This is an open letter to the person who doesn't want the NewsShopper.
Dear subscriber:
As a courtesy for subscribing to my newspaper we gladly deliver the NewsShopper to you periodically. It will be bursting with coupons and advertisements from local businesses! Those advertisers pay top dollar to have an ad run in the NewsShopper, and those ad revenues keep our publication in business. This way we can continue to hunt down the big stories and have those delivered to your door as well.
From what I can ascertain, however, you have no interest in receiving the NewsShopper, no matter what values lie inside.
Judging by your reaction, it seems that you are almost offended when you receive these deals.
But if you don't wish to receive these deals please feel free to call us. If you give us your name and address and ask politely, we will happily remove you from the NewsShopper list.
But if you continue to stockpile your old copies for months and eventually throw them in my parking space, I don't know who you are and can't stop them from coming to your humble abode.
But maybe I've got it wrong. Maybe you truly enjoy reading the NewsShopper and would like us to pass the savings along to someone else when you are through with them?
Maybe this is just some sort of game to you? Is it a form of social protest against the consumer driven lives that many Americans and residents of Bureau County lead? Honestly, give us a call, we'll be happy to straighten everything out.
But Mr. or Ms. Anti-NewsShopper, passive aggressively throwing your old NewsShoppers at my parking space doesn't do anybody any good.
Honestly, it's more confusing than anything else.
Sincerely,
Lindsay, Princeton Reporter

2008 was an eventful year for me. Here are some of my favorite highlights, in no particular order:

Politically:
Barack Obama elected President
Rod Blagojevich arrested on Federal corruption charges
Fidel Castro retires, putting me one step closer to a trip to Cuba

Pop Culturally:
O.J. Simpson finally goes to prison
Michael Phelps becomes the winningist Olympian ever
Heath Ledger dies and subsequently reinvents The Joker
Britney Spears hits absolute rock bottom in January and bounces back by December
Obama brushes "Dirt off his shoulders," channeling Jay-Z.
Sarah Palin sees Russia from her house and loses the vice-presidency
Saturday Night Live becomes relevant again, if only for 15 minutes.
Joe the Plumber becomes incredibly annoying.

Favorite Shows I Attended:
The Streets with Mixmaster Mike in Dublin
Warped Tour, 2008 with Ryan and Aubrey in Tinley Park
THe Mighty Mighty Bosstones with Ryan in Chicago

Favorite Nights Out:
Paddy's Day at Whelan's
The Pub on Inis Mor with the Kiwis
Spying on Megan and Collie's first date with Rachel, and Miri

Favorite Places:
Inis Mor
Butler's near the Liffey
Parque Guell in Barcelona
Blarney Castle
Sao Paulo
St. Peter's Basillica
The Gothic Barrio
Mont Serrat
Howth

My Favorite New People:
Andy
Rachel
Carol
Fr. Sam
Miriam
Megan
Liddy

Personal Victories:
Graduating College
Getting a real newspaper job
Wandering around Europe alone

Personal Failures:
Feeling Invisible
Feeling small but worldly
Sticking out
Getting knocked from my high horse
Realizing how much I hate home

Favorite Moments:
Feeling small but worldly
Being mistaken for French and German in the same week in Spain
Walking along Inish Mor with my adopted dog
Realizing how little I missed home

Favorite Meal:
Chinese food in Rome

Favorite Miscellaneous:
Barcelona Graffiti
Ben-e-dict-o clap clap clap clap clap
Gelaaaaaati!
All the photos that I took, beautiful, happy and sad.

mon·de·green
Pronunciation: \ˈmän-də-ˌgrēn\
Function:noun
Etymology: from the mishearing in a Scottish ballad of “laid him on the green” as “Lady Mondegreen”
Date:1954
Definition : a word or phrase that results from a mishearing of something said or sung <“very close veins” is a mondegreen for “varicose veins”>

marriedtothesea.com



Hopefully I won't have to feel this way for long.
L

Does the last person you kissed have any importance in your life?
We chat.




Do you currently have a hickey? Where?
No, I graduated from high school, thanks.



Who was the last person you talked to on the telephone?
My dad apparently.



