TravelStream™ news feed for member jasonncaryn on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/jasonncaryn en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 04 Mar 2007 20:24:51 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1168737660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1168737660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1168737660/tpod.html Sun, 04 Mar 2007 20:24:51 -0500 Our European Adventure

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Los Angeles, California, United States

After 8 months, Caryn and I have decided its time to go home and join the real world again. Our time in Europe was amazing and worth every minute. It has definitely opened up the pandas box for us and travel will always be a big desire for us. Where next? Who knows, maybe Italy, Australia, Japan, Asia... So many places, so little time (and money!)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1165454280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1165454280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1165454280/tpod.html Sun, 04 Mar 2007 20:20:13 -0500 Our European Adventure

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Back to Edinburgh
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1165200120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1165200120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1165200120/tpod.html Sun, 03 Dec 2006 17:52:36 -0500 Our European Adventure

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Brussels, Belgium

As a last minute idea, we decided to take a few days off that we had and make a trip to Brussels, home of really good chocolate and a cool Christmas Market.
Today we spent most of our time just walking around town, seeing all the sights and taking in the stalls that make up the 2 kilometers of christmas market. Mostly junk, some things you might think about and the rest is food and hot wine.
I don't know why, but I wasn't expecting it to be so French here. Just didn't think about it really until we arrived. The most common language (at least in Brussels) is French and the majority of the restaurants, if not Italian, are french-esk.
Overall, it seems like a good little trip, but we could have shaved a night off of the 3 and felt good about it. More pics to come.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1162233960/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1162233960/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1162233960/tpod.html Sun, 26 Nov 2006 05:59:40 -0500 Our European Adventure

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Athens, Greece

Athens is in its essence a really old, slightly dirty and historical city. Its been a while since we went, but I thought I'd add a little something to update the blog.
The first 2 days were beautiful, great sunshine and plenty of sites to see. The last 2 days were rainy and not so nice, but we made up for it by seeing movies!
The Acropilis is amazing. To think that it was built so long ago and still stands as a major monument in the city! The temples weren't in working order, so we couldn't really worship any gods, but they were definitely worth seeing.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1161988440/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1161988440/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1161988440/tpod.html Sun, 29 Oct 2006 13:33:11 -0500 Our European Adventure

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Santorini, Greece

We're off to the Mediterranean for a warm weather holiday! Caryn's parents are visiting and we decided that Greece would be a great destination and cheap too, as its off season.

We flew into Athens and hopped on the Express bus crowded with other tourists and locals on our way to find the hotel. As everything was in Greek, a had a little trouble knowing exactly where we were. Hopped off the bus where someone told us to, and still didn't find our hotel... we went to another hotel and they pointed us literally across the street, but there were many bushes and trees in the way, so we couldn't see it. After a very late 12am dinner, we slept heavily for a whole 4 hours until it was time to get up and catch a taxi to the ferry port.
Once there in Pireaus, bustling with people, cars, trucks and buses, we finally got our tickets (another adventure in itself) and found some comfortable seats for the 7 hour boat ride to Santorini and the sleep was much needed!

Santorini is amazing, just like you see in the movies... the one that comes to mind at the moment is "Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants". It is beautiful and amazing how these houses are built right into the cliffs. After some fun exploration of the small village of Oia (where our hotel is) we watch the sunset and headed out for dinner and much needed sleep in real beds.
Today we took a bus to the main town of Fira. There are more tourist shops and jewelry and art shops here than you'd think could survive in a half square mile area, but somehow they manage. Probably fueled by the cruise ships that dock here often.
We all walked down the 580-something steps to the old port (through donkeys, their poop, and other tired people on the way up). Charlie and Myrna took the cable car back up and Caryn and I went for the local methods of riding the mules back up... quite the adventure!
Tomorrow afternoon we head back to Athens. More then!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1160160180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1160160180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1160160180/tpod.html Fri, 06 Oct 2006 15:15:23 -0400 Our European Adventure

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Dublin, Ireland

The rest of the trip was more of the same.... great scenery and loads of driving. It seemed like we drove forever and never seemed to get as far as we wanted in a day. Can you really see Ireland in 5 days? Yes and no, but 7 would be much better!
We made it from Doolin to Kenmare the next day... having gotten up at 6:30am and driving til 9pm, we saw the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren (a rocky plateau), the Dingle Peninsula, and the Ring of Kerry... and thats the short list really.
The day after that we made our way to the east coast. Stopped at the Blarney Castle, but didn't realize that you had to pay about $10 each to get in so we bypassed that one as a tourist trap and continued on stopping in Waterford (as in Waterford Crystal) and made it to the factory showroom right after closing time. :( Oh well.
Then on up the east coast to Wicklow where we stayed the night.
The next morning we finished our trip and made our rounds in Dublin. We had read not to try and drive in Dublin, but having a car and not really wanting to figure out the buses, we decided to go for it... and nearly missed our flight in the process! Its completely true... driving in Dublin is madness and I would highly recommend against it.
Well that was a great whirlwind tour of Ireland... now its back to work.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1159158720/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1159158720/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1159158720/tpod.html Thu, 28 Sep 2006 15:05:33 -0400 Our European Adventure

