Monday, March 30, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Obsolute technology lives on
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Busses that make you look twice
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Thursday, March 19, 2009
October in Berlin!
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Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Reflections on Juggling
Reflections...
- I am awed by howe energized I am by planning this trip and changing my life
- Today I remembered that I am not cut out to be a corporate girl, 9-5 is not my thing
- Giving stuff away feels good
- I am heartened by how positively gleeful and appreciative the regular homeless guy by IGA is when I buy him chocolate
- I am plotting Berlin and Athens, which first... ?
- How convenient that I had a travel book on my shelf, called Seasons of Rome, and that it starts in the fall on September 4th... I will be arriving on September 4rd, so it was soooo coool to learn about what is on the minds of locals at that time of year
- My purple hair needs some refreshing...
That's it for now...
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Cheap travel in Europe
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I'd heard Ryanair was cheap, but, wow:
- Paris to Barcelona: .79 Euros + fees = 23.91 Euros
- Paris to Rome: 4.79 Euros + fees = 27.91 Euros
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Pondering Foreign Flings
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Friday, March 13, 2009
Cheap, dreamy spot in Algarve, Portugal - maybe?
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Sunday, March 08, 2009
Rome in September!
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Well, I have found my spot for September, sharing an apartment with an Italian woman who has also lived in Chicago. I get my own bedroom with a king sized bed, couch, desk, private bathroom and balcony. It is located in 'an upscale and elegant neighborhood of Rome', the Financial District, or EUR. She tells me it is a safe area, where locals (and international professionals as well) live, work and have fun.
So... I am set for July (Barcelona), August (Paris) and September (Rome), so I am good through the busy season. Fall will unfold, and I'm already thinking about where to go that's warm in the winter...
Friday, March 06, 2009
I will see the Tour de France first hand!!!
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I can't believe my luck! The Tour de France is going through Barcelona this year, and it is when I am there!!!! This is so totally awesome. I am a serious couch-potato fan. Stage 6 ends in Barcelona on July 9th, and Stage 7 leaves Barcelona leaves on July 10th. Soooooooooo cool! I was looking up the schedule and route map to see if I could travel to one of the stages, but they are bringing it to me!! I'll just have to take the subway and then walk somewhere.... I wonder if I'll see Bobke around town? and I wonder if he will have hair again?
Labels:
Barcelona,
Europe,
my trip,
Spain,
Tour de France
Random reflections
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- I walk past my bookshelf tonight and find this title staring out at me: Barcelona, by Robert Hughes. I just LOVE how my bookshelf does that. Probably picked it up a few years ago second hand and never read it. Sweet!!
- Why is pizza delivered cold a bad thing, and cold pizza in the morning is one of the most wonderful things in the world?
- They jacked up one of the cranes at the construction site across the street - damn, I missed it! I wanted to watch so I could see how they did it.
- I wonder if the crane operators like moving porta-potties around just for fun, or if there is some logical reason for relocating them every day this week.
- I giggled loudly once as the guy attaching the chain around a porta-pottie took a moment to check there was no one inside, just before they lifted it up. good lord, i hope they never forget.
- 7 days ago Europe was a vague idea, and today I have 2 months accomodation booked in 2 of the most fabulous cities in the world (Barcelona and Paris)
- I was exhausted at the start of the week, and energized at the end
- I love the sun, and can't believe it will really snow tomorrow
- I loved hearing the honking of Canada Geese and they flew by my apartment tonight
- I love google, I refound my fav cleaning lady, I need a rescue! help arrives tomorrow... I shall work on my laptop while the cleaning demons whirl around me
Paris in August!!!
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Wow, wow, wow! I just got this wonderful Paris apartment for the month of August. And I'm delighted with the rate I was able to get. A friend recently told me that August in Paris is very special, as with the heat the locals clear out, there are less tourists, and the turn the banks of the Seine into a 24 hour beach that is very cool.
I can hardly believe how well this is coming together. OK, June - here, there, who knows. July - Barcelona, August - Paris, September and beyond, who knows....
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Walking distance to Coliseum... ***swoon***
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Noted added later: eventually heard back from the guy, it's not available, but am happy as I've landed another Rome spot I am very happy with!
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Barcelona in July
Update: got it!! Just have to wire the deposit. And the cat's name is Mickey...
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Cheap sleeps Paris?
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I was scoping out cheap places to stay in Paris, and found an ad for what seemed to be an affordable and modest little studio, sounded interesting until I read this: "There is a 'bombsite' (i.e. 'hole-in-the-ground' style) toilet down the hall. This is a turn-off for many people." Um, yeah, right....
It's interesting exploring options.... maybe rent an apartment, or a sublet, or an apartment share / spare room arrangement, housesitting possibilities... what am I missing?
It's interesting exploring options.... maybe rent an apartment, or a sublet, or an apartment share / spare room arrangement, housesitting possibilities... what am I missing?
Monday, March 02, 2009
Sleep and other things
Reflections today:
- A couple nights of not going to bed until 3 or 4 am are catching up with me, sleep please!
- This weekend I was listening to the stereo that I traded on Craigslist for a suitcase
- I realized I really am going to do this Europe thing
- Today my car for a 1 hr errand was a Toyota Matrix (cost under $5 from CAN), I like driving this one, other than the fact it looks stationwagony
- Fixed up my bank account about an hour before my rent would have bounced
- Amused that I got a big cheque in the mail that I forgot I was getting, sweet
- Almost at the end of my portable sketchbook, and just remembered I bought a couple neat cheap ones from the Met in NYC - nice red cover
- Oh, yeah, NYC, wasn't that a month ago... I should unpack sometime soon...
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