Not Exactly a Traditional Irish Music Sesson.

We thought we could get a few more rocks laid before Brandon and I had to hit the road but it was raining all morning long. I got a load of wash done so I could travel with some clean clothes. Something I haven’t known for a while. I think Ian was very sad that we were leaving. After all of our time with him on the well and little field trips, he wasn’t going to have anyone to play with no more. I was sad too. Donegal now has a special place in my heart. From trad sessions to birthday parties with Polish Anna, I will never forget the great times we had. Helen was so helpful as well. She made sure Lindsey and Ramsey were getting all set up for the start of the hitching adventure in Dunfanaghy. She even took some group photos of us in front of the caravan jumping into the air. Before I knew it, we were on our way to Strabane to catch the 247 bus to Dublin. Brandon and I gave everyone hugs and then boarded our bus. After a quick wave out of the window they were out of sight and we were on our way to see the greatest band on earth!

It took about 3 and one half hours to get to Dublin. Once we arrived, we only had to walk a couple of blocks to our hostel which was a good deal. I was in no mood to haul that pack around. The best part about getting there was the shower. OH MY GOD the shower! Finally! We had hot water! Something we had not been accustomed to for quite some time now. I couldn’t believe how great it felt. Brandon was speechless as well.

I slept pretty well for how excited I was to see Avenged Sevenfold. We got out of the hostel around 9:30 in the a.m. and had 3 hours to kill before we could catch the first bus to Marlay Park at 12:30. We went on a mission to find a cheap iPod cable since I had left mine at Feddyglass. My iPod was dead and needed to be charged very badly. It took a while but I eventually settled at €10.00 for one. We then went to a liquor store so I could get a couple small bottles of Jameson to sneak into the concert. Perfect boot size pint bottles. We then shot over to Georges Quay to get our bus passes and were on our way to Marlay Park in no time. They were playing Metallica the entire ride over although I was playing Alice in Chains and Avenged. The bus dropped us off near the entrance and near a Lidl store which was a good thing because we needed to chow down before going through the gates. There was no way I was going to blow a ton of money on concert food. We got some sammies and brewskies and hit up a lawn with a ton of others to have some lunch and get a buzz on before going into the grounds.

We got caught with a 2 liter bottle of water and had it confiscated from us but they never found the boozeJ. Suck on that Guarda! We found a spot in the grass to chill out on for a while until the Glider came out and then we got up as far as we could. They had a separate section for the mosh pit area that only the first 250 people in the grounds got wristbands for. I was not happy. We were still close but I wanted to be right up front for Avenged!

Glider was actually really good but I was not impressed with Mastodon. Not my kind of band. I was really looking forward to Alice in Chains. I couldn’t wait to hear the new lead singer who ended up blowing my mind. He was amazing. He sounded almost identical to the original but more soulful. I was so glad I got to see them. It turned out Thin Lizzy couldn’t make it for some reason so Avenged was next in line. Of course, they came out with Critical Acclaim which I was able to get on camera! One of the best intro songs ever! They were UNBELIEVABLE! I still can’t believe that I got to see them in Dublin. They even played Eternal Rest. I had never heard this song live before. The coolest part was when they had a fan come on stage to sing Pantera’s “Walk” with the band. He was actually really good. Even Avenged was blown away. I tried to record it, and I thought that I did, but my camera ran out of memory. The rest of the performance was simply spectacular. I was surprised that there were no ballads performed though. Metallica rocked the house of course with some new stuff and plenty of old stuff. The fireworks were a great touch too. I have never really been impressed with Metallica until I saw them live. Well done boys.

After two pints of Jameson and one sweet ass concert, I was stumbling with Brandon back to the bus. We boarded and headed back to the center of Dublin. We made a visit to the BK lounge before calling it a night and then went to our hostels. Brandon had booked a different hostel for this night because the one we stayed at the night before was all booked up when Brandon was making reservations. I got to stay at the same place as he went down the street to his new hostel and went to sleep. I was exhausted. I looked at all of the pictures and watched the videos I took before going to bed and wished I could go back for seconds. I was asleep in moments and ready for my venture to Sligo to begin the hitchhiking extravaganza.

Donegal Dreams

The bus ride took us about 4 and one half hours to get to Strabane. Luckily a man with his family realized we looked a little anxious and assured that he would alert us when we had reached our final destination.

