AHHHH SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!

It was the most exciting moment of my life...I stepped outside of my flat on Wednesday to be greeted by a freshly laid blanket of little white crystalized miracles. And just in time for my flatmate Lottie's 18th birthday! I was so excited that I had to call the States to share the glory of it all with my family...an expensive whim, but so worth it. Sadly, it has already melted away...but the joy still remains in my heart :)

And if you want to see more picks... click the flickr photo display to the right.

Freezing in Milan

Yes, that's right...it was even colder than Edinburgh. How it managed this, I will never know! Global warming will be the death of us all!! So, rinse, reuse, recycle! Hehe.


Well, my friends, Courtney was a great hostess and we spent a very full four days together in Milan and even scurried down to Florence for the day. It was loverly, despite the chill.

Mostly, I ventured around the city center while she was at work during the day and then we met up for a series of delicious meals ;) Not to point any fingers, but someone (::cough:: Mom ::cough::) had me run on a wild goose chase for two days looking for buttons. But, alas, it seems that the actual material stores in the world's fashion capital are no longer part of the city. The famous couture street, Via Montenapoleone, is now just a series of international mega-designers like Chanel, Dolce and Gabana, Bvlgari, Armani, Versace, and Dior. It sort of made me sad. I could just as easily see the same thing in any other major Western city: San Fran, LA, New York, London, Paris. It just didn't seem very special or unique. I guess it doesn't help that places like Walnut Creek, Las Vegas, and The Grove pretty much directly copied it's distinct architectural style so that it's now become a cookie cutter design for all high-end retail areas.

BUT, I did manage to stumble upon two really cool museums tucked away on two adjoining side streets- The City of Milan Museum and Museo Bagatti Valsecchi. In the latter I was pretty much the only patron and, being super nice attendants, I pretty much got the deluxe VIP tour. The docent, who spoke a little English, took me from room to room and even wished me a "Good sojourn!" which I thought quite impressive. And the man at the front desk refused to let me pay for a post-card I wanted to buy, insisting I take it as a gift! (...probably because my wet mop of hair and raggedy travel clothes led him to believe me a charity case.) So, all-in-all, I considered the ventures to be incredibly successful. :)


And for our one day in Florence we took the train through the lovely Tuscan countryside and enjoyed much warmer weather. We saw the magnificent Moorish style Duomo and hunted down the original David, which was absolutely stunning. Also, of course, we ate. I had a chocolate Affogatto (espresso with gelato) and yummy pudding like hot coco. Delicioso! I wish we had more time to explore the city, but even in our limited time it was well worth the trip :)

Barcelona - La Mejor Ciudad del Mundo

Mis anfitriones, Tia Toni y Tio Tony, se sentando en un banco mosaico de Gaudi a Parc Guell .

A few weeks ago I jetted over to Spain to see my lovely family in Barcelona. It was the best weekend I have had yet! My family were simply the BEST hosts in the world. They took me all over the city, treated me to everything (except for one nectarine which I managed to sneakily purchase), and are simply fabulous beautiful people through and through. All this and I hadn't even had contact with them for eight years!!! Well, I know that won't happen again. (Plus, it gave me such confidence to be able to speak Spanish with them - although Catalan kept cropping up and throwing me off entirely. I actually started to dream in Spanish when I was there. And I had trouble switching back to English when I returned... que curioso, no?)

It was a whirlwind of a weekend but perfect in every way. I arrived at the airport to a beautiful peach dusk and the refreshing embrace of warm rich air. Unsure if my memory would stand up to the test, I apprehensively stepped into the arrivals gate but family can not be concealed. Right on cue we caught each others glances and the two faces that beamed back at me were my mom's cousin Toni and her husband Tony (aka "The Toni(y)s"). All insecurities about visiting with distant relatives evaporated with their smiles and long tight hugs - family is family, no matter how distant. It had been a while since I had felt that sense of belonging and when you have it, you never want to let it go.

