McLarkin - melanie larkin | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 0 Comment(s) | 50 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=294794] | 2008-07-04 10:10:33
 McLarkin | melanie larkin | Travel Blog |
McLarkin - melanie larkin
Straight Trippin: My Year Around the WorldI started this blog primarily as a means of chronicling this amazing and significant year for me, as I'm apt to grow vague on the details as time and frontiers pass. I also thought it'd be cool to have an instant connection to everyone at home and for those who choose to share as much of this dream-come-true of mine with me. So please don't mind the boring minutiae, and feel free to skip them over once they make your eyelids heavy! The photos are by far the best bits and tell a story better than my jumble of run-on sentences could.
Cheers and Happy Travels!
xx, Mel.
Joined on: May 23rd 2008
Last Login: August 14th 2008
Blog Entries: 36
Photos: 1857
Last Login: August 14th 2008
Blog Entries: 36
Photos: 1857
Status: BLOGGER
Blogs & Travel Journals
by McLarkin, order by Date newest first.
Being my last night in Croatia, I’ve decided to jot down a few of my general observations as my day was rather uneventful, quiet, and solitary. Croatia, particularly Zadar, is a café society. Zadar’s old town - not unlike the other cities we visited, but to a greater extent - is lined with endless rows of packed cafes that serve only beverages. Ice cream shops are also in abundance, and a scoop will set you back less than 1euro. Sandwiches, pizza, and pastries are the most readily available meal options. Zadar’s old town has a lot of graffiti - the first [View Full Entry]
I’m sitting now in my own room in Zadar as the night takes over yet the day’s heat remains. Trace and I parted ways once more in Split, very close to the exact spot where we were reunited five days ago. She had to return to responsibility and the real world in Madrid, while I put that off for two more and hopped on the three hour bus ride north along the coast. I’ll first go back a couple of days to Dubrovnik… After alighting the 7 deck car ferry at Dubrovnik’s port, we followed two young, tall and gangly siblings [View Full Entry]
McLarkin - melanie larkin | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 0 Comment(s) | 77 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=294789] | 2008-07-04 10:20:58
See entry below... [View Full Entry]
McLarkin - melanie larkin | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 0 Comment(s) | 50 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=294792] | 2008-07-04 10:20:41
I LOVE - no am infatuated by - Croatia!! I already want to come back and am sad that we will have to leave. It is definitely my favorite country on this tour so far and it just gets better and better with each day and destination. I’m so glad this is my last stop before settling in Ireland and that I’m here for a week and no less. When we got into the Korcula port on Thursday afternoon, we negotiated with one of the many guest house hosts who meet the arriving ferries and scored a private room and bath [View Full Entry]
McLarkin - melanie larkin | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 0 Comment(s) | 84 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=294787] | 2008-07-03 11:35:42
Trace and I have been reunited at last! One whole week apart and I was suffering severe withdrawal. And no better place to reunite than the portside town of Split, Croatia. Coming directly from chilly Northern Europe, the 90+ degree weather and humidity was a bit of a shock, but the significantly lower prices, not to mention GORGEOUS surroundings, came as a welcome change. Croatia is AMAZING. I’m naming it my Must See Before You Die destination #2 (Cinque Terre being the first, in no particular order). From Split we caught the one hour ferry to Hvar, one of the islands [View Full Entry]
McLarkin - melanie larkin | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 0 Comment(s) | 48 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=292552] | 2008-06-27 22:04:45
By McLarkin
June 24th 2008
June 24th 2008
Livin It Up in Liverpool!
Europe » United Kingdom » England » Merseyside » Liverpool
I arrived in Liverpool yesterday afternoon and have since been completely reminded of how much I LOVE the UK. I love the people and their warm, witty sense of humor; the charming, cozy, and rustic bars and taverns; the organized, straight-forward efficiency of their public transportation systems; their grocery stores and neatly packaged food with clearly marked nutrition values on everything from a bag of fruit to a readymade sandwich; the fact that with 2.5GBP I can buy a bag of 8 apples, a banana, yogurt, and salmon sandwich at Tesco; a language I can understand (most of the time); the [View Full Entry]
McLarkin - melanie larkin | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 0 Comment(s) | 73 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=291269] | 2008-06-24 19:39:23
Before leaving for extended travel, add someone back home on your bank account and ask for a duplicate card if your bank offers the option. I lost mine somewhere between Greece and Spain, and although fortunately, there was no fraudulent activity on my account, it was a nightmare to replace! The banks in Madrid close at 2PM, are only open M-F, no one speaks English, and even though I have Citibank, international branches cannot access each others’ account information and operate as separate banks. Therefore, resolution required a lengthy phone call to the US, which can be tricky and exp [View Full Entry]
McLarkin - melanie larkin | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 0 Comment(s) | 0 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=291268] | 2008-06-24 19:36:10
One word to sum up Oslo: Expensive. By far, Oslo is the most expensive city I’ve ever been to, including London. A dorm bed at the Sentrum Pensjonat, where I stayed, cost over $50USD/night, without breakfast; a hotdog and drink combo, $10USD; 1 way on the city bus $6USD; 1 hour bus ride to the airport $36USD. I was well pleased with where I stayed as it was a few blocks from the train station, the receptionist very nice and helpful, free wi-fi, and a constantly cleaning custodian. My roommate was a computer programming professor from Hong Kong, who was there [View Full Entry]
McLarkin - melanie larkin | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 0 Comment(s) | 70 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=291271] | 2008-07-04 10:21:20
I flew into Stockholm late Wednesday night/Thursday morning and took the airport express bus to Stockholm Central Station, near Anja’s house. Anja and I met in Singapore, where we lived next door to each other in the dorms at NUS. We have kept in touch ever since and she’s one of those friends that always feels like no time has passed since the last time. She’s one of the most sincerely sweet people I know, and her boyfriend of 3 years, Emil, is just as good. The first thing that struck me was how expensive Stockholm is, relative to the rest [View Full Entry]
McLarkin - melanie larkin | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 0 Comment(s) | 133 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=291277] | 2008-06-24 20:04:58
Today is my last in Spain and it has been a whirlwind in every sense of the word! I have totally neglected my chronicling for the past two weeks, so I’m going to attempt a summarized account of my time here now. Here goes… I’m going to quote my new Brazilian friend, Yuri, in saying, “The best of Morocco was the airport upon arrival and then the airport upon departure.” We met while waiting to check into our Easyjet flight at Casablanca airport. It all began over a jar of peanut butter after he and his two Hungarian travel partners sat [View Full Entry]
McLarkin - melanie larkin | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 0 Comment(s) | 50 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=290428] | 2008-06-22 20:24:32