Some current photos

Tommy is the funniest...I love the 'dragon to meet' line

Hilarious Irish Comedian- Tommy Tiernan

Toronto experience

Its been a hell of a time here in Toronto. First I slipped on snow and hurt the lower back. I still to this day am seeing a Chiropractor who has poked at me so many times. I have had acupuncture, massage and adjustments and still to no prevail. Im not motivated to look into more of Toronto's highlights due to the disability i have. Anyway i soon will be home. I have booked my ticker back to Auss however im surprising most people so I will not blog the date.

At the moment im still working in a Guesthouse in the Annex area of Toronto. It is a great spot. I have alot of Lebanese restaurants that serve the most pristine food. Reminds me of back home with Mirna. I have met the weird and the wonderful while managing this lovely ornate house. It took me 4 months to find a part time job. And after one month of working as a cashier at a health food store i was sacked. That seemed at the time incredibly frustrating however I have now seen that it was a blessing. Standing up wasnt all too good on the back and lifting stuck up peoples groceries was not so shabby either. The health store was the epitome of a lifestyle of paranoia. People were so worried about me scanning their products due to magnetic field properties infecting the molecules of the food. Come on people live a little. Thank god i was out of there. So now im jobless again. Thankgod I have a free roof over my head.

Canadians are very conservative and really are shy. No one says a spontaneous hello and it takes a while before they even talk about themselves to you. Warming up and being quite frank to them immediately, like us aussies are famous for, may be an offence. Toronto boasts itself on resaurants and culture, however I feel that the city is influenced by the US more than they put on. Its fast paced and has a 70's vibe. Hard to explain. The archeitecture is fab. The snow was shocking and terrential rains were odd for a city. The city also has distingused and developed 'areas' that you can visit and feel like you in a village. There is the likes of 'Little Italy', 'Little India', 'Greektown', 'Kensington Market' and of course a 'Chinatown', the biggest in North America. Toronto also has the highest tower, CN Tower and the longest inland sand beach.


I'm also concentrating on my artwork more and more since being here. Toronto is full of artists and musos who smoke the weed and get no sleep. thats probably why they seem quite. The brains arent really up to it. I have in my spare time...which is practically every hour, painting bursts. Here are a few of my paintings using arcylic.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielaineurope/sets/72157600130189651/detail/

FlatIron Building

FlatIron Building
Originally uploaded by fachxx00.

Times Square NYC

Times Square NYC
Originally uploaded by fachxx00.

Snow rocks!

Snow rocks!
Originally uploaded by fachxx00.

Funny Bill on U2

Canada here I come!

Using American airlines website today I booked and paid with credit card my ticket to Toronto!The date is confirmed for my arrival into Toronto. Wednesday December 2oth 2006. The itinerary is as follows:

• 
  20/12/06 Depart Dublin 9.00am- Stopover in London Heathrow
  Grab connecting flight to New York
  20/12/06 Arrive 14.45 New York JFK
  Grab connecting flight to Toronto
  Arrive Toronto 19.00 Pearson International Toronto
  

From there I will have to find with a taxi Marie's apartment. This is so exciting. It is hard to believe that I finally leaving Dublin and my adopted home. In my heart I know I have to leave. Its been an incredible year in Europe. Now its time for Mexico yo yo! Its time to discover the continent of North America and hopefully South America.

Coca Cola International Rules

I had won tickets to see the AFL players battle it out with the Irish GAA players. Gaelic Football is a great sport, however the Australians I think let everyone down with alot of voilence on the field. Barry Hall was so angry. One of the Irish players was knocked unconcious. I had an argument with an Irish supporter because he shouted out that all the Aussies belong in jail. I had a go at him for it. The fanatics where there supporting our AFL players and I was amongst the Irish fans. Typical!. I was wearing my recently purchased Australian flag wrapped over my back. I had a few beers at the Big Tree Pub down the road from Croke park. It was absolutley chockers! Australia won the cup and unfortunately Ireland were very angry after the match. They are still reporting in the news just how voilent the AFL players where. Coach Kevin Sheedy should be embarrassed. The news is reporting back home in Australia and over here in Ireland that they want to scrap the series all together. "Australians are too voilent". Well sorry! Overall the day was entertaining. Its a pity that they wouldnt show the 'punch ons' on the big screen, the Irish children where watching, a big no no! Go Australia!! Check out the so called horror show write up here..http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/story.jsp?story=713279

Message to Marie

“Once we begin to see travel as an inner journey, it is possible to turn every trip we take into a spiritual practice—a hero’s adventure that enlivens our hearts and enlarges our souls. Travel becomes a spiritual experience for us when we are conscious at every moment that our physical transportation from place to place has a metaphysical counterpart. Understanding that, the road takes us inexorably to an encounter with the ‘stranger’ at the heart of the journey—the transformed self.”–Joseph Dispenza, The Way of the Traveler

Climbing Mt Vesuvius

Climbing Mt Vesuvius
Originally uploaded by fachxx00.

Amalfi

Amalfi
Originally uploaded by fachxx00.

Part II- Italy Sept 15th-2nd October

Part 2
We left from Tropea in the morning and decided to try again with Maropati. We made out way to Rosarno again backtracking down the west coast and grabbed a taxi (who ripped us off) for a 20 min ride to centre of Maropati. Now imagine you are arriving into a deserted ghost town and have no idea what to expect and then it rains heavily. You are carrying backpacks and you hair is in shambles. Well that was me and my brother. We called home and spoke to George who directed us on how to find his family. We stopped at a resturant that was shut (siesta btw 1pm-5pm) and I glanced at this guy who came out and finally we found the man. The house was so cute. Hanging chillies and lemon trees. We had dinner and was lucky enough to sleep over. The family showed us the surrounding town of Cinquefonti, where they shop etc. Maropati was a gem. Im glad I had the rare experience of staying in a small secluded italian village. They gave us a lift to the train station in Rosarno and we were on our way to Salerno. 3 hours with Eurostar. The landscape throughout Calabria is beautiful. Lemon and oranges. It reminded me of a wet north Queensland.

