The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne


So after months of stress, cold weather and clouds in England we'd finally had enough. Over a month ago we decided to go to Portugal once our dissertations were submitted.

The original plan included a group of about eight.  Not shocking, as the day got closer people dropped like flies.  By the middle of August, Anni and I were the last ones standing.  But we were going to take this vacation even if it was just the two of us.

After some recruiting we convinced Sandra,  Kanar, and Shapol to join.  But as August rush by and our deadlines snuck towards us,  we put off and put off booking.  The week before, calamity struck - Kanar and Shapol, who are Kurdish, weren't going to be able to acquire visas in time.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Picture of the Day

Another beautiful day in Portugal

Monday, September 2, 2013

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

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Some of us went to Oxford for a day out and to visit the lovely Emily
We had Chinese for dinner

Monday, July 22, 2013

Return to the Emerald Isle - Dublin

“There's no friends like the old friends.”
From Dubliners by James Joyce


I'm just going to put this out there - my time in Dublin was amazing. I didn't want it to end. Though that's good, right? Makes me want to go back. It was not the city, however wonderful the place might be, that made it such a great trip. It was the people. Rachel and Kevin were (and still are) lovely people. I've known Rachel since I was two (you don't need to do the math, we'll just say it's been a long time) when she was friends with my sister and her brother was my best bud. She was like a big sister. While my friendship with her brother never recover from the 'cooties' stage of childhood, Anna and Rachel reconnected after college. The really great thing about growing up is that a two to three year difference isn't a big deal anymore, so when Anna started spending more time with Rachel, I got to get to know her as a friend too. And guess what? She's awesome, and totally shares my sense of humor (which is always good, and surprisingly hard to find). So when I found out she was moving to Ireland and going to grad school, I knew I had to visit.

Picture of the Day

Nothing compares to a really large, very old cemetery!

Sunday, July 21, 2013

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We went the the beach and there were a ton of sailboats

Saturday, July 20, 2013

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Rachel & I got a hankering for falafels and we ended up making this amazing meal

Friday, July 19, 2013

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Kilmainham Gaol
So I've never visited a jail - for any reason, and now I've seen two in one trip!