What were you doing at 7am?
Sleeping on the couch in the square.

What was the reason you last cried?
I don't remember that.



What was the last movie you saw in theater and with who?
Be Kind Rewind with Carol and Liddy



What are you seriously wearing?
seriously?
I'm seriously wearing River Island jeans and an Aeropostale tee.
((It's not so bad being trendy... everyone who looks like me is my friend.))

How many red lights have you ran?
Total? More than 2 less than 2000

Is there anything that you are craving for right now?
A nap would be nice, but I'll just wait for my second wind.




What did you do yesterday?
Attempted to get shit done. Failed.



What did you do last night?
Finished the work I should have done yesterday. Watched TV, fell asleep at 3 am.

Do you drink tea?
On occasion.

Is anyone on your bad side right now?
There are always a few people I never want to talk to.

What jewelry are you wearing?
Old onyx earrings, the claddagh I picked up in Galway and my sailor necklace.

Do you clean when you’re upset?
Sometimes.

Would you ever dye your hair blonde?
Blondie Blondie Blondie.



How many pairs of shoes do you own?
I don't care to count, but a few should probably go.

Do you know anyone who’s pregnant?
I don't think so.

Can you make brownies without having to look at the directions?
No

Do you talk to a person you like?
It's probable that if I talk to you, I like you.


Any plans for tomorrow?
Lunch with Laux.

Do you still talk to the person who broke your heart the worst?
No.


Are you a flirt?
Get a few cocktails in me and I can be.

Have you ever made out with someone you weren't dating?
It's one of my favorite hobbies.



Has anybody on your friends list ever admitted to liking you?
Yes

Would you kiss anyone on your friends list?
Which friends list?

Whats the one thing that always gets you through a bad day?
Oranges are nice.

Would you kiss an ugly person for $1,000?
I want to say no, but I have bills to pay.




Do you usually tell people when they hurt your feelings?
I don't get hurt easily. But if I do, I'll sure as hell let you know.

Do your initials spell out a word?
LMW, nope.



Where is the last place you went to go eat?
Aubrey's apartment.

Have you bought any clothing items in the past week?
I'm considering purchasing a dress today, but it's in the works.



Do you sing in the shower?
No, there are better places to sing.

Do you want to have a boy/girl friend this summer?
The single life is treating me pretty well, I think I'll stick with that.



When you look at your cell phone do you usually have a message?
I look at my cell phone when it tells me I have a message.

What did you do today?
Went to class, then went shopping.

Where is your sister?
In the next room

Do you have your own personal diary?
My blog/journal/random entries on my comp.



What is your favorite tv show?
Seasonally? Lost.
Year round? Scrubs and The Office.

Has anyone told you they want to spend the rest of their life with you?
Not explicitly, but it was implied.
Clearly that ended well.


Who is the last person you had a deep meaningful conversation with?
My keyboard. It was a very one sided convo.

What's on your mind right now?
You were always on my miiiiiiind.



Do you tell your best friend EVERYTHING?
Everyone is entitled to their secrets.

How old do you look?
Old enough to know better.



What was the last book you read?
Raise High the Roofbeams, Carpenters and Seymour an Introduction.
By J.D. Salinger.




Does anyone hate you?
Probably, it's only fair.



Are you happy with life?
I'm not in the ideal place, but I'm not doing too bad.


Can you handle the truth?
You can't.



Anything you'd like to say to anyone?
Purple Monkey Dishwasher.

Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?
Depends on the situation and how much I don't like them.

Did you cry today?
No.

A dog followed me home today. I'd like to keep him but it seems like more effort than it's worth transporting him.
I woke up this morning, had breakfast, bought expensive sunblock and started walking.
I walked everywhere. By my best estimate I probably walked 17ish miles today. Parts of it were through brier patches. Brier patches suck. I climbed all over a number of ancient forts and a number of ancient churches. I found where 4 saints are (allegedly) buried and a holy well next to them. I climbed to the top of some very tall cliffs and saw some beautiful sights.
((I like the ocean.))
If I had dived in and started swimming, eventually I would have hit the U.S. But I thought it would just be easier/faster to wait until Monday and fly home at the scheduled time.
Over today and yesterday I have taken well over 400 pictures. I'll try to get those up before I come home.
I did see an old man try to herd cattle using a stick, a dog and what sounded like Irish language swear words. Again, Irish isn't my first language.
Tonight, I am very very tired.
I'll sleep like a log tonight.

