Wanderlust

Summer has finally arrived to Ireland today! The sun is beating down from a cloudless sky and "Penny Lane" is going around and around in my head. It's hard to be in bad form about anything on a day like today!

I'm in a great mood anyway because my brother has decided he's coming to Spain with me in September. We're gonna hire a car and drive from the north to the south of the country. I was pretty happy going alone and just doing my thing, but it should be a great laugh now.

Plus, it seems like the planets are coming into alignment re my RTW trip. Everything should be good to go by January! I'm getting lots of good tips from Anne about some of the countries in SE Asia, and I'm starting to compile a little book of addresses and things not to miss, etc. I've also been doing this on India for quite a while as well. Just reading them is enough to keep the flame burning for the next few months.

Also, there are plenty of people to meet along the way. Will definitely be hooking up with Dave in Vietnam and Hien in KL for a while. If Rich is still tormenting the Chinese when I get there, I'll hopefully catch up with him for a bit too. Once I get to Oz there are a few friends down there, and I will drag James and Peter out for a few beers if possible. Myself and Anne are either gonna meet in Peru or Fort Lauderdale, AND IF I EVER REACH CANADA Tway is gonna be stuck with me for a while. Lol!! cos let's face it, we agree on everything from washing powder to strategies for world domination. I'm so excited just thinking about it, and it's not as far away as it all seems at all.

What is it about when the sun comes out! The world seems full of possibilities again.

Okay, so he's an arrogant show-boat who wears multi-coloured stripey shirts, but I love him all the same. Thanks to Ryanair, we in Ireland can fly to Europe now for less than it costs to take the train to Dublin!!

I've just booked my flights to Barcelona for 10 days in September! Woo-hoo! It's one of the best feelings when you book a holiday!

Now, the next 3 months in this cesspit of an office don't seem so long

Next comes the fun part. Trying to do it all for less than €500.

Roll on September......

It's been raining here in the South-west of Ireland for days now. It's overcast and humid and very oppressive. There is NO WAY I can wait until next January for a holiday. So, I've decided to take a week to 10 days in Spain in September.

THanks to Ryanair, I have sourced some very cheap flights from Shannon! In total, with taxes, etc. a return flight will cost me €88. I live not too far from the airport which is great! No long-term parking, I can just get my brother to drop me off. PLus, the great thing about Shannon is that its relatively effortless to go through. No long waits or prolonged security checks.

So, this morning I e-mailed my boss to ask for the days I need off. His typical response was "I'll have to get back to you" Hmph! Bosses! *roll-eyes*. Why do they always act like they're doing you a favour by agreeing to give you your days off. He better hurry up. Grrr...If I lose my cheap flights......

The flights I'm thinking of booking are from Shannon to Barcelona (Girona). I would really like to see the south of Spain but flights to Seville or Malaga are quite significantly more expensive (and would mean flying from Dublin with Aer Lingus) so this time, for convenience sake, I think I will stick to the north of the country.

I'm getting excited already planning how I will spend my time there. If anyone who's reading this has any suggestions on where to stay/what to do, I'd love to hear them!! September is my favourite time of year to travel in Europe, and it's usually still quite hot.

I know I should be keeping the money for the Big Trip, but I NEED A BREAK!