They pronounce W's like V's.

We originally wanted to drive to Paris 2 weekends ago. Why? For no apparent reason, we just thought it would be a good idea to make use of what's left of Summer. J's never been there, which explains why i casually brought it up that we should check out Paris. He calculated that it would take about 5 hours to drive there.

But then decided against it.

In the last minute J tells me we're heading to the Harz mountains. Which ended up being the better option as Paris celebrated their National day on the 14th and had we of gone, not only would that had meant prices would be sky high but the traffic would be horrendous.

Having no idea where Harz is, i immediately googled the place. I like to have an idea what to expect and what to pack. It's in the East of Germany and is in a totally different state. One that i have never stepped foot in. So i'm thinking we're going to be stuck in some forest and walking nature trails all day, as that is what the pictures show.

I like walking. But i'm not sooOooo much into nature trails and getting lost in a forest.

Never mind, at least it's a holiday, i tell myself. After all, if it means a quick escape from the city than maybe it'll put us in a better frame of mind before we have dive into packing and successfully finding a new home.

Oh gawd, why won't people move out already!?

16-22 July
So we decide to drive up to his parents place in Walsrode [pronounced: Vals-row-duh] and which happens to be on the way to our final destination. It ends up taking us a tedious 4 and half hours to get there. We made a brief stop in Bielefeld, one of the cities near the town J will be working in. A city we had considered moving to but decided against it for many reasons. We only drove through to the city centre but from first impressions, we were not impressed.


Eventually we arrived in Walsrode and made our way to his grandmother's apartment, which is minutes away from his parents' place for dinner. Our last visit was last year in November, 8 months later and from the looks of it nothing had changed. Maybe a few additional photos on her mantel piece but everything had it's own place. Everything was neatly organised and had its designated spot. I'm guessing just as how a grandmother's place would be.


Oma [the word for Grandmother in German and Dutch] doesn't speak any English, so our conversations are limited, where only a few words are exchanged on my side. J continues to be my translator. However, my ability to pick out words from sentences enables me to have a rough idea of what's being said and i accompany them with nods and smiles. Still nerve wrecking as hell but i manage to get through it without much stress.


We later meet up with J's elder brother and his girlfriend for a few beers and shots of tequila. Only to get back home hours later completely exhausted from the day and remembering we promised to meet up with his grandmother in the late morning.


After running a few errands, we make our away to Wernigerode in Harz only in the late afternoon. The drive would take us about an hour and a half. We arrive when it's dark and get lost a few times as his navigation device has difficulty picking up the exact point of the service apartment.

After a few calls to J's godfather, we finally find the place. A service apartment nicely tucked away and it's no wonder the navi can't find it. After dropping our bags and downing the complimentary baby bottle of sparkling wine on the dining table, we take a short stroll through the city centre. And even though it's dark we're surprised to see what the city centre has to offer.


I'm going to try my best and write Wernigerode how i think it sounds when you say it: Ver-neeg-ge-row-duh.

I know. It's confusing!

The following are photos taken through the city centre, only walking distance from our front door. Houses dating back to the 1700's and side streets lined with cobble stones was like walking back in time perhaps into a fairy tale. The town is truly beautiful. Not only was it full of character but was packed with tourists.


Wernigerode's Townhall. First built in 1584 and possibly the oldest standing building there.

We were there!

Some of the houses used to be stables, where you could walk through to the back to see the renovated results. One would never have guessed that the houses would extend that far especially from the outside.


Many of the houses were no higher than 3 stories. And look they even had a Subway!


This particular building was built in 1875 and although renovated a number of times, it still manage to capture it's original look with its' intricately carved wood. It was nice to walk down the streets and discover a house even older than the one before.


We also managed to see a Trabant parked on the side road, an automobile produced in the East of Germany and apparently the core structure is made out of cardboard! "It could take years (usual waiting time 15 years) for a Trabant to be delivered from the time it was ordered, people who finally got one were very careful with it and usually became skillful in maintaining and repairing it. The lifespan of an average Trabant was 28 years [source].


Wernigerode is famous for its' castle and can actually be seen from the town centre.


