London, now this is my kind of place

For the first time on my trip I have found a place I could live in! I love it here! There is so much going on. It is also so easy to get around here- the underground can get you anywhere. I have been in London for 5 days now and it has been go go go. I have done so much every day. The first day I was here I went to the British Museum, and saw the Elgin Marbles and Rosetta Stone. I was particularly interested in the Elgin Marbles, since I have seen the Parthenon from which they were taken. So cool. I spent the majority of the day there, and then met up with Janet for the night. We talked and talked and talked. I don't think we stopped talking for 8 hours- such a good night, made better by the Canadian pub we had drinks in. The following day I went to the Tate Modern museum, which was full of amazing works by Van Gogh, Picasso and Ai Wei Wei! That night Janet and I went to see Harry Potter, and even though I had already seen it I enjoyed it just as much! The next day I went to Buckingham Palace and explored the shops and streets around it- so much to see!! Yesterday I went to the Tower of London, which was AWESOME- I have wanted to go there for so long, especially after reading a bunch of historical fiction novels my Phillipa Gregory over the years that deal with many of the people that lived and died in London. Cool!!

I will give a more in depth description of London later, but as the shop I am writing at closes soon I must go!

Rosetta Stone

With Janet at the Canadian Pub in Covent Garden

Ai Weiwei's Sunflower Seeds

Buckingham Palace

Tower of London

Marrakesh- the city of the kitty

Anyone who knows me can certainly say at least 2 things about me: I love babies and I love mini things. So mini babies are pretty much amazing. I was walking through Marrakesh on my first full day there and stumbled upon the tiniest little kitty on the side of the road. Obviously I stopped to take pictures of it for almost 5 minutes. I was so excited. It looked a little worse for wear (alright it looked like it was about to pass out), but it was so little and it made my day. I kept walking through the market and saw another little guy, and was about to bust my camera out again when I noticed about 50 other cats of various shades and sizes in the general vicinity, and as it turns out all over the city. My time as a cat photographer ended then- it was sad how many of them there were, and they all looked so sick :( Enough of that though, I will tell you about why it has taken me so long to write on here and why I ended up in London a bit earlier than expected.

I thought that I was prepared for what Morroco had to offer- turns out I was wrong. It was nothing like I had expected it to be, and it really threw me for a loop. To start, it was really hot- so hot you don't even sweat because, I think, your poor Canadian body is protecting its most vital organs :) The Riad was one thing, but going out into the streets of Marrakesh was something else. I was not ready to be stared at the way I was- it really made me feel awful. And it wasn't in a creepy way, as if they were interested in a woman, it was in a mean sort of what are you doing here alone kind of way. To top it off it is Ramadan, and I didn't think it would be as difficult to find food and water during the day- AND eating it in public is a whole different thing. By the end of my first morning I was ready to leave. A quick call to my wonderful mother and it was settled- I would stay 2 more days and then head to London early.

It was a bit of a harrowing experience for me. Some loneliness and homesickness combined with a less than friendly environment made me feel very alone there. I was able to see the central market, walk through the small streets and see a bit of the city, but I can assure you if I ever go again, it will not be alone!!

A good door for Heather

Freckle-Face

Dave the Kitten

Camels ready for a ride

Street outside my Riad



Remember that time I said I was hot?

I take it back, I take it all back. It is actually hot here. Marrakesh is 45 degrees, and everyone here is saying it is a cool day. Oh, man! It is supposed to cool off to about 30 at night, and with the old clay walls in the Riad in which I am staying, it should be a tolerable night- plus I have AC. I am in a little house (Riad) within the walls of the old city in Marrakesh. These buildings are almost 1000 years old, so they have perfected the art of keeping cool. My place is really great. The staff are so friendly, and they even invited me to join them in a Ramadan breakfast with them as the sun went down tonight. It was really neat! I am stuffed though. Not sure what the rest of the night will bring, but I am sure it will be an adventure!

Oh Valencia, how I needed you!