La cena: (clockwise from far left: Nuria, Tony, Toni, Gervasio, Me)

At one point, over lunch at a schnazzy Italian restaurant, my cousins Monica, Laura, Olga and I tried to figure out exactly what the family tree looks like that connects us. Basically, it's huge. What it gets down to is our great grandmothers on our mother's sides were sisters, so we share the same great great grandparents, the Ortegas. But, hey, cousins are cousins, right?! Somos primos y este es el ultimo facto.

Well, if you are interested (which I guess if your not you probably stopped reading by now), the events of the trip consisted of: eating delicious homecooked food (Tortilla Espanola...mmm), singing to the wonders of George Michael and A-Ha on PlayStation SingStar, and visting all of the city's sites in one jam packed day - Gaudi Park, La Sagrada Familia, Las Ramblas, La Bocaria y El Hospital de San Pablo. (And on that note, just so everyone knows, when it's my time to go to the big party in the sky I want to be at San Pablo. This is my wish. And I also want to be cremated on a large floral pier to a string quartet playing "Dust in the Wind" and then my ashes divided into six parts and spread across various inconvenient locations. Remember that.)

El hospital de San Pablo, Barcelona.

No Joke - We Actually Made It

Proof! Sophie inside at the altar.

Sophie and I, after four months preparation, finally made our long sojourn to Roslyn Chappel. That's rights bizzels - we owned that twenty-five minute bus ride! And, we accidently got in for free. I tried to make up for that by purchasing eleven pounds sterling of merchandise. I think cheating a church out of an entrance fee is pretty much asking for damnation.

It was spectacular, though, every inch was engraved stone. And I loved the Latin quote, "FORTE EST VINU. FORTIOR EST REX. FORTIORES SUNT MULIERES: SUP OM VINCIT VERITAS." (1 Esdras 3:10-12) Translated as, "Strong is wine. The King is stronger. Women are stronger still: but truth conquers all."

I Love London

(Kensington Gardens squirrel. They are just so damn cute.)
Although this is a bit of a late entry, I thought I would share some pictures of my visit to London with Sarah in December. We had such a great time, despite not getting to go iceskating :( I still hold out hope that the day will come when the ice and I will be reunited. ::sigh:: And some day I SHALL actually take a tour of the Cutty Sarke! It will happen, they can not be "cleaning the shop" forever!! Just you wait Henry Higgins - just you wait.

This is me. Me making a pirate face . Squinty eyes, saying "arrrg!" The similarities are uncanny, I know.

Sarah with her tea on our early morning jaunt through Kensington Gardens.

Back for 2007!

The holidays have come and gone and I am back in Edinburgh for 2007. Unlike last semester, I refuse to let myself waste away in my flat. This time I am going to go all out and make the best of every moment. Why shouldn't I? That's what life is for. So, here's what I have so far. I am going on out to Roslin this weekend, then heading out to Milan in two weeks, then Joell, Gabe and Cass will be visiting, and then rough plans to go to Budapest, Ireland, Vienna, Barcelona, Switzerland, Greece, Rome, Germany, the Highlands, and the Lake Country.

As for this past weekend:

I arrived in Edinburgh after yet another excruciating 20 hour traveling process and then hopped on the train to Kilwinning to stay with my flatmate, Kirstin. There, we went to Glasgow (Scotland's largest and most metropolitan city) and saw It's a Boy/Girl Thing in the world's tallest movie theater, the Glasgow Cineworld. It was a pretty amazing sight...6 floors of screens. The movie was pretty fantastic as well...something I recommended my dadand Erica should see. Which means that it is right up there with Teen Witch and the Disney afterschool specials. It also starred the guy from Air Bud, classy...I know.

