Joey and Jill’s Travel Blog

We’ll start with pics this time:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9547617@N02/sets/72157608088017785/

Hi all from Dublin. We have finally made it. Our first few hours in Dublin were imposing, full of walking in the wrong direction in both the City Center and in Dun Laoghaire (prounounce Dun Leary, I don’t know why). And when it feels like you are carrying a large dog on your back when you are walking with our bags it is really NOT fun at all to walk in the wrong direction. Jill is a champ and helped me stay positive and we eventually found the tourist center, got to the DART train, got to Dun Laoghaire, and got to our B&B, which is fantastic by the way.

Once we were settled in and we met the extremely nice owners, we set out to get some food. We went to this restaurant called The Gastro Pub Company and it was a very satisfying meal and it marked the ceremonial first Guiness of the trip. We had been waiting the whole time to drink a Guiness but wouldn’t do so until we hit Ireland. We are going to the Guiness brewery today most likely and I can’t wait! After we ate we went and saw a movie, How to Alienate People and Lose Friends, or something like that. It was really funny minus a few weird moments that had some graphic/crass humor. We were pretty worn out from the wrong directions and travel so we called it a night early and watched the Tele and did some reading.

The next morning we were treated/bombarded with our first experience of having a true Irish breakfast. This breakfast was MASSSSSIVVVEEE and awesome. It had every kind of breakfast meat you could expect and a few Jill and I had never seen, two types of egg, dense bread, white toast, a ton of varieties of cheese, coffee, orange juice, water, jam, apples, bananas, yogurt, fairy dust, cereal and probably a bunch of other stuff I didn’t realize because I was stuck in a food coma halfway through the meal. After we ate I fell asleep again for about an hour while Jill got ready and then we were off on our day.

We jumped on the DART after getting a morning brew (coffee) and headed into the city. I am coming to realize that Dublin turns me around, why, I have no idea. The first chance we had to make a decision on which way to go we walked in the exact wrong direction. It is truly remarkable. I partly blame the horrendous lack of street signs and that there seems to be no real order in how the streets are shaped, no circles or blocks, just a knot of streets that change name every five blocks. But, we finally made it Grafton St. It is closed to car traffic and is filled with shops and what not. We headed to Bewley’s Cafe, where it is said that James Joyce went, or else they just named the 3rd story after him to get the Yanks and other tourists in the door. It was a cool place and we sat on the 3rd floor and had French press coffee and pastries.

After Bewley’s we went the wrong direction and ended up in St. Stephen’s green park, which ended up being a really cool wrong turn. It is a beautiful park where there is a mixture of pigeons, ducks, sea gulls and swans everywhere. Now we are headed off to the Writer’s museum and the Jaymes Joyce museum, and then if time permits, the Guiness Brewery!!!

As a special request from Puff Daddy I will comment on the people here. So far we have been very well received. We are clearly American whenever we talk and for the most part people don’t seem that much different. There are small details in how things are done but for the most part life has the same patterns in the UK and Ireland as it does in the states. In London, it felt very much like any of the other big cities I have been to and I think people were used to running into people of all nationalities. But when we went to Blair Atholl it is much more remote and when we bought food at the stores when we first talked I felt like people would sort of double take. I think it was a little more rare to hear an American accent that far north in that remote of a town. The people in Blair Atholl were incredibly nice and charming. We had a lot of random hellos when we walked. In Edinburgh it was super nice to talk to the owner of the B&B that we stayed at and a fellow guest. We got to talk about the differences of our homelands and they gave us interesting perspectives on their own country that we would have not got if we hadn’t talked to a local, for example, the Scottish people hate the word Scotch. It’s not ever used by itself, it is an adjective of sorts, you say Scotch whisky or Scotch wool, those are really the only two uses. So if you go into a bar, ask for Scotch whisky, not Scotch. In Ireland, we have run into the nicest bunch of people yet. While we were wandering aimlessly we were approached twice and asked if we needed help, we haven’t got that yet. And when we were in a coffee shop, the barista gave me another guy’s change and I looked at him and said “I think this is your’s”, and my accent gave away that I was an American. He immediately asked who I was voting for, Obama of course. He smiled and said “That would be great wouldn’t it”. I have been surprised at the coverage of our elections as well. It is really a big deal to the rest of the world. An interesting stat that we heard while we were in London is that if the world could vote, 85% would vote for Obama, but it is now going to come down to about 8% of the undecided Americans, it’s amazing how much impact we have on the rest of the world, I guess I never really understood that. Anyway, the people have been really nice to us and we have really enjoyed seeing how everyone else does life.

Ok, that’s it for now, we are off to learn about the writers of Ireland.

