I'm back online after various shenanigans with GoogleAccounts and hostel computers that don't accet cookies! You've missed a wealth of activity. Since we last spoke, I have:

* Visited Newgrange, Mellifont Abbey, and Monasterboice in eastern County Meath and seen real-live round towers, high crosses, and neolithic carvings

* Visited Kilkenny and seen the magnifcent castle, and witnessed just how GOOD it was to be an English landowner i Ireland

* Visited Galway and the Aran Islands and climbed to the ring fort at the edge of the island's cliff faces.

* Visited Belfast and viewed some of the murals supporting both Unionist and Orangemen causes. Also, the zoo with some of the most FERTICAL enclosures I've ever seen. Barbary lions which are extinct in the wild!

* The Giant's Causeway and the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge (200 years old and what can only be described as swishy). This one especialliy needs photos to describe it.

* Amsterdam's Red Light district (better by night) and various gorgeous canals, the world's narrowest house, and various other important old buildings. The Rijikmuseum "greatest hits" (as most of the museum is currently rebuilding) and the Van Gogh for a second time! I spent 45 min. just looking at Almond Blossoms and finally decided to buy a copy in the museum shop, the pain of carrying it around and hand luggage restrictions be damned!

Tomorrow it's on to Dusseldorf, and I have no idea whether I'll be able to post again. Here's hoping!

Eurotrip 2007!: Days 1-4

As always, I didn't really relish the flying bit. But I watched parts of five movies, all coalescing into one big meta-movie that made Norbit way better and Pan's Labyrinth way worse. Time was short so we headed right to Victoria Stn. from Heathrow. We didn't manage the Tate. Surprise, surprise, I know. The Tate Britain is becoming my travelling equivalent of Susan Lucci at the daytime Emmys- I just never quite make it.

Computer troubles looked like they might trip us up on the way to Exeter as a malfunctioning security code meant we didn't have physical tickets, but when we gave our ticket numbers and names, he told us the numbers didn't mean anything to him, but we were on till Exeter, right? And spit-spot we're on the bus with no further trouble. An exceedingly jet lagged Beth passed out and missed the Devon countryside but arrived at Exeter relatively awake. Somehow I avoided jet lag. Maybe it's just experience- my first trans-Atlantic flight knocked me on my ass.

We were met at the bus station by Emma and Eleanor, which was brilliant, and they led us back to Danes Rd., behind one of the nicest and most colourful prisons I have ever seen, and let us drop the bags threatening to rip off our arms at the shoulder. I ran into Tanya and Tara and met the charming Lucy. Then off to the Firehouse for cheap wine and pub grub- where I ran into my old flatmate Jessie, Timepiece for a bit of shouting to be heard, and then back to the most comfy maroon loveseat I've ever had the pleasure to sleep on. Emily, who was out of town to visit a famous American actor relative in the West End, kindly allowed Beth to use her room.

It was awesome to see everyone again, and I want to thank Emma, Emily, Lucy, Tanya, and Tara again for their hospitality and Eleanor for her general wonderfulness. Any and all of you should come visit me in Arizona in the near future!

A series of mix-ups on the way out of Exeter meant we missed our flight to Dublin, but all was well and we were able to take the next flight out. Dublin is as great as I remembered and this time we got to see even more creepy, leathery, fascinating bog bodies. Gold hoards and the Oscar Wilde Monument: nothing says Ireland quite like them! From here we'll travel onto Kilkenny, Galway, Belfast, Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, and Frankfurt. Keep checking back for more updates!