Walking off the bus we noticed a man about 5’8” getting out of his little Nissan pick-up. He was dressed in wellies, jeans, and a flannel. I was expecting an Irish accent to come out of his mouth but much to my surprise he was British. “I’m Ian” he said. “Welcome to Donegal.” It took about 15 minutes to get from Strabane to Feddyglass (Ian and Helen’s Place). The house was in disarray but it was beautiful. It was built in the 1600’s they believe and they were in the process of putting a new roof on and tearing out all of the old stone and interior. They wanted to rebuild it to look exactly how it did when it was first constructed.

He had set up a tent for us as for two of us to sleep in and the other two would get the second camper van that their friends had left at their house for the summer. It wasn’t the best conditions we had encountered so far on our trip but it had a homey and comfortable feeling to it. I was real excited to get to work on such an old house but it turned out that Ian had other plans in mind for us Engineers.

They had a TV for us to watch DVDs and play PS2 if we desired. Helen had quite the selection of films as well. This was the first time I finally got to see “Cool Hand Luke”. What an amazing movie. I had been missing out. We also watched “Best in Show”, “Stay”, “Chocolat”, “The Big Lebowski”, “P.S. I love you”, “The Knowing”, “As Good as it Gets”, and “Dawn of the Dead”. This was the first time we got to sit around and be lazy. Ian never wanted to start work until after noon or 1 O’clock anyhow.

To sum up the work portion of the Donegal experience Ian had planned for us to build a new well for him. The well on top of the hill was their only water supply but he wanted to have more water pressure so we decided to double the volume of the well to achieve the new pressure. We spent the first day looking around to plan out our strategy and then we began to dig. The well was only a hole in the round that was covered by some aluminium sheets. It was surrounded by dirt and trees. Dirt and trees in which we needed to move out of there. We thought we could do the entire thing by hand but we couldn’t. There was one gigantic tree stump that we needed to call a digger for to come and remove it. Once the trees were out along with the dirt we began to build. Ian had a collection of stones for us to use but we had to dig up most of them by hand. It was quite the challenge trying to build a well out of non-uniformed rocks we pulled out of the ground. Ian taught us a lot about stone mason work. We spent almost every day mixing cement and lime with sand for our mortar. It was always two bathtubs worth which would get us about 2/3 of a layer down. It took us up until the day before we left to get that well finished although there were some finishing touches that Ian had to do once we were gone. I just happy that we don’t have to spend a couple hours a day siphoning water out of a well anymore or getting a pump to get the water pressure back at the house.

The countryside around Ian and Helen’s place was amazing. We went for walks along the long checker patterned farm roads on several occasions. It was rare to have sunny days but when they came it illuminated the countryside and made it quite the site to see. We went with Ian on a couple of roads trips to see the sights that were nearby their place. The first was the stone circles just outside of Raphoe. It was like another Stonehenge but not as tall and uniform. The second place he brought us to was an old fort. It was built completely out of stone and looked like a mini coliseum. There had been some work done to it but for the most part it was in really awesome shape. It was like a mini arena inside. There were several levels of wall you could take stares up. The third place Ian brought us to was the beach at a bay near the fort. It was a beautiful spot with surrounding hillsides and very shallow shores. We spent the entire time collecting mussels so we could have a mussel cookout later that night. We gathered up all of the butter, oil and garlic we could find and cooked outside on the grill. It was so delicious!

Ian and Helen also brought us to Londonderry where we got a chance to see the city wall and learn about the history of Bloody Sunday. It was more fun than I imagined it to be. We got to ride some giant cannons and get a good look of the old city of Derry. There was also a WWII monument outside the mall that had left an open spot available for WWIII. Kind of Strange... We also got to meet Helen’s mother. She made a lot of tea for us and crammed many pieces of toast down our throats which we didn’t mind. Free food is good food!

MY most favourite part about Donegal was the trips we took into the city of Raphoe, the smallest city in all of Europe. They know this because it was a question on Who Wants to be a Millionaire. The first time Ian brought us was right after we had visited the stone circles and he brought us to Horse and Hound for a couple of pints. The man who was working the bar told us about the traditional Irish music session that went on every Thursday next door at the Diamond Lounge. He said he played the flute and the mandolin and told us that we were more than welcome to come and be a part of the festivities. The first time we went was with Ian. It was a little awkward at first since we were clearly from out of town but the people at the bar were very open friendly with us. The ring leader, at least that is what he seemed like to me, was this small, smiley face lad who looked a lot like my uncle Tom. He could play almost every instrument there. He was a pro at the flute though. They were amazing! There were about 15 people playing throughout the night passing around guitars, mandolins, flutes, drums, and accordions.

