2013 Holiday Travels - Pt 3 - Prague

  Prague has an important history that dates back to the 9th century.  It became a home for Bohemian kings, some of whom sat as emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 14th century, New Town was constructed as an extension of Prague's historic center Old Town, and still exists today.  Later, Prague fell under Habsburg rule, and in 1918, after WWI, it became capital of Czechoslovakia.  The city was virtually unscathed by WWII.  After the fall of The Wall, the city's population surged to almost one and one-quarter million, and became capital of the Czech Republic after the split into two countries 20 years ago.  The West has since discovered Prague, and made it the top tourist city in Central Europe.  This is the scene I encountered Christmas night as my train rolled in from Vienna.

  When it comes to cultural features and spectacular architecture, in my opinion, Prague is almost right there with Vienna, and I will argue offers more in terms of celebrating its history .  My mind is still enthralled with what I've seen the last several days.  Where to start?  Well, I guess Prague Castle overlooking things here is the rock star:

  It is enormous; probably no other ancient castle is larger.  If Prague Castle isn't the feature attraction, then I suppose Charles Bridge, in the foreground would be.  It doesn't look like much until you get a lot closer (below); the statues lining both sides are fantastic!

  Just one example of what I guess are a couple dozen:

  I can't put a number on how many beautiful churches and other historic buildings I viewed.  From what I've learned, the Gothic-style Tyn Church is maybe the big dog:

  Apparently, the Astronomical Clock is famous.  Yawn.  My Munich tour guide said that a major travel publication recently named the Glockenspiel the 2nd-most overrated tourist sight in the world.  In the top spot was this:

  Whatever.  My personal favorite, though, was the Municipal House, a civic building and concert hall.  This is a Googled image of the Art Nouveau wonder:

  Oh, wait this is what I originally saw:

  My camera can't do justice to what my eyes saw.  I turned a bend, then caught myself moments later with my jaw dropped, mouth hanging open.  You just had to be there.  Instead of two days, I wish I had two weeks for all of the fascinating museums.  I would really need that long.  Maybe another year.  Onward to Berlin!

2013 Holiday Travels - Pt 2 - Vienna

  Vienna is the capital of Austria, and with about one and three-quarter million people, its largest city.  Celts (not from Boston) first settled there approximately 2,500 years ago, then Romans some 500 years after.  In time, Vienna became home to the rulers of the Habsburg dynasty, the de facto capital of the Holy Roman Empire and capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, among other entities.  It is renowned about the globe for its musical and other artistic contributions to the world.  Then I showed up.

  First-class train travel is the way to go!  I didn't have a choice but to purchase it when I bought my rail pass, but I'm glad I did.  4 hours passed by very quickly and comfortably on the way in from Munich.  I picked up some more euros, got my bearings and took a tram to my hostel, and it was a very nice one.  I crashed and woke up to the day before Christmas.  The city was pretty dead, and I chose to walk the Ringstrasse.  It is a 5km circular road surrounding the inner core of the city, something like a beltway, but it has a unique story.  The Ringstrasse was constructed to replace city walls erected during the 13th century.  It is a boulevard, and it was built for show, but there was a practical element to it, too.  Napoleon III of France had shown that wide streets couldn't be effectively barricaded by revolutionaries.  The things you learn...

  As I mentioned, the Ringstrasse was a vanity project.  The idea was to demonstrate the glory of the Habsburg Empire.  For better or worse, they succeeded, big time!  The following photos are of some of the principal structures along the way:

the Vienna State Opera:

Academy of Fine Arts (twice rejected Hitler):

Parliament:

Rathaus (Town Hall):

Burgtheater (Austrian National Theater):

University of Vienna (founded 1365):

Votivkirche (Votive Church):

Weiner Borse (Stock Exchange):

Urania (Observatory):

Österreichische Postsparkasse (Postal Savings Bank):

  There are other palaces and wonderful green spaces.  The city is gorgeous!  Next stop: I go to "Czech" out Prague (insert rim shot) - I'll be here all week, folks!