We were going to try and walk up the hill but the weather was shit and so we jumped on the "train" on wheels instead. I can't remember how much we payed but it brought us there and back to the city centre.


Because we're cheap arses and didn't feel like paying for the entry fee to go inside the castle, we stood outside and took photos of the surrounding areas and the castle grounds. After all, seeing old furniture and the way the King of Kings lived is of no interest to me. If anything i could just buy the catalog.

But the castle and the view weren't the only attraction...


Everyone seemed to stop in their tracks when they saw these 2 very white Germans dressed like Harajuku girls posing in their matching neon pink polka dresses. I just had to sneak a quick photo of them, they just looked too cute.

Wernigerode also surprisingly has a few casinos. I'm guessing there really isn't all that much to do once the shops close.


J's godfather, J and i still smiling because we hadn't lost any money
.
.
.
yet.


We managed to get a free pass into the casino which entitles the bearer an alcoholic drink. I wasn't able to take photos inside but before heading up the stairs to the actual entrance, i did mange to take a very blurry shot of them in front of the slot machines. So after playing a few rounds of computerized roulette and the slots machine, we realised Lady Luck was not on our side.

Oh well. It was fun while it lasted.


Then the next day we made a point to check out a cave thousands of years old. The temperature outside was in its' late 20 degrees and dropped to a nippy 8 degrees celcius inside the cave.


The main office and the entry to the caves.


We weren't allowed to take photos but i did manage to bust out my camera once and awhile without the tour guide looking. And hence the reason the lighting is really bad.

We were told not too far away from the cave was a dam which overlooks a huge lake. The Rappbode dam is the biggest dam in Harz and the highest in Germany.


We crossed to the other side of the bridge and let's just say it was a wee bit windy...


But i must say, the photos turned out better than expected.



4 nights and 5 days later we were surprised how fast time flew. But by the end of it, all we wanted to do was sleep in our own bed and not have to sit in the car anymore.

"Inside Good. Outside Bad."

I can't believe the month is nearly coming to an end. The other day i was at the supermarket and noticed they already had the Autumn decorations for sale. And thought, didn't Summer just begin? And while most of Germany is on Summer vacation, the number of swine flu cases continue to rise.

"Since July 20, the number of registered cases of swine flu in Germany has nearly doubled and now stands at 2,844, German health officials said on Friday... Within the past 48 hours alone, nearly 1,000 cases were confirmed. The reason is simple: according to the institute, 80 percent of the cases were imported by vacationers returning from countries like Spain and Great Britain" [source].

Then today's news states, "Germany's infectious disease center, the Robert Koch Institute, said there were 3,810 confirmed cases of swine flu, also called A (H1N1) on Monday. That marks an increase of 461 cases in three days [source].

Damn those holiday makers for spreading their germs and putting everyone at risk!

I'm definitely more cautious.

In fact, J and i make it a point to avoid big crowds now and limit what what we touch when we're in public especially in the Supermarket. Who knows what filthy germs are lying on the handle bars of supermarket trolleys. Even the sound of a sneeze immediately grabs my attention and i find myself walking the other direction. Seriously, my anti-bacterial gel is like my best friend.

Call me Paranoid but i'd rather be Be Safe Than Sorry.

J and i contacted my international health insurance to ask a few questions about my policy and apparently i'm fully covered should i get the H1N1 virus *knocks on wood* and if i develop some kind of disease like Cancer. However, what i'm not covered for are general check-ups. Which means i can't claim for my annual check-up to the Gynaecologist.

Damn it, there goes my 226 Euros!

*Ouch*

So i'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that the State funded program that i've applied for, which enables independant artists to be allowed into the german healthcare system, gets approved soon. The wait is 3 months and they've stated that there's no guarantee that one gets accepted.

I'm still waiting for an answer.

So for the time being i'm keeping a low profile and not putting myself at risk. Especially since we'll be moving soon. And the last thing i need is to be knocked out by some illness and/or cause serious injury to myself.


And that also means no more rollerblading or dangerous activities until my health insurance issue is sorted.

Hmmpf.

