EUROTRIP
I nearly lost my domain for the second time!!!! I used to be Muntedmess.net way, way, way back in the day, but forgot that it had expired and lost it to a damn spammer site.
I've been Muntedmess.com since 2002 and usually I get a reminder email about 15 days before it expires but this year..... NOTHING! True, I am using a hotmail account and hotmail has a tendency to be dodgy and block alot of emails, but it totally slipped my mind and I forgot that 16 September is my domain's birthday.
Sunday 17th September Australian time (which I'm guessing was just the start of the 17th in America or wherever the registra is) and suddenly my site is no more. Its a lander page! *cue melodramatic scream*
I quickly logged into my account and tried to renew, but alas, I have no money in my paypal account and am unable to pay the registration amount immediately. The only method is a paypal eCheque and that can take days to clear. I emailed them and the next day borrowed a credit card so I could pay the registration straight away.
Luckily the site had only gone into a holding period and they didnt charge me anything extra to retrieve my site. *phew* So Muntedmess.com will live for another year.
ANYWAY, my big news is a trip to the UK at the end of the year! WHEEEEEE! Its 95% sure to happen. The boy had planned to travel back to London at the end of November for a friend's wedding and would then do a bit of travelling to France & Rome before heading to Dubai and Abu Dhabi to spend Christmas and New years with his parents.... and to attend ANOTHER wedding on the 1st of January, 2007! Seriously, who has a wedding on the 01/01?!?!? crazy shit.
When I sulked at the idea of him being out of the country for 6 weeks, he asked if I would like to travel with him as well. But I had plans to blow my savings on other things, like plastic surgery. I weighed up the pros and cons, and finally decided I wanted the breast reduction too much to wait, so I sadly chose boobs over Europe.
Fast forward to last friday, and a bunch of work mates and I are at our weekly pub lunch. Talk about the work Christmas party comes up, which I have been organising, and I sulk at the fact that the Boy won't be here for it. Everyone asks why I'm not going with him. I point to the boobs and say I already made my choice.
They ask if I have any more savings and I say, why yes, I actually have done pretty well and my savings are recovering nicely after the surgery.
They then tell me I'm stupid for not taking this chance... that THIS is what money and savings and holiday leave is for... to travel and see the world. And if you've got someone to travel with, then all the better. Especially if they have been to some of these areas before. A few people share their travel stories and agree that these are the best years to do it.
Plenty of time in the future to get in debt with mortgages and whatnot.
I nod in agreement and start making a few mental calculations. Suddenly, it actually seems possible.... I might not have quite enough holiday leave accumulated by end of November, but I could easily take a week of non-paid leave, or go into negative leave. I am only short by a little bit.
So I have been madly researching and planning and booking and my flights are confirmed, though not yet paid for. The boy is actually leaving a few days before me and will be staying a few days longer than me, but my trip is still 5 weeks.
My itinerary is:
Leave Brisbane 25th November, Saturday - arrive London 26th November, Sunday.
We'll spend a week in London - I've got a couple of high school friends over there who I hope to catch up with, but I dont want to jump to conclusions about crashing at their place... especially since there is two of us. I've started looking up cheap accommodation for London. I dont mind if the bathroom is shared, but I definitely want a double room- NO shared dorm rooms.
We're then hoping to fly from London to Paris, 3rd December, Sunday and spend a week in Paris.
I've been looking up two cheap european airlines - EasyJet and RyanAir - and it looks like we'll be able to get pretty cheap flights.
After a week in Paris, we'll fly to Rome, 11th December, Monday, and spend a week in Rome. A week later, we'll fly from Rome back to London, 18th December, Monday and I think the Boy would like to visit his relatives up in Hull (northern England, I believe)
We then both fly from London to Dubai, 24th December, Sunday and will stay in Abu Dhabi with his parents for almost a week. I'm planning to fly home either 30th December or 31st December, while he will stay til later that week.
Although part of me thinks it would be good to be home before new years eve, I'm not too fussed if I miss it since the last few years have been a bit of a disappointment.
So now, I'm in uber-planning mode. Honestly, I just dont know what to do and see in London, Paris & Rome. Maybe a West End musical in London? A perfume house in Paris? The Lourve & Eiffel Tower of course. The Colosseum in Rome. But what else? Does anyone have any suggestions of things to do, places to visit, areas to stay in?
Its going to be absolutely freezing too and I've never experience snow or really cold weather. What sort of clothes will I have to take? How will I be able to pack lightly when winter clothes are so bulky? I'm thinking it will be best to buy a good winter coat when I arrive, since I don't know if I'll be able to find a good quality, warm coat here in Sunny Queensland. Especially since its coming into summer and all the shops are stocking summery clothes.