2013 Holiday Travels - Pt 1 - Munich

  Got up Saturday morning and made my way to the Casa airport with no problem, hit a bit of a snag when the officer at passport control didn't like that I had only a photocopy of my residency renewal, but eventually talked my way through to the C-15 gate.  The screen said that a flight to Amsterdam was to be the next to board.  I grabbed an airline employee who said to disregard.  I was dubious.  When my appointed boarding time passed, I asked another employee what was going on and he said not to worry.  Uh-huh.  A Dutch lady overheard my conversation and informed me that the info on the screen was accurate and that my gate was moved...to A-5!  I ran my tail off and got on in the nick of time.  At least the flight was pleasant.

  I eventually found my way to my hostel, checked in and went in search of dinner.  Shockingly, places serving sausages and beer weren't hard to find.  I went back to room and crashed in bed...for a while, anyway.  You see, I was in a 6-person room; the other 5 beds were taken by a group of young men who came in late night, loud and drunk.  Lovely.  We'll get back to them later.

  On Sunday morning I took a fantastic free walking tour of the city.  How, you ask?  It's actually a pretty interesting concept.   A marketing (not tour) company uses the services of guides who are independent contractors who earn no compensation whatsoever from the company; in fact, the guides must pay the company 2.50 euros per person in the group - they make their money by tips from the tourists.  I ran the numbers in my head - the way I figure, everyone wins big time.  My guy was great!  I walked around the city centre for 3 hours being highly informed and entertained for the duration, and paid a lot less than if I had taken a bus tour.

  A little about Munich...it is the capital of the state of Bavaria, and at about 1.5 million people, the 3rd largest city in Germany, with a documented history back to 1158.  I can't begin to detail here the very lengthy and fascinating history of this city.  But, I will give you a few tidbits that will give you a new perspective on some things you thought you already knew.  I know I was quite surprised at some things I learned.

  3.5M bombs dropped on Munich in WW2 - how did several prominent churches along one stretch and a main road perpendicular to them survive?  Easy - they formed a cross which was used by Allied bombers for navigation.  You've heard of Mad King Ludwig, right?  Yeah, well, he wasn't crazy in the least.  But, he was gay, which was legal for everyone...but the king, who had to produce an heir.  It is most likely that he was the victim of a political assassination.  You should check out the history of his family - what a crew!  You know that Hitler guy?  And the Hofbrauhaus, the most famous beer hall on Earth?  They have a very interesting connection that is not widely spoken of.  Hitler re-branded the political party he spoke for as the Nazi party at a meeting there.  I could go on and on forever.  What a time I had!  How about some pics?

  I took this one after paying 1.50 euros for the privilege of climbing about 300 steps to near the top of Saint Peter's, the oldest church in the city.  The church on the left with the iconic twin towers is Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Dear Lady), and the one in the foreground is the Neues Rathau (New Town Hall), with its world-famous Glockenspiel.

The Hofbrauhaus:

  The Nationaltheater, the renowned opera house.  You MUST read up on its history; it's one of the most riotously funny stories ever, esp. the fire suppression system that was 2 centuries ahead of its time...and failed (because, um, water freezes in winter).  Check it out

Just a glimpse of one of the famed Christmas markets:

  Apparently, Verona, Italy is a sister city to Munich.  There is a statue there of that Juliet gal, Romeo's squeeze.  If you give her a flower and rub her you'll be the recipient of luck in love.  Verona gave one to Munich.  It seems that people are quite fond of rubbing one particular part of her anatomy...

  Back to those rambunctious boys.  They could not seem to use their access card to enter the room, and didn't think of, oh, I don't know, getting it redone at the desk.  They had to knock and wake me up to let them in.  I plotted my revenge.  I got a small measure of payback in the morning.  At 9:45 a.m. I went to get my stuff from my room so I could check out before 10.  When I walked in, the lads roused a bit and asked if checkout was 10 or 11.  Hee hee hee...

At the train station to ride the rails to Vienna - bye bye, Munich!

Settlin'

Don't know why I even try when I know how it ends
I've been leaving it up to fate
It's my life so it's mine to make...

Easy for Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland to say...I've been back here for 4 months and have taken 10 flights in visiting 5 countries.  I'm flying out in a week so I can take the train through 4 more nations.  And the year is young.  The way I figure, I don't how long I'm gonna be here, so I'm going to take full advantage and see the wonders of the world with my own 2 eyes.  I want to view in person the things that have only ever previously existed on a page or screen.