I've been awake since 7.30.
At 8.30 I purchased a €6 return student bus ticket to Rossaveal.
At 9.30 the bus departed.
At 10.30 the ferry departed from Rossaveal heading south to Kilronan on the Island of Inis Mor.
At 11.30 I landed back on solid ground after what could be honestly described as the best time I've ever had at sea. They had never been calmer.
I rented a bike and spent much of the day exploring the island. It isn't a big place but the bike had a 5pm curfew and I was on foot and tired after that. There is a lot I need to see yet.
I biked around the island and climbed on the ruins of centuries old churches, and staring horses face to face. The sea here is clear and green and the sky today was accented only by a few wispy clouds.
I was told that the world's smallest church (by reputation) was here. So I went to find it. I came to a gate and assumed that the gate meant that I wasn't supposed to go any further, but apparently to get anywhere here you have to abandon your bike and hop fences. It's assumed that if you put up walls to keep your cows in, there will be people wandering through your cow filled fields to go look at ruined buildings.
The world's smallest church (by reputation) was pretty small. It was probably only 7 feet long and 6 feet wide. And it was in ruins, no roof, no floor.
I found a graveyard filled with celtic crosses and Irish language epitaphs. Being a person who enjoys wandering around old cemeteries I was understandably excited at this prospect. Inside you can find St. Bridget's church, left over from the 6th century. It had obviously been excavated, because you can't see it from the road. It was a surprise.
It's been a pretty quiet night so far. There are a number of us watching movies in the common room. This place turned into a ghost town after the 5 o'clock ferry left and it has gotten a little too chilly to sit outside so I'm making hostel friends.
I'll be going up to the cliffs tomorrow. They're predicting excellent weather again so I anticipate getting more sunburned than I already am.
With any luck I'll be coming back from Ireland with a tan.
Pictures to follow, hopefully before I get home.
LMW

So, I'm on the road again. But there hasn't been much to report on so far so I'm going to discuss my voyages this week to Howth.
Howth is a suburb about 25 minutes north of Dublin if you're taking the DART. It's a seaside little village that takes up the whole peninsula known as Howth Head. I went up there on Wednesday because I realized my time in Ireland is short and I wanted to take advantage of it. I got off the train and began wandering. Being that I had brought no literature with me telling me where to go I just kind of wandered. Shortly, I found myself in the village of Howth, the only thing worth noting about the village itself was the ruined 14th century church with the knight and his wife buried inside. They did have fairly impressive sarcophagi. And the surrounding cemetery, was kind of nice for those of us who enjoy wandering around cemeteries, I headed up the path that a local told me to follow to reach the cliffs. The local did not tell me it would be an hour walk, but it was. It was through a very residential part of town and not worth mentioning.
The cliffs themselves are what you think of when you think of Ireland. Verdant, hills leading down towards a sea. Jagged rocks jut out from the ground injecting sharp gray points into the view. There was a lighthouse and plenty of ships. It was nice. Yellow flowers grow in patches to break up the green/gray. It was, however, quite cold.
I went again with Carol and Liddy on Saturday but we went to a different part of the peninsula. This time we went to the beach. It was colder still, but sunny. It wasn't the sort of beach you play on or build sandcastles out of but it WAS a beach. I collected a few shells, Liddy made fun of me. This time the three of us packed a picnic linner and ate on the rocks by the OTHER lighthouse. They get two. It was a pleasant experience.
This blog is fairly boring, but the day was not.
Today I got on a bus and headed to Galway, on the west cost of Ireland. Tomorrow, I'm getting on a ferry and heading to the big island of Inis Mor where I'll stay for two nights. It should be fairly pleasant. I'll probably head back to Dublin on Wednesday.
I wandered around Galway today. In the center of the town is Kennedy Park, named after the American President Kennedy. They love him here. It's a cute little town but there really isn't much going on. Tomorrow is a bank holiday, so a lot of people have off of work and I'm told I may have to fight for a seat on the ferry. I'm prepared.
I'm sharing a hostel room with 4 French chicks, 2 Spaniards and one Aussie. We bonded, but our relationship will be short lived.
I'll make new hostel friends tomorrow.
That's all I've got.
LMW