<3 Joey and Jill

Hi y’all! We are on our way to Dublin today but due to the fact that the cheapest flights are either way early in the morning or way late in the evening (we chose the late in the evening one this time) we are trying to occupy ourselves in Edinburgh until we have to make our way to the Edinburgh airport. Usually this wouldn’t be such a hard task but the fact that we are lugging around our (Joey says 100 pound) bags makes it more difficult. So, we decided to write a post in the meantime!

We have seriously had a blast in Edinburgh and it truly is the most remarkable city I have ever seen! Straight out of the bus/train station you look up and see this HUGE old castle up on a hill. It was like I stepped into Harry Potter!!! I can see where J.K. Rowling got her inspiration. Simply being in Edinburgh is like living in a fairytale. Everything is super old and really well preserved.

Our first full day here Joey and I went to the castle to explore. It was amazing. The construction of it started in like the 1300’s or something, and if you have seen Braveheart before you may understand how the castle has been under seige for hundereds of years. (Actually, on our way up to the castle Joey and I saw William Wallace.) Anyhoo, the castle is now massive and built into really sturdy volcanic rock. It is really cool. Just walking around and seeing all of the old rooms and chambers…there is so much history in this city.

Then Joey and I walked around to several pubs sampling the local scotch whiskey and beer. It has been outrageously fun and Joey makes me laugh so hard sometimes I almost wee in my pants!

Yesterday, Joey and I went on a history of scotch whiskey tour and got a dram and a free glass! So, it was pretty cheesey but really interesting nonetheless. Afterwards we walked up this massive hill and got the most beautiful view of the whole city and the water! This city is seriously beautiful. We then went to this bar and had a drink and attempted to play trivia. We knew the answers to most of the American questions but the British questions were out of our league.

Well, we have posted some more pics so check them out when you get a chance!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9547617@N02/sets/72157608026295897/

Also, if Katie is reading this, I hope you are enjoying our apartment and I hope that everything is going well there.I hope you invite Jessie over for a girls night as she may need a break from stressing herself out and I wonder if Brittany Kronholm has moved in there yet?!? Keep us updated : )

And I want to give a shout out to my brother Scott who is turning 25 on Wednesday! Happy birthday bro!

We love you all and we will be writing from Ireland next!

Much love!

J&J

Check it out!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9547617@N02/sets/72157607885913913/

‘Allo mates. We have been loving all the comments from everyone and are super glad to here that everyone is doing well. Our stay in the Scotish Highlands is over and we are missing it already. We loved our time in the super tiny Blair Atholl and our journies to Pitlochry and Perth. It was a very unique experience and we are glad we went off the beaten path a little to experience these places. We have posted some pictures, finally, of Blair Atholl here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9547617@N02/sets/72157607957844869/

We are now in Edinburgh and we love it. This is a truly amazing city. It has so much character and is beautiful. Somehow we have managed to come here when it is blue skies in the middle of October. It is a little chilly but again the climate is so similar to Oregon that we feel right at home.

We arrived yesterday (Saturday) after a short yet enjoyable train ride from Pitlochry to Edinburgh. Jill and I have been very impressed with the public transportation here and have found that it is pretty nice to sit back and play cards while sipping coffee instead of watching for cops as you drive as fast as you can to get to your destination. Albeit, the country is nearly the size of Oregon, I wish we had more trains and crap back home.

We arrived in Waveryly station, which is in the city center of Edinburgh. We hit a tourist center and got a list of Accomodations and found a list of hotels, guest houses and B&Bs. Our back packs are incredibly heavy because we have a months worth of stuff in them so we ended up feeling like we trekked 17,000 miles to find a place to stay but it turned out that it was less than two miles and we are quite pleased with how close our B&B is to the city. It is called the Charleston House and is run by an older Scotish man who is very likeable. Breakfast is AWESOME, but also strange, we had beans next to our sausage.

We are going to be here until the 14th and then we are off to Dublin. We had intended to leave for Dublin today but as this trip is basically one huge learning experience, we learned that you can literally save £100 if you book in the middle of the week instead of a Sunday. Kind of common sense I guess, but we didn’t think of it until we tried to book our flights. So now we get to see Edinburgh and we are quite pleased so far. Oh! and last night we drank Scotch on the rocks while watching Football at Robertson’s bar. So sweet.

We are going to try and upload a few more pics after this post so hopefully we can show you more of our London trip and some pics of Perth. I hope all continues to go well back home. We miss and love all of you and we are having a fantastic time. Thanks for all the nice comments and love that has been sent our way. Cheers until our next post!

<3 Joey and Jill

Hello!

