My Appolgies of the Absence

Life is in Limbo. Uncertainty floods the system. Reason for not updating blog: Life.

But the Blog is Back.

I am currently looking for a good job in Korea. Once this is obtained, the path will be clear. A flight can be booked, bags can be packed and goodbyes can be said. Until then, limbo.

I wish to continue uploading photos, but it takes forever on blogger (only 5 photos at a time!), so I have put them all onto facebook. Even if you are not a facebook member, no problem! Anyone can check out my Spain, Portugal, and New York photos. So here they are:

After Madrid and Lisbon below,

-Lagos, Portugal photos

-Seville, Spain photos

-Valencia, Spain photos

-La Tomatina, Brunol, Spain photos

-Barcelona, Spain photos

-London, England photos

-New York, New York photos


Please click on the links and enjoy! Facebook allows you to comment any photos you like, so let me know what tickles your fancy!

I am currently still in Vancouver, scouring the net for Korean English teaching jobs beginning in Dec 1. Once I find the job, then I will spend some time in Nov traveling Korea, Japan, China, or South East Asia.

Any suggestions?

Photo Gallery 2: Lisbon

Part 2: Lisbon

Meet up with Greg...

...and lock him out!

)

In Love with Seville

After waking up hungover from Lagos (who can't say that!), Greg and I took our left over chicken and headed to the Bus Terminal. We caught the 1230 bus to Seville, a five hour trip.

We crossesd a river that separates Portugal and Spain, not needing to show passports, and we were now in Spain (Greg's first time, my ...fourth?) The bus dropped us off in Seville, and we, along with Dean (from Abbotsford!) went in search of our hostel. I may have fallen in love with Seville the moment I saw their green crosswalk man. Not only was he green and inviting you to cross the road, but he was walking! Animated! Man, I love Seville!

We are in a Hostal Nuevo (with its free phone and free internet and free coffee and tea and hot chocolate - execpt the chocolate just ran out), an old four story building with real charater. Meet an Aussie, Courtney, and with Dean went out in seach of Tapas and Flamenco...

And we found both. Tapas and sangria in a wonderful cafe, menu in Spanish, ordered in English, and served to us by a good looking French girl! Ah, multicultural Europe! (Oh, and baked Camonbere cheese is my favorite tapa so far.)

Around 11pm, we searched and found a small club called the Carboneria, where - for free - we watched an amazing performance of traditional Spanish singing and flamanco dancing. One skilled guitarist, one old extremely passionate singer, and a powerful woman dancer silenced the cervesa-drinking crowd. No photos (though everyone was taking them), no smoking (though everyone was smoking them). Singing and dancing - what an amazing evening!

Today was mostly wandering around this beautiful town (that one might compare to Paris), although Greg lost his bank card to the cash machine monster - it eat his card and rebooted (cash machines can reboot? Yikes.)

Tomorrow we explore the east of the city before boarding an overnight bus (yuk, but cheap!) to Valencia, our home for the next four days and our base for La Tomatina - the tomato throwing festival on Wednesday! Next Ibiza, Barcelona, and London...

Love it...

Dateline: Lagos

LAGOS -
Arrived in Lagos by bus from Lisbon (5 hours, cheaper and much easier apparently than the train, which takes longer with three transfers) and am now staying at the imfamous Rising Cock Hostel (insert rooster joke here!)

Lagos is a beach town at the southeastern tip of Portugal where it is 35 C and sunny! Bars, restaurants, beaches and gift shops litter the small town that starts to party at 11pm and does not stop till 6am. This lifestyle draws a certain type of person, namely Australians.

Lagos and the Rising Cock have been inundated with Australians, mostly from Melbourne, but also Sidney, Perth, and the Gold Coast. Groups of 30 swarm like wild dogs through our hostel lounge (the 'Hard Cock Cafe') and into the bars and clubs. A few Kiwis, Israelis, Germans, Americans, and of course, Canadians join them as long as they can survive! Night before was a late one, last night wasn't.

Off to the beach again today, after Mama (the Rising Cock's matriarch)prepares some delicious crapes for breakfast. Tomorrow, we catch the 12:30 bus to Seville...

Oh, and I now have a small sunburn in the shape of a squashed Great Britain directly above my tattoo on my right shoulder...

Madrid to Lisbon

Hello Everyone,
I am currently in Lisbon, looking for a place to sit down and munch on some bread and peanut butter and apples with Greg. In other words, I have left Birmingham and England for Europe - specifically Spain and Portugal.

I spent a lovely two days with my family in London (saw an amazing art show with a white room of smoke ou walked through, bumping into others!) and then caught the Easyjet flight to Madrid.

Took the wonderfully clean metro to the city center where my hostal was - Grand Via: Home of the Prostitutes. Truely the Red Light District of Madrid, the hostal (Metropolo-a good hostal) was surrounded night and day by many many prostitutes working theyre stuff. Avoiding them, I managed to see three fanastic art galleries, including the famous Prado.

I left Madrid and took the night train to Lisbon. Arrived inthe morning and met Greg at our hostal - quite the compound across the water from the city center - Algrave. Beautiful here.

I´ll write more as I go, but here is a slice!