I've just booked one night at a hostel in Galway and two at a smaller place in the Aran Islands. I'll be sleeping steps away from the shore on Inis Mor, the largest island.
I won't be telling my roommates about my trip until I'm just about to leave. This is just one of those things that I want to do on my own.
I suspect my roommates don't read this, but if you guys do and you haven't been telling me I just want to say:
"I have no problem with anyone. I'm not mad or angry or annoyed. We're fine. I just want to go hang out on an island by myself for a few days. Don't freak out and don't be offended. I just suspect that if I mention it beforehand someone will want to jump on the bandwagon and I would prefer this to be a one-person bandwagon."
Crisis averted.
Again I'd like to reiterate that I will be going to a sparesly populated area where blonde people don't stand out and English is a common (though not primary) language.
I'll be fine. How many shenanigans can I get into anyway?
Besides, I like the ocean and the ocean likes me.

Brilliant-Adj. Used to describe something impressive or good.
Grand-Adj. Something that is fine, or OK.
Fair play-Something is OK or as expected.
Fair enough-Something is OK or as expected.
Sounds fair-Something is OK or as expected.
Sound-Adj. Something good.
What's the craic?-What's up?
The craic is mighty.-Good. The proper response for "What's the craic?"
Massive-Adj. Something impressive, good or important.
You're a legend.-Used colloquially to say that what you are doing is great, brave.
Bloke-Man
Chicken-Woman, specifically girlfriend.
Rubbish-Trash, not always used literally.
Bollocks-Noun, bollocks.
Stroked-Stolen
Deadly-Impressive, awesome.
Whilst-an antiquated word for "while"
Ages-a long time
Thirty Three (prounounced "Turty Tree")-the number "33."
Arse-Ass
Get your skates on-hurry up
Stones-unit of measurement
Mate-friend
Fresh as a daisy-Megan Laux
Chips-French Fries
Crisps-Potato chips
Shite-Shit
Mad-Crazy, wild
Brekky-breakfast
Alcopops-Malt beverages such as Smirnoff Ice and Bacardi Breezers
Maths (pronounced "mats")-Math class
Monobrow-Unibrow
Pissed-Drunk
Defo-Definately
Ginger-A red headed person, see "Fresh as a daisy."
Feck-Fuck
Take-away-Take out
Had a laugh-Laughed
Give us a shout-Does not necessarily refer to a plural number of people, Call us, let us know.
Knacker-Redneck
Knickers-Ladies' undergarments
Here's my pitch-This is what I have to say
Bell me-Call me
Ring me-Bell me
Boozer-pub
Off license-Liquor store
Eejit-Idiot
Cheers-Thanks
Slainte-Literally "health" in Irish, said when drinking.
Slagging-Making fun of
Snookered-In a tight situation
What's the story-What's up
Pikey-Knacker
Bird-Girlfriend
Petrol-Gasoline
Boot-Trunk
Clamp-Boot, referring to the device used to force offending drivers to pay their fines.
Lift-Elevator
Stag Party-Bachelor Party
Hen Party-Bachelorette Party
Z-(Pronounced "zed") The last letter of the English alphabet.
H-(Pronounced "haych") The letter of the English alphabet that comes after "G."
Mobile-Cell phone
Britney Spears-Beer
Shops-grocery store
Messages-buying groceries
Moth-(Pronounced "mots")Girlfrind
Gaff-home
It'll cost you a few bob-It will cost you a little money
Hoover-vaccuum, does not refer to the brand "Hoover."
Sweeping brush-broom
Hure-Whore
Cute Hure-Someone who is a good businessperson, literally.

They tell me the weather is going to get cold and unpleasant again tomorrow.
But today is sunny and in the 60s.

I'm going to do something pedantic like read a book in the sunshine.

