Food issues...

So, in the first two hours I was awake, I ate:

- a bowl of cereal
- a cup of coffee
- 3/4 can of pears
- a cup of milk
- two cups beef stroganoff

After a snack of teddy grams, and snack mix

Lunch:
- another cup of beef stroganoff
- a banana
- 1/4 cup colby jack cheese cubes

Afternoon snack:
- chips and salsa, a couple of bowls

It's 3 PM, and I've been awake 6.5 hours.

My metabolism is sky high. For seven months, all I did was walk around and see stuff. Even those days spent on trains/busses, I would be hauling a 30 pound pack. So I'm going to resume running and hope this equalizes. Uei says I have two weeks to a month before that happens... So I'm sort of enjoying it while it lasts...

Things you forgot to tell me...

So I had to get my Starbucks fix today. (Taco Bell was also necessary, but not a concurrent event.) I paid for my drink, and was handed a $10 bill as part of my change. It did not look the same way as when I left the country. I had to confirm with Brooke that this foreign bill was the currently acceptable look for a $10 bill.

As an aside, the bills look shorter and longer than they should be, but I think this is because I've been using Euros for so long.

So the question:

Is there anything else that I should know about life in the US before I venture forth?

US Soil...

So I made it to O'Hare without incident. I heard the relief and joy in my mother's voice when we talked.

Then my issues started. I guess there had been a storm before arrival, and this gave me an additional hour and a half delay. Then we got on the plane. And sat on the tarmac for two hours. As Ryan said, at least I had the plane between me and the tarmac.

The strange thing was that I really wasn't bothered or too perturbed by this. Really. It was just one of those things.

Brooke met me at the airport in Raleigh. I was wearing my Nessie hat - as in the Loch Ness Monster hat. Pictures will be forthcoming, as I now have free highspeed internet access.

So I'm posting this while suffering from jet lag. My body is screaming at me to be awake at 4 AM. It's conviced it's more like 10 AM, a time I should reasonably be expected to be up.

Oh - I have consistently had to remind myself to put the lid down. I have no fear that it will soon come back as old habit.

Oh yeah - let's give it up for Croatian ferries!

Really, I didn't understand how great the Croatian ferries were. Enclosed spaces, padded chairs, a bar.

The ride to the Aran Islands was nothing like that. Think wet. Think sitting on a hard box. Think totally dry.

I did not lose my lunch. On the way back, much calmer, I actually fell asleep.

Go Croatia!

Last Day...

So I'm in Dublin today, after spending 7 hours on a bus from Doolin. Two letters, hours apart.

I've had plenty of Guiness, listened to a lot of music, and seen a lot of green things.

So I'm pretty much ready to get on the plane and start using green money again.

It's been great. No regrets that I did it. My thanks to you all for reading, commenting, cheering me on.

So if you feel a sudden shift in the force tomorrow around 12:45, it's just me. Don't worry.

Branson, MO

Yes, you read that right. I'm in Killarney. It's the Branson of Ireland. There's folk singing, over-priced "home cooked" food, and kitchy souvenirs. It seems like a place designed to separate tourists from their money. It's not quite as slick as Disney, but more unassuming, like Branson.

I'll take a bus to Doolin tomorrow. From there, I should be able to see the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, and maybe the Aran Islands. I'll figure it out when I get there. I'll spend Sun and Mon there, and Tues AM, start the ride to Dublin.

Killarney

So there's a bus from Cork to Killarney every hour on the half hour. So I will be taking one of them later today. I'll see the Ring of Kerry. Perhaps a bit of Dingle, and then east to Dublin to fly out.

I visited the Blarney Stone yesterday. I did not kiss it, only photograph it. I have not sufficiently overcome my distaste for bacteria in order to kiss that which many thousands have kissed.

Question...

So I was watching the BBC, and they had a live shot of the White House, with the Washington Monument in the background. I noticed that all of the flags were at half staff. Why is that? I couldn't find anything...

Up next...

I tried to go to Westminster Abbey today. That didn't work out so well. It's closed today, and tomorrow until 2 PM. It turns out that the Queen knights people here every four years. Today is the dress rehearsal, and tomorrow is the knighting.

I have an afternoon flight to Cork tomorrow, so I won't be able to see the Abbey. I guess this means that I 'll have to come back...

It's a small world...

I saw Les Mis last night. I struck up a conversation with the couple sitting next to me. They currently live in Tennessee. I told them that I was from Peoria, and they were a bit astonished.

It turns out that they met at Bradley. The gentleman worked for the State Water Survey in Peoria back in the 1960's, before taking a job with the TVA. At that time, Peoria still had numerous distilleries and breweries. They used a lot of groundwater, and this lowered the water table. So the Water Survey devised a plan to use river water to replenish the groundwater. This gentleman was responsible for taking water samples from Hiram Walker. He said that each sample was provided in a whisky bottle.

End of an era...

So tonight, NBC will show the last (and the first) episode of the West Wing. It's time to let it go, but I wanted to mark the occasion...

Maybe I'll visit 10 Downing Street tomorrow...

Geography I forgot to mention...

So does it seem like I'm closer?

I forgot to mention that when I flew into Edinburgh, I returned to the Western Hemisphere, after 204 days (give or take a day) in the Eastern Hemisphere. I was at 56° 00' N, 4° 00' W.

I may go out to Greenwich while I'm here in London. In which case, I could step back into the East.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

I called Mom, but I just thought I'd post this too. Mom was having a good Mother's Day, especially since she knows it's only a matter of days until I'm back in the US. The grey hair growth rate should slow down...

My pack...

So Steve has taken a great interest in the contents of my pack. It's not very large, but, I "seem to pull out a new gizmo every five minutes."

So here's a rundown on some of the stuff in my pack or daybag:

- sewing kit
- hand cleansing gel
- compass
- fork/knife/spoon combo set
- waiter's wine key
- handkerchief to dry my hands
- leatherman
- camera cleaning kit
- cable ties
- ACE bandage
- emergency blanket - one of those thinner than aluminum foil space blanket things
- bike lock - wire type used to secure pack during overnight train rides
- JC's name tag
- clothes line
- sink plug

I also had a water filter, but sent that home when I reached countries with potable water.

Does this seem normal?

The Highlands...

So - I haven't harmed Steve... yet. We still have a day to go. As I am paranoid about crossing the street in counties that drive on the left, Steve is in charge of determining when to cross the street, and I decide which street we walk on. As there is NO flat area in Scotland, this is key.

We both fly to London early tomorrow. He flies back to Chicago, and I will hang out for a few days...

The tour was great. We saw Loch Ness, many hairy cows, a few glens, and Ben Nevis, the cloudiest place on earth. I still have not had Scotch.

In the UK....

So I have arrived safely in Edinburgh, Scotland. Steve arrives later today, so good times should roll.

Barcelona was a great place. The architecture was amazing. The tapas was excellent. I think that I will really miss tasty food now that I'm in the UK. I will try the haggis...

I was sitting in a cafe in Barcelona on a Thursday morning, about 10:30. The place was packed. And about a third of the people were consuming some form of alcoholic beverage. I'm wondering about working conditions in Europe, and why we can't have more of these conditions at home...

Local term...

It's not Canadian bacon in Canada; it's peamael bacon.

It's not French onion soup; it's gratinated onion soup.

Now you know.

PS, Chris - yours is better than what I've had here...

Photos...

I've finally been able to upload some photos... I have only rotated and commented upon those through Berlin.

I've uploaded through the D-Day tour, but, for that gallery, I recommend you wait until I've commented on it. Some pictures make sense on their own, but most will be better with explanation...