Turned the corner...

Thankfully my bout with food poisoning appears to be on its way out and about time. Two days of not eating, ~102 degree fever, and unpleasant digestive patters was enough for me.

Celebrated last night by getting a cheeseburger but unfortunately was just not up the task. It is Morocco after all, but I figured since it was a touristy place I would luck out. Not so much. The bun was too mushy, and the burger lacked burgerness. I blame the French influence. C'est la vie.

Last night bought a ton of water to start rehydrating with. The more and more I drank, the more and more I sweated. I had lost close to 10 pounds in the two days and was beginning to look like I did in high school, but amazingly filled out back to normal within about 5 liters of water.

At the hostel have been some really cool kids. A bunch from Australia and a few Americans and others from here and there. We stayed up late last night talking and this was tremendously good just for my spirits. Two days of nothing has quite a devastating effect on myself especially when I like to be so social and on-the-go.

Today was another lazy day. I haven't been too outgoing as the digestive organs are a bit feisty from time to time but walked for a good ways in the 100+ degree heat to the bus/train station. Tomorrow I'm off to Chefchaouen (look it up!) but it'll be a long trip out there.

As for now, more just hanging out. Sun is about to go down so I can enjoy Marrakech one last night.

Oh, and discoverd the secret to traveling in Morocco, going commando!

Food poisoning sucks.

Well, I've definitely had better days before. As a fallout from the escargot incident, I spend nearly all day yesterday with a high fever and visiting the bathroom every hour or so. Not fun at all. At one point debated going to the hospital, but figured I'd try a pharmacy instead. Amazing how pharmacies in the third world are so much more convenient than in the US. Walk right in, get prescription drugs for about 8 dollars. They seem to be working alright, although I'm taking double the recommended dose at the moment to get the bowels to solidify up. Whatever works, I'm tired of the bathroom.

Fever cleared up a bit last night and is only slightly higher right now. Spent nearly all night going to the bathroom though. Felt bad for my roommates but they were quite in with Morocco's number one export (hash) so said it didn't bother them all that much. Today have been doing much better. Going to try and find a place to watch the US.Brazil soccer game tonight, if I'm feeling better. (side note, just found the ' key which is thrilling considering I've been using CTRL V this entire time, foreign keyboards, always a challenge).

Wish I had more interesting things to write, but that'll have to wait til later. Unfortunately am going to pass up Fes, which I was really looking forward to, but that'll have to wait till another time. Chefchaouen is next, probably headed there on Tuesday. Then Tetuan. Need to get some diving in.

Michael Jackson

Also, interesting side note...

Everyone knows Michael Jackson. Have heard many Moroccans talk about him, and Mohammed (the guy I met last night) said his sister had stayed in tonight crying.

King of Pop indeed.

Moroccan snails were a bad choice...

So anyone who has seen Anchorman knows the scene in which Will Ferrell drinks milk and then proclaims "Milk was a baaaaad choice". That's how I feel about the escargot now. Had it last night, don't think it's agreeing with me. Actually I know it isn't agreeing with me. So today is a day for staying in bed, and close to the bathroom.

Still having a great time though. Had a marriage proposal last night from a Moroccan girl and met a pretty cool Berber guy who took me around so he could practice his English. Hopefully try and meet up with him again tonight, he said he'd teach me Arabic? If I'm feeling well that is.

I love the third world...

It is so amazing to be back traveling in a grungy, exotic, and vibrant country again. This is exactly what I had missed since finishing up my Asia travels last summer. Dont get me wrong, Europe is great, but Morocco has a buzz to it that you just cant get in more developed countries.

(Also, for the record, this will be a punctuationless post, cant figure it out on this keyboard)

So after a quiet last night in Paris, left early the next morning for CDG airport. Very easy to do, and customs and security went by fast. The flight itself was a bit of a pain, seated right near a very spoiled couple Moroccan kids who insisted on pouting and crying the entire time. But had the opportunity to speak to a very cute French girl seated next to me so all was good there.

Upon arriving in the airport and changing money out, went for a cab. At first, offered 20 euro for a ride to the center of the city but saw a sign saying no more than 50 dihram, which is about 6 US dollars. Of course I said bullshit in the nicest way possible, walked off, and found someone to take me for 5 euro. Ah, the joy of bargaining.

