Week 1 - UK, Ireland

So after one week in the old country, its very apparent that one needs far more time to spend in the UK and Ireland. Fantastic few days exploring London and Ireland.

Camden market, Camden lock, people watching is off the hook at this sprawling bazaar, very fashion forward, uber trendy and super styled out scenesters all over pockets of London. Classic drinking in old taverns in London, met up with 3 American fellas and spent the first night sampling the plethora of laagers, stouts, ales and ciders. Found the oldest pub in London. Parliament building, saw Big Ben, the worlds best clock. Big Beautiful Ben as I like to call it. Its a thing of beauty that Old Big Ben. Westminster Abby - amazing architecture. Randomly decided to take a fright club tour and got scared senseless with 4 London girls at this live action haunted house called the Living Dead, basically a zombie themed haunted house. Went to the London Zoo, and saw sea horses, what incredible animals. Fascinating. They have this glass tunnel that you walk through and sharks, sea turtles, countless species of fish and other aquatic organisms swim inces over top of you as you walk through this tunnel. Very cool. I had the lovely fortune of rendezvousing with the always lovely miss Katie Dodd, in Piccadilly circus, where we had a beer and caught up. We went shopping and lost each other. Fashionable.
Next morning I started out early and caught my flight to Dublin. I met this lovely lady, Zoe, from Paris on the flight and she refereed me to the hostel she was staying at. Checked in and spend the day hanging out with her and her younger brother Nicholas, who is studying abroad in Ireland. Pubs, pubs, beer garden pubs, drinking on a boat, guineas, harp, carlsberg, oh my. What a fantastic place. Super friendly, helpful, easy going and blue bird weather. I did a 3 hour solo pub crawl before the Willie Nelson concert, so was just primed for the show, only to find out that the show was scheduled for the next day. What an idiot. That's fine, I just went somewhere else.
Next day Zoe, Nicholas and I did the typical tourist thing and ventured all over town looking for antique shops. What a cool way to get a sense of the country. I bough a faux fur winter Russian hat - so Irish, and drank a pint of Guinness at the oldest pub in Ireland, established 1196. We tapped into some graffiti street art in Dublin, which we were able to enjoy from a hospitable Argentinian gal named Jackie. Had a beer on her roof top in the sun. Went to Willie on a borrowed bike, a cycled through the unknown and unfamiliar streets of Dublin on route to the O2 arena, which was a great, intimate venue. Got backstage to the VIP bar, exercising my sleuth/detective skills, and enjoyed the phenomenal concert front row. I literally could have thrown a piece of pop corn onto the stage. Classic. so good. so solid. I didn't get to meet Willie, but I did shake his hand. What a complete ruler. did some street busking, made a few bucks, and then went out on the town with this lady Sharon. Went to a metal bar, a mod bar, an Irish bar, a disco bar, and i cant keep track. Got up early this morning and caught my flight back to London. Lost my favorite wolf sweater in some pub in Dublin, but you know what they say, "Sometimes she go, sometimes she don't".

Had a nap in a park in London, and am waiting to catch a night bus to Paris this evening. So pumped and looking forward to some more relaxed times ahead. France, Spain perhaps Morocco here I come. Are you ready? Yes, OK.

Hopefully I can attach some photos some photos from the last week.
For now,
JR