Amalfi coast
Impressions
Salerno to Amalfi. The windy road was hard to swallow. I felt sick. We did have to wait nearly 2 hours for a bus to the Amalfi coast when we arrived at Salerno train station, so I was already in a shitty mood. The towns each had stops, so starts with Ravello, Atrani, Amalfi etc until Positano. It reminder me of the Great Ocean road in Victoria. This is the part of my trip where I realised that Italy is a little too romantic, yet dull for your party animals like me. I was slightly bored however I used the time to get a nice tan and enjoy the clearest ocean water I have seen. The ocean falls deep fast yet you can still see to the bottom. The smallest of pebbles line the shore. We found a hostel in Artani, which is a 10 min walk from Amalfi. The hostel was large. I couldnt stand the shower and toilet in one. Disgusting.
Atrani has its own resident goose who attacks tourists on the beach. A cafe in the little piazza was great. Happy hour 6-8pm each night. I had a great cocktail Ameretto. The food was reasonably priced compared to Amalfi. We had dinner one night in Amalfi and the squid was like rubber. The worst ever tasted. I then wished for a moment I was back in Australia somewhere in a Sydney seafood restaurant. The nerve!
Positano is positively the most photographed of all the towns. We took a ferry from Amalfi which took and hour and cost €5.50. Approaching the town is great because you can see it from the ocean and freak out how pretty it is and how courageous the people of this region where to build on the coastline of mountain range. We stayed on the Positano beach for the day and had a picnic. The sand at this beach was dark grey. Frank loved the beach setting that much he brought his own Positano towel. The actually town has one or two major streets and heaps of steps. There was a pleasant gathering of shops selling souvenirs, pastries, local crafts and wines. And of course the famous Limoncello lemon liquer. The small factory was a must see. I tasted red bull flavoured gelati, ewww. There wasnt any huge sights to see, just a relaxing time. The most prominent was the Amalfi Duomo which dominates the central square, dedicated to Saint Andrew, originally founded in the 9th century. It is a lovely Romanesque style church. I would hate to see the Amalfii coast during summer period because it isnt large enough to facilitate large crowds. From Amalfi we wanted to go to the Island of Capri, but due to time constraints we decided that spending the day lying on the Amalfi beach was all we cared about. After three nights in Amalfi we left for Sorrento. We took another ferry which took 1.5 hours via Positano and to Sorrento. The ferry was exciting cause we sat at the bow and felt the wind in our face. My lips were peeling for days after.

Sorrento
Impressions
Approaching Sorrento via ferry seemed daunting. I felt engulfed by a city again and coming from the small beach towns of Amalfi, it wasnt at all exciting. Once we walked endlessly to the hostel called La Sirene, Frank decided that he was heading off earlier to Rome. He felt that Sorrento wasnt beneficial for him, yet I knew that Pompei was an hour away. So Frank emotionally cut the ties with me after 2 weeks in Italy and because I hadnt seen him in a year, and may not see him again for another year, I did shed a tear. So I was alone and the hostel was practically empty. How am I going to keep myself entertained. Soldiering on, I booked myself into a tour for Pompei the next day. I strolled around Sorrento taking in the large number of English and Irish tourists. Sorrento is the perfect place to visit if you have never visited Italy before. It has all the features of an Italian holiday in one compact area. You have access to Amalfi, Naples, Capri and Pompei. There is great shopping and heaps of english tourists so your set. There is small narrow lanes and all weekend the major street Corso Italia becomes a party, as the street is cut off to traffic. Heaps of people looking into shops and eating gelati. I had a pizza to myself and ate it on the street. The atmosphere was great. I had dinner at the Rosso Leon, GREAT food. It was a welcoming change from the Amalfi coast food. Well inexpenive great food anyway. I brought some goodies from the supermarket also to take back to Dublin. Squid Ink stained pasta (black) being a unique find.

Pompeii
Impressions
I joined a tour bus in the morning on Sunday the 1st of October. The tour guide was informative and told us all about the region. We arrived at MtVesuvius and we had to climb the bloody volcano. Most were unable and they were breathing funny. I had a stick like some crazed hiker. The soil was lava ash and red. I felt I may be on Mercury or some other planet. The view over Naples was the best view of a city ever perhaps considering I was on top of a Volcano navigating myself around an active crater. It was absolutley exhilarating. Bring it on! Check out my photos. http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielaineurope/sets/72157594313928386/
After Mt Vesuvius, the tour headed to Pompeii or should I call it Pimpeii. The town which was destroyed by the ash, not the lava, of Mt Vesuvius's eruption back in 79AD, was impeccibly preserved. I couldnt believe the preservation of certain paintings (frescos) that were of erotic nature based in a brothel. They were dirty minded people back then I swear. HEHE. There is even an etched image of a penis on the road. The excavations are still being completed after 200 years from the first discovery of the town. Its huge and dam facinating. However next time I would prefer to have seen it without a tour, really take up the atmosphere. We were in and out of particular sights like a fish out of water. Disappointing to say the least. Despite that we had a good meal and comfort transport. There was fascinating aspects of Pompeii. They used to have 'Roller Dolls' for there houses? The chariot markings are still visible in the roads and the stepping stone crossing are remarkable. Overall I loved visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It was now time for me to get my things together and head back home to Dublin. I had to go via Naples and catch a train via Caserta to Bari. It was a whole day experience. Left Sorrento at 10am and arrive on my plan at 8.30pm. Had to saty in Naples for 2 hours, so went for a walk with my backpack on, well you know what they say about Naples, well its true. People asking you questions, African street sellers trying to sell fake designer bags. (whoops I ended up buying a Gucci one) and the overall dirt. I was in an out of trains. I also had a panic attack and a bit of crying because in Bari, I was incorrectly directed by some mad man bus driver who thought I said 'Port' not 'Airport'. I had to resort to a taxi for the airport, thankgod I got there with 10 mins to spare. Finally I arrived in London Stanstead at midnight and went through excruciating painful passport check and then having to sleep on the floor amongst other tightarses to catch my 6.30am Dublin flight. What a nightmare! yet a absolute blast. I think I will keep those memories for life. The best thing about Italy was swimming in Cinque Terra and climbing the Volcano. The worst was Bari directions, Amalfi so called squid and the heckling street merchants in Naples. .....but would do it all again if given the chance!