Is it Wednesday yet?

J left yesterday afternoon for one of many 3-day Management training programmes in a small town called Hochheim am Main, somewhere near Frankfurt and is about 2 hours drive from where we live. It's an intensive training workshop for all those enrolled and compulsory before J begins at his new position in September.

And even though it's only been 24 hours since he left, it feels a bit strange being home alone.

I usually spend my day by myself keeping myself occupied with house chores and catching my favorite shows on TV, in German no doubt. Although i can only understand a fraction of what they're saying, i find myself repeating words out loud just so i can try and get the pronunciation somewhat close to what it's "supposed" to sound like.

It's always comforting to know that when dinner time approaches i will be expecting the doorbell to ring and i will rush to the door to wait for J to walk up the stairs.

But i do remember the time when i lived by myself and couldn't imagine sharing my space with anyone let alone have someone to call my "boyfriend".

Hmmm... oh how Time's have changed.

Isn't it strange how being in a relationship can actually change your way of thinking. Dare i even say my purpose in Life.

I miss him already. In my case, distance certainly makes the heart grow fonder. Plus cooking for one ain't all that fun anymore. Hurry up Wednesday!

Anyway, the last time we spent our nights apart was when he was admitted into hospital last year and if my memory serves me correctly he was admitted for about 2 weeks but even then i was able to see him during the day. It's no wonder my bald patches caused by stress returned months after.

I know J's a safe driver and he wouldn't do anything to put himself at risk but i can't help but worry whenever he has to drive on the motorway. Maybe it's the fact that parts of the German motorway has no speed limit. I'm forever checking his speedometer when i'm sitting in the passenger seat.

But last weekend there was a huge car pile up involving 260 vehicles on the A2 Autobahn. We saw it on the news but more reason to make me a little paranoid and worried. Nobody is sure what/who was the cause of the huge accident. And one can only blame the bad weather and perhaps those impatient and careless drivers.



Thankfully nobody died. Just a few people were seriously injured and a dozen or so suffered minor injuries.

It's moments like those that makes me count my lucky stars that we weren't on that particular Autobahn at that time and had already reached our destination.

...

I forgot to tell you J and i helped out at his colleague's husbands birthday party at the beginning of the month. I basically spent most of the time in the kitchen clearing the plates/glasses whilst J ran up and down the garden making sure everyone had a drink in their hand and encouraged them to drink more. The picture below is of J proudly carrying 30 champagne glasses down to the marquee in the garden minutes before midnight.

... and no he didn't spill any of the glasses!

We were absolutely knackered when we got back but it was well worth it. J's colleague was so impressed by our work that she even gave us more money than that she had originally agreed on. 7 hours of work and 100 Euros each. It was a great experience especially since it was my first time working with J. Not only were we allowed to drink on the job but better still, we got payed for a job well done!

...

Anyway i'll be back soon with photos from our short getaway to the Harz mountains. I know i've been a bit slack with the posts.

Again, i'm sorry.

Honestly, there really wasn't that much going on in my Life. Well nothing worth reading about anyhow. I could stress about how unsuccessful we've been in finding a suitable, decent looking home in our price range. And how we've received several quotes from Movers' company that insist on charging no less than 1,900 Euros for the move that's less than 160km away. I don't think we even have that much stuff.

Absolute madness! Our hunt continues.

Got me some wheels... 8 to be exact.

For the past couple of days the weather has made a down turn. It's been pissing down hardcore with the occasional thunderstorm and lightning to match. The temperature has been somewhere in the mid teens and any patch of blue sky soon gets replaced by a dark cloud. Yesterday J claimed that "Summer is over" and i immediately gave him that look suggesting that he was talking "crazy" and shouldn't be thinking such evil thoughts.

So i quickly knocked on a nearby piece of wood - my solution to abolishing anything that is last said that i don't want to come true.

We spend most of the year in the shadow of moody weather, i dread the day that i officially have to say good-bye to blue skies and sunshine for another 6+ months. Never mind that i spend most my day indoors and at home. It's the very fact that the day is nice gives me that option to want to go outside and having big windows helps.

