sai-gone

well i thought i should write about the actual city of valencia, So far we have had a different time in each of the cities; Barcelona is the tourist capital though we really felt like home there and got involved with the `locals´, Madrid was bigger and louder and capitalist, though more expressive, Valencia is much a smaller city with the most amazing street art and stunning beach....nothing like that fake beach in barcelona where the sand is bought in with trucks. Valencia was very historic, more so that madrid or barcelona. Now we are in Seville which is absolutely stunning, morish tiles are on every building the alleys are tiny with windows peering into elaborate courtyard gardens. The weather is amazing, not a cloud in the sky and 33 degrees everyday! we are staying in our first hostel and it is such a different perspective on travel, we were a bit lost the first day. We have met a few tourists for the first time, the seemed a bit annoying because we were used to the spanish way of...

Leaving the beautiful Valencia was very sad! we had made such good friends with our hosts! the amazing Patrick who spoiled us rotten with a breakfast ready for us in the mornings; the fabulous mafioso fausto who cooked us the best italian pasta(...and valencian paella) you this side of the mediteranian; the cheeky and oh too cute Poncho, our mexican doll whos cheeks we couldn´t stop pinching; and augusine well we didn´t see much of him but he is great all the same! When we arrived at this house Fausto had never cooked Paella for anyone but had promised it many times and in the time we were there they cooked it 3 times. Apparently we bought the house together with everyone cooking together in the evenings having a great time, i really felt happy there..good food good company it is what life is all about! I was the resident hairdresser too i cut everyones hair and surprisingly well...i am quite proud! We went to the san juan festval which was cool....the whole city on the beach bonfires...

Yesterday I spent the day in Monahen. Julie's home town in the north part of the south of Ireland. it was VERY green and we went for a walk in this huge forest where this old castle used to be, before rebels in the north burnt it down in the 70's. Later on we went for a late lunch in the castle where Paul Mc Cartney got married. it is said to be haunted and dates back to the 1700's. I then drove back to Dublin with Julie, and we started pre- drinking for a night out in the poshest club in Dublin- "krystle." Indeed it was very trendy and cost 10 euro to get in. apparently it is where all the celelbrities hang out. The closest thing I have seen to it in melbourne is probably EVE night club in south melbourne on laura's 21st. lucky I went with jules who could dress me up to look the part, who would have known that a poor and clueless student was behind all that mascara! It was a good night though, connor bought us heaps of drinks, and we had a dance- although th...

I spent a day exploring the intriguing city of Dublin. Julie and I took the "Dublin tour Bus". It went round to all the important sites - Trinity College, the Dublin parliament, and "spike" and the store house. The stoer house was by the far the most interesting thing. It is after all the home of the famous Guinness! It is a huge factory, and the tour explains to you exactly how the Guinness phenomenon came to be. It was really interesting to understand how it was made- mainly with barley, yeast and also some wierd plant called hops that you can only get in regions where the temperature gets to 35C, so it had to be imported. What a process of trial and error and LUCK, to produce the most popular alcholic beeverage in Ireland! Also included was a free Pint of Guinness at the top of the factory, with a view of all of dublin (circular) which was magnificent! Julie and me unfortunatly failed to finish our guinness! But was a fantastic experience! we then went for a str...

ok i must start with saying jam and i are having the time of our lives here in spain! We did our first real partying in madrid, we went to a huge nightclub and danced the night away with Jose and his friend albaro (we call him the tree because it sounds likr tree in italiano) The clubs in spain are really cheesy, though fun none the less. They have the half naked buff dancers on podiums and bad euro pop music. everyone is so relaxed in spain, there aren´t those pretentious girls like you get in melbourne and sometimes when you go out you are even out numered by men which would never happen in melbs....the poor guys don´t get let in at home. Towards the end of teh night i had a spanish guy grab me and start dancing one of their dances with me, it was hilarious, he was so serious and did all the moves! fun! I have probably mentioned this beforebut in spain you drink at a bar til 3 then make your way to a club and party until 8am. We have been doind alot of this recently (especially in va...