Inspiring Art

Came across this Youtube.com video of a Japanese artist creating the most amazing art work. Pity he didnt keep any of it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtzdxseO-gs

Italy Sept 15th - October 2nd (18 Days)

Where do I start? Actually very hard to put 2.5 weeks of Italian bliss into a condensed summary for all the world to see. I can start by saying that Italy is exceptionally beautiful. My favourite areas on this particular trip were Cinque Terra, Sicily and Amalfi Coast.

Cinque Terra
Impressions
I started by flying from Dublin into Bergamo, 7 km from Milan. From there I waited for a bus in the rain to get me to my hostel. I couldnt work out the buses once in Bergamo, so opted for a taxi. It was absolutley pouring. Finally settled into the hostel and in the morning made my way to La Spezia, where I was to meet my brother, Frank, via Milan. At La Spezia train station, I finally saw my brother after a year of seperation. It was trully surreal. He hadnt changed and I felt comfortable with being me. We wanted to see Cinque Terra so we waited for a bus to take us to our hostel in Biassa, however the buses where on strike. We called the hostel and they said to get a train to Riomaggiore. From there a huge climb to the top of the hill with our backpacks to catch the National Park bus.
Biassa was remarkably green, and one girl described the surrounding trees as brocolli. It was such a small village, about 20 mins by bus from Cinque Terra, and to have a hostel there was brilliant. It is recommended. The hostel has a bus service every morning at 9.30 that takes you to the five towns of Cinque Terra. The five towns are Heritage listed and unique to Italy. You can only access them via train and bus. Riomaggiore was beautiful. Frank and I spent 3 nights at this hostel and we had a great insight into the village lifestyle by attending meals at a pizzeria/house with a family. They were incredibly hospitable. Grappa was the main contender in the relaxing nights we spent there. Vernazza also one of the small villages was magic. Imagine feeling like your in a movie set for a romance film. I couldnt believe that in the 13th century these towns were built with such elegance, yet surrounded by the most jagged rock. It would have to be my favourite place in the North of Italy. I went for a swim in the ocean and while floating, took in the breathtaking beauty of the village. Its so colourful. Look at this photo.
Monterosso, another town of Cinque Terra, was quaint and more spread over the shoreline. We ate in the rain with the locals. They were making anchovy rolls al fresco. They were delectable. The anchovies were so fresh.

After 4 days in the region of Liguria Italy, we headed to Florence. We were not going to go via Florence because I had already seen it, but one night wouldnt have hurt Frank. You have to go to Florence when you come to Italy. I adore Florence. The Art and lavishness of the buildings and sculpture. Frank got to see what its all about. The view at Michelangelo Piazza is awe-inspiring. We strolled into museums and took in the well-proportioned David sculpture, something I didnt see last time in Florence. Michelangelo Buonarotti was a genius. David is sexy even if he is meant to be only 15 years of age.

Sicily
Impressions
From Florence we needed to decide if we were going to see Amalfi coast first or Sicily first. Sicily would be a better option because we could do a 360 back to Rome. On the train from Florence to Rome a lady had her luggage stolen. I felt extremely paranoid as I had helped her move her luggage and then she sat down. Before we left the platform, her luggage was taken off the train by some arse. There was also this suspicious man on the next carriage. It just gave me the creeps the whole way there. Once in Rome, we took a connecting train to Cittadivecchia. We had to walk through the ferry docks to find the ticket office for the SNAV ferry. Finally we jumped onto the ferry. The sunset was spectacular. Took an elevator to out floor and settled in. The food was like a canteen and I ended up slipping over on a stairwell because my thongs were just not gripping. You’d come inside feeling like a salted eel.
After 17 hours and an uncomfortable sleep we arrived in Palermo, Sicily. We had no idea of what to expect. Frank was apprehensive of staying in the city and I wanted to see the beaches. We walked through the streets of Palermo and discovered the local markets buzzing with atmosphere. Also we stopped for a breather at Quattro Canti and witnessed an accident. Felt so sorry for the bloke. He was crying. After an internet pit stop, we settled on a bed and breakfast in Mondello. Mondello is 20 mins from Palermo by bus and is sort of your city dweller escape. It has beautiful beaches. The villa was amazing. We thought it was going to be the average bed and breakfast with no views etc. Total opposite occured. We had the view of Mt St. Pellegrino. The place is called La Terrazza and it was 80 euro a night. We had the whole home to ourselves. So we cooked and washed our clothes. We stayed for 3 nights. Each day was spent lying on the beach and enjoying the crystal clear waters of Mondello. The view was to die for.
The next stop on our Italian adventure was Cefalu. We backpacked it around the city for a couple of hours to take it in. We were on our way to Taormina. Cefalu is very Arabic. The influences were clearly apparent. I didn’t feel as if I was in Italy. We went through the streets and took a lot of shots. The place was so picturesque. It was really a beautiful city. The church was magic. The gold Mosaic of the roof was out of this world. Such an ornate church inside, however when outside, it looked very barren. Check out all the photos of Mondello and Cefalu here --- The next stop on our Italian adventure was Cefalu. We backpacked it around the city for a couple of hours to take it in. We were on our way to Taormina. Cefalu is very Arabic. The influences were clearly apparent. I didn’t feel as if I was in Italy. We went through the streets and took a lot of shots. The place was so picturesque. It was really a beautiful city. The church was magic. The gold Mosaic of the roof was out of this world. Such an ornate church inside, however when outside, it looked very barren. Check out all the photos of Mondello and Cefalu here --- http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielaineurope/sets/72157594313781819/

On September 24th we were in Taormina. Cefalu to Taormina Train ride was hell. So boring. We arrived in Taormina without any booked accomodation and it was dark. All we knew was that the lonely planet stated there was a youth hostel somewhere. Frank was getting angry with me because we couldnt find the bloody place. Finally we found it nestled about 10 minutes from the city centre. The girl running it is Aussie and so nice. We actually met up with a girl whom we saw in Cinque Terra. Taormina is luxurious holiday destination. Its better known for its breath taking view of Italy's snow-capped volcano, Mt Etna. It wasnt clear enough for us to see and I really wanted to climb it, however it was just so damn expensive. So we left it and decided to take in the local atmosphere. We ate at a family run restaurant called La Fontana. They were so nice to us and the food was special. I hadnt eaten tasty food like that since leaving Australia! We spent the day walking around the lavish shops and checking out the hugely pebbled grotto beach, which we need to take a cable car down to see. The shore was so pebbled that I fell over trying to get out of the water. The only benefit of a pebbled beach is that there is no sand. We drank on one of the nights we a bunch of backpackers. We only stayed in Taormina for a couple of nights. I wouldnt rate it for fun even though there is a hostel there. Perhaps its more for August tourists.

