Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Workaway

So we will be completing our first 'Workaway' experience from December 1st - 11th at Borris House in Ireland. Workaway is a volunteer exchange program where host families provide food and accomodation in exchange for volunteers completing 5-6hrs of work per day. The experiences are varied from helping on a farm or working at a bed and breakfast. We are really looking forward to this and many more Workaway experiences.

For more info, click here

Not sure if we will have internet access while we are there so be prepared for lots of photos after Dec 12th!

Sunday, November 27, 2011

It's a nice day for a Guinness...

Jon had been looking forward to visiting the Guinness Storehouse, also known as the "Disneyland for beer lovers", in Dublin, and whilst I was more interested in looking for a cosy cafe for afternoon tea, I must admit it was much, much better than I had been expecting. We spent a good few hours there (and ate a deeeelish Beef & Guinness stew - feed me and I'm happy), poured our own pint of Guinness (which I completely destroyed due to trying to draw a shamrock in the foam whilst pouring! Oh this stubborn Dickinson streak will never cease to make me look like a fool) and learnt plenty about the process of making and history of Guinness.

Ok so enough chatter, here are the pics...

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Having a wee taster

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In his element

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Ok so mine wasn't perfect, but I still got a certificate!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Inspiring Travels Part 2

I stumbled across Alistair Humphreys' website last week and have since read his first ebook and have started the second. Both are free to download from his website. His first two books are about his 4 year journey cycling around the world (Dad you would enjoy his first particularly, this is about his ride through Africa). I found the first fascinating as he describes the experience exactly how I would expect it would be - at times so excrutiating and impossible and within a few sentences the realisation that he is having this incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

He seems to be addicted to adventure, unusual travels and testing his limits.

Direct from his website ---

"Alastair’s quest for adventure began young. Aged 8, he completed the 26 mile Yorkshire 3 Peaks challenge and the National 3 Peaks in 24 hours aged 13. At 14 he cycled off-road across England. After leaving school Alastair taught for a year in South Africa.

Whilst at university (Edinburgh and Oxford) Alastair cycled from Pakistan to China, Land’s End to John O’Groats, Turkey to Italy, Mexico to Panama and across South America. He ran a charity project in the Philippines and the London marathon dressed as a rhino.

Since graduating Alastair has cycled round the world for 4 years, raced a yacht across the Atlantic Ocean, canoed 500 miles down the Yukon River and walked the length of the holy Kaveri river in India."

Very inspiring. You can find him here - http://www.alastairhumphreys.com/

Monday, November 21, 2011

To market, to market...

On a Saturday morning in London we ventured to Borough Market. Food, glorious food! How I wish we had such a fabulous market back home, as I could get used to shopping this way! I love taking photos at markets, but I was a bit hesitant at first as when I photographed some fresh pasta at a market in Berlin, the stall holder was not impressed. But it seemed most people were capturing the buzz of the market on their cameras, so I snapped away...

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Garlic prawn wrap - yum!

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...Oh and just for fun, here's that pasta shot (despite the grumpy lady, the pasta was deeelish!)

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The atmosphere was fantastic, and even though itwas crazy busy, it was a great way to spend a few hours.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Kutna Hora Bone Church

The Kunta Hora Bone Church was a short train ride from Prague, so we decided one morning to go and have a look. We had seen the Church on The Amazing Race Australia and had spoken to a few people who said it was a worthwhile trip.

The Bone Church was constructed in 1870 by FrantiĊĦek Rint. It was a bit eerie, but mostly quite amazing that the church contained the bones of approximately 40,000 people.

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Me 'pretending' to be scared...

Creeeepy but fun...

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Lantern procession..

The night we arrived in Olomouc, there was a lantern procession on the eve of their Independance Day. We decided to tag along and there was a fantastic fireworks display at the end...

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Waiting for the procession to begin

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It was fantastic because the whole ceremony was in Czech, so we had no idea what anyone was saying but all of a sudden everyone starting walking backwards and suddenly fireworks were set of about 30 meters in front of us. It was beautiful!