mooching free wifi off a burger king)
This is our first pint of Guinness in Dublin - wait for the full post
to see why it was so sweet.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Dublin
mooching free wifi off a burger king)
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Dublin, Ireland
This is what we looked like when we arrived in Dublin. AT 4:30 AM. Dublin, we discovered, is a city that likes to sleep in. It also frequently rains. We found our way to the hotel and dropped off our bags and went out into the early morning city in search of coffee and something to do. Neither of us slept much on the plane, but we were excited to be there.
About 2 hours later we found the first place in the city that was open and serving coffee. This improved my mood drastically. We were wearing shorts and tee shirts and no one was around anyway to give us funny looks. After holing up in a cafe and eating a crepe for breakfast it started drizzling. Then raining. Then pouring. By the time if finally let up we were getting funny looks all over from the people heading to work at 8:30 or 9. This was because it had gotten quite cold. We braved the rain, made it back to the hotel and crashed in the lobby. After a few hours of wishing we were in bed and staring at the hotel clerks, our room was ready and we went upstairs and passed out for a bit. Spang arrived, crashed for a bit, then we all headed out for a beer.
Our first Dublin Guinness!! Can you see the Shamrock in it? Wonderful.
The next day, as Spang was recovering from his evening, we walked around the city and checked out Dublin Castle. Later in the day we all walked down to the River Liffey.
Boston Mass
Our last stop in the states was in Boston. It was an interesting place to be because while we both went to college there, we had never been there together. It was cool to see how different our perceptions of the city were (more specifically, that I had never lived in Boston. I was however much more knowledgeable about the finer points of the Allston/Brighton area).
We arrived on Saturday night and went to Boston Beer Works for dinner and then to some Fenway bars (see the map for more). The following morning we woke up and went to Moogy's so I could have an excuse to eat a cheese steak with onion rings for breakfast (Boston was not the healthiest eating place for us).
After breakfast on Sunday we took a walk down Newbury Sreet to the public gardens where we got a very official swan boat picture.
It should also be noted that it was about 85 degrees with 90% humidity. We had to fake it to smile there. If you zoom in you can see sweat.
On Monday we took a trip to the Sam Adams Brewery in Jamaica Plain. Our friend Cait recently started giving tours there. She did a great job even though we were trying to make her laugh.
The tour included free tastings of 3 different Sam Adams beers and you got to keep the glasses
Ali looks so dubious here because it is not yet noon on a Monday and we are drinking. again.
Oh well. After a thorough lesson on how to taste beer, we got down to it and sampled the Boston Lager, Sam Summer, and the Boston draught exclusive, Brick Red, a delicious Irish Red style ale only available on tap in Boston bars.
It was a great tour/tasting. I even agreed to make the $2 donation.
For the rest of the trip we tried to see as much as possible while finding ways to beat the heat. This meant "seeing things" such as air-conditioned bars and malls. Ali did get her honey mustard from Crossroads though.
On Tuesday evening we left Boston for Dublin and a 5:15 a.m. arrival. More to come from there.
We arrived on Saturday night and went to Boston Beer Works for dinner and then to some Fenway bars (see the map for more). The following morning we woke up and went to Moogy's so I could have an excuse to eat a cheese steak with onion rings for breakfast (Boston was not the healthiest eating place for us).
After breakfast on Sunday we took a walk down Newbury Sreet to the public gardens where we got a very official swan boat picture.
It should also be noted that it was about 85 degrees with 90% humidity. We had to fake it to smile there. If you zoom in you can see sweat.On Monday we took a trip to the Sam Adams Brewery in Jamaica Plain. Our friend Cait recently started giving tours there. She did a great job even though we were trying to make her laugh.
The tour included free tastings of 3 different Sam Adams beers and you got to keep the glasses
Ali looks so dubious here because it is not yet noon on a Monday and we are drinking. again.
Oh well. After a thorough lesson on how to taste beer, we got down to it and sampled the Boston Lager, Sam Summer, and the Boston draught exclusive, Brick Red, a delicious Irish Red style ale only available on tap in Boston bars.
It was a great tour/tasting. I even agreed to make the $2 donation.For the rest of the trip we tried to see as much as possible while finding ways to beat the heat. This meant "seeing things" such as air-conditioned bars and malls. Ali did get her honey mustard from Crossroads though.