In the meantime, I continue to live in the midst of the never-ending circus that is the "white city" of Casablanca.  Despite my best efforts, I've yet to get run over.  Yet.  I'm glad I did a double-take on a still-dark Friday morning when a city bus barreled the road with its lights off as I crossed in a pre-dawn stupor on my way to my pick-up point.  The way people drive here is crazy, which also defines how people cross streets seemingly without a care in the world.

I'm also not certain why perfect strangers have absolutely no problem whatsoever asking me to just give them my hard-earned dirhams.  If you want to sit on the street with a hand out, OK.  If you approach me in a reasonable manner, I don't like it but can live with it.  Don't approach me as if you have a right to my money, and certainly do not give me grief and/or follow me when I decline.  I'm not the biggest or baddest, but I stand 6'3" 250.  Why would you voluntarily choose to mess with me?  Guy came r-e-a-l close to getting put to sleep last night, and would've if not for the presence of cops.

I think I have an answer to that question, and it is rooted in the culture.  I already knew such things as that if 2 men are having a very animated conversation, they are not necessarily having a heated argument.  I've seen a couple of incidents this year that expand on that concept.  I was at Derb Ghallef (the city block-sized black market) one afternoon when I saw 2 men jaw-jackin' at one another.  I stopped to witness the impending fistfight.  Alas, no such luck.  In the States they'd have been throwin' dukes in a heartbeat.

Very recently, I left a grocery store to see a man whose vehicle had been pulled over by a policeman.  They were along a busy road at rush hour.  What the man was yelling I have no idea.  What amazed me was the fact that he was doing it literally face-to-face with the officer.  And this was allowed to happen?!  There is not a single cop in the U.S. who wouldn't have, at a minimum, cracked his head open like a ripe melon when the guy got within reach.  He would very possibly kill him.  Guess the rules are different here.  Still amazes me, though.

I bet the guy wouldn't mess with Marines!  And that's who I was with last night.  Well, I was with colleagues at the Marine House, where the aforementioned (Men's) Dept. of the Navy personnel who work at the consulate live.  They were good enough to host a Happy Hour for us expats.  Tons of fun.  Been eating out way too much.  Sushi last night, Chinese last week, etc.  Too easy to do here.  City living isn't quite my cup of tea, but it has its advantages, I suppose.  My guy at the hanoot is cool.  The kid at the KFC is determined to teach me a new French word when I come in.  The parking guy on my block seems decent.  Almost takes my mind off of the 2 bodies I came upon at the Piss Corner a week ago.  I have to assume that contributed to someone's decision to just have that corner painted.

Ah, the fun never ends here.  The are few certainties in life.  Death, taxes and Casa cabbies will try to cheat you.  I wish I knew what the future held for me.  I used to, until I didn't.  But I do know I'm going to accept an offer to return here next year.  Heaven help me...

I ain't settling for just getting by
I've had enough so so for the rest of my life
Tired of shooting too low, so raise the bar high
Just enough ain't enough this time
I ain't settling for anything less than everything...

"Time Well Wasted"

I could've been workin' overtime
Or at home tryin' to make that truck run right
Instead of wadin' out in that stream
All day long barely catchin' a thing...
It was time well wasted...
Thank you, Brad Paisley!  Due to Muharram, akin to the Muslim New Year, and the Moroccan celebration of the famed "Green March", school was cancelled for the first week of November, and I had some time on my hands.  I scheduled a trip to Istanbul, Athens and Budapest.  It was a whirlwind tour, not a leisurely trip.  Casablanca is in a pretty good position from which to jump off to South Africa, the Middle East and Europe.  I want to take full advantage of whatever time I have to see with my own eyes great world landmarks.