After a few homesick and sullen days in Mallorca I needed a change of scenery. Boy, was Valencia the perfect medicine! The trip started out well, when I was upgraded to business class for my flight (which was only 45 minutes, but it was still nice)- especially since I was up at 3:30 AM to catch a shuttle to the airport. Since I arrived in Valencia early in the day I had some time to kill before I was able to get into my room. I immediately liked it here- there are palm trees everywhere and the architecture is so beautiful. I decided I would make the trek to the Ciudad de las artes y las ciencias (City of the Arts and Sciences), which is a huge complex of buildings that include an aquarium (Oceanografic) and the main building that is like a science center. I was really looking forward to seeing the aquarium, but didn't anticipate the literal trek it would take to get there. An hour and a half later, in the 33 degree heat I finally made it there, after twisting both ankles and getting a bit lost. I had just about lost all of my patience, but decided to go in and try to enjoy it, and I really did. It is like a zoo, made up of about 15 interior exhibits, which are surrounded by beautiful blue waters where other animals dwell. You walk on bridges above the water to get from place to place. In spite of the heat (and my swollen hands, which are a sure sign I am dehydrated) I had a great time. I love animals, and the exhibits there were terrific! There was no flash photography though, so bear with the photos I have posted below! I have half a day here tomorrow, and then I am off to Marrakech!

The Agora building

Umbracle (left), Hemisferic (center), Museo de las Ciencias (right)

Sharky

Jelly Fish

Wrapping Up Mallorca

So unfortunately I didn't enjoy my time in Mallorca as much as I thought I would. It was beautiful, and the weather was lovely, but there wasn't really anything to do where I was. In hindsight perhaps I should have stayed in the main city, but a lot of good that does me now! I think I prefer to travel to larger cities, at least large enough that they have a good bus and metro network. I felt as if I couldn't go anywhere in Cala d'Or (Gold Cove). That being said- it was nice to sit on the beach and relax! Though anyone who knows me will understand that it was really hard for me to do nothing for 4 days! These are the only 2 pictures I took in Mallorca after my last post, and they pretty much sum it all up!

A 'natural' smile while out for dinner

'Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur'

 (quick- where is that from?!)

See you in Valencia!!

Where I've Been

Thought this would be a good time to update my "Where I've Been Map"- it feels like I've been to a lot of places, but it says only 6% of the World! I have a long way to go!

Mallorca aka Little Germany

Hola from Cala d'Or on the island of Mallorca! What a change from Edinburgh! It is soooooo warm here! Over 30 degrees, but it feels much hotter than that. I can certainly tell I am on the Mediterranean again! When I got here I was really grateful to have a cell phone- that would be my best new travelling trip. Buy a cell phone wherever you are going. The phones and the minutes are cheap, and they can really come in handy. I knew my hotel had organized a transfer for me, since it is about 1.5 hours from the Palma airport. I called them to get the details and once it was sorted guess what I was greeted with? A BUS!!! haha, I couldn't believe it. I think it was even the same bus, just decorated in a Spanish way. The roads weren't as windy though, and I managed to feel great the whole drive.

My hotel was a little underwhelming, but I have my own balcony which really makes up for what the room lacks. It is simple, which is fine, since it is too hot to spend much time in it. The hotel also has a small pool, but there isn't much space so I think I will avoid it- today it seemed like people saved their places around 7 AM, much too early for me!

Today was my first full day here, and I ate breakfast at the hotel before making my way to the beach. It was nuts down there, sooooo many people, but the surroundings made up for it. I found a lounge chair and rented it and an umbrella for 7 euros. I enjoyed a few hours at the beach and in the salty sea before going to grab some lunch. I didn't bring anything of value with me since I didn't know what the set up was like and got bored pretty quickly. I bought a National Geographic (not much English selection) to keep me busy tomorrow.

I had a light lunch and went back to the hotel. Most of the shops here close between 2 and 5, so I had myself a little siesta! I then wandered around the town, looking at the shops and deciding what to have for dinner. It turns out that a lot of people from Germany come here, and that a lot of the Spanish people here speak German. I was not expecting that- almost all of the shops have signs in Spanish and German. I should have listened more all those times Matt was talking to me :)

I am now enjoying a nice breeze on my balcony, listening to the sounds of a busy town!

Palma Airport

My new morning hangout (except I came back later in the day to take this!)

One of what I am sure will be many self-photos!

Buenos Noches!!!