Calabria
Impressions
We now had to decide if we were going to visit friends of our family in Calabria. We knew it was going to be hard to find them and who knows they might not put us up for the night etc. We took the chance and made our way from Taormina into Messina and over the strait to Reggio di Calabria. From there we asked a few people about this small village called Maropati. We knew it was 20 mins by bus from Rosarno.
It was getting late and after arriving in Reggio during siesta, we were not motivated to bother with Maropati. So we went to a small town called Tropea because we heard there was a hostel there. The train ride proved to be interesting. Most houses in Calabria are unfinished there was also an overgrown soccer stadium. It is the poorest area of Italy. Once in Tropea however that changed. Tropea was like Taormina. Flashy restaurants and the most romantic sunsets. The beach in Tropea was exceptional. The sand was white and fluffy. Check out the photo. Most shops sold chillies and olives which are the biggest produces in Calabria. The calabrese are known for there hot tastes. I tried chilli chocolate. We stayed in a b&b because the hostel was closed after the summer. Seeing that we were coming out of the summer period. the town was still alive with tourists. The town is situated high above the sea level so when we were unfortunately subject to a major electrical storm, we felt as if we were inside it. The rain overnight came down in buckets and the streets looked like rivers. It was all over in the morning. The arancini in Tropea were not as good as in Sicily. Sorry any calabrese reading. We watched some old timers play cards in public and what a display that was. Arguments and sniggering amongst friends. http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielaineurope/sets/72157594313853133/

Potato beach Lagos

Potato beach Lagos
Originally uploaded by fachxx00.

Lagos Grotto trip

Grotto trip
Originally uploaded by fachxx00.

Portugal- Aug 13th-20th (7 Days)

Lagos
Impressions
Amazing! What a place. I flew into Faro with Ryanair and made my way by bus to Lagos. Lagos is so cheap and the beaches are beautiful. I spent my time at Carlos House (hello all) where I met so many great people. We went to jazz bars on the beach and sunbaked all day at Potato Beach one of the grotto beaches surrounded by sandstone cliff faces. I went on a grotto cruise with a sailing ship and went for a dip in the middle of the ocean. I had no tan when I left Dublin and when I got back I was black. I did get severly burnt however when I continued to chat with great people. The country side is littered with small homes adorning terracotta roofs and blinding white cement walls. This is something I love in a home. The town of Lagos is very historical during the Moorish slavery periods. The city shows distinctive signs of the Moorish period. The chimneys are also very unique to anything I have seen before.
Lagos is the best for partying. The waiters serve you drunk aswell. I was dancing on bars and falling in the streets. The best piece of advice is to buy highly gripping shoes with you as the small mosaic tiled roads are slippery. We had fun finding the piri piri chicken take away and witnessed the sun go down on the beach. I had a brillant time and met a great friend, Erin from Toronto who will be staying over with me in Dublin this week and hopefully when I meet up with Marie in Toronto, I can also get Erin to show us the party areas to visit.
I eventually swallowed my disappointment and got a train to Lisbon and checked it out. Lisbon is busy and a metropolis which I was not in the mood for and so opposite to Lagos small town beach vibe. Following that I had to take a 5 hour train to Porto. Slept overnight in a funky hostel and got my flight back to Dublin. The worst is travelling on transport to get to the bloody places you need to see or stay in. Overall Portugal is beautiful, cheap and fun.

Galway Races

My friend from Melbourne Lauren and I went to the famous Galway Races for the August Long Weekend. We were meant to meet her friend she used to work with in Scotland in Galway, however her friend really lived 30 mins by bus from Galway in Tuam. Now Tuam is one heck of a Irish town. Its hilariously quaint and humble. The partying is hard and there is history of the standing and still functioning two beautiful chapels. I however wasnt drinking at all cause I was on antibiotics. Like who ever thought the last summer long wekend in Ireland I would be depriving myself of the drink. Fortunately I had a great time anyway :). We went to Galway and took in the views from the port and was attacked by the endless amount of swans nestling in the bay. We walked to the major catherdral which I have already seen on tour and devoured in some yummy seafood chowder. We mingled with locals and experienced the real Irish tradition of Supermacs at 4 in the monring. Great times and happy days. Slainte'

France, Paris May 19th-21st (3 Days)

Paris
Impressions
A group of my friends and I went to Paris for the weekend in Paris. It is only an hour away from Dublin and only cost me $160 aussie return. The bus ride into Paris from Beauvaris airport (ryanair) was picturesque. Manicured fields of green, yellow and reds lined the horizon. The green leaves on the trees where so sweet. It felt summery. This city reminds me of Melbourne. The trees are the same as they are in Collins Street. I expected Paris to be extremely clean etc however it was still just a typical city. It was looking grim with the weather.

First we took a metro train to Arch di Triumphe which was so so in your face. It was built by Napoleon to commerate his victory and is awesome. It is in the middle od the most nortorius round-about in Europe. Cars are not insured if they have a crash on this round-about. It was huge and fantastic. Then seeing the Eiffel Tower from a far was mind blowing as I came to realise- Im in Paris!!. That night after checking into Hotel which happened to be in Montmarte bonhemian capital of the world, we went to Froggys an Irish pub and drank Desperados. We ended up meeting a Parisan/american artist who took us all back to his studio apartment. Some of us brought he drawings and paintings as you do when you drink alot. It was hilarious.

