Londy-town Day 2

ARE YOU READY TO ROCK?!!?

Saturday was the Rock n Roll tour Kurt surprised me with! I popped out of bed as if it was Christmas morning...we walked past Buckingham Palace towards the tour pick up and waited patiently for the excitement to begin. The morning tour had 6 of us total. It turned out to be the perfect size because we were able to get on and off the bus more and our tour guide, Bruce, was able to show us more sites from our favorite bands. We started in Soho where "British Rock" originated and snaked through side streets where different band members lived, saw some hang outs, studios, offices, etc. I was in awe!!! I wish I could be a rock historian...I am a little sponge when it comes to rock history.

During the morning tour, the sites were spread out. We traveled to North London where we saw some theaters, houses, hangouts, venues, and more studios. We drove by a school where Bruce was explaining that a particular band asked the children from the school to sing on one of their albums...then he pulled the bus over and blared "Another Brick in the Wall". We were at the studio where Pink Floyd recorded some of the The Wall and stored their equipment. I could just picture several vans and buses loading equipment in and out of this building for shows. Amazing!

We traveled on to where Ray and Dave Davies [The Kinks] grew up. Across the street from their house is a pub where they played. We took a pit stop at the pub and inside was a huge collection of Kinks memorabilia.

This was my favorite...where can I get a couch like this?

In the afternoon we went to more "glamorized" locations such as Abbey Road, Apple Records, more homes and (sadly) death sites. (It was a little weird to visit locations where some people passed, I could have done without it...) One site and story that will stick with me was the hotel basement that Jimmy Hendricks passed away at and joined the "27 Club". I already knew that he overdosed but to be at the location and hear a play by play put a slight damper on the day...a real Debbie Downer! But it's all part of the history, right?

After the tour finished, the tour guide (Bruce) asked if I would wait a few minutes. He finished thanking everyone for taking the tour and walked over to me. He asked if we had any plans for the night because he had 2 extra tickets to a concert that night. We gladly accepted! It was a neat concert...2 bands that started in the '70s and do shows every once in awhile. I don't remember the name of the opening band...they were entertaining to say the least. The headliner was Caravan and they rocked! We have been looking for a vinyl ever since...

Since Bruce drove us to the venue, we had NO idea where we were! Luckily a train station was nearby...unfortunately, the main train we always took was out! It made a fun trip hopping on and off trains all night. But it was fun to people watch! There were some interesting people in London, folks!

PICTURES WILL BE POSTED SOON

Londy-town! Day 1

We landed in London around 11:00pm on Thursday and hopped on a bus to take us to our destination. Around 1:30am, we finally arrived to our Hostel. Once we walked in, we immediately realized why it's only $18/night.....long story short, we checked into a hotel the next day.

Some of you may think "A hotel? Big woop" but let me tell you all a little something about our Ireland home: No. Hot. Water. The only hot water we have is out of the electric shower. Oh ya...I've grown to enjoy the icy cold water in the AM to wash my face. There is nothing more refreshing than having Noxema icicles on the tip of my nose.


Back to the hotel....WE LIVED LIKE KINGS!!! Hot water in the sink! A shower that doesn't sound like a jet engine! It was heaven. Plus the hotel was half a block from Buckingham Palace. What up, Queen Liz! On our first day, we took a subway into the city center and looked around. We were too late to join any tours and really didn't have a clue what to do...I saw a poster for "Rock of Ages" that looked pretty cool and decided to find the theater. In London, there aren't a few theaters that feature a few shows...there are tons of theaters that feature one show each. There is a bad ass theater on every corner decked out for their particular show. We bought our tickets for "Rock of Ages" and were a little skeptical since it was a musical and we had never heard of it. We ended up with killer seats for cheap because we had our student ID's...thank goodness I kept my IU card - it has saved soo much $$$! We walked down to our seats and couldn't believe the atmosphere. It was amazing - smoke machines, 80's rock ballads blaring, people roaming the aisles selling beers, neon signs...it was like stepping back in time. It felt like a rock concert in the 1980's complete with panties and bras strewn across the stage set, beer ads, XXX signs, etc. It was awesome! The show was pretty neat, too. It's a story about a boy from South Detroit and a small town girl (get it?) anyways, the story line unfolds through all of the '80 rock songs that we all love and sing along to. It's comical and I loved it for the music and Kurt loved it because there were strippers that danced the entire time.....I don't know if he even knew there was a story line but hey, he enjoyed the show! :)