Dropped off near the center square in Marrakech and its down the rabbit hole all over again. Walked through the square amidst orange juice vendors (delicious), henna tattooists, and snake charmers into the back alleys of Marrakech to find my hostel. Despite the complicated directions, it was quite easy to find. And a fabulous hostel, exactly what I needed. Ive been feeling quite sick lately, I think a mixture of dehydration, cold, bronchitis, food poisoning, swine flu, and of course leprosy. Took a nap and later went out for a walk, ignoring the many offers for -hashish-, -good market-, and the multitude of other things. Many of the street propositioners will ask in French, then move on to English. Ive decided to become Spanish while in the streets, and while my Spanish will not fool any native Spaniard, its enough to get the salesmen off. Went back to the hostel for a bit of a nap and rest in front of the fan.

Last night, after having not eaten in about 24 hours, went out to find something to eat. The square had transformed into a labrynth of street restaurants, snake charmers, street performers, and vendors of all kinds of groovy things. Settled myself down on a table to a plate of sausages, bread, and salsa for a 1.50 american. Then went and had a big bowl of real, authentic escargot, not the French kind, but the big, juicy, see the horns on the head kind for another dollar. Finished off with a little OJ. Figured Id go rest up some more until it got cold but my nap lasted until this morning. Feeling a bit better now, gonna go find some water and see the city. My friend Anna from Cal recommended I look up this taxi driver Siad who is supposed to be hilarious so figure Ill try that out.

Much love to all, get a bit homesick at times but absolutely loving it over here. I think Im made to spend the better part of my youth in the developing world.

Paris.... meh

So, I'm now back in Paris. It's my third time here, and while it certainly is a great city, I have never really felt the charm of it that other people do.



When I got in yesterday, Emily and I went walking around, stopping in a cafe. I had a salad which was absolutely perfect for the time. After walking around Montmarte for a while, ended up taking the metro to this movie poster store where Emily was thrilled to find a 'Fargo' poster. I headed home after this, to take a much needed nap. I've been feeling quite down lately, and on the verge of sickness, hopefully not bronchitis which I had earlier this year and took months to get rid of. At any rate, it was a good nap, and I'm taking care of myself now, hydrating with water, not drinking, and cutting other habits which are not conducive to healthy lungs.



Around 7:30 to 8 or so, Emily and I headed out to Montmarte again looking for a place to eat. Ended up settling on a lovely little cafe-restaurant, and had appetizers of escargot while Emily opted for the duck (standard operating procedure for Em) while I had a delicious steak. Apple tart and cheese afters followed suit. Delicious. Best part is, was on Mom. Thanks Mom!



Called it an early night last night and then woke up this morning to a chill morning. Got Emily off to the train station to head to the airport, which, I must say, was quite sad. While I had my doubts about traveling with Em, who is so different from me, she has been an amazing travel partner. Very chill and fun to hang out with. I'm definitely lucky to have a sister as cool as her. She's back to NYC to apartment hunt and whatnot, but I know she's looking forward to being in her own bed and with her friends.

I'm going to take the day fairly easy and try and rest up. Maybe walk around a bit tonight. Would love to hear from you all, mecheever@gmail.com . If you send me your address I'll send you a postcard.

Au revoir Paris, off to Marrakech tomorrow.

Bruxelles

Considering its reputation as one of the beer capitals of the world, Belgium was a must on this trip for me. I arrived Sunday evening, and after checking into my hostel immediately went to the laundromat which was a must. Finished that fairly quickly and made my way to a recommended restaurant (Chez Leon) for the local special: mussles and fries. Add in a beer to that and it was a great meal. Right by the restaurant was the Delerium bar, home to over 2000 beers. The bar itself is just a collection of taps and hoses, quite the site. Started off with a Delerium tremens, a beer which I rarely get in the states cause it's so expensive, and talked with a some guys from Dallas who were in their 30's and just getting out of the country for the first time. They were quite blown away by the travel thing, even moreso that us youngfolk do this solo via trains, buses, hostels, etc. Eventually met up with some kids from the hostel and had some good conversation. Towards the end of the night, began to realize that 10% alcohol by volume Belgian beer is much stronger than 5% American beer and had a wonderful night sleep.