So, we are finishing up our trip in Blair Atholl and the highlands of Scotland! Man this place is beyond beautiful and yes Grandpa Rich, quite a bit like Oregon! Like a home away from home. Not to mention I feel quite a bit of strong feelings for this place as it is where a lot of my heritage is! But anyway, Joey and I are having really the time of our lives. I couldn’t have asked for a better travel partner…and he did get me a jacket so I am starting to warm up now.

Basically, this has been the relaxing portion of our journey. We sleep in everyday and do whatever we feel like doing. It is amazing. I think we both really needed the break.

We went and visited Blair Castle the other day…it was amazing. It was really old and though it had been renovated quite a bit it still had some of its structural origins from the 16th century…That is old! It had somehting like 22 fully furnished rooms with furniture from the 16th century up to the 19th century. The castle belongs to the Murray’s who happen to have some close Robertson friends. In fact, I read a letter from one James Robertson (sound familiar???) from like the 18th century to the Duke of Atholl. That was really cool.

Mainly, we have been spending a lot of time at the local pub…The Blothy Bar. They have this delicious cider that I love and plenty of local ales for Joey to try…plus it is pretty much the only pub in town. But we did decide to try some of the local cuisine the other night. I had steak and ale pie (yummm) and Joey had the very traditional haggis and neeps (mushy turnips) which we both liked but would probably not order again. It tasted okay but smelled like a stable. Both meals were very hearty and filling.

We have also been taking the time to explore the amazing countryside here and around Blair Atholl. It is quite literally breathtaking. Very green and lucious farmland and rolling hills. Also, our little cottage is right on the River Tilt and it is a very beautiful river with a unique amber quality.

I think we will both be sad to leave this beautiful place early on Saturday but I doubt Ireland will dissapoint. We are planning on spending Saturday in Edinburgh if we can find a place to stay and then off to Dublin on Sunday. Though hopefully we can forego another hostel which I have discovered are a MAJOR rip off for two people sharing one bed. We are going to try and venture down to Dun Laugohary and find a B&B or something of the sort that will undoubtedly be much nicer and cheaper than a hostel in the midst of Dublin…and its only a 20 minute train ride or so into the city.

So, wish us luch as our journey continues and keep us in your prayers! We certainly hope that all is going well with everyone back home. It seems that the economy is not doing well here at the moment and I’m sure at home as well. What is good for us at least is that the dollor is rapidly gaining on the pound and the euro so that is good at least. Hoping you are well! We love you all and are excited to share this adventure with you in November! Much love,

J&J

Ps…we have posted some pics at this link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9547617@N02/

pps…if you don’t see your comment right away don’t worry…it just takes us some time to approve them! Keep us posted on the happenings back home!

Hello from Scotland! We actually made it to the Highland town of Blair Atholl (it was a little uncertain for a bit if we were going to be able to find our cottage). We left London on Saturday the 4th. We made our way to St. Pancras train station and bought our train tickets to London Luton Airport. The St. Pancras train station was really impressive. It was like being in a huge dome or something with a bunch of shops and people. We sat around and I had another issue with ordering coffee. I am so used to asking just for “coffee” and when I do the person working the coffee bar most often waits a minute then asks “what kind” (I sure as hell don’t say white). I have to get used to the fact that almost everything here is espresso based and drip coffee is only a gaurantee if you are at one of the million Starbucks that are also here.

Eventually it was time to get on our train and head to Luton. It was the very next stop after we got on the train. When we got off the train and into the station you have to slide your tickets through gates to get out. Our tickets weren’t working so we went to this worker and just asked us “You’re going to Derby?” We weren’t, we only wanted to go to Luton. It turns out that we bought tickets for the full route…70 pounds for each ticket…and we were only on the train for 20 min. To put it bluntly we screwed ourselves and burned some money that could have easily been spent on some delicious ales.

We shed one single tear and moved on. We made it to the airport and flew over to Edinburgh then caught a shuttle to Haymarket station. Since Blair Atholl is pretty remote we had to wait about two hours until 7:40. Luckily there was a warm pub full of old men, which we have been told is where to find the best beer. We posted up for a while until each of us felt like we were going to pass out from hunger. The only place we could find to get something that wasn’t a full dinner was another damn Starbucks. We went in and found some sandwiches. Again, I orderd just coffee and we ended up with Lattes…

We then moved into the station and hoped to wait inside but there was only outside seating. We sat for another hour and about 10 min before we boarded our train I found inside seating. Jill was already an ice cube at the point so it wasn’t worth moving at that point. The train eventually showed and it was so nice to sit in a warmer seat and we both passed out for the majority of the 2 hour train ride.