The next day I couldnt believe I climbed the tower. Four of us took in our breaths at the views. It was windy and the top of the tower was closed. My calf muscles are absolutley killing me right now but it was so worth it. We had a picnic under the tower and ended up sleeping in the warm sun for 2 hours or so and then stayed to watch the dusk time sparkles. Each time I opened my eyes I could see the tower and I had to pinch myself. I played soccer with Americans and streaked a tad, stole their bike and played soccer with French wine casks. It was a fun day.The highlight for me was the Eiffel Tower at night. I felt the romance in the air. On the hour it sparkles for 10 mins. It is magical. That night we ended up in an Aussie bar looking out the window at the Moulin Rouge. Place di Clichy is full of sex shops and amusing erotic museums.

Sunday morning I got up early and ventured to the Louvre on my own.The Louvre Museum is where I got to see Leonardo Di Vinci's world famous Mona Lisa painting. It was smaller than I thought. I couldnt take photos of it. The statue of Winged Victory from Samothrace made in 200BC was absolutely amazing. The Goddess Nike or Victory represents a woman with wings. Nike the shoe company named itself after this sculpture. I walked down the most gorgeous street in Paris-The Champs Elysées. I went into the huge Louis Vitton store there. This is where Mariah Carey filmed her latest Say something video. Shoppers are allowed to bring in their dogs. I was to meet up with A friend at 3pm however because I ruin my mobile with Coca Black in the bag i was an hour early and we missed eachother.

I ate baguettes and custard flans. Drank french wine and listened to french women arguing with their dogs. Paris was great. Loved the Eiffel Tower at night.

Arc de Triomphe

Arc de Triomphe
Originally uploaded by fachxx00.

Roman Forum

Roman Forum
Originally uploaded by fachxx00.

View from Michaelangelo Square

View from Michaelangelo Square
Originally uploaded by fachxx00.

The Grand Canal and me

The Grand Canal and me
Originally uploaded by fachxx00.

Fishing spot in Bassano

Fishing spot in Bassano
Originally uploaded by fachxx00.

The famous Gaudi Lizard

The famous Gaudi Lizard
Originally uploaded by fachxx00.

Spain, Barcelona 5th April- 8th April (3 days)

Barcelona
Impressions
Taking the plane from Venice Treviso to Barcelona was interesting. The Ryanair staff are shocking. The airport was so tiny I thought I was going by byplane to Spain.
Barcelona is something else. Not so different to Rome and London actually. Smoggy and dirty streets. Vespas upon Vespas ride the streets. The biggest difference is there is a beach next to the city and the architecture is unique to any city in the world. You want to see great architecture you need to see Barcelona. Gaudi what a genius. People where a little grubby, um how would you describe them, bohemian! They tend to have more of a slouchy style to italians.
I took in La Sagrada Familia, which is a church that looks like it is melting from a far distance. Its so detailed and so freaky. Gaudi was a crazy mentally deranged genius. However seeing it first hand it has now become my favourite church as it is just so out there! His Park Guell was like a fairy tale. Disneyland of Spain. Mosaic seats and the longest park bench in Europe full of broken colourful tiled mosaics. Its a pity he was killed by a tram. I went also to FC Barcelona stadium. Checked out the Olympic areas where in 1992 the world watched sport for 2 weeks.ha! I had been hanging out to visit Picasso's museum. Wow what an experience. Melbourne's art gallery only houses one painting of Picasso. We need more far out!
La Rambla is the main street strip and is so much fun. Palm trees and very talented street performers everywhere. It reminded me of Dublin at 2am however it was 4pm. People wearing spanish bull fighting hats. Sangria and tapas was the diet for me. Tapas are very expensive though. 5 euro each thats like $7.00 dollars for a piece of tomato with morzarella on it! Sangria is a lovely drink. I spent my nights in Irish pubs yet again haha. Checked out Hard Rock cafe as you do and went to heaps of funky tribal shops. I met some aussies in a pub and some american chicks from Nashville. Barcelona rocks as there is so many tourists. Ola!

Italy -24th Mar - 5th April 2006 (13 days)

Rome
Impressions
From Dublin I flew into Rome one way. I didnt have much of an idea of what to check out in this historical city. So I asked a fellow passenger on board the plane. He lent me his Rome Lonely planet. I really didnt expect to be mesmerised by the amount of history in the one city. My first impressions of Rome where that it was incredibly smoggy. Vespas everywhere. There is more Vespas than pedestrians. They park them in huge rows and turn all the tyres the same way. Women on Vespas dressed in suits and couples laughing through the streets. It was so much a european city. Dublin and London to me are now non Europe. Italy is Europe. You can feel it in the air. Each street has major history. We are talking BC here!. It was so intriguing to visit the Roman Forum where senates would work out political issues they had to face to take over the world. The ruins and especially the Colloseum freaked me out slightly because they were so old. I didnt go into the Colloseum, as the queue was just too long. I visited the oldest building in Rome- The Pantheon. The artist Raphael is buried there. The dome ceiling was cool. Nothing however beats the Vatican Museum. I've now become a lover of Michaelangelo and the Sistine chapel where his famous finger touching painting is. Took him 14 years to paint this chapel and every inch of the walls are painted in amazing images. The detail in all of the Vatican Museum walls was remarkable. How could these people so long ago come up with such detailed paintings. I was amazed. The best church in Italy is St Peters Basilica. This is where Pope John Paul II had his funeral. I was blessed by the Pope surprisingly, along with about 20,000 others in the square outside the church by the newest Pope Benedict. He gave his blessing to the crowd in Italian, french, german then english. Everyone cheered. He is a celebrity! You could hardly see him perched up in his famous window overlooking the square.
The food in Rome is lovely. Pizza and gelati was my daily diet. I dont generally like pizza, however Italy is where it is made simple and the base is thin and crispy..yum. Small delicatessens filled with chocolates and people who go in for a standing coffee. They dont have chairs to sit in. You have your expresso in a rush. I loved watching the Carabineri clean out the streets that have fake hand bag sellers. They just stand there in rows with little stalls of fake glasses and fake purses expecting every tourist to purchase them. When they spot Carabineri they run.
My bed and breakfast was on a major street and close to the underground metro so I had easy access to all the major tourist areas. The Spanish steps where crap. The best thing about Rome is the Vatican Museum, Trevi fountain, walking through the Roman Forum and of course St Peters Basilica. I partied with a scottish couple and a guy from QLD in the famous Campo di Flori. Its an open piazza that has fresh food markets during the day and party bars at night. They would previously hang criminals in public there. I found an Irish pub. They are everywhere! At night I saw the Colloseum and the Trevi fountain. Such a lovely fountain. Throw a coin in for good luck and a second to come back. The worst thing about Rome was the food poisoning I got from a bloody gelati and I wrecked my back with my heavy back pack. I couldnt bend forward for days. Also the traffic. Hard to cross the roads.