My journey back in time began with an eventful flight from Casablanca to Istanbul.  The day at school had been very hectic, and I had literally shoveled some food very quickly down my gullet for what passed as lunchtime.  From that time on I never felt particularly great.  Not long after the flight began, I knew I was in trouble.  The seatbelt sign was on, but I didn't care; I had spotted a barf bag at another seat a couple of rows forward, across the aisle.  I jumped up, grabbed the bag from in front of a startled woman, and barely made it back to my seat when I spewed forth couscous with beef.  I vomited 6 times during that flight.  Unfortunately, only 5 times did I make it into a bag or the toilet.  Yup, #5 of 6 went all over the back of the airplane.  The flight crew was thrilled.  When I arrived the airport later than evening, I had no desire to catch transportation to my hostel, and 'slept' over some chairs in the terminal for about 6 hours until the early a.m.
I caught transportation into the city and used mass transit to get to my hostel.  I explained to the very nice guy why I didn't make it in the night before (with visual evidence on my shirt), and he didn't even charge me for it!  But my morning was about to get better.  I walked to my room to throw my bag inside, maybe catch a few winks before I start the day in earnest, open the door, step inside, and there is a woman in her bra and panties!  All lodging should begin this way!!

Istanbul is, in my opinion, one of the most significant crossroads in world history.  It is a bridge between Europe and Asia and the largest city in the nation, not its capital, but the country's economic, cultural, and historical center.  It is one of the world's largest cities, with a population of approx. 14 million.
It was founded around 660 BC as Byzantium, and reestablished as Constantinople in 330 AD.  It served as the capital of four empires: the (Roman, Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman Empire).  It was crucial in the advancement of Christianity during Roman and Byzantine times, before the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453 and transformed it into an Islamic stronghold and the seat of the last caliphate.
I stayed in a hostel along a charming little street, touristy not tacky, around the corner from Sultanhamet Square, site of a pair of the most famous attractions in the city: the Hagia Sophia and the "Blue Mosque".  My amateurish photos from ground level do not justice.  Here is two photos of the Hagia Sophia, exterior and interior, from online:



It dates from 537 and was an Eastern Orthodox cathedral for about 900 years, minus a period of about a half-century when it was a Roman Catholic cathedral.  It became a mosque in 1453 for about 500 years; it was made a museum in 1935.

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is generally referred to as the Blue Mosque because of the blue tiles that line its interior.  I did a tiny bit better photographing this, but again seek help:
 
 
The mosque dates to the early 1600s and is renowned for its size and fine blend of several architectural styles.  It can hold 10,000 and is still used today for worship.

Istanbul was a very pleasant surprise - much cleaner and friendlier than I had been led to believe, with the exception of the man on the street who tried to 'befriend' me, and when I ignored him as I walked past, said: "Are you deaf?!"  I turned on my heel, stomped toward him, and proceeded to explain very loudly and profanely that my hearing was just fine, but he wouldn't be if he said another word :)

Off to Athens!

I recently asked a colleague what he thought of Greece; his reply: "It's like Europe took a big (bleep) and Greece came out".  As far as Athens is concerned, I'm now inclined to agree, but I'm glad I went.  I wanted to go because as a student of history, I just had to walk in the footsteps of the founders of Western civilization, who gave democracy to the world.

I got into Athens with no problems, and made my way to my hostel.  It was in a pretty sketchy area; though, I've read that the area has improved.  I do have to say, I only saw one adult movie theatre...

Athens has been home to mankind for perhaps 10,000 years or more, and a site of importance for maybe 3,500 years.  Its history as most know it dates to some 2,500 years ago.  It sits atop a number of hills and is bounded by several mountains.  The primary focus of my trip to Athens was to visit the Acropolis, an ancient citadel that sits on a flat area about 500 feet above Athens, with a number of important buildings, the Parthenon probably being the most noted.
These are a pair of (borrowed) pics, looking up to the Acropolis, and looking out from up on high:



I had some pretty cool views!  I also visited the Agora, which was the center of ancient Athenian society, plus, the stadium that was the site of the first modern Olympic games in 1896.  I also saw the changing of the guards at the Parliament building; the ceremony is noted for the unique manner in which the guards walk:


I have to admit I'm missing the American autumn, and while Christmas night in Rome last year was amazing, it would've been nice to have been home.  Though only the first week of November, I loved seeing this (SELFIE ALERT):

Now, there is a thing of beauty, and the statue...

I kept up my streak of threatening to beat someone going when I went to buy a subway ticket and a guy offered to 'help'.  Of course, he would then want money for his assistance.  This ain't my first rodeo.  He moved in very aggressively, and I immediately went to Def Con 5.  His eyes were like saucers, but I think he was too stunned to move.  When I stepped toward him with a fist cocked, he got the message.  Why this happens to me all the time is a mystery to me.

