Flashback... Dublin and Catania

I've just recently uploaded these photos, so I figured I could write a little bit about them. :)

I'd planned my trip to Dublin for a while.. I was going over to see my friend Paul (he lived next door to me in Halls). But then a last-minute work trip to Catania cut my weekend short. So rather than having a weekend in Dublin, I had one whole Saturday.. and then a few days in the south of Italy (with warmish weather, so I won't complain *grin*).

I met Paul in Dublin on Saturday morning - he had to go off and do some singing, so I wandered around the city for a while. I went and did a tour of Trinity College and saw the Book of Kells (amazingly intricate designs that were drawn with bone and stuff), had lunch in Temple Bar (at a wholefoods market.. tasty food!) and then wandered my way out to Kilmainham Gaol (and did another tour).

I caught up with Paul again in the afternoon and we had tasty tapas dinner, went home and dropped off my bag and then headed back into town for a Halloween Party (Paul dressed up as a zombie pirate.. I just went as a demon - they look like normal people *grin*)


Sunday morning I headed to Catania.. It was some trip.. I got a bus from near Paul's, flight to London Gatwick, waited there a while before getting another flight to Florence, a quick change over and the flight to Catania. The change-over between Florence and Catania was a bit stressful. Actually a lot stressful! On arrival into Florence we had to go through immigration - somehow I ended up at the end of the line (not at all sure how!!). Anyway, the result was that they were calling my name over the PA.. I scurried to security near the gate - but had to go back and get a boarding pass (they couldn't give me both when I checked in at Gatwick because the systems are strange..). I ran back downstairs to the check-in desk, the girl didn't understand that I was meant to be on the next flight.. she thought I wanted to buy a ticket or something (she didn't even understand my printed itinery). So another trek across the hall to the ticket people and FINALLY I found a lovely woman who understood what I needed, phoned the girl at the check-in desk and off I went to get my boarding pass. Back upstairs, through security (although they stopped me because they thought I had water in my bag!?), and eventually I made it onto the plane. *phew*

Catania was interesting.. the city itself seems like it was beautiful once.. but is now run-down and decaying.. I was staying in a hotel out of town - not far from the village above.. it was pretty .. especially at night and when the sun was shining. :)

The meetings were a bit interesting.. but it was better once they were finished. :) I wandered around Catania, got rained on a LOT, had the best hot chocolate EVER! It was a thick Italian (of course) hot chocolate with some Grand Marnier in it.. mmmmmm... Andrea made it for me (and even paid for it..heheh). He's a chef/waiter at the little cafe I went to to get out of the rain. He ended up coming to the castle with me and I had fantastic pizza dinner with him one night too (the picture at the top).

All in all, not a bad few days (and so long ago now it's hard to remember it). *grin*

...and I'm still not up to date yet.. *grin*