Next day, woke up to walk around a bit, going to the Grand Palace area and seeing Mannekin Pis, a statue of a cherubish boy peeing into a fountain. Tried to go to the comic museum but it was closed on Mondays. Ended up walking around the shopping district for a while seeing the locals at work before heading back to the hostel to book my flight to Morocco. Ended up being quite more expensive than I thought. But, Morocco's cost pays for itself in the end.

That night for dinner, made myself salmon with a mango, tomato, onion, cilantro salsa on top. Had been a while since I cooked a nice meal so jumped at the opportunity to use my hostel's kitchen. Had a few beers and then went out with a bunch of other kids in the hostel to various bars and whatnot.

Next day, woke up plenty early and was out the door with more than enough time to arrive at Brussels cental station. In Belgium, and especially Brussels, everything is displayed in French and Flemish. Thinking that Central and Midi were more or less the same thing, I arrived at what I thought to be the right train station. I was wrong. Had plenty of time so tried to catch a train to Midi, but that was delayed. Arrived right at 9:13 right as my train was leaving, but no signs to direct me where to go. Ended up missing my train, but talked with the Thalys (French) rail people and after a good natured joking around on their part, ended up hopping on the train. A short while later, arrived in Paris.

Rest of Amsterdam...

Hey all,

Our last full day in Amsterdam was a lovely one. Emily and I started out by renting bikes and took those over to a market to the northwest of us. We walked around there for a bit, grabbing crepes for breakfast and stocking up on some groceries for a picnic to be had later in Vondelpark. After having finished the last book I read, found a stall in the street selling English books and picked up Jack Keroac's On the Road and Alice in Wonderland. Figure they should be interesting reads. Already started On the Road which certainly has peaked my travel interest.

At any rate, we followed the market with a trip to a coffeeshop before heading off to try and find Electric Lady Land. Emily hadn't written down exact directions so it was a bit hard to find but we eventually worked our way back to it (after having walked past it 20 minutes earlier). This was quite the stop. Imagine a shop with flourescent art everywhere. Greeting us there was an old hippie dude from New York originally but had lived in Amsterdam for the past 20 some years. He led us downstairs where he had a collection of flourescent rocks which turned under the blacklight as well as a giant Hindi themed sculpture he had made-completely flourescent, quite out there. The best part was the guy himself, a complete hippy, but very genuine about it. You could tell he had found his life's calling: flourescent rocks, Hinduism, and psychadelics.

After that, we headed off to Vondelpark. We lucked out, catching the end of a jazz set as we ate our picnic lunch. After biking around the park we found a nice grassy spot by a pond and watched some ducks for a while. We then headed back to the the hostel and changed and went out for a few drinks. Pretty much an uneventful night but a nice, easy one.

Next day I left for Brussels and my sister for Paris.

Interlaken

Raining just a bit, so will take the time to write a bit more...

After the night train and a connection from Bern, Emily and I arrived in Interlaken around noon. Checked our bags and had a change of clothes then I went off for a hike up Harder Kulm. Not a hard hike, but a very enjoyable and rewarding one with a fantastic view of the valley that Interlaken and its lakes sit in. Only an hour and a half up and about an hour down. At the top treated myself to an apple tart with a bit of ice cream. Solid snack.

Got to the hostel again and took a much needed shower. Went with Em and some Canadian girls and a Scotsman and hit up the hostel's happy hour, two for one. Turned into quite the night, drinking games all around.

Next morning struggled to get up but then rented a bike. Tried to recreate the bike ride I had done from four years ago and did quite well on it. Absolutely beautiful ride although quite an elevation change. Made the mistake of taking a gondola to Gimmelwald as oppose to Murren, which is about a 400m difference in elevation, over a short distance. I had to walk my bike up most of it and the thin air didn't help. On the trail down, managed to get lost and found myself on a hiking trail rather than a biking trail. Really steep with giant ledges off to the sides and roots and rocks all over the trail. Nearly died a few times and had to walk my bike over long stretches as it was just too steep to ride. Definitely fun though. Got back to the hostel and started up happy hour all over again although considerably a lesser night. Quite the commotion at the hostel though as a few guests managed to get quite drunk. Hostel culture has it's ups and downs.

