Sunday, June 28, 2009
Check out new photos of England and Wales
I have uploaded the photos from Cornwall, England, and Wales. Scroll down to the June 20 post to check them out! Today I am off to Northern Ireland, Enniskillen to be exact, to meet with my family and stay with them for a week. There, I will upload photos from my time at the farm in Cork County, Ireland. I must say that I already miss the Robinson family and long for the serenity of the countryside now that I am in drunken Dublin. At least I got to see all the fun people and their scandalous outfits for Dublin's last night of the gay pride festival here!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
More to come soon!
Greetings all!
I have lots to share with you, but because I am working on a farm without high speed internet, I must wait until I get to Dublin this weekend to post my recent photos and stories.
I am currently in Macroom, Republic of Ireland, staying with some amazing British ex-pat hippies in the gorgeous countryside of Cork County. I really couldn't have picked a better family to stay with here on my first leg of visiting Ireland! I was welcomed with a massive Summer Solstice party which went on until the sun came up.
Thinking of you all and hoping to update you ASAP with more juicy tidbits...much love!
I have lots to share with you, but because I am working on a farm without high speed internet, I must wait until I get to Dublin this weekend to post my recent photos and stories.
I am currently in Macroom, Republic of Ireland, staying with some amazing British ex-pat hippies in the gorgeous countryside of Cork County. I really couldn't have picked a better family to stay with here on my first leg of visiting Ireland! I was welcomed with a massive Summer Solstice party which went on until the sun came up.
Thinking of you all and hoping to update you ASAP with more juicy tidbits...much love!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Incredible Cornwall and a Surprise Visitor to Narberth
Cornwall, England
More sheep and cows than people in Cornwall.
St. Austell Brewery--wonderful selection of beers!
Town centre of St. Austell, Cornwall.
I enjoyed a delicious locally-sourced dinner and a pint of the local pear cider here at the Green Tourism approved White Hart Hotel (on the right).
The sandy beach in Charlestown, Cornwall.
The charming seaside town of Mevagissey, Cornwall.
The cliffs meet the sea in dramatic scenes like this in Cornwall, England.
The Eden Project: St. Austell, Cornwall
I was drawn to Cornwall to see the Eden Project, the site of a former china clay quarry that was reclaimed and turned into a plant paradise in 2000 by Tim Smit and his team of visionaries. Now, over 1 million plants are thriving, in an effort to show people how humans can transform blighted places into stunning examples of sustainability and creativity. The Eden Project features two giant biome ecosystems, one with rainforest fauna and the other with Mediterranean fauna. The sprawling grounds showcase local species and sculptures made from trash. I spent 4 hours here, but could have spent many, many more! Too bad it was my only day of rain so far on the trip...
Mediterranean biome.
Rainforest biome.
A rock dwelling and some classic Cornwall landscaping in the hinterland of the Eden Project.
The Eden Project offered an extensive selection of foods, all locally-sourced and enjoyed amidst an edible vegetable garden shown here.
A metal sculpture of a crocodile set in a primitive fern garden, showing life before the evolution of flowers.
This piece is made from all the electronic equipment that the average person disposes of during her/his lifetime. Pretty shocking (pun intended)!
Another lovely sculpture. It's hard to tell in the photo, but the woman's face is a mosaic of mirrors.
What you can't see is the columns and rows of 'trashed' refrigerators of all sizes stacked on top of one another behind me. You could create your own messages with these plastic magnets.
Narberth, Wales
In 1987, the 23-year old Mayor of Narberth, Wales, Andrew Walker, paid an official visit to Narberth, Pennsylvania, the so-called sister city. My grandfather, Chet Tyson (Pop Pop), was very involved in mainline Narberth politics, and was part of the welcoming committee that hosted Andrew in Narberth. Before leaving on my trip, Pop Pop gave me Andrew's address in Narberth, Wales, just in case I happened to be passing through this area. Little did he know I would be stopping by Narberth, Wales, just to pay a visit to Andrew and his family.