First Anniversary!

Kurt and I celebrated our 1st Anniversary on October 2nd. We had a relaxing day and went to dinner at our favorite Chinese restaurant. After dinner, our waitress brought out a cake with candles. Kurt had surprised me with a lemon cake (my favorite!). We think the waitress thought it was my birthday, hence the candles. We decided to make a wish for our 2nd year and blew out the candles :)

On top of the surprise cake, Kurt surprised me with a trip to London! He bought tickets for a rock n roll tour, which was on my list of things TO DO while I'm over here. I couldn't be more pumped!!! I will get to walk across Abbey Road, see some venues and hangouts of my favorite bands (Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, Queen, Beatles, The Who...) AH!! I could just swim to England I am so excited. I have marked down some places I want to visit on our own time just in case the tour doesn't take us by. I can't get enough of learning rock history so to see some of the sites that I read about is a dream come true!

We leave this Thursday and will return to Dublin on Monday...check back for pics and posts because I plan to go overboard :)

Day 7, Dingle/Cliffs of Mohr

Today we drove around the Dingle peninsula before we left town. We drove along the cow path of a road and looked out on the Atlantic coast. It was well worth the extra drive because the sites were breathtaking!

After the Dingle peninsula, we decided to head north to see the Cliffs of Mohr. It was so windy!!!

After a long, long drive in the mini bus, we couldn't stand to be in the car anymore! We stopped in a little town called Ennis to find a B&B. We were unsuccessful in finding a B&B as easily as every other town. Luckily - we stopped to ask gentleman if he knew of any B&B's in the area. We suggested one just outside of town then offered to take us there! He rode with us to the house, which unfortunately had no vacancies. So he offered to take us to a different house. At first, I was hesitant to let a complete stranger get in our vehicle and take us to a house in a small town.......it sounds like a beginning of a horror movie. But what we have found is that Irish people are just NICE. In America, if some tourist asked us where a B&B was, we would either ignore them or point them in the direction. Never actually see that they arrive to their destination! It was amazing! After we settled, we decided to find some quick grub and hit the hay early. I wasn't feeling pub food so Kurt and I set out to find something different. I hear the Hallelujah chorus when we found a pizza place!!!

Day 6, Dingle

We had a late start out of Killarney...luckily, Dingle was not a far drive. Dingle is a peninsula on the South West coast so we were excited to see the ocean! We stopped at a beach to take pictures of these massive waves. These waves were coming in on top of each other and were gigantic-I've never seen anything like it before. We parked the van at a store/cafe to take pictures of the beach. I didn't even make it OUT of the van before I was pelted with sand in my face/eyes. My mom then had to lead my blind butt to the store while I tried to shield any bare skin from the death sand. ((If you are a fellow contact wearer, then you know how awesome sand in your eyes feel)) We all rested in the cafe and I looked through the pictures...some surfers wrestles their way to the water. They were practically crawling to shield the sand and to keep their surf board from flying away. It was hilarious! They made it, by the way.

We piled into the mini bus and continued to Dingle. Now, we've been planning to go to Dingle the entire trip. Of course we made jokes....."Can't wait to get some berries from Dingle" "Dingle hangs off of Ireland" you get the picture. We believe that postcards and t-shirts would sell like crazy if it said something like "Welcome to Dingle! Where the berries are brown and smell like shit" but what do we know? Uncle Vic, Kurt, and myself didn't get too experience Dingle too much that day. We got pretty comfortable in Murphy's Pub at lunch and remained there until after dinner...It was an interesting experience as we were sitting in the corner booth and in walks a group of people from Shelbyville/Waldron....It's a small world, after all!