Which brings me to my level of fitness.
.
.
.
It's not very good.

And apart from the random stroll through the city to get a present for a birthday or special occasion, which happens to be every other month or even quarterly. I'm not so into exercise or Sport. And if we do end up clubbing, i may dance anywhere between a few seconds to a couple of hours. And that's not even guaranteed. It depends on my mood and of course the music.

So for the past months J's been suggesting that we should get into "Sport". One that we could do together and one that forces me to go outside. I'm like a hermit, i could spend days on end cooped up at home not too worried that the days are passing me by.

Originally we wanted to buy bicycles. It would keep us fit and we could ride to various locations that the car couldn't go. Often we find ourselves at a lake or by the Rhine river, so it made sense. But seeing that we're moving soon meant we would need to transport them and that would just increase the cost of the move. Bikes are not cheap and are at least 300 Euros.

So yesterday we were in the city centre because J wanted to buy a new computer game and we popped by Karstadt Sport. Lucky for us they were having a sale. J insisted that i should look at inline skates, basically if he left it to me, i would probably be still at home and wouldn't consider them at all.

I've never owned a pair but i do know how to ice skate, so i'm happy to say i didn't fall straight on my face.

My sister had a pair of roller skates which i ended up getting as the "little" sister often get hand me downs. But that was over a decade ago. I don't think we even have them anymore as i think our parents gave them away in between one our moves.


I ended up getting a pair of K2 inline skates. They had knocked off 80 Euros off the original price and we figured it was a really good deal. It was also the last pair and since the season is ending they weren't bringing anymore pairs in. So any future pairs would be the newer designs and the original prices.

I also found out a portion of the sales goes towards finding a cure for breast cancer - as seen by the pink ribbon stitched on the side, so that's good!

But they had cheaper skates and i was hoping that they would be comfortable and easier on my wallet, but boy was i wrong. Within seconds my calf was hurting - i think they were built for taller people with slimmer calves. And instead of my ankle feeling protected it felt like it was being strangled. So i knew the answer.

I would be stupid to buy a cheaper pair hoping it would get comfortable over time and risk never wanting me to putting them back on due to blisters etc. If i think back all the times i've tried to save on money on shoes because they were cheap but ended up not wearing them because they "hurt".

Now was not a time to be too stingy especially if i was concerned with comfort. "The K2 Softboot construction is the most comfortable, stable, and well-designed inline skate construction ever produced. This patented technology features the most breathable uppers, supportive cuffs, and best fit known to any inline skate." [source]


I debated for awhile whether it was worth it but J insisted that it was a good investment. After all it would take us out of the apartment on the weekends and force us me to venture out of our my comfort zone. And who knows, maybe even force me to socialize.

But i'm super happy with them. And who knows, maybe one day i will get my buns of steal!

I'm hoping it's not going to rain later because once J gets home, he's going to find his skates and we're going to "practice" near the car park before we venture out in public over the weekend. I'm really excited! And no i'm not being sarcastic, i am, actually excited.

The Anti-Baby Pill & Transformers.

I was running desperately low on The Pill and needed to get a prescription mailed to me. But was informed i was due for a check-up and unless i made an appointment, they unfortunately couldn't send it to me. I eventually made the appointment but requested if they could at least send me the prescription before i went to see my OB/GYN. After all, The Pill waits for no one and one needs to be consistent otherwise you may be in for a surprise if you miss more than a few doses.

The receptionist was kind enough to understand my dilemma and sent me a prescription for 3 months.

So on Thursday i made my way to her office in the blistering heat. It's been hovering around the 30's mark if not more. So you can imagine what kind of sweat fest the trams are like. With only heating ducts to support Winter and windows that can't really be opened, passengers are forced to tolerate the heat and digest the body odors of those around.

Let's just say deodorant should be a compulsory for all ages.


My OB/GYN runs a private practice, which basically means patients pay more and the waiting time is close to zero. I'm currently on private insurance so i am therefore allowed to go there. They even give you a drink before you go see the doctor and the bathroom is stocked with all sorts of girly things.

Not only did i choose my doctor because she spoke English but she didn't look scary or ancient.