Two kind Welsh girls drove me from the Narberth train station to the middle of town, where I proceeded to ask the locals if they recognized the name and address printed on the index card Pop Pop had given me just days before I left on my trip. No one recognized the name, but someone showed the girls where to drop me off, at the end of his lane. They pointed me in the right direction, and off they went, wishing me luck.
The view from the Walker residence. The mountains in the back contain the exact type of rock used in Stonehenge, England--although no one quite knows how they got the stones so far from here!
St. Andrew church, where Andrew is a Eucharist, serving communion to the congregants.
St. Andrew's cemetary and lovely view.
Old Town Hall, Narberth, Wales.
The castle ruins in Narberth.
Sunset over the valley next to the Walker residence.
Cati Walker, Andrew's 'mum', made me the most fantastic English breakfast, featuring local sausages with sage. Definitely a good way to start the day!
The Walker residence, with mum Cati in the foreground.
More sheep and cows than people in Cornwall.
St. Austell Brewery--wonderful selection of beers!
Town centre of St. Austell, Cornwall.
I enjoyed a delicious locally-sourced dinner and a pint of the local pear cider here at the Green Tourism approved White Hart Hotel (on the right).
The sandy beach in Charlestown, Cornwall.
The charming seaside town of Mevagissey, Cornwall.
The cliffs meet the sea in dramatic scenes like this in Cornwall, England.
The Eden Project: St. Austell, Cornwall
I was drawn to Cornwall to see the Eden Project, the site of a former china clay quarry that was reclaimed and turned into a plant paradise in 2000 by Tim Smit and his team of visionaries. Now, over 1 million plants are thriving, in an effort to show people how humans can transform blighted places into stunning examples of sustainability and creativity. The Eden Project features two giant biome ecosystems, one with rainforest fauna and the other with Mediterranean fauna. The sprawling grounds showcase local species and sculptures made from trash. I spent 4 hours here, but could have spent many, many more! Too bad it was my only day of rain so far on the trip...
Mediterranean biome.
Rainforest biome.
A rock dwelling and some classic Cornwall landscaping in the hinterland of the Eden Project.
The Eden Project offered an extensive selection of foods, all locally-sourced and enjoyed amidst an edible vegetable garden shown here.
A metal sculpture of a crocodile set in a primitive fern garden, showing life before the evolution of flowers.
This piece is made from all the electronic equipment that the average person disposes of during her/his lifetime. Pretty shocking (pun intended)!
Another lovely sculpture. It's hard to tell in the photo, but the woman's face is a mosaic of mirrors.
What you can't see is the columns and rows of 'trashed' refrigerators of all sizes stacked on top of one another behind me. You could create your own messages with these plastic magnets.
Narberth, Wales
In 1987, the 23-year old Mayor of Narberth, Wales, Andrew Walker, paid an official visit to Narberth, Pennsylvania, the so-called sister city. My grandfather, Chet Tyson (Pop Pop), was very involved in mainline Narberth politics, and was part of the welcoming committee that hosted Andrew in Narberth. Before leaving on my trip, Pop Pop gave me Andrew's address in Narberth, Wales, just in case I happened to be passing through this area. Little did he know I would be stopping by Narberth, Wales, just to pay a visit to Andrew and his family.
Two kind Welsh girls drove me from the Narberth train station to the middle of town, where I proceeded to ask the locals if they recognized the name and address printed on the index card Pop Pop had given me just days before I left on my trip. No one recognized the name, but someone showed the girls where to drop me off, at the end of his lane. They pointed me in the right direction, and off they went, wishing me luck.
I approached a home at the end of the road that was guarded by lion statues, looking over the cow fields that sloped into the most wonderful view of the neighboring valley. I practiced what I would say to whomever may answer the door, hoping the Walkers still lived there and would have me in. An older woman opened the door, and I began explaining who I was and how Andrew Walker had visited my grandparents in Narberth, Pennsylvania, 22 years ago. She motioned to Andrew that he had a guest, and just as soon as I mentioned my family and his visit to the States, he smiled and they both ushered me into their sitting room for a cup of tea.