Kurt had to wear my glasses to block the sand from getting in his eyes.

Day 5, Killarney

Our 5th day of our trip happened to be September 11, 2011 - the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. I walked in on our B&B host, Sheila, watching the memorials on TV. As we sat with her, I realized how big of an effect this attack had on the world. We talked to several people on our trip that gave their condolences and shared what they were doing when they heard about the attack. Entire towns shut down for memorials. It was refreshing to know that even though we weren't in our home land on such a day, that we still were comforted by our neighbors.

We stayed at Sheila's B&B again this night. We had a wonderful dinner at The Flesk! Earlier in the day, the boys played golf at the Mahoney Inn Golf Course where the Irish Open was held. Kurt couldn't stop talking about how amazing the course was.

Day 4 - Blarney

Today we woke up and loaded the mini bus. We made plans to visit the Blarney Castle and the Woolen Mills. The Blarney Castle was the first (and only) castle we visited while on our trip. It was beautiful! To get to Blarney, we drove through a small town with tight roads and all of a sudden - bam! There's the castle. The walk up to Blarney reminded me of something right out of a movie. The gardens and lawn are well kept, there are large trees, and small brooks.

We thought this tree was so neat! 

We felt like Forrest and Jenny in the tree

It was a lot of fun to imagine how the rooms might have been set up throughout the castle. The spiral staircase to the top of Blarney was tight, narrow and the stairs were short. At some points, I had to walk up on all fours. I don't know how they were able to walk up with armor or large dresses on! Once we arrived to the top, I had to catch my breath. Not because of the dizzy, claustrophobic walk but because of the height! I'm not usually afraid of heights but I was standing on the roof of an ancient castle with holes all around the perimeter. I got two stories of what these "holes" were for....my Uncle Vic told me he thought the holes were for pouring hot water or grease down onto intruders trying to scale the castle. My dad told me it was their gutter system..........I'm believing the hot grease story because it's more imaginative! We all took turns kissing the Blarney Stone!

Kurt kissing the Blarney Stone

Maxine's turn!

**Everyone else is on our other camera

After the castle, we took a tour of the Blarney House. It was a gorgeous house that is on the grounds of Blarney Castle. The tour was "o.k." because a family still lives in the house so rooms were limited to tour. Once we finished our visit to Blarney, the girls were anxious to visit the Woolen Mills for sweaters! This store was enormous! Filled with Irish wool sweaters and linens. We must have spent a good hour or so combing through the racks and racks of various souvenirs. I saw my dad hauling a cart behind him at one point.........These sweaters or linen are really the best souvenirs for your visit to Ireland. They are something you will actually use and might even pass down.

The Blarney House...can you believe people really live in this house?? 

It's true. 

We jumped back into the mini bus and started out journey to Killarney. We stayed at an amazing B&B! Sheila, our host, served afternoon tea and cookies and would sit down for conversation. Once we rested up, we went into town for dinner. Tooooo much Guinness this night......

Day 3, Waterford/Blarney

Day 3, Waterford to Blarney

I was pretty excited about Waterford. While the boys played golf, the girls went into town to take the Waterford tour and shop :) I accumulated a few Waterford pieces from our wedding and was pumped to pick out something from the actual Waterford factory. (I sound like an old woman...) Mom, Maxine, and I took the tour on how the crystal is made. I found it pretty interesting because although they have incorporated some machines for the process, they still use original tools. We have the technology to melt, shape, and cut a piece of crystal to your liking without it ever touching human hands...but is that really something special? Hell no! I want the piece where someone actually took the time to blow the glass to a particular shape, a different person sanded it down and then someone else gently cut every line to make the vase, bowl, or whatever just perfect.

