Look kids, Big Ben, Parliament!
Day 21: Dublin
I must say, my stop in Dublin was definitely a good move. Ireland is great and did you know that they drive on the left side of the road like in England??? I had no idea.
Today I got to visit the Jameson Whiskey Distillery and then headed to the Guinness Brewery. The Jameson Distillery (I am not a whiskey drinker at all) was actually a really good experience. It was fun to learn all that goes into making such an old practice such as making whiskey and (because I love “experiencing” history) it was a lot of fun to actually be in the room and see the first cast that John Jameson made his first barrel of whiskey back in the mid 1700′s. We (group of about 20) also had a tour guide take us through all the rooms and explain all the processes which helped quite a bit.
The Guinness factory was quite a different experience. It was like a brand new 6-story museum. Glass floors and escalators with a very open environment and no tour guide; a move-at-your-own-pace kind of place. The very top of the building had a 360 degree view bar of all of Dublin which doesn’t sound very high (6th floor) but was actually above most buildings across the city.
Those two actually took up about 3.5 hours combined with the walking in between but another highlight of the day was my lunch…bowl of soup, apple and a water. mmmmmmm good, however, I was unable to find a bench in the 10 minutes of walking. I didn’t want the soup to get cold I just sat down on the sidewalk and ate. I should have found a bench because while opening the soup container I spilled a little bit of soup on my shorts…yes, the shorts that I bought in Prague 5 days ago…I’ve worn them everyday since but now that there is a creamy vegetable soup stain on them I think it’s time to buy some new shorts.
Anywho, after the Guinness factory (and a free Guinness at the top of the brewery) I headed back to my hostel (last minute lodging…it was only 12.50 a night, how in the world could I say no that…..ummm with a couchsurfing host maybe?) and the first e-mail I saw was from my older brother telling me to find a TV and watch the U.S. Open. When I get something like that from Mike it means either Phil Mickelson is doing something ridiculous or Tiger is just being Tiger. Turns out, it was the first option which suited me just find because he’s my favorite.
So on the wise older brother’s advice I head to a pub (one of the most famous in London) “The Temple Bar” and start watching the Open with two people from Tennessee (hey, I would have watched it with locals if locals cared at all about golf.
Phil lost. 
But at least he showed up to play. Anywho, again, after that it was merely just a walk again down Abbey street and over to Dublin’s strange Spire after staring at it for about 90 seconds I figured it was time to head back (I am so exhausted).
So, now that it became 8:30ish p.m. (I think AP Style should apapt “ish” to their official time structure) I decided to shave. Ouch. I think I might be finished with shaving until I get back home (7 more days and my face, neck and patience would love it. I, again, had to buy a cheap dumb razor for just a one-time use because tomorrow I board a plane and they won’t let me bring on a razor (they also made me get rid of my spray deodorant, grrrr, I got a stick deodorant so I’m all set).
So, after the 45 min of shaving and tremendous razor burn I started calling people. I tried my dad again to tell him Happy Father’s Day (still haven’t gotten ahold of him) and I actually had the wrong number (I remedy that situation soon). So I call my work (no, I’m not lame, I just like my coworkers) and talked with all of them for about 45 min. Throughout my talk with them I got numerous Skype calls from my grandma (Dear) and called her back after. It was my mom, uncles Max and Mark and my grandma, Dear, too!! 
Very delightful video chat! I love Skype. My mom gave me my dad’s correct number and I called and talked to him afterwards. Hooray!! Ok, Father’s Day for the Cornett’s is set for the Sunday of the British Open…I’ll be there!! Another Hooray!!
Now, off to bed. I need it. Soooooo tired. Plane tomorrow to London. Til tomorrow, Cheers from Dublin.
Day 20: Dublin
The use of language has got to be the coolest and most proud aspect that humans have the ability to use. I have now traveled to countries that speak in seven different languages: Spanish, English, French, Dutch, German, Czech and Italian…but what a treat and luxory it is to speak English.
English is quickly becoming an international language. Last night, I took the late bus to the airport (for an 11 hour airport sit) as I got to the bus stop, a Turkish guy (all people in this story are in their mid-20′s) started talking to me about getting a better rate by getting our tickets together, so we did. As we get on the bus we sat near the front and continued to talk…in comes a girl from Moscow on her way to Paris and sits by us on the bus and starts speaking to us in English, in this great stereotypical Russian accent. 5 min later, a guy from Taiwan sits down next to her and says, “Is this the English conversation?”
The next 30 min we all just had a conversation in English (practice for the other three) and I just sat back and marveled at the lucky break I got from being born an American. I hear it all the time (and everytime it’s true) that I am lucky to be an American, but when I get to actually witness it, it’s an even greater realization.
I still fully intend on getting the Rosetta Stone (not the one I saw in London but the language program) and learning Spanish.
