Pamplona - Puenta la Reina - Estella

Don´t have long to write this post, as there is a line for the internet, but to sum up my first couple of days:

Heat
Rain
Hills
Germans
More hills
Blisters
Sore everything
Sunburn

I am knackered and everything is aching at the moment, but I feel good. I have met some lovely people and haven´t really had a chance to get lonely. The scenery is breathtaking, the air is clean and clear, and all the locals passing wish us a Buen Camino (good journey).

I started in Pamplona on Thursday, and walked 25km to Puente la Reina (took approx 8 hours, up a very steep incline). We walked through Cizur Menor, Uterga, Muruzabal and Obanas. Today we did about 22km from Puente la Reina to Estella (approx 6 hours), walking through Mañeru, Cirauqui, Lorca and Villatuerta.

Keep thinking of me!

Camino De Santiago

I am flying to Spain today to start my next adventure, The Camino De Santiago.

Starting on Friday, I will spend the next 5 weeks walking from Pamplona to Santiago - about 707km! I'm torn between being very nervous and very excited about this journey! At the moment my biggest concern is the weight of my backpack, although I've packed and repacked, and everything I have in there seems necessary!

I'll try and keep this blog updated along the way so you can join the journey with me!

Wish me luck!!

Cyrmu....

...or Wales!I'm just back in London after a great four day tour of Wales. I lucked out - for the first time in almost 10 months, I saw the sunshine - a sight for sore eyes! My tour group was fantastic - there were only four of us, all girls, all in our mid 20s. We hit it off immediately, and had an awesome time!
We were based in the centre of Wales in a converted barn with a jacuzzi - 5 star accommodation we were told! We had the run of the place, and it was gorgeous.

We started the tour in South Wales, at the Big Pit coal mine, where we put on our miners helmets and descended down the mines! After learning all about coal, we headed for the next destination, Brecon Beacon National Park, where we climbed the highest mountain in Southern Britain at Pen Y Fan. 21/2 hours and a very steep incline later we were at the top wondering what we had gotten ourselves in for!
(See picture below for the view from the top)

The start of day 2 was spent driving towards Wale's most famous National Park - the mountains of Snowdonia. On our way we passed through Llanddewi Brefi, home of 'The only Gay in the Village' from Little Britian. We also drove through King Arthur and Merlin country. Then we arrived at Snowdonia - it was very ruggard and really quite breathtaking - in more ways than one as we discovered when we were pointed in the direction of the top! So, off we set again. Unfortunately we didn't quite make it to the top, but we walked another steep incline for over 3 hours, so were well and truely knackered! After a brief visit to the National Slate Museum, we stopped off at Bedd Gereth, town of the famous legend (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelert). We stopped off at Aberstwyth, a university town right on the seaside for a dinner of fish and chips by the water, before heading back to jump in the jucuzzi - what a life!

Emily, me, Julie and Carly having a rest

We then headed to Pemrokeshire Coast National Park (UK's only coastal National Park), where we walked along Bosherston, which had magnificent views of the rugged, untouched coastline. Along the cliffs edge, there was a 6th century hermit church!! We also went to Pembroke Castle and had a look around, before we headed to Tenby, which is a castle enclosed town in Pembrokeshire. We got here just in time to watch the Ireland vs Wales rugby match, and I was very quite about cheering for Ireland, who won!!!

Me at Pembroke Castle

Our final day was spent in Cardiff, which I loved. We spent some time along Cardiff Bay, beforee checking out the Castle and spending some time soaking in the sun outside the castle walls, lovely!

It was a great trip, with great people. And so many beautiful daffodils!

I'm Hans Christian Andersen.....

