London

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London is great, again.  I got to see Parlament in session (the House of Commons).  It seemed relaxed.  Granted they were not debating a hot topic, financial services bill report govt. new clause 4.  Basically do pay day loan lenders need more regulation.  There were lots of sob stories, so and so just needed cash they didn’t have time to read the fine print or research a company.  Cameras are not allowed (neither are guns, knives, padlocks, video cameras, or cell phones), so I took some time to draw it.  It turned out ok.  I know what it looks like because it helps recall my memory of being there.

That was Yesterday.  Today I saw a play.  My day began with an Affogato, really just ice cream with an espresso poured over, but it was brilliant.  The flavor would increase in bitterness, just to the point when it is about to turn bad and then mellows out.  Without any plans I walked to the West End, London’s Broadway, & found a discount ticket place (TKTS, the original) & asked about prices.  I wanted to see Chicago but it was a bit expensive, so I caught the matinee of Woman In Black.  My friend from Nottingham University said the play was good, I was skeptical because the plot is a ghost story.  Boy was I wrong, everything about it was great.  The lighting, sounds, jumps, and characters.  None of the frights were given away beforehand, just as it should be, but not as good as I was expecting.  The pacing seemed a little slow, but looking back it was good.  (photos, more, even more)

London again?

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Slight change of plan.  Missed my flight to Paris.  The arrival time in Copenhagen (the connecting airport) was in bold instead of the departure time.  Arrival times are not useful if you miss the departure time.  So, as flights to London are half the price of flights to Paris, I’m now in London.  It almost feels like being home, everyone speaks English, the brands are familiar, and I can read newspapers and signs again.  I’m feeling a little home sick, as a result I’ve been to McDonalds twice here.  

The first night was interesting.  The only place with room was above a 24 hour pub bar, checkin at the bar.  The rooms were tiny with triple bunk beds, & the lockers were a cubic foot.  Got right out of there and now I’m in a proper hostel.  Until next time, cheers.

Plitvice

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Plitvice is definitely worth the 11 hour drive to get there.  It took about 9 hours to comfortably see the park, and with no one there it was peaceful.  I took the time to read a bit, of course.  The park is very similar to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, rolling hills, deciduous trees, ice cold water.  The waterfalls seem endless.  The pictures all look the same, but walking for 9 hours and seeing different, complex waterfalls is amazing.  In the afternoon the sun came out and the colors followed.  The water, aquamarine; the clouds, white; the moss, green; the sky blue, and all pure colors. (photos, more)

Dubrovnik

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Turns out in the Dubrovnik harbor is the world’s third largest yacht, Al Said.  Thats right, just ran into the first and third.  This one is owned by the sultan of Oman.  Not as great as the other one (its beige), but still a good surprise to see.  Again, had to walk all the way around the harbor for a good view.  

We have made a change of plan and left Dubrovnik three days early to see Plitvice National Park.  After walking around for only two hours this evening, we’ve made the right choice.  Dubrovnik is pretty, but the coast is a cliff, thus unwalkable, the old city is mostly touristy, and the whole city is generally tough to walk.  It is settled between the mountains and the sea, so the road are narrow and not conducive to walking.  Now we are outdoor hiking around and over many waterfalls in between 16 lakes, a pleasant shift from the cities.  We’ve purposefully kept our itinerary open for changes like this.  The only things that are certain are the fights from country to country.  Even the hostels can be changed on relatively short notice, which makes for a nice general framework. (photos)

Split

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It has been raining quite a bit here in Croatia.  I thought the Mediterranean was all sunshine, but it would be strange going an entire month without rain.  Just why did it have to happen in our outdoor destination?  My spirit has been unabated.  Sure its raining, but its Croatian rain!  Doesn’t help much, but I’m still happy.  Breakfast in Europe is more like dessert (unlike pan fried pancakes covered in liquid sugar, obviously).  I started the day with chocolate mousse with olive oil and salt.  We walked around the beaches in Split and had cheese cured meat and bread for lunch on rocks in the sea, a great day.  (extra photos, more)

Diocletian’s Palace

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Croatia is wonderful.  The city is quite old, & was used as Diocletian’s palace in the late third century.  Some of the old walls are still standing as are the underground floors.  There are 5 bakeries and 2 pizzerias in a 4 minute walk from our hostel.  Perfect, I’ve had bread and nutella for about three meals now, interspersed with bread and cheese.  Good thing I’m walking everywhere.  I’m trying to branch out with new food, but it’s difficult to find.  In Barcelona we found a great sandwich place our last day.  In Florence we found a local sandwich place inside the market, serving marinated meats on white bread, soaked in gravy.  In Rome I ate prosciutto and cheese.  I hear Croatia is big on seafood (major plus), however I have yet to find it. (photos)

Ferry to Split

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This is a short video about the trip from Rome to Split.  I took a ferry which was much bigger than I thought.  It had a lounge, casino, nightclub, bar, restaurant, really a mini cruise ship.  I also got used to the rocking of the ship.  At first it didn’t seem like it would rock (and the ship is huge) but the rocking turned gentle after a while.  Split is really great.  It is a smaller city than I’ve been going to, so it will be more laid back and outdoor. The views across the water are amazing.  When I first arrived the sun was beaming through the clouds across the islands and bays. (photos)