Well, we made it back in one piece. I can't quite believe it, considering a very common speed on some of the major "Motorways" here is about 175 km/hr. We tried to keep it down to a modest 130 and got buzzed by fast movers the whole trip. Some guy in a Lotus must have been going 200. Wow.
Well, fast moving highways aside, we had a FABULOUS time. I'd highly recommend this island to anyone in the market for a scenic holiday. Sorry England, I must say that Wales was by far the prettiest part of the trip. There's less traffic, quiet towns, and less people. And, you have to try really hard to find a view that isn't absolutely gorgeous. Incredible!
There's too much to tell, and it will just get boring, so list highlights in point form.
-Eating quail in Hay-on-wye
-The Oxford Cottage in Hay-on-Wye. It was very pretty cottage in the middle of the town. We pulled up to it, and there's a sign on the door that says for enquiries, call Ed. There's a phone, outside, by the door! SO, we called Ed. Ed said, "Just go on in and pick a bedroom, the door is open. I'm walking in the hills, I'll be there in 45 minutes". WHAT? It was beautiful. Nicole and I had a big fireplace in our bedroom! Cheap and great. Best B&B ever.
-Pretty much everything in Hay-on-Wye
-All of the coastlines and coastal towns we visited. Some nice big water at sunset with fish and chips.
-Seeing a sign for Sherwood Forest on the road near Nottingham.
-All of the great castle giftshops. They have great wooden swords, bows, and everything else you could ever want as a little kid! (or a 24 year-old kid!)
-South Sheilds
-Watching Big ships and fishing boats from up close at the docks in North Shields. We talked to some of them, and they looked at us like we were crazy, or just ignored us. It was awesome.
-Gaining at least 7 pounds.
-Staying at Desmond's house in Shields, and his incredible music box dinner music machine. Totally surreal.
...and much more. Well, I'll talk forever about it to you individually sooner or later!
Take care,
Luker
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Oot and Aboot in the UK
Hey kids,
I got the job confirmed, will be starting on September 25th. I'm not sure about living Salisbury yet, but I'm thinking it may be cheaper for me to Hostel it for the weeks when I'm in Salisbury than to find permanent accomodation. Hm.
Until then...
Nicole's Dad arrived in Wales today, and he rented a car. Tommorrow we are embarking on a week-long trip around Wales and Northern England. I think we'll have a great time. It's really nice to have a new member in the gang. Things were going great, but it's nice to throw a new personality and some fresh stories into the mix! I have no idea where we plan to visit, etc, except for a visit in South Shields and Durham. I'm really glad to get to see more of this country, especially the rural areas. I can't wait!
Take care, everyone, I hope that you are all doing very well.
L. Delaney Ryalls
I got the job confirmed, will be starting on September 25th. I'm not sure about living Salisbury yet, but I'm thinking it may be cheaper for me to Hostel it for the weeks when I'm in Salisbury than to find permanent accomodation. Hm.
Until then...
Nicole's Dad arrived in Wales today, and he rented a car. Tommorrow we are embarking on a week-long trip around Wales and Northern England. I think we'll have a great time. It's really nice to have a new member in the gang. Things were going great, but it's nice to throw a new personality and some fresh stories into the mix! I have no idea where we plan to visit, etc, except for a visit in South Shields and Durham. I'm really glad to get to see more of this country, especially the rural areas. I can't wait!
Take care, everyone, I hope that you are all doing very well.
L. Delaney Ryalls
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Stonehenge? More like Stonedhenge
Hey all,
We went to Salisbury today for my job interview. The train ride went through some of the nicest countryside I've ever seen. Especially around Bath, it was absolutely incredible. Mom, Dad, Jesse, everyone, you HAVE to come see it. I mean it. I can't get over how amazing some of the landscapes are here. Everything is very rounded and full, where in Canada most landscapes are flat or pointy. You know, like pointy evergreen trees, flat-ish fields and pointy mountains V.S. roundy hardwoods and high rolling hills. The result is really beautiful.
The interview went really well, and mostly consisted of my interviewer going through a chart outlining the company's corporate ladder and departments. Kind of depressing when your job is listed at the VERY BOTTOM. Haha. So, ego problems aside, the good news is I'm probably starting work in Salisbury soon. Cool. Now, I just have to maybe find a place there... Hopefully I can stay with a friend of a friend from Ireland. Also,I may often be on away projects from Monday to Friday, (we get weekends off) so I could just live in Cardiff on the weekends during those times, and have accomodation provided during the week.