The next day we went to Kilmarnock and conquered the wonderful world of bowling, pool and go karts. I think the best part, though, was when we went to The Sport's Bar at the Kilmarnock football stadium and Kirstin and Ian let me use the jukebox. BIG MISTAKE. I selected only the best from the 80's pop charts, like "Hold On" by Wilson Phillips and "Careless Whispers" by George Michael. By the time George came on the bartender had his head lying on the counter and Kirstin said, "I think that guy wants to kill himself." But I like to think that I just gave him a something to talk about when he finally got off his shift. Someday he'll thank me.

Photos for October

So, I obviously haven't written for a while, but that doesn't mean I haven't done anything interesting! Instead of doing a long recap, I just decided to put up a bunch of pictures...which are probably more interesting than reading me blab on for forty hours.








Gloomy Edinburgh streets.
























Halloween with my flatmates Sophie and Lottie. They are pretty much just wearing my average wardrobe. Apparently I enjoy the theartrical :)


A church across from my flat.















Looking up to the High St.

TONIGHT ONLY - SCOTLAND VS US

After inhabiting this beauteous country for a month, it is time to delineate the pros and cons of moving to a foreign country. There are certain things that I actually miss about the United States, which is perhaps a good thing since I will have to live there next year, but there are so many wonderful things to enjoy here. In a way, knowing what each offers individually gives me something to cherish and something to look forward to. Although, there are certain items which I am struggling without.

What I Love in Scotland:
1. Pickled Spread: it sounds gross, it looks kind of gross...but it is sooo good with cheese and bread
2. Lemonade: as in a sparkling soda that has lemon flavoring, great mixer
3. Bagpipes and Kilts: the obvious choice but they are icons for a reason...and they're hot
4. University of Edinburgh Main Library: In high school I boasted with pride in achieving my personal goal of not checking out a book from the library for 3 years, but the EU Main Library has so many sexy volumes that I can't stay away. My average is around five books a week and, being the dirty thing that it is, it always leaves me wanting more.
5. Cafes! Yeah, so Europe totally has our asses kicked in this respect. I love that every street is pretty much guaranteed to have a cafe or two on it. I used to have dreams where I had an IV of caffeine dripping straight into my veins and now moving to Edinburgh made that dream a reality. I really couldn't be happier.
6. Cadbury: It comes in every shape, size and flavor you could ever want and it's everywhere! And we only get it once a year in the states! The Easter Bunny is such a mac ... and Santa has some explaining to do.
7. Cinemas: I kid you not, there are four cinema within five blocks of me. ::drool:: Two of them are art houses and the other two are blockbuster, perfect combination. AND the prices are still cheaper than in the US even with the exchange rate. We are such suckers.
8. Student Discounts: Everywhere you go students can usually expect a discount of 10% (except for the bastards at Edinburgh Castle...10.20 pounds for entry ::cough cough rip off cough cough::)
9. UK coverage of US news: Never have I actually consciously stayed tuned to the news, except as it related to the break-up of Brad and Jen (aka "the first sign of the apocalypse"... that high of viewership can't be bought). But since coming to the UK I have actually been interested in US politics and I have been incredibly surprised at the amount of coverage it gets. It's actually really enlightening, to truly know how much we are watched internationally. Just this evening I watched a 30 minute program on the elections and they were in the headlines for every broadcast today. The atmosphere on the talkshow was so much less hostile and caddy than I have ever seen before. The politicians actually discussed the topics, instead of propagating. I recommend checking it out online.
10. The Pace: It wasn't something that I noticed right away, in fact I had come expecting to feel a wave of calm and didn't see any difference. People seemed to walk about the same speed, cars still drove a little above the speed limit, business people in suits still run from meeting to meeting but once I began to live the life for a few weeks I noticed that it wasn't a physical difference but an attitude difference. There isn't the same hurried, frantic, obsessive strain in the air, people expect the same quality but take the human element into account. Here it seems that there is a more general acceptance of friends, relaxation, and partying as valid elements of a well-rounded life. Maybe it's just me, I am still an outsider, but I don't want to go back to the frenzy...I like this pace, it's holistic.
11. Transportation: I can walk to every possible thing I could need in five minutes and anywhere in the city in 30. Besides that, there are buses running across the city constantly and throughout the region for only a pound. Trains are amazing! Although they can be expensive they are now my favorite form of long distance travel. (Driving is still my favorite transportation activity, but it's not about getting from one place to another...it's the feeling of it.) Plus, their buses have two decks! It's so pimp.
12. Diet Soda: I can't explain it, but it really is just better here.

