The moment you've been waiting for: My (Abridged) Travel Journal
Let's start from the very beginning of my travels in Ireland and the UK:
Day 01: Left Amanda's house in S-town for a 4 hr bus ride to Dallas w/the choir. Then flew from Dallas to Newark, Newark to Shannon. Could not sleep on the plane! It was AWFUL! Happily, the view of Ireland from the plane was just like they say: Soooooo green! It was just beautiful! From the airport we stopped in the "prettiest village in Ireland"; Adare. Many of the roofs were thatched, which blows my mind since it rains every day. It was pouring when we stopped so I changed my money and got an umbrella, which I misplaced in time for a wet tour of Blarney Castle. We drove to the Killarney Towers Hotel (swanky!) in Killarney, Co. Kerry and I absolutely CRASHED. Slept through dinner til 9pm, then took my roommate out to explore the town and get some grub. We ended up at a pub since we both wanted to try Guinness. I hated it and could barely finish a pint. I stuck to red wine while she put away 4 more pints!! It's official: Camille is a machine! We went to the pub at the Towers and were swept away by some Irishmen to a nightclub, which was fantastic. We had vodka redbulls and danced to European techno and (oddly enough) 90s American dance music. I was chatting up several people in the smoking room when a somber-looking tall, Irish, and handsome young man caught my eye. I made contact by walking over and saying, "You look so much better when you smile." and we ended up talking the rest of the night. He had been hoping I'd come over...he'd had a rough day at work so his confidence was sapped until I approached and puffed him up a bit. His name was Mike and he educated me on the state of Killarney and how the Irish are different from Americans. It was a lot of fun. He even danced w/me (this of course was after I'd begun dancing w/a random bloke thus alerting his jealousy). He took me on a 3am walk to see the cathedrals and the restaurant he worked at when he was 15. It was really a lovely night and will stay that way in my mind b/c we never exchanged contact info. I was so giddy that I couldn't fall asleep that evening!
Day 02: Bus tour round the Ring of Kerry! It was just gorgeous! Rolling emerald green hills dotted by thatch-roof villages and painted sheep. Yes, painted sheep. You see, the shepherds keep track of mating habits by tying a sponge of paint to a ram's stomach, so his partners have lovely blue patches on their backs. Some even had paint on their heads but I'm really unsure as to how that happened....Anyway, we stopped in several picturesque towns and cliffsides, even playing by the seaside in Waterville. When we got back to Killarney half the choir wanted to go to Danny Man's for live Irish music, but it was far too crowded for mine and Dan's taste so we went back to the hotel and had a few drinks before getting together w/some people at the pub downstairs. After room check we went out again and met some American students who took us to a nightclub. It was fun for a short while but after sensing someone else's puke on my shoes I lost my buzz and my interest and just wanted to go to bed.
Day 03: Left Killarney and toured castles!! We went to see Blarney Castle and it was raining and cold. I left my pea coat in my suitcase and no one would let me go under the bus to get it (I now have quite a cold), but Abby had a poncho in her purse, so I kissed the Blarney stone while wearing a huge plastic bag. Pretty hot, I know. Several others and I journeyed down a water system for a bit until someone mentioned the movie "The Descent" and I screamed and had to leave immediately. We lunched at the nearest shopping center before heading to Cashel Rock. This place was a cathedral set on a huge outcrop of limestone. It was pretty remarkable. Also remarkable was the heroism of Trae since he lent me his coat for the tour. What a gentleman, huh? The entire cathedral was made of limestone. It had no roof, but almost everything else was there (mind you, it was build in the 1100s!). Then we made our way to Dublin's Rochestown Lodge Hotel (again, swanky!). We had dinner at the hotel and I sat across from a couple that was traveling w/us but the woman refused to find anything pleasing about the trip thus far. She was one hell of a Negative Nancy.