Finally, to Budapest!

Almost a century-and-a-half ago, west-bank Buda, Obuda (old Buda) and east-bank Pest became the unified city of Budapest, an absolutely gorgeous city split by the Danube River that is the capital of Hungary.  It has a wild history that I don't even know where to begin to tell it, that has produced an interesting culture, and a language that is exceedingly difficult to speak.  But it sure is a beautiful place!
While at my hostel in Athens I had a private room, so that was a step down in excitement from Istanbul.  I was in a dorm room again in Budapest.  There were a few females in my room, but, alas, a group of pleasant middle-aged ladies :(
I took one of those "Hop On, Hop Off" tours that included a boat segment.  The bridges were all very different, but all nice to see.  The major attractions in Budapest are perhaps the Royal Palace atop Castle Hill in Buda and the Parliament building in Pest, along with St. Stephen's Basilica and the Great Synagogue.  Here are respective photos of the latter four:

 



Whew!  What a wacky week that was - it was exhausting, what with 6 flights in 9 days (the last 2 with a pair of colleagues who were certainly the worse for wear ;) but it was worth it.

Christmas break can't get here soon enough - the travel itinerary is set...

And there's no way I trade a few more dollars in my pocket I could've spent
For a day that I'll never forget
No, I didn't get a thing done
But I sure soaked up every minute of the memory...
And I count it all as time well wasted...

"Take A Back Road"

Sit in that six lane backed up traffic
Horns are honking, I've about had it
I'm looking for an exit sign
Gotta get out of here, get it all off my mind
 
And it makes me wanna take a back road
Makes me wanna take the long way home
Throw a little gravel in my travel
Unwind, unravel all night long

Thanks to Rodney Atkins for supplying the title to the blog post this week!  Hijinks on the highway was the inspiration, but back to that in a moment.  Monday morning saw a return to the classroom after a week off revolving around the most important Islamic holiday on the calendar.  It's not yet 8 in the a.m. and several of my students wander in to reconnect after the break.  One is more than eager to share a photo from his family's celebration.  It looked very similar to this photo taken from the Internet:



Other students regaled me with tales of eating sheep's' brains, tongues, vital organs, eyeballs and testicles.  Some may or may not be true, and I am not the squeamish type, but it was a little too early for this, and my stomach was literally turning.  Thanks, fellas...

Monday night brought more comedy.  I live one block removed from a couple of heavily trafficked roads in a commercial area; on Monday I went to cross one of them during evening rush.  At an opportune moment I darted from behind a car toward the other side.  All of a sudden I'm cradling my left wrist in pain - what the heck happened?!  About 20 feet to my right, a middle-aged man is stopped on his scooter, with his face in his hands.  I start to connect the dots.  Yup, I punched the guy in the face as he was zipping by on my left passing right-lane traffic.  I was watching the cars and trucks, never noticing him quickly sneaking up on me, and he certainly didn't expect me to jump out and whack him.  He had a 2-inch cut under his right eye, and it for sure was going to swell.  We really couldn't communicate.  I just kept apologizing, and he was probably silently cursing his luck he was half my size and didn't have a gun at that instant.

I didn't assault anyone on Tuesday.

On Wednesday after school I made my way over to the section of the city called Oasis.  It's a nice enough area, though I'd say the name is a bit of an exaggeration.  There is a place there called La Maison D'Enfants Lalla Hasnaa - the Lalla Hasnaa Children's Home, an orphanage carrying the name of Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasnaa, it's honorary leader.  It is funded by the government to provide for the care of and education for 250+ children, including some with disabilities, from ages birth to 6 years.

I learned of this place late last year and decided when I returned this fall I wanted to volunteer there.  Some ladies I work with made the introductions at a visit several weeks ago.  Apparently, I am something of an anomaly (gotta use my colleague's vocab words!).  It wouldn't be a stretch to say a male caring for these children is virtually unheard of.  Anyway, I took a form, managed to figure out what this application said and filled it out correctly. 