Day one in Rome:
We woke up and strolled around for a while.
That's when we saw this:

This became a common sight. I saw the Coliseum every day I was there. It is hard to miss. We did suffer through the torrential downpours starting that day and lasting the next 5. By and large Rome was characterized by rain.
But we did spend the first day familiarizing ourselves (Carol and I) with Rome. We found the Trevi Fountain and threw coins in so we're going to come back eventually. We ate pasta and picked up a tiny bit of Italian.
Following that we waited for the Pope to say the Stations of the Cross outside the Coliseum.
We mos def got close enough that we could have thrown rocks at him if we wanted to. But we decided that would be a bad idea...

The next day we tried to get into St. Peter's Basilica, and did wait in line for an hour before they decided to shut down the basilica. Apparently they can do that without telling anyone. After that we spent another two hours waiting in line to see the Vatican Museum. That's how you see the Sistine Chapel. Which, mind you is impressive and beautiful and all that, but it was a little underwhelming. Rome has over 400 churches and every single one of them is impressive, but I did see several that just struck me as more impressive than the Sistine Chapel.
(That might be blasphemy..)
It was cool to be able to say that I saw it, though.
We did go to the Vatican again later that night after the rain had stopped but after dark. The rain reflected off the cobblestone square.
Pretty...

The following day we overslept and missed Easter mass with the Pope, but everyone I spoke with told us we were better off for it. The hurricane didn't let up until later in the day. Instead we saw the Forum. Carol and I climbed all over ruins.
Later I went to see Fr. Sam at St. Paul's Basilica. The church itself is this beautiful, 700 year old structure that has managed to survive a devastating fire and countless earthquakes. You can see St. Paul's sarcophagus, it is exposed. I can't imagine there's much left inside. At the end of June they'll be celebrating his 2000th birthday. I doubt there will be that many candles on the cake.
Mos def the coolest thing about the basilica is the 1300 year old mosaic above the apse.

It's more impressive in person.
I did meet Fr. Sam for the first time in my life, but the funny part is I've been hearing stories about him probably all my life. Likewise, he's been hearing stories about me for my whole life. We chilled, we chatted, I got a personal tour. We had coffee. It was pretty cool.
Carol and Liddy (who joined us later, after initially missing her flight) went to Tivoli the next day. I wasn't done in Rome so I stayed in town and wandered around by myself. I got a lot of things done. I went and saw the Cappuccini monks' crypt. You aren't allowed to take pictures and my camera is too big for me to be sneaky inside so I'll be stealing pictures from the internet for this one:

There are 5 rooms just like this one. In these rooms about 4000 Cappuccini monks are laid to rest and their bones are placed in these intricate artistic patterns. It's weird, humbling, unique, morbid, eerie and crazy. There are a few bodies left in tact, and they have been mummified, sort of. Many of them still have skin and are still wearing their robes. I guess, for emphasis.
Apparently when you put a set of shoulder blades behind a skull, you get some strange bodiless angel.
After that I went back to St. Peter's Basilica and wandered around for a while. I wanted to climb to the top of the dome and asked someone how I go about doing that. Apparently they stopped letting people up at 4:45, and I asked at 4:55. But Massim, the Italian man who worked there that I asked, told me I had pretty eyes and let me up late. I was the last person in line for the day. He asked me to meet him for a drink but I thought that picking up men at the Vatican would be tacky, and declined.
You take an elevator halfway up the cathedral but there is another 320 stairs after that. And as you climb up the walls tilt more and more inward. You do have to lean.
When you get to the top you have a fabulous view of the whole city and an awesome view of St. Peter's square.