Day 04: Bus tour of Dublin! We saw Georgian architecture, the hotel that Bono owns, and lots of other things I don't really remember. Then we sang in St. Patrick's cathedral. I can also say that I've been running about in my panties in St. Patricks, since we had to change into our day clothes in the front of the church behind the altar (there were walls hiding us from view). We were left to our own devices for lunch and dinner, so I discovered the Irish McDonald's and conned people into visiting the Trinity College campus. We originally wanted to see the Book of Kells (Western world's oldest illuminated text) but you had to pay so we ended up running in the rain all the way to the art museum! We saw Italian Renaissance, French Impressionist (my fave), and Irish 20th century art. Then it was time to shop b/c everyone was going crazy over H&M. We searched the whole damn city for that shop, but it was a really fun walk! Before the bus came Peyton and I picked up baguettes, cheese, and wine for dinner. I ate in the hotel and drank that whole bottle of wine. Marcus, Amanda, Adam, Chris, Dan, and others played Suck and Blow and Spin the Bottle in my room...it got pretty crazy. That's all you need to know.
Day 05: Trip to Wales to sing at the prepratory school! It somehow felt like we were at Hogwarts. Maybe it was the architecture and the accents. Nonetheless it was great fun, and the kids seemed to really enjoy it. Afterward, we got on a Hovercraft on our way to England. The craft was enormous! It transported our buses and many other vehicles but also had several restaurants, stores, a casino, and seating areas up on top. A decent crossing, and then we went to Lincoln. Our hotel was right on the waterfront. For dinner, Peyton, Brittany, Jeremy, and I found Lloyd's and had a great time. They had pitchers of mixed drinks and we ordered probably 8-10 of them! Several other choir people joined our party and we got it started on the dance floor! I also met a guy named Rich who worked for the radio station in Lincoln. A fantastic evening.
Day 06: Concert at Lincoln Cathedral. Now this was architecturally my favorite cathedral. You must go there because it is absolutely breathtaking! We toured the place (our tour guide was quite informative but very boring) and sang at the Chapter House, which is where the climax of The Da Vinci Code was filmed. They still had replicated frescoes on the walls from the filming. But to top it all off, Rich came to our concert! He interviewed Will as well as myself, Trae, Jarboe, and Bret. Sadly he had another engagement so couldn't hang out w/us but it was nice to see him again and such a plus to be interviewed for the local radio station! The second evening in Lincoln could not top the first. Camille and I went shopping and I found an awesome dress. Later, Sarah and Millie and I went back to Lloyd's after an unsuccessful gay bar trip, but not much was going on before our curfew.
Day 07: Trip to Chester, England! First, we stopped at Chatsworth House, which is the home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire AND the setting of Mr. Darcy's house in the revamped movie Pride and Prejudice. It was unbelievably extravagant...to the point of being over the top. I still enjoyed it, especially all the intricate carvings in the crown moldings. Then we went to Chester and settled into our rather small hotel.
Day 08: Walking tour of Chester. I learned about the Rows of Chester, which are like very old shopping malls...2 levels of gazing at the shops. We saw the beautiful Town Hall and walls put up by the Romans, among other historic details. We shopped around a bit and then I went back to the hotel for a quiet evening. I was about due for some "me time" w/my new copy of Pride and Prejudice, besides I'd already seen the whole town.
Day 09: Toured the Royal Crown Derby china manufacturer, complete w/tea and a factory tour. I bought my mom a platter for mother's day and was very impressed by the designs on most of the china. Also, by this time I had completely lost my voice and enduring the effects of cold weather w/a coat held hostage. Then we rode through Robin Hood country for the Black Country since we had a concert at Walsall that evening. This was our tour guide's hometown and we sang at his church. The mayor was even in attendance! It was the only concert that I got to play my fiddle solo for Big River and Leah and I had to play w/o Tene for Old West Medley since she left the key to her case in her backpack!
Day 10: London town! On the way, our tour guide filled us in on most of the history of England (mainly the big wars) and concluded that everyone in England had some Viking blood in them. Ok. We were staying at the Thistle Kensington Hotel in Kensington (which was very nice!). Bret and I navigated the underground to get to Leicester Square because we were adamant about half price tickets to a West End show. We ended up seeing Les Miserables and it was INCREDIBLE! OH my GOSH! I love, love, loved it! I need to get the soundtrack and SOON! After the show we met all the actors by standing outside the stage door for about an hour. Most of them were very nice. We also discovered 200 gay men on a single street corner beside our theatre. The gay-borhood was successfully pinpointed.