The second trad session we went to was on the last Thursday we were going to have in Donegal. This was the last night that Linds and Ramsey would see Brandon in Ireland. It was a perfect way to spend their last evening with him too. The music was perfect and the Guinness was delicious. We got to talking with a few of the local guys before we left. Brandon and I mentioned that we were heading to Dublin for a show and one guy was very jealous. He hadn’t heard much about Avenged Sevenfold but he was a diehard Metallica fan. He said Marlay Park was a very nice place and assured us that we wouldn’t be disappointed. This just made me even more excited for the show. I couldn’t believe that we were going to see Avenged live in Dublin!

It was sad to say goodbye to Ian and Helen the next day. There hospitality was more than what we had planned on and our new friendship will last a lifetime. I hope to return one day to check in on Ian and Helen to see how the house has developed. I imagine it will be the home of their dreams. Ian brought Brandon and me to the bus station later that afternoon and with a solid farewell we were on our way to Dublin.

The Dublin Diddley Doo Da

We landed in Dublin around ten in the morning, maybe eleven, dreary eyed and almost entirely out of it. We filed off the plane like a bunch o brain-dead zombies and hit the line for customs. We had to wait here for about a half hour to get our passports stamped. We grabbed up our bags from the turnstile and found a cosy corner to hunker down in while we used the internet and got some food. I scratched Ian and Helen’s number down on a piece of paper and then spent several minutes trying to figure out Lindsey’s calling card so I could ring our hosts to let them know we had arrived in Ireland. After several feeble attempts a very grumpy operator managed to connect me through to the right number. It rang a couple of times and then the connection was made with a greeting of “What do you want?!” Confused I asked “Is this Ian?” Embarrassed, Ian responded with an apology and an explanation saying he thought I was one of his friends. I told him we were in Dublin and that we wanted to stay the night there to soak up the city a little bit. He had no problem with that plan. I confirmed the bus number we were supposed to take towards Donegal and which stop we were supposed to get off at and told him I would call tomorrow.

After this I was back in a haze and feeling almost ill due to the lack of sleep I had endured over the last 48 hours. There was a juice stand selling fresh juices for 1 euro a pop so Ramsey and I both picked one up. The carrot juice was delicious. It made me feel a little better considering the only thing in my stomach was a mixture of stale energy drinks, coffee, and emptiness. We got organized and ventured out into the world so we could catch a bus into the city to find a hostel to stay in.

The hostel was called the four courts. It was supposed to one of the best in Dublin. According to the reviews it was in the top 10. It was 14 euro a night which was a pretty good deal. It felt good to finally set the packs down and get a shower to clean ourselves up after such a long couple of days. After eating we went on a small tour of Dublin on our own. We didn’t walk all that far but we did find a store that sold hiking and camping gear. They were closing up but we told them we would be back tomorrow. We were entertaining the idea of getting a tent and Lindsey was in desperate need of a new sleeping bag. Brandon also needed a new sleeping bag so we decided to hold out on any purchases until Brandon was with us so he could get a good look as well. 

We went back to the hostel afterwards to get some sleep but much to our surprise we had a new roommate upon our return. She was an Australian student doing some travelling during her break from Uni. She had been in Ireland for a little while already so she had some stories to share with us and some suggestions for things to do before we left Ireland, one of them being “Kiss the Blarney Stone.” The legend has it that if you kiss this stone you will be granted with the gift of gab. I was intrigued. After talking for a little while sharing with her our stories I began to get a second wind and wasn’t feeling as tired anymore. I remember singing Lindsey some Josh Grobin “You Raise Me Up” and then I headed to the dining room area to use the internet for a while.

I poured myself my first snakebite using a spoon and mug I had found in the kitchen and sat down to use my laptop. It was here where I met Gabriel, a man who had returned to Dublin from Poland to find some work and was staying in the four courts until he found a job. He also saw what I had poured and asked how I managed to get the two liquids to separate. I explained to him how to make it which ignited a long conversation. There also a few exchange students staying there who were attending classes at the university in Dublin. Gabriel invited me to come out with them to the Temple bar district for a few drinks. He introduced me to Catha from Poland, Stephen from Italy, and Oscar from Spain.