On Wednesday, Emily and I woke up and chilled around for a bit until a bus came around 12 to take us skydiving. Yes, skydiving. We got there and suited up immediately and within 10 minutes were in the plane. The ride up was fantastic with beautiful views of Interlaken. When the time came, I was right by the door. The guy I was diving with told me to stick my legs over the side. 3, 2, 1. Out the door. Didn't even have time to think about it. What a rush. It doesn't really hit you a first that you just jumped out of a plane, then about 10 seconds in you realize you're freefalling. So good. Wish I could upload the video but I left it in Interlaken so will have that mailed home. Emily had a blast as well. Celebrated with a few beers that night as well.

Yesterday spent most of the day in transit from Interlaken to Amsterdam. Arrived around 8pm and then made our way on a walkabout throughout the city. Visited a coffeeshop and well that was that.

Went to the Rijksmuseum today which houses some fantastic art of particular Dutch historical relevance. Spent the rest of the day walking around and planning on meeting up tonight with some Canadian friends from Barcelona and perhaps the cute Aussie chic I had met in Dublin.

Having a great time, needless to say.

Barca

It's been quite a while since the last update so a few cities to go through here. Our night train to Barcelona was a bit rough. No AC, bad seats, smelly Europeans. But we made it through. Upon getting into Barcelona went to the hostel to check all that out and drop our bags. Couldn't check in until 2 so met some people in the lobby/cafeteria downstairs and went on a Gaudi walking tour. Met another Cal kid from a few years back which was interesting as well as a girl from NYU but originally from Los Angeles and had a few mutual friends there which was neat. The Gaudi walking tour itself wasn't much but it was a good way to see the city. The Sagrada Familia, his Cathedral, was spectacular but still another 25 years or so in the making. Definitely unlike any other church I've ever seen. His Parc Guell was quite something as well, his style works very well with Barcelona's vibrant personality.

After the tour we headed back to the hostel where we changed, got some beers and sandwiches and headed to the beach with a few friends from the hostel. Quite a good time chilling there, although quite disturbing as some fellows from Taiwan had a bag of theirs stolen right from under their (and our) noses. We didn't even see the thiefs take it, they were quick and good. Needless to say, we were especially careful for the rest of the trip.

That night, went out and tried to meet up with a friend from Cal but it wasn't to be. Instead bar hopped with some kids from the hostel and had quite a good time doing that.

Next morning woke up and headed out for Cadaques/Port Lligat where Dali made his home for a good deal of his life. Took a long time to get there and Emily was a bit frustrated. In the end though it all worked out and was well worth it. Upon getting into Cadaques we walked over to Port Lligat and walked around the area for a bit before entering Dali's home. Absolutely beautiful there. And they have scuba diving.... hmm.... got me to thinking, maybe I'll go back and work there? At any rate, the Casa Museu de Dali was spectacular. He had a stuffed polar bear, maniquins, and all sorts of weird stuff in there. But a very charming Mediterrannean style home. After the tour, we walked back to Cadaques where we sat in a beachside cafe and had a small snack. Upon getting back into Barcelona that night decided we were a bit tired so just called it there. Could have stayed up to watch the Stanley Cup finals game at 3 in the morning, but guess it's better I didn't. Still a bit bitter that Detroit lost.

Next morning woke up feeling refreshed from a long night's sleep. Went off with Sophia, the NYU/Los Angeles kid, and hit up La Boqueria, Barcelona's market. How fantastic that was! Everywhere you went were clashes of colors of fruits and veggies, the smells of seafood, pork heads on display in butcher stalls. We settled on a ciabatta baguette and got some spanish ham, cheese, cilantro, and tomatoes and went back to the hostel to make open sandwiches with. One of the better meals I've had in Spain. Met up with Emily later and with a few other friends again headed down to the beach.

While down at the beach, looked over a few spots and thought I saw what looked to be some friends of mine from Cal. Now when traveling I find there to be odd connections all the time, this was a bit of a surprise to me. After looking over a good 50 times or so, eventually decided it was Natalia and Bryan and said hi. They were as shocked as I was. Made plans to meet up that night.