Usually they only write prescriptions for 6 months but somehow i managed to score another one, so my Anti-Baby Pill as my gynae likes to call it, should last me for another 12 months on top of the remaining 2 and half months i received from the receptionist.

...

So she's examining me and she finds a cyst on my left ovary. And i'm thinking, "oh shit..."

It's about 3 cm wide and it's apparently common for those who are on The Pill to have cysts. They will however, reduce in size as one goes through their menstrual cycle. So apart from that finding, everything appears to be in working order.

She says i have nothing to worry about, so i believe her.


Her office is well equipped with the latest gadgets and is much fancier than any gynae's i've ever visited. That's not to say i've been to too many but with 2 others i can at least make a comparison.

This one is super fancy!


That black blob on the left of the screen is the cyst. It looks more scary than it really is. They had a monitor on the far side of the room broadcasting what was being shown on the sonnagram. Perhaps for those husbands who wish to be nearby and want to be able to be clued in on what's going on without creating too much of a crowd near the patient.

So now i just have to wait for my results of my PAP smear which i should be getting next week along with a probably not-so nice bill. But at least i have a year to hunt around for a new caring, english speaking, *hopefully* female OB/GYN in Gütersloh.

...

After spending a few hours in the city window shopping and buying whatever necessities i needed, J drove through the city to pick me up after work. He then surprised me by saying we were going to the cinema in Oberkassel to watch Transformers. J managed to find one theatre that was showing it in English and he had reserved seats.

Yay!

The last time i stepped foot in a theatre was about a year and a half ago and that was to see Aliens vs. Predator.


But i heard so many great reviews of Transformers, so i was super excited. And having watched the preview for Brüno again makes me look forward to that too.


No movie is complete without a bag of popcorn, so we lined up to get a bag of salted goodness but sadly was pretty much finished with it before the movie really started.

Seriously, i'm like a Popcorn Monster! I love it.

But did you know they serve alcohol in German cinemas. Well they do. It was so weird to be able to order beer and be able to bring it into the theatre without having to sneak it in.

And i'm not sure if it's common in all theatres but half way through the movie they had a "Pause". The 2+ hour long movie would definitely cause a few butt cheeks to grow numb and a couple of bladders to be in need of emptying. So we got a 10 minute break and nobody missed anything.

How cool is that!? Anyway, loved the movie and was so happy that i got to watch it on the big screen and best of all it was in English!


Oh and there's me looking a little bit on the tanned side because i was walking around in the sun most of the day. I should really start wearing sunblock on my face.

And can i say how surreal it was to be in a public place with so many English speaking people around me. There were about 20 people in the whole cinema. Not that many but enough to make a difference. It was strange knowing that the person next to me could actually eavesdrop and understand everything i said. I guess i'm so used to German people not understanding me because of the language issue.

I know, i know. I've been deprived of English speakers, so you can imagine my delight when i heard a variety of accents. Funny how just the little things can make such a difference in ones day.

4N5D in Ireland.

I told myself i'd upload the pictures of Ireland in the month of June but once again Time has slipped by me and the month is already over. So i tried to choose images that best describe our 4 nights and 5 days trip. Believe me it was hard to pick out the better ones. I apologise in advance if there's grammar or spelling errors but it's taken me about 2 days to write this post and i'm tired already from typing.

Phew... finally it's done!

So here's my attempt to recapture the trip in as little words with lots of visuals...


12 June 2009 - Day 1.
Neither one of us are early morning people but our flight that day left at 10.40am. Every minute counted and we needed it all to be mapped out in order for us to board on time. J even managed to squeeze in a visit to the bank where we waited patiently for them to open their doors at 9:30. Lucky for us the bank was only a few minutes walking distance from the terminal and we were able to check-in online the night before.


It took an hour and half to get to Dublin. Ireland being 1 hour behind mean we had pretty much the whole day ahead of us. We kept ourselves busy by drawing in Little L's birthday card and making use of my headphones and iPod.