......I've many a tale to tell

And though I'm a cobbler,

I'd say I tell them rather well

I'll mend your shoes and I'll fix your boots

When I have a moment free

When I'm not other wise occupied

As a purple duck or a mountainside

Or a quarter after three

I'm Hans Christian Andersen, Andersen, that's me

I'm Hans Christian Andersen

I bring you a fable rare

There once was a table who said Oh how I'd love a chair

And then and there came a sweet young chair

All dressed in a bridal gown

He said to her in a voice so true

Now I did not say I would marry you

But I would like to sit down

I'm Hans Christian Andersen, Andersen's in town

I write myself a note each day

And I place it in my hat

The wind comes by and the hat blows high

But that's not the end of that

For round and round the world it goes

It lands here right behind myself

I pick it up and I read the note

Which is merely to remind myself

I'm Hans Christian Andersen, Andersen, that's me

I'm Hans Christian Andersen

My pen's like a babbling brook

Permit me to show you, dear sir My very latest book

Now here's a tale of a simple fool

Just glance at a page or two

You'll laugh ha, ha but you'll blush a bit

For you realize as you're reading it

That it's also reading you

I'm Hans Christian Andersen, Andersen, that's who

I'm Hans Christian Andersen

And this is an April day

It's full of the magic I need To speed me on my way

My pocketbook has an empty look A

nd I limp on a lumpy shoe

Or if I wish I'm a flying fish

Or a millionaire with a rocking chair

And a dumpling in my stew

I'm Hans Christian Andersen, Andersen, that's who !

****

Maybe I'm slightly obsessed. But I've dealt with it and I've decided I'm ok with that. Hans Christian Andersen deserved his very own post, so here are my adventures in Copenhagen trying to follow in his footsteps:

Here is Hans in The Kings Gardens.

And Look! There's me!

Here he is hanging out in the City Hall Sqaure. I think he's waiting for me.

This is Hans inside HC Andersen Eventhaus.
At this point I was convinced he was following me...

And here's his bust inside City Hall.

I also stumbled across a couple of places where he used to live, along the Nyhavn, where all the drunk sailors and prostitutes hung out. An author of fairy tales living in a 'den of eniquity'!

And finally, I visited his resting place:

I'm have Peter Pan syndrome, and I hope I never grow up. I'm glad I find it interesting to go to a place, simply because a guy who wrote fairy tales lived there hundreds of years ago. It was an amazing adventure, and I hope I have many more like it.

Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen......

...Friendly old girl of a town

Neath her tavern light

On this merry night

Let us clink and drink one down

To wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen

Salty old queen of the sea

Once I sailed away

But I'm home today

Singing Copenhagen, wonderful, wonderful

Copenhagen for me!

I have been singing this song for the past three days. It is from my favourite movie, 'Hans Christain Andersen', which is about my favourite historic icon of the same name. So I decided to go to Copenhagen, where Hans lived for most of his life, to check it out!

I arrived on Saturday night (14th March 2009) and made my way to my hotel to settle in for the night before a big first day. And what a fab day it was! I started my day in the Radhuspladsen (City Square) and began my own little walking tour, armed only with a map and my enthusium! I walked down the Stroget, which is a pedestrian only walking street, full of shops, cafes, bars and monuments. The first Square I came across was Gammeltorv and Nytorv (old and new squares), which originated from the Middle Ages when the city was founded. From there I walked to Kongens Nytorv (The Kings New Square) and was about to keep wandering when I heard music. The kind of music that makes me think of Hans Christian Andersen. Danish Marching Band kind of music! I turned around and was almost trampled by the Queen's Marching Band! They were making their way to Amalianborg Castle for the Changing of the Guard so I followed and got to see the whole procession - it took almost half an hour to get to the palace, then the ceremony went on for long enough for me to get bored and wonder where the hell I was! Apparently I was in Amalianborg Castle (duh) - home of Princess Mary!! Wow.

Anyway, to keep this short and sweet, I also went to:

• Langelinje Pier and The Little Mermaid. So sad and lonely looking out to sea.
• The largest monument in Copenhagen - The Gefion Fountain
• Nyhavn (New Harbor) - full of fishing boats (herring) and restaurants
• Rosenborg Castle (and saw the Crown jewels)
• The Kings Gardens (outside Rosenborg Castle)
• I saw a Youth Rally in the City Hall Square - Danish Hip Hop!

To finish off my day, I went to an Aussie bar around the corner from my hotel and shelled out $100000 for a beer. A good day in all!

