Yesterday evening, my friend Desiree and I booked a trip for next May to England, Scotland, and Ireland! I'm VERY excited about it, as we've been trying to get it together for a while now. We are going to stay in London for 5 nights, Glasgow for 2nights, and Dublin for 4 nights. Our booking includes airfare and hotels, so we won't have to worry about that stuff when we are there. Breakfast is included in Scotland and Ireland, too. So all our money can go toward day-to-day expenses and between-city travel.
There are so many things I want to see and places I want to go when we are there. Luckily we have a good long time to plan. Already on my list for London are the Tower of London, National Portrait Gallery, Westminster Abbey, and Harrod's department store. In Scotland, I have to do a little research, but we are planning to daytrip over to Edinburgh, so I know I want to see Edinburgh Castle. In Ireland, it looks like we will be going to the Guiness Storehouse, the James Joyce Centre, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Jameson Distillery, and Dublin Castle. I'd love to see some ruined castles during the trip, also. Apparently the Scottish Borders are good for that!
If anyone has any advice on cool stuff to see that is a little off the regular tourist map, please let me know!
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
My Summer Goals
So, since I have a lot more free time in the evenings now than I ever have since like, high school, I've decided that this summer I am going to go back and school myself in some of the bands I've always wanted to get into but have never taken the time for. On the list: Wilco, The Replacements, The Flaming Lips, The Shins, The Decemberists, Guided by Voices. I already know a few songs/albums by all of them, but I've always intended to go back and get a little more in-depth, so that is my summer project this year. Luckily, I get to play whatever music I want when I am at work, so that will be very helpful in getting to know stuff better.
Last weekend I went to Buffalo with a bunch of old friends from OG to surprise my old roommate Jim for his Big 3-0. We went to Niagara Falls, met Jim's Mom and Stepdad (and his runaway dog, Maggie), went out and partied at some gay bars, had the police stop by the apartment (possibly getting jim evicted), ate at Arby's, and had an incredibly long ride home during which we made an alphabetical list of people to invite to our next party! We also went to an outlet mall where I got a really cute Marc Jacobs dress for $100. Now I just have to get some shoes to go with it!
I'm also planning to read a lot of Barney/Robin HIMYM fanfiction, so if you're into that drop me a line, ha ha!
Last weekend I went to Buffalo with a bunch of old friends from OG to surprise my old roommate Jim for his Big 3-0. We went to Niagara Falls, met Jim's Mom and Stepdad (and his runaway dog, Maggie), went out and partied at some gay bars, had the police stop by the apartment (possibly getting jim evicted), ate at Arby's, and had an incredibly long ride home during which we made an alphabetical list of people to invite to our next party! We also went to an outlet mall where I got a really cute Marc Jacobs dress for $100. Now I just have to get some shoes to go with it!
I'm also planning to read a lot of Barney/Robin HIMYM fanfiction, so if you're into that drop me a line, ha ha!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
California
Last weekend I visited my stepsister and her boyfriend out in Los Angeles. They have a six month old named Jake, whose birthday is the day before mine. He's very cute, very good-natured. It was a lot of fun to play with him and make silly faces and watch him be fascinated by all sorts of things.
It was also fun to go see Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Rodeo Drive,. I actually bought some jeans there, so even though they were only like $40 I can still say I got them in Beverly Hills should it ever come up in conversation (doubtful). We also went out to Santa Monica Pier and my Mom and I rode the ferris wheel. It was gorgeous, and so unusual for me to see such a wide beach surrounded by mountains. Not like the beaches in Florida, where everything is flat. After that we drove up to Malibu and watched the sunset, then drove back through Topanga Canyon, stopping at a lookout point where you could see the San Fernando Valley all lit up in the early darkness.
I have been to California in the past, but it has been about fourteen years since I was there last. Back then I was a teenager and even though it seemed fun and cool to be there, I was very interested in doing things like seeing where the stars lived and buying keychains everywhere we stopped. It was nice to go back with a more mature perspective (although I still kept my eye out for any celebs--no luck). Hopefully one day I will make it back to Northern California, which I preferred over L.A.
The only thing I wish we had done more of was eat out at nice restaurants. Honestly, I flew 3000 miles from New York to Los Angeles only to eat at El Pollo Loco and a Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. There was one really cool Cuban bakery called Portos that we went to on my last day there, actually. It was in Burbank, and it's the kind of place where you walk up and place your order and then they bring it out to your table. The food was very good there, though, and they had an amazing selection of desserts (chocolate mousse!).