Florence
Impressions
I disliked Florence at first. I had trouble getting into my booked B&B. I gave a time on the net of my arrival and because I was early they had no one at reception and no one answering the contact numbers. I was about to cry. That was the worst moment in the whole trip. I went straight to the tourist office and booked into a single room at a hotel. I then called the bastards at the B&B and slightly abused them. I lost the booking fee and was charged for one night as a penalty with the B&B. Locanda B&B Florence- dont stay there. The hotel room was 35 euro so about $50.00 a night. Luckily it wasnt night time that I arrived. It took 3 hours on a speed train from Rome to Florence and cost me about $20.00. In and out of tunnel and weaving through mountains. Forget about using the radio to entertain you- always cuts out. Get an Ipod. I could tell why people like Florence. Its clean and has heaps of alley ways and back streets.
I checked out the replica Statue of David in front of the most famous gallery in Italy, The Uffizi. Next time I go I will see into visiting David, the real version. Florence had a lot of statues. Just like the Vatican Museum however free for all to see. Took a few snaps there at Piazza Venezia. Checked out the lovely bridge Ponte Vecchio and the shops on it that are full of gold jewellery. By far the most impressive church is Santa Maria di Fiore. Its made of pink and lime green marble slate. Its lovely. Florence is clean and has alot of designer shops and this is probably why people love it. However I found it was a little similar to Melbournes back streets and alley ways. I went up to Piazza di Michaelangelo where you can get a panoramic view over the city. That was the best part of my stay there. I drank at another Irish pub called 'The joshua tree' of course dedicated to my fav band. What else can I say about Florence. I suppose I was only there two days..oh I watched Italian TV for the first time as in Rome the B& Bs dont have TVs. I loved watching Dirty Dancing in Italian and Grande Fratello (Big Brother) Ha.

Venice
Impressions
Yeehaw now this is the best place ever.!! No traffic, no Vespas and such tranquility. Everyone strolls around. Venetians would have to be fit, as there is only two bridges that connect the two parts of Venice. Water taxis etc. I hated getting to my hotel as my back was still hurting and the place smelt a bit and I needed a map. I had no idea as the directions on the internet where so intense. Cross this canal turn left etc. There is just two many steps over bridges and this confused me. Venice is a Labrinyth of streets. You can take 70 different routes to one destination. I had to buy a map for christs sake. No other city makes you buy a map.
The Piazza Margarita in San Polo is where is stayed. This is the best area as everyone is young and funky. They were yelling and singing, celebrating graduations on architecture. There is a big University in Venice. When I layed eyes on a Gondola I was so impressed. They have beautiful fabric and seats. There is small romantic canals and the the larger major traffic canal being Grand Canal. InstThe only sounds you hear are of the speed boats and music. Venice will make you want to fall in love. I was teary eyed because I started feeling romantic and bored with being single. Ha! I look back now and think 'you numb-nut'. The streets have beautiful ornate shops full of romantic masquerade masks and famous hand made Murano glass..wow.
Ponte di Rialto and Ponte Accedemia are the two bridges that connect San Polo and San Marco together. You can cross the canal by water taxi or pay for an expensive Gondola. Best to walk to these bridges. St Marco Basilica and St Marco square are the tourist places to go. I fed pigeons with feed I stole of a little kid. I just had to feed the pigeons. That would be the epitome of being in Venice. They are like rats and swarmed all over you. It wa hilarious. The Basilica is open to the public and the walls and ceilings are covered in real gold mosaic. Its glittering at every angle. The building Palazzo Ducale is beautiful. Venice also has somewhat an influence from India. Some windows where very ethnic.
Sitting in the Piazza, I met two US navy doctors stationed in Silicy who where on holidays and also a Canadian childrens TV program host. We had Coronas on the banks of the canals. Had a blast afterall. The take away pizza in Venice was the best Pizza I have ever tasted in my life.
Dont do Venice alone. I knew I had to meet people and meet them fast to take my thoughts off the fact im single. There is nothing to say that is bad about Venice, except you may get sea sick on a water taxi, oh and the toilet water reaks!. ha

Bassano Di Grappa
Impressions
Such a town!! So mountainous, so alpine. Its the ritzy northern town in the region of Veneto. Porches line the streets and there is an ambience that feels like heaven. I have never seen so many mountains in one scenic view. They just feel so close yet so far. I loved it and seeing my family was so great. The town of Rosa is just outside Bassano and its a quaint farming town.This is where my family are from in Italy. Reminded me of country Ireland, except you can see snow capped mountains in the distance... oh and the vineyards. I rode a bike around the fields and just took in the Italian style. Andrea, a friend who I met in my hostel in Dublin saw me walking down the street and took me on his Vespa through the streets of Bassano. I had mixed drinks of grappa at Bortola Nardini on Ponte Vecchio, another bridge which I have always known about because my grandmother told me so much about it. I saw the trees where the Germans would hang the Italian soldiers from during WW1. The whole town and surrounding areas of northern Italy were the worst hit in WW1. Dedications everywhere. One house still has bullet holes and my cousin is still finding WW1 relics up in the mountains with his metal detector. Such a beautiful place. I loved going to the Alps and seeing the snow for the first time. The chalets with fireplaces in them. This part of Italy needs to be seen. Also went for pizza in Vincenza, a small town an hour drive from Bassano. The pizza was not bad.