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Doolin, Ireland

We set off from Donegal with no specific final destination in mind, just a map and list of things to see along the way... where we'd end up at night was to be determined once the sun went down.
First stop: The church yard where poet WB Yeats is buried... gotta admit, doesn't appeal to me, but Caryn wanted to see it. Total tourist trap! There was a group there on a tour who were dropped off for an hour. Now I don't know what they were supposed to do for that long at a grave yard with a church and gift shop, but it made me glad we had a car.
The car by the way was about as small as you can imagine. See the picture!
Following a good bit of driving and some lovely Irish scenery, we had lunch in Westport (cute little west coast town) and continued driving.
Sorry, no great stories this time. Ireland is really about the scenery and rural charm. Pictures are really the best way to tell this one.
Next, a mountain where St. Patrick is said to have fast for 40 days for the country. We didn't go all the way up since it would take 3-4 hours, but managed to snap a pic of the St. Patrick statue at the base.
Further driving took us through the Connemara area of Ireland. This area could be called the Irish wild west... scruffy landscape akin to New Mexico, and also famous as the famine area.
Kylemore Abbey, outside of Clifden, is an incredible building set on a lake in the hills. Again, didn't go in, but it was a good view.
By the time we made it out of this area and through Galway, the sun was beginning to set. We hoped to make it to the Cliffs of Moher by sunset, but were running a little behind.
We did manage to see a nice sunset in Kinvara as we passed through.
With the sunset, we began our search for a place to stay landing in Doolin, 10 minutes from the Cliffs. Everyone in this town seems to run a B&B... there were plenty to choose from!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1159149180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1159149180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1159149180/tpod.html Tue, 26 Sep 2006 05:13:32 -0400 Our European Adventure

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Dublin, Ireland

A quick little trip to Ireland... a bit of countryside 1 (or less) lane roads and beautiful scenery.
We arrived late like after midnight and hopped into our rental car and sped off to our hotel in Dundalk, an hour away... no rooms in Dublin as someone scheduled the Ryder Cup at the same time! Who forgot to call us?
The next morning we got up and made our relatively early start towards Sligo where we were to meet a friend that Jason met in Edinburgh (he lives in Donegal, Ireland). We finally caught up with him and were invited back to his family's 350 year old farm house.
Let me just say, that you'd have to pick up your jaw when going up the drive to his place. Unbelievable!
Lots of history that I won't get into and a very cool old house. They graciously offered to host us for the night and we agreed. Super nice family.
That afternoon before dinner we went to the Slieve League cliffs about an hour away and were blown away... almost literally. The wind was so strong it nearly knocked us over at times. Wow is all I can say without posting a picture which will come later... slow connection.
Stayed the night at his place in what was supposed to be a haunted room, but didn't see anything unusual.
Today we got up bright and early and started our journey down the west coast. More to come!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1158377640/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1158377640/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1158377640/tpod.html Fri, 15 Sep 2006 18:19:49 -0400 Our European Adventure

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

So its been a little while since we've posted anything. Having been recently chastised by a good friend, figured it was time to come out of the dark...
The festival is over, and hence my job as well. I did my first freelance gig this past week for a Pfizer meeting of some sort... to be honest they all start to seem the same after a while... Shows just become a list of gear and timelines without a name.
Anyway, so Edinburgh, life and a parental visit. My family (mom, dad and sister Bailey) were able to make their first trip to Europe and we had a great time. They saw as much of Edinburgh, London and Paris as they could fit in. You can check out their trip, if you're interested: http://www.travelpod.com/members/dgbailey.
Its funny, Edinburgh during the festival is about the only time that the town drunks and crazies can actually feel normal, what with all the street performers from clowns to contortionists to classical singers. Its quite an interesting mix! The end of the festival is celebrated with a big fireworks display from the castle. All the locals head up to Calton Hill to get away from the tourists and enjoy the show... so of course we joined them, feeling slightly local by now... just without the accent!
Not sure if there are an abnormal amount of mentally unstable people in Edinburgh or if it just seems that way since we live within walking distance of a psychiatric hospital with a open door freetime policy. The other day, on the way home from Ikea, we came across 2 of them on 2 different buses. The first apparently thought we were going to get him, as he changed seats 3 times and consistently gave us awkwardly condemning glares. The next one would have seemed normal except that she wasn't talking on a handsfree phone earpiece and was randomly swearing to noone about anything.

Next week we go to Ireland, so look out for an update after the 23rd. Maybe I can find some long lost, distant Bailey cousins!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1155151980/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1155151980/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonncaryn/europe_2006/1155151980/tpod.html Wed, 09 Aug 2006 08:51:05 -0400 Our European Adventure

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Well we've pretty much made ourselves at home by now... Caryn is working at her hospital and Jason has taken a job at the Edinburgh Festival for a company called Underbelly... they have several venues throughout the city (you can see one of them pictured here...) Yes it is actually a big purple upside-down cow tent, complete with udders!
The festival is an all out comedy/drama/musical/any form of performance imaginable type of event that runs for a month and literally doubles the population of the city. Its quite amazing really. If you're a Seinfeld fan, one of the shows that I helped with has the maniacal mailman FDR from Seinfeld. He's actually a very cool guy!
I'm also working on the "One Man Star Wars" a show with 1 guy doing all the characters in the original trilogy in about an hour... hysterical. And he says next year he hopes to do One Man Lord of the Rings!
We haven't done too much sightseeing just yet, but as we do we'll post pictures and update you on our life...
Its cold here by the way... the other night as I walked home in the mist, it was around 40F!
]]>