I imagine it will be quite wet, so I'm going to need shoes that can withstand a bit of rain and wetness. Boots would be warm. Alas, none of my comfy boots (ie no heels) are wet weather proof, so I guess I'll have to track down a pair.
Hmmmm my mind is racing. There's so much to plan and organise!!!!! Any advice/suggestions would very much be appreciated!
------
UPDATE: ZOMG i have the best boyfriend ever! He actually wants to go and see, not one but TWO West End Musicals when we're in London... Monty Python's Spamalot (with Tim Curry!!!) and Wicked (starring Idina Menzel who was the original Maureen, in Rent, my FAVOURITE musical ever!!). holy crap I'm excited. Already this is going to be the best trip ever!!!!
I've been Muntedmess.com since 2002 and usually I get a reminder email about 15 days before it expires but this year..... NOTHING! True, I am using a hotmail account and hotmail has a tendency to be dodgy and block alot of emails, but it totally slipped my mind and I forgot that 16 September is my domain's birthday.
Sunday 17th September Australian time (which I'm guessing was just the start of the 17th in America or wherever the registra is) and suddenly my site is no more. Its a lander page! *cue melodramatic scream*
I quickly logged into my account and tried to renew, but alas, I have no money in my paypal account and am unable to pay the registration amount immediately. The only method is a paypal eCheque and that can take days to clear. I emailed them and the next day borrowed a credit card so I could pay the registration straight away.
Luckily the site had only gone into a holding period and they didnt charge me anything extra to retrieve my site. *phew* So Muntedmess.com will live for another year.
ANYWAY, my big news is a trip to the UK at the end of the year! WHEEEEEE! Its 95% sure to happen. The boy had planned to travel back to London at the end of November for a friend's wedding and would then do a bit of travelling to France & Rome before heading to Dubai and Abu Dhabi to spend Christmas and New years with his parents.... and to attend ANOTHER wedding on the 1st of January, 2007! Seriously, who has a wedding on the 01/01?!?!? crazy shit.
When I sulked at the idea of him being out of the country for 6 weeks, he asked if I would like to travel with him as well. But I had plans to blow my savings on other things, like plastic surgery. I weighed up the pros and cons, and finally decided I wanted the breast reduction too much to wait, so I sadly chose boobs over Europe.
Fast forward to last friday, and a bunch of work mates and I are at our weekly pub lunch. Talk about the work Christmas party comes up, which I have been organising, and I sulk at the fact that the Boy won't be here for it. Everyone asks why I'm not going with him. I point to the boobs and say I already made my choice.
They ask if I have any more savings and I say, why yes, I actually have done pretty well and my savings are recovering nicely after the surgery.
They then tell me I'm stupid for not taking this chance... that THIS is what money and savings and holiday leave is for... to travel and see the world. And if you've got someone to travel with, then all the better. Especially if they have been to some of these areas before. A few people share their travel stories and agree that these are the best years to do it.
Plenty of time in the future to get in debt with mortgages and whatnot.
I nod in agreement and start making a few mental calculations. Suddenly, it actually seems possible.... I might not have quite enough holiday leave accumulated by end of November, but I could easily take a week of non-paid leave, or go into negative leave. I am only short by a little bit.
So I have been madly researching and planning and booking and my flights are confirmed, though not yet paid for. The boy is actually leaving a few days before me and will be staying a few days longer than me, but my trip is still 5 weeks.
My itinerary is:
Leave Brisbane 25th November, Saturday - arrive London 26th November, Sunday.
We'll spend a week in London - I've got a couple of high school friends over there who I hope to catch up with, but I dont want to jump to conclusions about crashing at their place... especially since there is two of us. I've started looking up cheap accommodation for London. I dont mind if the bathroom is shared, but I definitely want a double room- NO shared dorm rooms.
We're then hoping to fly from London to Paris, 3rd December, Sunday and spend a week in Paris.
I've been looking up two cheap european airlines - EasyJet and RyanAir - and it looks like we'll be able to get pretty cheap flights.
After a week in Paris, we'll fly to Rome, 11th December, Monday, and spend a week in Rome. A week later, we'll fly from Rome back to London, 18th December, Monday and I think the Boy would like to visit his relatives up in Hull (northern England, I believe)
We then both fly from London to Dubai, 24th December, Sunday and will stay in Abu Dhabi with his parents for almost a week. I'm planning to fly home either 30th December or 31st December, while he will stay til later that week.
Although part of me thinks it would be good to be home before new years eve, I'm not too fussed if I miss it since the last few years have been a bit of a disappointment.