Overall Italy is so great it makes me want to kick and scream with happiness. I will go back 50 more times if I could. Go go go to Italia.

London Feb 24th-26th 06 (2 Days)

London
Impressions
I spent this weekend in London. It was somewhat overwhelming. It’s the biggest city in Europe and it just never ends. At every corner there is something new. Endless streets and heaps of people and buses. The weather was that cold I couldn’t walk sometimes. Too describe London….well it is chic, classy, elegant, exclusive, fashionable, high-class, la-di-da, opulent, rich, ritzy and just plain hectic. The city is a little bleak and there is alot of grey. The architecture is so clinical yet elegant. It is very distinctive. Regent street and Oxford street where very nice. The building facades have a consistent pattern to them and it somehow looks like a painting. Walking around seeing all the street names made me feel like I was playing a game of Monopoly without the jail. There are a lot of cream rendered buildings with black painted windows and little green manicured shrubs. Quiet posh I think.
The ‘tube’ or Underground is interesting and scary at the same time. Each station has its own stories. The announcements made me laugh because they were very boring and monotone. “Mind the gap..Mind the gap” was constantly warning us to take care when getting off the train. This was entertaining as I had to travel an hour to get into Bayswater station to meet my friend. That entertaining that I had to buy the T-shirt.
Piccadilly Circus is like the Times square of NewYork. It is a famous traffic intersection with big neon screens advertising Sanyo and Coke. It was nice to see a break in colour. Londons telephone boxes are very red and inside most there is dirty calling lines advertised quite prolifically. I went down Carnaby Street and around Soho. This area is where the entire retro craze started and continued throughout the 60s. It was first made popular by followers of the Mod style and became associated with the swinging Sixties.
Harrods was just too much. The store has its very own meat and fish market. The prices where just incredible. You can buy the latest fashion straight off the run ways and if you’re lucky bump into someone famous. The only thing most tourists buy is a Harrods bag. Those horrible little green bags that cost 30 dollars anyway. I saw Dodi and Princess Dianas memorial in the eypitian escalators foyer. On display they have the last glass of wine she used at the restaurant and the future engagement ring that Dodi would have given her. Harrods and the surrounding area of South Kensington was the epitome of fame and fortune. Fashion, Fashion, Fashion. Every car on the street is expensive. I saw 5 Ferraris in one day. Mercedes and BMW are as common as cows in India. I actually felt famous for walking around the streets. I saw Madonnas child Loudes in a Mercedes.
If you ever go to London I highly recommend Camden Markets. It is full of interesting shops and clothes. You can pick up old comic books as well as to a genuine army jacket. The food is great and the punk crowds are fantastic. It was like Acland street in St Kilda times 20. All the shop fronts have colourful sculptures coming out of the walls. Down to earth and funky people. Walked through Hyde park with a friend and saw the memorial gardens that were made in memory of Princess Diana. I spotted reflecting gold and thought I was in Spain. It was King Albert’s memorial statue next to the Royal Albert Hall. It is probably the most extrinsic sculpture in London. It just felt out of place. King Albert, by the way married Queen Elizabeth and when he died she was so heart broken she had to build this statue. He looks like a gold Buddha. Big Ben. Who is Ben anyway? It actually means the Bell inside the tower. Wow this was the monument that made me realise ‘Im in London’. It is right next to Westminster Palace and sitting on the River Thames. I had lunch in a ship called the Queen Mary which has been moored on the Thames river for years. I saw ‘The Eye’ which is a large ferris wheel on the bank of the river giving views across London. Honestly to me it was an ‘eye sore’. It seemed useless to the landscape of the river bank. We walked to the Tate Modern Museum along the river and I noticed that there was a lot of Egyptian influenced park benchs and monuments. There is an erected Egyptian obelisk on the embankment which apparently was a gift to London from a King of Egypt.
We cross the Millennium Bridge which is used only for pedestrians and saw Shakespeare Globe theatre and house. It was lovely. The structure was just so quaint and simplified in design. St Pauls Cathedral was being renovated yet the dome was still very nice to take photos of. Tate modern Museum looked like something from the Russian revolution. It was brown and had a tower similar to a chimney. In there houses the best art works in the world. I didn’t have time to go in however next time this and the British Mueseum where all the eypitan mummies are kept will be a place to go. When I saw and Tower Bridge I was excited because I couldn’t believe how pretty it was and how it should be called the London Bridge. It was so nice to stand on the bridge and see the cars drive over this experiencing its charm. Not as big as the Sydney harbour though. The design is very reflective of the refinement of Londons culture….. Posh!
Overall I had a fantastic 3 days in London. Check out http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielaineurope/sets/72057594117585122/

Dublin riots

I was in London when the Dublin riots occured. This happened on Saturday. I have added a friends flickr address to view those photos. He also has St Patricks Day. http://www.flickr.com/photos/decsramble/

Australia Day- Woolshed Baa- Dublin

On Thursday January 26 it was Australia Day. Now im not the type to celebrate it. i just enjoy the day off, however once you are another country you crave for some Australia music and people. It was amazing to see so many Australians in the one pub. There is only about three Aussie style bar or pubs in Dublin. Woolshed i think being the best. I arrived after work and as soon as i got there i was very much at home. There was Australian flag tattoos and fosters cowboy hats. I was not only happy to be Australian, i was emotionally proud. Its very true to say that travelling allows you to realise more about your country then you know. Australia is the best country in the world. to all my friends in Australia at the moment, take a look around and suck up your country because it doesnt get any better then this. Crikey!

Melissa and a typical NZ intruder

Rory from Sydney and me being Aussie

My friend Brad doing "click go the shearers"- He is from Townsville

Me and a beer! - Champagne is on the back burner these days.

Yes let it be known that I really like to party in Belfast. There is an awesome club called Kremlin and its majority gay. The fun I had in there was just too good. The Belfast people know how to party.