On Tuesday evening we left Boston for Dublin and a 5:15 a.m. arrival. More to come from there.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
New Braunfels, Texas
Ali and I arrived in San Antonio after a smooth flight. We were picked up at the airport for a quick drive to New Braunfels. We were dropped off at Shelley's (Ali's sister) office and went back to her place.
Ali had been intrigued by the ever-present Sonic's on our drive. Sonic advertises during ever single commercial break in San Diego, yet somehow the closest one is about 90 miles away. It never seemed worth driving 90 miles for some random combination of fruit juice and soda. But now there were some within easy driving distance. So before we got down to business we made a Sonic run. I had been jonesing for the Frito Chili Cheese Wrap (seen below) for years, but I froze up when we actually got there and didn't order one. Instead, we ordered a Cranberry LimeAde. It was happy hour...for fruit juice. Grand total $1.02.
Next we headed to Shelley's place. The Comal River runs right behind it. When it's been over 100 degrees for about a month straight, you gotta do what you can to beat the heat. Shelley gets to come toss a tube in the river right behind her house and lounge all afternoon. This was a more secluded part of the river so we were the only ones lounging around, but other parts of the river were packed with tubers enjoying beverages.
We cooked blue cheese burgers and Shelley's neighbor brought over spicy venison sausage. It was delicious.
On Thursday we went to Schlitterbahn, America's favorite waterpark. We got in early to ride the Master Blaster (uphill tube ride) among others. We also manned (and womanned) up to ride the SkyCoaster. Basically you wear vests, get strapped onto a wire, and elevated to 180 feet at which point you pull a rip cord and get dropped into a free fall. Being held in only by a vest directly above concrete does not sit well with my fear of falling from high places, but it was a rush. Sadly no pictures of either the water park (water) or SkyCoaster (did not want to drop camera). Here's the general idea though:
On Thursday night Ali's friend Tara and her parents were nice enough to let us join them for a birthday dinner. It was very generous of them and they made us feel very welcome.
We have another day-plus in Texas. We are heading into Austin today for Tara's birthday and will probably explore the finer points of the New Braunfels nightlife tonight. Then off to Boston.
(Side Note: I'm trying to embed specific parts of our larger map, but can't figure out how it works. I try to zoom in and get a link to embed that part of the map, but can't seem to figure out how to swing it. If anybody is technically skilled enough to either 1) let me know how to do it, or 2) let me know that it can't be done and I will need to start a specific map for each city, any help is appreciated.)
Ali had been intrigued by the ever-present Sonic's on our drive. Sonic advertises during ever single commercial break in San Diego, yet somehow the closest one is about 90 miles away. It never seemed worth driving 90 miles for some random combination of fruit juice and soda. But now there were some within easy driving distance. So before we got down to business we made a Sonic run. I had been jonesing for the Frito Chili Cheese Wrap (seen below) for years, but I froze up when we actually got there and didn't order one. Instead, we ordered a Cranberry LimeAde. It was happy hour...for fruit juice. Grand total $1.02.
Next we headed to Shelley's place. The Comal River runs right behind it. When it's been over 100 degrees for about a month straight, you gotta do what you can to beat the heat. Shelley gets to come toss a tube in the river right behind her house and lounge all afternoon. This was a more secluded part of the river so we were the only ones lounging around, but other parts of the river were packed with tubers enjoying beverages.
We cooked blue cheese burgers and Shelley's neighbor brought over spicy venison sausage. It was delicious.
On Thursday we went to Schlitterbahn, America's favorite waterpark. We got in early to ride the Master Blaster (uphill tube ride) among others. We also manned (and womanned) up to ride the SkyCoaster. Basically you wear vests, get strapped onto a wire, and elevated to 180 feet at which point you pull a rip cord and get dropped into a free fall. Being held in only by a vest directly above concrete does not sit well with my fear of falling from high places, but it was a rush. Sadly no pictures of either the water park (water) or SkyCoaster (did not want to drop camera). Here's the general idea though:On Thursday night Ali's friend Tara and her parents were nice enough to let us join them for a birthday dinner. It was very generous of them and they made us feel very welcome.
We have another day-plus in Texas. We are heading into Austin today for Tara's birthday and will probably explore the finer points of the New Braunfels nightlife tonight. Then off to Boston.