By the time we reached Blair Atholl it was pitch black and freezing. We walked off the tiny train platform and hoped to find a taxi, but there was no one in sight. We walked to a nearby hotel and asked the reception people if they could call us a taxi. They asked where we were going and said that we should just walk the five minutes to get there instead of paying 50 pounds to have the taxi come from some out of town location. We opted to walk. I felt horrible because Jill was frozen but we eventually made it to our cottage in River Tilt Park. It was freezing cold in there too, and so we did what made sense, turned on every heater in the whole place. Three of the heaters were electric and one was gas. After about fifteen minutes with the television on, tea water heated on the electric tea pot, and three electric heaters running, all the electricity shut off. I went to the back closet to see if I needed to flip the breakers or something. After I flipped everything I notcied this spot for a coin. I took out 1 pound and dropped it in and turned the crank and all the electricity was back. We pay for electricity with coins, it is totally weird and I feel like I should get a gumball at the same time or something, but whatever.

We are now in Pitlochry, pit-lo-cree, and are about to explore a little bit. The internet connection is pretty slow at this spot and the pictures we have are from our nicer camera and are taking forever to upload. We are going to take some pictures with the smaller camera and upload some Scotland pics later. Once we find a faster connection we will upload a ton of pictures to my flickr account and you can look through them there.

We love you all and hope all is well back home, we are having a blast and can’t wait to tell you all about it in person.

<3 Joey and Jill

Hi all!

Today Joey and I walked London…like ALL of London. We went to all of the awesome touristy places like Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, London Eye, Shakespeare’s Globe, Millenium Bridge, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and more. Lots of parks. We walked for about 4 hours and sat at Young’s Brewery pub and had fish and chips and beer. It was a much needed refreshment! Turns out, fish and chips in London aren’t much different than in the states…ours might even be better and less expensive! That was the only splurge of our trip though…it’s pretty much been a lot of peanut butter and jelly and smelly hostels…but we really are having the time of our lives!

Tomorrow we are off to my homeland…hopefully we can find it! But if we don’t post for a while it’s probably just because we are staying in a really small Scotish village that doesn’t have internet or we became Nessie’s latest victims :)

So…tonight we just hung out with my and now Joey’s friend Emily and we are going to get some sleep to prepare for our adventure tomorrow. We are having so much fun and love the UK so far! Joey is an amazing travel partner as he is down for anything and we generally want to do the same things anyway.

It is a bit colder here than I personally was prepared for so I am wearing a lot of layers and missing my peacoats that are sitting safely in my closet back home. We miss you all very much and we will post pictures from our adventures today soon…

Joey is a bit dissapointed by the lack of hops in the IPA here in London, so Jeff send some hoppy thoughts our way. But the beer selection is generally amazing and we are excited to try some guiness in Ireland and some obscure Scotish brews soon.

We love you all and will post again ASAP. Keep us in your thoughts and don’t worry, we have been keeping up with the US news here in London as they are much more world aware than our news seems to be at times…so we will be updated and crossing our fingers for you know who :)

Oh, update on the white coffee…about 2 seconds after Joey posted that last post he took a sip of his “coffee” and there was a little extra sludge in it! It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO gross I can’t put it in words. Joey looked so sick and said a lot of choice words as I proceeded to laugh very hard for a few minutes and felt grateful that I didn’t take a sip of mine :) FYI…we discovered that “white” just means with milk but it will forever  the most disgusting/funniest experience of Joey and Jill’s life.

Ok…that’s about  all for now. Much love to you all! Leave us comments and let us know how things are going back home!

Cheers!

J&J

Hey all, we have made it to sunny London. Well, actually it feels exactly like Oregon in the fall, but with a bunch more old buildings. I totally forgot to bring the correct memory card to show you all pics of our hostel room so instead you get our pretty mugs on the 10hr flight.

Everything has gone smoothly so far minus walking in the wrong direction trying to find our hostel, but it was no big deal because walking is awesome. We are in an internet cafe right now and it reminds me of Mexico more than it does something English, and when Jill and I ordered coffee I hoped they would just have drip coffee. After I asked there was an awkward pause and the non-white guy working the counter asked if I wanted “white” coffee, I smiled and said sure. I think he made us an americano but I am not sure. I think the “white” literally refered to my complexion, but I am still not sure.

So Jill is pulling on my sleeve begging to get like four beers so we are out until next time. And for anyone leaving comments if it doesn’t show up right away don’t worry, we have to approve them before they show up. Don’t want Daddy Dehnert saying anything inappropriate. Bye!

<3 Joey and Jill

Jill and I have landed in Seattle and will be boarding our plane for London shortly. I wanted to get one more post in from my phone before I stopped using it!

We are packing all of our stuff for our journey and are leaving for Portland at 4:00pm. Our wonderful friends Ryan and Brit are going to be driving us up and then we are off to London! Stay tuned!