 Mold for "American Football"

2012 Superbowl

 Drawing lines for the cuts, by hand

 Cutting

 More cutting...

I tried to stick around to see a mistake

Waterford Chandelier. 

It will be mine....oh yes, It will be mine.

After a day of shopping, golfing and touring we made the voyage to Blarney! We didn't have any accommodations arranged so we picked up a Bed and Breakfasts of Ireland book....we went down a list of potential B&B's and came across an old farm house. They only had 2 rooms available but 1 room had 3 twins and a double bed. We took the offer and decided to hit a pub (surprised?). This particular pub was a reeaaalll Irish pub. It was on the outskirts of Blarney and the majority of the crowd was locals who were regulars. We made friends with 3-5 of them and had a great night out. Kurt and I always get the same reactions when meeting someone....A. that we're 24 and B. that we're married. We usually get "You look like babies", "You're too young" something along those lines....but here at the Waterloo, I got told to F off by Stephen the drunk road constructor. I loved him in an instant :) I hope to make it to the Waterloo in Blarney again before we leave!

Day 2, On the road...

Day 2 - Travel

Today we woke up early and hit the road :) The long, skinny, winding road...it was basically a cow path.

We stopped at Glendalaugh for breakfast and to site see. This is by far one of my favorite places. It's a beautiful valley and is full of green grass, rivers, and waterfalls. We walked around a Monastic site and a lake. I have never breathed fresher air before! We took some great photos but they are on the other camera...I'll upload to Facebook! Here's one from the digital camera:

It looks a little fuzzy but that's just the rain

We hopped back in our mini bus and drove into Killkenny. We got a little thirsty!

Don't judge our appearances. It was a long, rainy day!

Next we drove into Waterford. We checked into our first B&B of the trip. Ilene was our hostess and it was wonderful! We went down town for dinner where Kurt had his very first fish and chips. It was an entire deep fried fish! After dinner, we ducked into an old pub to pound some Guinness and Bulmers (for me). **Bulmers is an Irish cider similar to Woodchuck's....it gets the job done, know what I'm sayin** The pub looked like every pub in Ireland - cobblestone floor, lots of wood, fireplace, Irish music playing, and lots of drunk men singing very loud. We loved it! This particular pub reminded me of the St. Paul Tavern (hollaaa!) because there were dollar bills everywhere. People had signed them and stuck them all along the rafters. We'll have to check to see if ours still hanging in a few years...

The Allen's Family Vacation 2011 - Ireland!

Isn't it funny when you are on a family vacation and something happens and you think "omg I feel like the Griswold's!!!" That's how I feel every single vacation with my family and I love it. No, we haven't had to strap any dead Aunt Edna's to the roof of our family truckster but there are still more vacations to come. Not only are the National Lampoon's Vacation movies my favorites (Family, Christmas, European, Vegas, and don't forget the made for TV ones) but I happen to think I have some hilarious family members. I often find myself wondering why we haven't been asked to do a reality show...



The next few blog entries are of our Ireland Family Vacation!!!
Kurt and I traveled the coast of Ireland with my parents (Steve and Mary Jane) and my awesome Aunt Maxine and Uncle Vic. It was a blast and we made many many memories :)

Day 1, Dublin


Today we decided to tour around Dublin and give ourselves an extra day before hitting the open road. We took a bus tour that aloud us to hop on and off at any site. If you get off the bus to look around, another will be along to scoop you up to your next destination. Very touristy BUT it is highly recommended because it is a cheap and reliable way to get a look at the city and learn what exactly you are looking at. If you are lucky, you will have a comedian for a driver! You get a 2 day pass on this bus which means you can split up the sites. We weren't all that interested in walking around every statue so we soaked in the view and rode our happy butts to.....THE GUINNESS BREWERY!