Of course, we also checked out Stonehenge, which is like 5 minutes from Salisbury. We saw this wicked Unicorn that totally speared a Liger with it's horn, and flew off into the air with guitars wailing in the background. I tried to find a picture of stonehenge airbrushed on a van, but alas, this was the best I could do.
Haha. I ACTUALLY saw a girl there with her short cropped hair shaved into the shape of a sun and it's rays. The crazy tourists are the real sights at these sites! Stonehenge was pretty much exactly how I expected it, and was pretty satisfying. The only letdown there is the crazy busy highway going around it on both sides. On one side it is barely 50 yards away! Still, the place was cool. The fields all around are just dotted with the big burial mounds of ancient kings. You can see probably 15 or so. I didn't know about them before, and found them to be maybe the most interesting part of the visit. On the way out to Stonehenge from Salisbury is Old Sarum, a HUGE mound, probably 200 yards or more across, that used to have a castle and monastery on it. It was pretty amazing to see. We waited for the bus right next to it for about an hour.
Anyway, I hope you guys are doing well. Read Nicole's blog for a likely more entertaining version of events.
Luker
One more artist's rendition...
We went to Salisbury today for my job interview. The train ride went through some of the nicest countryside I've ever seen. Especially around Bath, it was absolutely incredible. Mom, Dad, Jesse, everyone, you HAVE to come see it. I mean it. I can't get over how amazing some of the landscapes are here. Everything is very rounded and full, where in Canada most landscapes are flat or pointy. You know, like pointy evergreen trees, flat-ish fields and pointy mountains V.S. roundy hardwoods and high rolling hills. The result is really beautiful.
The interview went really well, and mostly consisted of my interviewer going through a chart outlining the company's corporate ladder and departments. Kind of depressing when your job is listed at the VERY BOTTOM. Haha. So, ego problems aside, the good news is I'm probably starting work in Salisbury soon. Cool. Now, I just have to maybe find a place there... Hopefully I can stay with a friend of a friend from Ireland. Also,I may often be on away projects from Monday to Friday, (we get weekends off) so I could just live in Cardiff on the weekends during those times, and have accomodation provided during the week.
Of course, we also checked out Stonehenge, which is like 5 minutes from Salisbury. We saw this wicked Unicorn that totally speared a Liger with it's horn, and flew off into the air with guitars wailing in the background. I tried to find a picture of stonehenge airbrushed on a van, but alas, this was the best I could do.
Haha. I ACTUALLY saw a girl there with her short cropped hair shaved into the shape of a sun and it's rays. The crazy tourists are the real sights at these sites! Stonehenge was pretty much exactly how I expected it, and was pretty satisfying. The only letdown there is the crazy busy highway going around it on both sides. On one side it is barely 50 yards away! Still, the place was cool. The fields all around are just dotted with the big burial mounds of ancient kings. You can see probably 15 or so. I didn't know about them before, and found them to be maybe the most interesting part of the visit. On the way out to Stonehenge from Salisbury is Old Sarum, a HUGE mound, probably 200 yards or more across, that used to have a castle and monastery on it. It was pretty amazing to see. We waited for the bus right next to it for about an hour.
Anyway, I hope you guys are doing well. Read Nicole's blog for a likely more entertaining version of events.
Luker
One more artist's rendition...
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Kicking around Cardiff
Hello,
How is everyone keeping? I'm not bad. I woke up today feeling a bit low about the whole lack of a job thing. Does this ever bother anyone else? I think I'm the only one. Haha. I've got a few opportunities lined up, as my faithful readers will know. I'm just wondering if it's ridiculous to move to Salisbury for one month before coming home. Well, I suppose we'll see...
Yesterday Nicole and I went to Caerphilly Castle in Caerphilly (apparently pronounced "Caphilly") just a few minutes from Cardiff. It was a sprawling thing, and there was a wedding going on at the great hall there. It was quite the sight. I'm still kicking myself for not getting to Dover Castle while we were in the area, but we had to keep moving to make it to cardiff in good time.
Caerphilly Castle:
This photo doesn't really do it justice, maybe try googling it.
Jon, it was nice to hear from you, man. I miss you too.
I hope everyone is having fun, I'll talk to you soon!
Luke
How is everyone keeping? I'm not bad. I woke up today feeling a bit low about the whole lack of a job thing. Does this ever bother anyone else? I think I'm the only one. Haha. I've got a few opportunities lined up, as my faithful readers will know. I'm just wondering if it's ridiculous to move to Salisbury for one month before coming home. Well, I suppose we'll see...
