Dublin

Recently I went to Dublin and what a wonderful city that is... there are many literary icons from Dublin. Like Jonathan Swift who wrote Gulliver's Travels.

Although men are accused of not knowing their own weakness, yet perhaps few know their own strength. It is in men as in soils, where sometimes there is a vein of gold which the owner knows not of. Jonathan Swift native of Dublin.

My friend Adi and I at the Chester Beaty Library Gardens behind Dublin Castle!

The River Liffy running through the heart of Dublin.

Adi and I at the Farmer's Market in Temple Bar

Nerja, Espana
La Costa del Sol es algo de los suenos!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

London is an amazing place with so many beautiful sights. Like this rainbow over the city on a rainy day! 

London Adventures

Recently, the girls and I celebrated our 1 year Anniversary in London. To celebrate we all went to see WICKED which was so much fun! If you can believe it we have lived, played and worked in London for a year and I can safely say that London is still a wonderful place to be.












We went to West End Live and got a chance to see the theatre in the open air of Leichester Square. I got meet the Kung Fu Panda!!!
















I also got a chance to celebrate a good friend's wedding. Here are some of us celebrating at the Chinese Banquet that followed the ceremony.

Stratford-Upon-Avon

I'm not trying to provide a travel guide merely to show my loved ones (and anyone else interested) the the things that I have seen and experienced. England has such great history and so many magnificent stories - it is hard not to want to see them all!!!

Stratford-Upon-Avon is the birthplace of a man we all know and love,

William Shakespeare!!!

Here we are, Cindy and I bracing for our lives on the River Avon in the heart of rural England! Yeah um, we can't swim and that was so terrifyingly fun!

This is the house where William Shakespeare was born in 1564. SHUT UP! I know, right?


Shakespeare was also laid to rest in this little town at the Holy Trinity Church. It is a wonderful place to visit. I think I will come back...

the White Cliffs of Dover

Do you remember the film Princess Bride? Well the White Cliffs of Dover (behind Bjorn, Bren and I) reminded me of the cliffs of insanity only not as dramatic. I know, I'm sorry, the pic doesn't do them justice!

Turns out they are chalk cliffs made up of small sea creatures and coral from the bottom of a long gone tropical ocean. And they aren't so much white anymore as they are gray. But they were stunning nonetheless.

And atop the cliff was built a castle with secret wartime tunnels to follow. The secret wartime tunnels were used as a base to plan vital work in World War II.

Interesting stuff man... In the background is the Keep where we learned about how the castle was prepared for the arrival of the great Henry VIII in 1539.

Amsterdam in March!

When Aline & Mark came to visit me in London we took a little side trip to none other than Amsterdam. And man, I gotta tell you Amsterdam is a beautiful and quirky town. Bikes everywhere, canals and of course coffee shops!!!

Here I am on my bike that I rode around town in. Yes, I was so scared but it was so much fun.

This was the magnificent sight on the courtyard of the Van Gough Museum. Did you know he shot himself in the end for fear that he had nothing more to give to the world...

"Countless friends and acquaintances have been taken off to a dreadful fate. Night after night, green and gray military vehicles cruise the streets... It's impossible to escape their clutches unless you go into hiding."

-Anne Frank, 19 November 1942

This is the actual house where Anne Frank wrote her diary whilst she hid. It was a trip walking inside and witnessing such history. It makes you wonder about how history truly does repeat itself.

the Sahara

"But none of that mattered to the alchemist. He had already seen many people come and go, and the desert remained as it was. He had seen kings and beggars walking the desert sands. The dunes were changed constantly by the wind, yet these were the same sands he had known since he was a child. He always enjoyed seeing the happiness that the travelers experienced when, after weeks of yellow sand and blue sky, they first saw the greeen of the date palms. Maybe god created the desert so that man could appreciate the date trees, he thought."

-Paulo Coehlo, The Alchemist Our first glimpse at the Sharan dunes at Erg Chibbi.
Yes, that's right. I am ridin on a camel. It was so fun... to feel the desert wind and the sun at your back.
Here we are on our way to camp with out camel guide.
The berbere music played before din was quite moving.

Weary travelers rest and grub on some good desert food!

Contemplating life as the sun rises over the dunes.

Maktub.

the ever more beautiful Merzouga

Not to make Marrakech jealous, because I loved them both, but the trip to Merzouga provided some of the most beautiful scenery. This was our crew and out van for the trip into the desert. The man front and centre is out Berbere guide, Abdul, or as we more fondly knew him Mohammed Tajine!
Here I am at the beginning of the trip when we first started to see the Berbere villages in the High Atlas mountains.
This was the evening of the first day at the Hotel Le Vieux Chateau du Dades. Yes, that is a sheesha that I am smoking. The stars on the rooftop terrace were amazing.
Here is the entire group including Kaori and Mayuko from Japan (they are studying agriculture in Niger). We are drinking berbere wiskey in a traditional home that is now home to a women's association.
Here I am at the Todra Valley on the second day of the trip. We ate lunch here and as you can see the Todra Gorge is amazing. It divides the High Atlas Mountains from the Jebel Sarhro.

the glorious Marrakech

I returned from Marrakech tonight feeling an overwhelming sense that there are other cultures and other people out there beyond my universe of comprehension. Marrakech is bustling with people and culture. It was wonderfully hot and different. It is an amazing place.

The Medina or old city houses the Djemaa El-Fna which is a large square with stalls, food, culture and spiritual brotherhoods preforming their arts. The tower in the back is the Koutubia (from Kutubiyyin, Arbic for booksellers according to the LP) which echos prayers to the square below.
Here is one of the colourful open air shops in the square with traditional Moroccan plates and cookware. The cook the tranditional couscous in the pots right below the plates. They cook outdoors and the food is so Yum-O! I loved it.
Here are the girls (Cindy, Brenda and Maria) and I at the stalls on our last night in Marrakech. The fruits that are traditional to the region are figs (yum), dates and apricots! They were so good and these sorts of stalls are all over the Djemaa El-Fna.

In My Life... Liverpool Style

There are places I remember All my life, though some have changed, Some forever, not for better, Some have gone and some remain. All these places had their moments, With lovers and friends I still can recall, Some are dead and some are living, In my life I've loved them all.





But of all these friends and lovers, There is no one compared with you, And these mem'ries lose their meaning When I think of love as something new. Though I know I'll never lose affection For people and things that went before, I know I'll often stop and think about them In my life I love you more. Though I know I'll never lose affection For people and things that went before, I know I'll often stop and think about them In my life I love you more. In my life I love you more...

Arlene's Vist to London

When my most favourite person in the whole world came to visit me in London it was snowing!! It was exciting not so much because it was SNOW in London but because I got to share it with Arlene.
She came for a week and got to see the beauty and madness that is London.






Here we are at the London Eye... enjoying the sights of London from atop a big pod! It was so much fun! Thanks for coming Arlene.

Aline's Visit

Here are Aline and Mark at the entrance to the tube in Notting Hill Gate! Nice! they are proper Londoners now!!

Here are Aline and I in my little box flat in London! This was on Mark & Aline's first day in London. They came to visit me and the great city that is London. You know you want to visit too! And yes, my tee does say Got Pupusas?

to love

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.” -C.S. Lewis