If Only I Were That Clever

I have wracked my brain trying to come up with a clever title for this post. Something that rolls off the tongue and inspires people to grab the day with both hands, with joy in their heart, and a smile on their face. However, I'm just not that clever. I can't for the life of me figure out a word that rhymes with "Mallorca" or "Tourist destination specifically designed to make me wet myself in awe, wonder, and terror." Anyone got any catchy titles for either of those? If you do, hit me up. I'll totes give you credit. 

Remember when we talked about how badly my family needed a vacation? Well, it totally happened.

The Dash to Dublin

My husband recently had to go on a business trip to Dublin and on a whim, I decided to join him. It was just a quick dash and back but it was really fun. 

There's tons of history, culture, and entertainment in the city but the highlights for me were definitely the food and shopping. 

 Unfortunately, (cough-cough) there may have been some wine involved so I don't have a lot of details for the few photo's I grabbed with my cell phone. If you'd like to see the full sized photo's click here. 

The places I remember with particular fondness for food were The Green Hen, the V'n V inside the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, and the Eden restaurant. Buyers beware though, you may have to take out a small loan to eat out regularly in Dublin. Each meal averaged 85 € for two people.

As far as shopping, I'm not sure how to convey the sheer joy I experienced on Grafton Street. For someone completely unfamiliar with it, it was truly a shopping paradise. The buskers on the street added so much fun to my spending spree. I walked from area to area, listening to really diverse, talented musicians. 

What adventures have you been on lately?

Wanderlust: Pisa in Pictures

The beauty in Pisa has left me speechless. That's not such a great thing for a writer or blogger. I just can't seem to help it. To see such beauty up close and know that someone at some point in history, without all the technological advances that we have today, stood there and had this kind of vision and passion to create things that took lifetimes - sometimes multiple generations to complete....just speechless. While I might have been left short of words I still managed to click some photos with my camera phone. If you'd like to see more of them you can check out my flikr.

Food In Pisa

I've had friends who visited Italy who said things like, "The food is just AMAZING. You'll never believe it." I didn't want to set my expectations too high though. I mean - food is just food right? The thing I loved the most about eating in Italy

Protecting Your I.D.

Traveling through Europe can be an amazing experience. However, it's never amazing when things fall apart and suddenly you find yourself far away from home and stuck with little to no funds at your disposal. So, I've gathered some tips to help prevent that from happening!

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the planet

Also known as, "Where in the world am I?

That became my catch phrase while I was away. "Where in the world am I?" Intellectually I knew I was in Pisa, Italy but nothing mentally prepared me for seeing these things in person. My brain grappled with reconciling known 2D images to what I was seeing in person but I was left in awe. 

Wander Lust

 I first became really aware of Angkor Wat when I was much younger and saw the movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Remember that movie? While the movie was a passing blip on my radar, Angkor Wat and Cambodia hung around. Angkor Wat is a place that still contains it's own mysteries and inspires dreams. António da Madalena, a Portuguese monk who visited Angkor Wat in 1586 tried to capture his experience of the place and said it "is of such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen, particularly since it is like no other building in the world. It has towers and decoration and all the refinements which the human genius can conceive of."

Feeding My WanderLust

Travel Bug...

To Monger

To those who haven't managed to visit Pike Place Market and watch the flying fish shows, you're missing out. These guys have this down to an art form. If you're ever around it's something you must go see. They have all kinds of smoked salmon to try and each was delicious. And if you absolutely CAN'T make it? You're in luck! They ship! 

There were so many amazing things to see at the market, including some amazing jewelry. I wish I had gotten more photo's of the other things for everyone but I would have had to be a kung fu master to fight the crowds and still get a good shot. 

Ciao!

Voilà!!

Lake Crescent, Olympic Peninsula 6:37 A.M. 

Harris State Park

This was the first place we stopped once we were over the border from Oregon to California. I've seen many beaches around the world and I have to rate some of California's as among the best.

The sand was deep and warm, the temperature was perfect, the water was cold without being freezing...it was one of those moments in life of sheer "Aaaaahhhh". 

An unexpected bonus on this road trip was all of the fantastic little bead and jewelry shops along the 101 Hwy throughout Oregon and California. I wish I'd had more time to explore them. If anyone has a favorite shop along that route, share the info with me. I'd love to hear about it!

Ciao!

Tripping the PNW Coast Fantastic

Ah! It's good to be back. Last week we traveled down Hwy 101 through Washington state, Oregon and California. I could just about KICK myself for not stopping and getting more pictures. There were some unbelievable parts to see but I just couldn't bear pulling off the highway into a view spot. Navigating the death defying twists and turns with a wall of rock on one side of the highway and a  sheer drop off into the ocean next to the car, left me white knuckled at best. I've never seen anything like it. We took a stop to stretch our legs at Bruceport State Park in Oregon. We went on a wild adventure down a mysterious path and found lots of great hidden treasures.

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And finally, late evening, we reached a spot at a true beach. Can anyone else relate to being slightly freaked out by birds after having seen Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds"? If so, then imagine visiting this beach, with that fear, sitting next to a person who got 4 special treats landing on them from above. It was like machine gun fire.

It was a great trip and there are more photo's to come. But, there's no place like home! I can't wait to get back to work and finish my chain maille piece. Ciao! xoxo