Day 214: Family Reunion– Day trip to Howth

No blog in 9 days? Uh-oh. It's been a while, my friends. I wish we could have been in better touch but sometimes life has other plans. As I write to you, laying atop a balloon mattress in a Scottish flat, quite a lot has happened since I left Liverpool for Dublin. I explored Dublin for a week before fleeing to the green womb of Western Ireland. Immersed in nature I spent most of my time camping and hitch hiking. If I were to go on – like grandpa reminiscing about the war, I wouldn't be able to stop. Life has been satisfyingly fulfilling the past two weeks and I'm excited to share.

Classic Kerstin and Adam.

I had been exploring Dublin for three days before they came. Celebrating Christmas alone helped me realize how much I missed my family and friends. When Monica visited in Ronda, I felt myself flooded with nostalgic energy. Planning to meet up with people in Europe can be difficult, but sometimes everything works out without planning. This was the case when I heard my cousin Kerstin that she and her boyfriend Adam would be in Dublin.

A globe sculpture at Trinity College.

We met up at a bar late Friday night. We both had a lot to share, themselves freshly back from occupying Afghanistan with the US Army. Being with the two of them made me feel warm and comfortable. Beers disappeared and conversation flowed as they told me about army life and I weaved some tales of my travels. It wasn't long before the big news came out – boy, was it big. So big I'm surprised it didn't cut off the circulation to her finger. Yes, Kerstin and Adam are due to get married. I felt closer with Kerstin than ever before. Fortunately, they were staying for a few days so we could continue enjoying each other's company.

The next day my CouchSurfing host treated us to a tour and suggested that we go to Howth for the day. Originally he was going to drive us up to Glendalaugh but the air inside his car tires had other ideas. Around mid-day we hopped on the train to Howth, blissfully ignorant of what to expect.

Kerstin was ever-so excited to board the train.

Octopussy's Spanish tapas were delightful and best enjoyed with family.

To drive your car into the bacon or not drive your car into the bacon.

Kerstin is almost as tall as the lighthouse.

She said doing this used to freak her mom out.

Buoys and boats.

After the harbor we hiked up this cliff...

... and looked at rich people's yards...

...and then we looked at some rocks and the town...

... until Kerstin got fed up and went for a swim.

The helicopter came to rescue Kerstin from the ocean.

So I took some photos of flowers while I was waiting.

Kers thought that there were penguins in there... somewhere.

Aw.

So cool. So serious.

We reached the lighthouse at the end of the peninsula and went for coffee.

Ha! What a last name.

Religion.

Not only did Howth make an excellent day trip from Dublin but I got to share it with my cousin. They've been dating for somewhere around two years now and it's exciting that we will have a new member of our family. Howth's lazy harbor, lush hills, and treacherous cliffs provided an excellent environment for a reunion. Even though I just wrote an article about why I travel alone spending time with family warmed my lonely bones. It was a pleasure to see you two and I look forward to spending more time together on my return. For the rest of you, go to Howth. 

Beannacht!

Day 205: Top 10 Sights of Liverpool

Is feeling tired while traveling crazy? Of course traveling is exhausting, but even when I got to a new place I noticed I was becoming less and less excited. Traveling is no longer new for me, after 8 months it has become a way of life. Thankfully my host in Porto recommended that I get a flight. Since I've been traveling small distances, town to town, I thought making a big change would rekindle the fire. Fortunately, I was right.

Part of Liverpool's famous Albert Dock.

A flight from Portugal to Liverpool was just the cure I needed – a new culture, climate, and experiences. Being in England is surreal. Spending so long in strange lands, being able to communicate with everyone is odd and liberating. I speak the language (arguably), but culturally I have a lot to learn. Luckily I can drink a beer as good as anyone so I'm practically English already.

RyanAir is great when you don't miss your flight.

No dentures in case of emergency landing.

The sunrise was beautiful but this is how I felt after 4 hours sleep.