The place we stopped at was a bar called the Mezz. Apparently it was Catha’s favourite in Dublin and I could see why. They had a reggae/ska style band playing that night and they were very good. I ordered my first Irish style pint of Guinness and I must say that it was a taste of heaven. We were sharing stories of our homelands, dancing to some great music and sharing pints of sweet Guinness. What had been an awful morning had turned into such a terrific night.

The time between the bar and my bed was a blur. I awoke the next morning feeling a little hung-over but rested for the most part. I said farewell to my new friends and exchanged contact information with them so I could try and keep in touch.  I called and talked with Helen this time. She assured me that there was no rush to get to Donegal and that we should stay in Dublin as long as we wanted. We were too anxious to get to the next workaway, though. It had been over a month since we had a chance to settle down in one spot for more than three days. I told her which bus we would be on and she assured me that Ian would be waiting for us. We then checked ourselves out of the Four Courts and walked towards the main bus station. We purchased four tickets to Strabane and then were on our way, coach style.

Berlin: The End of Our Euro Trip

Once we arrived at the main train station we spent some time trying to figure out the metro system so we could get to the generator hostel. The Berlin train station is by far the largest train station I have ever seen so far. It is basically a shopping mall sitting on top of a shopping mall sitting on some railroad tracks. We were able to get some food, probably McD’s, I really can’t remember at this point but it had become pretty standard for us to eat at McDonalds whenever we could. It was so dang cheap.


We got to our hostel and had no problems checking in. We brought our things up to our room and met our two roommates. They had had a pretty late night and were in no condition to be woken up yet. The Generator hostel surprised me. It was about 10 stories of rooms and had a couple of rooms for internet usage, one smoking and one non-smoking. There was a big dining room and a big kitchen where hey ad buffets for breakfast every morning. The best part was that it was free! All you can eat for free! The hostel was the cheapest one we had come across as well. It was only 10 Euro a night. They had a big bar and an outdoor seating area to have some drinks or eat some food out in the sun. They also had a projector for movie night which we did take advantage of the first night in. I finally got to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I also found a copy of Max Tivoli in my locker which is the book that Benjamin Button is based off of.

We got some food at a kebab stand that was right outside the hostel which sold some HUGE kebabs. We are all about cheap and delicious. We didn’t venture anywhere on this evening though. We decided to stay in and catch up on internet stuff and to just relax for one evening. We planned on going to bed a little early so we could get up to make the free walking tour in the morning.

Our guide was British and a little goofy looking but was very intriguing. He had many bad jokes to share with the group but was very knowledgeable. These free tours are the best way to go when travelling on the cheapy cheap. The guides only work for tips but always seem to do an amazing job. We got to see the the Brandenburg Gate, a view of the Reichstag building, and all in embassies in Pariser Platz and then walked to the holocaust memorial. This is not what I had expected the memorial to be but I was absolutely fascinated with what the artist had done. Our guide said that people either love it or hate it but I definitely was in awe in the presence of all those concrete pillars. The next stop was a parking lot which is where they discovered Hitler’s bunker to be at the end of the war. The community did not want to have any remnants of the place so they filled it in and paved it over. We also got to see the remains of the Berlin wall, checkpoint Charlie, Gendarmenmarkt, the book buring memorial, and museum island. We tipped the man afterwards for an awesome tour and then decided to stay and lay around for a while.

Before going back to the hostel, Lindsey bought some hair dye to touch up the red in her hair and convinced me that it would be an awesome idea if I did it too, even though I have no red. Why not? We headed back to the hostel afterwards and ate some more kebabs before going up to our room. 3 Euro for a kebab the size of your head is a gift from God. Not the healthiest meal but it is one of the most delicious.

We got back to the room and Lindsey introduced me to the wonder of dying hair. She went first and then used the left over’s on my head. It was a cool feeling. It looked like my head was on fire while the dye was settling. It was a little tingly but I must say I was a little excited. I had to wait 30 minutes and then I rinsed it out in the shower. It turned out pretty good, Lindsey does good work. It was kind of like raggedy Anne and Andy. I showed Ramsey who was on the internet downstairs who told me I looked so lovely. I think by lovely he mean gay but what can you expect. Boys will be boys.