What I Miss about the US:
1. Family and Friends: Not to be cliche or sappy, but you really can't replace the people. While I love Scotland, home will always be where the people I love are.
2. Fresh Produce: What I wouldn't do for a ripe nectarine! They do have apples and bananas in good supply here, but beyond that fruit and veggies are a bit of a rarity.
3. Vanilla Yogurt: Every time I go to the market I find myself staring blankly at the ten thousand types of yogurt and wonder how it is that simple vanilla does not appear.
4. exorbitant amounts of American treats: If vanilla yogurt wasn't enough - After trying to find the ingredients for a few holiday recipes, I ranted for days about the godless fiends who couldn't supply __ to the world! (fill in the blank with: candy corn, pumpkin puree, butterscotch chips, caramel chews, chocolate chips in large bags, rootbeer, cream soda, hot apple cider, marshmallow cream)
5. Exchange rate: It kills me...1.89 dollars to the pound! Then you have to add on the transaction fees. The bastards are taking all my money!! -- okay, my parent's money!!

One last point: It is my belief that a Mars bar and Milkyway are exactly the same...I should know, back to back comparisons. My conclusion, Jedi mind tricks. It's a good thing we all know that Snickers is the clear Supreme Head of the chocolate covered nuget candy bars. (oo0, controversy)

Stirling - AKA Pretty Pretty Castle

Basically, I forgot to write this post at all when I went and now it's been too long to really want to rehash all the details. And also, my camera was broken at that time...so no pics from me, but thanks to Google you can get an idea. I remember having a really nice day and that the castle was exceptionally well kept. All in all, good times.

The Haunted City

Yah!! I have finally made it to Edinburgh!! (Okay, so it's been a month, yesterday...but at least I am updating, right?)

Instead of describing the ins and outs of everything I have done in my new home town, I thought I would just give you a brief overview.

Katie and I arrived in Edinburgh on September 9, to our great relief. Although we both loved the sights, the constant traveling was a bit taxing. Now, my flat was our homebase. Our first impression of Scotland was quite stereotypical. Right as we got off the train and stepped out onto the platform, we spotted a group of Scotsmen in full regalia; kilt, stockings with poofy fuzz balls, black loafers, frilled dress shirt, and plaid cap tipped just-so. Then we walked out of Waverly Station to the sound of bag pipes from a street performer on Princes Street. I love this country. Every single tourist shop blares bag pipe music and pushes "Authentic Highland Wool"...believe me, I have gone in to every tchotchke store in the city.

I met my new flatmates one by one. They are all terribly nice and very studious. Although they are all Freshers, they take their studies pretty seriously but do know how to relax and enjoy the scenery. We even had a roomie dinner, which Sophie and I cooked. We made pizza (btw, don't come here expecting to be able to buy pizza dough...learned that the hard way), courgettes with feta, garlic bread, and we all contributed to desert (Lottie's grandma's apple strudel, Sophie and I's honey ice cream, and the two Kirstens' supplied cake and drinks). It was like having a family dinner. We sat around for hours chatting and laughing. It's good times. My flatmates are great. They are my constant movie buddies; it is a blessing to have people that will just take my advice on a movie! No bickering for hours, just say a movie time and off we go :)

Whoa...talk about a sidetrack. Back to Katie and I. Well, Katie was quite a blessing. She helped me get settled in and even bought me my first tea mugs! The trade off was that we had to hike a few miles so that we could go skipping down the aisles of Waitrose (a UK market she and I had become very attached to). We even fit in some sightseeing before she left me forever. (After a few short days here Katie left me to go back to the states, so since then I have been flying solo.)