The other day I met with the director so she could sign off on my being with the children.  Her English was barely better than my French; I did take away from the meeting that I shouldn't be caring for newborns, but she was pleased that I was a special education teacher.  She even asked if I wanted to stay that afternoon.  I hadn't planned on that, but sure!  I enjoyed playing with a pair of older toddlers at first in an activity/treatment room.  Then a small group of younger toddlers came in.  The caregiver asked me in French what my name was, I replied, then I heard her speak to the kids, saying something I couldn't understand except for the words "Uncle Jack", at which point the group turned and most ran at me looking for hugs and kisses.  I scared the pooh out of a couple.  I went back at my prescribed time Saturday morning.  When the first two saw me they immediately remembered and had big smiles on their face.  Another was brought in, took one look at me, and ran away screaming.  Patience.  All in all it was a lot of fun and I look forward to going back.  I can't take photos of course, but here are a few links in case you're curious:

association-ihssane.org

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maison-denfants-Lalla-Hasnaa/195961177163703

http://www.indh.gov.ma/fr/doc/presentation_Habiba_ALAOUI.pdf

On Saturday night I went to an 80's-themed Halloween at a colleagues beachfront pad in Dar Bouazza to the south of Casa.  The joint was awesome and everyone's costumes were hysterical.  Four people came as Ghostbusters.  Lots of high hair (and a great mullet!)  A punk chick and a Madonna look-alike.  Walk like an Egyptian!  I stepped straight out of The Preppy Handbook.  Pink shirt with collar up and a red Ralph Lauren Chaps sweater thrown over my shoulders, light-colored khakis and boat shoes with no socks, with 40-dirham "Ray-Bans" to complete the ensemble.  Completely authentic!  Not certain if it's a good thing or a bad one that, unlike all of my colleagues who went to the souk at Hay Hassani to find clothing, all I had to do was go into my closet to show exactly how I dressed 25 years ago...I don't have a lot of photos at hand, but believe me it was totally radical!

One week, then off to Istanbul, Athens and Budapest!  See y'all in a couple...

Tear down some two-lane country, who knows
Get lost and get right with my soul
Makes wanna take, makes me wanna
Take a back road
 
Some old back road, get right with my soul
Now all I gotta do is take some old back road
To the shady spot where things get hot...
Way down, way down, way down some old back road

"London Calling"

London calling, yes, I was there, too
An' you know what they said? Well, some of it was true!
London calling at the top of the dial
After all this, won't you give me a smile?
London calling...

A couple of weeks ago, it was declared that the most important Islamic holiday of the year was going to be observed with days off on Wed 16 - Thurs 17 Oct.  Later, the Minister of Education mandated that all Moroccan schools were to be closed Tues - Fri; my school then added Mon 14 and the mad rush was on to schedule travel for the 9 days total vacation.  The night before the last work day I furiously tried to make plans to go to London and somewhere else, which became Dublin.  Of course, my computer went on the fritz and I finished buying airline tix and reserving hostel rooms and printing boarding passes at a tiny cyber joint I managed to find in the neighborhood.  This was going to be an adventure...

Air Arabia did a good job getting me from Casa to London Gatwick.  It was nice being able to "speak the language" so I had no trouble getting directions to the place where I was staying.  The London Underground a/k/a The Tube is the world's oldest subway system, but was not too difficult to navigate.  My hostel was in a perfectly nice area in Central London just around the corner from a big station.  So far, so good...

Because of problems with my cell phone, I was going to actually have to use that dinosaur known as a payphone to call the tour company.  Here is an exterior photo:

I can't show you an interior photo, because this is a family-friendly forum.  I was a bit surprised when I entered the booth; I had forgotten that inside these booths one may find advertisements from ladies offering to spend time with you, for a fee.  I declined.  Little did I know that later that evening at about 2:30 a.m. I got something of a show anyway.  I was sleeping in a top bunk and the young couple in the bunk beneath me got a little frisky...May I also say I LOVE English accents on women!

Next day began with a trip to Stonehenge.  As soon as I took my seat in the very front of the bus I fell asleep.  When I woke up about an hour later I nearly had a heart attack!  He was driving on the wrong side of the highway!!  Oh, yeah...

Stonehenge was a bit of a disappointment; it was just a pile of rocks.  I'm sure everyone knows the theories, etc.  Let's just move on to some pics:

After I returned to London I walked about the city some and went to the British Museum, considered one of the world's greatest museums.  Maybe the most famous artifact among the 13 million items it holds is the Rosetta Stone.  It was a real "rock" star; it was tough to snap a pic...