There was supposed to be karaoke going on in the bar which we were excited for because we hadn’t done since Albufeira in Portugal. Everyone got tired though and wimped out. There was an overload of underage kids about anyways. It was like a high school in the place. The average age had to have been 17 or younger. I waited until about midnight for the singing to start but it never did so I went to bed myself. Of course, as soon as I laid down my head I heard the bar crank up the tunes. It went on till about 3 in the morning too. They sand a lot of old American classics like Do Wah Diddy and of course Michael Jackson galore.

We hit up the breakfast buffet for the last time before checking out and then got our things all packed up for our journey out of Berlin. We had planned on taking a train to Frankfurt even though our Eurail passes were expired. We were just going to buy a ticket but realized it would have cost around 75 Euro a piece for the trip. No way. We did a little research at the train station and decided to rent a car instead since we didn’t need an international driver’s license to drive a car Germany. We just had to catch a bus to the Berlin airport to do so.

I was so excited. I get to drive on the autobahn! The For Focus was in Lindsey’s name but we all had a turn at driving except for Brandon. I couldn’t resist. I had to see how fast I could get the Focus up to. Lindsey was screaming at me every time she heard me accelerate. I only got it to 185 km per hour before she forced me to stop. We decided to take a detour near Duben to see some of the German countryside. We ended up near some farmland where we parked and went on a little nature hike to the top of a small hill. We didn’t have to be at the airport until 6 am the next day anyhow so we figured we would see as much as we could while we had the chance. We also got to stop in Jena for a quick bite to eat.

I only had to stop once along the way to fill up the tank. It was a little after 1 in the morning so needless to say I was running on E myself. I ordered myself a large coffee and an energy drink to keep me awake for the rest of the trip. Considering I have a low tolerance to caffeine I figured this would be enough to make it to the airport. I wish it would have been sunny out because it seemed like we were passing through some amazing countryside but I will never know for sure. It took another three hours to get to the airport but we did make it in one piece.

There was nobody around to receive the keys for the car but there was a drop box to put them in. For some reason I felt like I should hang on to them until I knew for sure when our flight was leaving and if we were at the right terminal. Brandon accompanied me inside where w had to walk through a labyrinth of hallways before we found the check-in area. We looked at the departure board but could not see our flight anywhere. It was nearly 5 a.m. at this point and we knew our flight was scheduled to leave at 8. The terminal was almost completely empty. All of the information booths were closed except for one. We asked the man if our flight was on time and he informed us that we had arrived at the wrong airport. We were at the Frankfurt Main airport and we needed to be at the Frankfurt Hahn airport. It was over 70 km away from Frankfurt Main. I couldn’t believe it. I was already tired and delirious from the lack of sleep and I was beginning to crash hard from the caffeine I had had earlier. We had to hurry. We got back to the garage and did a quick search to find a way out. The rental car drop off point was there to receive cars and not drop them off. We were sure we were going to be locked in. Luckily there was a button on one of the gates that opened it. It lead to a one way street going the wrong way but we had no choice. We had to bail out of there. I hit the button and quickly ran back to the car to get our asses out of there and headed toward Frankfurt Hahn.

I was having some major issues staying awake. The rest of the gang was sleeping and the music wasn’t helping my situation at all. I needed a big dose of caffeine but had no time. We needed to get to Hahn and fast. We were about 15 minutes out when I dosed off and quickly woke right before smashing head on into a guard rail and a passing car. That was the dose of adrenaline I needed to make it the rest of the way. We finally found the drop off point after doing a few loops through the town and got checked off by the rental car agent who had arrived at the same time as we did. I was not in a good mood. We still had to get inside and separate our bags to meet the baggage weight requirements for the flight. However, we were right on time. We made it through without anyone going over the limit and were waiting patiently to board at our gate before we knew it.

A Day of Discovery in Denmark

The next day we checked out of the hostel and headed to the Carlsberg brewery. Johnny and I really wanted take the tour but the others did not. We went anyway. It wasn’t the most amazing experience but I did get to try some good beer and have my first brewery experience. The gang got quite impatient outside but it was there loss. We went and got our train reservations to Berlin afterwards and then had lunch at a Korean buffet place with Johnny. He had to take off right after lunch.