<-- Katie passed-out: Courtesy of moi. Hehe...permanent marker. My homage to Garden State (see forehead).

Edinburgh Castle: This was the capital city's royal residence for a few hundred years. Now, it's a military base. It has the most spectacular views in the city and it is visible from just about anywhere in the city. As my Aunt Diane said, "Everyone has a view of that frickin' castle!"

Palace of Hollyrood House: This is Edinburgh's current royal residence just down the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle and right across from the new Scottish Parliament. It is a sight to be seen. The most spectacular and haunting aspect of the whole palace, though, is the ruins of the abbey. It is absolutely gorgeous. Something about it really grabbed me.

The Elephant Cafe: On a university sponsored cafe crawl, Katie and I had a cup of joe in the same place where Harry Potter was written!! Oh yeah, we are that cool. It has a pretty good mocha, too. JK Rowling picked a good spot, I dig it.

The Pub Down the Street from Me: (that's not it's real name) It was the first place we ate when we came to Edinburgh and it was good. They have veggie burgers for 2 pounds and a student discount.

<--Me at Early Hour: after Katie dragged me out of bed so we could go to the market before her taxi arrived. She is evil.

Edinburgh is a majestic city. It may not have as many landmarks as London or Paris, but it is full of history and a lively atmosphere. Apparently, it also has a deadly atmosphere (oh, that was smooth..no?); it known as "The Haunted City" and "The City of the Dead" because it has a reputation for ghost sightings. I personally have yet to see any apparitions, but I look forward to being introduced. Of course Halloween is all the rage here, which is quite exciting for me. All the stores have their displays out and the city is gearing towards fright fests and costume extravaganzas!! I love it here.

After Katie left, my Aunt Diana and Uncle George stopped by and I hooked up with them for a few outings. Diana and I went to the National Galleries where she completely spoiled me with admission to the Ron Mueck exhibition, lunch, and tea. The Scottish National Gallery has a pretty forbidable collection which kind of took me by suprise. It will definitely be worth a second visit.

The Many Glories of Bath

Ah, Bath...my sweet little city tucked away in the western hills of England. I was excited to go to Bath, but nothing can really live up to its splendor. There aren't any huge cathedrals, no historic battle grounds, and not even a double decker...but man is it a great place. Katie and I both agreed that it quickly ascended to number one favorite spot on our list. It had everything we could ever want; namely, great food, relatively cheap prices, and a gorgeous location.

I was skeptical, at first, of the hostel we had booked but once we arrived I knew we made the right choice. Right off the main square, the little bar/hostel was everything we needed. It had clean rooms, free breakfast, and a really nice bar. The hostel even had a "chill-out room" on the illusive top floor where we met some firefighters from NorCal, of all places. It was great! After a week and a half of going non-stop, we had a relaxed place to rest and we even stole some time away to see a movie. (Sleepers...so incredibly traumatizing...all I have to say is Kevin Bacon as a child molester ::shiver::)

We spent our days just roaming about freely, walking every square inch we could. We got up early to see the Roman Baths, then trekked over to the Bath Costume Museum, and then, we entered into Heaven...the Tea Room at the Jane Austen Centre. What a blissful experience.

Taking our time to enjoy the walls cluttered with Austen imagery, we ascended the steep steps up to the top floor of the little building at the corner of King and Gay. The Tea House was made up of two cozy rooms on the second story of the Jane Austen Center. Two large windows in the main dining area looked out onto a small cobblestone street alongside a charming lush park. The day was beautiful and blue, so when given our choice of tables we sat where the view was the best. The hostess was a jolly, sweet-tempered young woman and when we took our places said to me, laughing a little, "So, you got the best seat in the house. Well, you'll be dining with Mr. Darcy today." She pointed across from me to the mantel of the fireplace tucked up against the wall behind Katie. A large portrait of Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy was staring pleasantly in my direction. "Oh, yes! We will indeed," I said, smiling at Katie who was mopping up a slight bit of drool that crept out of her loose jaw.