So now, I'm in uber-planning mode. Honestly, I just dont know what to do and see in London, Paris & Rome. Maybe a West End musical in London? A perfume house in Paris? The Lourve & Eiffel Tower of course. The Colosseum in Rome. But what else? Does anyone have any suggestions of things to do, places to visit, areas to stay in?
Its going to be absolutely freezing too and I've never experience snow or really cold weather. What sort of clothes will I have to take? How will I be able to pack lightly when winter clothes are so bulky? I'm thinking it will be best to buy a good winter coat when I arrive, since I don't know if I'll be able to find a good quality, warm coat here in Sunny Queensland. Especially since its coming into summer and all the shops are stocking summery clothes.
I imagine it will be quite wet, so I'm going to need shoes that can withstand a bit of rain and wetness. Boots would be warm. Alas, none of my comfy boots (ie no heels) are wet weather proof, so I guess I'll have to track down a pair.
Hmmmm my mind is racing. There's so much to plan and organise!!!!! Any advice/suggestions would very much be appreciated!
------
UPDATE: ZOMG i have the best boyfriend ever! He actually wants to go and see, not one but TWO West End Musicals when we're in London... Monty Python's Spamalot (with Tim Curry!!!) and Wicked (starring Idina Menzel who was the original Maureen, in Rent, my FAVOURITE musical ever!!). holy crap I'm excited. Already this is going to be the best trip ever!!!!
20 Comments:
At September 19, 2006 8:36 PM, Anonymous said…
Finally you'll be about 500 km closer to me ;) I'll fell your presence then.
At September 19, 2006 9:34 PM, Anonymous said…
If you are in France, then you must drink burgundy in Burgundy and champagne in Champagne.
At September 20, 2006 9:00 AM, Anonymous said…
That's fantastic! Congratulations on taking a chance with the money and making it work. First of all, the aussies do vacation right -- no one in North America takes five week vacations from their jobs unless they're in the hospital -- so that's excellent. As for the cold. It won't be that bad in December. Just damp and chilly. If you ever do make it to Canada or the US you'll be in for a real shock.
But mostly I just wanted to comment on what a good year you're having. The new boy, new boobs, and a great vacation. Even questioning your future at the job is a good thing. Such a time of change (cue the orchestra).
-Matt
At September 20, 2006 11:34 AM, reanon said…
thanks matt!!!
yeah it has been a pretty eventful year. but a good one.
so you think USA and canada would be colder than the UK and Europe in winter/december? I guess canada would be...
countries like norway and sweden would be comparable, but i guess italy is a bit more southern, so closer to the equator.
either way, i still think it'll be a shock for me. i've never even seen snow!
At September 20, 2006 11:47 AM, James said…
Anon is right, no one from North America takes 5 weeks vacation. I'm only taking 3 weeks... in Oz no less!
JR
At September 20, 2006 1:06 PM, Anonymous said…
As a Canadian, you will enjoy Europe much much more in the winter very brrrr here in the winter plus you can't be showing off the new bod in a huge winter jacket.
Man that sounds like an awesome trip for you and the lad. Hopefully it doesn't fly by too quick for you.
At September 20, 2006 1:07 PM, Bryan said…
It definitely is warmer there because of the ocean currents. I won't go into weather nerdy detail, but anyways, the coldest it got when I was in Ireland in January a few years ago was around 0C, which is not bad at all compared to how cold it gets here in the U.S., Canada area.
At September 20, 2006 6:57 PM, Anonymous said…
Go and get a lonely planet, they have STACKS of really great stuff to do which the guides and agents dont tell you about :)
Kieren
At September 20, 2006 7:07 PM, Fiona said…
that's three of us now in the space of a week in my little world whose domains have gone down thorugh non-renewal... bloody hell :)
At September 20, 2006 9:56 PM, Anonymous said…
Hi .. first time commenter, long time lurker.
You might want to look into getting the Eurostar to Paris. It is alot easier (direct from central london (Waterloo) to central Paris (Gare Du Nord)). Ryanair and Easy Jet might initially look cheaper but then you have to also pay get the train out to their airports which are a long way out of London. And then you have to land at CDG airport, go back into Paris.
I'll go out on a limb and guess it won't snow in Novemeber in London or Paris. However you might get lucky. Still bring a coat and hat as the rain can be cold.
At September 21, 2006 4:08 AM, Anonymous said…
Hi Rhiannon,
It will be a pleasure to meet you in Rome, where I do happen to live... Too bad you bring with you your boy instead of your old boobs! :P
Eh eh, just kidding: first of all, in Rome it won't be THAT cold in December... chilly, but definitely warmer than Canada and probably warmer than Paris and London, being relatively closer to the sea.
