For Kate & Steve

excuse the lack of make up

me and Mum

 sleeping at cousin Alans 

 with Mchugh in Donegal

laughing with the family

The motherland

after Australia and Italy of course. So we have hired a car, paying the big bucks to see all of Ireland in a little under 2 weeks. 

I am in love with this country but have been eating, drinking, singing & dancing way too much... again with the mucho fiesta! 

 I cant drive manual. 

So H and I sleep

 Beers for Kilkenny vs Tipperary 

Crazy Irish supporters

Cashel castle 

Me and Justin Vernon 

 A quiet tuesday night in Tipperary town 

 Cousin Tim's shop

Sunday roast... on a Thursday... for breakfast

Late night wines plus an atlas gets us a tour through Egypt

 Blarney Castle

 Kissing the stone to give me "eloquence"

 Just yesterday I received a text from my good Irish friend Steve telling me not to kiss the Blarney stone, as the locals pee on it. Nice. Bit late Stevie J

 Sleezy old mate

 

 

 Go up and down backwards with your eyes closed only thinking about your wish. CURSE BEGONE! 

Fingers crossed

 The lighthouse at Bellycotton 

 The country side

 Windiest beach Ever. 

Where the crazy Irish surf

 The hire car on the windy Ring of Kerry

 So windy!

 Watching the storm roll in

The amazing Cliffs of Moher

God i look like a total loser... Comfort first?

 Finally I have my Claddagh ring from Galway

The hands are for friendship

The heart is for love 

And loyalty is shown

With a crown up above

...and it wouldn't be my blog without a food mention so here it is! We went to a delicious Moroccan cafe for lunch

 Moroccan tea

 Soup

 Chicken tagine

N.B BIANCA DIVERS DESERVES ALL CREDIT FOR (MAJORITY OF) THESE PHOTOS AS ME STEALING IS BOILING HER BLOOD! Sowwy B 

Reminiscing...

The Blue Grotto

Stolen photos from Carla Sowwwwwwwy!

Some random toilet graffiti from Dublin, Ireland

The other half

Bianca Divers

DOB: 01/03/1985

Hometown: Sydney

Nicknames: B-bop, BD, Biancs, Biunca, B babes, Bumble B, My girl, Miguel, Divers, B

Interesting facts: She cannot do an English accent. She cares too much about personal grooming and she is a minx with the hook ups.

Bianca was working for P&O and took 4 months off for a solo European trip, since then she has been made redundant. She has now decided to extend her journey, staying on for an extra 2 months. We are going to travel together until the end of October… and then she’ll leave… and then I will be devastated!!

We met on a tour in May and both had only a ticket to Spain with no future plans. So we have joined forces! Best decision ever. It feels as if we have known each other forever, we think we may have been separated at birth. We get asked constantly if we are sisters or lifelong friends. We are so similar it’s just freaky, although it doesn’t always work the best… haha

It’s been the greatest travelling together as we have ticked off so many amazing places and got to experience them together. We have made some hilarious memories but unfortunately they are locked away in our most prized procession, the journal. The bible!  (bib-ell)

Here is a quick word from the lady herself…

Cheers Tina, I love open mic night!

In this duo, I seem to be the lucky charm, photographer and the spell check button. I feel it is my duty as the “older woman” to teach Christina Leahy important life skills, such as using a room key, how to dance (figure 8’s!!) and abiding by ‘the code’, but I can’t give too much away considering my inevitable and lucrative future book deal!

My 4 month trip turned into a 6 month trip thanks to losing my cushy job at home and winning the cash lottery that came along with that! I’m blessed to have Tina as my travelling companion, we just work – we are even the same shoe and clothes size – WINNING!! Couldn’t ask for a better friend, and we have shared the most amazing experiences together, with many more exciting times to come! We don’t discuss D-Day (31 October when I fly out) though we are sure it will mean another ‘hasta lewego’ party, and some form of farewell speech/poem from the creative mind of Miss Leahy.

May I now take a moment to reinforce the major difference between my twin and I, it’s the grooming, ok I may make this a priority in my life, talk about it, think about it and plan it, but don’t judge me! A girl has to look after herself! So little by little I am hoping to influence this onto impressionable young Tina, it started with the little visit to the brow bar… Tina “I just got threaded!!” (She sort of loved it!) and mark my words, it will end with the removal of hair via wax on those GYPSY TOES!!! I will be posting a before and after shot! I’m even going to push her to her absolute limits and try and get her to “pick colour miss” that’s right…. a pedicure!!! Wish me luck in this mission comrades!!

-- See told you, obsessed with hair removal

Here's a sample of key learning’s from our trip:

• B never sleeps on the top bunk
• C chews plastic alot
• “Mucho” is a universal word
• B is a lucky charm
• C cannot use house keys
• We always have to get our sheet together
• C has bad hair
• B is 23 years old
• C is a gypsy
• We love fine liner pens
• C cannot dance
• B is an asshole when hung over
• Pintxos bellies are stubborn 
• B is a Latina
• C is an awkward turtle who cannot pose for photos
• We talk the talk, but do not walk the walk
• We always get distracted and miss deadlines
• It is impossible to think, talk or organize without food. Absolutely impossible
• C is scared of everything
• If you talk about something enough it will happen
• C is the wifi queen
• Bread with olive oil & balsamic is the business
• C has many life theories
• The aisle seat sucks
• We hate our packs and our clothes
• “Por que no?” is a way of life
• C can rhyme
• Positive attitudes and believing in travel karma
• B cries and thinks she is going to die when she has a cold
• C’s curse continues to live on…
• We hate Nice-France
• B has never seen Sex and the city
• Life is short
• C always gets the window seat
• WE HATE PLANNING!

Food Glorious Food

This (along with copious amounts of alcohol) is what I have to blame for the tightness of my jeans. Why would I bring three pairs of jeans all the same size? Why? 

Ohh I wish I brought my apron along....

Greek chicken souvlaki  

 Amazing Spanish tapas

 Pintxos bars

(this is the main culprit, damn pintxos bellies!!)

 Late night Greek gyros

 Spanish seafood paella

 Roma pizza

 Greek salad and taramasalata 

 breaddddddddddddddddddddddddddd

 Greek eggplant imam

 Mykonos' attempt at seafood pasta

 Belgium chocolate

N.B All these photos have been taken by someone else, as I am always too fast due to being too hungry to wait for someone to take my photograph. 

Bianca "Christina!! Wait! I want to get a photo" Christina "But I cant B! I really cant!!" 

-my hands take over

That is all