I spent first night in Liverpool was spent in the airport. The flight got in late and I didn't see any purpose in paying for a hostel when I could sleep for free with the bums. Unfortunately I only got about 4 hours of sleep because the cafe I was snoozing outside of woke me up at 5. Alive but not awake I got the bus into the center of town and shuffled around like a zombie. I didn't have a CouchSurfing host yet so I camped out at a hostel for the whole day. The staff was extremely friendly and I only felt a little guilty about leeching WIFI and eating their food when I wasn't actually staying there. Not only did I get a blog entry written, but I found a host, a guy named Neil. We had a date at 7:45 on the other side of the Mersey River.

I was happy to help Neil finish building his greenhouse.

I was even happier when he cooked me a 'thank you breakfast'.

From a multitude of museums to its status as the home of the Beatles, Liverpool has a lot to offer. I soaked up some history, friendship... and gravy!

1. The Tate Liverpool (free)

A sister museum to London's famous Tate, Tate Liverpool upholds the family reputation. Constantly muttering "taint," like a 7 year old, I perused its galleries. In addition to the high quality of the art I particularly enjoyed the Tate because I found a lot of inspiration for the show I'll have when I get home. Experiencing the three exhibits took me about 4 hours.

This show was curated by 'Young Tate'.

A spotlight shone on this revolving piece of plastic... neat.

There was a stellar show upstairs with many famous pieces.

I enjoy modern art, mainly for the discussions it provokes.

A view across the Mersey from the Tate.

2. The Albert Dock (free)

I learned about the Albert Dock while reading Liverpool's Wikipedia article. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it is a large complex of brick warehouses built around a system of docks. When it was built in 1846 it was Britain's first building constructed from solely brick and iron, making it fireproof. Additionally its design allowed ships to be loaded directly from the warehouses, greatly reducing loading time. Unfortunately the dock quickly became outdated with the advent of steam ships and fell into disrepair. Thankfully, today the dock has been restored and is full of posh restaurants and apartments.

These three large warehouses are the Albert Dock.

Liverpool's Eye.

The Pier Head visible from the dock.

3. Mersyside Maritime Museum (free)

Liverpool has enough museums to keep you busy for a week. The Mersyside Maritime Museum is definitely worth a visit. Though I only saw part of the first floor, the museum was full of fascinating information about ocean cruisers like the Titanic and Lusitania along with a large section detailing Britain's involvement in WWI and WWII. I was eager to learn about history from a different country's perspective. I wish I had more time to spend here but they close early, at 5.

All of Liverpool's museums were excellently curated.

NICE TYPE.

The ship builder's original model of the Titanic.

You guessed it, that thing on the right is a depth charge launcher!

4. St. George's Hall (free)

What sort of sicko would combine Liverpool's finest concert hall and ball room with its prison? Harvey Lonsdale Elmes, the architect of St. George's Hall. Not only is this neo-classical structure beautiful, but historically fascinating. Although it is the world's first air conditioned building, if you were a prisoner, it wasn't a nice place to be. After your trial in the court room you could be held or tortured before being sent to another prison or shipped to Australia. The concert hall is spacious and beautiful. I imagined myself dancing with the fluffily dressed ladies of the period. What a duality.

My courtroom.

GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY!!!!!1

Even prisoners need exercise. 

Who wants to dance?

Pretty sweet stained glass window of a guy slaying a dragon.

St. George's hall, beautifully lit at night.

5. The Baltic Fleet Bar (ale and pie)

Liverpudlians, affectionately known as Scousers, derive their name from the mutton and vegetable stew, scouse. Perhaps you've realized I enjoy eating and if there's a dish so famous a whole area of people are named after it, I must try it. Unfortunately I didn't try scouse till right before I left and I was looking for it after 5, which is when a lot of the small cafes that serve it close. Thankfully I found some meat pies and remnants of scouse at a small bar called the Baltic Fleet. Be sure to wash it down with one of their craft beers.

The staff and locals were friendly. I felt like a regular.

I ordered two meat pies (one cheese one pork) along with their summer ale.