Once he was gone we went back to the hostel to drop off our packs because our train wasn’t scheduled to leave until after midnight. We heard there were concerts going on all every weekend in Tivoli so we decided we would spend the rest of the day there. I’m glad we did. It is a beautiful Amusement park with some great shows going on. We were serenaded by Copenhagen symphony and entertained by the Tivoli play as well. We even went on a giant tower swing ride that had an amazing view of the entire city. The main act on this night was Cassandra Wilson. She did a very good job. I am not the biggest jazz fan in the world but she could really sing. After the show we walked around and saw all of the beautiful lights that the park is known for. Lindsey scored some free ice cream from Cold Stone which was amazing because it was: a. Cold Stone in Denmark, and b. it was free!

We returned once again to our hostel to retrieve our bags and then walked back to the train station to board our seated sleeper to Malmö Central and then Berlin. Bye bye Denmark, hello Germany!

Rendezvous in Copenhagen

I had been in communication with the group via email before arriving in Denmark so I knew when and where to meet them. The most recent email I had received from them had said that they would be getting in around 9 o’clock. I left the train station at 10 a.m. and walked to the hostel that I had booked for us a couple of nights prior. It was called the Backpacker’s Hostel. It was a big place with huge dorm rooms that ranged from eight man dorms to 64 man dorms. It was like a concentration camp almost. The place was only OK on the whole. It was hot, the showers were tiny, and you had to pay for breakfast. Not good. They did have a patio with a couple of grills, though, and the charcoal was free to for all to use.

I got on the internet for a while in hopes that there would be a message from the gang but there wasn’t. I decided to go walk around while I waited for them instead of just sitting around and doing nothing. I am glad that I did so. I got to see some really good street performances while I was walking around. I saw an alternative bluegrass band, a comedian juggler, and Native American Indian tribal music. I don’t know what they were doing in Denmark but it was one of the best performances I had seen. There was something about it that reminded me of the Karate Kid, which is most definitely a good thing.

I then walked to the port area which was packed with drunken people just sitting all along the canal walls. It made me a little jealous. I decided that it was time to head back to the train station for 9 o'clock’s second coming of the day. I walked passed Tivoli once more and realized that this place was not just a park but it was an amusement park! Right next to the train station as well. I got to the train station at 8:30ish and waited until 10:30ish. No sign of the gang. They had to have arrived by now. I said screw it and just walked back to the hostel hoping they would be there. Thank goodness, as I was walking up the entrance I saw Ramsey sitting in the lobby reading his book. I was happy. I walked up to the room where Brandon and Lindsey were sleeping and threw some hugs on them. Linds, Ramsey and I thought it would e good to go for walk to soak in the night air. They had been on trains all day anyhow and it would do them some good. Brandon stayed back and slept.

We walked by Tivoli and to the pier where I was earlier. On our way back Lindsey and Ramsey discovered that by returning cans and bottles to convenient stores and super markets you could make so money and decided to raid every trash can we came across on our way back. It didn’t take them long to learn which cans were good and which types were unacceptable. It became a game for them. There was a lot of competition though. It seemed as though every place we went to people we constantly coming up to us asking us for our water bottle and empty cans.

Before meeting up with the gang, I had been in contact with a girl by the name of Rikke. She was the friend of Alex, our French Canadian friend we had met in Barcelona, and was informed by Alex that we would be coming to Copenhagen for a few days. I talked with her over the phone and set a time and place to meet up on the following day. It was the third of July. The four of us were on our way to meet up with Rikke when we decided that we were going to grill tonight. It seemed right to uphold the American tradition

We met up with Rikke at the train station and went with her to a nearby beach. This beach was all grass and had a diving platform! It was a perfect day for it as well. Denmark was having a heat wave. She had brought some drinks for us as well. This was the first time we got to try Bulmer’s. It wasn’t as good as Strongbow but it was a tasty treat for a hot day. Ramsey and I did a couple jumps and dives from the platform as well. We saw many little kids doing it and thought that we couldn’t allow them to show us up. After all, we are American and it was the most American holiday of the year. Well, all it took was one dive and I managed to throw out my tough American back right away. You win Danes. I will just head back to the grass, sit down, drink my cider and be quiet.

Rikke’s friend stopped by the beach to hang out with us for a while. Hr name was Julia and was a biochemist. They invited us to come with them to Julia’s apartment that night followed by a visit to Den Glade Gris, which translates to The Happy Pig. How could we not?