Guinness was pretty neat! It is somewhat interactive and very educational. I'm sure any brewery tour is exactly the same but hey we're in Ireland and it's the Guinness Brewery. We learned what all went into Guinness: barley, hops, and good ol' H20. You walk through the process of how the ingredients are prepared, the beer is fermented, yada, yada, yada then you get a sample :) I don't necessarily care for Guinness but I will say after 2.5 weeks, it's growing on me. After we walked around other exhibits, we had a big decision to make. Where to drink our FREE pint of Guinness. You can A. drink a pint on the top floor (the highest point in Dublin) or B. learn to pour your own and receive a certificate for "Pouring the Perfect Pint". Of course I wanted the certificate...what can I say? I'm a sucker for free souvenirs.

The 6 Steps to Pour a Perfect Pint:
1. The glass must be a clean and dry 20oz. tulip pint glass
2. The glass must be at 45 degree angle
3. Fill the glass 3/4 of the way
4. Let the beer rest and form the head
5. Top off the beer - it should be just above the rim of the glass
6. DRINK!

Here we are angling our glasses

 Allowing the beer to rest

 Topping it off

 The perfect pint! 

 Cheers!!!

We also stopped by the prison, we saw the Spire or the Stiletto in the Ghetto, Molly Malone, and various gardens and churches. It was a looong day!!! We wrapped up the night with a special 5th Anniversary dinner for Aunt Maxine and Uncle Vic! :)

Ireland!

We made it!!!!

We landed in Dublin yesterday around 8AM. The flight was great - it was over night so we slept the majority of the way. While it was 8AM here, it was 3AM in Indiana. We were exhausted! We settled in our new house, took a nap, and set out to find some grub. We walked around for awhile, trying to get familiar with the area and to look at all of the different buildings.

Today we are going to find a grocery store and pick up some other things we need. I am adding a new hair dryer to the list because it blew up as soon as I turned it on. Niiiice. It's been fun to try some of the things around the house. Most are the same as the States but some are complete opposite! Obviously the plug ins are different, we have converters but the current is soo strong (hence my dead dryer). The electric shower was pretty crazy. It's just like a phone booth - teeny tiny and the doors fold in. To turn the shower on, you push the "power" button. The water comes on and it sounds like a big motor. I didn't mess with any of the dials because honestly, I have no idea what they mean. I can tell one is for heat but there is another one with #'s 1-10?? I'll ask someone later...

Which brings me to our roommates! We have yet to meet any. We met our landlord last night and he used to stay in the room we are renting. He's moving out but stayed on the couch last night. We asked about the others but I still don't know?? He speaks English but his accent is so thick and he speaks really fast....I just nodded. I'm still so confused but hey I'll figure it out eventually! We can just pick up words here and there when speaking to others. Kurt and I just look at each other like "uuhhhh...." and then try to piece together the conversations afterwards. We'll get the hang of it! Until then, I'll just look like a bobble head :)

Later this afternoon my parents and Aunt and Uncle are arriving. Yiippeee!!! They've had a hard time with their flight. They were supposed to fly out of Indy grab a connection flight in Philly and then jet off to Dublin. Well they missed their connection so they had to fly to Chicago then London and finally land in Dublin. I'm sure they will be exhausted but I'm making them push through because time is limited for them! I can't wait to see them  and start our touring :)

It's the Final Countdown!

We only have a few days left in the States and a lot to do! We've been busy cramming in visits and getting everything in order for our trip. We finally booked our tickets and got our place to live! YAY! We are pretty happy with the house we settled on but nervous to see it in person. It's a huuuge house that we're sharing with other people ((strangers)). Kurt and I have a bedroom and everyone will share the kitchen, living room, and bathrooms. This should be an adventure in itself! We're excited to meet our roommates and see this place up close.
***Pictures will have to wait, the ones that we have are poor quality

This past weekend we had our Bon Voyage party with all of our friends and family. What a perfect day! Kurt and I had a blast and were so happy to see everyone before we head out. We have the best friends and the most loving family -- we're truly blessed. Thank you to all who came, we're going to miss you all so much! On a side note, we should have parties like that more often.....