Upon departure the stewardess made an announcement in both English and in German informing passengers of the H1N1 flu and listed ways that one could help stop the spread of germs. Example washing hands and covering ones mouth with a tissue when they cough or sneeze. And that at the airport passengers could get a leaflet for further information. And although there were no signs of face masks or the sound of a distant coughs or sneezes, we were careful not to touch our mouth or eyes during the whole flight.

I don't care if i'm being paranoid. It's better to be safe than sorry.

We arrive to a cloudy and somewhat windy day. We were told that the last few days the weather was cold and full of rain. So i armed myself with my jacket fit for -5 degrees celcius weather only to arrive to see people gingerly walking around in loose jackets and t-shirts.

Yes i definitely felt like a tourist.


We even saw one hen's party with the bride-to-be in a singlet and what looked like a layered tutu. After which i'm convinced Irish people must have warm blood. It was definitely not T-shirt weather but then again i may just have less flesh covering my bones.


After having waited for about 20 minutes for the 748 bus to get to the train station, the journey took us through the city centre. And as we sit on the double decker bus i'm looking more and more like a tourist with my winter jacket tucked under my arm and my camera raised high trying to get the best shot.


Can't say Dublin's a very pretty city. Sorry, if anyone of my reader's are from Dublin but first impression does last. Their buildings don't really have much character. And with the grey sky as a background it makes the whole place look rather depressing. However, they are famous for their brightly coloured doors. It looked like each one was competing for attention. I'm guess painting ones' door is heaps cheaper than buying plants or making the exterior look more presentable.


It takes us about 45 minutes to get to the city centre from the airport and once you get to the city it looks like traffic is one way on one side of the river and the other direction on the other side. There's a river running through the whole city with several different styled bridges allowing pedistrians to get across.


We finally get to Heuston station which is where the main train station is. The exterior of the building is quite impressive dating back to 1844. So we get inside and ask how much a train ticket is to Waterford [which is where we are staying and just a town away from where the ex and the children are staying]. And to my horror a one-way ticket is 34.50 Euros! I must have misread the information and was reading the children's price, which so happens to be half the price.


We later find out that we could take the bus to Waterford but that would mean we would have to find our way back to the bus station. Everybody was more than happy to help us out and surprisingly they were very friendly. And since our bus tickets that we bought at the airport entitled us to ride all the buses with that one ticket, there was no extra costs added to our list.

We eventually get to the bus station and we had about an hour to spare. We're told the bus ride will take 3 hours, at which point all we want is to be at our destination and not be in a moving vehicle.


The photos were taken from the bus. The one directly above is probably my favorite. It looks like it's a painting. I'm not sure why but it looks like it belongs on a page from a fairytale.


We finally arrive at Waterford and it's just after 7pm. My legs have a cramp and all i want to do is check-in to the hotel. I notice opposite the bus station there's some kind of factory with a huge print of a girl's face on one of the sides. There seems to be no branding on it.

It draws me in. I like it.


We booked the hotel online and requested for a family room which basically means there's a sofa that can transform into a separate bed. But the view wasn't that great. As much as the two toned effect was attractive, it somehow reminded me that i was in some kind of prison.


So J asked if we could change rooms and got one facing what looked like the back yard of a nearby factory. Well at least there was a view.

...

After some communication breakdown with The Ex and J we finally get through to The Ex's boyfriend who then picks us up half way on our way to somewhere we can eat. We drive to Tramore - which is the town that they live in and it takes us about 15 minutes.


We get there and Little L is over the moon that her Papa is standing at the door. And is more than happy to show us how well she's been doing at school. She covers her previous test as the marks weren't so good but her English has gone from non-existent to being able to construct sentences.

I can't get over that she can understand English.

I am truly amazed that we're even able to have a conversation, as before it was me trying to speak German and her keeping words to a minimum and pointing to things that she wants.


Baby A seems so much older than the last time we saw him. By then it had already been 2 months since they left and already he's able to sit up, crawl and pull himself up. It's amazing how fast they grow. He is absolutely gorgeous and i can't help but fall in love with his cuteness.


So much excitement, it was nearly impossible to get all of them to sit still for a proper family photo.