I am captivated by language. Seemingly nonsense words now turning into lasting conversations on an hour-long bus ride in Milan (We were all in Italy, none of us spoke Italian and all from different parts of the world yet shared laughter and smiles because of a common language).
Jumping down from the soapbox, Dublin is phenomenal. It is exactly like I pictured it…thousands of little pubs “McNellie’s-style” all over the place and on every corner.
I really got to experience the people in Milan and Lugano and now in Dublin. While traveling with two of my friends I tried my best to interact with locals but when it is your only chance for conversation for the day, you try even harder.
Since my friends left and went back to the U.S.A. I have had sooo many encounters with locals that I wish a photo would suffice. I even try to take photos of the situation but nothing compares. Tonight (in one pub) I had a local explain to me the rules of rugby as we watched the live match on tv. Heading to another pub, I had a local raise his glass to me and wish me safe travels, afterwards we (and a few other locals) watched Brazil beat up on Italy in the soccer game. In Milan, some locals bought me beers and asked me to sit with them while I waited for my couch surfing host, Claudio…people are great. People, in my opinion want to do the right thing, the good thing…whatever that might be. I believe OKC is another example of people opening their generosity wallets and sharing whatever they have with strangers.
Being on the road for the past 3 weeks has really showed me what it is like to be an outsider. Seven languages and four currencies later, I have learned what it’s like to try and fit in and fail miserably and depend on someone around me for help. People want to help. I have learned that I have to make myself available, swallow that pride and just talk, in the best broken (whatever native) language I’m in and open myself up.
Whether or not they speak English, people are still people.
Good night from Dublin.
Happy Father’s Day
Ok, so it’s only 3:30 p.m. here but this is the first time I’ve been able to use the internet and I just wanted to use it shortly to say HAPPY FATHER’S DAY, Dad!!
Tristan, Dad, Me and Mike at Flaming Lips Alley presentation
It has pretty much been a tradition every Father’s Day that my mom, both brothers and I crowd the livingroom with my dad to watch the final round of the U.S. Open.
Might sound corny to some of you but I’ve always enjoyed it. This year, not only am I out of the country but my dad is also on a flight…somewhere. Plus, this year’s U.S. Open is delayed because of rain so I have an idea…let’s try this whole “Father’s Day” thing during the British Open next month…ok? ok, good, I’m glad you agree.
I just called you, Dad, on skype and left a message but I’ll try again later. I did, however, just talk to Dear (my grandma on my mom’s side) on skype with video and everything! Awesome. Sometimes, I really love technology, and I love you too Dear!
Can’t forget a big Happy Father’s Day to my older brother, Mike. Lily is coming up on 2 years old and I can’t wait to get back to see her…and see you too of course.
Ok, well after an 11 hour stay in Milan’s ORIE AIRPORT (not Malpensa) I have finally left and am in Dublin and so far the walk around was great but now I’m off to watch some futbol in some Irish Pub.
Luck of the Irish is definitely on my side today.
Duomo in Milan
Day 19: Milan
After last night’s debauchle of missing my flight to Liverpool and having to frantically find a place to sleep and a new flight out of the city that hates me (Milan) I am finally on my way (again) to the airport. It is amazing how much you can plan and prepare for something and no mater what you do…something seems to wrong at somepoint. I guess it’s just a lapse of concentration but it sure messed up a couple of days that I really want to have back.
I am a giant Beatles fan. My iPod plays all their albums all the time and I had it scheduled to go to the Beatles’ hometown of Liverpool for about 35 hours (2 nights) only to see sights like “Strawberry Field” and “Penny Lane” and love every minute of it…my only downfall was that I took a bus that was 25 feet in front of the bus I needed. Ohhh the glory of hindsight. (Go to the next bus!! Not that one, the one behind it!!!) Why didn’t someone scream that to me?
Ok, well if you read yesterday’s blog you will find all the details but basically today has become a wash and I no longer got to see Liverpool (on this trip) and will trek ahead to Dublin as originally planned tomorrow at 11 a.m. Because I never successfully met up with my previous Milan couchsurfer I will not suffer the delerium of finding another hostel or hotel and will instead head to the airport on the latest bus tonight, 11:15 p.m. (15 min from now) to make sure I don’t mess THIS flight up. I had a great dinner (the absolute highlight of today) eating and drinking with some locals while watching a futbol game.
I got to watch Spain vs. South Africa and I was the only one rooting for Spain to beat South Africa. I didn’t care. Spain was winning and some little pathetic part of me felt like that was important at the time being. I rooted them on to victory at a 2-0 win.
Well, short blog because I don’t want to be late for the hour long bus awaiting me. I am still in high spirits regardless of the downpoor of bad luck in the past 24 hours and press on towards Dublin and trying my best Irish accent.
Here’s to 12 hours at the airport.. Cheers!
Mixup in Milan
Storms in Milan
Day 18: Lugano-Milan
Oh, my.