Back Home to Waldron

Last week Kurt and I moved out of our apartment in Lafayette, IN. After a long week of organizing, cleaning and packing.....we made it!!! It was bittersweet to move out of our first place together but we were pretty excited to get the heck out of there. Especially me - do know how hard it was to be surrounded by black and gold? I was constantly reminded that I was a lone Hoosier in Boilermaker country. I do have to give props to Purdue for breakfast club, though! But that's it.        :)

Along with leaving the apartment, came leaving my job. I will miss everyone at NAMI-WCI, especially Pattie. It was a great job to have while Kurt finished his year at Purdue. I left the position in good hands, though. My replacement, Michelle, was a joy to have around during my last week and I wish we had more time together. I plan to send them post cards from our travels!!!

We are pretty happy to be back in Waldron ((who knew??)) When we were in High School, we couldn't wait to get out of here and now, it's the best place to be! We love being able to see our family and friends whenever we want. Especially Landon, Hayden, and Skyler! We'll only be around for a few more weeks so make sure you stop by and see us!

 Our front door

So long, Lafayette!

Apartment Hunt Update....get excited!

Shout out to Jennifer Rutherford for helping me jazz up my little blog site :) I am addicted to changing the backgrounds and adding fun little accessories now...

We received more responses for our apartment hunt in Ireland! Check back often because as soon as we find THE ONE, I will post pictures. Aren't you interested in seeing where exactly we'll be living? These little places aren't what you expect...well maybe they are? There is usually a tiny little living area (kitchen and living room all in one) and the bedrooms are big enough for your bed. Literally. I saw one picture where the bed was pushed up against the wall and the other side had barely enough room to stand......it was a twin bed. If I held my arms out, I would touch both walls.  We are hoping to find a bed big enough for two but we are desperate enough to settle for a twin. Hello, couch! The showers are "electric" which sounds terrifying to me but hey, I'll try everything once.  Some of the kitchens only have a dorm-sized fridge and a microwave. For anyone that knows me, knows that's what is really killing me. How am I suppose to make delicious treats??? I'll sleep outside, just give me a stove for the love of Paula Deen!

If you are reading this and thinking that I am complaining, I'm really not. I would share a single bedroom with 2 Brazilian men and an Indian woman if it means that I get to live in Ireland for 5 months (yes, that was an option... surprisingly, we turned it down). It's just fun to take a step back and laugh at how this process is going. Really - I know that in 20 years, Kurt and I will look back fondly and remember how we almost lived in a studio apartment where I could reach the stove while using the toilet and make the bed at the same time. And I am positive we'll look back and wish we could do it all over again!!!

Home Sweet....???

This week has been fun!!!  not.

We are scrambling around, trying to find a place to stay in Ireland. Our plans fell through with our original accommodations and now we get the pleasure of finding a last minute place. Should be easy enough! Not so much...we're finding places left and right but it's so difficult to get responses with the time change. We must stay optimistic, though!

We will find something.

We will find something.

We will find something...won't we?

FIRST BLOG!!!

As many of you know, Kurt and I will be moving to Europe for almost a year. He will be finishing his Master's abroad and I get to tag along! We will be in Dublin, Ireland (September through December) and Barcelona, Spain (January through June).

Kurt is obtaining two Master degree's through the Atlantis Program through Purdue University. He just finished his first year at Purdue and is getting ready for the big move. There are six grad students in the program - small group, big fun!!

Anyways, I am starting this blog to keep all our friends and family updated while we are away. As if Facebook, Skype, and e-mails won't be enough.

So far we are slowly getting our official documents ready and browsing housing options. Oh ya, did I mention we are all going to live together??