Around 6 or so, we all met up and headed to this place called La Champagneria. All my friends who had studied abroad in Barcelona had said this was the place to go, and it most definitely was. They sell cheap champagne there with tapas and that's a combination that's hard to beat. For the 7 of us there, three glasses of champagne and many dishes of jamon, chorizo, cheese, etc. came out to only 35€. Amazing deal. Ran into my friend Benji, who I had met and traveled with in Hong Kong there and we headed out with his friend Alfredo to another couple bars.

Kept the revelry going until near midnight when we left the hostel with Benji and Alfredo to go to Razzmatazz, a club in Barca that is the favorite of many of my friends. We were all quite drunk which was a good thing going in as drinks were 7€ a piece. Had a great time though, but some memories from that night a bit fuzzy.

Next day was an easy one for myself, taking the opportunity to get some laundry done. Met up with Natalia and Bryan for lunch and a bit of a goodbye then gathered up Emily and made our way for the train station. Had a much better train this time, although for 48€ it better have been. Ended up seated next to Jeanine and Kyle, friends of ours from the Barca hostel. We'll be meeting up with them tonight in Amsterdam.

I'll write about Interlaken on the next sitting, not sure when it'll be. Had a great time there though, and Amsterdam is shaping up to be pretty good too.

Hope my parachute opens up!

Haven't posted in a while I know, but was having too much fun in Barcelona and here in Interlaken the internet is super expensive.

Will write more from Amsterdam. Off to go skydiving now!

Yeah, guess I could live in Grenada

Grenada turned out to be a great town and incredibly livable. I´d love to spend some more time there. After parking the car, we made our way to our hostel which very well could have been placed in Paris and nothign would have seemd out of place. The owners/managers were french and there was what was most likely a high school field trip there from somewhere in France. Couple other guests in the hostel were french as well. This was probably much to the delight of my father, who will speak french at any chance he can get.

The first afternoon in Grenada was spent taking care of various errands like train tickets and fixing watches and whatnot. Had a pretty good dinner that night along the pedestrian Calle Navas and always nice to people watch from the outdoor tables.

Speaking of people watching, I´ve always felt that Europe has amazingly beautiful women. Grenada was a whole new level. Pretty much every other block or so was a head-turner, I´m surprised I didn´t run into a pole or trashcan or anything. So, maybe I´ll take some time in Grenada in the future in order to woo some beautiful Spanish lady?

Anyways, the city itself it should be noted is small and very European. Small little alleys everywhere and everybody walking around all the time. Tons of bars and restaurants. Some places looked a little bit like more Europeanized versions of Reston in VA or Bay Street in Emeryville, CA. Fountains every other block. Great little plazas. All just so visually pleasing. We had great weather as well. While it´s been hot today (over 100 degrees in Sevilla) our time in Grenada was low 80´s at the highest.

Yesterday we went to see the Alhambra, a Spanish royal palace compete with gardens. A mixture of classic and Moorish architecture, the place was stunning. Immaculately tended gardens, calming walks, all sorts of good ol´European royalty dwelling whatnot. When I get pictures up I´ll let them do the talking.

Nightlife in Grenada was a bit mixed, although Emily and I only went out on Monday and Tuesday, supposedly slow nights. On Monday stopped in at an Irish pub to start (something we very well may make tradition) and then over to a club which left a little something to be desired. Budweiser on tap? Meh. Was great to people watch there though and we talked with a Spanish guy for a good 15 minutes, trying to figure out what American rock bands he was saying he liked - quite a thick accent, and my spanish not quite there. The next night started with a Irish pub again and managed to be there during open mic time. After that headed out across the street to what seemed to be a bar with clientele of most American study abroads and other english speakers. Emily turned in a bit early but after walking her home I headed back out and talked with a big Norweigan dude who had some of the funniest sayings. We agreed that no matter where you are though, beer is beer, and hence the new name of this blog.

Off to the train station now for our night ride to Barcelona. Regular seats. Should be interesting. Have quite a few friends in Barcelona though so looking forward to that.

The good thing about traveling with parents...