Today was definitely an adventure unexplored by me.
Waking up and lounging around in Lugano for a few hours, saying goodbye to that beautiful place was rough but it had to be done in order to catch my 2:37 p.m. train back to Milan so that I could fly to Liverpool later on at 10:10 p.m. So, ciao and a very big thank you to Margaret, Allie, Lizzie, Jesse and Kevin for such a perfect two days in my upside-down atypical journey across and back again through Europe. Hugs and photos…check. Catch the train…check.
Arriving in Milan at 4:00 p.m. I realized my flight didn’t leave for Liverpool for another six hours and decide to go back to the Duomo (Cathedral) and take the stairs to the very top (I would include photos and video but I’m at an internet cafe and not on my laptop so I can’t upload anything). The view from the 108 meters (roughly 30 stories) rooftop of the Duomo was breathtaking. From the view across all of Milan to the plaza below, the white marble cathedral had me take in an even higher appreciation for the city.
5:15 p.m. Head back to Milan Centrale (where my bag is resting in a locker and also the location for the shuttle buses that head to the Milan airport(s). I’ve still got some time to spare so I walk around the plaza and find a pizzeria and grab a smoked ham- gouda cheese sandwich. mmmmmm good. I standup to walk out and realize that it’s now only 6:00 p.m. I told my self that I needed to be at the shuttle in time to make the 7:50 leg to the airport. The bus takes 50 min to get to the airport…I know this because I’ve already taken it 3 times in my life.
Ok, so I still have some time to spare so I walk past a chinese restaurant and noticed nobody (not one single person) was eating there and the entire family of owners sat inside and I could tell the kids (teenagers) wished they could be doing ANYTHING else on a Friday night. I decided to eat, again.
After a great chinese meal it is now close to 7:00 p.m. and I decide to just go ahead and be there early to be safe. I grab my bag out of the locker and hop on the 7:30 p.m. bus to Milan-Malpensa (main airport in Milan). Upon arrival, I exit the bus and ask the bus driver if he knows what terminal the RyanAir company flies out of (I was really just trying to speak some more Italian before heading to the UK). He looked at me like he didn’t understand…understandable because I really don’t speak Italian and my words were probably just not said right…I start to repeat my pathetic Italian phrase again. He stops me mid sentence, “Yes, yes, yes I understand you, but, (I didn’t like the “but”) RyanAir is at Orie.” My brain immediately started searching my abridged Italian vocabulary section trying to recall this word, “Orie.”
Now that it’s obvious I don’t exactly know what he is saying. He tells me, “This is Milan-Malpensa (I nod with a very enthusiastic understanding of such a simple phrase) but RyanAir is at Orie…a different airport.”
Many words now were going through my brain but I’m told they are “French” so I figured he wouldn’t understand them.
“How far away is that? (I have about an hour to get to the ticket counter)?”
He just shakes his head…we have about a 2-sec staring contest and then he takes me to a taxi driver that speaks even less English than the bus driver but explains to the taxi driver my situation. The taxi driver looks at me and pulls out his calculator and types “180″ and says to me as he holds up this pre T-1 calculator, “1-8-0 euros.” Now is my cue to start the silly smiling facial expression that implies “I’m stuck in Milan at 8:30 p.m. at least an hour until I can even get back to the city to even start my flight search as well as a bed for the night” The bus driver recognizes that look, “Back to Milan (with a finger gesture to some unknown spot off in the distance)?” I give the most pathetic nod out of reaction of my pathetic situation.
He takes me to another bus driver on his way back to Milan Centrale. He explains my situation and the new bus driver tells me, “No charge, on the bus.” It was an order I took immediately. After a “Grazie milo” to the previous bus driver I hop on to the new bus back to Milan…again.
Immediately (10:05 p.m.) after arriving into Milan I head to an internet cafe I saw earlier in the day…get on couchsurfing and tell my host in Liverpool not to pick me up at the airport. Then I messaged my couchsurfing host here in Milan (Claudio) to see if I could stay with him again (I eventually got a response back from him at midnight telling me to come on over…but I didn’t receive that til the next morning).
Off to a couple of hostels I saw online. Arrive at the first one, 10:50 p.m.,…no rooms. Second one, 11:10 p.m.,…no rooms. I ask if he can call any in the area and find an open room. He told me he already did that about 20 min previous and there are no more rooms…hooray.
I just start lugging my already heavy bag down some random street, 11:30 p.m., and walk into a hotel…open room!!! Only €50 ($75)!! For summer rates on a Friday night this late in Milan…this was very pleasant news. So, I walked into my “Planes, Trains and Automobile-like hotel” and shoot some video…watch some TV (Jackass was on in Italian…trust me, at this point I needed a chuckle and you don’t need to speak Italian to think that show is funny).
Goodnight, Milan…again.