They didn't let me stay up long before shooing me down.
Additionally, I saw great works of art:

The last day I had there Carol and I went to see the Pope again. He speaks to normal people on Wednesday mornings and I managed to score tickets (by asking, no hookup.) Liddy didn't want to come, so it was just Carol and I.
He spoke in Italian, German, French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Polish. And he handed out special blessings to everyone there and as I understand that extends to my family and friends. So, you guys are covered.
After that Carol and I saw San Clemente, which is a 12th century church on top of 5th century church on top of a 2nd century apartment complex, on top of a 3rd century pagan temple dedicated to Mithras. It was probably the only millennia old complex in Rome where I wasn't allowed to touch things and that drove me crazy.
We went back to the Cappuccini monks' crypt because Carol hadn't seen it.
Than we wandered around for the rest of the day, seeing the city and I saw these things:


We got to the Pantheon with only about 10 minutes to spare before the kicked us out, but we decided that is really all the time you need. The Christians got in there at some point and turned it into a church. Also Raphael is buried there. The artist, not the turtle.
We wandered around for a little while longer before finding the Spanish Steps. They were largely under construction and less impressive than I thought they would be. But I've been there. They probably would have been better if there wasn't so much construction.
The next day I had a 7 am bus to catch to get to my 10 am flight on time.
From there I fell right asleep...
The end.

To see more selected photos, click the evil fountain fishduck:


I didn't make it to the castle today, but I did correct some of the English written by people whose primary languages were German and Spanish. I bought a dress and I chilled with Colin, Laux and Miriam.
Colin, (Laux's Irish boyfriend) will be spending his summer in Chicago. That means that at some point over the summer he will want to see the country and there will have to be a soiree to mark the occasion. Get your party hats ready...
Spring break ends today. I have class in 8 hours for the first time in 2 weeks. I'm not prepared.

Once again I'm 6 hours in the future.
Thank you daylight savings time for making my time traveling more impressive.

I'm going to a castle today.
Real update to follow.

News Flash!
Harry Caray, legendary baseball commentator has been found alive and well at an Italian airport.
Caray was spotted this morning at Ciampino, outside of Rome staring in line for a Ryanair flight to London. The discount airline was not available for comment.
It was unclear where Caray has been since his death in the late 1990s or what he could be doing in London.
Additionally, current wherabouts of king of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, and mysterious bipedal, Bigfoot, remain unknown.

Real update to come later, but this is roughly what went through my head at 8 AM while waiting in line at the airport.

So on Easter we overslept. I missed mass said by the Pope in the Vatican but most people tell me I was better off. The hurricane didn't stop until the afternoon and I'm sure everyone who stood in the rain for that long will be battleing bronchitis for the next few weeks.
Instead we sat in a cafe with our newfound Boston friend Drew until the rain let up that we felt comfortable sitting inside. Liddy missed her flight on Saturday and wasn't able to make it until Sunday night.
After that we went to the Roman Forum. That was pretty cool. We did get caught in the resurgence of the hurricane but there are some awesome pictures of us standing on ancient columns. We chilled at August's house for a while. It was crazy awesome.
Every day I walk past the Colosseum, and it's like, hey, there's the Colosseum.
I'm going to try to get into San Clemente this afternoon and see a Church inside a house inside a church inside a church. I'll let you know how that goes. I'm also going to try to get into St. Peter's Basilica and the Capuchin Cathedral, which is decorated with thousands of bones.
Yesterday I met Fr. Sam, my grandmother's old friend and former St. Bede monk at St. Paul's Basilica. I saw St. Paul's carcophagus. It's the 7th largest church in the world and 2nd in Rome. It can hold 12,000 people and has survived one devestating fire. The mosiacs in it are humbling in their grandeur.
Aside from a New Zealander with sticky fingers and 50 missing euro I have had no problems.
Lindsay

Last night Carol and I, along with millions of other people, stood in the rain to see the pope say the stations of the cross.
I think if somebody had told me there would have been a downpour I probably would have sat out.
We did have a spot fairly close to Il Papa, however. We probably weren't more than 100 ft away. Close enough to watch the Pope blow his nose anyway. We made single serving friends with a woman from Ireland and her friend from Scotland, a group of Brazilians with whom we could not communicate well, and a Tica who lived in the same neighborhood I did. Additionally we met a kid from Boston who will be touring the Vatican with us today.
We picked up an Italian phrasebook and have picked up enough to order food and say thank you.
I need to go to the Vatican. I'm running late.
Lindsay

Today, I rejoin the world of retail.

Barratts

I must say I look good in jeans, black shirts and black shoes.
The 50% discount won't hurt either.
Selling shoes...