As for advices, if you like I can give some on places to see... write me at ruskieERASETHIS@ERASECAPSLETTERtiscali.it just in case.
At September 21, 2006 11:53 AM, Chris said…
Hey Rhiannon,
I've been lucky to go to all three places. England rules. Go to a football(soccer) match. There are plenty of teams in the London area, and it's easy to get tickets. Otherwise, check out Chelsea/Paddington/Hyde Park area. A lot of good food and things to see. Otherwise you have the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Tower Bridge, and a lot of awesome things to do. Paris there isn't much but the Louve, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Champe Ellise (sp?). In Rome go to the Trevvi Fountain, Vatican City, and the Spanish Steps. I'd suggest getting a Fodor's Travel book. You can get just one western european travel book and they are pretty good. Have fun!
At September 22, 2006 4:33 AM, Anonymous said…
Hi Rhiannon
The trip sounds fantastic. I live in London (Fulham), been here almost 4 years with my girlfriend. I'm from Bundy as well, went to Kepnock (grad 92) then on to study at QUT. Anyways, to the point...if you're still looking for a place whilst your in London then you'd be welcome to crash at ours.
Nothing wierd or freaky, just wanting to help out a fellow bundabergian. My girlfriend put me onto your site a few years ago when we first met and having grown up in bundy and moved to brisbane to study i find it really interesting easy to relate to and it's a nice way to get a feel for what's happening back in QLD.
Anyway, the offer is there, we'd be happy to have you doss for you're time in London and if you want anymore details info about us we'd be happy to oblige. Hope you don't think the offer is to strange as it's jsut a genuine offer to help out as I know how expensive it is to pay for accom in london.
Cheers
Pete
At September 24, 2006 1:42 PM, paddy said…
I don't know you - (so sorry if it's weird I'm commenting), but you are going to have a bloody amazing trip no matter what you do visiting those places! Dubai is by far the coolest place I've ever been to in my life. I was only there for 48 hours, and my jaw was dropped the entire time. Hope you have an amazing time!
At September 25, 2006 8:42 AM, Simon said…
London:
Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square, London Eye (pre-book!), Science and Natural History Museums (if you like museums :) ), Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Underground, shopping.
Paris:
The Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, the Champs-Elysees, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, walk along the Seine, coffee bars, food (unless you're vegetarian, which is very tricky in France).
Rome:
St.Peters, the Vatican Museum (massive), Castel Sant'Angelo (formerly Hadrian's Mausoleum), the Forum, the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Trajan's Column and Forum, also walk around and see how the old Rome is integrated into the new.
Above all, enjoy :-)
Simon
At September 25, 2006 5:02 PM, reanon said…
thanks Simon for all those suggestions!!!!
lucky i'm not vegetarian, i love meat too much eheheh. and i LOVE wine and cheese so i think i'll be in heaven in Paris.
pete, ex-bundy boy, send me an email livian(at)muntedmess.com :)
thanks to everyone else for all your comments and suggestions!
At September 27, 2006 1:15 AM, Anonymous said…
Hey Liv
Thought of you the other day when JJJ had some talkback thing about what "munted" meant. Wanted to call you but changed phones and lost your number.
Hope you be good and well.
davo
At September 27, 2006 5:54 PM, doug said…
Kick ass about the trip... however
you made tim curry a "highlight"
He raped the gaberial knight games ;(
At September 28, 2006 3:16 PM, James said…
I thought Tim Curry did a pretty good job in the GK games.
JR
At October 03, 2006 5:13 AM, Anonymous said…
for cheap travel from London you can try lastminute.com, the bus ride is 7 hours (do it by night you'll save a night at the hotel!) and you get to cross through the tunnel or over on the water, nice... I find easyjet and ryanair to be the better options most of the time but don't forget to add the cost of bus/train to go downtown in Paris afterwards.
No one mentioned Sacré-Coeur for Paris, it's up a hill so you get the best panoramic view of Paris and do check out Place de la Défense (arche de la défense), the best modern architecure you'll see in Paris.
for London I like hanging out in Camden Town, good shopping and interesting people. Leicester and Picadilly (the London equivalent to Time Square, but with class!) are good starting points if you want to club and dance.
oh, and good wine is dirt cheap in the grocery stores in Paris =)
I've never been to Dubai, I hope you post pictures!!!
Daniel F.
P.S: for your domain you could ask your registrar to lock the domain for you, that way no one can steal it away... also most places will give better pricing if you register for 2-5-10 years, you should inquire.
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