I mentioned that gravy would be good on top so she scoused me.

Check out the rest of the photos!

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Day 203: Why I Travel Alone

I have a confession to make, I'm not traveling alone. Nearly my entire trip I've spent with someone who I've become very close with. Through spending a lot of time separated from other people our friendship has become strong and roots of understanding have grown deep. I wish I were hiding a beautiful Italian girl from all of you but this is not the case. I'm not hiding anyone, or at least not intentionally. I am referring to myself.

Is a traveler more than his possessions?

Everyone has a different method of traveling based on their personality and circumstances. Some plan every detail while others blow with the wind. If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you might already have a sense of where I lie on this spectrum. While hitch hiking, CouchSurfing, and aimless wandering suit me, there is no superior method of travel. If I were only traveling for a week or two I would surely have a daily itinerary. Based on my personality and circumstances I have naturally discovered how I like to travel, but there is another shaping force, my reason for traveling.

Climbing a mountain near Vevey on Christmas Day.

I left the States under the mantra of "learning how to live." If I don't understand myself, how could I know how to live? Similar to how someone's method of travel is a reflection of their personality, someone's lifestyle is also a reflection of their personality. In order to "learn how to live" I needed to discover myself.

-4ºC is a facilitator of personal growth.

It's no secret that traveling provides an excellent means of discovering one's self. Every few days my environment completely changes. I separate from new friends who I've grown close to. I leave the place where I've been sleeping. I leave the town which I've just got my bearings in. In extreme cases I change countries, cultures, languages, and climates. Throughout all of this changing environment, I am the only constant. By these means, I come to realizations about myself more frequently than I would if I were not traveling alone. Sharing these experiences with someone might be more fun but traveling alone is more rewarding.

Conquering the Calanque of Marseille.

Towards the beginning of my trip I wrote an article about how traveling fuels personal growth. Personal growth only comes from discomfort. While in Lisboa, my host introduced me to an incredibly inspiring Yugoslavian performer, Marina Abramović who demonstrates this perfectly. Though my travels are no where close to the passionate magnitude of her performances, I find her inspiring because of her relentless pursuit of self. Similar to how the majority of Marina's works are solo, if I was traveling with a companion I would have someone to distract me from my feelings. Being an only child, I've always felt comfortable alone. On my trip I've made it through quite a few trying situations. If I were with a friend during these times these trials would have strengthened our friendship. By the same right, when I am with myself, I become stronger in the most homogeneously schizophrenic of ways.

My greatest period of inner exploration; meditating with Aras.

Most of my self discovery takes place when I'm alone and if I were traveling with someone, I don't think I would get enough time alone. CouchSurfing requires a large amount of my time and often I find it difficult to be alone because I'm spending time with my host or I'm sleeping in a living room or hallway. Traveling with someone would greatly reduce my alone time and not only cause me to miss more blog entries but decrease my time for meditation and reflection.

My four day hitch from Toledo to Cordoba gave me lots of 'me' time.

"One is always one too many around me... The third person is the cork that prevents the conversation from sinking into the depths" (p.50, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Neitzsche). Though I feel I'm absorbing only a minuscule fraction of Neitzsche's wisdom, I relate to his thoughts on solitude and friendship. Though making conversation with good company can often be inspiring and educational, not to mention fun. Many times in college when I was stuck brainstorming a few words from an outside source could open new doors. There is indisputably great benefit in quality conversation. However, the self is discreet and easily trampled by spoken word. Self discovery feeds on solitude. The benefits of meditation do not come till after the meditation.

Morocco was the most difficult and rewarding place I've traveled.

Continuously meeting new people, making my own decisions, sleeping when I want, leaving where I want, and going where I want are all benefits of traveling alone, but for me they are secondary. I am traveling alone because there is no other path. The way to myself must be pioneered before it becomes navigable to others. Traveling alone gives me the maximal ability to discover myself; plus, no one is judging me for how much I eat!

Beannacht!
(I'm in Ireland)