Day 2 was full of frustrations, which went like this:

• The Tivoli - closed
• Christiansborg (parliment) - closed
• The Ruinerne (Ruins of Absalons Castle and Palace of Copenhagen from 1167) - Closed
• Vor Frelsers Kirken in Christianshavn (Our Saviours Church)- 400 steps to the top for views of Copenhagen - closed

I went on a canal tour, which pointed out lots of modern (and ugly) architecture - so out of place in such a lovely old city. Absolute highlight was seeing the heads of statues poking out from the water and being told they were underwater statues of Mermen! Fabulous! Then, I walked over the bridge into Christianshavn to see a hippy commune that people have raved about. I'm not sure why - I felt very uncomfortable and hot footed it back out - there were a lot of young thuggy types with dead looking eyes - maybe they were zombies?! From there, I ehaded back t the city and wandered through the Latin Quarters, and then stoppen off at the Orsteds Parken (a park) and sat by the lakes watching the ducks and trying to spot the ugly duckling!

My final day began with a tour of the Carlsberg Brewery. I was shocked to see the early Carlsberg emblem was a swastika!

Then I read 'The svastika symbol originated in India in 3000BC and is a symbol of happiness'.... Hmmm, or were the brewers of Carlsbesg Nazis...? I also visited Jens Olsens Verdensup - A mechanical, astronomical clock showing local time, actual solar time, sunrise and sunset time, the Gregorian calendar, the Julian period, the firament, the migration of celestrial pole besides geocentric and helocentric orbits. Yes indeed.....

To finish off my trip, I spent the afternoon in an Irish Bar, celebrating Paddies Day, and my Da's birthday! And feeling horribly, horribly, ashamed of all the drunk bogans littering the ancient Stroget....

But what a fab time I had in Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen!

Auschwitz

Through the meadow fields,
Across the flowered lots,
into a town of Auschwitz.
A town where the ashes fall
from the sky.
The smell of death hangs in the air,
over the people who go --
go about their daily lives;

not noticing the beheamoth,

the monster only a few miles away.

Excerpt from 'Auschwitz-Birkenau: A Poem
by Patrick Simpson

On Tuesday, Justyna and I went to Auschwitz.

Auschwitz was the largest of Nazi Germany's concentration camps. It was in operation between 1940 and 1945 and during this time, over 1.1 million Jews, Poles and Gypsies were killed by starvation, over work, and most commonly, by gas chambers.

I think Auschwitz is something that has to be seen to fully understand the atrocities that occurred there. I was sick to my stomach and on the verge of tears for the short time we were there. The displays are incredibly vivid and uncensored. The most intense display was a room full of hair. These horrible monsters would cut the women's hair off and sell it to make materials like rugs and nets. There were also rooms full of shoes, suitcases (with the owner's names and DOB written on them), combs, brushes and toothbrushes, and spectacles.

The people who committed these crimes were the worst kind of human being there is. Monsters with no souls or conscience. As confronting as the day was, I was so thankful that I was able to be there to pay my respects and pray for the poor, innocent people whose lives were so cruely taken from them. I urge everyone to offer up a thought for the victims too.

******
In an aside here, I read in a newspaper yesterday that a high percent of children in Germany think Auschwitz is a type of beer...
Does the lack of education on important historical events bother anyone else?

Polski

I got off my plane and looked around in confusion. 'What is everyone saying? Where do I go? What the hell am I doing here?'. Cue panic attack.... And then suddenly....
'JESS! JESS!'
Thank God, there's Justyna!

Me and Justyna

I went to Poland to visit Justyna, who I worked with in Killarney over the summer. I flew into Katowice airport on Friday the 6th March, and to my relief, Justyna and her mother, Anna were waiting for me. From Katowice we drove 4okms or so to Tychy, the small town where they live.
The first thing that struck me was how differently everybody here lives. There are rows upon rows of dirty looking flats, and Tychy is very industrial, so my first impression was of how bleak it all was. That is, until I walked into the apartment Justyna shares with her Mum and Dad. It was stunning, all the mod cons and so bright and cheerful. There were 4 rooms - bathroom, kitchen, loungeroom/parents room, and Justyna's room. I couldn't put my finger on what was missing for ages, and then it struck me - there are no beds in this house! Apparently this is normal in Poland. They all sleep on pull out couches, so during the day, the rooms can be used for other purposes. Great idea!

