Draaaaaaaacula!!!!!!!

After a few hours of travelling, Chris and I reached Brasov in the middle of Romania.

Not just any part of Romania though, it was the middle of TRANSYLVANIA!!!!!

That's right, the land of Dracula.

But to be honest, anything would be an improvement over Bucherest.

After finding our hostel, we went to find food. I found myself some beans and sausage.... tasty beans and sausage.
The next day, we headed off for DRACULA'S CASTLE!!!!!!

Can you feel the terror? I know I can.
I was a little underwhelmed though... I didn't feel any fear, any terror... instead it was very peaceful and serene.
.... but little did I know that the day wouldn't end well....

Bucherest... Romania.....

OK..... so Romania wasn't what I was expecting....

It may be in the EU now.... but clearly the wealth hasn't spread everywhere yet.
While there, Chris and I thought it important to visit the famous Presidential Palace... the second largest buidling in the world.... apparently.....
Dear God it was cold though.....

Cologne Cathedral

Cologne Cathedral is amazing. One of the most beautiful I have ever seen.

It rises up and dominates the skyline.Inside it is equally magnificent.
I was fortunate enough to be there when the sun was shining brightly and the entire cathedral was illuminated by the colours of the stain glass windows.

After a tiring climb I also reached the very top of the cathedral.

Magnificent views of the Rhine greeted me.

Maastricht

Being so close to Holland I decided to visit some friends who were exchange.

It was nice to see Charlie.But it was also nice to see some Dutch waffles....
Maastrichts... a very pretty town.
Lots to do as well...

The city of Beethoven

BONN!!!!

The city of Beethoven.
But the real reason for the visit was to see Felix! I hadn't seen him for close to a year so I thought I'd go and spend some time with him in Bonn.

Doesn't he look happy posing outside his university?
And plus it also gave me an opportunity to see the mighty Rhine river.
The streets of Bonn are serene and peaceful. It's a very picturesque small town with a beautiful facade. The insides are not always so pretty though.
Felix and I also got to stroll into into the local forrests.

The Green of Ireland

Ireland is so green.
I never thought it would be like this, nor did I think that this would be something I would take such a keen notice of. But living in Australia where most of the countryside is now shades of brown or yellow, it is definitely something I have taken notice of.

Well that was a mistake...

Being in Dublin, I HAD to go to the Guinness storehouse.

I mean how could I not go?
So I arrived bright and early, excited to run inside for fun and interest! As I moved further into the storehouse, I began getting closer to the tasting.
Until I finally reached the Gravity Bar at the very top.

Waiting for me there was a freshly poured Guinness, the froth still settling.

And the views were amazing. A 360 degree view of Dublin.

After a few pints at the Guinness Storehouse, I decided it was time to move on...

Unfortunately, I decided that the place to move onto was the Jameson's Whiskey Distillery....
The day was getting a bit interesting.

Inside the distillery, I took the full tour. The tour guide was keen to note that Jameson's distill their whisky three times, unlike other makers who only distill their whiskey's once or twice.

Isn't it just beautiful?

The big problem came at the very end....

During the tour, I volunteered to take part in the whiskey tasting at the end of the tour.

Many, many drinks later... I was a fully certified "Irish Whiskey Taster"!

They even gave me a certificate!!!!

After the distillery, I stumbled off towards Oliee and Fliss for dinner and.... ummmm.... more drinks....

Lawrence and Peter O'Toole

My favourite movie of all time is Lawrence of Arabia.

It's been one of the inspirations of this blog.

So it was particularly amazing for me to be standing in the crypt at St Paul's Cathederal, starring directly at the bust of TE Lawrence.

Standing before the great man's bust was a sobering experience.
Later in the day, I went to the Imperial War Museum. There I saw TE Lawrence's head piece.
And the motorcycle that he was killed on.
A few days later, I found myself in Dublin.

And more importantly, I found myself drinking in a pub that was frequented by Peter O'Toole.

Oliee encouraged me to stand out in front of the pub and to imitate Peter O'Toole's famous stance....

With more than a few Guinness' inside of me.... I was more than happy to do it!

The Beautifully White Mijas

The beautiful town of Mijas.

Picturesque and stunning.
Selma and I sat on the train for a bit to get out there.

But it was completely worth it.
A whitewashed Spanish town on the side of a mountain, drenched in sun and with an ever present sea breeze.

Tasty almonds too....
.... I like almonds....


Selma had her fun too.