today is the day

Hey all,

So today is actually the day I started the blog.

It only took me a year to get me act together and finally decide that the wise choice is to put it all down as one day, I will be so grateful I did.
Today is the day I grew up a little and actually thought about the future and whether any of what I did would be forgotten or if the stories could actually be preserved in some ways.
I am sure in 10 years or more, I'll be happy I can show my kids (if I eventually even manage to pull that off!! 32 and still single guys.) where I was, what I did and what was happening at the time. It is something I will eventually be able to look at and be proud.

And at the same time, I have been in some pretty cool places. Might not have pictures of everything or everywhere but I do have the stories and they are great.
So maybe I have managed to make a few people travel through me and learn who I am ( yes I know, nothing to special!) and the way that my personal life just cracks me up!!!

So please do carry on following the rest of my joke of a life and many travels.

Here it goes, and if you read this post it means that I was right in a way..

Loch Ness adventures...

The Loch Ness Monster, or Nessie, is an aquatic being which reputedly inhabits Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, and is often described as being large in size, with a long neck and one or more humps protruding from the water. Popular interest and belief in the creature has varied since it was brought to worldwide attention in 1933. Evidence of its existence is anecdotal, with a few disputed photographs and sonar readings.

Urquhart Castle is one of the most picturesque landmarks in Scotland, and an iconic sight to all those who have travelled between Fort William and Inverness.

Perched on the banks of Loch Ness beside the village of Drumnadrochit, it commands great views up the length of the loch, and is one of the main sites for reported sightings of the legendary Loch Ness Monster.

Our site provides you with all the information you need to plan and enjoy a visit to Urquhart Castle. From historical information about the castle itself, to admission times and prices, and how to get to Urquhart Castle, as well as a guide to Drumnadrochit and Inverness, this is your one-stop shop for all things Urquhart Castle!                                                                                Unfortunately we did not find Nessie!!!! But were nearly frozen to the bone!

Paris

Paris with him, was just amazing....

The Eiffel tower, the Champs Elisees, the Trocadero, Notre Dame de Paris, The lover's bridge and so much more....  An amazing day spent with him rediscovering the city I was born in. Moments we both will cherish for ever no matter what.
                   

Gibraltar

The name Gibraltar is the Spanish derivation of the Arabic name Jabal Ṭāriq, meaning "Mountain of Tariq". It refers to the Rock of Gibraltar, which was named after the Umayyad general Tariq ibn-Ziyad who led the initial incursion into Iberia in advance of the main Umayyad force in 711 under the command of Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid I.
Earlier, it was known as Mons Calpe, a name of Phoenician origin and one of the Pillars of Hercules.
During World War II, Gibraltar's civilian population was evacuated (mainly to London, but also to parts of Morocco, Madeira and Jamaica) and the Rock was strengthened as a fortress. The naval base and the ships based there played a key role in the provisioning and supply of the island of Malta during its long siege.
Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory. The British Nationality Act 1981 granted Gibraltarians full British citizenship.

It is filled with the cheekiest little monkeys... The Barbary Macaque population in Gibraltar is the only wild monkey population in the European continent. Although most populations in Africa are facing declining populations due to hunting and deforestation, the population of Barbary monkeys in Gibraltar is growing. At present, some 300 animals in five troops occupy the Upper Rock area of the Gibraltar Nature Reserve, though occasional forays into the town may result in damage to personal property.
Watch out for all your belongings, they have become experts at stealing things out of your bags, especially food or shiny objects.


The caves of Gibraltar is also such a big attraction. St. Michael's Cave or Old St. Michael's Cave is the name given to a network of limestone caves located within the Upper Rock Nature Reserve in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, at a height of over 300 metres (980 ft) above sea level. According to Alonso Hernández del Portillo, the first historian of Gibraltar, its name is derived from a similar grotto in Monte Gargano near the Sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo in Apulia, Italy, where the archangel Michael is said to have appeared.

It is the most visited of the more than 150 caves found inside the Rock of Gibraltar,receiving almost 1,000,000 visitors a year.

I

Back to Barcelona

Back to Barcelona and this time I got to visit the Parc Guell and Sagrada familia. Two of Gaudi's marvel of architecture. 

The park was meant to be a residential block in Gaudi's image but only 1 plot was sold and the project was cut short. The Park Güell is a public park system composed of gardens and architectonic elements located on Carmel Hill. Park Güell is located in La Salut, a neighborhood in the Gràcia district of Barcelona. With urbanization in mind, Eusebi Güell assigned the design of the park to Antoni Gaudí, a renowned architect and the face of Catalan modernism. The park was built between 1900 and 1914 and was officially opened as a public park in 1926. In 1984, UNESCO declared the park a World Heritage Site under "Works of Antoni Gaudí"

Then I got to visit the Sagrada familia, The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família  is a large unfinished Roman Catholic church in Barcelona. Gaudí's work on the building is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in November 2010 Pope Benedict XVI consecrated and proclaimed it a minor basilica, as distinct from a cathedral, which must be the seat of a bishop.

In 1882, construction of Sagrada Família commenced under architect Francisco Paula de Villar. In 1883, when Villar resigned,^[Gaudí took over as chief architect, transforming the project with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted the remainder of his life to the project, and at the time of his death at age 73 in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete.

Relying solely on private donations, Sagrada Familia's construction progressed slowly and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, only to resume intermittent progress in the 1950s. Since commencing construction in 1882, advancements in technologies such as computer aided design and computerized numerical control have enabled faster progress and construction passed the midpoint in 2010. However, some of the project's greatest challenges remain, including the construction of ten more spires, each symbolizing an important Biblical figure in the New Testament. It is anticipated that the building could be completed by 2026—the centenary of Gaudí's death.

I absolutely loved it all... It really was a magnificent experience.

Palermo

Last day in Palermo today..

It feels like I've been here for years and know it all.

Just start walking all the way up the main street. The port of Palermo is right in the city. it is amazing, you can just walk out the ship and in 10 minutes, you are by the nicest little square and the best ice-creams and cannolis ever!!! I found out that in Italy, they don't like it very much if you try and take pictures of their display. I don't know why, but I've been giving the go away gesture quite a few times.
There are so many places to see in the city, it is so busy and crawling with people everywhere. you have the Palatine chapel and its golden interior, one of the building they are most proud of on the island. But for the Sicilians, everything they do is amazing so they always speak about their creations very proudly.
You have many little churches all around the city, my favorite is one hidden in a little road close to the main cathedral called Chiesa del Gesu. The interior is all made of marble and the walls are filled with beautiful angels and other unbelievable carvings and decorations. After visiting many churches around the Mediterranean, it is still by far one of my favorite...
If you have a chance to make it to Montreal do it!!! the view from there is breathtaking.