Day 11: I slept through the wake-up call and missed the departure for the tour of London! DRAT! I was very upset but determined to do my sight-seeing so I found a group of choirgirls at breakfast and we went to see the changing of the guard and go to Platform 9 3/4 (since i am from a family of Harry Potter fans I just HAD to take some pictures!). We also visited St. Paul's cathedral with hopes of climbing the stairs for the view from its tower, but they were closed on Sunday. We went back to the hotel for tea, then set out to walk all the way to the Thames (b/c someone was too broke to buy an underground pass). We visited Buckingham Palace again, walked through the park, visited 10 Downing Street, and saw Big Ben and the houses of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey (which was also closed on a Sunday...wtf?). We took the underground back to the hotel since it was a 3.5 mile walk! That evening was pretty tame since I couldn't find anyone w/enough energy and money to check out the nightlife with me.
Day 12: Trip to Canturbury! We sang in Canterbury Cathedral for Will's last concert w/the CCC. Very, very sad. I cried during The Lord Bless You and Keep You. Boy was that hard. Will has taught me so much about integrity and being an upright person. He really is a gem of a human being. After the concert I had an amazing lunch at a North African-themed restaurant, then I helped Bre shop for a purse. We went back to London with just a bit of time to get ready for our end of the year banquet. I got purdied up in a red dress and our banquet was set at.....a hostel. It was in a gym and we ate finger foods. But the wine was good! The seniors gave out their awards (my nickname is now Lindsey "What's a Curfew?" Hotaling) and sang several songs about Will. The seniors signed the Branding Board and we sang to them and I cried. A lot. It was a bit embarrassing so I found some people to leave with as soon as possible. I hate crying in front of others. Some friends and I were bound and determined to stay up all night so we could sleep on the flight, so we bought some liquor and hung out in the hotel. That is, until Sarah and I decided to go check out a bar down the street. They made drinks like heaven! The bartender was pretty much a performance artist, he was so good! We met some American students from Georgia and a couple of French guys (one was the chef for the the restaurant). Nous avons parlons un petit peu du Francais avec lui. Then we went back to the hotel to our friends. Sam and I had Wrestlemania 2007 and I'm pretty sure I won since he ended up spanked w/a hairbrush. Haha! We left for the airport at 5:45 and flew for 10 hours from London to Houston. And I slept the ENTIRE flight. I'd say it was a jolly good success!
I already miss the UK!
Day 01: Left Amanda's house in S-town for a 4 hr bus ride to Dallas w/the choir. Then flew from Dallas to Newark, Newark to Shannon. Could not sleep on the plane! It was AWFUL! Happily, the view of Ireland from the plane was just like they say: Soooooo green! It was just beautiful! From the airport we stopped in the "prettiest village in Ireland"; Adare. Many of the roofs were thatched, which blows my mind since it rains every day. It was pouring when we stopped so I changed my money and got an umbrella, which I misplaced in time for a wet tour of Blarney Castle. We drove to the Killarney Towers Hotel (swanky!) in Killarney, Co. Kerry and I absolutely CRASHED. Slept through dinner til 9pm, then took my roommate out to explore the town and get some grub. We ended up at a pub since we both wanted to try Guinness. I hated it and could barely finish a pint. I stuck to red wine while she put away 4 more pints!! It's official: Camille is a machine! We went to the pub at the Towers and were swept away by some Irishmen to a nightclub, which was fantastic. We had vodka redbulls and danced to European techno and (oddly enough) 90s American dance music. I was chatting up several people in the smoking room when a somber-looking tall, Irish, and handsome young man caught my eye. I made contact by walking over and saying, "You look so much better when you smile." and we ended up talking the rest of the night. He had been hoping I'd come over...he'd had a rough day at work so his confidence was sapped until I approached and puffed him up a bit. His name was Mike and he educated me on the state of Killarney and how the Irish are different from Americans. It was a lot of fun. He even danced w/me (this of course was after I'd begun dancing w/a random bloke thus alerting his jealousy). He took me on a 3am walk to see the cathedrals and the restaurant he worked at when he was 15. It was really a lovely night and will stay that way in my mind b/c we never exchanged contact info. I was so giddy that I couldn't fall asleep that evening!