I just want you to know that I got super productive today and cleaned up my living space.



It's pretty badass.
I don't expect it to last long.

Because the U.S. had daylight savings time this weekend and Ireland didn't there is only a 5 hour time difference between here and home. This will be the case until the 30th when we spring forward and resume the 6 hour time difference.

I was supposed to go to a Hurling match today.
Not that I know anything about hurling, or how to play it or anything like that.
But someone set my building on fire.

It isn't uncommon for the fire alarm to go off once a week or so. It's become pretty commonplace really. Usually we stand around for 5 minutes and debate whether or not we should go outside and if, after 5 minutes, the alarm is still going off we will leave. But today is just kept going. I left without a coat or my purse or anything except my key.
Turns out there was a real fire on the 3rd floor. Carol, Liddy and myself hung out in the cafeteria for an hour waiting for the fire brigade to tackle the fire. As a result, I didn't go to the hurling match.
It was Cork V. Dublin. I'm a little disappointed.


Additionally I dropped my phone in water first thing this morning. I'm hoping it dries out by tomorrow. I don't want to replace it.

And lastly, I created a Youtube account because every now and then I will take a video of something in hopes that you guys will be able to relive what I lived. It usually isn't accurate. But it might help. I've called it lindsaytravels. I already have one subscriber, but he has 2500 subscriptions. So I'm not that special.

That's all I've got.
Lindsay

So, I went to Barcelona.

We left on Wednesday and didn't get in until late. Apparently there was too much fog at Girona, our schedule landing locale, and we had to land at Reus. Reus is 1 1/2 hours outside of Barcelona.
On the other hand Ryanair is a very inexpensive airline.


We got to the hostel fairly late and crashed.
The next day we took a bus tour around the city (like tourists) and got the lay of the land. We had paella and tapas and went to a flamenco show.


We spent just about a full day exploring the work of Antoni Gaudi, a Spanish artist and architect.


The best part was La Sagrada Familia. Gaudi wanted to build a cathedral, but did so fairly late in his life and he knew he would never see the completed work. I think that it's fair to say nobody alive today will see it completed, either.
It has been under construction for well over a century and will still be under construction for another one, no doubt.

This is what it looks like now:


This is what they want it to look like:


You can, however, climb up to the bridge between the two towers and look down. So we did. It's massively high up there, probably a couple hundred feet. It's absolutely amazing that it is still under construction. If it is this gorgeous now, it will be much more impressive come 2108.

The following day Carol and I took off with our cameras. We had hoped to keep up with Rachel, Megan and Miriam, but we couldn't We kept stopping to see street performers. There were dozens of living statues, a Michael Jackson impersonator circa Thriller era, and a bunch of Moroccan acrobats who found my pale skin and blond hair exotic. I found them creepy.
But one guy did do this:


We also searched the Gothic Barrio of Barcelona and found the coolest stuff. We met a street side Opera singer who thought I was German, a strange little church in the middle of the street, and a package of Jesus band-aids.
This is what Fernando St. looks like at sunset:



We stayed at a pretty fabulous hostel as far as hostels go. We were given a pretty spectacular breakfast every morning.

I felt motivated to get up and eat it.

In case you're wondering what the weather was like:


Sunday Carol and I traveled to Montserrat, a little Benedictian monastery at the top of a mountain about an hour outside of town. Apparently the Virgin Mary appeared there centuries ago. So they built a church there. As I understand it, in 2025 the church will be celebrating it's millennium on that spot.
Otherwise the views are spectacular:



Just for the record. That last shot had an aperture of F4 and a 1" shutter speed and no tripod. I'm impressed with myself.

Monday was our last day. We decided to take a short boat trip on the Mediterranean Sea. It was a pretty grey, overcast day. But I've been on the Mediterranean.

Now I'm back in Dublin and cold and dreary as it is, it's at least nice to be back in my own bed.

I have a job interview tomorrow. Barratt's. It's a shoe store. I can sell shoes.
I don't think I'll tell them I can only work for 2 1/2 months. Unless, that is, they ask.

To see the rest of my abriged photo adventure click the arch.