Yesterday Nicole and I went to Caerphilly Castle in Caerphilly (apparently pronounced "Caphilly") just a few minutes from Cardiff. It was a sprawling thing, and there was a wedding going on at the great hall there. It was quite the sight. I'm still kicking myself for not getting to Dover Castle while we were in the area, but we had to keep moving to make it to cardiff in good time.
Caerphilly Castle:
This photo doesn't really do it justice, maybe try googling it.
Jon, it was nice to hear from you, man. I miss you too.
I hope everyone is having fun, I'll talk to you soon!
Luke
Saturday, September 09, 2006
"Musician for Hire" OR "Someone Gimme Some Damn Money!"
Hey everyone, I mostly am blogging to show off this cute photo I found. It made my day. Hi Eli! The banquet was a blast, though it wasn't in the crazy over-the-top ballroom, more of a dungeon-like basement place, which was cooler in some ways anyway.
No word on the job interview. I've tried calling and emailing, but haven't been able to set up a date.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Some Good Stuff
Hello everyone,
Things are going quite well today, thanks to some fun stuff that went on yesterday. We found a nice house to move into, sharing with three female med students. The place was really nice, and though our room is smaller than the rest, we also have an extra room thrown in as our own. That's very good.
However, I may not even end up there for long, as I've landed a job interview with Wessex Archaeology in Salisbury, Wiltshire. Hopefully it goes well, Wiltshire is a hotbed of archaeology, pretty much referred to as one big monument! This is the area where stonehenge and many other monuments are. Here's hoping! It would be nice to make a few pounds before heading home for the wedding.
Another cool thing (maybe the coolest)is that while working as a university conference tea person on a student job, nicole rubbed elbows with the right folks who happened to have a whole lot of spaces to fill at a banquet at Cardiff Castle! I guess 17 people cancelled, so they're trying to fill it up. Off we go! It's tonight at 7:30, and apparently its a really classy place where the royal family has held banquets. I can't wait. I've included some photos below.
On a lower note, what's all this about rumors that the Fjords dislike Carbon Dating Service? I thought we were all buddies. Who is spreading such stuff? To set the record straight, CDS happen to be composed of some really good friends of ours, and I would like it to remain this way.
Right, then.
See you all soon!
Luke
Oh, here's some photos I found of Cardiff Castle and the banquet hall:
Things are going quite well today, thanks to some fun stuff that went on yesterday. We found a nice house to move into, sharing with three female med students. The place was really nice, and though our room is smaller than the rest, we also have an extra room thrown in as our own. That's very good.
However, I may not even end up there for long, as I've landed a job interview with Wessex Archaeology in Salisbury, Wiltshire. Hopefully it goes well, Wiltshire is a hotbed of archaeology, pretty much referred to as one big monument! This is the area where stonehenge and many other monuments are. Here's hoping! It would be nice to make a few pounds before heading home for the wedding.
Another cool thing (maybe the coolest)is that while working as a university conference tea person on a student job, nicole rubbed elbows with the right folks who happened to have a whole lot of spaces to fill at a banquet at Cardiff Castle! I guess 17 people cancelled, so they're trying to fill it up. Off we go! It's tonight at 7:30, and apparently its a really classy place where the royal family has held banquets. I can't wait. I've included some photos below.
On a lower note, what's all this about rumors that the Fjords dislike Carbon Dating Service? I thought we were all buddies. Who is spreading such stuff? To set the record straight, CDS happen to be composed of some really good friends of ours, and I would like it to remain this way.
Right, then.
See you all soon!
Luke
Oh, here's some photos I found of Cardiff Castle and the banquet hall:
Friday, September 01, 2006
Funny stuff
I called the Headway company today about that job, and they sounded great. The woman on the line recognized my accent as Canadian, and sounded somewhat impressed by my suitable background experience. They're mailing me an application form.
Jobs aside. . . I was looking at the photos from my first ever post of this blog (from before I left), and realized that you can actually see the house we lived in Ballinasloe. Isn't that bizarre?!
Look below at the photo. To the left of the red building (our beloved Super Value) you can just make out a house next door. That was our house! What are the chances?
Anyway, take care.
Luke
Jobs aside. . . I was looking at the photos from my first ever post of this blog (from before I left), and realized that you can actually see the house we lived in Ballinasloe. Isn't that bizarre?!
Look below at the photo. To the left of the red building (our beloved Super Value) you can just make out a house next door. That was our house! What are the chances?
Anyway, take care.
Luke
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