And since it was dinner time they invited us to have dinner with them - it was Pizza night. It was a little strange sitting in their kitchen at the start but somehow the conversation was flowing and we seemed to have quite a lot to talk about. It was like a scene from one big happy family.

13 June 2009 - Day 2.


The next morning we're invited for a typical Irish breakfast which includes a selection of meat. I, of course don't eat flesh so Peter [who i will just call by his name as the abbreviation isn't so polite] bakes big mushrooms stuffed with vegetables and covers them in cheese. Absolutely delicious!


And there's Baby A showing off how fast he can "run" in his walker. The only problem was he found it necessary to streak through the middle of Little L and J's very short tennis tournament every chance he got.


Baby A looking like a not so very happy camper because he had to wear a hat outside.

So after some time, we decide to head to the beach, which is about 10 minutes walk from where they live. This is the time when Little L had our full attention. In her mind she must have thought, finally it's just the 3 of us. We pack her little bag as she's spending the night at the hotel with us. This is also the time when both J and i get our noses sun burnt. We underestimated the weather. What happened to the rain and cold temperatures as predicted? The sun was out and we were practically baking under the blue skies.


Little L and i stepping foot in the Atlantic ocean. A wee bit too cold for my liking and not exactly bikini temperature.


Over-sized tic-tac-toe. I can't remember but i don't think anyone won.


Trying to build a wall which worked until the tide came in and washed it all away.


People come here to surf but that day the waves weren't so good.


1 Euro and you're "supposed" to be able to see far. What a waste of money. You couldn't see shit because the lens was so dirty and by the time you focused on something, time was up.


During Summer they open the fun fair by the beach, where tourists and locals can go on the rides and kids can jump on the trampolines.


There were so many crows there! I think i saw more crows than seagulls. I had visions of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds looping in my head. The scene where the birds attack and go nuts. Ewww gross!


We wanted to have Fish & Chips, after all we were by the sea and it would only make sense that we were out of Germany to try something English/Irish. But it definitely was not worth the price: 22 Euros for two orders of Fish & Chips and a childs' meal that consist of a few chicken nuggets and chips.

Ireland is definitely very pricey!


So we went to the supermarket that was next door and grabbed a loaf of bread, some cheese, lettuce and joghurt. But we forgot the butter so our sandwiches were really dry. Basically the hotel we stayed at was a no-frills hotel so there's no room-service or even a telephone in the room. But for 54.60 Euros a night per room as opposed to per person, we were lucky to have a little piece of soap and instant coffee in the room.


But i couldn't resist buying a multi-pack of Walkers crisps. They were on sale for 2.99 Euros. 3 varieties of 21 mini packs - i had to get it. Oh how i love Salt & Vinegar and Cheese & Onion.


Little L and her pile of sweets and German chocolates that we got for her birthday.

14 June 2009 - Day 3.


And before i knew it Little L was awake and just like old times we watched our morning cartoons whilst J was fast asleep. They had Donald Duck's old classics and it reminded me of back in the day when i was a kid.


Hungry and craving for an egg McMuffin. Apparently that was the only McDonald's in Waterford and Travelodge was only a few metres from the the doorstep. Yay!


Not having our own car meant we were stuck with what was in the vicinity. Everything was so expensive. So we were told there was a big park with a huge playground, perfect for kids and a place for adults to stroll. Half way through we passed a block of offices or apartments with a small playground for toddlers. And beyond it was part of a stone wall left from the medieval times.


Back when i was 12, Twister was was my favorite ice-cream. I couldn't believe that they still made it. Half an hour or so later we finally get to The People's Park.


The playground was crawling or should i say littered with children. Parents and guardians sat around watching over them run up and down, over and out. It was exhausting just watching them.


Oh and this was the swing that Little L hit her head on. See that side of the pole where a hard piece of rubber is covering it? Well there, but the rubber piece is sticking out. I clearly heard her say, "higher, HIGHER". Basically there was an older kid pushing them and i'm guessing he pushed too hard cause next thing we knew she was balling her eyes out.

Needless to say that was the end of our adventure to the park.


