Traveling, Traveling

Wow. What a day.

We woke up this morning and went to Howth.  It's now my favorite place and I LOVED it.  It was gorgeous.  Just 30 minutes by train outside of Dublin, we walked around the marina and up some of the cliffs.  I can't wait to go back.  On the way back, before getting on the train, we got fish and chips.  Oh, my goodness.  Salt and vinegar and heaven in my mouth.  It was light and crispy and delicious.

When we got back, we took the tram to get the ferry, which was not marked and there was no pubic transport all the way.  We walked for at least a half hour and asked a couple of people for directions.  One old guy who was riding a Tasmanian Devil (cartoon) bike.  He gave us directions and then chased us down when they were wrong and then checked and basically led us half the way there.  Then we asked this business guy how long to get there (it was about 2 and our ferry left at 2:30) and he said 30/45 minutes.  I freaked out and he offered us a ride.  We gladly accepted and he drove us down to the ferry, so I got to ride in a funny car, which was cool.  We left him a tip, and went inside, but as we were boarding, he chased us down (through security) to give it back to us.  We both officially love Ireland.

So we took the ferry and we both took naps.  When we landed in Holyhead, we split up, with James staying a while before going to York and I immediately took a train to Birmingham (where I am now).  There was a family that had been on the ferry with us. Mom, little Killian who's 2, Stacy who's 7, Lindsey who was almost my age, I guess, and Shane who was 12/13.  They were really nice and Killian was adorable and singing and playing and making everyone laugh.  They got off and I started talking to this guy from Wales.  We both changed at Shrewsberry and took the train to Birmingham.  We talked for a long while and he was pretty cool. 

When I got to Birmingham, I got some funny money (they use Pounds and not Euros) and grabbed a sandwich and drink.  It was so cheap compared to Brussels.  Everything is so much cheaper than Brussels.  No where is as expensive. 

Walking to the hostel was kindof sketch, but I did get here and it's very colorful.  It's a really chill pub downstairs and everything looks like unicorns vomited on it.  (EVERYTHING is rainbow or bright or colored or shiny.)  The beds are pods (I'll put up pictures soon - I don't have the cord with me) and are eight to a room, four on top and four on bottom - basically giant cubbies like you have in elementary school.  We'll see how it sleeps.

I came back downstairs and started talking to this guy from New Zealand who is living in Portugal.  They do have a very different accent than the Brazilian Portuguese, and I have the most trouble understanding the New Zealand accent...  There were a whole bunch of guys (ok, maybe five) all playing GTA Liberty City - which is what Gabe plays, and I thought that I was home.  I was saying the other day that I miss watching it being played.  Anyway, I grabbed some soup from the kitchen and sat down with my comp. I checked my email at midnight yesterday, and when I logged on I had over twenty-five new emails. 

Tomorrow I don't know what I'm doing.  I can't go to Stratford-on-Avon because then it would be pointless to have come to Birmingham.  So, I think I'm going to Cadbury world, the Royal Air Force Museum and the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter before going to London tomorrow night. 

Time to socialize and then shower before bed.

Goodnight, world.