I arrived in Dublin today, to a cold and angry grey sky- summer iin Ireland! The day started early with my jet lag still apparent waking up at 5:30am. I left for stansted airport via a bus transfer from Heathrow, and eventually got to Dublin at 12:30. Jules picked me up and was very emotional to see her again after so long. She was a faboulous host and I am staying the in the lap of luxury! We went to UCD uni and I bought a very cool hoodie from the uni shop, so ust in case people in Ireland couldn't pick up on my foriegn accent, they lle know Im a tourist! WE walked into Dublin City centre, into grafton street. its cute little cobbled street, very crowed and busy, but oh so Irish. Dublin is a funky city so far, so much old history and tradition which seeps from the old buildings. We also went into Trinity college, - absolutly amazing! the buildings are so old and beautiful and you imagine this being the 'oxford' of Ireland. We also went into the 'long room' insi...

hello hello not sure if this is actually going to save or not- bec? anyway will use and try and see! the flight to london was long and tedious. I was, however, blessed with the mens national rowing team on my flight and seroiously considered joining the mile high club.......kidding! anyway after what seemed like days (about 30 hours from take off in melbourne) I arrived at heathrow airport. I was picked up by my lovely host Gill, for some down time in Weybridge, just outside London. I slept for about 3 hours, got up and was completly disorientated. spent the day attempting to stay awake, and feeling semi "hungover." It was all sunny and bright in london, and so wierd that it was still light at 9pm. at about 7pm i went to this country estate gym with Gill, was very swank, rolling hills and sauna's, spa's; pools etc. Was running on the treadmill listening to my powderfinger on my when I noticed that it was 4am in melbourne time on my ipod, lol - this would be the only ...

Hola! que pasa? Come estas guapos? well Jam and i spent a total of 13 days in the wonderful Barcelona. Our host was great and i felt really at home there. I cooked or us most nights, and saved alot of money, we had picnics and ate fresh fruit at the market when we felt packish. Our host gave us our own set of keys so we came and went as we pleased. We had our own room and In the mornings we woke up and sun bathed on the balcony. We loved the closeness of living in barcelona, the balcony looked over people hosing down their patios, gardening smoking, eating. When we decided to move we got ready and spent most of the days just wondering around the city wandering into shops and looking at the architecture. It is so easy to just wander in Barcelona, it is so pretty. We spent alot of time at the beach sun baking and meeting random people. We spent one evening with the wonderful Nacho from Argentina after meeting him on the beach and inviting him to play a makeshift game of aussie rules foot...

I Likes the Mekong I does Originally uploaded by Bickenchurger . The Majestic Mekong in Luang Prabang, Lao

And swim we did Originally uploaded by Bickenchurger . The waterfall near Vang Vieng, this is such an amazing place, A huge waterfall cascading through 15 tiers of crystal clear pools.....so lovely!

Claire 045 Originally uploaded by Bickenchurger . Well to back track a little, here i was at the Rocket festival in Vang Vieng, Lao! This happens every year where they shoot rockets into the sky to welcome the rainy season. It seemed to work as later that evening we had a mud fight and ate happy garlic bread....crazy!!

hello all! well jam and i are having a great time here! it isn´t all that warm but are enjoying spending time on the beach and wandering about town. we have been making friends with random people (funnily none of them spanish) and getting up to all sorts of adventures. We´ve been fairly thrifty here i have spend 100 euros in one week which is ok. We haven´t had to pay for accomodation (thanks to good old couch surfing and hospitality club) and walked most of the time instead of catching the metro. It is so easy to walk around this city as there are parks, fountains, monuments, and beautiful architecture around ever corner. The other day Jam and i got lost (not literally) in the gothic neighbourhood, one of the oldest in Barcelona. The streets are narrow and every group of aparments face a square in the middle where the people of the neighbourhood all meet, walk their dogs and the children play football. Yesterday we went to the park Guell that Goudi built. We started in the wrong secti...