Anyway, I can understand a little better now why people want to live there. The mountains are lovely and the ocean seems so much bigger than here on the East Coast, and let's not even get in to the weather. But it's not for me. Too much driving on "free"ways and mountains for my comfort. And no connectedness--if you're not working in the film/tv industry and don't manage to get to the beach very often it's probably easy to forget you even live there (like every other place in America).
Next stop: England!
It was also fun to go see Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Rodeo Drive,. I actually bought some jeans there, so even though they were only like $40 I can still say I got them in Beverly Hills should it ever come up in conversation (doubtful). We also went out to Santa Monica Pier and my Mom and I rode the ferris wheel. It was gorgeous, and so unusual for me to see such a wide beach surrounded by mountains. Not like the beaches in Florida, where everything is flat. After that we drove up to Malibu and watched the sunset, then drove back through Topanga Canyon, stopping at a lookout point where you could see the San Fernando Valley all lit up in the early darkness.
I have been to California in the past, but it has been about fourteen years since I was there last. Back then I was a teenager and even though it seemed fun and cool to be there, I was very interested in doing things like seeing where the stars lived and buying keychains everywhere we stopped. It was nice to go back with a more mature perspective (although I still kept my eye out for any celebs--no luck). Hopefully one day I will make it back to Northern California, which I preferred over L.A.
The only thing I wish we had done more of was eat out at nice restaurants. Honestly, I flew 3000 miles from New York to Los Angeles only to eat at El Pollo Loco and a Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. There was one really cool Cuban bakery called Portos that we went to on my last day there, actually. It was in Burbank, and it's the kind of place where you walk up and place your order and then they bring it out to your table. The food was very good there, though, and they had an amazing selection of desserts (chocolate mousse!).
Anyway, I can understand a little better now why people want to live there. The mountains are lovely and the ocean seems so much bigger than here on the East Coast, and let's not even get in to the weather. But it's not for me. Too much driving on "free"ways and mountains for my comfort. And no connectedness--if you're not working in the film/tv industry and don't manage to get to the beach very often it's probably easy to forget you even live there (like every other place in America).
Next stop: England!
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Random Happiness
It's really weird sometimes, the things that make me feel happy. Today, it's gorgeous weather, a little bit cold for my tastes, but sunny and cloudless. There is still snow on the ground. And for some unknown reason it makes me happy that I live somewhere that it snows. Totally nonsensical.
I guess a big reason I moved up here in the first place was that I wanted to be somewhere different than where I had always been before. Somewhere that people had common interests to me, where there was some respect for culture and individuality, somewhere that people enjoy getting dressed and don't just wear jeans and t-shirts or khaki capri pants every day, somewhere with seasons!
I really like that I live in a city--with tall buildings, and cute neighborhoods, and people walking their dogs, and restaurants, and museums, and theaters, and pubs, and coffeehouses, and teahouses, and celebrities, and taxis, etc. and etc. I don't take as much advantage of all of it as I should, but at least I appreciate it! (Except for Midtown in December!)
Another thing that is making me happy is the fact that I might FINALLY get to visit England and Scotland in 2008. My friend Desiree and I are hoping / planning to go around Labor Day! As exciting as it will be to see England, I'm really more looking forward to going to Scotland. It's another thing I can't really explain, but Scotland is calling to me! Has been for years now. Maybe it's the accents, maybe it's my Ewan McGregor love, maybe it's the Loch Ness Monster. I don't know but I can't wait.
I guess a big reason I moved up here in the first place was that I wanted to be somewhere different than where I had always been before. Somewhere that people had common interests to me, where there was some respect for culture and individuality, somewhere that people enjoy getting dressed and don't just wear jeans and t-shirts or khaki capri pants every day, somewhere with seasons!
I really like that I live in a city--with tall buildings, and cute neighborhoods, and people walking their dogs, and restaurants, and museums, and theaters, and pubs, and coffeehouses, and teahouses, and celebrities, and taxis, etc. and etc. I don't take as much advantage of all of it as I should, but at least I appreciate it! (Except for Midtown in December!)
Another thing that is making me happy is the fact that I might FINALLY get to visit England and Scotland in 2008. My friend Desiree and I are hoping / planning to go around Labor Day! As exciting as it will be to see England, I'm really more looking forward to going to Scotland. It's another thing I can't really explain, but Scotland is calling to me! Has been for years now. Maybe it's the accents, maybe it's my Ewan McGregor love, maybe it's the Loch Ness Monster. I don't know but I can't wait.
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