There was a wall surrounding the park and it looked like it belonged to a castle grounds. It was gorgeous.


We SMSed his ex to say we were done with the park and that we would be at the hotel at so and so time as we needed time to prepare for the barbecue. A suggestion we made, after all they provided us with so many meals and they were very hospitable by driving us from the hotel and to their place. It was the least we could do. So a short trip to the supermarket and i was in charge of wheeling the kids in the cart.


Typical: the women prepared the food and the men were busy with the grill outside. It was like we were playing house. It all worked out though and everyone got along.


At the end of it we cooked way too much. I think we had the impression that they were going to invite their friends for dinner to, so we made sure there was enough meat for everyone. Unfortunately, their friends only stopped by for a few minutes and there was so much left overs, that we ended up taking some back to the hotel and having it for a midnight snack/breakfast.

15 June 2009 - Day 4.

We decided to accompany the ex to pick up Little L from school and was given a short tour of the classroom and the school grounds. After which we went to The Cliffs where which i have to say was absolutely breath taking. The weather was amazing and so all 6 of us drove up there to have a look.


Back in the day they separated the areas so men could swim on one side and women were on the other. Now it's open to everyone.


People wore wetsuits since the water wasn't exactly warm. There was a narrow staircase built along the side of the cliff which allowed people to jump off the side. But we didn't get as far down and stayed at the top.


On the side was the "Women's" area, now open for both sexes.


There was a pathway which snaked down to the pebbled beach.


And this was probably the only decent photo i have of Little L and i where she's not making a funny face or doing something silly.


We made our way back to the hill and it was so surreal to see us all sitting there like one big happy family. Peter and The Ex decided to take a wander, which gave us time to be alone with the kids.


Baby A apparently eats EVERYTHING. It was so cute to see him try and dig into the pack of Walkers crisps.


And i'm sure it was intentional because Baby A was dressed in a "I LOVE MY DADDY" shirt. I couldn't help but feel a little sad as i watched J as he tried to block Baby A from tumbling down the hill. But overall, it was a beautiful day and it ended our visit on a high note.


I found the expression on Baby A's face absolutely classic. He's giving this, "whatdyawaaaant" look at the camera. As if J being the Paparazzi had disturbed him as he was in the process of being fed another crisp. As for me, i can't say it's my best shot, so LOOK AT THE BABY! Quick, look at the baby!

16 June 2009 - Day 5.


Another schedule was made so we could get to the airport on time. We didn't really end up following it because the bus actually left for Dublin at 10.00. Lucky for us we arrived 5 minutes before departure and were able to jump on the bus straight away. On the bus ready for our 3 hour bus ride, sun burnt and just eager to go back home.


We had a few hours to spare in Dublin and so we took time to hunt for souvenirs.


Standing at the crossing waiting to get to the other side of the road. And yes, looking very tired and in need of a brush.


There was this huge pole like structure, i'm not quite sure what it was for but looking up, it looked like it went on for miles.


We crossed the road and you could see how tall it was. I guess it's some kind of meeting point.


With the economy being so bad, any job is better than none. So often in intersections you'd see walking adverts for pubs or restaurants. Which brings me to the end where we thought, no visit to Ireland would be complete without having a Guiness. It would be a shame if we went all the way there and didn't have a pint.


Half an hour to go till our bus left for the airport, we decided to pop into a nearby pub and have a pint. There was some kind of game on t.v where locals sat glued to their pint and their eyes fixated on the rectangular box up ahead.

I wasn't a huge Guinness fan before, in fact i prefer Kilkenny but the bartender said he only had Guinness, so i really had no choice but i wanted to try it anyway. And i'm not sure if it was just me and my taste buds has changed over time but it tasted much better than i remember. It was so much smoother.

If only we had more time, i'm sure we'd sneak in a few more pints.


And this is when i found out that J forgot to drop the key at the reception! Tsk, tsk, tsk. A quick phone call to the hotel apologising and hoping that they wouldn't charge me 25 Euros for taking the key. And did you know Waterford has no postal codes. Strange. So i can only hope Deutsche Post was able to send it and that the hotel received the key in their mailbox.