Kremlin

Ash and Danny. Goodbye to Ash who is such a sweetie. Goodluck in NZ.

Black cab taxi ride to Union street bar and then to Kremlin.

New years - Shankill Rd Belfast

You have probably been wondering what I have been up to and where I have been. Well I went to Belfast over the new years period. My friend Melissa from QLD and I jumped on a expressway bus and headed for Belfast city. 2.5 hours later we were walking the streets of Belfast. It was about 10pm. At first I felt the tension in the air. The street shops where closed and had roller doors down and most with barbed wire fences. Each street corner has police cameras watching your every move. The more cameras in one confined space the more dangerous the corner was. Being Irelands second largest city and quite frankly much more modern in architecture then Dublin, Belfast was to me a little scary.


When you here about this city, you tend to conjure the words IRA and voilence. Infact Belfast in the mid 1970 was one of the worlds most notorious cities. Rebels would bomb shops and hotels. The first place I retrieved some money (pounds) was at Europa Hotel. The Europa hotel is the most bombed hotel in the world, over 40 times. The Grand Opera House next door, which suffered heavy damage from the IRA bombing in 1991 and 1993, due to it's proximity to the Europa. The hotel is very modern perhaps because it had needed rebuild so many times.


We walked to our hostel from there and I saw black taxis. They stop and ask if we need a lift. We settled in and went out for a few drinks with the people that work at the hostel. Melissa works at the hostel I live in so we were welcome. The music at this bar/club was all dance and 90s. I loved it. Oh and I could have a cigarette inside!



The next day we walked to the city which is about 20 mins from the hostel. We noticed that the city was filthy. Underground toilets where flooded and there was a lot of exposed garbage. Once in the city however it was a little different. The major attraction here is the City Hall. What a gorgeous building this was.

Across the road from City Hall is the Northern Bank. Carried out by a large, proficient group on 20 December 2004, the gang seized 26.5 million in pounds sterling, making it one of the biggest bank robberies in British history. The police and the British and Irish governments claimed the IRA was responsible. This occurred in broad daylight in the middle of the city. You can see the N sign in the picture.


We had been giving advice to visit the Castlecourt mall. This is the only major shopping centre in Belfast. The people in there where very much varied. Negros, Irish elderly and rough as guts teenage girls with excessive bling bling. Gee they need a good ‘slapping’. I spent 2 hours in T.K Maxx. This store has designer labels at 90% off. I got a pair of Lee jeans for about 40 aussie dollars. Sweet!

New Years eve!!

It is now time to party and celebrate New years. I put on my bunny ears and venture to the Palour bar. Cost us $25.00 aussie to get in. It was worth it and we danced to Dirty Dancing soundtrack, Bon Jovi, Kylie and Madonna. Belfast is a big party-hard influence.

On New years day we went to the city again and walked the streets of the city, except today it was very quiet. It was raining and we got drenched. We brought a change of clothes to party in as we didn’t want to walk all the way back to the hostel. We were heading for the gay bar. Union street bar is very hip and very gay. I loved it. We started drinking there at 5pm. Cocktail where two for one and so we were a little happy by 8pm.

Then the party really started. Transvestites started to drop in and a lot of gay men. I met some Italian gay men and they were really hot. One drag queen gave me a pink glitter cowboy hat and I was rocking all night to tunes such as ‘I need a hero’, ‘working 9 to 5’ and my favourite ‘Buttercup build me up’. We played bingo and I had a ball. On the way home we got kebabs and unfortunately as we walked out of the shop we saw a rat scream past us at one hundred kms an hour. Haha I was still able to eat though.

The Shankill and Crumlin road tour.

On Monday the 2nd we took a tour bus around the city to see what I have to describe as the most interesting part of Ireland. The rebel district.

I saw the "Peace Line", a 6 meter high steel, concrete wall separating the Shankill Rd District (Loyalist/Protestant) from the Falls Road district (Republican/Catholic). Shankill Road is a predominantly Protestant working-class area of Belfast. It stretches for approximately 1.5 miles from downtown Belfast and is mainly a shopping area. Most of the shops are closed and include fish and chips, credit unions and pizza shops.

There is one place open most of the time and that is KFC. Now that is not a place I would work ever in my life. The residents live in the many streets which branch off the main road. There is an uninviting ambience about the place. The children play with soccer balls and thrown small things at the buses. Its like Thomastown but 8 more times worse.


Along this area is the newly constructed "Solidarity Wall", a series of painted murals that express Republican sympathies from people in the South of Ireland, the Palestinians and the Kurds. I saw the red brick headquarters of Sinn Fein. Sinn Fein is the IRA political department. On this buildings wall is a famous mural of a smiling Bobby Sands, elected as MP for West Belfast, just before he died while on a hunger strike in 1981. His quote "Our revenge will be the laughter of our children." Sinn Fein is the IRA political department.



The most amazing mural is the ones with the masked men of the UVF and UDA - The Ulster Volunteer Force and the Ulster Defense Army. Ulster is the county in Northern Ireland. Similar to the state of Victoria. The UVF has committed more killings than any other loyalist paramilitary organisation. UVF was responsible for 426 killings during the 1960-1990s. 358 of its victims were civilians, 41 were loyalist paramilitaries (including 29 members of the UVF itself), 6 were British army or police and just 21 were Irish republican paramilitaries. They are a group of rebels who are so determined to keep the English in Northern Ireland they have become Loyalists. So Belfast ‘troubles’ were and are about religious torn communities trying to live in Northern Ireland (England) in peace.

I also visited the Titanic quarter. This area is where the Titanic was built in 1911. There are two massive ship cranes that remain a national trust and will never be demolished. H W stands for Harland and Wolff. They were the biggest shipyard in England at the time. These cranes are part of the city's skyline.
Without Harland and Wolff and a shipbuilding industry, Belfast was nothing. Once ranked as the biggest shipyard in the world with more than 35,000 men on its books. The Titanic took 2 years to build. It left the city of Belfast destined for New York. We all know how the story proceeds from here.

Where I work in Dublin- Capita ( Prudential)