They asked if I had any plans for the night, and I replied that I hadn't, so they welcomed me to stay with them in the spare room. Andrew gave me a splendid tour of Narberth while Cati fixed me supper. The next morning, Cati made me an incredible English breakfast, and drove me to the train station, as I then made my way to Pembroke Dock for the ferry to Ireland.
I was so grateful and impressed with the hospitality and kindness of the Walkers, who took in a virtual stranger and cared for me like a queen. I was nearly moved to tears seeing this humanity in action.
I was so grateful and impressed with the hospitality and kindness of the Walkers, who took in a virtual stranger and cared for me like a queen. I was nearly moved to tears seeing this humanity in action.
The view from the Walker residence. The mountains in the back contain the exact type of rock used in Stonehenge, England--although no one quite knows how they got the stones so far from here!
St. Andrew church, where Andrew is a Eucharist, serving communion to the congregants.
St. Andrew's cemetary and lovely view.
Old Town Hall, Narberth, Wales.
The castle ruins in Narberth.
Sunset over the valley next to the Walker residence.
Cati Walker, Andrew's 'mum', made me the most fantastic English breakfast, featuring local sausages with sage. Definitely a good way to start the day!
The Walker residence, with mum Cati in the foreground.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Green Space in London
Photos of London
Annie in Greenwich, a quaint part of London that feels like its own village.
Looking up at the Royal Observatory, where Greenwich Mean Time stands!
Looking down from the Royal Observatory, with a nice view of London in the background.
Where time-keeping and longitude was born! The Prime Meridian du monde.
Beautiful and stately Greenwich University. Annie and I had a picnic on this classic expanse.
Kentish Town City Farm, another city farm in London, close to Camden.
Garlic, swiss chard, beans, and carrots. I especially love the squash in the stacked tires.
Time's up in the roaming pasture (which was located next to a train line) for this cow and her youngin'. After this photo was taken, the pig devoured my apple core and then proceeded to roll in the mud to cool himself in the London sun. Life is good before you're sausage!
The rolling hills and guitar-playing hippies of Hamstead Heath park.
A Chapel pokes out from the horizon of old growth trees in Hamstead Heath.
These oaks had such character. Reminds me of those Penn oaks in Chester County that I already miss!
The hazy view of London from atop the hill at Hamstead Heath.
Peace out London (Underground)! It's been swell and I'll be back in July with Timothy, my brother, in tow!
Tomorrow, I am off to Cornwall, England, home of the Eden Project, which marks a slight change of course to my originally scheduled time in Wales. I will be visiting Wales en route to Ireland this Thursday.
Annie in Greenwich, a quaint part of London that feels like its own village.
Looking up at the Royal Observatory, where Greenwich Mean Time stands!
Looking down from the Royal Observatory, with a nice view of London in the background.
Where time-keeping and longitude was born! The Prime Meridian du monde.
Beautiful and stately Greenwich University. Annie and I had a picnic on this classic expanse.
Kentish Town City Farm, another city farm in London, close to Camden.
Garlic, swiss chard, beans, and carrots. I especially love the squash in the stacked tires.
Time's up in the roaming pasture (which was located next to a train line) for this cow and her youngin'. After this photo was taken, the pig devoured my apple core and then proceeded to roll in the mud to cool himself in the London sun. Life is good before you're sausage!
The rolling hills and guitar-playing hippies of Hamstead Heath park.
A Chapel pokes out from the horizon of old growth trees in Hamstead Heath.
These oaks had such character. Reminds me of those Penn oaks in Chester County that I already miss!
The hazy view of London from atop the hill at Hamstead Heath.
Peace out London (Underground)! It's been swell and I'll be back in July with Timothy, my brother, in tow!