After perusing the menu we decided on the "Tea with Mr. Darcy" as it was suiting for the occasion. This included two cakes of our choosing, one cucumber sandwich, one Brie sandwich, a pot of "Jane Austen Blend Tea," and two plain scones. It was a veritable feast of sweet and carby goodness. I still was not sure what cake I wanted exactly, it was between the brownie (of course) and the tiramisu but the hostess’s description of the brownie as "soft", "melty", and "quite chocolaty" sold me on the spot. The tea was brought forth and we were soon served all our goodies. It was as if angels descended from above and sprinkled little bits of Heaven onto our taste buds. In other words, it was damn good. So, Katie and I spent the afternoon chatting over tea and soaking up the sun. I couldn't have asked for anything better.

During our visit in Bath we saw the Bath Abbey, the Bath Costume Museum, the Roman Baths, a little art gallery converted from a small chapel set in a picturesque cemetery, we walked along the canal and gardens, and ate at a 600 year old restaurant that served "Sally Lund's Buns" and still, my favorite part was the Jane Austen Tea Room. It all was amazing. Bath was calm, fun, and highly recommended.

Lesson number one: Learn French

Our next stop, after Dover was historic Paris. This was sort of the pinnacle of the trip, because we were spending the most time and money there. We stayed in a lovely little hotel in the heart of the Latin Quarter. We were just two blocks from the Musee d'Orsay, two blocks from the Lourve, and three blocks from Notre Damn. Rue Saint Germain and Rue Saint Michel were just a hop, skip, and a jump away (perhaps with a few more hops, I wasn't counting too accurately). By the time we made the ferry trip from Dover to Calais, then train from Calais to Lille and Lille to Paris we were exhausted. It was, yet again, another day devoted to travel. But, none-the-less, we put on our walking shoes to catch the last bit of sunlight.

Paris, as always, was absolutely beautiful. It was actually really hot, too (which I, in my infinite wisdom, hadn't prepared for). Still, I perservered! And I went forth to enjoy the journey. It was at this point, thought, that something began to creep up on me. With every passing moment we spent in Paris, I had the feeling that I had left something behind. Something just wasn't right. Only in hindsight can I identify it with perfect clarity, a backbone. I completely lost all confidence in my ability to communicate which may or may not have been due to the fact that I couldn't actually communicate. Who knows? These things are so abstract. Well, let's just say that I felt obligated to let everyone else be right, just so it wouldn't seem like I was ignorant. Brilliant plan! Right?! My wallet says otherwise. To this end I found myself
with crap French batteries, a sandwich, and a 50 Euro portrait of myself (oh, yes...classy I know.)

Anywhooo...we, of course, saw all the sights.

• Eifel Tower (with brownie...yum)

• Notre Damn: We saw this crazy video at night where they had the whole history of the cathedral narrated by the founder, whose been dead for centries.

• Musee d'Orsay: This was actually my first visit to the museum and I thought it was fabulous.
  P.S. He judges you.

• Llourve: On Wednesday nights they keep the museum open until 9:30, and from 6-9:30 it's half price. It was pretty much great. I was pretty exhausted by the time we actually got there, though...so after a visit to my favorite pieces (Vermeer, Venus Di Milo, Statue of Nike), I went to my favority spot in the whole palace; the basement cafe! Hot chocolate all the way!
  

• And then, the obligatory stops at every possible patisserie, boulangerie, choclaterie, and cafe. Oh god, it was so good. So, so good. So much chocolatey goodness. There was even this chocolaterie right next door to our hotel, yeah 5 Euro on two pieces of chocolate...but so worth it.