Typical block of flats in Tychy

On Saturday we headed to Szczyrk, a town high in the mountains to go 'Skiing'.
Now, for those of you unfamiliar with this term, I believe it is Polish for 'Sliding down huge snowy mountains on your arse'. Well, I'll try anything once, but giving the skis a red hot go I decided that I really needed to not break my legs before I walk for 5 weeks across Spain.
So I 'walked' down the mountain.
For those unfamiliar with this term, I believe it also means sliding down huge snowy mountains on your arse.
Hmmmm, a theme seems to be developing here...
Could it be me?
Surely I'm not that uncoordinated.
Surely not......
So, a lovely afternoon passed with Jess sitting in the bar getting drunk on strong hot wines and laughing at a drunk party of men singing and causing trouble. And speaking to me in Polish....

After a big day at the snow, we raced home to get ready for the party Justyna was throwing at her house to celebrate 'Ladies Day' in Poland. 7 of her girlfriends came over and ignored me for a couple of hours, until they had a few vodkas in them and overcame their shyness with the english language to talk to me. I loved the way they drink their vodka over here - we had a shot glass of vodka, and a glass of coke. You throw back the shot, and then drink the coke - don't ever mix!! Later, we headed to a club where a very handsome man came over to talk to me - only problem was, he had no english and I don't know polish. We sat next to each other for 2 hours smiling at each other. Akward!!!

Me and some of the girls on Ladies Day

I was lucky enough to be able to catch up with some other friends while I was there - all of whom I worked with in Ireland - Artur, Mario and Katia. I spent Monday with Mario, who is one of the nicest men on this earth. He took me on a tour around Katowice and told me all about its history - one of the highlights was entering a huge Cathedral where (the Polish) Pope ('Papa') John Paul once held a service. I then spent Tuesday night and Wednesday with Katia, who was a very good friend to me in Ireland, so we enjoyed catching up on all the gossip.

Mario, Justyna, Katia and Artur

All in all, Poland was amazing, and I had such a great time with my old friends and meeting so many new people (I didn't mention that we were out every night with friends of Justynas - another Justyna, Damien, Sebastian and Joanna). The food was amazing, the drink was plentiful and Justyna's parents were so accomodating and friendly, as were Katia's. I even got a packed lunch to take with me on my plane back to London! It was fun battling with the language barrier - I think I'll be very good at charades now! And a sounds that never failed to make me laugh: Justyna's constant yelling at her friends:
'English please people, talk only English!'

Good Times!

Thanks for the memories...

Today is my last day in Killarney.
To say I'm devastated would be an understatement. As excited as I am to spend the next two months traveling, it is a very bittersweet moment for me. Killarney is one of the most stunning places I have ever been to, and I have loved spending the last 9 months of my life here. Killarney has a fabulous National Park - the River Walk, Ross Castle and Island; and Torc Waterfall to name a few beautiful sights where I have spent many a happy hour wandering. I will miss the main streets where I have become a 'local', and can't walk down these days without running into someone I know. The pubs, the nightlife, the way of life, and of course, the people.

And so, my tribute to the amazing people I have had the pleasure of meeting:

Breda, my 'Irish Mammy' - One of the kindest and most generous people I have ever met. My summer in Killarney turned into a much longer stay, and I have been welcomed into her home without a problem. Breda has spent hours driving me around Kerry to show me the sights, introduced me to her friends and family, and made sure I was never left out or uncomfortable. I will always cherish the memories of our holiday in Carcassonne, our walks around Killarney, our sneaky afternoon pints of Guinness in the Speakeasy bar, and our endless gossip sessions. Breda, I will miss you so much. Thank you for being fabulous! I will miss you every day x

Brendan - Breda's son and my 'housemate'. I'll bet he's glad to finally get rid of the Aussie (who keeps returning) and have his home back! Quiet evenings now without the insistent 'How was school and tell me what you learnt'! Brendan, you're an absolute champ and a gentleman. Good luck with your rowing, running and school. Come and see me in Australia some time. I look forward to returning the favor and showing you around!