 

That night I went to a casino that had a bar showing all the NFL games live each on their own big-screen TV.  Hot waitresses barely wearing jerseys, cigars - I don't believe in heaven, and if there actually is one, I know I surely ain't going, but if there is one, I imagine the scene around me is what it would resemble...

Oh yeah, here is a photo from the casino bathroom.  Yes, it is a 2-way window...

 

The next day I took one of those "Hop On, Hop Off" tours.  I got there bright and early and snagged a front row seat in the upper deck.  I wound up spending hours driving all around the city listening to the audio tour.  The history was amazing!

Look, kids - Big Ben!  Parliament!  (Name that movie reference)

Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, St. Paul's Cathedral - the list goes on and on and on as I sat on that bus all day long :)  One place I thought was particularly is one you may not be aware of, and that is Speaker's Corner (the original and most famous, at the NE corner of Hyde Park).  Ever wonder where originated the phrase "on a soapbox" came from?  I know now, and as an American, I'm not very impressed with English so-called freedom of speech.

The Tower Bridge:

I took a tour just of the Tower of London.  Amazing place.  My hairs stand on end and my goosepimples get goosepimples when I stand on the grounds of places like this:

Some more photos, including one of me with the Yeoman Warder who gave our tour (I told him I forgave him for his taking a shot during the tour at people from my native area who murder the English language):

I can't even begin to list all the places I visited in my brief time.  I did take a pair of photos that have some kitschy value to them.  The first is of 221B Baker Street; you should be able to figure out the famous "resident" of that site:

This one will be much harder...

Try imagining it taken from in/the other side of the street...

 

Yes, I was in the crosswalk at the Abbey Road studio made famous by the iconic album cover.  I couldn't get anyone to stand in traffic to get a better re-creation :(  Still, my favorite photo of the whole vacation.

One last one before my flight to the Emerald Isle - where it all began...

Off to Dublin!

Thanks to Ryanair for a brief and uneventful journey.  I took a bus to the City Centre (where the 398-foot Spire monument is) to catch a tram to my hostel.  I checked in around 3:30; the guy at the desk said: "Here is your keycard, there is the elevator, and the bar is open".  It was already doing good business.  I was gonna like this place.  Better yet, it was literally next door to the old Jameson distillery.  I added that to my itinerary before the Guinness storehouse the next day.

FIRE ALARM!

But thanks to the buxom young blonde in the bunk next to me.  (Unfortunately that means the adjacent bunk, not her physically next to me :(  I should also add (or not) that I loved the plethora of "gingers" running around.  These (1/4) Irish eyes were a-smilin'...

The distillery opened at 9, the tour began at 10.  I was chosen as one of the volunteer tasters.  This is at about 10:30 a.m. when I'm taking shots of Jack Daniel's, scotch and Jameson's, plus a big glass of Jameson's with ginger ale and lime.  I had a scone for breakfast and rarely drink - how could this possibly go wrong?

I made my way next to the Guinness tour.  We learned how to drink our Guinness, then I was again chosen as a volunteer to learn how to pour the proper pint.  The whisky is starting to kick in by this time, and it took me twice to put the glass under the correct tap, and three times to pull the tap, not push it.  I finished that pint with my Guinness & beef stew; the other photo is a view from the Gravity bar at the storehouse...

It's now 1p.m. and. I. am. bombed.  annihilated.  obliterated.  I am usually good for one impromptu drunken night per year; this one took place during the daytime, as I stumbled the streets of Dublin.  This often came in handy:

The National Leprechaun Museum - yes, such a place exists...

Did a little walking tour before I made my way back to England to end up at home in Casa.  Saw (respectively) Saint Patrick's Cathedral (founded 1191. largest church in Ireland), Christ Church Cathedral (founded c. 1028, the oldest church in Ireland), Trinity College (dates to 1592, holds the famed Book of Kells) and Dublin Castle...

Alas, and alack, all good things must come to and end.  I cannot wait to go back...

The ice age is coming, the sun's zooming in
Engines stop running, the wheat is growing thin
A nuclear error, but I have no fear
'Cause London is drowning, and I live by the river...