We said goodbye and then walked back to our hostel stopping by a grocery store along the way. We picked up some Danish hot dogs and some corn on the cob for the main meal. We also had potato salad and Lays potato chips for side dishes. It was a perfect 4th of July meal. Oh yeah, and Beer! We grabbed some charcoal from the reception upon our return and commenced the grilling out back. We met a lad from England by the name of Johnny. He was eating alone so we invited him to eat some of our delicious American cuisine. We told him about the Happy Pig and he said he would meet us there.

The night was amazing! We spent a couple of hours out on patio at Julia’s telling stories and getting to know each other. We then got to see her apartment and listen to some popular Danish music. It was very funny. I think it is amazing how almost everywhere you go in Europe you will hears some type of American music but back where I come from we are not exposed to hardly any European music. It would be nice if I could break these language barriers so I could understand what I was listening to. We didn’t spend too much time there. We left shortly after 11 pm and walked to the metro so we could get to The Happy Pig. The clock struck midnight while we were on our way so I busted out the iPod so to play Lee Greenwood’s “Proud to be an American”! Lindsey and I sang it loud and proud. It was so much fun. It made me think of all my family and friends back home and how much I am starting to miss them.

We arrived to our destination, running into Johnny on the way and grabbed a booth before it got too busy. The drinks were expensive but we needed to celebrate! We partied hard until about 4 in the am and said our thank you and farewells to such an awesome group of gals. Brandon, Ramsey, Lindsey, Johnny, and myself walked back to the hostel after that but we luckily ran into a little guitar session from one of the street performers and a bunch of tourists in the middle of Town Hall Square. He played and we danced until the sun came up. It so amazing! People of all origins and races from all over the world were singing and dancing to the same songs together. It was such a great experience. Once we saw the sun coming up we went back to our hostel and slept.

Bone Chapel Baby!

We got off the tram in Sedlec after heading in the wrong direction and back again and found ourselves inside the Cistercian monastery. It had some interesting history but everything was somewhat modern and they were still refurbishing the place. It wasn’t the most impressive cathedral I had been in but it is hard to be overwhelmed on the church front after witnessing St. Peters Basilica twice. The Kostnice Ossuary was mind blowing, though. 40,000 bodies rearranged to create magnificent pyramids, chandeliers, coats of arms, and crosses. It was an eerie feeling being amongst so many skeletons. I was speechless. This was definitely one o the most fascinating things of the entire trip I would have to say.

We managed to walk back and got some lunch near our next destination. It was called the Church of St. Barbara. This was a cathedral that I was impressed with. They had a three dimensional rendition of the Last Supper where the disciples were actually sitting around a table in the same fashion they were in the painting except they were not all sitting on the same side. This was the first time I had seen The Last Supper portrayed this way.

We were going back to pick up our stuff from the hostel we had stayed at but a large storm had managed to creep up on us. We ducked inside the entrance to an underground mine exhibit and figured we would take a tour since it was raining out and this was underground and all. I mean, who doesn’t love caves? We asked when the next tour was going to be but we had unfortunately missed all of the English tours and they had only one more tour left that had just started. This tour was in Spanish. At that moment I wouldn't have had it any other way. We jumped on the Spanish silver mine tour bandwagon and tried our best to comprehend what was being said. The only people on this tour, besides us, were a couple from Spain. They were very nice people. Vanessa is much more fluent in Spanish than I am considering I am not fluent at all. You can only retain so many Spanish words from two years of high school Espanol classes with Senora Gibbons. No offense. She is an amazing teacher! The best part was that we got hard hats, lab coats, and big flashlights! I really enjoyed the tour. It must be the miner in my blood. Thanks pop!

By the time we had finished the tour, the storm had blown over and the sun was back out. We had switched hotels because we had failed to make a reservation at the previous hostel and it was booked by the time we returned. We found another that was even nicer, though. It was in the centre of town for the same price and had an even better set up than the previous place. We had a TV this time. Something neither of us had seen in a while. Legally Blonde was on in Czech which got Vanessa excited. I can’t say that I am a fan but I tried to watch for a couple minutes. It was intriguing trying to interpret the Czech into English without the subtitles.

The next day, we were on our way back to Prague so I could catch my train to Denmark to meet back up with all of the others. We hit up the internet cafe and said farewell for the last time. It was so awesome that we had made such a great new friend via Princess Cruises. Who would have thought? She was off to Croatia next. We exchanged some pointers and then were back on our own. So long kiddo!