And now for the rest of the crew:

Tony Tony Tone: You probably won't get the joke, ask Rosie. Tony, you have been an amazing friend to me, and I have had so much fun with you (Before you went off the drink!). Thanks for all the time, chats, drinks and fun. You are a champ, and I will miss you heaps. You and Greta better come and visit me!

Big Kev: Ahhh, my Irish man with a taste in good music! Thanks for putting the tunes on my Ipod, and for Morcheba!!!! Cleaning up at Scotts can't be the same without 'Jess's clean up music'!! Puck was a memory I'll have forever - Kev on the guitar, Tony on the, um, stool??? haha!

Mike Lucey: Too funny for words. Mike, you always put a smile on my dial. So many great memories with you, be it the cinema (Hunger, what happened, we need to talk about it!), or out for a pint, or even just annoying you at work. You are an absolute champ and I'll never forget your silly little ways xx

Tommy Boy: Arrrrrrrrrrright!? 'You know we belong together.....' Haha.Tommy Boy, it's been my pleasure being your sounding board and confidant and you should never be ashamed of who you are. I have missed you so much since you moved back to Tip. Hope it all works out for you, and I love you x

And of course, I can't forget the rest of the Scotts Crew (Adrian, Keiran, Larry, Mikey, Dominica, Sasha, Lukasz, Jesse) - thanks for a great summer and for being so welcoming!

The crew from OBriens - Gea, Geraldine, Gemma, Paulina and the rest of the girls - worst job I've ever had in my life, but working with you made it so much more bearable! Good luck with the horrid Jen!

The crew at Mustangs - Paul, Deb, Anthony, Pat, Chris, Shane, Shaq, Hughie, James - good yet horrifying times!

The girls, Noretta and Avril. You've been fabulous to me. Loved loved loved spending time with you both and so glad to have met you. You have both been sounding boards for me, listening to my crap and giving advice. God, I missed Girlfriends until you came along! Be good, and please, come and visit. Avril, get Facebook!


And finally, the most special of the special kids:

Lily: My special Princess. I love love love you. It's all too sad to be even writing this down, because that means I'm really leaving you. You are so beautiful, lovely, funny, special and talented (really, everyone who's reading this, go to youtube and look up lilsypop, amazing!). I will miss you forever. My only regret is that I met you so recently. You have made so many sad times enjoyable. I have so many fab memories with you - including ditching out own Xmas parties to hang out with each other! Also, the numerous fabulous meals you have cooked for me, Xmas factor - you little superstar, and every night surviving through a shift at Mustangs. Ahhh Lil, I'll make this as painless as possible. I adore you, and this is not the end. As I said to you, something like this is so hard to find we'd better make sure we hang onto it. I love that you were as upset as me when we said goodbye tonight. I'll never forget you. You reach for the stars you amazing spunk you!!!!!


Rosey: This is as hard to write as Lily's bit. Rosey, possibly my favourite person in the entire cosmos. You Superstar you. I will absolutely mind you when you some to visit me, you pup. Mushie told me to tell you that he had his arse kicked by me at Jack's place.... 'You know what I mean like'..... And then Keiren said "arhjkbmsnkiofhfgjk'. I didn't get it.... Oh my sweet pea, I love you to death, Thank god we said goodbye in a dark alley - I'm sure my shakey sobs were bad enough. But now I can hold you close to my heart, by wearing my beautiful necklace and thinking of you. Ohhhhhhhh, boo!!!! I love you to to the stars and back xxxxx


And I can't forget those who made it all possible:
Andrew Joy and Sean Lynch. Absolute Superstars. Andrew, champ of all champs, making sure i was minded and ok. My biggest regret is not getting to know you better. Sean, you're too far away in New York New York, but loved catching up over the Summer and thanks for making this all possible. Owe you both a million!

And so that draws a close to my tribute. Tomorrow will be a very hard day getting on the train and actually leaving. So, as the title says....

...Thanks for the memories!