For me, I think the highlight attraction was Shakespeare and Co. Yes ladies and gentlemen, the very bookstore where, in my most beloved Before Sunset, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) meets Celine (Julie Delpy) for the first time in ten years!! I nearly cried out when I saw it...okay, so I did cry out and slightly embaress Katie when I saw it. But come on!! It was way too exciting to just walk past. Who doesn't love that scene! Oh, man...I have to calm myself down. ::supress, supress::

So that's pretty much the Paris, in a nutshell. BUT, I should also say that it was at this point that my camera started to go on the fritz and after Bath, it's capabilities to take photos was no more. I deeply mourn its loss. A moment of silence, please.

Ahem...I also have included the two journal entries I wrote about the experience:

September 7, 2006

Right now, Katie and I are sitting on a train in Paris, which will soon be heading toward Bologne where we will make a transfer for our final destination of Calais. At this moment, I couldn’t feel anymore like an American tourist stereotype. The morning started off with an early ‘wake-up’ call from the front desk, telling us that our 6 am taxi had arrived.

Katie: “What time is it?”
Olivia: (looking at my cell phone/alarm clock) “Three minutes to five. Why?”
Katie: “Because it sounded like he said our 6 am taxi was here.”
Olivia: “Oh…”
Katie: (presumably checking the time on her own watch) “Wait. It is 6 o’clock.”
Olivia: “Shit.”

Apparently, I had not noticed or bothered to change my cell phone clock to an hour ahead for out stay in Paris. 10 minutes later, in world record time, we were out of bed, dressed, packed, checked-out, and in the taxi. It was not a good way to wake up. But that was just step one.

Driver: “(something in French)”
As I was still rubbing sleep out of my eyes and settling into my seat:
Olivia: “Nord. Merci.”
Driver: “(questioning, puzzled look and something in French)”
Olivia: (wishing I had taken just one semester of French) “Le train? Nord?” Then turning to Katie with a helpless look of a deer in headlights, “I thought we asked the front desk to tell him we need to go to Nord.”
Katie: Turning to the driver, “Le gare du Norde.”
Olivia: (‘Where the hell did she pull that from?’)
Driver: “(something in French)”
Olivia: “What exactly did you tell him?”
Katie: “The train station, Nord.”
Driver: “(one last time, still in French, still had no idea what he was saying)”
Katie: “Oui”

And off we went. Then, I glanced at the meter, which had been running since he arrived at three ‘till six.

METER: 14.60 euro

Grabbing my wallet I searched for the rest of my money. 8 euro and 20 cents. Looking up quickly, I saw the meter turn:

METER: 15.20 euro

All I could do was pray, ‘God, please let us have enough money between us.’ I knew that the fare from the station to the hotel had only been a little less than six Euro; we had hope. I would have walked if I had felt at all confident about wandering through Paris at dawn with 50 lbs of luggage. I turned to Katie, prodding her on the shoulder and the making the international sign for cash by rubbing my thumb against my other four fingers. She looked down at her purse, thought for a second, then turned back to me and quietly said, “About twelve.”

Some relief.

I looked back at the meter:
METER: 18.50 Euro

Then I prayed, ‘God, please let this be less than 20 euro. Please, please.’

By the time we pulled up to the station my fists were in tight bunches and all I wanted to do was get away as soon as I could. I had been staring at the meter the whole time, jaw clenched. It finally read:

METER: 20.70 Euro

When the cab finally stopped I handed Katie all my euro and looked impatiently from her to the driver, then at the door and back to her again.

Olivia: “How much?”

Katie glared at me holding out 20 euro and 20 cents. She made me to pull out her credit card but there were no signs my much beloved ‘We Accept Visa’ stickers. The driver was getting frustrated.

Olivia: “I feel like I am going to throw up.”