Following Sevilla, the ´rents rented a car (Audi A4) and we headed out of town towards Cordoba. Took a quick tour of the town for a bit, seeing La Mezquita/the Catedral which was quite impressive. Seeing as how Corboda has changed hands many times over its history, there is a real mix of architecture in the city. That being said though, kinda churched out that this point. While they are all certainly impressive, it begins to all melt together once you see too many of them.

After Cordoba, we finished our drive to a town called Jaen. On top of one of the hills there is a giant castle started in the 10th century. Turns out to be a hotel too and is where we stayed. Now this is where it´s great traveling with parents, you get a fair share of really nice accomodations. Large beds, balcony that looked out onto a beautiful mountain range, nice bathroom, and one of those french post-toilet things that I still don´t know how to use, but nice to have? Was certainly a nice change of pace to stay in a place like that and rest up a bit. And the breakfast buffet the next morning? Killer.

The morning after (Monday?) we had a slow morning and drove into Grenada. Parents seemed to be quite lost getting in, and even though the Audi is such a nice car, neither could really seem to figure out how to work the clutch. Em and I just sat in the backseat trying not to get involved, would have been much crazier then... I´ll keep my posts short, Grenada on the next one...

Sevilla, Te Amo

When I had traveled Europe 4 years ago, I had absolutely fallen in love with Sevilla and it didn´t take long for it to happen again. So much charm to it. Just feels right. After checking into our hotel, we went out in search of some great paella that Alfonso had recommended to us. We split the last of the two servings they had and it was quite good. The rest of the day was spent walking around Sevilla and getting caught in a bit of rain but just passed it by from a cafe.

Dinner that night was at a local seafood place. We did quite well in the shrimp department and put down a plate of smaller ones and medium sized ones and then two plates of these massive grilled shrimp about 6 inches long. Absolutely delicious. Upon getting home that night, decided I needed a break from family so went out around midnight to find some trouble. Walked along the river where a bunch of bars are and was a bit discouraged at first. While my spanish is alright, it´s not good enough to hold down a conversation, so the lack of english speakers was a bit of a problem. Decided to check one more bar and ran into a bunch of American college students on a summer program. It turned into one of those kind of nights, with bar hopping, discoteca-ing, and generally too much alcohol. And apparently my spanish is good enough as I met a spanish chica at the last bar we were at. Ended up calling it a night at 6 in the morning and walked home halfway across the city. Good times.

The next day woke up quite hungover but determined to make a day out of it. After scarfing down a jamon y queso bocadillo (sandwich) went and saw the Catedral which is always amazing, and thankfully the tower was open this time so went up for an amazing view of the city. After that wandered around for a bit and then went into Alcazar, the palace there for a while. Closed off the day with a bit of a rest and a dinner that was one of the worst I´ve ever had, but they happen. Overall have been eating so well over here. Ah, Europe.

I´m a few days behind but mom is breathing down my neck to get on the computer now. So, I´ll write more later.

Much love to all.

the "Most Interesting Man in the World" does not drink Dos Equis...

Many of you I am sure are familiar with the Dos Equis commercials revolving around the "Most Interesting Man..." deal. Well, spend a night with our family friend Alfonso and I´m sure you´d find that he puts the Dos Equis hombre to shame.

We met Alphonso at Tapas Patas, the same place I had met him four years ago. After some excellent jamon, croquetas, and something else (?) we headed over to a flamenco show where we had dinner. I was fortunate to share a cab with Alphonso on the way over. While Dos Equis Hombre may have once taught a German Shepherd to bark in Spanish, Alphonso once threw a private spur of the moment flamenco party for Paul McCartney in Cannes, just because he could. Add that to all sorts of stories regarding movie premiers (a Neil Diamond movie in Seattle?) etc etc... this guy is so very interesting. And not only interesting, but so very kind and welcoming. Certainly one of the better people out there.

After dinner and flamenco we headed back to the hotel. I figured to stay out for a bit and try and catch the Redwings game. Just saw the first period before the bar closed down at 3 but met a pair of girls on foreign exchange in Spain and went out to a club with them till late.

We woke up early the next day to go to Toledo but the train was booked so ended up going to the Reina Sofia instead. Not quite as impressive as when I saw it first, but always good to see the works of Dali, Miro, and Picasso. Guernica is still an awe-inspiring piece. Went back to the hotel after that for a long siesta.