Day 02: Bus tour round the Ring of Kerry! It was just gorgeous! Rolling emerald green hills dotted by thatch-roof villages and painted sheep. Yes, painted sheep. You see, the shepherds keep track of mating habits by tying a sponge of paint to a ram's stomach, so his partners have lovely blue patches on their backs. Some even had paint on their heads but I'm really unsure as to how that happened....Anyway, we stopped in several picturesque towns and cliffsides, even playing by the seaside in Waterville. When we got back to Killarney half the choir wanted to go to Danny Man's for live Irish music, but it was far too crowded for mine and Dan's taste so we went back to the hotel and had a few drinks before getting together w/some people at the pub downstairs. After room check we went out again and met some American students who took us to a nightclub. It was fun for a short while but after sensing someone else's puke on my shoes I lost my buzz and my interest and just wanted to go to bed.
Day 03: Left Killarney and toured castles!! We went to see Blarney Castle and it was raining and cold. I left my pea coat in my suitcase and no one would let me go under the bus to get it (I now have quite a cold), but Abby had a poncho in her purse, so I kissed the Blarney stone while wearing a huge plastic bag. Pretty hot, I know. Several others and I journeyed down a water system for a bit until someone mentioned the movie "The Descent" and I screamed and had to leave immediately. We lunched at the nearest shopping center before heading to Cashel Rock. This place was a cathedral set on a huge outcrop of limestone. It was pretty remarkable. Also remarkable was the heroism of Trae since he lent me his coat for the tour. What a gentleman, huh? The entire cathedral was made of limestone. It had no roof, but almost everything else was there (mind you, it was build in the 1100s!). Then we made our way to Dublin's Rochestown Lodge Hotel (again, swanky!). We had dinner at the hotel and I sat across from a couple that was traveling w/us but the woman refused to find anything pleasing about the trip thus far. She was one hell of a Negative Nancy.
Day 04: Bus tour of Dublin! We saw Georgian architecture, the hotel that Bono owns, and lots of other things I don't really remember. Then we sang in St. Patrick's cathedral. I can also say that I've been running about in my panties in St. Patricks, since we had to change into our day clothes in the front of the church behind the altar (there were walls hiding us from view). We were left to our own devices for lunch and dinner, so I discovered the Irish McDonald's and conned people into visiting the Trinity College campus. We originally wanted to see the Book of Kells (Western world's oldest illuminated text) but you had to pay so we ended up running in the rain all the way to the art museum! We saw Italian Renaissance, French Impressionist (my fave), and Irish 20th century art. Then it was time to shop b/c everyone was going crazy over H&M. We searched the whole damn city for that shop, but it was a really fun walk! Before the bus came Peyton and I picked up baguettes, cheese, and wine for dinner. I ate in the hotel and drank that whole bottle of wine. Marcus, Amanda, Adam, Chris, Dan, and others played Suck and Blow and Spin the Bottle in my room...it got pretty crazy. That's all you need to know.
Day 05: Trip to Wales to sing at the prepratory school! It somehow felt like we were at Hogwarts. Maybe it was the architecture and the accents. Nonetheless it was great fun, and the kids seemed to really enjoy it. Afterward, we got on a Hovercraft on our way to England. The craft was enormous! It transported our buses and many other vehicles but also had several restaurants, stores, a casino, and seating areas up on top. A decent crossing, and then we went to Lincoln. Our hotel was right on the waterfront. For dinner, Peyton, Brittany, Jeremy, and I found Lloyd's and had a great time. They had pitchers of mixed drinks and we ordered probably 8-10 of them! Several other choir people joined our party and we got it started on the dance floor! I also met a guy named Rich who worked for the radio station in Lincoln. A fantastic evening.
Day 06: Concert at Lincoln Cathedral. Now this was architecturally my favorite cathedral. You must go there because it is absolutely breathtaking! We toured the place (our tour guide was quite informative but very boring) and sang at the Chapter House, which is where the climax of The Da Vinci Code was filmed. They still had replicated frescoes on the walls from the filming. But to top it all off, Rich came to our concert! He interviewed Will as well as myself, Trae, Jarboe, and Bret. Sadly he had another engagement so couldn't hang out w/us but it was nice to see him again and such a plus to be interviewed for the local radio station! The second evening in Lincoln could not top the first. Camille and I went shopping and I found an awesome dress. Later, Sarah and Millie and I went back to Lloyd's after an unsuccessful gay bar trip, but not much was going on before our curfew.