Tomorrow, I am off to Cornwall, England, home of the Eden Project, which marks a slight change of course to my originally scheduled time in Wales. I will be visiting Wales en route to Ireland this Thursday.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Enjoying Sunny London
After a wonderful 4 days in Iceland, I arrived in London on Thursday to a Tube strike: brilliant! Always fearless, my Croatian-Canadian host friend Annie directed me through a series of buses from Paddington Station, while she was following close behind the double-deckers on her bike. We settled in at her flat in the Shepherd's Bush section of London (west end), and quickly got off to enjoying the next few sunny days in the city, starting with a killer chicken shish at one of the many local Middle Eastern restaurants. The Shepherd's Bush district has many Muslim East African and Middle Eastern immigrants, so mosques and the smell of kebobs cooking are very much a part of the landscape here.
Garlic heavy on our breath, we then had a visit to the BBC Headquarters, where Annie's boyfriend, a Brit named David, works as the environmental manager. With guest passes on hand, he gave us a tour of the first floor of his building, namely the 'canteen' where Annie and my interests lie. David's newest project is implementing a rainwater harvesting scheme for all BBC buildings, so that the water can be used for toilets ("the loos" as David said it) and landscaping.
The next day, while Annie was at work, I caught up on planning my farm visit in Ireland and uploading photos from Iceland. I toured one of the 14 city farms in London, a small plot called Vauxhall City Farm, complete with animals of all sorts for the kiddies, a dyeing plant garden, vegetable garden plots, and plenty of community service opportunities for at-risk youth and the disabled. Most of the city's farms are coordinated in an effort to involve at-risk communities, while similarly providing garden plots to people without access to their own greenspace. Green for all! Although according to Annie, there is a 12 year waiting period to get such a garden spot across London. After Annie finished work, she made us a delicious chicken curry with couscous, followed by some Cadburys chocolates, of course.
Saturday, Annie and I started our day with delicious chorizo sandwiches and decadent brownies at Borough Market, the a la mode marketplace where Jamie Oliver used to shop for his ingredients before he became so big. The market has been greatly popularized, but for good reason! We wandered around all the stalls, and sampled cheeses, hand-cured meats, and other fine foods from all over the UK and Europe.
It was a Slow Food dream!
We then walked along the River Thames and enjoyed the sights of the Tower Bridge, the Gherkin, and most of all, the interesting collection of people in the city. We met Annie and David's friend Matt James for dinner at a Turkish restaurant called Gallipoli, which is so popular that they opened a second location down the street to accommodate all the demand. The space was pretty small, decorated wall-to-ceiling with blue and white tile mosaics and brass bells that waiters rang when passing through the narrow walkway between tables. We ordered a selection of mouth-watering appetizers and Efes, the native Turkish beer, to wash it all down with. YUM! The food was incredible and so was the lively atmosphere and music. We left stuffed as the apricots full of cream and pistachios that were our complimentary dessert. As you do in London, we continued the fun at two of the pubs down the road, then called it a night as we headed home on the now-operating Tube.
Today, Sunday, Annie and I are headed to Greenwich, home of Greenwich Mean Time, just outside of London. We are packing lunch to have a picnic on the green. With the two of us, it's all about the food! I feel so lucky to have had great weather on my trip so far, with sun and comfortable temperatures everyday.
I hope you're all well, thanks for reading!
Garlic heavy on our breath, we then had a visit to the BBC Headquarters, where Annie's boyfriend, a Brit named David, works as the environmental manager. With guest passes on hand, he gave us a tour of the first floor of his building, namely the 'canteen' where Annie and my interests lie. David's newest project is implementing a rainwater harvesting scheme for all BBC buildings, so that the water can be used for toilets ("the loos" as David said it) and landscaping.
The next day, while Annie was at work, I caught up on planning my farm visit in Ireland and uploading photos from Iceland. I toured one of the 14 city farms in London, a small plot called Vauxhall City Farm, complete with animals of all sorts for the kiddies, a dyeing plant garden, vegetable garden plots, and plenty of community service opportunities for at-risk youth and the disabled. Most of the city's farms are coordinated in an effort to involve at-risk communities, while similarly providing garden plots to people without access to their own greenspace. Green for all! Although according to Annie, there is a 12 year waiting period to get such a garden spot across London. After Annie finished work, she made us a delicious chicken curry with couscous, followed by some Cadburys chocolates, of course.