Reluctantly woke from the siesta to go out for some tapas but I was pretty tired. I haven´t been sleeping well at all but such is traveling. Many of you will probably say I´m not sleeping well because I´ve been partying, but such is not really the case, compared to my last few weeks in Berkeley I´ve been quite tame this trip.

Today we made it Toledo and it´s a very charming old medieval city but not for an entire day. Still got a few hours till our train back to Madrid and seen just about all there is to see. But that being said, it has a very large Catedral and just being able to walk through the streets has been great. Small and very European feeling.

Hopefully will go out tonight. Have been listening to Pandora (Crookers channel, duh) and ready for a little dancing a la discoteca... vamos a ver.

en España...

Arrived in Madrid yesterday and immediately remembered why I love Spain so much: charming architecture, great food, a vibrant city buzz and the most beautiful women on the planet. After getting into our hotel last night we headed out for tapas. Bocarones (anchovies), jamon (ham), a Spanish tortilla, calamari, and mushrooms with garlic were a lovely start to the culinary joy that is sure to be Spain. Emily and I left the parents after dinner and grabbed a few beers at a bar.

Today the family went to go see mom´s old apartment went she used to live in Madrid 40 years ago. It was quite interesting to see and was great to see Mom in her nostalgic element. Went to a local market as well and it absolutely blows away all markets in the US. Wish I lived here just for the food alone. After all that, I separated out for a bit and too the metro around the city to various stops. Currently enjoying a bit of a siesta and may go for a run although the heat isn´t too appealing.

Tonight we´ll be meeting up with Alphonso, an old friend of the family. Last time I was in Madrid Alphonso showed me a night that places easily within the top 5 of all time party nights. Started with tapas and flamenco and took off once the 60 year old plus said "Tonight I feel good, we go to discoteca!" Eventually he passed me off to some absolutely gorgeous young amigas of his and I was endoctrinated into the Madird nightlife by some absolutely beautiful ladies. Perhaps tonight I can hope for more of the same? I can only hope. If not I found a bar that will be showing game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals so maybe I´ll get a chance to see my Redwings play. Either way, should be a great night.

Overall, everything is fantastic. Can be a bit agrivating traveling with family at times as we all have very different travel styles. But it´s great to be with them, and the parents are largely picking up the tab, so I can´t really complain.

Off for a siesta or run. Viva la vida.

Dublin

Alright, here we go again...

After having graduated nearly two weeks ago (seems like so much longer, been a busy two weeks) I've made my way back on the travel circuit. This time, a family vacation, probably one of the last we'll be able to have in a while although I'm sure they'll be plenty more down the road.

At any rate, we've started off our travels in Dublin, Ireland. After a red-eye flight with little sleep we arrived early on a Saturday morning. Unable to check into our hostel, the family rested while I took a long walk around the city. It's not very big at all and covered a good half of the tourist map in a matter of 45 minutes or so. That being said, it's incredibly beautiful here and quite clean. Reminds me a bit of places in Sydney.

Saturday afternoon I took a nap instead of heading to the pub to watch the FA cup final between Everton and Chelsea. While a nap was much needed, I do regret not having seen the game here. I saw the UEFA final in New York city and it's amazing how much better watching soccer is when you have a pint and a bunch of rowdy soccer fans to go with.

That night we had dinner as a family and then headed out to an Irish pub to take in the environment. It's true, Guinness does taste better over here, and it was great having the chance to drink a fair bit while Dad bought. An Irish band played in the pub and was good. Dad sang along naturally, and was off tone, naturally as well. Went out a bit later on that night with Emily and had a good time of it. Stayed out with some hostel friends for a bit later.

Woke up Sunday feeling fine but then the hungover snuck up on me later. Not fun at all. Ended up touring the Guinness factory that afternoon with the family and after went with my mom to check out some of old sailing tall ships that had come into Dublin for some sort of festival. Was feeling really tired as the night wore on but after dinner rebounded with a shower and a few beers and went out by myself later. Fortunately for me ran into a cute Aussie girl so enjoyed conversation with her for a bit and called it an early night.

Off to Spain this afternoon. Can't wait, land of tapas, sangria, and the most beautiful women on the planet. Life, as always, is pretty good.