Day 07: Trip to Chester, England! First, we stopped at Chatsworth House, which is the home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire AND the setting of Mr. Darcy's house in the revamped movie Pride and Prejudice. It was unbelievably extravagant...to the point of being over the top. I still enjoyed it, especially all the intricate carvings in the crown moldings. Then we went to Chester and settled into our rather small hotel.
Day 08: Walking tour of Chester. I learned about the Rows of Chester, which are like very old shopping malls...2 levels of gazing at the shops. We saw the beautiful Town Hall and walls put up by the Romans, among other historic details. We shopped around a bit and then I went back to the hotel for a quiet evening. I was about due for some "me time" w/my new copy of Pride and Prejudice, besides I'd already seen the whole town.
Day 09: Toured the Royal Crown Derby china manufacturer, complete w/tea and a factory tour. I bought my mom a platter for mother's day and was very impressed by the designs on most of the china. Also, by this time I had completely lost my voice and enduring the effects of cold weather w/a coat held hostage. Then we rode through Robin Hood country for the Black Country since we had a concert at Walsall that evening. This was our tour guide's hometown and we sang at his church. The mayor was even in attendance! It was the only concert that I got to play my fiddle solo for Big River and Leah and I had to play w/o Tene for Old West Medley since she left the key to her case in her backpack!
Day 10: London town! On the way, our tour guide filled us in on most of the history of England (mainly the big wars) and concluded that everyone in England had some Viking blood in them. Ok. We were staying at the Thistle Kensington Hotel in Kensington (which was very nice!). Bret and I navigated the underground to get to Leicester Square because we were adamant about half price tickets to a West End show. We ended up seeing Les Miserables and it was INCREDIBLE! OH my GOSH! I love, love, loved it! I need to get the soundtrack and SOON! After the show we met all the actors by standing outside the stage door for about an hour. Most of them were very nice. We also discovered 200 gay men on a single street corner beside our theatre. The gay-borhood was successfully pinpointed.
Day 11: I slept through the wake-up call and missed the departure for the tour of London! DRAT! I was very upset but determined to do my sight-seeing so I found a group of choirgirls at breakfast and we went to see the changing of the guard and go to Platform 9 3/4 (since i am from a family of Harry Potter fans I just HAD to take some pictures!). We also visited St. Paul's cathedral with hopes of climbing the stairs for the view from its tower, but they were closed on Sunday. We went back to the hotel for tea, then set out to walk all the way to the Thames (b/c someone was too broke to buy an underground pass). We visited Buckingham Palace again, walked through the park, visited 10 Downing Street, and saw Big Ben and the houses of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey (which was also closed on a Sunday...wtf?). We took the underground back to the hotel since it was a 3.5 mile walk! That evening was pretty tame since I couldn't find anyone w/enough energy and money to check out the nightlife with me.
Day 12: Trip to Canturbury! We sang in Canterbury Cathedral for Will's last concert w/the CCC. Very, very sad. I cried during The Lord Bless You and Keep You. Boy was that hard. Will has taught me so much about integrity and being an upright person. He really is a gem of a human being. After the concert I had an amazing lunch at a North African-themed restaurant, then I helped Bre shop for a purse. We went back to London with just a bit of time to get ready for our end of the year banquet. I got purdied up in a red dress and our banquet was set at.....a hostel. It was in a gym and we ate finger foods. But the wine was good! The seniors gave out their awards (my nickname is now Lindsey "What's a Curfew?" Hotaling) and sang several songs about Will. The seniors signed the Branding Board and we sang to them and I cried. A lot. It was a bit embarrassing so I found some people to leave with as soon as possible. I hate crying in front of others. Some friends and I were bound and determined to stay up all night so we could sleep on the flight, so we bought some liquor and hung out in the hotel. That is, until Sarah and I decided to go check out a bar down the street. They made drinks like heaven! The bartender was pretty much a performance artist, he was so good! We met some American students from Georgia and a couple of French guys (one was the chef for the the restaurant). Nous avons parlons un petit peu du Francais avec lui. Then we went back to the hotel to our friends. Sam and I had Wrestlemania 2007 and I'm pretty sure I won since he ended up spanked w/a hairbrush. Haha! We left for the airport at 5:45 and flew for 10 hours from London to Houston. And I slept the ENTIRE flight. I'd say it was a jolly good success!
I already miss the UK!