She handed the driver the lump sum of our Euros as I plunged into my backpack, routing out some Pounds Sterling. After a few more panicked communications I had convinced Katie to stay in the taxi and told a very pissed driver that I would be back in a second with his money. I came back with the exchange from a 10 pound note and shoved it in his hand, after which he even helped us with our bags. Then, thankfully in tact and with all my luggage, my cousin, and her luggage we scrambled into the station and away from the cab.

Now, after fighting down my guilt, embarrassment, and idiocy, all I could hope was that we found tickets and made the trip fast enough to Calais to board our ferry to Dover.

September 7, 2006

Epilogue

We’ve made it! Few! The train rides from Paris to Calais were, thankfully, unremarkable; although, we did hit a small snag in Calais. We had only 30 minutes before our ferry left from the time we arrived and neither of us had Euro for the bus fare to the terminal. (It was at this time that I realized I should have kept some of the Euro for ourselves instead of throwing in all at the cab driver in Paris. But can I really be blamed for my actions at 6 a.m.? Perhaps my ability for forethought is somewhat overwhelmed by my crazed paranoia in the wee hours of the morning.) After a twenty-five minute expedition through illustrious downtown Calais, we tracked down a money exchange and I watched begrudgingly as another 10 pounds slipped through my fingers. By the time we finally made it to the bus stop we had conceded to missing our ferry, but I was riding a caffeine high and would not concede defeat! (Ironically, once we actually looked at the bus information sheet, we discovered that pounds were a valid currency for Calais public transit. Next lesson learned.)

To make a potentially epic story shorter, thanks to a speedy bus driver and beautiful P&O Ferry representative, we made the next ferry to Dover with no extra charge. Having had some scrumptious vitals (for me a latte and baguette), we are relaxed, rested, and a little wiser for the trouble.

P.S. After I finished this entry I flipped through the earlier pages of my journal and discovered that the first half was filled with diary entries from my freshman year of high school. I learned a very important lesson doing this – never look at your diary from when you were fourteen. It will only make you feel vapid and completely idiotic. My distinct reaction was, “Oh God, this is horrible. Did I really write this? How the Hell did people stand me? Why didn’t anyone ever slap me, besides that one time – Erica had the right idea.” Those entries are better left alone or in an incinerator, where mine will rest for all eternity.

It's Happening In Dover

So I stole that line from a big billboard on Highway 101 through Soledad. Really, there is a huge billboard that says, "It's happening in Soledad." What's happening in Soledad?! Who's even ever heard of Soledad?! I hold that it doesn't even really exist. It's all just a ruse...like death.




Well, Dover, huh. Dover was cute and small, although Katie and I did happen to wander into the "ghetto" of Dover which was actually kind of shady. We walked the entire town (not just the circumference but I am confident that we actually covered every square mile) in about 2 hours. The castle is quite impressive, although we didn't actually make it up there. My advice to you is, if you are planning on stopping over in Dover...don't do it on a Sunday. There is absolutely nothing open. The whole town goes into hibernation and the only thing left open is a karaoke bar just off the main road. As it happens, we went to said bar and promptly left after Katie couldn't get enough booze in me to get on stage. I was, however, tempted to request some George Michael...just because he is that amazing.

The bed and breakfast we stayed in was excellent! Highly recommended. The husband and wife that run the house are really sweet and make a wicked good breakfast. All for a pretty reasonable price and not to far from the hopping downtown district. So, check out the East Lee Guest House. In all honesty, it was sort of nice to spend the night in Dover after our whirlwind tour of London and before our exhausting Paris excursion. It's cute, quaint, and right on the ocean.

And how could I forget! It appears that Shaggy left the Mystery Machine in the Southeastern coast of England. Those silly meddling kids!



Katie the Fearsome, pillaging the village of it's one food source. But what will the kids eat?! She's a monster!! The terror! (she has no soul)



Of course, the White Cliff's of Dover. -->