(Side Note: I'm trying to embed specific parts of our larger map, but can't figure out how it works. I try to zoom in and get a link to embed that part of the map, but can't seem to figure out how to swing it. If anybody is technically skilled enough to either 1) let me know how to do it, or 2) let me know that it can't be done and I will need to start a specific map for each city, any help is appreciated.)
Monday, August 10, 2009
Bon Voyage
After a week of moving, cleaning up the old house, getting our affairs in order, cleaning up the Point Loma house (thanks for letting us crash!) and packing, we are all ready to go.
So here is our final temporary itinerary:
- We leave San Diego tomorrow (Wednesday morning)
- August 12-15: New Braunfels, Texas where we will visit Shelley and Tara, spend a day at Schlitterbahn, and go on the SkyCoaster. Currently expected to be 105 degrees F with approximately the same humidity percentage.
- August 15-18: Boston, Mass to visit friends and go to places we miss from college (these include Moogy's, Roggie Happy Hour, Crossroads, and Oiishi. You can probably guess who picked what.
- August 19-22: Dublin, Ireland. We land at 5:30 a.m. If anybody knows of any early morning breakfast places that provide cots, it might be necessary. Spang will be joining us.
- August 22-25: München (Munich), Germany. We couldn't stomach paying for a few nights of Oktoberfest lodging so we decided to go before Italy and at least see it. Last time I was there I decided it seemed like a good place to be in the summer when the weather was warmer for biking around the city to the open outdoor beer gardens.
- August 25-30: Some combination of Bolzano, Verona, and Milan, Italy. We are still deciding how many nights to stay in each place and looking for accommodation. It is opera season in Verona so all the hotels are either booked or expensive. Any suggestions are welcome.
- August 30-September 1: Varenna, Lake Como, Italy. Apparently famous people live here. I just want to see it because it is in my favorite movie of all time: Oceans 12.
- September 1-4: Venice. Trying to see it before it sinks. It will also be the International Film Festival and the Bienniale Art Festival. Hopefully they are showing something artsy with subtitles.
- September 4-17: Anywhere we want. We have an apartment rented in Rome on the 17th, but nothing scheduled in between. We will definitely be going to Florence and Siena, but most everything else is up in the air. Bologna is likely. Pisa is a day trip. Lucca? Cinque Terre? Asisi? Perugia? Any suggestions either for overnight stays or day trips are welcomed.
- September 17-24: Rome. We have an apartment in Trastevere. We wanted to get a little bit more into the lifestyle.
Finally, we will be updating our google map as we go along. You can see the big one below, but we will also post a more detailed view of some of the places we go.
View Boondoggle 2009 in a larger map
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Post-Bar, Pre-Trip
The bar was done on July 30. Since then, things have been fairly hectic.
We had a post-party that night that involved Cass St. Bar & Grill followed by the Fox. (Un?)fortunately, there are no pictures from our cameras to relive the night.
The next day we tied a bunch of rafts together with a makeshift anchor and floated in Mission Bay for a few hours. Again, due to the water, no pictures.
Finally, we went up to Bruin Woods for 3 nights to get a quick mini-vacation. Lots of floating by the pool was involved.
The last few days have been spent saying our goodbyes and moving out of our old place. Jim and Marcos from in front of the In n Out were kind enough to help us move all of our big items in a U-Haul. I will never move again.
Things should finally get interesting soon. We will actually start using our own cameras so we can have pictures in posts instead of just boring words.
We leave Wednesday morning. We'll post one last itinerary and pre-departure post.
We had a post-party that night that involved Cass St. Bar & Grill followed by the Fox. (Un?)fortunately, there are no pictures from our cameras to relive the night.
The next day we tied a bunch of rafts together with a makeshift anchor and floated in Mission Bay for a few hours. Again, due to the water, no pictures.
Finally, we went up to Bruin Woods for 3 nights to get a quick mini-vacation. Lots of floating by the pool was involved.
The last few days have been spent saying our goodbyes and moving out of our old place. Jim and Marcos from in front of the In n Out were kind enough to help us move all of our big items in a U-Haul. I will never move again.
Things should finally get interesting soon. We will actually start using our own cameras so we can have pictures in posts instead of just boring words.
We leave Wednesday morning. We'll post one last itinerary and pre-departure post.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