Saturday, Annie and I started our day with delicious chorizo sandwiches and decadent brownies at Borough Market, the a la mode marketplace where Jamie Oliver used to shop for his ingredients before he became so big. The market has been greatly popularized, but for good reason! We wandered around all the stalls, and sampled cheeses, hand-cured meats, and other fine foods from all over the UK and Europe.
It was a Slow Food dream!
We then walked along the River Thames and enjoyed the sights of the Tower Bridge, the Gherkin, and most of all, the interesting collection of people in the city. We met Annie and David's friend Matt James for dinner at a Turkish restaurant called Gallipoli, which is so popular that they opened a second location down the street to accommodate all the demand. The space was pretty small, decorated wall-to-ceiling with blue and white tile mosaics and brass bells that waiters rang when passing through the narrow walkway between tables. We ordered a selection of mouth-watering appetizers and Efes, the native Turkish beer, to wash it all down with. YUM! The food was incredible and so was the lively atmosphere and music. We left stuffed as the apricots full of cream and pistachios that were our complimentary dessert. As you do in London, we continued the fun at two of the pubs down the road, then called it a night as we headed home on the now-operating Tube.
Today, Sunday, Annie and I are headed to Greenwich, home of Greenwich Mean Time, just outside of London. We are packing lunch to have a picnic on the green. With the two of us, it's all about the food! I feel so lucky to have had great weather on my trip so far, with sun and comfortable temperatures everyday.
I hope you're all well, thanks for reading!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Photos from Iceland
PHOTOS of ICELAND
The Harbor in Reykjavik, where I sat upon arrival in Iceland, waiting for check-in at my hostel.
The main drag in Reykjavik, called Laugavegur, with restaurants, shops, and laundry!
Peaceful protest in front of the Parliament building in Reykjavik.
Robert, this one is for you!
Note: I did not see any dog poop, and I covered just about all of Reykjavik!
Typical charming house in Iceland, made from corrugated metal, one of the main industrial outputs of Iceland.
Can anyone tell me how to rotate photos with this blog application?
Picturesque row of homes in Reykjavik, with Viking horse statue in the foreground.
Videy Island, a wildlife sanctuary, that hosts a seasonal World Peace light/art installation from Yoko Ono.
Snapshot of Reykjavik on a sunny day.
A lingerie store...check out the website url! The .is represents the Icelandic domain.
A statue on the walking path along the harbour in Reykjavik. I think these lovely purple flowers are lupine. The country has scattered patches of them in bloom across the low landscape. Gorgeous!
Me covered in silica at the Blue Lagoon, Iceland's most famous geothermal 'hot pot'. The algae and the silica are excellent for your skin!
Peace!
The Harbor in Reykjavik, where I sat upon arrival in Iceland, waiting for check-in at my hostel.
The main drag in Reykjavik, called Laugavegur, with restaurants, shops, and laundry!
Peaceful protest in front of the Parliament building in Reykjavik.
Robert, this one is for you!
Note: I did not see any dog poop, and I covered just about all of Reykjavik!
Typical charming house in Iceland, made from corrugated metal, one of the main industrial outputs of Iceland.
Can anyone tell me how to rotate photos with this blog application?
Picturesque row of homes in Reykjavik, with Viking horse statue in the foreground.
Videy Island, a wildlife sanctuary, that hosts a seasonal World Peace light/art installation from Yoko Ono.
Snapshot of Reykjavik on a sunny day.
A lingerie store...check out the website url! The .is represents the Icelandic domain.
A statue on the walking path along the harbour in Reykjavik. I think these lovely purple flowers are lupine. The country has scattered patches of them in bloom across the low landscape. Gorgeous!
Me covered in silica at the Blue Lagoon, Iceland's most famous geothermal 'hot pot'. The algae and the silica are excellent for your skin!
Peace!
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